"Good morning, miss."
"...."
A gloomy morning faced Captain Rain as he checked on the ragged girl. She did not talk and ate just a little of the ration given to her last night after the horrible circumstance that she first encountered upon reaching the city gates.
"I have received the letter from the main Church of Olypia, you are Miss Adellene Turien. A trainee of the Holy Maiden huh. Please forgive me for the lack of security within the city. I know it's my oblig~"
"It's..."
*hmmm?*
A voice came out to stop blabbering of the captain's mouth.
"It is okay mi'lord. It was my fault of trusting the wrong people as I furst step foot unto this city."
"I see. You need not to worry about your safety as I have scattered guards in every reach of the town. Also I have to give this letter to you. It is from the town's head priest."
"Erm, Tha~"
Captain Rain raised his brow as a weird voice came from the girl. It was a shy but a cunning voice that took the interest of his ears.
"Thank you!"
"Hmm?"
"Thank you for taking me to your headquarters and asking the guards to take care of me. I hope I did not cause any trouble, right?! "
*sigh~*
A brief moment of silence came to the room as the captain gave out a big sigh. In the brief silence, Adellene was in utter silence. Thinking that she might have annoyed the captain of her being forward to him.
"I'm so sorry about my attitude tow~"
"HAHAHAHAHA!!!"
"Ehh???"
A sudden laugh surrounded the whole room. The captain laughed so hard that the guards came upstairs to see what was going on.
"Hey, look at her. She's a talkative one eh?"
"I think she is si~"
"HAHAHAHA! My my, what a basket full of surprises. Why were you nit talking last night? You can just talk to us like this all the time. Man, Darius will be happy to hear this."
"Darius?"
"Yes, Darius, the one who saved you from that day. He checked on you last night before he went home. Also that boy was a bit down yesterday as he was not allowed to enter the guild hall. Told him to bring extra clothes everytime he comes here. He really is hard-headed. I might be giving him a quest once he's joined the guild hall."
"Ah... Him."
"Also, I'll be leaving you now because I will be roaming around the place. The royal family will be staying here for three days. Once you go iut, be warry of sketchy people because it'll get even more crowded due to their visit. Also drop the sirs and mi'lord. Call me Rain, no need to be pressured. Hahaha!"
".... "
The captain and his crew went down and took their shifts as their captain started roaming around the streets of the city.
"Hoooh... Guess I'll be going out as well. Darius... I wonder if you are the~ hays, nevermind that. Don't bother yourself so much about these things Adellene."
*Hands clasped*
"I hope you oversee my day lord Zues."
She came out of the quarters as well and took a stroll.
The town was quiet but lively early in the morning. Although it is her first time in the town square, Adellene mingled with the townsfolk and even went through shops.
"Ahh! This look well and its comfortable!"
She went inside a tailor shop to change her clothes from the head quarters. It took her and the owner minutes to look over different dresses. She even twirled around to see the beauty of the dress.
"Miss that looks perfect on you! Oh lord, I'm so proud of that design of mine. If you really love it, I will give you a set back on its price. You can buy it for twenty gold. Also take take this leather boits that I just made today. It is free."
"Aw, you're so sweet mi'lord. I will be taking this no matter what. Also take these marbles. I took them from the Church of Olympia. They said that give these to nice people that you meet."
"Woaaahhhh!!! Sparkly! I will keep this in my treasury. Thank you so much for your visit miss. Come again soon!"
Adellene now looks like a walking goddess on the streets with her new dress. She just continued strolling through the square when suddenly she heard a child's cry.
"What happened? You got lost? Come on tell big sis what happened."
"My kite, it's stuck on the tree and I can't reach it. Waaaahhhhh!!!"
"Ehhh, do-don't cry now. Hehe... I'll figure something out."
As a she was trained in the church. She never stopped thinking about helping others. Now she's in distress because she doesn't know how to climb up the tree and it is too far from her reach even if she jumped. Although she wanted to help, there was nothing in her capability to do something on this matter. But...
"Hey, can you move back for a bit."
"Hmm? Wha~"
A black object flew up and cut the branch of the tree. The branch was cut that only the bark was connected to its main body.
"Woah... That was, AHHHHH LOOK OUT!!!"
The branch fell off on Adellene's position, luckily she jumped as quickly as possible to drag the crying kid away from that fall.
"What are you doing? You could've killed us bo~"
"Here kid, don't run around with that kite near these big idiots."
"Woah, thank you mister. Also thanks for trying big sis hehe."
The kid ran away waving away at them. With that kid away, Adellene's head just spurted out bad things.
-Tell him to shut off. He is so arrogant. You need to put him on his place! -
"He-hey! What on earth are you doing? You could've hurt both of us."
"It's just a branch. Also, I just needed the brach for someone, I don't intend to help that kid."
"Why you?! You cruel mongrel, you should apologise!"
"...."
-Wait, it's that guy. What was his name again? Was it Barbarus? Danus?-
"Hmm, you're walking now huh? Good for you."
"Hey! Danius!"
"..."
Darius stopped and flinched. He turned around and looked at her with dead eyes.
"It's Darius."
"Oh yeah Darius! Darius Bane the one-h~"
In a blink of an eye, Darius dashed on her and just stared down at her.
"Do you want your head on your hands or your hands above your head?"
"O-kay..."
Darius turned away from her, took the branch with him and left her. She was left standing still with fear for her life in a second. She thought of how things went downhill with her memories yesterday. The balrog who killed two thugs larger than him in seconds. But she puffed her cheeks and went to come with him.
"Hey, erm- Sir Darius! Wait up."
"What?"
"Umm... Thank y~"
"Don't thank me. Thank the ones who took you in."
"Well I did thank them for what they did. They're really lively after all."
"Good."
Little by little, Adellene caught her composure around his company. She started checking his body if either he's hurt somewhere, scars and other remnants of the fight yesterday.
"What are you doing?"
"You know, I'm a skillful priest as what the holy maiden told me. So yeah I can heal your wounds, reduce the scar and pain as well."
"That's good."
"Yeah! It is indeed go~hey what the hell areyou doing. Ican heal you up, isn't that more than good???"
"Should i be calling greater? Better or what."
"Haaays... Don't mind it."
"Okay."
The both kept waking unto a lonely alley where Rondo's shop is seen in the distance. Adellene was wondering why would a tavern be needing a sturdy ironwood branch. Both enter the tavern and they were met with a good amount of townsfolk having fun and drinking inside.
"Oh hey Darius, I've been waiting for your arrival. Here have this, its a new blue honey drink."
"I can't buy drinks, got no enough gold with me today."
"It's in the house for today. Besides you're working for me. Also the ironwo~woah that's a big chunk. Hehe this will be a fine equipment. I will make one for you as well."
"Ummm sir, I'm curious about the wood. What are you going to craft with those?"
Rondo turned around and had a little bit of shock hearing a girl's voice. He slowly raised the ironwood.
"Oh this? I'm creating a good scabbard for my claymore. I'll be creating for the guy sitting next to you. Also, don't get on his bad side you won't be able to tell the tale."
"Well yeah I guess..."
With a hint of smile from Adellene's face, Rondo turned towards Darius and looked at him, grinning and slightly mocking him about the girl he brought in his tavern. Although it was harmless, Darius replied with a deadly gesture that made Rondo turn away quickly.
"So, both you and the tavern keeper. Are you friends of some sort?"
"Hmm... Somehow."
"Care to tell the story behind it?"
"Hmmm... I don't normally say stories in the past."
"Come on now! Oh sorry about that..."
Darius just glanced at her and she turned away from his gaze. Both were quiet for a moment then suddenly Rondo came back bringing materials to craft it infront of Adellene.
"You know young lady. Darius right there, saved me from a pack of wolves three years ago. It was a quiet night while I was gathering berries the Gotenbron farm. These wolves were known to target humans in the night. Luckily for me, Darius was also a worker in that farm. And from that moment, I kept coming back to the farm and asked the land lady who the kid was. The rest is just him going here asking rumors and simple work."
"Hmmm well he really does help people in dire situations. I got saved by Sir Darius as well."
"Oh so you're the one the guards are talking about."
"Wait they are talking about me? Really?! What were they on about?! Tell me, tell me!"
"I'd rather not talk about it."
A sudden silence fall unto them after that conversation as Rondo continued to make the scabbard. With the swatches and hammering noises, chatter and laughter was filling up the tavern. Suddenly, Rondo started to mumble.
"You know, young girl, you shouldn't be walking around with strangers. Especially a guy like Darius. You'll be drag into different problems..."
"Hmmm? Why so?"
It took time for them to be able to converse again. Later on, Rondo raised two things over the table.
"Nevermind what I said! Hahaha. Here's the scabbard. Its a durable one, and I used my leftover leather and leather strips. Also take these vambraces. I've carved gem sockets on it if ever you wanna make it a magic item."
"Thank you for this. Here's the payment."
Rondo looked at Darius and slowly looked at the pouch of gold tossed over the table.
"Do I look like a blacksmith to you? I did this so the leather wont be decayed or something. You gave me the ironwood, you take those items that I gave you. Nothing more, nothing less."
Rondo look at him fiercely with sweat on his head. Few moments later, Darius gave in and took the items and his gold pouch.
"Hooh. Now thats done, go to the guild hall and you better get your own class as well."
"Wait guild hall??? What is that?"
Adellene stood up and looked at both Darius and Rondo seriously.
"Wait you don't know what that is? Damn, you really are new to the outside world huh missy."
"Well..."
"Don't mind it. It's just a place where people who like to do quests, adventuring, making money usually get what they want. Our friend here wanted to become one because he wanted to look for something."
Darius lookd at Rondo and slowly changed his gaze.
"It's none of your business."
*eeeek*
"Haayy... You really are hopeless huh Darius. Now go on and go to the hall or you will never will become one."
Both Adellene and Darius stood up and walked towards the door. Then a shout came to them.
"Miss Adellene, watch over my friend's back!!! He really can't be left all alone!"
"I~I will sir!"
It was Rondo giving them a farewell with the other customers raised their mugs for that reason as well.
-I still wonder why sir Rondo told me to be wary with him-