Nalazak was starving.
He had found nothing but bad luck since he arrived at New Haven. He was convinced he had been pickpocketed already and his meeting earlier had fallen through, with his client threatening to chop his fingers off. Overall, Nalazak felt that New Haven was not an ideal place for business. Everything here looked like it could spiral into chaos at any point. Even the weather was unfriendly. In the distance beyond the harbor's sea wall, which guarded the bay of water from pirates and attacks, was a large wall of fog coming in slowly.
He wouldn't mind, though. Those bread loaves looked too good to pass up. He got up from his hiding place and calmly walked across the street toward the stand. The smell was growing more and more intoxicating by the second. He was almost there and was ready to snag them quickly, having his hands open and ready.
Suddenly, a loud male voice made Nalazak jump, "What the heck do you mean 'no'?"
Nalazak clenched his hands and pulled them back to his sides. He clenched his teeth, hoping he wasn't noticed. If there was a knight here, he would be in trouble. He decided to calmly wait to see if it was near him. He was surprised when he didn't feel the hands of the authorities grab him.
There was another voice that answered, this one female, "I meant what I said: no."
Nalazak looked around, trying to find the source of this conflict. He finally found the source about thirty feet away from him. He recognized a young knight talking to a casually-dressed woman, no, wait, the woman was wearing a royal necklace. She had to be someone in power here. A small group of people were gathering around them.
"Do you realize who you're saying 'no' to, Your Highness," the knight said. "I am the single most skilled, amazing, talented, handsome, purely awesome, and humble man here. Everyone knows that. Why would you deny yourself of all that?"
Nalazak's eyes widened. This was a marriage proposal? To the princess? He wasn't sure whether to be impressed at the event he was witnessing or plain horrified at how it was unfolding.
"I'm not marrying myself off to an arrogant, self-involved brat, Sir Brandon," the princess replied. "We don't even know each other."
"We have plenty of time for that after this," Sir Brandon replied. "Why are you being so stubborn about this?"
"I am not just some trophy, knight," the woman said. "I'm more than that! If you really thought I was going to say yes to such an entitled and sloppy person like you, then you are the stubborn one!"
It totally wasn't his business, but Nalazak was enjoying this. He walked toward the group, which was becoming bigger as more people gathered. Making his way, Nalazak finally made it to the front and was watching everything unfold. Looking at both knight and noble, he noticed Brandon was looking very annoyed.
"You're a princess, Princess," the arrogant knight spat. "The only thing you'll be remembered for is having a nice singing voice, talking to animals, getting hauled off by some monster or whatever, and some brave knight is going to have to haul you out of there. That is all you are and that is all you ever will be."
The princess looked a little hurt from that, but she was doing her best to look strong.
"You're wrong," she simply said.
"Am I though," Sir Brandon asked, sensing weakness. "You really think you're going to do something big like I will? Keep dreaming! You're going to beg for this day back, when you had a chance to be something, to be someone. All you are is a scared, little girl!"
The princess suddenly slapped the knight. A loud gasp emanated from the growing crowd. Sir Brandon backed away, his face red. Nalazak's eyes widened and kinda chuckled, not loud enough for everyone to hear.
Sir Brandon took a furious look at the princess, who replied, "Kiss a frog, Clipp."
The defeated knight growled in annoyance, unsure of whether to strangle the girl or to let her live.
Unable to choose, he coldly said, "This isn't over, princess." He then made his way through the crowd, humiliated and upset.
The crowd began to disperse, the episode ended. As the people left, some followed Brandon and others resumed their minuscule labors of the day. The princess was looking down, a bit weakened and on the verge of tears. Nalazak realized the poor woman was alone, no one to support her or console her.
He knew he shouldn't, but part of him couldn't abandon her. It would be wrong and it would be encouraging the exact same environment he had worked so hard to escape back home. Giving himself a mental pep talk, he finally made his way over to her.
"Hey," he asked. "Are you okay?"
The princess looked up. Her eyes were shiny as she was doing her best to hold back tears. She looked down and replied, "I don't know."
"I saw what happened," Nalazak replied. "You don't need to listen to him."
"I know," the princess mumbled. "It's just hard."
"Let's find a place to sit. You can tell me all about it."
The princess nodded and Nalazak helped guide her over to a terrace where some seating was set up.
"What's your name," Nalazak asked, helping her sit.
"Emily," she sniffled.
"Emily," Nalazak repeated, sitting down across from her. "That is a beautiful name."
"Thank you," Emily replied. "What's yours?"
"Nalazak."
The princess nodded before replying, "That's... that's a weird name, I'm not gonna lie."
Nalazak kinda made a face and said with a joke in his voice, "Thank you."
Emily seemed to like that, because she laughed a little. She was calming down, which was good. People deserve to be built up rather than torn down. Nalazak smiled a little. Her smile was cute. No wonder guys were trying to get her, she was stunning. He waited until she was done and calm.
"So, what's the deal with the knight," Nalazak asked.
"Oh," Emily replied, "that was Sir Brandon. He is one of the more arrogant ones here. He thinks he can get whatever he wants."
"Rich family?"
"Yeah, he's with one of the noble families here, feeling like they own the world."
"Well, you're a noble. Is that what it's like?"
Emily looked out to her left. Nalazak followed her glance. Behind the shops in that direction was the sea. New Haven had long ago built a massive sea wall of stone to fend off attackers, but outside of that wall was freedom. No rules, no one to order you around like a slave, no one to hold you back. Out there was being who you wanted to be.
Looking back to Emily, he realized that was something she wasn't able to do. Noble life was a cage, a cage of etiquette and customs, of what to do and what not to do. There was never a real escape, once in, never out... unless you were born into it, which in that case meant you were there to start.
"What do you think it's like out there," Emily asked, a little quiet.
"It's pretty cool out there," Nalazak said.
"Wait, you're not from here," Emily realized, a little surprised. "Oh my gosh, I am so sorry! I shouldn't have dragged you into this. This must be so weird."
Nalazak laughed a little and replied, "Don't worry about it. It's a great place you have here."
"It's home," she shrugged. "The point is that we can be who we are with those we care about."
Nalazak folded his arms. He didn't have that liberty where he was from. You had to be what they wanted you to be back home. No room for personal preference and no room for fantasies and dreams.
"So," he asked, considerably. "What do you want to be, then?"
Emily grew a little quiet for a second before saying, "I want to be a hero. I want the chance to
protect my home from darkness, to lift up those around me, to be someone."
"Except no one gives you the chance," Nalazak grimly noted.
"No one does, because I'm a princess and that's not my job" Emily replied, grudgingly. She seemed to overemphasize the last part, mockingly.
Nalazak nodded, thinking it over for a second. Emily then laughed a little.
"I wouldn't blame them," Emily continued. "They're probably right."
"How do you know that," Nalazak countered.
Emily was about to answer, but she thought it over. Nalazak could see more of the picture now: this was unproven talent waiting to come out.
"My dream was to be a treasure hunter," Nalazak continued. "My family absolutely hated it, thought I was foolish, but the opportunity came eventually. I left home with a map to the Thunder Staff and while things haven't worked out all the way like I have wanted, I have enjoyed every day of it. One day, I will find that staff because I had that dream.
"Your opportunity is coming. I noticed you said no when that knight tried to propose. Your father gave you that ability to choose, not everyone has that ability in this day and age. What is important, though, is that he trusts you. People will trust you and they will see the gifts you have. So, don't give up."
Emily nodded, thinking. Nalazak exhaled as if he had a load get off his chest. Emily then looked up and Nalazak and replied, "Thank you. I'm sorry you have to play therapist."
Nalazak gave a small smile, happy he could help.
"So, wait," Emily asked, curious, "your family didn't want you to be a treasure hunter?"
"Society is tough where I am from," Nalazak replied.
"Where are you from," Emily followed up.
Nalazak was about to answer when explosions sounded in the distance. Both of them stood up and looked over to the sea. Columns of smoke began to form above parts of the sea wall. Explosions every couple seconds lit the wall ablaze. Small sections began to crumble and collapse in the distance.
"What's going on," Emily yelled.
"The sea wall's under attack," someone yelled back. People began to panic, some started screaming in fear.
Suddenly, cannon fire sounded and Nalazak watched large, flaming balls of fire rise into the sky, growing bigger as they came closer to its target: the markets where they were sitting.