In a far secluded area of the Bayrock town hides its penurious lawless areas where smugglers, drug dealers, thieves, and illegal gamblers stay in. The town's government were long trying to take them under control, but unfortunately, things are too out of hand so they let the place stay as it is. Though, anyone who lives there is forbidden to go anywhere else. It's like people there are forced by their government to follow the imaginary jail or their head is the price in exchange.
The floors are littered, their sheds are disorganized, and the place is reeking in a fetid foul smell. There are no other rules there but to stay inside their district so bruises and wounds are commonly seen to people who live here— since they're not allowed to go anywhere else so most of them got scars on their face, arms, and other parts of their body. However bright and merry the land pictures, there's always a place where darkness lurks.
"Bloody hell, I lost again!" exclaimed by a long-bearded man, his eyes are downturned and his old age shows with his wrinkled face. He slaps down the cards in frustration.
His enemy let out a satisfied chortle, showing out his darkened and filthy teeth, but it seems like beauty and appropriate appearance are long gone within their place. The winner slides down the coins to his small brown pouch, singing his victory with the clings of his money as his melody.
"Better luck next time, Joe."
The man named Joe groans, wearing a grumpy expression on his face. The victor celebrates while the flop can do nothing but glare in protest. Just then, a young lady shows up and stands beside Joe, holding her cigarette between her middle and index finger. Her clothes are all ragged and no better than the others. She could be a fair young lady if ever her skin is taken care of however was influenced by the bad environment she is in. Joe slumped on his chair then sighed before his eyes darted to the woman.
"Annalyn, where did you even get the money to buy cigarettes?" Joe asks, still irritated by his loss. The woman named Annalyn puffs her smokes when Joe steals it from her hand and used the remaining cigarettes. She scoffs before blowing out the excess smoke in her lungs.
"I stole it in the town," she answers. When the cigarette is out, he discarded it on the table.
"If you're stealing something, at least steal some food for us!"
"And what about you? If you have nothing else to do, then go grab some money from the citizens."
"You went into the town? Good thing you didn't get caught," the man who won in their gamble said, then crossed his foot on top of the table carelessly.
Annalyn ignored her question, then went straight on reporting the news she heard from the town, "two towns lost their rivers, a news from the Bayrock's Pavillion told." She sat on a vacant chair sounding unbothered.
The two men look at each other for a second before bursting out to a peal of laughter. The woman frowned at them, then lightly smacks Joe's shoulders. "You guys don't believing me?"
"Men, come here! Our Annalyn got some ridiculous humour packed home for everyone from town," the man who won from their card game called, emphasizing the word humour to make as like a pun. In one call, people gather at once. News from the outside is rare since they can only go for a short period of time so they interestedly listen. "Come on, my girl. Say it again."
She repeats, but once again, all she receives are a group of waves of laughter. The woman looks like she's starting to vex as their voices get even louder. "For Pete's sake, I swear!"
"How? The river just disappeared?"
"Poof!"
They all mock. They don't seem like they're stopping sooner so she added, "the river is dried. Not a single drop of water!" she shouted, which slowly made their laughs fade. "Due to the lack of water resources, people evacuated to a different town. They told that Bayrock isn't an option since our town's river seems like it's giving less and less than it usually gives.
When they heard her say those, they froze in shock. Other appear to not believing her still with the lack of evidence. They throw out different reactions to it, worry, fear, anxiousness.
"Where will we live if things really end up the same with those two towns?"
"We'll die."
"There's no other place the same as here!"
Murmurs filled the air. Annalyn rolled her eyes with their sudden change of expression. She was about to leave when a man came running to their direction. Panic and fear are visible on his face. It was the bandit who escaped from Catherine, Solaris, and Ezio's beatings. He stopped in front of them, falling to his knees while holding onto the table for support as he catches his breath. Bullets of sweat are trickling down his forehead just like he ran from a far distance with no stop. If he is competing in a marathon, he would have won driven by fright. Unfortunately, his fellows have no water to offer since they, too, are under grave poverty that they seldom can buy a fresh drink.
"What's the matter, Bob?" Annalyn asks. They waited patiently for him to recover.
"T-there's a b-boy! A boy... There's a boy!" His words came out repetitive as panic still overwhelms him.
"Boy, boy, what is it? Your son?" Joe jokes when he grows impatient and there's few who snicker but most of them still waited seriously for what's bad news to come.
"Our group saw the noble lady in the forest, so we tried to rob her money out when a boy came with two which looks like his disciples. He fought us to save our victim, and he uses the magic of water. Our Aalto Theós is back! Our land will be safe!" he says, fearing their God's presence but with slight joy on his voice. Most of them don't look like they believe his words. They would if he's not the witness alone so people started to debate.
"If he is, why are some villages losing their rivers?"
"Don't be ridiculous."
"The gods are long gone, Bob. Open your eyes," a man mocked and gestured in opening his eyes wider.
"Only the religion of Aaltos would believe such lies."
"But, but-- the eight of us saw. Here, I can call my men to tell you--" Bob tried to convince them, even staggering through his words but to no avail, none of them is biting his stories.
"In a thousand years, people experience no rain thus the conflict of water resources from villages and you're saying he's here?" Where's the rain?" They continue to corner him further, making him at loss for any more words to persuade them.
"The gods couldn't have made us feel the absence of rain just to bless a single boy," Annalyn said, still thinking things equally when an old lady came to the commotion. She's a well-known person in the area although her name still remains a secret. They all fell silent when she speaks.
"Noble people are the ancestors of the late sorcerers," Penelope started in her shaky voice while she walks to their area in her slow pace. She's a well-respected person there in that place and all of them believe her words as she was the person helping them when they got no food to put in their mouths.
"The noble lady you attacked is foreign in our lands. Though we know what befalls to their family, we don't know her ability or additional things she can do," she continues which the respond with a nod. "The Xenon once dominated and nearly grasp the power of the monarchy. Who knows if they got the power to create illusions?" They seem to believe her words so they left it at that. Bob was left wondering, he still hasn't recovered from his exhaustion from running si he slumps beside Joe's chair.
"But, they were injured. I saw," he mumbles to himself since he knows that no one would believe anything he says anymore.
"Poor boy..." The sorceress approached him and crouched down beside him. She pats his back to at least comfort him, then offered a clear water onside a potion bottle. "Here, this will quench your thirst."
The bandit accepts and chugs it down to its last drop. After consuming, his body regained its energy in an instant, his bruises recovered unnoticed and his emotions calmed down. He was surprised, but he just smiles and gave his gratitude. Penelope smiles back genuinely as if he was her own child, then stands up and gave the people who are back on their own businesses one last final glance with a caring gaze before she left and went back to the building she stays in.