Chapter 13 — Proof
Author: Marcelo Pedrette
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Year 953, day 081, City of Ruhm, 11am.
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In the hotel room, sitting on a wooden chair with his hair completely wet, Kalui smiles in awe. Concentrating and pressing his tongue with his lips, Whiger grabs his friend's hair and cuts it off little by little. Kahyu and Roldi hold their laughter behind the tiger boy's back.
— Who knew you would be the best at this! Exclaims Roldi.
— Get on with it! — says Kahyu. — It will delay us!
Whiger ignores them completely. He's really focused on getting his friend's hair cut.
After a few minutes, the tiger boy puts the scissors on the table and signals that he is finished. Kalui is very excited in the chair, without any kind of suspicion. Roldi and Kahyu are amazed by the boy's innate ability.
Unlike Whiger's hair, which is very close to the scalp, Kalui's hair was cut in a way that the groups of strands are still adhered to, but are no more than the ear.
The black-haired boy strokes his head, feeling the new cut.
— I haven't seen it yet, but I already liked it. — Smiling, he says. — Thanks, Whiger!
Later, on the same day, on the other side of the city, the group waits for their boat at the pier. Each carrying their things. Since weapons are prohibited, Roldi kept all of them, even the training ones, in his large white cloth bag. Many people are with them and many others wait outside, because to enter the pier, it is necessary to buy a ticket.
— I hope you are not weak with water ... The trip will be seven to eleven days. Says Roldi.
The children look at the gray-haired man in frightened eyes.
— Eleven days! Exclaims Kahyu.
"I hope I'm not going to be sick ...", thinks the girl.
With the arrival of the boat, the group delivers their tickets to the ticket agent and enters the large wooden building.
The interior is decorated with several paintings. The ship consists of two small food halls and each room has a bathroom. All the doors in the corridors are small rooms, and at door 209, the four of them adjust to rest.
Throwing the clothes of Roldi's large bundle up, Kalui finally finds his chains. Alone in the room, he puts them on the bed and goes back to look for something. After messing things up even more and his chains are already buried in clothes, he finds four silver bracelets. In each of the accessories, there is a small ring welded vertically.
The boy equips the bracelets, one bracelet on the wrist and another almost on the elbow. He takes his chains — the one on the right with a blade at the end and another with a thorny ball the size of his palm — and passes them through the rings, wrapping them in his arms. The elbow ring has a small sturdy loop that locks the chain. Facing his weapons in his arms, Kalui exclaims in joy:
— My dears! I came back to you!
The wooden door opens and Roldi, Kahyu and Whiger stop at the door, watching the mess caused by the boy. All things overturned and clothes everywhere. The gray-haired man turns red with anger. He controls himself not to step hard and break the ground.
Watching the mess it caused, Kalui's face turns white as snow as he watches the big man coming towards him. In the background of their vision, Kahyu and Whiger just nod in disappointment.
— It was nice to meet you, Kalui ... — says Whiger, closing the bedroom door and leaving the two alone.
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Year 953, day 089, Elfen Territory, city quay, 19h.
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The hazy dark night marks the arrival at Elfen's wharf. The whole place is protected by guards at strategic points and the low light from the torches keeps the place less frightening.
The pier is far from any house, at the base of a long mountain that gradually rises to a gigantic, visually infinite plateau.
Leaving the boat, Whiger and Roldi walk quietly down the pier. Kalui is a little sick, but he keeps his posture. Kahyu, on the other hand, resembles a drunk, unable to walk in a straight line under any circumstances. His face reveals his discomfort.
— Please, sister! No more vomiting!
The girl looks back, glaring at her brother angrily.
— I ... Still Will not — — it takes your hand in his mouth and leans forward, pausing for a few seconds and swallowing something bitter then. — I haven't vomited yet!
Going up the light and long slope is pleasant. The cobblestone streets help to steady the pace. Along with the group, a small crowd also goes up the same street. All well dressed and tired from the trip.
Even before they docked, the great and imposing wall was already visible. On top of it, guards watch everything along its length, both inside the city and outside.
— Children! Did you know that there are approximately one hundred thousand soldiers on the wall? They are at specific points throughout it.
"I really have no idea how much it is.", Thinks Kalui.
"Wow, how many people!", Thinks Kahyu.
A few minutes of walking is enough to reach the gate of the great wall. No building exists outside.
Again, two guards with crossed spears protect the entrance. Their armor is lighter than Ruhm's and the emblem on his chest is an eagle.
A line is formed to enter and the group is in the middle of it.
— Next! The guard shouts.
— Good night, sir. Says Roldi.
— What's the reason for coming?
— Change. I and my children. — He slowly pushes them forward. — My name is Larkin, these are Kalui, Kahyu and Whiger.
— Introductions are not with me and, child — he points to Kalui — carrying weapons are prohibited for non-residents. You must keep it until you register. Since they came to live, they must go to the nearest town hall.
The boy unlocks the chain ring, unwraps it from his arms and hands it to the scarred gray-haired man.
— I have the Ruhm record, is it good for anything?
— Sir, take everything you have to the camera. There they will help you. — he raises his spear — They can pass. Unlike Ruhm, children must also register.
Passing through the guards, Roldi replies:
— Thank you very much. We will go right now!
Unlike Ruhm, which is filled with hills and hills; Elfen is like a single minimally high slope, so tiny that it is not noticeable from beginning to end of the gigantic and colossal city.
Children are not so shocked by the view inside the city. Everything is very similar to Ruhm, but on a larger scale. More people, more stores, houses and buildings a little bigger and much richer in details, wider streets and everything completely clean.
— Children. We will spend the night in a hotel again, as the capital is still far away. Tomorrow we will register and then we will buy our long-awaited home.
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Year 953, day 090, Elfen Territory, Elfen City, 19h.
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The great wall that marks the entrance to the capital, does not have any kind of guard. Its entrance is the same width as the street, allowing anyone to enter and exit freely.
— For all intents and purposes, Kalui, you are now ten years old. — Roldi hands over his registration to the boy. — Are you happy to be able to walk with your chains again?
The boy nods, smiling. The chain wrapped around his arm has one end stuck in a circle welded to the silver bracelet, close to his elbow, and the other end attached exactly the same, but to the bracelet on his wrist.
Everyone in the group is dressed like a real bourgeois. Comfortable, light and beautiful clothes.
Roldi also carries his large curved daggers in his scabbard.