"Well, he's not a slave yet, they're going to sell him, this afternoon" Gregory explained.
"Why?!" Layd asked quite puzzled. "How is he going to help me with the favor if they take him away?!"
"Well, he had a debt and he committed/"
"Enough Greg, it's none of thier business" Padd cut off the talk. "Better take them to the tollbooth."
"O-oh, right… Come with me, you three" Gregory pushed Natsume, Layd and Airys from behind, the last two tried to give Seng a look, but Seng was focused on the ground for some reason.
Now, there is a tiny, minuscule, minute and small law in the city of Dingars that almost most people are unaware of when heading to the city, a law that as simple and even simpleton as it may be, is a fundamental pillar of success. and prosperity that encompasses within the walls.
Entrance fee.
Apart from any expenses that they have within the city, to be able to pass legally you have to pay a figure of fifty silver coins, which includes a document that proves that you paid and also... a free round trip! As long as you come back in less than six months.
I know, I know. I never described and specified how much money our protagonists carried, because it was not necessary.
You don't have to mention what doesn't exist.
"Ehm… excuse me… we don't have any money…" Airys shrugged uncomfortably and looked around, seeking to appeal to Gregory's pity.
They had just explained what they were going to do with them. In the case of Layd, Natsume and Airys, they had two options: Pay the toll and have a stay in the city like any other resident, or leave at no cost.
"Don't worry miss" A smiling man behind a counter handed her a small iron rectangle. "With this you will be able to stay here and pay up to a maximum of forty days."
"O-only forty…?" she sighed hopelessly. " Mommy took more than a month to win that ..."
Natsume and Layd were also given similar pieces of iron, Natsume's reaction was to keep an eye on Layd communicating her intentions perfectly and causing more cold sweat to run down her stepbrother's forehead.
"Yeah-yeah… I'll take care of it… no problem…" Layd stuttered and Natsume patted him on the shoulder. "Mr. Greggg…" he crawled to his savior.
"Need help?" Greg stretched out his arm.
"Please!"
"I guess I can give you a place to stay."
"Thank you!"
"And where is that place Uncle Greg?" Samantha tugged at his shirt with a concerned look.
"Where else? In our house" Greg replied genuinely towards Samantha's doubt. If he was a little less lelo, he wouldn't have overlooked the strange attitude of his niece, too bad he didn't.
"Does that mean Layd is going to sleep next to me?!" Her brain exploded and cooked instantly. "No, no, no! Or yes? The house is not that big, and we are going to be at least one, two… four people… WHAT DO I DO?! "
"The girl with the cute hair is coming for a sleepover?" Melody patted Gregory's hair.
"Oh, she'll be there too..." Samantha regained a portion of her serenity and the emotion washed away.
"That's right, well I guess…" Gregory said and looked at Airys as if asking.
Airys inadvertently didn't listen to him, she was uncomfortable seeing Seng in the corner of the place with Padd, in silence, with a pout and a look of shame. She didn't want to talk to him at all, no.
But…
"Why doesn't he use his resonance to tell me what to do?" She wondered in her mind. "Is he really so proud that he won't even speak to me?"
Exactly! Whether she wanted to talk to him or not wanting and had to talk to him, there was no reason why Seng wouldn't explain what his plans are. That put her in a bad mood, she has given in so much because Seng is supposed to be the only person in whom she can trust the whole secret of being the chosen one... and he does nothing but denigrate and devalue her.
She squeezed the iron rectangle and frowned. It didn't take her long to get her determination and take a few swift, firm steps in his direction, putting Layd and Natsume aside, ignoring Melody's various comments about her tastes and the things they would do and Gregory's nervous gestures at not knowing what happened.
The words of that starry night from Natsume crossed Airys's mind.
What is Seng supposed to bring to her?
A teacher? She can get a better one!
A confidant? Hahaha! What a good joke.
All that she keeps thinking about, that they are in this together, is merely Seng's knowledge of the legend, knowledge that he has not fully shared with her!
Airys stood in front of him. He looked up, she maintained eye contact. If there was an opportunity to voice her complaints it was right now, if there was a chance to get rid of him, to force him to reconsider and apologize to her, it was now.
"So?" Airys's usual high-pitched and cheerful tone was replaced by a more serene and low-pitched one. "Am I supposed to wait for you while you spend the rest of your life in prison?"
"Brat/"
"Do not call me that way!"
Airys's roar warped the generally jovial atmosphere of the room and alerted the recruits there who calmed down and backed away with a wave of Padd's hand.
"I've already made up my mind." Airys ran her thumb over her nose and with watery eyes and immeasurable nerves within her, she continued with his ultimatum: "I'm fed up with how you treat me, I'm going to get another tutor and I'm going to move on without you! "
Seng held a deep look of hatred, the temptation to attack her and break her bones was enormous. He didn't know if he was held back by his incredible patience, the annoyance of the weights, or the fact that Padd sensed his thirst for blood and was prepared to react. Anyway, the best thing was that he didn't move on his impulses.
"Pay that debt to be able to resume training as soon as possible."
That comment from Seng boiled Airys' blood, even in the last minute of their relationship he prefers not to give relevance to her words and emotions... She felt her head was going to explode, however:
"Goodbye, Seng." She could play that too.
Of the people present, Natsume was the gladdest to hear those words and made sure to welcome Airys with open arms to help her. Padd better kept quiet and Gregory —curious about the whole picture —contemplated the young criminal to analyze him with his instincts.
He had something wrong, compared to the purity that Airys exudes, even so...
Who doesn't have something wrong?