The room stunk of trash and liquor. With mugs on top of other mugs and sprawling over the floor. Beside the keg, blood was splattered over it and dripping onto the floor. At the origin of the blood was a young boy.
"You useless brat," the older man slugged the child in the face again.
Touching his forehead, the child felt the warm liquid trickling down, "I'm sorry-Just give me anoth-"
The man threw the kid aside, "Leave before I kill you myself!"
The child was trying to hold back there tears, "But da-"
"You were a mistake in every way. Can't believe I lost my wife for you," the man struck the child again, "NOW GET!"
Crying, the child bolted out the front door and out into the rain. Falling down the first step, the kid slammed into the mud and bounced back up. Bursting through the front gate, he ran out into the woods. "Fuck him! I don't need him," the kid tripped over an exposed root, rolled down a hill, and into a river. Being taken by the strong current, he had been pulled under, thrown above, pulled back under until his back slammed into a rock and he went unconscious.
"Hey! You alive!?"
The child blinked weakly.
"Ah, so you are!"
Staring into the strangers eyes, he saw it was a girl. "Who-" he held his head in pain as he grunted.
"Don't move," she had him move slowly backwards. "Stay lying down silly."
"Sorry."
"Don't apologize, I did this because.....well-I'm lonely."
"Where am I?"
"With me."
"But where!?!?"
She looked up dazed, "Huh?"
"LOCATION!"
Her face went blank,"Oh. Where in this place called the Black District."
"...."
"I will be honest, I might also be dirt poor, so the best I could steal for you was an apple!"
"Are we in a box?"
"THIS CRATE IS MY HOME! Thank you very much," she shoved the Apple in his mouth.
"Gra!" He mumbles with an apple plugged in his mouth like a pig for a feast.
"It's tasty, innit?"
He spat it out, "It's a change of paste."
"Where are you from," she now was placing his hands hard against his stomach.
"Nowhere..."
"THEN YOU BECOME MY FRIEND!"
"Huh?"
"You heard me! Since you are from 'nowhere,' then you can be in my somewhere!"
In confusing, the boy forced himself upright and looked around, "I'm in the..." he looked at the shady figures, the people in cages above, the brawls breaking out, and then he looked back at the girl, "The Black District?"
She face palmed, "I said that ealier."
"Oh yeah! I was gonna ask your name!"
"Amelia," she stood up and slapped the boys back, causing him pain.
"Ow! And it's Noah Locke."
"Locke? As in THE LOCKE!? Meaning your father is Murphy Locke!"
Noah punched Amelia in the face.
"Ow! I know I hurt your back bu-"
Someone was crying.
Looking at the boys eyes, he was close to a breakdown. Feeling bad, Amelia hugged him, "Y'know, I remember hearing the name Hargreaves once."
"Yeah?" Noah hesitated to hug her before she pulled in his face. Now he ended up kissing her. Pushing her away, he was blushing and confused, "What was that for!"
"I've never kissed a boy before," she hid her face with her silver hair.
"I mean....I haven't kissed a girl either, but I...," he thought about how soft her lips were when they touched his. How it seemed weird but the sensation he got from it was amazing, "It was something else."
"WELL ACT LIKE IT DIDN'T HAPPEN!" Her face was bright red.
"Hey, what's your last name! You didn't say!"
She tapped her chin, "I believe....Winston?"
"You believe?" Noah was in disbelief.
"Yeah! You know how hard that is to remember! I take care of myself you know! Hmph," she crossed her arms and turned away.
"So what now, how do you live in such a place?"
"I heard heros make loads of money!"
"Adventurers?"
"But we'll be heros!"
"Heros," he looked at her blankly.
"Yes! Heros! What don't you get?"
"You do realize they're not heros?"
"You kid, now c'mon, I know where we can start..."
Now, in present day Black District.
Entering the Guild, Amelia kept by Noah. With everyone glaring at the two, Amelia took Noah's arm.
"Why are they always staring."
"We're from a shady area, why wouldn't they stare."
Reaching the countertop, Noah looked at the Guild Assistant. Handing her a paper, on it read a job, " 'Slay Local Goblins,' We would Like to take this job," Noah pointed at it.
Sheepishly, the assistant held her finger upward. Pointing at Noah, he raised a brow.
"What? Why're you pointing at me?"
"Noah-Behind you," Amelia tapped his shoulder.
"Move aside."
Noah froze in place. The voice was one he hadn't heard in so long. This voice sounded raspy and crude. Coming out from Behind Noah, now an image came clear to him. "D-d-dad?"
Everyone inside the guild had turned towards the two, giving them there full attention.
"I'm not your father, you failure."
Clutching his fist, he turned to face his father, "So then, Joana Locke? Better?"
Joana lit his hand on fire, "Now move-"
"-Or what? You gonna fight me?"
"Killing you would be better."
"Try it," Noah drew his sword.
"Hey! If you two fucking fight in here, right now! I'll fucking kill you both right here!" Amelia grabbed Noah by his ear and dragged him out, "We'll be doing that quest now!" Now outside the Guild Quarters, Amelia released Noah.
He just now stared at the building.
"I see now, why you didn't like your father."
Noah clutched his fist even tighter, "That's not even all of it."
Amelia just stared at him concerningly. "Let's just go.."