Jamal arrived home late that night, close to midnight. He was sweaty and more exhausted than before. He thought it would just them standing in the front, but they made sure for them to exercise for at least two hours while others kept watching from the gate and around the city until their turns were up. It was much easier afterward with his shift finally arriving to keep watch around the city. Of course, a few guards ridiculed him for his age, but he couldn't wait to prove them wrong. This wasn't an ordinary teen, but something much different and powerful.
His thoughts didn't bother him, as he opened to door, to see everyone but Hops of course watching his entrance.
"What happened?" Jamal asked before Ula hushed him.
"Look, I can explain. Apparently, Namo is here, the Saputan Leader, and anyway basically explained that he wanted everyone to evacuate until national pride took over and changed his mind. So I joined to help defend the city, and I get paid." he pulled out several coins before Ula slapped them on the ground.
"I understand you want to help, but you left these two alone for who knows what could happen!" she yelled at him.
"I mean, when I woke up like a month ago, I found them chilling across the street so surely they can take care of themselves, or so I thought."
"Oh," Ula said calming down, as she began to get the coins down on the ground before wincing.
"Hey, I got it. You should probably get some sleep." he eased her back up and collected the coins in her hands before continued picking up the coins on the floor.
"Thanks, Jamal, I'm sorry. As for you two, I don't want you guys going outside without my permission or Jamal near you. With everything happening, it's best to stay indoors. I'll go back to sleep and I'll see you guys in the morning." she told them, before kissing Jamal's cheek and heading to bed.
Watching as Jamal continued to get all the coins before placing them on a counter, he looked inside the fridge to see a pre-packaged sandwich. Not the healthiest choice, but it'll do. As he sat down at the table, he looked to see them still staring at him, as he began to eat the sandwich.
"You guys can go get some sleep now. Everything's good," he told them, where they just nodded and moved towards their own beds.
He continued to eat in silence until he finally finished and downed a cup of water. Already tired, he worked his way towards his bed, where he plopped his head on the pillow and fell fast asleep.