There we were, home. Well, at least what I now call home.
But there was something different now, her.
There she was Akame Clarindra, the beautiful human princess.
It wasn't anything fancy just mine and Gozans tents across from each other with 4 ragged wooden logs in a circle around a fireplace. But she still had a beaming smile on her face once we arrived.
"Unfortunately, we don't have another tent so for now you'll have to make do sleeping with Soukou." Gozan said in his raspy voice.
"No worries at all! I'm more than fine with that hehe!"
"Your awfully mature for such a young lady, haha."
"Of course I am! I'm a big girl now!"
"Haha, right of course."
"So what do we do now?" She asked timidly while putting a finger on her lip.
"Now we sleep. Bedtime is 10:00 PM, and we wake up at 6:00 AM. Got it?"
"Oh, alright then let's get to sleep Soukou!"
"Yes ma'am."
"Haha your so dumb."
We fell asleep side by side that night. I wonder what's in store for us, you know I was sad after what happened with my family but.. if things keep going like this then.. maybe I've found a new family. I will keep them safe no matter what it takes. "That's it! I won't fail like last time I promise in the name of Soukou Shuosai, I will keep Akame and Gozan safe!"
"Quiet down Soukou.." Akame muttered half awake.
"Sorry"
The dawn came and so our once-heavy eyes lifted like feathers. The sun was up and so we woke up as well. Well, Gozan woke us up but you get the point.
"Come on kids we have a long day." Gozan said as he woke us up.
I groaned as I tried to sit up. Meanwhile, Akame was already wide and awake.
"Come on Soukou!" She said in her cherry voice, playfully.
"Alright, alright."
I got up and stretched.
"What are we doing today?" I asked Gozan
"Well, we're not going to start paying off that debt just yet. Instead, today is a free day for you to spend with Akame, you have until next week to play as well. Make sure you're still practicing your magic though!"
"Yes sir!" Will do, and thank you!"
"Yes, yes now go on."
"Come on Akame let's go!"
"Okay!"
"Wait before you leave Soukou" Gozan said
"What's wrong Gozan?"
"Well you can't exactly walk into town with one of the most important people in this country now can you?"
"Oh.. right I didn't think about that."
"So what are we going to do then?" I ask quizzically
"Well Soukou, I'm going to cast a spell so people don't recognize the young miss."
"You are!?" The princess shouted with excitement
"Yes, come over here."
"Okay!"
"Now take a knee before me young one."
Akame lowered to one knee like how football players do during a team meeting.
Gozan started to chant, a glowing aura surrounded him.
"වෙස්වළාගන්න" Were the letters that appeared before him as he chanted, "Vesvaḷā Ganna!"
"Woah.." Akame muttered in disbelief.
"Wow! I don't even recognize her anymore even though she looks the same!"
"Also, what were those strange symbols that appeared before you Gozan?"
"My boy, those are the ancient symbols of Sinhala from long ago, they appear whenever casting a high-level spell."
"Oh, I see!"
"Yes, now young one you must hurry. Be back before the sun sets."
"Yes sir!"
"Come on Akame hurry up!"
"Wait!" Akame shouted.
"Haha!"
"Alright, where are you showing me first?"
"Well, I suppose we should start with the forest. You see all the trees around us, right?"
"Yeah, I do!"
"Well, Gozan told me to never go in there no matter what. He says that there are monsters in there."
"That's scary! Okay, let's never go in there!"
"Haha, yeah I don't plan to."
"Alright, let's go to the town now, I would show you the lake but that's not really important."
"Oh um alright then."
"Come on let's go!" I say as I grab her small, soft hands and lead her north in the direction of the town.
It takes us about 10 minutes of walking part way and running the other.
"Here it is, I'm sure you already know since your a princess and all but this is the town of lion."
"Hehe, yeah I already knew its name silly."
"It doesn't hurt to say the name though."
"That's true." She responded quickly
"Alright, let's go to the gate. Right here are the two guards that protect the entrance of this town."
"Why doesn't this town have any knights?" Akame asked the guards with her finger on her lip.
"Haha, we get that question all the time young one." The guard said in a rough voice.
"You want me to explain this time Paul?" The other guard says
"Nah, I got this dont worry."
"You see miss, in this country there are ranks that determine how much you cost to hire, which is based on your skill. I'm aiming to be a knight one day! But for now I'm still a guard. I doubt you'll understand all this but ill tell you anyway, At the very low are dispensable footmen who are untrained men recruited from towns, and cities. Next are soldiers, they are trained but offer very little to this kingdom. And then there are guards we are trained but usually, we don't fight in wars or anything we are here to protect towns and cities, although most cities hire knights anyway. Then there are the knights who are the army of this kingdom and serve under the king. There are more ranks but those are all the relevant ones you need to know, so this town doesn't quite have enough money, to hire knights. Especially after spending it all on that sponsorship.
"Oh I see, how rude of me. I'm sorry." Akame feels bad for wasting their money.
"No worries young one, this man right here will be the next holy knight!" Paul says while flexing his muscles.
"Woah that's cool! I wanna be a holy knight too!" Akame said proudly.
"Haha, maybe I'll give you some lessons sometime then kiddo."
"That'd be cool!"
"So where you off to little ones?"
"Oh, well my friend here is new to town so I'm showing her around!" I said.
"Are you now? Well, I hope you enjoy it here miss! It's not the fanciest thing in the world but we have nice folk all around, and maybe when you're older you can enjoy the fine booze haha!
"Thank you very much!" Akame responded.
"Alright, well enjoy yourselves now."
"We will! Thanks, mister Paul." I say while leading Akame into the town.
"Where are we going first Soukou?"
"Hehe, you'll see." I want to keep it a surprise to her hehe.
As we walk around the town, pass by brick and stone buildings, we arrive at our destination.
"Dorthy!" I call out her name as we were at an old beat-up shack.
"Huh? Who is there!?" She called back
"It's me Soukou!"
"Oh! Just a minute!"
I and Akame wait for a few minutes, as she's tugging on my shirt hiding behind me when Dorthy comes out.
"Well, hello there Soukou!"
"Hello, Dorthy!"
"It's been a while since we had your test, how's Gozan doing?"
"He's fine."
"Well, that's always good to hear!"
"And who is this little miss?" She says while looking at Akame
"She's Akame! My friend!" Akame's face lit up when she heard those words.
"You have a crush on her Soukou?"
"H-HUH?!" We both yell at the same time. Both our faces our redder than a steam pot.
"Um.. not like that." I whisper quietly
"Haha, well you're too young for that anyway. Maybe when you're older Soukou.
"Anyways why'd you come by for?"
"Oh! Well, I wanted to test her affinity as you did with me."
"Oh, I see. Usually, I would charge a fee but since your Gozans kid I'll let it slide just this once."
"Thank you, Dorthy!" We both say in unison
"Come Akame, put your hands over this magic ball." She said while pointing at the globe-looking thing.
Akame timidly put her hand over the ball.
"Hashiy!" As she said this the ball flashed, blue, light green, and then finally dark green.
"Three affinities, not bad," Dorthy said with a smirk
"You have a slight affinity for ice, a medium affinity for healing, and your main affinity is Wind."
"Wind? That sounds cool! And I get to heal people!" She said with a huge smile on her face.
Huh. I didn't think she'd be a Wind user, I guess this is why they say never judge a book by its cover.
"Well, that's good that you're happy!" I said to her.
"Yeah!"
"Alright, thank you, Dorthy! We'll make sure to visit again in the future!" I said while heading out, leading Akame as usual.
"That was fun! Where to next Soukou?"
"Next we'll go to the inn, I've never been there myself but Gozan did say to show you the town. So it will be a new expirence for both of us!"
"Oh alright, I can't wait!"
"Well you won't have to wait much longer, we're here!"
Before us was a large building, it had the height of a two-story building, with the width of a medium-sized parking lot.
"Wow already!"
"I did tell you this town was small, everything's really close to each other haha."
"Well, what are we waiting for let's go!" She said with an excited look on her face.
"Yeah, let's go inside!"
We walked up to the inn's doors, and there was a big man guarding the entrance, as we walked up he put a hand in front of us and said: "Sorry, kids can't go in without an adult."
"Oh.. alright then. Sorry, Akame." I said with a disappointed look on my face.
Just then, when all hope seemed lost, the hero came and save the day. Paul!
"They're with me, Jared." Paul came up and said that to the guard when he said that all hope was restored and I couldn't have been more grateful at that moment.
"Oh, my bad alright then go on ahead guys, have fun."
"Haha, I just got off my shift and have been looking for you kids, Gozan told me to tell you to start hurrying back home, it's already evening."
"Oh alright! Thanks, Paul! But wait you know Gozan?"
"I sure do, he used to be my pa's best friend before he passed."
"Sorry for your loss.." Akame muttered quietly.
"Ah, don't worry about it! Thanks though."
"Anyways, you kids have fun. Here's about 10 bornas, use it to get yourself a drink or two." Paul says this while reaching into his wallet and pulling out one silver coin.
"Wait no, we can't take this.." Akame said timidly
"Thanks for the money Paul!" I say, shamelessly.
"No problem kid. Make sure to share it with the girl."
"Will do!"
"Soukou is this really okay..?"
"Of course it is! My mom always taught me to take charity from others, You never know when you might need it."
"Oh, okay then. I'd love to meet your mom."
My eyes began to tear up a little. "Yeah! Maybe someday." I say while fighting back tears, I didn't want to tell her and make her think differently of me.
We both get a drink with the money Paul gave to us.
As were drinking, we overhear a conversation.
"Hah! After this, we'll be able to retire!"
"Those damn elves fetch a huge price!"
"And there's no laws protecting them, they're considered animals! We can say it's our pet, haha!"
"We finally hit the jackpot, joe!"
"Indeed we have my men."
We hear about 5 people talking behind us. This joe guy seems to be their leader.
"Alright everyone, we'll go ever this one last time. This Thursday, at 1 PM, we meet up with the nobles from Lancaster, once they pay us the money, we'll kill them and take any money on them. Afterwards, we'll keep the elf and make it our slave!"
"YEAH!" The four men yell in unison.
"Alright men, see you on Thursday."
"You got it, boss!"
All five of them walk out of the cabin.
"Thursday is in three days from now.."
I look over to Akame and her face has a shocked look on it.
"Soukou.. what was that?
"I.. i don't know."
"Well, we have to do something about it!"
"Yeah.. we need someone else to help what's just the two of us going to do? I can't even cast a single spell yet.."
"I got it! You can find someone to help us, who knows magic or something, but not an adult! They won't do anything about it, trust me. Meanwhile ill train with Gozan to try and get stronger, and then when the bad guys try to take that girl away we attack!"
"Well, we can try."
"Yes, let's!"
So, we have planned to stop some smugglers from abusing an elf, and we aren't telling an adult.. I wonder how this could possibly go wrong, oh boy.
So with the plan in mind, we head home to Gozan, get a nice rest, and get ready for what's to come.
TO BE CONTINUED