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A heavy heart filled with strain,
The tears hidden in the rain,
Desiring nothing but redemption through pain.
~ • ~ • ~ • ~ • ~
Kairo finally got his license, he didn't think he would get it so soon.
As of now, his next objective was to meet up with Aisia and Grisia back at the city's marble fountain. But before that, he planned to do some more sightseeing by himself around the city. It may prove useful to get to know more about Jamais kingdom and this city in its west, the closest city to Grisia's manor.
"A monster, huh," Kairo kept walking aimlessly, still thinking about what Jarquis said about Grisia.
He didn't know when the two would finish their business, so he just strolled around the city, hoping to bump into them before they rendezvoused at the fountain. "How could Grisia possibly be terrible? What sort of monster do they see in Grisia?"
To him, Grisia was the hero in those tales he read back at the village. Good, mighty, and courageous. He couldn't be a villain or a monster, not after being this indebted to him. Maybe the merchant guild was hiding something. Maybe they were the villains? But he's a merchant now, would that make him Grisia's enemy, the enemy of the hero adventurer?
While outside, Kairo decided to enjoy and take in the sights of the city. He smelled the fresh bread from the bakery and found street performers using string and wind instruments that he had never seen before.
One looked like a small guitar that didn't use a pick, but instead used a long stick with a string attached to it, and was being played with the musician's chin on the instrument, as if caressing it. Instead of strumming the strings, it was played by grinding or rubbing the strings of the long stick and the instrument together.
It created a screechy yet pleasant sound.
He bought a quarter loaf of hot, fresh bread from the bakery and imitated the other enjoyers of the performance by tossing some change at the cream hat placed in front of the performers. Once the performers finished their songs, he clapped alongside the audience.
He walked around the bakery, choosing which nearby shop or attraction to view next. Once he had almost circled around the bakery, he finally saw Aisia and Grisia walking together. He almost greeted them when he saw Aisia so dejected. He quickly pulled himself and hid behind a wall. He wished to find out why Aisia had been looking down in the dumps this entire time, so he decided to spy on them for just a little bit.
"It's just for a teensy-weensy bit. If I were to be found out, I'll simply reveal myself and accompany them from there on," Kairo told himself, taking a big munch out of his bread and stealthily tiptoeing to the side of the bakery.
He observed the two halt in front of the bakery. "Eek!" he yelped and thought to himself, "Did I already get found out?" but contrary to his worries, the two simply stopped at the bakery to talk to the owner.
From where he stood, he could hear Aisia apologize for stealing from this certain bakery consistently. Aisia bowed alone and asked if she could work for them as compensation.
"It's quite alright, young lady. I've known about your hijinks since the beginning," the soft-spoken elderly owner told her. "I'm just glad that you've taken enough of a liking to the bread we make here that you come so frequently," the old man let out a small, proud chortle. "It's quite heartwarming actually. I wanted to hand out some free samples to you, but every time I tried to, you were already gone with one, like poof."
Aisia's lips tightened and bent her body lower. "Please let me atone for my crimes. I realized that what I'd been doing wasn't right. I will not ask for pay while working for you."
The bakery owner looked at a deadpan Grisia for a moment before returning his sights to the petite lass.
"I suppose an extra hand would be welcome," he proclaimed with a warm smile, his moustache crinkled merrily.
Suddenly, Kairo stepped out from the shadows and requested to share Aisia's burden with him.
"Please let me do it with her!"
Both Aisia and the shop owner were surprised someone else had chimed in.
Realizing it was Kairo, Aisia told him, "Kairo, I must do this by myself, you're not involved in my crimes," she retorted, but Kairo kept insisting.
"What do you mean? We're friends, right? Friends should help each other out! I'll share part of your burden! We'll get through this together."
Aisia was fidgety and kept on looking down, unsure of how to proceed.
Finally, Grisia spoke, "What do you say, Sia?"
"What do you want me to say? What even is the right thing to say?"
"Find out for yourself."
"But... I don't know what to do."
"Someone is here and is willing to go through it with you."
Aisia finally looked Kairo in the eyes. Kairo saw just how lost she was simply by gazing into her bright, hazel-brown eyes.
"Well, I suppose TWO extra hands would be more than welcome," the bakery owner spoke, letting out a hearty laughter.
"No," Aisia repeated. "I can't have you toiling for me, Kairo. It's fine. This is my fault for misbehaving. I have to do this on my own, I have a lot to answer for."
Kairo stepped closer to her and responded, "Aisia, we have to do this together. I don't want you making excuses when we start to train and I leave you behind until you can't catch up. We must go through the same thing. You and I, partners in crime," Aisia looked at Kairo with wide, expecting eyes.
Realizing what he said, Kairo was unnerved and rephrased with a cough, "I mean, I said partners in crime, but you're not a thief anymore. You don't have to be. We'll atone together, train together, eat together. Okay? So, you're not allowed to shoulder that burden alone while I'm here," he coolly pointed to himself with his thumb and closed his eyes, only realizing now how he may have bitten off more than he could chew.
Why did he do it? Was it because he was afraid to be lonely again?
But with a slight peek, he saw Aisia nod daintily, and that was enough for him. He felt like he wouldn't regret doing this.
Still, she wasn't sure, but she thought that it sounded better than her plan to shoulder everything alone.
"Well, since it's decided, I feel bad having to make two kids work, but I'd like to help this little missy with her feelings. I'll pay you with bread instead, how about that? Sounds good, Grisia?" surprised that the bakery owner called Grisia with such familiarity, Kairo turned to Grisia to see his reaction.
"That should suffice, old man."
"I have a name, yet you keep calling me 'old man' even after all these years, ya darn Whimsical Wind," the owner guffawed as he wiped the sweat from working with his towel.
Grisia didn't respond, he merely closed his eyes as if annoyed by the nickname.
The owner turned to the two of them. "Well, we have an arrangement. You two can start tomorrow, I'll be having you for... let's say two weeks. No contracts, this will be unofficial. I've known Grisia from a while back, so if there's ever a problem, just come to me or him. If anyone asks about why you two are working, just say you're interested in 'learning how baking establishments function'."
With that deal sorted out, Kairo and Aisia waved goodbye, following Grisia to another place.
"We have one last place to visit. Esmeralda told me that this will be the most tedious one," Grisia told both of them.
"Last place? Were there more before that bakery?" Kairo asked.
Grisia simply responded with a concise "Yes."
Aisia was still sorting out her feelings as she looked down to where she was stepping, contemplating, when Kairo turned to her. She spoke, "There were fifteen other places before that bakery."
"Fifteen?!" Kairo exclaimed, shocked by the amount of number she had stolen from.
"I told you! I have a lot to answer for..."
"O-Oh, brother... well, my promise still stands! Fifteen more is... certainly a lot, but I'm up for it!"
"I appreciate the gesture, Kairo. Most of them didn't even know I stole from them. I never stole more than one thing from my targets, and I went for the cheapest but hardest ones to grab. I was sincerely only aiming to sharpen my skills, but Grisia and all the people I've troubled made me realize that I've been going about it the wrong way. My goal doesn't justify how I went about achieving it."
Kairo hit Grisia with a sharp look saying, "You only told her now?" to which Grisia felt and simply looked onward with unease. Kairo was a bit surprised to see Grisia actually make a mistake and be distressed, but he thought that he should feel distressed for letting Aisia go about her thievery that even Jarquis knew about it. Possibly more people even.
Kairo continued his queries, "So, when they found out, what did they say?"
"Fortunately, many of them were satisfied with simply being paid for all the trouble caused. A lotta them banned me though. Most of them... weren't as nice as that old baker. They shouted at me, swore at me, cursed me, threw stuff at me, banned me... but rightfully so. I am a criminal after all."
"Yes, you're a criminal," Aisia turned to Kairo with a despondent look, but he continued, "b-but you're doing your best to atone! And to me, that's admirable. Many criminals would be jailed, but they'll simply repeat their crimes once they're free. I mean, you've reflected on it, right? You're willing to change?"
"Yeah..." her voice was gloomy, but still, she smiled earnestly.
"You'll be fine," Kairo said that, but he was unsure if he crossed the line with what he said. He decided to zip it from now on.
"Thanks, Kairo."
"We're here," Grisia declared.
They arrived at what looked like a run-down shack.
Kairo didn't realize it until now, but they seemed to be in the slums again. Trash littered the undeveloped road as shady figures lurked about.
It's that feeling again. He felt it crawling inside him, weighing down his chest.
Hopelessness, despair, poverty, disease, his own uselessness, all churning his insides, lingering in the corners of the alleys and in his skin.
"Oh, this guy," Aisia spoke. "Grisia, I'm not sure if I should apologize to this guy, I think this guy deserves it," she complained.
Kairo didn't know who she was referring to, but he thought she had seriously reflected on her mistakes. Was the person she was referring to really that nasty for her to think that they deserved to be stolen from, even after learning her lesson?
The shuffling of metal disturbed the tense silence that grew within their vicinity. There was coughing and a familiar man that was built like an urn popped out from within the rickety shack.
He choked at the sight of the two people who stood in front of him once more. "You two again! Why, I didn't do nu'in' this time!" the short, old man beckoned loudly.
Grisia remained quiet and let Aisia explain to the man their reason for coming here. As the man listened to Aisia's explanation, his face grew more and more vile, as if scheming something shrewd.
"Not this old fart again," Kairo thought to himself. He thought he had seen the last of him. "If he does anything dodgy to Aisia, I'll—"
"Aye, is that so?" the old man had a wicked tone about him, and an even more nefarious look. "Yer tellin' me, since this brat apparently— I mean, stole from me, I can say wha'ever I want and it'll be fine, right? Since the lass 's atoning for 'er sins?"
"That is correct," Grisia responded with indifference.
"Heh, maybe I'll just ask the guards to arrest 'er, then have 'er pay 'andsomely for the troubles she's caused poor little ol' me. Dirty thieves like ye will be thrown in the dungeon. When that 'appens, it'll be good riddance! My business became like this 'cause of ye!" Kairo examined the creaky shack and the area around them, raising an eyebrow over the absurd claim that it was Aisia's fault his business was not getting much traction.
Grisia remained silent. Aisia kept apologizing as she bit her lip.
Kairo's eye twitched. This unnecessary escalation riled him up to the point of raising the hair on his arms.
"Yeah, ye can't touch me now, can ye?" he told Grisia, who continued to be silent even through the obvious provocations. "Yer face pisses me off! Ye think yer handsome mug gives you all the right to push me around..." the man's insults began to waver as he didn't see any reaction from Grisia. He also felt like he wasn't insulting him anymore, and was instead praising him, so he went back to Aisia.
Kairo was now sure that this was just a waste of time. The man was now clearly being spiteful because of their previous encounter on the way to Jamais kingdom, not necessarily due to Aisia's transgressions. The man's mannerisms and voice were now starting to make his blood boil, but he tried to remain composed for Aisia's sake.
The man eyed Aisia from head to toe and Kairo felt like that man just thought of something repugnant. "Maybe I'll just have 'er offer 'er body to me and be my concubine," he pressed his fingers on his chin and made a dirty smirk, which made Aisia cringe and cover her body with her arms.
In a flash, Kairo's fist had already made contact with the man's face, pushing his cheek in and sending him tumbling on the gloomy road.
Spitting up crimson and heaving heavily, the man shouted, "YER GONNA REGRET THIS, BOY—"
But before he could finish, Kairo threw his "savings" pouch of bloodstained coins at the man's face, spilling dirty coins everywhere around him.
"Talk to her like that again and I'll kill you."
Kairo viciously declared, showing a tightly clenched fist still dripping with the man's blood.
The man was about to make a retort when the wind howled and the sight behind Kairo made him choke on his words. It was Grisia, menacingly looking down on him like he was an unsightly worm and gripping the handle of his sword, which was made visible by the wind that blew away his cloak.
Grisia was thinking of lopping his head clean off and then demolishing his so-called establishment but chose not to as that would incur the kingdom's attention once again. He realized his frustration and instead thought about Aisia and how she felt.
The man simply gritted his teeth, worrying for his life when Kairo turned around and told Aisia that it was time to leave.
He left without looking back, and Aisia and Grisia followed suit. The man was speechless, but after a few moments, he hurriedly and greedily collected the bloodstained coins that had been scattered on the floor around him, too distracted to notice that the dried blood that covered the coins was not his.
There was a long silence as they trekked on the boisterous roads of the city. They were long gone from the bleak and dreary slums, but it seemed like its gloominess followed along with them.
When Kairo had mellowed down, he blurted out, "Agh! Darn that old COOT! Aisia, if anyone freaks you out like that again, punch 'em and run."
"Maybe you were right. Maybe he did deserve to be robbed," Grisia added.
"Right?!" Kairo replied.
Aisia stopped, lagging behind them and halting Kairo and Grisia's steps. They both looked back at her.
"You must think that I'm a burden and you regret adopting such a mischievous brat, huh?"
Grisia stepped closer to Aisia. He kneeled down to face her and ruffled her brown hair gently with a faint smile.
"My daughter is my daughter. Nothing's going to change that. I'm sorry that you had to go through that. It is my fault as a parent that you had gone down this path and had to experience this. I'll try my best to make it up to you from now. But how that man treated you, even if you have wronged him first... he was absolutely in the wrong and you don't deserve to be treated like that. So, I hope this whole thing does not force you to distance yourself from sharing your thoughts and feelings, not just to us in the manor, but also to the new people that you will meet in your life. I will be here to listen, and so shall Kairo," they both turned to Kairo and he nodded.
"Though, you're right," Grisia added. "You are a mischievous brat. But you're my one and only mischievous brat," he briefly quickened the pace of rubbing her hair before letting go. But instead of leaving her frustrated about her messy hair, this time, she was smiling and blushing.
Grisia walked past a grinning Kairo who felt relieved about Aisia's situation. It felt as though she wasn't as wistful anymore compared to how she was this morning.
"If Grisia is a monster... then maybe becoming a monster like him isn't so bad."
Right before Kairo took a step to follow Grisia on their way back home, he turned around and noticed Aisia.
With a smile, she uttered,
"Let's train lots tomorrow... partner!"