Cough Cough Cough
Arsh slowly opened his eyes, still feeling delirious from sleep. As a sharp pain went through his body, stirring him awake from his slumber.
Blink Blink
With half-opened eyes, he tried to remove the blanket. Though he just as fast flinched away, due to the sudden pain coursing through his body.
"GAAH!!"
He retracted his hand back again. Losing whatever will he had left for sleep, completely.
Now that he took a good look at the surroundings.
An old-looking cottage made up of wood came into clear view. It was different from the ones he usually saw in the village. This one was not made up of stones and had no weird paintings all over it.
'Well, I think, those weird paintings might be a unique thing to my house.'
A small candle flickered on the table on the front. Illuminating the otherwise completely dark cottage, even if not fully.
Arsh looked around the room he was in, with genuine curiosity.
However, the room looked normal in every aspect. A table and chair at the side of the room, with 2 little almirahs attached to the wall for storage use.
He slowly breathed, feeling the aching pain all over his body. He removed his blanket step by step and took a seat on the bed, as a thoughtful expression made its way to his face.
It was strange. All too strange.
The last thing he clearly remembered was the crushing weight of the flowing water, everywhere on his body. Until he finally lost consciousness.
"How am I still alive?"
Arsh was not sure what was going on. How was he alive and well? After the scenery of hell, he witnessed, the last time he was awake.
"Because I saved you, dumbass!"
A hoarse voice resounded through the dark room. Arsh quickly turned in the direction of the chair, from where the voice came. Incidentally, that was the only place in the room where the light of the candle didn't reach.
The darkness in the corner moved slightly, but it was not in a threatening manner nor nearly as ominous as last time. It was alive.
A man came into view from the shadow, looking nothing like the bloodthirsty intruder, Arsh imagined him for. The man gave him a cheerful wave, taking a seat on the chair.
"I didn't think you were going to survive, kid."
The man looked rather frail in appearance. He had big brown eyes and disheveled hair on top of his head. He was not too beautiful, nor too ugly. He was just normal.
The man's appearance and house only screamed normal. Like! He was just a normal person, going through his ordinary life. Accidentally stumbling on a drowning kid in the river.
"Who are you?"
That was the very reason Arsh was suspicious of him. He was just too normal. Which shouldn't be possible in any way. As humans are not perfect creatures.
There shouldn't be anything like a perfectly normal person.
"Kid, you shouldn't talk like this to your savior you know. Didn't your parents teach you any manners?"
The man quipped with a chuckle. As he scooted his chair near the bed slowly.
"DON'T INSULT MY MOTHER!!"
"Woah! Calm down kid, there is no need to be so agitated."
The man stood up from his chair and gestured for Arsh to stop. An awkward silence followed soon after, turning the mood even more strange than it was before.
"You hungry? kid."
The man pointed at the dining table outside of the little room, through the door.
"You can call me Alan if you want. But for now, come and eat with me. You must be very hungry by now."
Arsh was indeed very hungry. He didn't touch a grain of food, for god knows how many days while swimming in the river.
He followed Alan to the table, while Alan set the plates and food for the both of them.
"Where are you from, kid? I have never seen you before in the town. You new here?"
Arsh forgot all manners and jumped at the food in front of him. His evaluation of the man also rose, as he quickly stuffed himself with food on the table.
'This thing feels really tasty, after only eating mantises for half of my life.'
"From a village, that used to exist on top of the mountain."
Arsh replied, his mouth full of food.
"From the land of forsaken?"
Alan gasped and exclaimed, making a big show out of it. Suddenly Arsh stopped eating, his still stuffed with bread face wrinkled in realization.
'I fucked up.'
Arsh sensed he shouldn't have mentioned that to a complete stranger. But it was too late for that now.
He looked at Alan intently, to gouge out his reaction to his response.
"I only heard legends about that place. However, It is forbidden for any human to set a single foot in the northern forest, without permission."
Alan smirked, making Arsh even more confused. He pointed a finger at Arsh's face and said in a voice full of amusement.
"Wow! You seem like a package of trouble exclusively sent for me. If any of the churches know you are alive. Believe me, you are not in for a good ride."
Arsh looked at the man in utter horror. The man was informed about the church's expedition, and how they wanted to kill him.
'Shit!'
Arsh tried to slip away from the chair slowly. Slowly put his feet on the ground while sliding the chair back.
Alan looked at him attentively, disappointment etched onto his face.
He heaved a heavy sigh and said evenly.
"Look, kid! I am not that dumb."
Alan continued to stare at Arsh, for a few moments then continued-
"Well making that clear. I think there are a lot of things we have to talk about here."
"I found you in the river yesterday, unconscious. So, I think you will be plenty hungry by now. Eat properly now, before trying to run away."
Arsh didn't want to believe this man now. He seemed normal a few moments ago, and now everything about him screamed shadily. He was a master at the art of deception.
'Umm… What the hell am I supposed to do now?'
Arsh looked at the man, then the bread at the table. He made a decision with his high intellect in a second. He picked up the bread again and started stuffing his face.
'I'll worry about that after eating.'
"How do you know it wasn't poisoned?"
Alan smirked at the Arsh, who already had the food filled up to his neck.
"FUUUOOOO"
Arsh spat all of the food on the floor and started coughing violently. He rubbed his chest and tried to keep himself calm and composed.
Looking at him, Alan laughed out loud grabbing his stomach. He then started thumping the table with his other hand, trying to contain his laughter.
"Kid, I was just joking. I don't know why you are so on the edge."
'This Bastard! What is wrong with him?'
Arsh cursed him under his breath, still coughing violently on the floor. He stood up and grabbed the water glass from the table.
"If I wanted to kill you, kid. It will be a matter of seconds. For a former Espada like me."
The second line left a much deeper impression on Arsh. From the moment he saw him, he knew the man named Alan was not normal. Now he has proof of it too.
He again threw a hateful glance at the mysterious stranger one last time and sat on the table again.
Alan was still staring at him, with amusement all over his face.
'...This guy might be a little insane.'
Arsh was not sure what was wrong with the man in front of him. And he was still very much curious about the world outside of the forest. Especially the word the mysterious man used.
"What's an Espada?"
Arsh asked him, curious about what he meant by that. From the sounds of it, the possibility of the man in the front being some kind of bigshot skyrocketed.
"Oh… Now you feel like talking?"
Alan raised an eyebrow at him. He smirked once again and stared straight into Arsh's eyes.
"I don't know why you are assuming that I will just tell you everything."
Arsh looked at him in a daze. He was naive and inexperienced. He never knew something like information was also a key to power in the outside world.
He looked at Alan and suggested, after thinking for some mere moments.
"What about an information exchange? You can ask me what you want. In return, tell me what I want to know. Sounds like a fair deal. "
Arsh proposed information exchange. A good and fair bargain from his side. If information is exchanged on equal terms, there shouldn't be any problem regarding it.
Alan eyed him carefully and scoffed at the proposition.
"I don't want to share information with a little kid. I don't think there is anything important that you can tell me."
Alan didn't really have anything to lose, not telling Arsh anything, while Arsh has everything dependent on it.
This was the moment Arsh learned one of the harsh realities of the world.
'So, If it doesn't interest him. He won't tell me anything.'
Arsh went in thought for some more moments, then held his hand up to attract the attention of the mysterious stranger.
"I can tell you about the forsaken ones."
Arsh suggested with a bleak expression.
"Deal"
Alan answered instantly, an unreadable expression traversing all over his face.
'Wait! What?'
Arsh looked at Alan with wide eyes, confusion welling inside of him.
He didn't know if his information was the more valuable one or the stranger's. Or Was there any other reason for the quick reaction speed?
"Ask whatever you want."
Alan looked at him with a serious expression, opposite to the usual easy-going personality he had on for a while.
'Whatever! I don't have any other option, anyway.'