After leaving the guild, they tried to find a comfortable inn to stay and eat in.
The group walked silently down the road for a while before the lion man spoke to Archer with hostility. ''You're not part of the group, so you're not coming with us.''
Nobody said anything about his attitude except Talila, who was annoyed tone because of the way Archer was treated. ''Don't speak to him like that, Darius!''
The other five nodded at Talila's words. Seeing the others against him, the lion man stopped talking, but not without trying to get the last word in. ''It's true, though, he is not part of the Sparrows. If we let him help with this job, we will have fewer coins.''
Talila was about to reply until Archer spoke up. ''Who said I wanted your coins prick, I saved your ass, and this is how you show your gratitude.''
As he stared at the man, his eyes reverberated with anger. But Talila intervened between the two before anything serious could happen. ''Why are you treating him this way? If not for him, we would have suffered a fate even worse than death!!''
He didn't want to argue with this foul-mouthed child and walked away. She watched as he walked away.
Talila turned back to Archer, whose eyes burned with rage as he stared at Darius.
She placed her hand on his arm to calm him down. ''Calm down. I don't know his problem with you, but only he has the issue. The others find you amusing.''
Archer turned to face the others, and they all agreed with her. ''I don't blame you, and it's the cat's issue to deal with, but before anything happens, I plan to find another inn.''
Smiling at her, Archer delivered his parting words, the last she would hear from him for a while, as he spun on his heels to depart. "Keep safe, Talila Ashmoon, until we meet again."
His unexpected smile caught Talila off guard, and she stammered out, "G-g-goodbye Archer, I hope we do."
Before anyone could say anything more, he vanished into the crowd.
[Sparrows P.O.V.]
Talia shook her head but wished he would stay safe until they met again. But after seeing him vanish, they caught up with the sulking Darius, who stormed off.
She grabbed his arm and spun him despite being smaller than him. ''What's your problem with Archer? He saved us!''
Darius looked at her before speaking. ''Why are you defending some random kid who thinks he saved us? We could have done it ourselves!''
Everyone was looking at him like an idiot. But Talila looked confused, wondering why he was rude to Archer because the boy did nothing wrong in her eyes.
Cecelia looked at her and shook her head internally. 'This stupid girl. Darius likes you, but Archer has now caught your eyes.'
Talila realized what he had just said and got angry. ''He saved us, you fool. You can't even compare as you were messing around!''
That's when Radyn interrupted their argument by stating. ''There's an inn!''
Everyone looked at it and started approaching it while Talila spoke. ''You were out cold when it happened. You couldn't do shit, Darius!''
She stormed off as Darius's lion ears flopped down. Cecelia watched all this unfold with a shake of her head. 'She doesn't realize she just chose Archer over Darius without even saying it.'
The group entered the Inn and booked a few rooms to rest for the night.
[Back to Archer]
Walking through the crowd looking for a cheap inn. Twenty minutes later, he found one.
Archer stopped in his tracks as he saw the name and laughed. ''Hahaha, Fluffy Trout, what an awesome name.''
As he was about to walk into the inn, he heard the loud shriek of a woman and quickly turned his head.
He saw a young couple walking along when a man ran up and attacked the younger one. Archer got curious and walked closer while watching it unfold.
That's when an older man pulled out a knife and began stabbing the young man. When Archer saw the scene unfolding before him, he felt something deep inside react.
'Blink.'
In an instant, Archer reappeared before the man and delivered a powerful punch, sending him hurtling backward.
The man's lifeless form collided with a nearby wall, blood spewing as Archer observed the aftermath.
Bloodstains spread across the young man's shirt, and a growing crowd rushed towards the distressed couple.
Archer, his gaze fixed on them, was overwhelmed by haunting memories flooding back like a relentless tsunami.
Unable to face the scene, he swiftly retreated to the inn, escaping the chaos. From the outside, the inn looked inviting, pleasant, and enchanting.
Bricks and wooden pillars made up most of the building's outer structure.
It was impossible to see through the windows, but the sounds of cutlery and drinking glasses from within could be heard.
When he entered through the old, sturdy wooden door, Archer was welcomed by a feeling of comfort and a sense of home, instantly calming him down.
The inn itself is packed. Passing traders seemed to be the primary patrons, which could be seen as an unwelcome sign, though Archer was sure it wasn't.
Several long tables are occupied by what appears to be one large group of adventurers. The other smaller tables are also occupied by people who seem to be close to the inn owner.
Nevertheless, they are happy to welcome others into their midst. Even most of the stools at the bar are occupied, though nobody seems to mind more company.
He approached the bar and asked the innkeeper about the price. ''How much for a single room for the night?''
The man looked down at the white-haired kid dressed in black clothes. ''Four silver per night, five including breakfast.''
He looked at the boy, waiting for him to reply, but he took twelve silver coins from his pocket before replying.
Archer then put the coins on the counter. ''Okay, can I get something to eat now?''
The man nodded his head. ''Yes, there's some stew left if you'd like that?''
Archer nodded and looked around to find a place to sit down, but there were no free places he could see. ''Can I take the food in my room?''
The man nodded and handed him a key while telling him where it was. ''Head up the stairs and straight ahead to the end of the hallway. Your room is on the right, number ten. I will have the food brought to you.''
Expressing gratitude to the innkeeper, Archer accepted the key and headed to his room. As he ascended the stairs, snippets of hushed conversation about him floated through the air.
"What's a pretty boy like him doing in here?"
"I saw him in the adventurers guild with the Sparrows earlier on."
Shaking his head in dismissal, Archer ignored the idle chatter and reached the room indicated by the innkeeper. Unlocking the door, he entered a simple, unadorned bedroom.
It had a bed, a chest for storage, and a table in the corner with a chair. He approached the bed to lie down.
Half an hour passed when he heard two knocks on the door. Getting up as he walks over to the door, he opens it to see a young boy.
He looks like a younger version of the innkeeper. 'Must be the innkeeper's son.'
The boy spoke up, handing Archer the tray with a bowl of meat stew and a lump of bread on the side.
It was finished with a glass of water as the boy placed it on the table. ''My father told me to bring this to you.''
After taking the tray, Archer thanked him while closing the door. He walked towards the table and sat down to eat while thinking about those feelings that had flooded him.
He finished eating his food and sat there while overthinking everything.
'What if I didn't take her out?'
'What if we were somewhere else?'
'What if we just stayed at my house?'
Suddenly, Archer was haunted by thoughts, spiraling into madness that he had never experienced, too many what-if situations.
He got up from the chair and started stripping out of his clothes and storing them in his Item Box.
Archer got into bed and curled up. Falling into a deep sleep. It is difficult to think about what happened on that tragic day when he lost everything he held dear.