ANDRE.
Upon waking up from sleep, the first thing that crossed my mind was the discussion I had with Samuel last night.
What he said was true: we have nearly no chances of a good life if we just go straight towards Lonris in order to live there; we would be treated like outcasts.
Two guys that can't read or write and who have no physical prowess, no employer that is right in the head would take us.
We might end up getting locked up by the grumunds, and we would go back to square one as slaves.
My only problem with his argument is that I don't believe being outlawed is any better than the other way around.
Do we really have to rob and steal for a living? Do we have to kill for a living?
Do we have to go against----
"Why are you sitting still on the bed sheet, not moving or anything?" Samuel's voice pierced my thought process and woke me from my contemplation.
"no-nothing I was just thinking about what we talked about yesterday." I stuttered.
"Oh, the becoming bandits thing," he said, realising
"Yes," I said while stretching my body and folding my bed sheet.
"And what do you think about it?" he asked.
"I don't really know... I understand where you are coming from about us being "worthless," I said while tucking the bed sheet in my survival kit, and that only problems will await us in Lonris, but do you really think that being outlaws is the only way?" I asked, looking at him.
"I told you before and I will tell you again; other than that, we are going to be beggars, and I believe banditry is more profitable than begging." Samuel sighed.
"Are you sure?" I queried.
"Yes, I am," he said with unequivocal confidence.
"Well then, I can do nothing but trust you on this." I said.
After that, I got myself ready, and we continued on our way towards Lonris.
*********
SAMUEL.
We have been travelling for the past 4 days, and we could finally see Lonris in the distance.
It was a huge city—the biggest I have ever seen—and since we were at night, the lights that beamed from it were absolutely dazzling.
The buildings from far away looked luxurious, and the walls that encircled the city looked menacing, as if the Lonrisians were daring anyone to invade their city.
"It looks wonderful, doesn't it?" remarked Andre.
"It does indeed; that is the financial centre of the whole of Arnshwald for you." I said.
"Is there anything else that Lonris is famous for?" Andre asked.
"I don't know, but I remember overhearing two wardens back at the plantation talking about going to Lonris in order to pray to Toavii, the goddess of knowledge and wisdom that is quite popular in Arnshwald." I remembered.
"So it must be a religious hotspot?" Andre summarised.
"Yes, you can think about it as that," I said.
*****
The full moon was high in the sky, glimmering in a silver glow, but it could never beat the beauty of this city.
The two of us were walking around the city, our jaws nearly reaching the ground due to the astonishing astonishment we felt just by looking at anything in here.
Everything was beautiful. The normal homes were well-made; the women in here were beautiful, and the men looked handsome!
I felt as if I had entered a place that someone like me should never enter, but I chuckled at the thought of owning this whole place in the future—maybe even this whole country!
We had two taverns back at the plantation—one the slaves made for themselves and the other for the wardens.
So I guessed that these must exist here, and since this is a place full of social interaction, we are highly likely to stumble upon a gang member or a bandit there.
"So Andre," I said, looking back at him, " let's ask around for taverns, shall we?" He nodded in reply.
I picked the first man I laid eyes on.
He looked quite luxurious, and he donned clothes that glistened.
"Hey sir, do you know where the nearest tavern is?" I asked innocently.
The man looked at me from tip to toe, snorted in response, and walked with his head raised high.
What the f--?
I just didn't think about it and then went to a young lady who was walking in the street.
"Hey there, miss I was wondering if you could tell me where the nearest tavern is." I yet again asked innocently.
She looked at me in disgust and ran off.
What the fuck?
What's wrong with the people here?
They are all refusing to answer one damn question!
I continued asking around three other people, but it was no use; they looked at me in disgust and then ran off!
It was genuinely nerve-racking.
Just as I was going to go around and find someone else to ask, I heard a "Samuel" in the distance. I turned around and found Andre waving at me from across this busy market street, so I went to catch up to him.
"So?" I raised an eyebrow.
"This lady here will guide us to the nearest inn!" He pointed at a brown-haired young woman wearing a dress.
"Thank you for this favour," I bowed. "Oh no, it's nothing; please raise your head, Mr. Samuel," said the woman.
"You can follow me; we are going to the Black Swan Inn," she said as she took the lead.
***
"Hey, who did you convince to help us?" I whispered.
"I just asked and bowed my head, and I guess she got embarrassed or she had pity on us?" Andre wondered in reply.
"Being a ten-year-old must come with benefits, huh?" I teased, "such as being cute and good with the ladies."
"If you are trying to tease me, then thank you." Andre bowed. "You merely fed into my ego." He looked at me and smirked.
you f--.
That little bitch needs to be disciplined.
"We are here," said the woman in the lead.
"What do you mean we are here? "This is a damn alley!" I yelled.
The woman smirked and then backed off. Dozens of brutes came from the alley and from the houses behind us.
It seems we have been led into a trap, and due to the little quarrel I had with Andre, I couldn't notice this earlier. Fuck, I have to stay alert from now on.
"Well, well, what do we have here, two travellers?" One of the brutes started talking and kept stroking his bushy beard, and from the way he was dressed, it was clear that he was the leader.
"You two are brothers, one old and one young?" he asked.
"yes." I replied, straightening my back and putting my arm on Andre's shoulder.
"And I presume the backpacks you are carrying are your luggage?" he inquired.
"yes." I responded, making sure to keep my tone not too loud or too low but still strong.
"Leave the backpacks, and we leave you," he stated, pulling out a revolver.
The other brutes pulled various weapons, ranging from axes to swords and guns.
"n-No!---" Andre tried to talk, but I quickly covered his mouth with my hand.
"No?" asked the brute leader.
"We are here for something else." I said, and the leader raised his left eyebrow in response.
"We want to join you." I said bowing.
"what?" One of the brutes around us was bamboozled.
"We want to join you." I said it yet again, bowing.
"Do you know who we are?" the leader asked.
"No, I don't, but me and my brother came to Lonris in order to join a bandit or a gang there." I said it sincerely.
"Uhh, we don't really get asked that that much 'round here; are you sure you aren't pulling any tricks?" the leader asked.
"We assure you that we are not pulling any tricks; we just wanted to join you." Andre answered.
Nice move!
Suddenly, I felt pressure emanating from the man; it nearly crushed my heart, but I managed to withstand it somehow, albeit coughing blood.
This feeling was new to me. I felt a viscous liquid fully covering my body, making me unable to move. I could only stay in place, bowing in fear.
"It seems that you two are unbelievably weak; you have no Ru..." The leader paused for a second; after that, he lunged forward, holding me by the throat and raising me up.
"It is not normal for someone your age to have no Ru; are you possibly using a method to hide your true Ru foundation? "Are you a spy?" He asked slowly while building up more and more pressure on my throat.
Although he was a burly man, he was the same height as me. So for him to raise me up this easily, he must be using Ru!
I tried speaking while clawing at his fingers, trying to give myself some air.
"n-no." I said it weakly.
He stopped grabbing my throat, and I fell to the ground.
"State your name," he said domineeringly.
"Sam--" I coughed up some blood on the ground but still managed to say, "Samuel Maelstrom!"
"You kid! State your name!" He yelled at Andre, which made him visibly scared, but Andre's ego straightened his back and made him say, "Andre Maelstrom!"
"From now on, you two are part of us, the Sol Oscuro," the leader Brute stated.