"Amazing! It may not be as much as I hoped, but it's more than what I can make in two months!" Agata said joyfully as she held the stack of bills in her hands.
After what had happened in Rob's office, Agata decided that it was better to change location, so they set off to the youth district, Neos, to buy some stuff for her home with her new funds. James at this point decided to just follow the girl through the city.
"At last now that is daytime i can observe this place better" James thought as he tried to become familiar with the new environment.
Despite his seemingly calm appearance, James was particularly anxious. The City of Towers, or Thoule as it was called here, was a place steeped in legend, protagonist of many poems, stories of fearless travelers in search of its endless treasures were told as bedtime tales to children. He was one of those childrens.
However, if you declared to firmly believe in its existence, most people would considered you a lunatic, and if you claimed to have seen it, a charlatan. Even the Church of the Great Father vehemently denied its existence. James had heard of a man who preached that the City of Towers was where the mortal reincarnation of the Great Father founded is holy kingdom. The church captured him immediatly before burning him to the stake in the public square.
"Okay, we arrived to the metro station, James. With this, we'll get to Neos in a few minutes," the girl said, pointing to a staircase leading underground. James didn't know what to think at the view of the second staircase leading underground of that day. The situation worsened when he approached it and found himself facing escalators for the first time.
"Don't stand there like an idiot!" Agata said, walking on the escalators and slowly disappearing into the depths of the earth, leaving James looking uncertain. 'I guess this is my life now. Running away from flying contraptions and descending into underground tunnels to get from one place to another. Thoule is quite bizarre...' James thought before descending the escalators himself.
However, instead of dark, claustrophobic tunnels, at the bottom of the descent, James found a vast, illuminated space. People emerged from various passages and entered others, while others descended even deeper. The air was not stagnant and heavy, as in all the undergrounds he had sneaked into in the past. He could see a multitude of shops lined along the walls, bustling with activity. It was like a true underground city.
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James stood for several minutes, marveling at his surroundings. During his short time in Summut, between his escape from the police and the visit to the popular district, James didn't seem to completely realise how alien this environment really was compared to the continent. But that changed in the a mere istant as he saw a group of kids walking together, having fun instead of breaking their backs in the fields or fighting wars for their lord's whims, a mother walking hand in hand with her child without constantly looking around for potential dangers or begging for some food.
Meanwhile, Agata had gone to get the tickets, and when she returned, she found the boy standing still, looking around with an almost childlike curiosity, discovering a world that was obvious for her but entirely new for him.
For the first time, Agata found herself reflecting on her current situation from her unexpected guest's perspective. James looked like he was young, perhaps even a few year younger than her, and at this moment, he was in a place he didn't know, without any reference points to rely on and when he would leave her home he would be entirely alone.
And there she was, exploiting him for easy money. Despite their disastrous first encounter, and even if he was still tecnically a criminal, James had never been rude to them. He even went so far as to offer her what were probably all the money he had in exchange for a roof over his head for a few days. On the other hand, she had been nothing but rude and a bitch to him from the very beginning. Slowly, the guilt she had felt before returned.
"Even with Rob, he protected me from the start without hesitation..." Agata muttered to herself.
The roll of bills in her bag was becoming incredibly heavy.
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James was staring straight ahead, his face revealing pure concentration like a scholar preparing to understand the secrets hidden in an acient arcane book.
"Hey James...Ehm... What are you doing?" Said Agata as she saw him staring intently at one of the advertising screens broadcasting a commercial for a new car model.
"Oh, you are back. Did you bought what you needed?" Said the man nonchalantly and ignoring his companion's question.
"Y-yes... Listen, I got the metro tickets, and since we're here, how about I take you on a tour of the district?" Agata asked timidly, passing the ticket to James.
"I'll treat you." She aslo said tapping at her purse.
James, on the other hand, didn't know how to respond. The girl, unlike her sister, didn't seemed too keen to have him arount till now. Not that he could blame her; after all, he was a stranger who had intruded into her home.
"There's no need for that, Agata. You've already done enough for me by giving me a place to stay for the next few days. I can't ask for more," James replied, shaking his head. "Besides, don't you need that money?"
At the boy's response, Agata frowned and pushed the ticket onto his chest. "No, James, I insist. You've already done enough. Now, let me help you. Besides, 100 or 200 xenon less won't make too much difference," the girl said finally, looking James directly in the eyes. Strangely, for some reason, they no longer felt as scary as they did the previous night.
James, not knowing how to respond and not wanting to offend the girl even more, accepted the ticket.
"Alright, I accept. I'll be in your hands for today," he said.
The girl nodded, smiling, and then took James's arm, pulling him toward one of the metro entrances.
"Come on, we need to go this way if we don't want to miss our train!"
When the two arrived at their stop, James didn't know what to expect, and he certainly didn't expect the arrival of a gargantuan, snake-shaped vehicle that shot through the underground of the city at high speed. The arrival of the train and its deafening noise had taken James so off guard that he took a step back and tripped over an old lady behind him, who began yelling at him. Fortunately, James was promptly saved by Agata, who took his hand and dragged him into the train as she burst out laughing.
"HAHAHAHA! You showld have seen your face!" she continued to laugh while the two of them sat as far away as possible from the old lady.
"I don't think I've ever seen a lady of her age so aggressive. I even tried to apologize, but she wouldn't let me speak," James said, still incredulous.
"HAHAHAH! Don't worry about it. She was just being a Karen; I doubt anything you said would have helped," Agata replied.
"Karen? Did you know that lady? If so, could you tell her that I didn't mean to be rude or..."
"Ah! No, no! I didn't know her at all. You see, the name Karen is used for... Ahhh!, forget it; it would be complicated to explain," Agata tried to change the subject.
James didn't seem convinced, but he decided not to press and instead asked the girl about how the metro worked. Agata explained to him the entire subway system and how it was used by the entire population, not just in Summut but throughout all Thoule, to get from one place to another. The two had just arrived at their stop as Agata finished her explanation.
Emerging on the surface, James was surprised by the change of scenery. The grimy, towering buildings and poorly maintained streets had disappeared, replaced by even larger buildings that seemed to be entirely made of mirrors. The streets were much cleaner and neater, with plants and trees planted on the sidewalks at regular intervals. The metro exit led to an intersection formed by two immense streets surrounded by buildings with enormous advertising screens at the top, each as large as an elephant or bigger. The number of people was vastly greater than in the popular district, making it impossible to move without bumping into someone.
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"This way, James!" Agata yelled, indicating a less crowded street. Once they entered, the girl began explaining the various shops that could be found in the district, including grocery stores, clothing shops, electronics stores, and more. But despite her best efforts, it wasn't easy for James to understand some of the concepts described by the girl, forcing her to repeat herself several times.
"Sorry, I understand it must be annoying to have to esplain to me everything," James said with a hint of embarrassment.
"Don't worry, it's must be difficult for you too"
"Even if you say that, I can't always ask you or your sister. I only have a few days to get used to it before my wounds heal."
"Oh, right... How are they healing? Your wounds, I mean," Agata asked, completely forgetting that the boy was injured. Although, in her defense, the boy showed no discomfort or signs of pain despite having two gunshot wounds on his left shoulder.
"They're healing well. Whatever that ointment Margaret put on me is miraculous," James replied, surprising the girl. While it was true that Asclepius Pharm's ointment could regenerate tissues quickly, those wounds were very severe, and an ordinary person would barely be able to move their arm without feeling some agonaizing pain, let alone use it as if nothing had happened.
'Are you even human!?' the girl wondered.
"Well, it's true you won't have to rely on the magnificent Agata to explain everything," the girl said with a aughty tone.
"But I think I have a solution to your problem, foreigner from distant lands. And it's right here!" Agata exclaimed, pointing to an electronics store next to them, displaying a multitude of cell phones in its glass windows.
"Oh? So this is where they sell those magic boxes," James muttered as he approached the window.
"Not magic boxes, cell phones," Agata corrected.
"And now we'll get you one. So you can start searching for everything you need on the internet."
Surprised, James turned back to the window, noticing that many of the cell phones costed well over 500 xenons, some even more than a thousand!
"Sorry, Agata, but I can't accept. I appreciate your willingness to give me such a gift, but I can't allow you to spend such amounts on me. Besides, even if I did, I have no idea how to use this internet thing," the boy said. Despite his genuine curiosity about the object, James feared that such a gift would be wasted on him. Plus, he was afraid he would break it right away.
"Don't worry, there are much less expensive ones inside, and I'm sure Margaret will be more than happy to teach you how to use it. Like I said, 200 xenons less won't be the end of the world thanks to your coins," Agata replied.
James continued to insist that the gift was unnecessary, while Agata insisted otherwise. The discussion lasted for at least 20 minutes, attracting the attention of many passersby. Finally, James agreed to let himself be bought a cell phone, as long as it was the least expensive one. Ten minutes and 120 xenons later, James found himself holding his first cell phone.
After the purchase, the two sat down at a nearby coffee shop to rest and have something to drink. Agata ordered a coffee, while James, not knowing anything on the menu, randomly chose a Lemon Plus soda.
While waiting for their drinks, James observed Agata with amusement as she tried to figure out how to use the cell phone.
"Are you sure you don't want me to help you?"
"Thanks, Agata, but I'd like to try to get familiar with this thing first," the boy replied, tapping the screen and trying to navigate through the various menus, accidentally ringing the alarm to maximum volume.
"How the hell do you turn off this thing?"
"Wait, let me see," Agata then took the cell phone and showed James how to disable the alarm.
Defeated, James sighed. "This is proving to be much more difficult than I thought... I don't know how I'll ever get used to all of this."
"Don't worry, James, I'm sure you'll adapt. One step at a time" Agata said reassuringly.
"Here you go, and sorry for the wait!" In the meantime, the waitress had arrived with their orders. A girl who couldn't have been more than sixteen years old, with long brown hair tied in a ponytail. James found in front of him a large glass in front of him filled with a fizzy yellowish liquid and ice cubes.
"Um... thank you," James replied.
"What are you waiting for? Taste it," Agata said, taking a sip of her coffee.
James swallowed, continuing to eye the strange liquid with suspicion. 'It's cold. Yet, it seems to be boiling. The smell is sweet and vaguely lemony. What the hell did I order?' Deciding to wait a bit longer, the boy took a sip of the drink, and to his extreme surprise, it was one of the most delicious things he had ever tasted. The flavor of lemon mixed with the sweetness of the liquid filled his palate. The sensation of the bubbles on his tongue was much more intense than that of the beers he was used to, but not unpleasant. Without realizing it, James had already drunk half of the large glass.
Seeing him enjoying the drink, Agata couldn't help but laugh. It was like taking a child out. Well, a tall, muscular child with a dominant air when angry and he was also quite attractive at times. But still, a kid!
'Tsk... Stupid James and his sexy body...' the girl thought, taking another sip of her coffee and trying to find a way to distract herself, which, luckly for her, she found immediately. Seeing him in such a good mood, the girl thought it might be the right time to try to learn more about her mysterious guest. She looked around to make sure no one could eavesdrop; fortunately, the bar was almost empty at that moment.
"Hey James, while we're at it, do you mind answering some of my questions? It's not that I want to pry into your business, but it's just that..."
"You want to understand who is the person you've allowed to stay in your house. There's no need to justify it. From your point of view, I'm an intruder, a potential danger to your family. You are free to ask me anything, and I'll try to answer to the best of my abilities," the boy said, immediately understanding Agata's intentions.
She nodded.
"Well, first of all, how old are you?" Agata asked first.
At the question, James scratched his chin as if pondering the answer. "I'm not entirely sure; only the church keeps calendars. But I should be at least 19 winters old."
"Okay, I understand, so at least 19 years old... What?! So you're only 4 years older than Margaret!" Agata exclaimed. 'Oh no, I fantasized about a 19-year-old!' the girl thought with embarrassment and shame.
Trying to not think too much about it she asked again.
"O-okay... Next question. What did you do before coming here?"
"In the past two years, I mainly traveled along the western coasts of the continent, offering to protect caravans or nobles in exchange for money. Before that, I was offering my services to the sultans of the great desert of Bij'Asfar."
"Wow! So you were some kind of mercenary?" the girl asked, imagining some her favorite action movie protagonist.
James took a few seconds to answer.
"Yes, something like that."
"And why did you decide to come here?... I'm not saying you shouldn't have! But..." the girl said, desperately trying not to be rude gain to the boy.
"My mother was always a free spirit and a dreamer, and as far back as I can remember, she had always told me about the City of Towers, so to make her happy, I promised we would find it together. Unfortunately, she died before it could happen. Some year passed, and I decided it was time to keep my promise. After two years of searching, it seems that I finally succeeded," James finished telling his story with a melancholic smile.
"... and your father?" Agata asked.
"I never knew who he was; when my mother arrived in Einberg, the village where I was born, she was already pregnant."
There was a moment of silence where Agata didn't know exactly what to say.
"I'm really sorry; I didn't... Maybe it was a bad idea to ask you these questions..."
"Don't worry, you couldn't have known. Plus, it happened years ago; I've learned to accept the fact that she's gone," despite James's reassurances, Agata's mind couldn't help but create the image of a young James wandering alone with no one to take care of him. Agata then placed her hand on his.
"Our mother died due to complications during Margaret's birth, and our father joined her ten years later in a car accident. We had no relatives who could take care of us, and since I was eighteen at the time, they gave me custody of Margaret. I had to drop out of school and find a job to support both of us. Not that I'm doing a great job; I have a thousand debts, the house we live in is a hole in a crappy district. Maybe I'm not the right person to take care of Margaret..." Agata was about to continue when she felt James's hand caressing hers.
"Thank you for sharing some of your story with me, and I'm sorry you had to go through all of that. I only had worry about myself, but you had to take care of your sister too. And maybe it's presumptuous of me to express an opinion even though I've only known both of you for such a short time. But from what I've seen, Margaret is growing up as a wonderful and lively young woman, and it's all thanks to you."
Agata remained silent, still unable to respond to the boy's words. Feeling her eyes moistening, she used her hand to wipe away the tears that were starting to form.
"Ugh... I wanted to make a whole speech to tell you that I understand what it must have been like to grow up alone, and you ruined it... Thanks," the girl finally said in a soft voice.
"You're welcome," James replied with a smile.
Realizing the atmosphere that had developed between them, Agata's face turned red with embarrassment.
"Ah, look at the time! We have to go, James, or Margaret will worry!" the girl said, grabbing James by his good arm and dragging him away from the coffee shop.
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When the two returned to the working-class district, the sun had completely set, and the streets were being illuminated only by the lampposts. Before returning home, Agata had decided to stop at a convenience store to get some frozen pizzas to try out with James.
"I assure you, James, you'll love the cheese pizza" Agata said, now just a few meters from the apartment building.
"If it's like that, then I'll be more than happy to try it," James replied as he carried all the bags.
"Hahaha, come on, stop being so formal. Try to relax..." Agata suddenly stopped when she noticed several people in the parking lot of her apartment building. There were four men, all dressed in dark clothes, who approached as soon as they noticed the two.
One man, in particular, moved directly toward Agata, who paled in terror as soon as his features were illuminated by one of the lampposts. He was bald and of great stature, at least a head taller than James. He wore dark clothes with a leather-studded jacket. But what immediately caught the eye was a large tattoo on the side of his head that depicted a black spider on a web.
"Hello there, Agata, a little bird told us that you have something for me~" the man said with a playful tone.