As the day in the city of Nairon winds down, one might expect the night to bring a sense of calm. Yet, the opposite is true; the night is alive with a pulse of energy, twice as busy as the day. The streets brim with the savory aroma of grilled meats and the raucous sounds of laughter and revelry spilling from brothels and taverns. Men argue boisterously over drinks, while guards patrol, their presence a reminder of the delicate balance between law and chaos. for it is at night that the people relieve themselves from a hard day's work. even thieves needs to have fun, even Shera.
As Shera navigates the bustling streets of Nairon, she carefully conceals both her hair and face, knowing that the guards could easily recognize her by her distinctive scarlette hair and green eyes. Few in the city share her description, and not all of them are thieves.
Spotting the sign for the Golden Glimmer, she slips inside, greeted by the raucous atmosphere. Adventurers gather at tables, drinking and laughing, while shadows linger in the corners where cloaked figures exchange quiet, furtive glances. Shera knows better than to approach them; they belong to the Assassins Guild—a group of armed and trained killers who will take care of your "problems" for the right price.
Making her way to the bar, she encounters Kaldur, the barkeep—a tall man in his forties, with a muscular build and a single eye that seems to miss nothing. Rumor has it he was once a renowned warrior, perhaps from a distant kingdom, but now he runs this establishment with an iron fist. With a barkeep like Kaldur, most would think twice before causing trouble, but not Shera.
"Hey there, Kaldur! Long time, no see, eh?" she greets him sheepishly.
He shoots her a quick glance, his expression unyielding. "No drinks for people with no money."
Before Shera can protest, Kaldur slides a list across the bar.
"What's this for?" she asks, brow furrowed.
"These are your debts!" he replies, his tone stern. "You still owe me money, and no, you can't have a drink—at least not without paying."
Shera looks at the list, her face a mixture of disbelief and frustration. "Come on, Kaldur! You know I'm good for it. I'll pay you back!"
With a weary sigh, Kaldur leans closer. "You have enough debt as it is, Shera. People are looking for you everywhere. You've got enemies all around. Be grateful I haven't turned you in yet."
Realizing the truth in his words, Shera feels the weight of his warning settle on her shoulders. Without further argument, she grabs her things and slips out the door, determination replacing the uncertainty in her eyes.
As Shera went about the streets, she looks at the alley, she stops for a while and looks as something is urging her to go inside that alley, she went inside the alley, a dark and damp alley, as she went further inside she could hear a clamorous argument, Shera being of curious nature, naturally eavesdrop on them.
"Now now boy, we have orders kill you, but if you can pay us twice as much, maybe we can consider letting you go."
the laughter of men can be heard echoing, Shera sneaked a peak. she recognized those 3 men from earlier, they were from the Assassins guild. she knew she's no match for them, but with her cunning mind she sees this as an opportunity to save the boy, and demand money from him. but she knew the risk and is doubting whether to save him or not, but deep in her heart she knew she had to do the right thing, along with a favorable reward of course. she grinned and thought about the money for a while, and eventually she snapped back to reality. "Oh right, the boy, what to do, what to do." as Shera ponders the cloaked figures spoke again.
"We should hurry this up now, guards could arrive any second", said the man urgently. "Alright then, bring me the knife". as he draws the Knife Shera leapt from above crashing into two of them, and with a club, she hit the head of the last one. she lend the boy a hand and said "come with me if you want to live!". they ran and for quite some time till they were sure they weren't followed. Shera along with the Boy sat from exhaustion.
"Thanks for saving my life, may I know your name?" said the boy, Shera looked at him curiously but the boy kept his face hidden. Shera thought he might be hiding a scar or something.
"My name's Shera, and since I saved your life, it is customary for you to pay a gratuity fee." Shera laughed sheepishly. and for the first time, the boy looked at her dazzling face and a sparkling green eye, they made eye contact but was cut short when the boy said,
"oh right, here is your fee". As the boy opened his pouch, showing dozens of silver coins and a few gold coins, Shera's eyes glimmered, this was the first time she saw this amount of money in her life. she hesitantly took the money, suspicious of the boy.
"Say, what's a boy like you doing here with that much money?." asked Shera as they sat on the ground, somewhere in the alley. the boy clenches his fist and hesitantly opens his mouth.
"I'm running from home, my father is forcing me into doing something I don't want" said the boy who looks up to the stars. Shera sighs and says,
"Look, here's one piece of advice I can give to you. You at the very least have a father, to some that is a gift, a privilege even. if I were you I'd be glad to have a father, even if he's like that."
The boy ponders for a while as did Shera, for the boy rethinks the decisions he made here tonight and as for Shera? she wonders of having a father, a family. both of them realized something that night, and from each other they created a memory they won't forget. As the Night is ending, Shera made sure the assassins weren't there anymore.
"Alright, I think it's safe for you to go now." said Shera.
"I won't forget this Shera, and my name is Claude, I'm sure we'll meet again tomorrow." said Claude as he smiles and eventually parted ways with her.
"What a weird boy, I wonder where he's from." said Shera who's happy enough with her reward.
About an hour passed as Claude walked away, torn by conflicting emotions. He had escaped the castle, even entertained thoughts of fleeing the country, and a mixture of desire and duty swelled in his heart. He longed for freedom, to leave the burdens of royalty behind, yet he felt the weight of his duty to his kingdom pressing down on him. The faces of the townsfolk he had encountered flashed through his mind—their laughter mingled with the hardships they endured, all blending into a call for action.
As Claude approached the castle gates, dawn broke, casting warm hues across the sky. The heat touched his back, and fatigue from the previous night's escapades settled in his bones.
He sighed, shaking his head with a hint of a smile. "I'm going to get an earful from Father, but hey, I enjoyed myself last night. I might just do this again if I live through his lecture." With a mix of apprehension and exhilaration, Claude stepped through the castle gates, bracing himself for the conversation ahead.