The cobblestone streets of the kingdom teemed with life, a vibrant tapestry of merchants hawking their wares and civilians going about their daily routines. As the royal carriage made its way through the lower quarter, the reaction of the populace was fascinating to behold. Like a choreographed dance, every single person—from the lowliest street urchin to the most weathered merchant—moved aside and bowed with practiced precision. Not a single soul missed their cue, a fact that struck Sine as oddly peculiar.
A sudden, sharp pain lanced through his head, but he shook it off, attributing it to exhaustion from their earlier ordeal.
As they progressed deeper into the kingdom, the transformation of their surroundings was remarkable. The modest dwellings of the lower quarter gradually gave way to increasingly ornate architecture, marking their entry into the domain of the wealthy nobles. Marble fountains replaced wooden water troughs, and the earthy smell of the lower quarter was supplanted by the delicate fragrance of expensive perfumes and blooming garden flowers.
"We'll drop you boys off after we see to the princess," the fastidious knight announced, his armor gleaming even in the diffuse light. His companion, Sine noted, remained as silent as a statue.
Ariet, ever practical, responded, "Alright, just drop us off at the cheapest inn you know."
As they approached the castle, the carriage slowed to a graceful stop. The two young warriors were ushered to the side as the quiet guard rapped his knuckles against the carriage door with three precise knocks.
What happened next was so unexpected it nearly gave Sine whiplash.
The carriage door burst open with explosive force, and out bounded a woman who immediately launched into the most theatrical yawn Sine had ever witnessed. She stretched her arms skyward as if trying to touch the clouds, her entire body trembling with the intensity of her stretch.
"uuuUAHHH, ahm," she smacked her lips together, looking around in a daze. "Ah, come on princess, we're here!"
Sine studied the woman with fascination. So this was the strongest human? She was diminutive in stature, barely reaching 5'2", but her presence seemed to fill the entire courtyard. Her hair was a striking white that danced in the breeze like silk ribbons, and her green eyes sparkled with an almost childlike excitement. A practical cloak draped her shoulders, and a modest skirt covered her legs. But what caught Sine's attention most were her hands—or more specifically, the network of scars that covered them. The back of each hand was a topographic map of old battles, with more scar tissue than unmarked skin.
Unable to resist, Sine leaned toward Ariet and whispered, "She's a very scarry person, is she not? Get it? She's the strongest human and has, like, scars all over her hands?"
Ariet turned to him with an expression of such profound disappointment that Sine nearly laughed out loud. "Please shut the fuck up."
Before Sine could defend his comedic genius, he found himself nose-to-nose with the very subject of his joke. "HOLY SHI—" he started, only to dissolve into a fit of coughing as he choked on his own surprise.
"What did I tell you, very scarry," he managed to wheeze out between coughs.
The woman's voice was surprisingly friendly as she asked, "Who are you?"
Wiping his mouth, Sine gathered his composure. "My name is Sine, and my friend here is... or wait, do you want to introduce yourself?"
Ariet stepped forward smoothly, extending his hand. "I'm Ariet, ma'am."
As they conversed, Sine's attention was drawn to movement at the carriage. The princess was emerging, and the sight nearly took his breath away. Her orange dress was a masterpiece of tailoring, but it paled in comparison to her face. Full, puffy lips paired perfectly with thick eyelashes that framed eyes the color of rubies. Her eyebrows were delicately shaped yet full, and her short orange hair caught the light like flames dancing in the wind.
What struck Sine most was her height—she stood nearly as tall as him at 5'9", with a robust, athletic build that defied the typical image of a dainty princess. Her figure was generously curved, a fact that didn't escape Sine's notice despite his attempts at maintaining proper decorum.
The princess's gaze fell upon them, and her fine brows furrowed at their bloodstained appearance. "Uh, why do you guys look like that?" Her voice, surprisingly unrefined for royalty, caught them off guard.
The white-haired woman chimed in, "Oh right, I'm so used to seeing blood I didn't even notice how ragged you guys are. How did you end up like that?" Her green eyes glimmered with curiosity.
Ariet took the lead in explaining their night in Dusk's Forest Domain, but as he spoke, the woman's demeanor shifted subtly.
"...In what part of it?" The short lady said, her voice getting a little more serious.
"Just the edge of it, don't worry we're not that strong to survive in the middle."
"..." She looked a little dumbfounded.
"Do you guys bear Trilogies?" "Yup."
"...Impressive. How old are the both of you?"
"I'm 16" Sine responds.
"I'm-, oh yeah same."
After a moment of contemplation, a mischievous grin spread across her face. "Interesting. Alright, I'll come find you guys when I'm bored and throw you into battle."
Before either could protest, she skipped away with a cheerful "Toodles!", the princess following after giving them a polite nod.
The two exchanged glances, identical expressions of horror dawning on their faces.
"Fuck," they said in unison.
***
The inn the knights led them to was a far cry from the castle's grandeur. Weather-beaten wood and crooked windows spoke of its age, while the creaking door opened to reveal a commons area that was surprisingly bustling despite its humble appearance.
The reception desk was manned by a mountain of a man, his muscles rippling beneath skin mapped with veins like rivers. Yet when he spoke, his voice was unexpectedly gentle. "How may I help you boys?"
"Uh, a room for two please. How much would that cost?" Ariet asks the man.
"For one night that would be 5 copper." Damn, the knight wasn't lying when he said he was gonna take us to the cheapest inn.
Sine pats his pockets, unsurprisingly, he doesn't have any money. "Hey Ariet you got any money?"
He checks his pockets. Then again. He turns to look at me. His face looks devoid of all life, like the grim reaper himself sucked it out of him. "no..."
'Fuck'
After a brief financial crisis and an impromptu fundraising mission that involved charming various patrons (mostly older women) out of their copper coins, they secured a room for the night.
"Ah, you boys have some good communication skills it appears." The burly man slides over the keys. "Room 14 enjoy. Oh and, there is no shower, so you'll have to use the bathhouse across the street."
"Uh okay..." Ariet gives Sine the 'we're fucked' look and thanks the guy for his kindness.
"Let's go get a shower, I'm really starting to hate everything about being this dirty it makes me mad." Sine insists.
The two walk over to the bathhouse across the busy street. Approaching the counter, Ariet asks, "How much would it be to shower for two people?"
The skinny handsome dude with wavy brown hair responded, "4 copper coins for each person please!"
Ariet gives me a drained glance and places the rest of the money on the counter. The two take a towel and solemnly march into the locker area before the bathing area. They strip down, revealing toned and scarred bodies drenched in dried blood before wrapping their waists in the towels mentioned previously before sliding the wooden door open to go inside.
To their utmost horror, they chose the wrong section. Opening up to the sight of nude women, the two looked extremely calm and composed on the outside. On the inside however...
'ahgawhehgeahgdnadhefaf'
Surprisingly enough, no girl let out a squeal or a shriek, they just stared at them.
"U-Uhm! We're so sorry!" Ariet yelled before slamming the door closed.
Heavy breathing and beet red faces followed suit after closing the door and the two looked at each other.
"Dude... that was awesome!" Sine whisper yelled.
"I know right!" Ariet nudged him. They turn to leave and trot along their merry way to go to the men's section.
They clean themselves off with the hot water, something Sine nor Ariet expected to be in this place, and put the old, dirty, torn, bloodied clothes back on. "Hey... we need more clothes man."
Finally clean and somewhat refreshed, they took stock of their situation in their small room. Ariet, with his white hair now flowing freely and streaked with blue like ocean waves, caught Sine studying his reflection critically.
"Hey, you're not so bad yourself, you know," Ariet commented, gesturing to Sine's reflection. Indeed, Sine's curly brown hair formed a cloudlike halo around his head, with fine bangs framing a face that was more handsome than its owner seemed to realize. His thick eyebrows and long lashes complemented deep black eyes that held a hint of mystery.
"I really don't see it..." Sine muttered, but a small smile tugged at the corners of his mouth.
They lay down in the separate beds. They're both soft and terribly hard, with the pillows pretty thin. But, it's not bad for this cheap of an inn. As they close their eyes and get the much needed rest they both deserved, Sine broke the silence.
"Goodnight my honey munchkin..."
"Shut your bitch ASS UP"