Melissa gradually opens her eyes as she wakes up, the bright lights above cause her to reflexively shade her eyes with her hand. She starts to remember what happened. Three orcs… As her memory of the orcs comes back, she instinctively sits up in a panic.
Her eyes, now wide awake, adjust to the bright room. Looking around she sees a white room, to her left is a bag of fluids with a tube connected down to her arm. Looking down, she no longer sees the rags but clean white pyjamas. She is sitting on a white bed with a blanket covering her lower half.
" So white… A… hospital?" she wonders out loud.
Looking round again, she finally notices a man sitting backwards in a chair, his arms crossed over the back of the chair with his face, hidden by his brown brimmed hat, resting over his arms.
Hearing the girl's words, he slowly lifts his head before adjusting his hat with his right hand, revealing his emerald eyes and trimmed beard that covers his somewhat handsome face.
"Oh you're awake, goodie!" he says with a cheerful expression, "the name's Ark, I saved you from those nasty orcs. You got a name?"
"... Melissa…" she says cautiously.
"Alright, Mel, or would you prefer Lissa?"
Melissa pauses for a moment, taken aback by her sudden nickname, before answering.
"... Mel is fine…"
"Awesome!" Ark slowly gets up and walks towards a table at the end of the bed which is not visible to Mel.
Getting a better look at him now, she examines him closer. She notices his body armour that covers his torso is made up of many separate pieces of dark grey metal that mimics the look of a well toned chest, to both sides of his hips are 2 partially concealed holstered guns and next to his left pistol is a knife. Looking down, he is wearing trousers with useful pockets and metal shin and knee pads attached.
"An adventurer?" she thinks to herself.
From there, he picks up some clothes before lightly passing them to her, who quickly catches them. "New clothes, they should fit you, there's a shower over there," he points to a door in the corner of the room, "there are shoes on the floor there, when you're ready, join me outside and we'll go." He then starts to head to the door.
"Wait!" Mel hurriedly exclaims, "Go? Go where?"
Ark stops with his hand on the door handle, turns to face her and replies with a smile, "To get breakfast, of course!" Before leaving the room.
Melissa, now alone, looks down at the clothes and contemplates what just happened. Still slightly confused, she heads to the shower.
After having showered, for the first time in a while, and dressed, she looks in the full body mirror on the wall of the bathroom. There she stood, her, once dirty, long blonde hair, now glows neatly under the light, complimenting her dog ears that are no longer nestled under her messy hair. She touches the fair skin of her face, which she could barely see under the dirt from the slums she called home. She then looks down at the clothes the strange man had given her. Blue slim jeans, a baggy shirt and black hoodie. Not the most stylish, but comfortable and leagues above the rags she used to wear. She looks at her appearance in the mirror and wonders if it is a dream before pinching her cheek.
"Not a dream…" she comments before leaving the bathroom, putting on the trainers she was given and leaving the room to join Ark.
After she leaves the room, Ark stands up from the bench and walks towards her.
"Hey! You look much better!" He compliments her.
Mel can't help but smile slightly, "Uh… Thank… Thank you… for everything…" she replies shyly.
Ark smiles his kind smile before saying, "Don't worry about it."
They both just stand there for a moment before Ark follows up,
"So, should we get breakfast?"
"Yes!" she answers excitedly.
******
The two walk down the hospital corridor and Ark notices that Mel is staring at him, thinking that she must be at least a little scared still, he flashes his gentle smile, copied from his uncle.
They leave the corridor and enter a large waiting room full of life, patients waiting to be treated, concerned friends and family worrying, and busy staff rushing around. They walk through the waiting room and reach the glass sliding doors which automatically open before they walk out.
After exiting, they are greeted by a busy 2 lane street where vehicles like cars, buses and bikes drive along. The loud sounds of the bustling city, along with the smells and bright sun contrast the sanitary peacefulness of the hospital room.
Standing on the pavement, Ark stops and speaks to Mel.
"There is a great diner in the area that I always love to go to whenever I am in town…"
He pauses, looking at Mel who is enamoured by the city.
"Wow!" she says under her breath, her blue eyes sparkling.
"Have you never been to this part of the city?" Ark asks politely.
"I… Uh… grew up in the slums, I never really had the chance to leave…" she answers shyly, looking down slightly embarrassed.
"Then, shall we look around?"
Mel's head perks up like an excited puppy which causes Ark to chuckle before he reaches his gloved hand out in an open palm in front of her.
"Let's go." he says with a smile.
Melissa's pulse quickens slightly before she hesitantly places her hand in his, returning a small smile.
Ark starts to walk down the street, still holding hands, Mel follows while looking around at the new environment she finds herself in.
******
After several minutes of walking, with Mel looking at things and Ark explaining, they arrive at a diner on a street corner.
The diner, visually, is nothing special, it blends into the architecture and is lacking in decorative qualities, but the atmosphere feels special, even to someone unknowing like Melissa.
Ark pushes open the simple glass door and enters, followed closely by Mel. A delicious smell of fried breakfast food overpowers her, more sensitive, doglike nose. She stops for a moment before coming back to her senses and following Ark to a booth.
The booths have bright red, cushioned, benches on either side of a long metal table. Then sit on either side of the table and Ark presses a button on the end of the table and 2 tablets embedded into the table are revealed. On the tablets are menus with a variety of breakfast foods including bacon and eggs, omelets and pancakes.
Ark, the experienced diner he is, makes a quick selection before looking over at Mel who is scrolling through the many meals with an anxious look on her face. Seeing this, Ark tries to help her.
"I always enjoy this one," he says while pointing at an item on Mel's tablet. Mel looks up at his face for a second before following his advice and selecting the item.
While waiting for the food, Ark starts a conversation.
"So, I didn't ask you earlier, but you seem to be in a complicated situation, mind telling me?" Ark asks.
Melissa looks down with anxiety. Ark, relieving her worries, follows up.
"If you're scared, don't worry, if you'd like, I can tell you about myself."
She looks up and nods. Ark smiles in return and starts explaining his life.
"I am an adventurer," he begins, "I am sure you know of adventurers, this city is chock-full of us."
Mel nods and Ark continues.
"I have been adventuring for a little over 6 years and I've made it to B rank, which is pretty impressive, if I do say myself." He says proudly before pulling out a card and passing it to Mel. Mel examines it curiously, on it is a big 'B' alongside his name 'Ark Rakez' and his party name 'Chimera'. After looking at it closely, she places it back on the table and continues listening.
"I am part of an adventurer party called 'Chimera', which is also the name of the ship, there are three other adventurers in the party. So, I told you about me, now it's your turn."
Mel looked down for a second and gulped before beginning.
"I was born and raised in the slums, I am 14 and am a half beastman, my dad is a beastman and my mum is human…"
"So, how'd you end up alone, so far from the slums?"
She pauses nervously.
"My parents owed money, the debt collectors came and they told me to run… I, uh, don't know what happened to them…" A melancholy expression covered her face and light tears fell down her face though she tried to hold them back.
Ark had a sympathetic look but swiftly changed it to a reassuring smile and said,
"Why don't we look for them? If they were taken by debt collectors then I'm sure they are still alive."
Hearing this, Mel changed to a hopeful attitude.
"Really?!"
"For sure! But, we need to eat first!"
A waiter brought over 2 plates of pancakes, which looked delicious and made Mel excited. Ark grinned at her excited face as if he were a proud older brother.