"Prism Drop. Another name of 'Pristix' one of the three principles that humanity successfully pried from gods."
Deep under the ground. Mha'rea, a ginormous underground city located there. Never once has it or its people ever touch sunlight. What give them light was the mysterious liquid like substance called Pristix. It has a bright colorful look, some was red, some was green, some was purple and there were many more. Combined them together created a colorful light that embraces the entire city.
Today, the city was more active than normal. All the roads were flooded with people. They have a different goal for today. Some get off to work, while some just taken their day off. But deep inside they all have the same question, 'Which team will win the Round of Glory?'
Mid Howel Street, building 746.
Cling! Cling! A sound of a bell rang, created an annoyed feeling to the man behind the counter. He frowned, slightly shifted his gaze to the clear glass door.
The teenage boy rushed in, using his right forearm against the door. He breathed rapidly; sweats ran down his body made him all wet.
He was around his early twenty. Even though he smells so badly, it just couldn't ruin the youthful beauty of his. His head almost touched the two meters door frame when he came in. His ear-length coal colored hair absorbs the red light of the entrance room, created a weirdly red radiant around his head.
The man behind the counter glanced at the boy briefly before he looked back at the paperwork on his desk.
The reception room was simply decorated, made it look like the owner wasn't actually care about the place. The building was built from stone, painted in white. This room is quite small. There are only a simple wooden table and two chairs, as well as the wooden counter that has a small sign stating 'Reception'. There's a clock ticking which was surround by the plain white wall, its hands were made of gold.
The boy grasped for air, he walked toward the reception counter while his right hand was placing on his chest, "I'm here!"
The man didn't look at him but still greeted him back, with annoyance, "August...You're late. Again."
August reached the counter; its height was around his chest so he bended down. He sighed, "Come on! Look outside, I can barely make it here!"
It is true that he almost lost his breathe while rushing here. The crowd outside made today so much worse than his normal day routine. After he took five of his siblings to fest, August immediately rushed here. Today is normally the most crowd and chaotic day of the year. Due to the 'Tournament of Glory', it's a sport or game show that people under here enjoy the most. And this is the first day of the tournament week.
"Mhm" The man acknowledged his 'excuse', without any interest. He continued to write down on his paperwork.
"Hey! I was just a few minutes late." He squeezed out his smile, though it does not seem to help in this situation.
"If your few minutes equal to my half an hour then yes, I absolute agree." The man behind the desk slightly tilted his head while answering cunningly. However, his face remains calm and emotionless.
'F*ck you...' He cursed inwardly. The corner of his mouth twitched as his eyebrows frowned together. He inhaled deeply, prepared to talk some sense to his colleague.
As his mouth begin to open, the man behind the desk spoke up "Look, even if I want to help you, I can't. This is what? Four, five times? Boss won't be happy to hear this."
"Then don't tell him!" August suggested.
The man froze, he lifted his pen up and putted it back to the pen holder. He looked at August face, emotionless, "He's already thought about firing you, August. I don't want him to think the same on me."
'What!?'
Thinking about him being fired, already made him shiver. Getting job wasn't easy, even in this lower part of the city education played a critical role in applying for job. August, however, never receive any education except from his parents. This made a big flaw on him, every time he got ask 'Where did you graduated?', he won't know how to reply. Should he lie? No, they always check on his paperwork. Should he tell the truth? No, that's the immediately reject. So, what should he do? He became, 'Literally anything worker'. It's not illegal, but not many people hire them. Why should they hire an unprofessional worker to solve their problem? They're basically just cheap labor.
"Then mark me as 'late'. Is that possible?" August asked.
The man nodded "That's what I'm always do."
He got a bit relieved, but his real problem was not yet to solve. Even if he works his ass off today, it doesn't change that fact of him being late, multiple times. If tomorrow he got fired that who will be provide for his family?
He shook off those thought preparing for the hard work ahead.
"But you won't be able to work today." The man then ruined his expectation.
In shocked, August was speechless.
"There was no job today." The man explained. Their gaze still met. August shows a clear concern on his face while the man shows nothing.
"How many of us waiting back there?" August asked. His head nodded toward the door deep in the back of the reception room.
The man sighed, "Eight."
'Eight...' That's the amount of his colleague who waiting for their next job, just like him.
Immediately, August's motivation got drain out of his body. He doesn't want to wait, actually, he rather spent his day with his family. But he couldn't just let go of his job, not when his boss thinking to fired him.
August made up his mind, he sighed, "Then I will be waiting, does the bathroom got fix yet?"
The man nodded, "Last night."
The man then lowered his head, he picked up his pen and continued to work again.
Seeing the conversation ended, August turned away from the reception desk. He stumbled to the beautiful carved wooden door, which was the staff room.
"Thanks, Darren" He do appreciate the 'not so warning words' of his colleague, from the bottom of his heart.
He pushed the door open. It does not require much of his strength, but he felt that it just too tight and stiff. On the other side, was just a plain white room, made with colored stone. There was indeed, eight people waiting there. Some were chatting while some were sleeping, nothing more. None would rather waste their energy.
Seeing August entered the room, they shifted their attention to him.
"Man, you're late again?" One of them spoke up.
Then another said to someone, "See!? I knew will come. Haha!"
August laughed dryly in replied. He walked toward his locker. It was made with metal, which is now being so rusty, it creates a screeching sound every time someone open their locker. He pulled his locker open; the screeching sound was loud and clear it hurt his ears.
Inside, there was his uniform. It was a formal white uniform, made with cotton. There was also his towel, his soap and all those shower supplies.
He turned to the man sitting just on the right of him, "Hey, Muche. Can you pass me that key?"
Muche was the good friend of his, he was young but a bit older than August. His body was big and strong, truly made for construction work. Muche was just talking to their elderly colleague, Mastar. He was the oldest in this room, August guessed that he was also older than their boss. Mastar was specialize in handmade work, which rarely happen. But their white uniforms were also his proudest product.
They both sitting just a few meters away from August, and just a few centimeters away from key pegboard.
Mastar turned to him, "Busy day, no?"
August answered simply, "Yes, indeed."
Then he sighed, then laughed dryly "It also made me late. Darren was mad as hell."
Both looked at other in confusion, Muche asked, "You sure? That man was mad?"
In fact, August has absolutely no idea. Mad? Calmly Mad? There's a different? Not for Darren at least, that man was so hard to read. That statement was purely joke.
Seeing no answer, Muche grabbed the bathroom key hanging on the wall, he threw it to August that accurately caught it.
***
Sometimes later, August walked out of the bathroom. Light steam floating from the wooden door. August already in the company uniform. It was made just for him, it fit perfectly. He walked back to the staff room. The number of his colleague remains the same as before. He noticed that they're all looking at him.
Muche shouted from his seat, "There's a job for you, man!"
Surprised, August asked, "A job? What kind?"
Not just Muche but mostly everyone shook their heads in unison, Muche continued, "Dunno. But they need someone who know how to fight. I guess that's you."
August could roughly guess the job answer. The work that requires 'Fight' is rare, it's extremely uncommon in a usual situation. August is the only one who has accepted these kinds of jobs. Most of the times, it's a guarding job. Some people messed with a wrong group of people resulted in them being target. August never throws hands with those people; he's knew his limit well. What he does is to escort his employer to safer place. He hoped deeply that this time, it won't be that kind of job.
He threw his stuff back into the locker, same with the bathroom key that he placed it back to the same spot.
As hard as he came in, he pulled the wooden door open. Sitting on the chair right at that same table, she was looking out from the glass door. The one looking at his direction was none other than, Darren.
Darren glanced behind the girl, he cleared his throat, "There he is."
Both of them stood up. Darren also wearing a company uniform, his brown hair was combed back neatly, suggested that he is professional.
The girl, however, dresses simply in white cotton shirt with leather trousers. She also wears a short brown cloak which is a length of her waist. They cover most part of her body except her legs and those above her neck. She is surely a foreigner. She has a young pretty face, which can be roughly about seven or eighteen. So, not a lot different from him. But their height gap was absurdly wide. As he walked closer and closer it became clearer. The girl head was barely reaching his chest. Also, she kept an elegant looking sword within its sheath which laid on one of the table leg.
She tied her not-so-long brown hair behind her back, then greeted him with a wide smile, "Good morning mister!"
He bowed slightly while his right palm was touching gently on his chest. It was a traditional greeting for someone that they see for the first time.
Seeing this she nervously did the same, left August smiling. He then introduced himself, "Good morning, miss. I'm August Seburn."
"Oh, uh-Halsia Merim."
Then, Darren slid his chair back in place, "Then, I shall let you two proceed in negotiation process, is that alright?"
She nodded. August then walked to Darren old position as Darren walked back to his reception counter and immediately get back to worked.
"What's a hard-working man." She commented, sitting on her chair. She turned back to August who was just sat down, "Is he your brother?"
"What?" August asked in puzzlement.
"Seburn. Darren Seburn was his name, or was I misheard?"
'Oh...that.' This is the part where most of the foreigner will be misunderstood about Mha'rea culture.
August used a couple seconds to compile his word, "Eh-it's a given last name for us, lower-class citizen."
There's a couple more, Roghow, Bugsah, and Skindesh."
She immediately digested this information; she tapped her index finger on the table, "Oh. That was...unexpected."
The time doesn't go by so fast, the awkward atmosphere lightly occurred as they both sitting silently. August felt that he has wasted his time by just sitting and wait, "Shall we talk about your commission?"
She answered lightly with an awkward smile, "Yes, please."
August already has his first question in mind, "Why do you want a person who can fight?"
This is the most important question out of all. It'll determine whether he will accept it or not.
She thought for a moment, "I want a tour guide. You can easily guess that I'm a foreigner, right?"
Without waiting for the answer, she continued, "Well, I'm an archaeology. I want to study about this city. So, yes, I need a tour guide. But also."
She lifted her sword up and carefully placed in on the table. August slid his gaze along the sword, elegantly made leather sheath.
"I want you to protect this sword."