Chapter 5: Fruit Of their Hard Work
Currently Arteus is carrying Abigail in a princess carry..while his wings..are neatly folded behind him so tightly that it look like a cape.. but because it's length is almost double his size he's dragging the tips on the ground behind him.. it was uncomfortable but it's the only way he could deal with it.. he already tried on thinking of it going away.. or turning into dust or something but nothing worked. So he just folded it in in hopes of people thinking of it as a fancy childish feathery cape.
'I mean it's not like a pair of wings popping behind my back is the first thing that will come in their mind right?' he reasoned to himself as he walks across the dark nights of the slum.. houses tightly packed together is besides the dirt road. People eyed him and the weird looking feathery 'cloth' behind him before going into their own business.
And after walking for a while he reached the spacious expenses near the giant broken smelter.. and a campfire came into his view.. he can see Derek sitting and everyone else around the campfire.. their faces a sullen.
'they probably think we got caught... Well.. they're in for a surprise... And I also have a believable excuse to what happened....'
And while thinking of this Arteus saw Derek noticing them.. with a surprise look he stood up and spoke. "Arteus?"
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"Damn.. You're so Lucky a passing Awakened saved your ass!!" Derek spoke laughing heartily and patting his back.. "and he even gave you this long ass cape? Thats awesome!" He said.. the depressed atmosphere of the campfire was gone.
As they continue talking and joking to each other.. celebrating what happened and their loots.
"Speaking of which... where's the fucker?" Art ask.. his voice rough and hissing.
"Ah.. Jackson? Yeah I beat him to pulp and kicked him out and confiscated his spoils.. and also.. since you two lost your loots his spoils will be yours to claim. Sounds good right?" Derek spoke, calming Arteus down as he began telling him his plan for tomorrow.
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And just like that.. their back to their home.. Abigail is in her house.. Carter seems to have grounded her for staying out the entire night without telling him. Well.. technically she's been sleeping since 8pm but still..
And Arteus is back in his home.. right beside Carter... which was his neighbor.. and technically his guardian
He's looking down at his hand a total of 200$ apparently the bag Jackson stole is quite valuable.. reaching 400$ in cash.. though everyone else got more than that because of the number of their loot.. what's more he and Abigail split the cash as well.
Hiding the money in his stash he counted 5k$ in there.. the money he have been working for almost his entire 15 years of life.. I mean he started working for it when he was 11.. But still..
Sighing he laid back in his bed..at least he tried to because his wing was on the way.. he's pretty much laying on it.. but it doesn't bother him much.. It was quite comfy..
"Now that I think of it.. I awakened didn't I?" He mumbled staring at his wings. It have been an entire 9 hours since he got them.. an entire night of checking it out while Derek and the others are busy..
He found something about his wings.. its... extremely.. ridiculously strong.. because logically, wings like this shouldn't even be able to lift him in the air.. But it did.. together with Abigail too..
A single beat of his wing produced the same thrust as a hundred wings.. whats more.. its not entirely all logical.. because he have a feeling that it have a magical properties that helps with the entire flying thingy. He's not sure.. and he doesn't bother in thinking about it.
And with that.. Days passed with him continuing with the disguise of a 'child being obsessed with a cool cape' as he continues on with his daily life.
It was hard.. because dragging his precious wings around make him uncomfortable.. what more.. because of its length when its day time and the street are busy.. people tenda to step on it.. but because of its strength.. a simple pull could flip the person stepping on them.
And it's getting a bit dirty too.. so he and Abigail finally told Carter the truth.
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"You're telling me.. that I'm not dreaming? And that's a REAL wings on your back?" Even the stoic Carter was flabbergasted.
He leaned back.. on his chair in silence.. stood up.. bend down under his bed and took out a bottle of rum that he stashed away for special occasion.. then took a big swig.
"Sure.. okay.. that's totally not unbelievable" he spoke sitting down on the chair once more.
"Agreed.. the moment I saw It for the first time I definitely did not pass out at all" Abigail who was standing besides him spoke.
"....so....what should I do?" Arteus asked. Breaking the awkward air.
"Well.. it's only natural.. But... You should definitely head into the academy now.. since you're officially an awakened.. they will take you in for free." He said he nows himself that this would mean he wouldn't be able to see him again.. but this also means he'll have a better life out there now..
"...hehe.. see? I told you you're an awakened!" Abigail cheered ruffling Arteus hair as she giggled.
But Carter know.. she's definitely trying her best not to show her true emotions.
"F-for real? I'll be one of the awakened? A student of the academy???" Arteus seeing their expression was happy and excited. He didn't even notice the faint redness in Abigail's eyes. As he and Abigail celebrate.
The next few days Arteus got ready.. he got washed and carefully washed his wings as well and wore the best clothes he have which is a jacket and that he reluctantly ruined by making two huge incisions on its back and having Carter help him put it on..
And all the while he slowly began getting emotional as it started to dawn on him that he probably won't be able to see Carter and Abigail any time soon the moment he go to the academy.
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"So..huh.. this is it kid.. all you need to do is travel for a few weeks ...or maybe fly to the West of the Ambrosias kingdom's gate.. and you'll easily see it'll be visible a few miles away.. the floating islands.
And all you have to do is get to the grand looking building somewhere below the island and talk to the people there..
That's all I know.. i mean that's all what my friend knows"
Carter spoke currently they're standing on the slums exit.. the OFFICIAL exit where workers go to Access the upper layer.. its a huge open platform elevator. And Arteus is once again disguising his wings as a long cape.
Abigail is besides Carter.. looking at him.. they have spent the last few days together and doing everything they could and had fun for the last time.. at least for now..
"Take care...dummy.. Dont let your impatience harm you...or I'll... I'll smack you my self" she said to him.. smiling as she looked proudly gaze at his eyes.
"Make sure to write to me weekly or I'll hunt you down.. understand?" She said crossing her arms in an attempt to look intimidating.
Arteus didn't spoke and instead gave the father and daughter a hug..
"Thank you for everything" he spoke holding back his tears.
"And yes.. ill write to you two.. I'll never forget it.. and I'll take care of myself.. That's a promise" he said while looking at Abigail who looked at him with a small smile before hugging him for the last time.
"Now go.. you're making it awkward " she giggled and watched as Arteus walk away while occasionally looking back at them and waving. And finally.. he stepped into the open platform together with hundres of other people.. Arteus kept waiving at them as the platform began moving up..and he finally vanished out of view as Abigail wave began slowing down and she started crying..
Carter hugged her. Fully aware how hard this was for her.
"You did well.. you stayed strong so he wouldn't falter... Don't worry.. he'll be back one day.. as a renowned Awakened of the empire.."
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