In another life, I think I would have been a chef. The scent of the shore, ocean waves crashing, and the smell of seared Lopliols.
If it weren't for Gilva's Hand, Milo would never have the opportunity to take a bath. There was always a line stretching from each washroom. Today was the first time he'd bathed in days.
On a small line dropping from the ceiling, his clothes hung to dry. Rainwater dripped from his clothes, slowly ridding the moisture soaked inside.
Steam clung to the air as Milo worked the soap across his shoulders, humming softly.
Oh, to the seas
Where the weeping men washed them
And slight curls of waves
Where the weeping wives watched it
Down down down
Oh, the sailor runs free
In open water, where cannons fodder, and Gilva oversees.
The boy playfully clicked his tongue and hummed like a guitar, mimicking its sound. His hands fell into the water, making a splash. The sponge he was using fell over the edge and hit the ground with a sharp squelch.
Milo froze.
He stared forward as he let his body sink under the water.
...
The rain had stopped.
Milo stood in the doorway of the washroom, spectating Gilva's Hand. He watched on as a couple of men continued the struggle for victory. He looked around and saw Jackson and Flio as some of the last few remaining. They had deep cuts around their stomachs, and Flio's rope had begun to fray.
Above, the dimming light signaled night was near, and soon, the games.
Part of him wanted to watch, but he strapped his sword around his back and walked to the stairwell that led to his room. Doors spanning the wall were cracked open, an unusual sight to see on the third floor.
Milo ran his hand across the railing as he walked by. He peered into each room while making his way to his own. Men in every room groaned out in pain as they patched their own wounds. Milo stayed long enough to see one man stitch himself up. Eventually, he was bored with the sight.
He closed his door behind him and locked it. In an orderly fashion, he laid out his worn shoes, sword, satchel, note, and blue vial. Before lying down, he brushed the top of his bed with his hand, knocking some of the dust off.
The humid air clung to his skin, cloaking him like a blanket.
Cloth hit the floor as he tossed his shirt aside. He picked up his sword and strapped it to his back before lying down. As his head hit the thin mattress, he sighed.
The sun peered through his door. Bright rays shone down on his eyelids, making them twitch. He squinted and sat up. The boy's hands flowed through his wavy hair as he pushed it from his eyes.
Fowler let him sleep in for the day.
Milo would have usually taken the time to wake up and train, but his gut told him to take the chance to rest.
A long process.
Soon, he would become registered as an adventurer, but Fowler vaguely warned of the intense process. A small dream he might have had years ago, but now, Milo wanted nothing more than a normal life.
Elias stood outside his door, waiting for the boy to exit. When Milo finally did, Elias looked down in annoyance.
"How long did you wait?" Milo asked.
"Not long. Let's leave."
It may not have been long since Milo left the partifold, but the idea of leaving the walls already seemed like a pipe dream.
Milo smiled as they neared the exit. Major Erwal manned the door. He was in a small booth next to the exit, and he pulled out a short list as they approached.
"Headed out, Elias?"
"Yes, Major."
Elias put his hand on Milo's back and pushed him forward a few inches.
The major narrowed his eyes at the boy before looking to his sheet. He darted his gaze between the pages and Milo before landing on the correct sheet.
"Milo, right?" Erwal said.
"Yes, sir!"
Erwal slid his quill across the page and spoke once more.
"Okay, Elias, you're free to leave."
The large doors began to slide open, unknown to Milo how they were doing so.
In the distance, a large, white building contrasted against the harsh colors of the towers. Milo looked down the street where he had first walked to get to the partifold.
I wonder how those two are?
The pair turned away from the church and walked down a long stretch of road. On both sides, smaller buildings in the shapes of homes or shops filled the large spaces between the spires.
Only the signs outside each building indicated anything worthwhile inside. There were potions, weapons, books, appliances, etc.
"Oh!" Milo said.
He turned to Elias and pulled out the blue vial. A smile formed on his face as he extended it to the man.
"I forgot about this. Thank you, Milo."
Elias took the vial and stashed it away in his pocket. Coins jingled from within a sack attached to Elias's hip. Milo stared, trying to estimate the amount of money inside.
"There's not much," Elias said while looking forward.
"Just enough to buy you some gear."
The man looked down at Milo's shoes and sighed.
"We should start with that when we get the chance."
Milo looked down at his feet, and his face turned red.
The street ran smoothly beneath his feet—easy to walk on. At some point, someone had figured out how to further advance the rocky roads their kingdom once had. It wasn't much, but it decreased delivery times and helped Krovlizt solidify itself as a trading hub for certain goods.
After a while, Milo looked down and fidgeted with his calluses.
"How far is the guild?"
"Why does it matter?"
"I just want to know, sir."
"About another hour. It's near the inner city. It won't be long."
Milo nodded.
Some of the nobles rode by on horseback, some in a carriage.
How much before I can ride in that?
Through the window of a black-and-gold carriage, eyes peered around the curtain, looking at the boy. Milo quickly turned his head.
But he looked back.
Not at the person looking at him, but at the back of the carriage. It was far, but Milo narrowed his eyes.
Suddenly, the boy started running.
"H— Hey!"
"Milo! Wh—" Elias shouted and chased after Milo, but was cut off by a group of civilians before he could act.
"HEY! WAIT!"
Milo dashed after the carriage.
On the back, a small symbol was engraved into the golden trim—a golden mask that was sharp at the edges, and the nose that jutted forward like a beak.
Eyes peered at him through the back. He couldn't see who it was, but on he ran. He strained his legs to keep up with the horses, but it was to no avail. Milo crossed over into the area designated for carriages and sprinted forward.
A man screamed out from behind as stomping grew louder. Milo turned to see horses running directly at him.
*CRACK*
A hand seized the back of his collar and yanked him sideways. Hooves thundered past where he'd been standing a breath before. Both he and Elias were tucked away in a small alley—safe from any traffic.
Elias gripped onto his shoulders and pushed Milo out in front of him.
"Lu—" Elias stopped himself.
"Milo! Are you insane?!" He shouted.
Bystanders turned to look, but quickly dismissed their quarrel. Elias looked around and began to calm himself.
"I— I'm sorry. I thought I saw—"
"It doesn't matter!" Elias snapped.
He stood and sighed. Both hands rested on his hips as he continued.
"Let's get to the guild and get out of here. You're clearly a danger to yourself when unsupervised."
Elias motioned to the street and began to walk. Milo put his head down and walked next to the man.
"I'm sorry," Milo said.
"It's... okay."
Soon, they entered the guild. As Fowler instructed, Milo kept his head up.
The guild hall towered over the small boy. An arched ceiling curved overhead, and wooden beams lined the walls for support. There were two levels, and both were covered with seating for drinking and ordering food.
Silver tags hung from every neck, each one marked with a distinct insignia.
Elias reached into his shirt and pulled out something similar. Those who were watching quickly looked away when they saw the symbol engraved into the metal. They approached the front desk, but Milo's head barely reached over.
He threw his arms over the rough wood and pulled himself up, leaning over his elbows.
The lady at the front shot Milo a dirty look, then smiled at Elias. Milo shot one back.
You're not the looker either, miss.
Milo knew that wasn't what the look was meant to convey, but he liked to believe that over the other option. He could feel it from the moment he stepped into the building. He was too young for this job. Too young to be a hard worker. Too young to be a warrior. He knew that's what they thought.
He clenched his fist as he thought of everything he had gone through to get here. Elias shot him a look, feeling the animosity coming from the boy.
Some of the men around snickered at the boy's angry aura.
"Pip's got quite the attitude."
Elias sighed. He looked down the bar.
"Yeah, he's a pain."
The man laughed before becoming serious. He almost stood, but stopped himself. The metal around Elias's neck sent a glint into his eye as he stared at it.
"Hmph."
*Thud*
He fell back into his chair and turned to continue drinking with his companions.
The woman in front of them placed her hands on her hips and tilted her head.
"Already causing trouble, huh?"
"Sorry, Julia," Elias replied.
"Whatcha need, Elias?"
"We need him registered as soon as possible."
Elias gestured to the boy, but the woman didn't avert her gaze from the man. Her expression remained annoyed.
"You want me to register a boy? As an adventurer?"
Some of the talking around quieted. More and more people became interested in what was said behind them.
Elias nodded.
"..."
"Fine," she threw her hands up and shrugged.
"Name?"
Elias nodded to Milo.
"Uh, Milo, ma'am."
A wave of murmurs swept through the crowd.
She lazily cast her gaze to Elias.
"Last name too, please."
Elias shrugged. Milo copied.
"Oh, great Vespus," She sighed, "How much paperwork am I about to do?"
A couple of hours passed as Milo answered all of Julia's questions the best he could. It was more personal than the questions they asked at the partifold. More in-depth, too.
"Alright, kid. You have three days before you test, 'kay?"
Julia passed Milo a slip of paper, but Elias intercepted it. He tucked it away in his back pocket and thanked the lady. A slight nod to Milo, and they started for the door.
"Test?" Milo asked.
"I'll tell you more about it on the way back, but there's only one thing you need to focus on for the next three days."
"W— What?" Milo asked.
Elias turned to the boy.
"How to survive."