…
After that, Julius went on with the lesson as if nothing happened. Elyas was really interested in how Grades worked, but sadly, Julius didn't touch that topic again. Instead, he explained the basics of the Dreamer world.
He gave the kids some random facts about each class. Like how the mortality rate of Supporters was the lowest. That was also a part of Elyas' reasoning for choosing to buy a half finished Template that according to the Librarian he bought it from, would give him a support ability. He wanted to stay alive and take care of his family while reaping the benefits of being a Dreamer…The Whisperer had a cruel sense of humour.
Although, even if it was complete, the result wouldn't have been great considering it was a Template made in the first year after the apocalypse. Not finding the idea of wondering about the past that amusing, Elyas diverted his attention elsewhere.
He looked ahead. Dozens of students were just sitting idly. Their faces blank and hopes shattered. Over the span of an hour, most of their aspirations of becoming fierce battle hardened warriors had turned to ash by the giant.
Julius did everything in his power to dissuade the children from pursuing their dreams.
Ring! Ring! Ring!
It can reach two floors underground…That's one hell of a bell. Elyas tried to keep his head out of other's problems. He had enough for one man. The back pain seemed to worsen after the training, adding onto his worries.
I guess healing has its limits too.
He chased away the thoughts and walked towards the nurseries. After getting a new shirt, he picked his way towards the stairs.
Thankfully, his fur coat was hanging on one of the coatracks on the wall. As the soft fabric rustled against Elyas' back, he turned around and glanced at the students.
The children, unlike usual, didn't rush outside. As if all the energy in their body had been sucked away. They dragged themselves forward, grabbing their jackets or sweaters hanging on coat racks or in the nurseries.
Elyas walked out with a few of them, there's no use in staying. He gets his training done home anyway.
It was orange outside. Everything was. The barely melting snow covering roofs, the giant stone walls in the distance, and the dozens of figures walking near or flying high above the apartments.
The moons have already started to peek, intruding despite daylight. Elyas took in the beautiful vista for a moment, allowing the warm colors to wash away the sour experiences of today.
After a while, he shifted his head and resumed his walk. Navigating back from the D.E.B to the main east street, instead of going home, Elyas turned right and entered an alleyway.
…
North east, In a dumping zone at the edge of Mistwood.
A massive warehouse, something vaguely resembling a barn stood tall. Several hills of garbage covered the ground near it. Some of them are stationed neatly close to the wall. Others scattered about like the small heaps here and there.
Due to the slight toxicity, the soil had long turned to a sickly yellow. Stepping on it, was a man wearing a white fur overcoat atop undergarments of the same color.
Avoiding the warehouse and the few workers in the distance. Elyas walked behind an old pile of rubble and wet, rotten garbage. It had been leaning against the wall for long enough to leave its sludge dripping from the bricks.
Giving his clean, comfortable coat a glance, Elyas lets out a sigh. After opening a window, he put it inside and fished out a shovel. Not long after he starts digging, he finds what he was looking for.
In the pile of rubble and rotten food, a fat man wearing a red shirt with bloodshot eyes could be seen. The man's hands were tied up to iron pipes, and the man's mouth was stuffed to the point of suffocation.
To Elyas' surprise, the man was wide awake. Suddenly freed, he struggled, as if happy to be liberated from its capturer. But as his eyes focused and filtered the sunlight, he shuddered.
"…Nice to see you kicking."
Elyas bent down, grabbed the cloth covering the man's mouth, and pulled it out. Immediately, he shouted:
"Someone! please help m—" Before he could finish though, Elyas grabbed his face and stuffed the trash back inside. After he wrapped it up with dirty cloth again, Elyas' already unamused expression turned into a deep frown.
"Why do you make it difficult for yourself? You'll just be staying here for a while… It's not like I'm going to kill you."
Elyas paused, examining the man. What he saw almost made him go back on his words. The man was weeping and pleading with teary eyes. If it was anyone else, they would have been fooled. But Elyas knew better. He knew what he had done.
leaning closer he spat, letting a dark and cold tone wash over the captive. "You know what you did, Sandl. Still, you think someone like you deserves saving? I'll be doing the world and you a favor if I finish you right here."
"..." Sandl stared at Elyas with nothing but fright and his usual, silent plea.
"So just shut up and eat. You don't want to starve again, do you?" After much deliberation, the fat manager nodded his head reluctantly. So Elyas removed the cloth again.
"..." Both stared at each other for a bit in silence. Seeing that Sandle was not doing anything rash, Elyas secretly heaved a sigh of relief.
Afterwards, he opened a window to grab some food. Seizing the distraction, the manager acted. Inhaling deeply, he shouted at the top of his lungs.
"Hel—"
Elyas acted quickly, stuffing his boot in the man's mouth. "God damn it Sandl! What the f*ck did I just say?!"
Elyas searched down frantically, found the pieces of cloth, and re-did everything.
Looking around to make sure no one saw him, he started to climb the pile. Standing a few metres above Sandl, he looked down. "... it seems you're not hungry today. I'll come back tomorrow." Elyas jumped, putting all his weight into it. The pile crumbled under his feet, burying the manager as a result.
Well, there's that.
He nodded in satisfaction. After dusting himself, he put away the shovel and wore his coat again. Having finished what he came here for, Elyas picked his way back home. He walked the same way he came. A few workers and civilians were moving about, organizing or disposing of trash.
As he walked past the heaps and mountains of garbage, he suddenly lost his footing. But before he could fall face flat, he was stopped by a pair of hands.
"Are you alright?" A deep, yet feminine voice asked. Elyas opened his instinctively closed eyes and searched for the source of the voice.
It belonged to a woman with dark straight hair wearing a wrinkled shirt of the same color. Her clothes were dirty and dusty, but they did little to hide the beauty underneath. Her face was decorated with green, gem-like eyes. Currently, those shining jewels stared at him with a question.
"I said are you alright?" She said, bringing Elyas back to his senses. Getting up and stepping away from the lady, he stammered, "Oh… um, yes I'm fine. I guess I slipped on a banana peel."
Indeed, the perpetrator was laying on the ground. motionless, how a banana should be.
She looked at him up and down, then at the ground with an amused expression.
"Oh, count yourself lucky then. It's been a few years since we had any bananas. It's an honor to slip on one at this point."
Elyas let out a timid smile, signaling his leave. The woman, understanding this, stepped aside. As he walked away and was nearing the boundary of the dump zone, he lost his footing again. This time, instead of a beautiful woman's hands, someone's forehead broke his fall.
Opening his eyes again and massaging his own forehead, Elyas' eyes widened. In front of him, doing the same thing, was a familiar man of average height clad in nothing but black.
"Noah? What are you doing here?"
After hearing Elyas' voice, his eyes shot open immediately. Suppressing the urge to ask the same, he pointed down towards a few bags laying near his feet. "What do you think? Here to take out the trash… do you visit here regularly or…"
"No, no… I just wanted to take care of some garbage."
Noah looked at him with a dubious expression. At the same time, he pointed at the bags again. Elyas, noticing how stupid of a lie that was, quickly tried to come up with another one.
"Uhh… how should I put this…" Elyas paused, as if considering his next words carefully.
"Julius made me fight a giant, ugly Figment. In the process…" He chose to let Noah come to the conclusion himself, and sure enough, he did.
"Don't tell me…"
"Yeah…" Elyas said, pointing to his white linen shirt and pants.
Noah's face twitched painfully. Inhaling deeply to calm himself down, he spat in anger, "That damned brute! How many times have I told him to stop already?! Another set, GONE!"
Elyas watched his friend's uproar at the giant's endless cruelty, and tried to calm him down.
After a bit of consolidation, he calmed down. But even after their talk ended, Noah's gaze stayed fixated on Elyas. He stared at him for an uncomfortably long time, his eyes adrift as if trying to remember something.
"Oh! It's good that I saw you here actually. We can do it today. I have good news!
"Oh? do tell"
Noah suddenly strained his posture and spoke with a tone full of pride. "Well, first of all, I successfully arranged the visit with the Librarians. That is no easy task…"
Elyas' face perked up with interest. But seeing Noah pause for no reason, yet, maintain that attitude, he deliberated before asking. "...Is that it?"
Noah's lips curved. "Oh, I thought you'd never ask! To answer your inquiry, no."
"It's nothing important, really. Just you know, something you desperately need…." Noah said with a teasing tone, but seeing that he wasn't getting the reaction he wanted, he let out a dramatic sigh. "You're no fun. We're supposed to be friends, you know? Well, anyway. I arranged for us to visit a seer.
Elyas' eyes widened in an instant, he opened his mouth to speak, but before a single word could come out, Noah said with visible glee.
"You're finally getting to know your cost!"