As I opened the door, I was met with a pillow in my face,
"Stupid brother—where have you been!? Did you leave me here, just to walk outside—all alone!?" It was Mim who sat in her bed without a pillow.
I smiled as I threw the pillow back at her,
"Sorry, sorry—this time I had a reason to go alone. I promise I didn't do anything besides that—I didn't even exchange the money!" I waved my hands around.
"Where did you go then?" She held the pillow ready again as she leaned forward, with a smile on her face.
I closed the door behind me, and walked forward,
"I went to register for the tournament..." I walked around her bed
"Why could I not come with you then?" She threw the pillow at me.
"Because the people there are dangerous." I caught it and threw it back.
"Oh—did nothing happen?" She dove away before the pillow hit her.
"Hahaha, of course not—there were guards and everything. People were too afraid, but there were some scary people." I dove to my bed, and took hold of my pillow.
"Tomorrow you can't come see me—okay?"
"Okay..." She said, pursing her lips as she dove for her pillow.
"But today we can have all the fun we need right?" I narrowed my eyes as I held the pillow.
"Yes... but what can I do tomorrow then...?" Her eyes downcast as she buried her fingers into the pillow.
"We'll find something fun for you to do, and I won't be gone for too long—" I put my pillow back down,
"So let's go outside—I really want to see this city!"
"Okayy—let's go!" She dropped the pillow as she lifted her arms into the air.
We walked out of the room, passing by the innkeeper as we walked down the stairs,
"We will probably stay for at least four days."
"You don't have to tell me, just pay me every evening you stay." He led us to a table,
"What do you wish to order?"
"Uhm... what do you recommend?"
"You can't leave Antoria before trying fish, ours is different than all others—ours is from the ocean after all!" He brought his face closer to ours, his eyes shone.
Mim and I looked at each other knowing that it was impossible to say no.
"Okay... we'll have two of it." I had to hold myself back from ordering simple bread.
"Okaay~" He said, almost floating back towards the kitchen.
After a while a pungent smell crept past us, one different from anything before—one I couldn't describe, except that it made my stomach growl silently.
"Brother, doesn't this smell so strong—I just know it's going to be tasty!" Mim had both hands on our table.
"You can even smell that?! But I completely agree." I nodded my head along.
After waiting for a little while a girl appeared, carrying two plates in her arms.
She put the plates that carried the strange grilled animal on the table.
I've never seen somet—
Even the plates jumped—Mim and I startled at the bang that sounded as two hands were planted on our table.
A beaming face came close to ours, and she said,
"I heard you're from out of the city, right!? Tell me about it!" She came even closer, with her eyes widened.
"Maria! I told you not to bother our customers!" The well-spoken innkeeper, had raised his voice for the first time.
"I'm really—really sorry about my daughter... she just really wants to travel." He lowered his head, alongside his daughter's—which he forced down with him.
I met their faces with a smile as Mim stared at the plate in front of her,
"No worries—I sadly don't really have a lot to talk about, but I did pass by the frontier... I don't know its name actually... and Lusd—a small village close to the border."
The man lifted his head, and held his chin.
"Uhm... oh! You're talking about Arbis."
"Uhm... is that the one that borders to the north—close to the Sonian Forest?"
"Yes, that is Arbis! But if it's easier you can even tell her about your hometown! Are you not from the capital or something?"
"No, no—" I waved my hands around,
"I'm from somewhere outside..." I could feel my eyes shift down,
"But it wasn't anything special... honestly." I smiled with my eyes closed, while scratching the back of my head.
He furrowed his brows after looking us up and down,
"Wait? You really aren't from the capital? Where are you from then?"
"Really nothing special... but sorry we'd love to eat now before it gets cold."
"Sorry, sorry. We'll leave you alone then..." He said, putting his hand on his daughter's shoulder as they walked away with their backs hunched.
"Let's begin!" I said as we both stared at the meal in front of us—suppressing our stomachs' growls.
"Yes~!"
Eating this meal proved to be difficult, after I almost choked on the bones—saving Mim from making the same mistake.
After which the innkeeper came back, and apologized explaining how to eat it.
"This is my favorite from now on!" Mim rubbed her belly.
"Don't you say that about everything?" I rubbed my neck.
"But... everything we eat is amazing!"
"Okay, okay I agree... this was great, except for the danger."
"But what do you want to do today?"
"I want to do everything we can!"
"Let's do it then!" I laughed as I stood up.
As we walked out I held Mim's hand, and she said,
"You don't need me to talk to people anymore?" Mim tilted her head.
"Yes! It's great right, you don't have to interpret every conversation anymore!" I had forgotten to tell her.
How happy will she be— I couldn't hold my smile back as I looked at her face.
She didn't wear the expression I expected her to,
"But... will you not need me anymore...?" Her eyes trembled as she looked down.
"What are you talking about, Mim?! Of course I need you with me!" I swung the hand I held around.
"Really..." She glanced up at me with her lips still trembling.
"Obviously... I told you—I will never leave you." I met her with a smile of my own.
"Okay..." She lifted her face,
"I knew it!" And showed me a smile of her own.
I need to watch out... We entered the currency vendor next door as she hopped around—while swinging my arm.
I bought a hundred Anria, and got paid out in ten seals.
I can always get more...
We started walking down the crowded city, after I exchanged our money.
I could see some people stare at me as we walked, making me bury the handle even deeper in my palm.
A few steps later, someone bumped into me—the light reflected off my blade as I revealed a part of it, before I let it slide back in.
"I'm really sorry..." I lowered my head to the man in front of me.
He looked at me horrified his lips tremble unable to say anything. He clicked his tongue, and walked away.
I laid my arm straight next to my body—keeping it straight alongside my right leg as I walked, fighting a strong habit I learned to live with.
As we walked we looked at every street vendor we came across, and watched every street performance we could.
We continued walking down west, until we entered a different looking area.
The buildings were focused on their width, instead of height—with people carrying crates away from them towards the big lake ahead.
The lake was carrying a strange smell, one similar to the meal from before—a refreshing smell.
"So, look—this is the ocean! The big lake mom told me about!" I pointed ahead of us as we peeked over the edge.
"Hahaha, kid the ocean is no lake!" One of those men that carried the crates had heard me.
"Really?! What is the ocean then?" My head had jolted back.
"It's an unending expanse of salt water—it's so big that no one knows what it hides!"
"Really...?"
Unending? I had my doubts after hearing it.
"That is amazing!" Mim screamed out as her face shone red, slapping both hands on her lips—looking down at the stone floor.
"I hope one day you can see that it's unending for yourself!" The man laughed as another man wearing the same outfit walked past him.
"Yes, we hope so as well—right, Mim?"
"I-it sounds really amazing..."
"Hahaha, it does—right!?"
"But I need to continue working, and you should leave soon—this place is not safe at night." He pointed his stretched out finger at us, almost ordering us to leave.
"Thank you very much, we are leaving then." I lowered my head, and we walked away.
Mim and I made our way back to the inn—following a different path from before. We could see some new buildings, but we were both too tired, and hungry to get excited about it any longer.
After we arrived at the inn we ordered another fish, making our way to bed after we finished it.
'Tomorrow it's finally time for the tournament...' I started talking to T as I lay under my blanket.
'I wonder how far you can make it—are you not excited about it?'
'Yes... I am—but isn't it kind of scary? I can't fight with essence anymore...'
'That's just what you've been doing from the start—isn't it?'
'Uhm... I didn't see it that way—you're right.' I held my laughter in.
'Just make sure you're well rested.'
'That's for sure... and were you able to remember anything new when you saw this city?'
'...no—I sadly couldn't... but you shouldn't worry about it too much. So go to sleep now!'
'Okay, okay—I will. Good night.'
'Sleep well.'
The day of the tournament had finally arrived.