Light shower hovered over the Central City; it was the most rain it would experience that time of the year. Realizing that the heavy pitter-patter of rain turned into a slight caress, Seren let go of the mast. She tried to stand with wobbly legs and almost fell headfirst into the flooring of the boat. She cushioned her face with her elbows, before face-planting on the shallow water that has accumulated inside the boat. She grunted as she sat upright, a bit dizzy from the spectacle she made of herself.

The sun has started to slip out of the horizon; the sky was splashed with peach color. The seagulls lined the dock, while fishermen came in droves, carrying their catch for the day. There was loud yelling and cajoling between them; colorful words were thrown here and there.

A young man approached them, sun-kissed skin, blond hair, and dark eyes; strong-built, languidly watching them from the dock as they got off. A scar hung over his left eyebrow, it glinted under the light, his earrings dangled with the breeze.

“What you got there, old man?” He asked with a slight accent.

He doesn’t look to be more than thirty years old; his smile carries youthly mischief. He scanned Seren up and down. “I heard there was a terrible storm there at Mistral, but you sailed through it and with a beauty, too.”

Seren uncomfortably clutched at her damp clothes, watching the young man warily.

The young man stuck his face in front of hers and smiled wolfishly, “Hey there, young miss. I’m Koa, what’s your name?”

The old man kicked the young man's shin and clicked his tongue at him, “Tch. Would ya stop it? Ya keep chasing anything with a skirt like a bitch in heat. Got the lass scared witless of yer ugly face.”

“This old man and his temper.” Koa sighed dramatically. “I was only trying to befriend her. Did I scare you, young miss?” He tried to tap her shoulder, but the tall young man behind her swatted his hand away.

“She doesn’t appreciate the attention. Can’t you see?” The young man stared down at Koa with cold eyes.

Koa stared back at him with humor, scrutinizing the man before him, then laughing hysterically. Seren flinched at this interaction, she was not comfortable with conflict. Looking for a chance to escape, her eyes darted around frantically.

“I never thought you were such a gentleman.” Koa snorted at the young man before him. “Wait ‘till I tell the young ladies at Solandis that their Master Killen had a special spot for the fair maidens.”

The young man stared at him coldly, jabbing Koa’s shoulder. “That’s if they give you the time of day.”

The old man on the boat chortled at their exchange, shooing them off his vision.

Seren tiptoed around the pair for fear of future unfavorable association but was caught by Koa. “Ey, the beauty is escaping.”

Seren smiled at them awkwardly. “That’s, um, I’m in a hurry, gentlemen. A good day to you both.” Then, she fled hurriedly as fast as her small legs could speed walk.

The pair watched her disappear into the crowd, Koa shaking his head at Killen. “See that? You scared her away with your sour personality.”

Killen ignored him, started towards the crowd too with a blank expression on his face. Koa followed behind him with a grin, enjoying the breeze.

After walking for a whole day around Central City, Seren almost forgot how large it was. In the four years that she stayed in the city, she was not able to circumnavigate around it; only knowing how to get around the university and the dormitory. She forgot to ask which dock she came from to easily navigate her location. She sat near a fountain, trying to figure out how she could arrive at her destination before dusk. There was a dense crowd along the alley on her right; a tall bell tower in front of her. Children ran around the fountain while students would sometimes pass through.

Taking a bite of the bun she brought, she almost choked upon seeing a body lying near a darkened alley on her left peripheral. He was lying face-down, the patch of dried grass under him was sparse. People pass by it without sparing a glance at it. She tried to avert her eyes, trying to swallow the dry dough inside her parched throat, coughing lightly.

Ignore it, don’t get into trouble, Seren. Helping would get into other people’s business, one of her worst fears.

She took an inconspicuous sip of water from her carafe, her head bowed down.

“Come on, throw another one!” A high-pitched voice rang around the small plaza; followed by mischievous giggles.

Involuntarily lifting her eyes and scanning the alley, she saw children throwing stones at the body. Eyes darting around, she watched desperately as the adults around her were uninterestingly ignoring the children’s mischief. Unwilling but knowing she could not help but do it, she ran towards them and yelled,

“Stop!”

The children stared at her curiously.

“Mind your own business, ugly fatso!” One of the bigger kids sneered, continuing to rain stones at the unconscious body. Red liquid started to ooze from underneath the body, staining the dried-up patch of grass a burgundy color. Mortified, the children dispersed with horrified shrieks, shouting, “A dead body! Help!”

Aghast, Seren watched as the adults whispered among themselves and steered their children away, shutting their doors abruptly. Alone with the body, Seren shakily got on her knees and tried to assess the situation. She flipped the body over. The deserted plaza was silent, she could only hear her heavy breathing.

“S-Sir? Are you alright?” Stuttering, her unsteady hands tried to touch the unconscious man, while silently praying for the man to be alive. The red liquid oozed from his chest but there was no visible wound.

After a while, she heard a low groan from the body, but that was the only response she got. Thinking that the man must be injured, she first thought of taking him to a hospital. She took his arm and slung it over her shoulders and proceeded to pull his heavy figure towards…

somewhere.

But which direction is the hospital? She decided to just wing it and started moving toward the bell tower. Her wobbly legs, straining to lift the heavy weight of the man, almost gave out upon standing in front of the bell tower gates. Huffing, she tried asking for help but the place was empty.

No soul could be seen on the small road adjacent. Feeling miserable, but knowing a life is at stake, she dragged the body forward and saw a small temple behind the bell tower.

Getting inside, she slumped on the floor, with labored breathing she squinted at the tall statue of the Goddess Binah. The small temple was empty; the clean pews were gleaming under the light that was coming from the slits of the tall stained-glass windows. Without catching her breath, she hurriedly searched for any priestess that can help the wounded man.

“Is there anyone here? Please help, a wounded man needs help!” she cried desperately as a young priestess emerged from behind the altar doors. The young priestess looked younger than her, with pristine white robes and a habit. Her kind face was calming, with dark eyes and a pale face.

“What is the matter?” The priestess asked worriedly, immediately assessing the situation. She patted the young man’s head. “Sir? What has happened? Are you wounded?”

The red patch on the young man’s chest was barely visible. The priestess opened his shirt immediately, a hipflask made of leather was over his undershirt, spilling the wine inside. Seren gasped with shock and incredulity; she dragged this man’s ass across a plaza and he was not even injured? She grabbed the hipflask and shook it, the almost empty carafe hung on her shaking hands. She snatched the man’s hood off his face, mortification evident on her sweat-covered face.

It was the young man she met on the boat! But why was he lay unconscious on the ground at a sketchy alley? Seren was sure when she left him at the docks that he was perfectly fine.

(Cont...)