When I woke up in the morning, Shizuka was already awake and carefully tending to the wound on her leg. The redness had faded a bit and the swelling was almost gone. It already looked much better than it had on the day before.
I got up from the bed, stretched myself and left the room to wash my hair and brush my teeth in the bathroom. I wasn’t used to sleeping in the same room with others, but it had been very easy to fall asleep with Shizuka nearby. I felt well rested and ready for whatever the day might bring.
The boys were still sleeping, and I didn’t know whether Chris was already back from his quest or not, so Shizuka and I ate our breakfast together without waiting for the others.
The main hall of the building was surprisingly empty, with just a few other adventurers eating their breakfast here as well. We chatted about our first impressions of the capital and the adventurer guild while we ate our breakfast consisting of eggs, bacon and bread. For the price of fifteen bronze per meal, it was actually pretty good. We finished it fast, left a note for the boys and went to do some sightseeing in the city. We left the guild building and strolled down the main road, looking at all the different shops and people.
We wandered through the streets, ducking into a few shops. Most of the stuff they sold was well out of our price range, but it didn’t stop us from daydreaming in front of the shelves. Eventually, after strolling around for a few hours, we found ourselves in a small park, the perfect spot to rest our legs. Children's laughter echoed around us as families played among the trees and flowers. It was peaceful and very relaxing.
We watched them run around and have fun, until one of the kids tripped over and fell down. A figure in a dark brown coat that was walking by knelt down to help the child, just as I approached as well. When both of us bowed down to examine the child, I met eyes with them for the briefest moment. Their yellow gem-like eyes locked onto mine and a chill ran down my spine. There was something scary in their gaze, a quiet intensity that made my instincts scream at me to run away as fast and far as possible. I blinked and the feeling was gone as fast as it came, as if it had never been there.
I focused on those yellow, gem-like eyes, looking to find the same hostility again, but this time I couldn’t feel anything in their gaze. All I saw was a pretty young woman, worriedly looking over the kid's scratched knee just like I did. My muscles that had tensed up gradually relaxed now. I probably just imagined this. Once I made sure the child was okay, I gave the woman a court nod, got up and returned to Shizuka. I couldn’t help but look back over my shoulder when we left the park on our way back. No matter how hard I tried, I couldn’t shake this person off my mind on the way to the guild building. It was like those shining topazes had engraved themselves right into my brain.
This narrative has been purloined without the author's approval. Report any appearances on Amazon.
When we returned to the guild hall, the others welcomed us. They had just finished their lunch, and even though I wanted to talk about what I had seen and felt, I couldn’t bring myself to tell them about what had happened. They’d think I was crazy or maybe paranoid, so I just kept it to myself. It wasn’t like it was important anyway, it must have been my imagination or maybe just the heat of walking through the city during early noon taking a toll on me.
We spent the rest of our free day at the guild, trying to have some fun. The four of us got some drinks and sat down at one of the tables, together with some other young adventurers. Tomorrow would be the day of our first quest. I had the same feeling that I had when I was just a child one day before my birthday. There was an overwhelming anticipation and impatience coursing through my body. The same kind that would prevent you from sleeping even though you were utterly exhausted and spent. We joked and laughed together for the whole afternoon, before we gathered in Ryu’s and Kuro’s room to plan our next day.
We spent half an hour hashing out the details for tomorrow’s quest. By the end the plan was simple but solid. Meet in the main hall at sunrise, grab breakfast and head over to the courthouse. From there we’d split into two Groups. Ryu and Shizuka would cover the front while Kuro and I guarded the rear. It wasn’t complicated but it didn’t need to be. Sometimes the simplest plans worked best.
After Shizuka and I retreated to our room, we went to bed early to get as much rest as possible. I changed into my pajamas and helped Shizuka take care of her injury. We bought a special ointment for her wound yesterday, which seemed to have had a great effect already. The edges of the wound looked like they were already closing up. I gently wrapped her leg in a fresh bandage and helped her with her pajama pants. Shizuka has been like a little sister to me ever since we met for the first time. I was incredibly happy when we met again at the beginning of our adventure, and even happier when she, Ryu and Kuro agreed to let me join their party.
Our beds were pretty close to each other, and when I laid down I made sure to face her. I looked at her for a while, until I noticed her breathing coming out even and slow, signaling that she had fallen asleep. I closed my own eyes, trying to fall asleep, even though the excitement I felt made it really hard. But it was not just the excitement. I still couldn’t get this woman out of my head. When I closed my eyes, I could see her eyes looking at me again. The eyes of a predator looking at its prey. I tried my best not to think about it anymore, and after turning around for a dozen times, I finally managed to find a comfortable position and slowly fell asleep.
