The morning sun filtered through the windows of the local inn. Alden, Raze, and Lexi gathered in the lobby, and they checked their leather straps and polished their gears. They prepared eagerly for the routine dungeon exploration for the day.
Kian walked down the stairs. He kept his face completely flat, hiding the panic twisting in his gut.
"Brown, Red, and Pink," Kian said. "I'll be out for a while. I have something to take care of."
The three kids paused their tasks. Their eyes widened in pure surprise.
"You go on your own for now," Kian added.
Raze tilted his head. "For a while?"
"Yes," Kian replied. "Don't look for me. I'll be going on an important mission."
The three of them looked incredibly curious. Lexi opened her mouth, fully intending to ask for the details of this secret mission. But before Pink could ask a single question, Kian narrowed his eyes.
"Go!" Kian yelled loudly.
The sudden shout made them flinch backward. They grabbed their things and walked out from the inn frantically. The door clicked shut behind them.
The lobby fell entirely silent.
Kian let out a long, heavy sigh. He dropped the strict boss facade immediately, so his shoulders slumped in pure relief. He rushed back up the stairs and ran straight into his room. He suddenly grabbed his simple backpack, and he packed his spare clothes and picture books inside.
I have to escape, Kian thought, his hands trembling slightly. If I don't, that monster will incinerate me. Duel my ass. I don't want to die yet.
He slung the backpack over his shoulder. He walked out of the inn very carefully and looked left and right down the road to see if the kids were still waiting outside. But they were gone.
He sighed again. He walked toward the main avenue and waved his hand to stop a passing stagecoach.
CLOP. CLOP. CLOP. NEIGH!
The wooden carriage rolled to a halt. Two brown horses stopped right in front of him and stomped their hooves against the cobblestones.
A weathered coachman tipped his worn hat. "Good morning, little boy. Where do you want to go?"
Kian climbed into the back of the carriage and sat on the wooden bench. He responded to the coachman flatly. "Just drive."
The coachman turned his head around. "You can't just say drive without a destination, little boy."
Kian dug into his pocket and picked a gold coin. The man caught the metal, and his jaw completely dropped. The coachman was stunned. He had never seen a gold coin in his entire life, so his hands began to shake uncontrollably.
"Just drive straight ahead," Kian instructed.
"I understand!" the coachman yelled eagerly.
He pulled the leather reins tight.
WHAP!
"Hyaa!" the coachman shouted as the whip hit the air above the horses.
NEIGH!
The horses roared loudly. Their hooves pounded the road, and the stagecoach lurched forward with a sudden burst of speed.
Kian leaned back against the wooden wall.
I'll go somewhere the kids could not guess.
The stagecoach traveled continuously for three whole days. They headed directly Southeast, so they eventually crossed the border of the Vireldria Empire.
The coachman slowed the horses down. "We have already reached the Kingdom of Kaldorath. This country is a direct neighbor to Vireldria. The kingdom is well known for its great military."
The coachman looked back at Kian and asked a polite question. "Do we continue to the Royal Capital?"
"No," Kian replied. "Just drop me in the nearest inn of the border town."
"Alright," the coachman agreed quickly.
A few hours later, they reached a small, quiet town. Wooden houses lined the roads, and a modest inn sat near the center square. The coachman pulled the horses to a gentle stop.
Kian stepped out of the carriage and stretched his aching back. He gave the one gold coin to the coachman as his final payment.
"Little boy, you see, I have no spare change," the coachman said nervously. "Do you have silver coins instead?"
"Keep the change," Kian said.
The coachman's eyes sparkled wildly. When his callused hand touched the first gold coin of his life, a huge wave of gratitude hit his chest. He climbed down from the driver's bench and bowed respectfully to the little boy like he was praying to a saint.
"Thank you," the coachman sobbed. He had tears of joy running down his wrinkled face. "Thank you so much!"
Kian ignored the weeping man and walked toward the inn to check in. He had no idea that the coachman desperately needed money to cure his ill wife. He had no idea that a single gold coin had just saved a life.
He pushed the wooden door open. A stern old woman stood behind the counter. She wore a faded gray apron. She did not bother to look up when the entrance bell chimed as she rubbed a damp rag over the polished wood.
"We don't give free meals to stray kids," the old woman grumbled. Her voice sounded like crushed rocks.
Kian walked straight to the counter. He pulled a handful of copper coins from his leather pouch and placed them firmly onto the table.
"I want a room," Kian stated. "I will pay daily."
The owner paused her cleaning. She stared at the copper coins, then she looked up to inspect his expensive coat. Her wrinkled eyes narrowed with deep suspicion. But business was business, so she quickly swept the coins into her apron pocket.
"Checkout is at noon," she instructed harshly. "Don't make a mess, or I'll throw you out myself."
She pulled a rusted iron key from a wall hook and slapped it down onto the counter without offering a single smile.
Kian took the key and climbed the creaking stairs. He found his room, dropped his backpack on the floor, and lay down heavily on the mattress. The soft bed felt incredibly good after three days of bouncing inside a wooden carriage. He closed his eyes and slept peacefully.
The next day, Kian walked around town. He bought sweet food from street vendors and simply slept whenever he felt tired. It was a perfect, lazy routine.
But on his third day in the inn, his peaceful vacation shattered completely.
Kian walked inside the inn lobby after a short afternoon walk. But before he could go back to his room, the owner of the inn blocked his path.
"Pay your rent for the day," the old woman demanded firmly.
"Okay," Kian replied without a single complaint.
He took his pouch to pull out some copper coins. But to his absolute terror, his fingers brushed against empty fabric.
He realized his pouch was missing.
He patted his left pocket, and then he checked his coat. He searched his entire body frantically, and it made the owner glare at him with a highly suspicious look.
Where is it? Kian panicked internally.
He could not find it. A cold chill shot straight up his arm. He looked at the strict owner and forced a calm smile.
"I'll get my pouch in my room," Kian said.
He casually walked past the owner to go directly to his room. The exact moment he opened the door, he dropped his calm facade. He immediately searched the entire room. He tossed the blankets aside and emptied his backpack onto the wooden floor.
But nothing.
The pouch... is... gone. Kian swallowed hard. Where?
He rubbed his temples. He remembered he had the pouch earlier when he bought skewers in town. He paid the vendor, and he must have dropped the leather bag somewhere near the market stalls.
He immediately walked fast, completely bypassing the angry-looking owner again, and went out from the door of the inn. He practically ran toward the market square.
He walked fast and started searching from the exact place he had been earlier. He looked under the wooden carts and kicked through the ground near the food stalls.
But there was no pouch at all. He lost all his money due to pure carelessness.
Kian's hands trembled upon the harsh realization. He was completely broke in a foreign country.
After three hours of useless searching, the sun began to set. He walked defeatedly toward the door of the inn. He pushed it open slowly, but then he saw the owner of the inn still waiting behind the counter. Her arms were firmly crossed over her chest.
Kian swallowed hard. His throat felt incredibly dry.
"I'll pay tomorrow," Kian said quietly. "I don't have spare change for gold coins."
The inn owner glared at him. She walked out from behind the counter and stopped right in front of the young boy.
"Boy," the owner said in a rough, gravelly voice. "I already lived long enough to know what a customer who can actually honor their words looks like."
She leaned closer. Her gaze felt heavy, and Kian's breath hitched in his throat.
"If you can't pay tomorrow night, I'll kick you out," the inn owner warned. "Do you understand?"
"Yes," Kian replied weakly.
The owner turned around and walked toward the counter. Kian sighed heavily and walked toward his room. He lay flat on his bed and stared at the dark ceiling.
What bad luck, Kian thought bitterly.
The next night arrived entirely too fast. Kian sat on his bed in the dark room. He did not have a single copper coin to his name.
TAP. TAP.
A simple knock echoed from the door.
Kian froze. He held his breath and hoped she would just go away.
BANG! BANG! BANG!
The loud bangs violently shook the doorframe. The wood rattled loudly against the iron hinges.
"Open this door right now, or else I will smash this and drag you to jail!" the angry inn owner yelled from the hallway.
Kian panicked, so he opened the door immediately. He rubbed his eyes to fake a sleepy look.
"I was sleeping," Kian lied smoothly. "I did not hear you."
The owner raised her open palm right in front of his chest. "Your payment for the rent. Two days."
Kian shrank back slightly. "Can I pay it tomorrow?"
The owner's eyebrow raised high. Her face twisted into a deep, furious scowl. She reached forward, grabbed the collar of his coat, and yanked him completely out of the room.
"Get out!" she screamed. "I told you I'd kick you out if you didn't have the coin!"
She dragged him down the stairs.
Kian stumbled and tried to keep his balance, but she was surprisingly strong for an old woman. She hauled him through the lobby and shoved him forcefully out the front door. Kian landed hard on the street, and his backpack flew out right after him.
SLAM!
The door shut loudly and left him alone in the dark.
Kian picked up his backpack and dusted off his pants. He walked into the cold night and found an empty wooden bench near the main road. He sat down on the hard planks.
"Damn," Kian muttered.
Suddenly, a few drops of cold water fell from the sky. The wet drops hit his nose and his cheek.
"My luck," Kian groaned as he looked up at the dark clouds. "It's about to rain."
KRA-BOOOM!
A loud thunder was heard above the town. The heavy sound rolled across the sky, and then it started raining hard. The downpour washed over the street and instantly soaked Kian's clothes.
He grabbed his backpack and ran fast to find something that had a roof beside the road. The wind whipped past his ears, and the freezing water chilled him straight to the bone.
He finally spotted an old building with a wide wooden awning. He ran toward it and huddled underneath the roof outside. He leaned his back against the cold stone wall to wait for the rain to stop. He shivered violently while he watched the thick sheets of water flood the street.
He looked at the rain. The cold air stung his eyes.
Then, he heard voices in the wind.
Brown's voice, Red, Pink, Black, and Yellow. He heard their cheerful voices echoing clearly in his ears.
"You're weak! That's why you need training!" Pink's bossy voice mocked loudly.
"Say that again!" Red yelled back fiercely. "I'll show you who's weak!"
Kian blinked. He looked toward the empty street, and he saw a happy scene play out right in front of him. Red gripped his wooden sword tightly and glared at the pink-haired Thief. Pink stuck her tongue out and teased him without mercy. Brown stood behind them, and he just nodded his head slowly with a quiet, dependable smile.
A few feet away, Black and Yellow sat on a wooden crate.
"Do you think Ki will like this?" Yellow asked softly while holding up a small flower.
"Of course he will," Black replied with a gentle, serious nod. "Kian likes everything we do."
Kian felt a sudden warmth in his freezing chest. He reached his hand out toward the rain.
"You're here," Kian said softly.
But his hand grabbed empty air.
The figures flickered and vanished into the cold rain. He suddenly realized they were not there at all. He was hallucinating because he felt so incredibly lonely and cold.
Kian bit his lower lip hard. The sharp pain grounded him back to reality.
KRA-BOOOM!
Another blinding flash of lightning suddenly turned the dark street completely white, followed instantly by a deafening thunderclap that physically shook the stone wall against his back.
"Why am I seeing them right now?" Kian asked the empty street. "I should forget them. We will never see each other again."
He pulled his hands back and looked at his own wet palms.
"Why am I remembering those kids?" Kian whispered, his voice cracking slightly. "I don't even know their names."
The rain poured heavily onto the road. Kian wiped the cold water from his face. He grabbed his backpack tightly and stood up straight. He pushed the warm memories down into his chest and forced his heart to turn cold.
"It's been fun," Kian said quietly to the storm. "But this is goodbye."