Etria's Odyssey
Chapter Three
Old Habits in a New Town
Abel walks back into the orphanage donning new clothes and armor, as well as a pocket full of Ental. He can see Karina looking over at him, but she doesn't say anything. She seems confused and squinting. Abel waves and smiles, causing her eyes to go wide.
"A-Abel? That IS you! I… I wasn't sure because of… all of this. What are you wearing?" Karina asks, walking towards him. She's a bit taller than he is, but his armored boots and helmet make them look about even.
"This is armor the guildmaster gave us. Did you know the captain of the boat is also the guildmaster- and mayor of this town?" He laughs. She cocks her head.
"That's… a lot of jobs. Why did he give you that armor?"
"Not just the armor, look at this." He says, taking out the sack of coins. At first she doesn't know what it is, until he places it on her hand and the distinct noise of coins jingling hits her ears. She looks inside, and her face goes red.
"What the- this… this is Ental, a LOT of it! Why did he do all these things for you?"
"Honestly? I don't know, but he said I can share it with you. So, here, take half." He says, pouring half of the money out and putting it in his pocket, while giving the bag to her. She reluctantly takes it, but shakes her head.
"Abel, I… I don't know what to say… we came here to find jobs, and here both are, standing with 250 Ental each. This could afford us more than a month at the nearest inn! Lodging, good food, warmth, and we could even find jobs along the way!"
"We could, but… I think I'm already employed."
"Really? Did he give you a job?" She asks again, amused.
"Yeah… I think… uh, I'm the leader of a guild." He chuckles, scratching the back of his head.
"A… guild? You mean… like a guild of explorers? TH-THERE'S A LABYRINTH HERE?!" She yelps!
"Shh shh, calm down! It's not that bad!"
"NOT THAT BAD?! ABEL, YOU COULD DIE DOWN THERE! Do you not remember what these labyrinths are supposed to be like?! Do you not remember Etria? Or Lagaard? Stories of hundreds, thousands of people being swallowed up before a dark truth is unearthed by one lucky party?! If you accept his position as a guild leader, you will be sent into some hole to die! I won't let you!" Karina yells out, grabbing him by the ear and forcing him into the orphanage!
"Ow ow ow! Hey, yeesh, fine! Just let go of me!"
"You'll stop?"
"Yes yes, now let go!" He yelps like a puppy. She lets go and then immediately holds his hand.
"Don't leave me like everyone else has, Abel. If you die, I have no one."
"…" Abel didn't quite understand how much he meant to her until that exact moment. Regardless, he finds himself within the orphanage. Apparently, it was very recently built and it's quite serious. Kids of all ages are being given tasks and chores to perform to earn their stay as well as give them walking-around money, so they can function at least somewhat independently.
A day's work is about 2 Ental. Abel looks at the coins he has in his possession. Even after splitting it with Karina, it's still worth over 100 days of orphanage work. He walks deeper in, his armor catching the eyes of his peers. Children smaller than him run up, recognizing him as someone they know, but at the same time, the armor fascinates and enthralls them.
"Abel? What are those clothes you're wearing?" They blurt out. Karina looks back as he explains;
"This? This is just some armor. I got it as a gift." He says. The kids look a bit dour, looking at their own brown clothing. He starts to feel a little bad and scratches his head. He quickly bets behind a curtain and disrobes into his orphanage-wear, all of it except his iron armet. He puts the armor into his footlocker at the end of his bed before walking over to Karina.
"So, what's the plan?" He asks.
"Well, we still have to get jobs. This is a new town, I'm sure there's no shortage of help needed. I'm gonna go check the docks. Wanna come with me?" – "Sure." He responds, following her along as they leave the building.
Karina stretches as the warm sun hits her skin. She looks back and cocks her head.
"You're still wearing that metal arm armor?" – "Yeah, I think it's a good idea." – "That's weird. Come on, let's go to the docks." She says, running over. Abel quickly follows suit as they dodge pedestrians. Immediately, someone is holding up a sign saying "looking for work" on the wharf. Karina knowingly smiles and they both run over. The man sizes them up and shrugs.
"Sorry kids, I'm looking for strong workers." The man says. Karina scratches her nose and grins.
"Oh come on, we're plenty strong!"
"Oh yeah? Take this hammer and hit that lever over there." He says, giving her a hammer. She looks over at the strange device. It appears to be some kind of game. Hitting it at the bottom causes an iron to shoot up towards a bell at the top. She grabs it with both hands and crashes down!
The iron goes about halfway up.
"Not bad for a little girl, but I'm looking for men to work in the Calcium Mines just outside of town."
"Let me give it a try." Abel says.
"You? You're even smaller than she is, squirt." He chuckles but gives him a hammer anyway. Karina scoots away as he holds the hammer with his armored hand.
"You might want to hold it with both hands." Karina suggests. He merely looks over and raises an eyebrow. Before both of their eyes, he smashes down with enough force to cause the iron to hit the bell at the top!
"OH! Wow, well I'll be! You're damn strong, squirt! That's a man's strike, I'm sure you'd have no problems holding a pickaxe. You a new kid from the orphanage?" He man asks. Abel nods.
"Mmhm. My name's Abel."
"Well Abel, consider yourself hired. How's 10 Ental a day sound?" He asks with a smile. Karina looks over and pats him on the shoulder.
"That's a lot more than we've made in a job before." She says, strangely seriously, but still with a calm smile. As Abel looks back at her, she continues.
"Everything is improving since we got here. Those monsters in the water scared me, but maybe this is where everything turns around, Abel. Maybe this is where we finally make it." She frazzles his hair real quick and walks off.
"H-Hey, where are you going?"
"Well, strongman, I still gotta find a job. I'll catch you back in the orphanage by sunset!" She playfully yells, disappearing into the crowd. Abel crosses his arms and smiles.
The guildmaster puts his quill down and reads over his letter one last time.
It's a very to-the-point letter written directly to the royal family within Caledonia. It covers the resurgence of the Fafnir, and recapping why it is the Fafnir exists…
The Fafnir exists solely as a power to be sacrificed, and used to seal away a dark and evil energy… but years ago, brave heroes, including a Fafnir Knight and a princess of Caledonia stopped a great calamity… so why now, all this time later, has another Fafnir Knight awakened?
He put on a strong reassuring face for Abel, but in reality, the mere existence of a Fafnir being confirmed at the same time he discovered an Yggdrasil Labyrinth within the Calcium Mines… not to mention the attack on the boat. What were those monsters after? Were they after the Fafnir?
He folds the letter and seals it with wax. He gives it to his courier who will deliver it in a few weeks across the ocean to the island nation of Caledonia. But for now, he ponders. His armored gauntlet clacks against the desk as he thinks and wonders why. Why now, why here? He darts his eyes around the corners, remembering Etria, remembering Lagaard, remembering Armoroad… every one of them had an Yggdrasil Labyrinth within them, and that drew explorers to their town… explorers who more often than not, died…
The guildmaster grabs his head and begins to groan. Does he tell everyone that the labyrinth is here? After all, each and every time, from Etria to Armoroad, these labyrinths have contained some dark secret within them, something that changes the very nature of the world… an evil energy that, if not unveiled, could swallow the city whole.
"But… we have a Fafnir…" He says to himself. He begins to open his eyes and look out of the stained glass window.
"But… a Fafnir with no Caledonian princess…?" He mutters to himself, remembering a crucial detail. A Fafnir knight cannot awaken on his own and must be chosen by a princess of Caledonia. Who could that princess possibly have been?