Flame

Chapter 5

"That hair looks too familiar, haven't I seen you on the notice board?" She asked. Alsi was at a loss, he didn't know what to say next.

    " If he was on the notice board that makes sense. He was kidnapped and now we're helping him get back home." Said Tatiana. There was a bit of an uncomfortable silence around the place. The light penetrated through the windows bouncing off the wooden tables and shining through the glasses of water and beer. The waiters were still moving around and taking orders but even they could feel the change in atmosphere. Suddenly Lana, the lady behind the counter, spoke…

     "Awww, you must be traumatised! You know what…' she heads to the back and comes out after a minute with a glass of fruit drink decorated with a little umbrella and a straw…

     "Here's a drink, on the house." She set the drink on the table with a smile.

     "Thank you…" Alsi said with a timid voice. 

     'Ahh…I sound like my little brother..Hmm..probably dead by now.'

     " Heyyy, howcome he gets service and not me?!" Luck whines.

     'Isn't it obvious? You're all trash…' Alsi thinks.

     "Don't worry, just go take your seats and you'll be served in a minute. "Said Lana.

     "Yay!" Luck said excitedly.

     They went and sat down at one of the tables next to the window. Alsi could still notice people making glances at him. In about ten minutes the food was set down on the table and the group started munching away. Alsi just discovered the third most disgusting thing he had ever experienced, sharing a meal with people he deemed as pieces of trash. They were all talking with their mouths open and the food was every where. Alsi couldn't hold it in anymore…

      "YOU ALL DISGUST ME." he said with a serious but blank expression. Everyone at the table stopped and looked at him…

      "You were saying?" Asked Enegus.

      "How could you pigs born from maggots even exist? I thought reincarnation pushed the boundaries of impossible but now that I have discovered you… I now know that there are no such things as rules anywhere I look." 

       The whole group was surprised at Alsi. Alsi just realised he might have blown his cover…

       'Ohh, crap! You've done it this time Alsi. If things make a turn for the worst I better-'

       Alsi was suddenly in Tatiana's arms. He noticed the tears running down her cheeks.

       "You must have gone through a rough time. It's repulsive to even guess what they did to you for you to release such harsh words…" 

        As Tatiana said these things, Alsi noticed how everyone looked at him with pity. He was upset at the fact that people were feeling sorry for him like he was some homeless kid out in the streets even though somehow, he was.

       "We're wasting our time here, we should be taking this child back to his home." Said Enegus. 

       "I agree…" said Archer.

       "Well then what are we waiting for? Let's go!" Said Luck.

       Alsi was relieved that he was dealing with 'a group of numbskulls' as he put it. His cover wasn't blown and he didn't have to worry about being sent back to Ari for execution…at least for now. Later on, the group of adventurers were shopping for weapons, Alsi preferred to stay outside. As he sat down he looked around the place. He saw a bunch of other shops along the road. The town didn't seem to be as populated as Ari was.To his left, the road widened into a circular shape and narrowed at the other end. This place was where most of the stores were stationed and people were more concentrated in that area. He then noticed something that almost reminded him of school right at the centre of the circular space. He stood up and walked to the object in the centre, realising that he has being wearing the same black trousers and white shirt for too long.

      'Wait a minute, last I checked I was supposed to find shelter before nightfall…it's still bright out! Did I pass out for that long!?'

      He got to the object and noticed it was a big notice board with papers pinned to it. He saw notices for quests, wanted individuals, trades and even normal jobs like that of waiters and housecleaners. When he shifted his eyes from the top to the centre of the board, and then a little to the bottom right. He saw a very familiar face he hadn't seen since the first time he reincarnated. The hair…the eyes…the eyes. It was none other than himself. He was shocked to see his face on a notice board.

       'How did they know I escaped!?... It must be the goat face! That idiot!'

        He tried to read the words that were right above the picture of his face and he noticed that they were almost unreadable. It's like he knew they meant something but he couldn't remember what it was supposed to be.

       'As if things couldn't get any worse… I can't even read!'

     But if there was one thing that was certain, it's that I'm this world, numbers are still the same…

     "WHAT!? FIVE HUNDRED THOUSAND GEES!?" That sum was usually nothing to Alsi, but to a group of adventurers it would be more than enough to sell off their mothers.  He ripped the paper off the board and held it in his hand. 

       "I have to get rid of this evidence before someone finds out…"

       "Finds out what?" Luck asks Alsi as he comes from behind him. Alsi turns to face him quickly…

      "Nothing!" Alsi's words come out distorted.

      " We thought you went missing William, you had us worried…what the heck is in your mouth?" Luck asked.

      Alsi had stuffed the paper he ripped off the notice board in his mouth. He started to chew it and said…

     "I'm sorry, I barely ate anything at the restaurant and I was so hungry…"

     "Why didn't you say so? C'mon, spit that out, I'll get you something to eat." Luck turned his back and started walking. Alsi spat the chewed up paper onto the ground and stamped on it repeatedly. After that he ran off to catch up with Luck. When he found the group at the weapons store he felt even more disgusted, realising that he just put something worse than commoner's food in his mouth. 

     "Is everyone prepared for the journey?" Asked Luck.

     " Yes we're ready, and I'm happy to say I am very satisfied with these brass knuckles." Said Enegus whilst doing jabs.

     "We're just waiting on Archer to get a ride-"

     "Hey guys!" Archer yells in the distance from the front seat of a carriage. Alsi is in deep thought while this is happening.              

     'What if there are more wanted posters of me where we're going? What happens when these guys find out who I am? Will they accept me or will they sell me off to those soldiers? I'll have to ditch these guys when I have the perfect chance.'

     " Hey kid…"  Alsi looks in the direction of the voice he hears and sees something of a Japanese rice ball in his face.

    "Eat up, you're gonna die of hunger before you even get home. " Luck said with a smile. Alsi wanted to throw it on the ground, but his stomach wouldn't let him.  So he took it and ate it rapidly. The taste of the rice in his mouth enveloped his tongue and he was surprised that 'commoner's food' could taste so delicious. His stomach thanked him for giving it something to digest.

    "Whoa….it tastes good." Alsi's eyes brightened up a bit when he said those words. 

    "Don't mention it!" Luck said with another smile as he pulled a thumbs up. Alsi got on the carriage with the group of adventurers and started off on their journey. Alsi looked out at the town he was leaving, he could see children running back and forth with their pets. Workers were carrying their loads of bricks using carts, and the women with their daughters were buying flowers from the marketeers. He shifted his gaze upwards and saw a church as the tallest building in the whole town of Flora. Alsi wondered which deity it was built for. He then looks at the people he's travelling with…

      'These people, they really love to give themselves off ….Hmmm…I'll use that to my advantage.'

      "Archer, how far is this carriage going to go?" Tatiana inquired.

      "Straight up until the borders of Avon." He replied.

     "Oh that's good, at least we won't be slowed down by monsters. " Said Tatiana.

     "Well that's true but we'll still have to keep a lookout at night." Said Enegus. 

     Soon enough, they left the main gates of the city and were heading into the forests. Alsi took a breath of relief for he feared that if he stayed in that town any longer, he would have been discovered. He leaned back and tried to enjoy the ride when suddenly the carriage stopped. He could hear the horses cry and he also heard multiple voices outside. 

     "What's going on?" Tatiana asks.

     Luck stands up to go and check out what's going on. When Alsi peeps through the carriage window, he sees Luck walk past. He then sees a familiar uniform.  It was like that of his guards. He immediately retreated from the window.

     'What the heck are they doing here!?' Alsi thought to himself. 

     'How will I get out of this one…?'