"Is there anything I could help with here?" He asked after entering the first stall he came by.
The man at the counter narrowed his eyes. Puffing on his short, stud pipe, he studies Ralph up and down.
"Well, kid, washing dishes here is a dirty job. We do lack some helpful hands. Do you know how?"
"Yeah, I do," Ralph asserted. It shouldn't be that hard... "Don't worry, I have experience."
The man led him through a metal bar door outside, where heaps of dirty dishes could be seen along with a small tap poking out of the clay wall. His head hurts just by looking at the number of bowls that need to be washed, holding down the strong temptation to walk away.
"Here, wash them all in ten minutes and I'll give you a silver." The man puffs, blowing a whiff of tobacco smell into Ralph's face.
"What?" Ralph demanded. "All these in ten minutes for one silver?"
"Take it or leave it," the shopkeeper snapped, leaving the door open behind him as he returns to the counter.
Grunting, Ralph squats down next to the tape, carefully removing Rain from his waist, he leans it against the wall away from the puddles and dirt. He turns on the tape, edging his leg and feet away from the splashing, cold water droplets, he took a deep breath, then activates his power.
Keeping the Plague's power on increases his speed. Rushing through the dishes, he barely made it before the time was up.
"Aye!" He calls, feeling absolutely exhausted. How does washing dishes drain more energy than battling enemies? "I've done it!"
After a few seconds of shuffling and grumbling, the man comes back out. Ralph could see that he was clearly surprised by the fact he's actually done the job. After inspecting the dishes, he tosses one bronze coin.
"Hey!" Ralph objected. "Didn't you say a silver?"
"Those dishes are very badly washed, not to mention this one that is cracked," he pointed out. "Are you expecting me to pay you for breaking my possessions?"
Fuming, Ralph picks up Rain, striding out of the stall. He strolls through the street without a particular destination. Earning a coin here and there, sometimes also getting black-listed. For example, he signed up to help out in a café and nearly sliced up a customer because he kept changing his orders.
At the end of the day when he returns to the inn, he felt like he just returned from war. His legs were shivering out of control under his weight, he had eaten nothing throughout the whole day, and his power had been completely drained. Supporting himself on Rain, he sees Lucas tip-toeing toward him.
Before he asked him if he wants anything, the boy pushed a small sac into Ralph's hand, then disappeared out the door at the fastest speed possible.
Ralph pulls open the string that straps the sac, revealing the glimmering clutch of gold within it.
He's giving me gold. Ralph widens his eyes. What for, though? My rent?
Confuse flooding through his mind, he staggers back into their room. He attempted to knock before entering but just stumbled in as a whole the next second.
As soon as he enters the room, he immediately began looking for Eve. She sat on the study table, playing with a round, white thing in her hand. Seeing Ralph, she puts it back down and came over to meet him with a smile.
Trying to make his legs stand up straight, he sat down on the bed before Eve could notice something is wrong with him, and before he could pass out.
"How did it go?" She asked brightly.
"It went well," Ralph grins. "It wasn't too hard."
"That's good to hear," she pointed at the wound on the right side of her head. Where the blood had dried maroon through the bandages. "I've made something, look-"
She picks up the strange white device Ralph had seen her working on. It looks like half of a headphone. She cups it over her wound, wincing lightly as the device attached itself to her skin.
As blue light beamed on the surface of the device along with a mechanical 'beep' sound, two large, turquoise screens flashed out of thin air behind her. Ralph, for one, was genuinely surprised. Jerron had shown him these screens before, but they are very hard to study- and to make.
"How's my new hearing aid?" Eve beamed. "It can even answer questions. Watch," resting her fingers on the screen, she drags it through the air in front of her. "What is Deus Maris' current population?"
Images of calculations and equations flashed through the screen, and it came to a stop on one page, reading 'estimated lower than 10,000 '.
"Impressive," Ralph awed. "How did you even make that?"
"Studied technology and math back in the Bread," Eve explains, taking off the headphone device, and turning it off along with the screens. "Also memories of knowledge from the Alamekes."
Ralph was again shocked at how well-developed the family's technology is. Their descendant, with the mere memories of it, is capable of making something within a day while Ling had to devote a whole team of researchers working for months to achieve the same. Before Ralph got on the path down to thinking about how he might be able to use Eve's innovation to make earning money easier, the fatal knock of Lily's sounded upon their door. Sighing, he opens the door.
Lily stood outside, studying him, or rather his pockets, with her small watery eyes. Before she asked for the rent, Ralph pulls her away from the door out into the corridor, shutting the door behind him, making sure Eve wouldn't hear their conversation.
"You didn't earn enough for the rent, did you?" Lily mused.
Ralph shook his head. He pulls out the little pieces of silver and bronze he had, handing them over to Lily.
"This isn't enough, is it?" He asks, faintly hoping for a miracle to happen. But he just simply slouched with a sigh after Lily shook her head.
"Haven't you got... More, though?" She asks, narrowing her eyes onto his pocket of gold.
"Those aren't mine," Ralph admitted. "It's not mine to spend."
He bit his lips. There's no way he could earn enough money right now. But he can't let Eve sleep on the streets. He literally just succeeded in convincing her that everything is fine, and he will make it be.
"I know I can't pay for the rent," Ralph begins. "I haven't earned enough money in the day. I don't have any valuables with me except her."
He pulls out Rain. Every single cell in his arms is screaming in resistance handing it over as he did. It's been his sword for as long as he could remember. The moment it left his fingertips into Lily's clutch, his whole body was shuddering.
"Please don't kick her out," Ralph pleads as Lily unsheathes Rain, examining its blade. "This is really all I have now."
Lily cast him one pitiful glance, then left without another word. Ralph stood there, watching Rain being taken away, and he couldn't do anything about it. His side felt weirdly empty without the sword rubbing against his legs as he proceeds back to their room. He's never believed there would be anyone of such importance that he would sacrifice Rain to just keep them smiling. But whether it is a sin or blessing, he's found himself one.
YOU ARE READING
Alasla: The New Age
Fantasy"What killed him isn't me. It's the world." Ralph had never asked for much. Not even his own identity. But when his best and only friend got murdered by the man he calls father, he was forced to set off on an expedition to unravel the truth of this...
