Pulse

Beat 2

The streets of Brisken were lively and the shops were bustling. It was a nice change from the usual that had been happening. The news was full of tragic stories, entire towns wiped out by monsters, trolls, and dragons. Even giant rats could ravage the unprepared towns; and they did.

Elam wandered the streets of the thriving city visiting each shop and stand. The shopkeepers often gave the silver haired boy a strange, unsettled stare. It easily could be his pitch black eyes, or his frightening six foot five stature, but it was probably the rifle on his back and the twin pistols at his sides.

He approached a food stand and took a long and deep smell of the selections. It was clearly all deep fried. Everything smelt faintly of the boiling grease and an abundance of salt.

"Would you like anything sir," a short old lady asked from the other side of the stand. She wore a long blue dress that nearly touched the ground beneath her. She was clearly no taller than four and a half feet tall as Leam towered over her, almost twice her size.

The food smelt repulsive and he knew it was overpriced, but the genuine smile of the old lady's face compelled him not to just walk away.

"Yes ma'am, I'd like an order of the fried pickle slices and some fries please," he answered with a fake smile. The lady nodded and entered the small room attached to the stand. While Leam waited for his food he took the time to enjoy the peaceful town. A group of children had gathered at a faucet that flowed into the ground and were taking turns pumping the groundwater into their hands and drinking it. It was an odd sight for him. One that felt like it belonged in an old time television show. For a moment he drifted into thought over why the scene felt so bizzar, but right as he had started to lose himself in the conundrum, he was snapped back into reality by the pungent smell of fried pickles.

"Thank you miss," he asserted as he fumbled with his wallet to retrieve the proper funds.

"Don't worry darling, these are on the house," she shouted and gave him a massive smile.

"Are you sure lady?"

"Go one, I can tell you're suspicious, so I don't make you pay, but if you enjoy them, please do promise you'll return."

Leam nodded as he grabbed the disposable basket the food was nestled into. "And if I do I'll pay you tripple!"

"I'm gonna hold ya to that son!" she shouted and laughed before going into her shack.

Leam was in shock at the kindness but did not dwell on it for too long. He made it away from the stand but soon the fried smell changed from a nauseating one, to a hypnotic draw. He took a pickle and cautiously popped it into his mouth. With a single bite be severed the fried surface from the piping hot pickle and was able to separate the various parts. It was a simple taste. It was salty and greasy, the pickle did not taste special either; yet something about it seemed special.

Without thinking the man had begun snacking on his food happily as he continued perusing the shops. He talked to many of the shopkeepers about his snack, and in doing so learned that the little old lady was a widower, and that her children left her when she refused to give up her husband's shop.

"Oh yeah, Aunty is super nice," the owner of a knife stand mentioned, "she'd give everything away for free if she could."

"Oh geez, I feel kinda bad just taking these then," Leam admitted while scratching his head.

"Nah don't, it's how she's always been. If she wants you to take it she'll close up to prevent you from paying." The old man laughed and handed Leam a small purse of coins. "Here's the money for the ores by the way. Thank you. Have a wonderful day."