Chapter 2 - Shopping with a Homeless Girl

The next day the smell would still stay faintly, however, the cause of it may have left town already. Though a knight in bulky heavy black armor could be seen in one of the kingdom's many taverns. A black greatsword, much bigger than an ordinary greatsword was planted onto the wooden floor and leaning against the table with a black coated great shield placed over it. The black knight sat beside his gear.

Alina had made her way around the town a bit, staying in the inn's general area. Eventually, she stepped into the tavern below the inn and tilted her head curiously at the sight of the black-armored knight. The knight was fully armored, from head to toe, the neck is covered up well by a black helm almost in the shape of a thick bucket. The knight was looking down at a journal, not noticing the glaring eyes of the locals. Alina leaned against the wall and silently watched the knight. She practically blended into the dark corner of the room, even with the sunlight shining through the tavern windows. The knight continued to write in his journal, as he sat there. Either he was a very detailed writer or there where many travels to recall.

Emily woke up in room two stories above. She sat up in the bed for a bit, still thinking about the elf that had visited her the previous night, contemplating if it was a dream or not. She swung her legs over the side of the bed and climbed down. She started dressing, even though all she had to put on was the cloak hanging in front of the window. The rags she had slept in was all she had other than that. Emily grabbed the stick on the dresser beside the bed and put on the two rings. The ghostly colored gem was put onto her right pointer finger, while the ruby-colored gem was put onto her right middle finger. She stuck the stick into her torn-up boots. Afterward, she sat back down on the bed and thought to herself. Was the elf really coming back for her? For now, though she thought it would be best to wait in the room, just in case.

Some time passed, and Emily grew impatient, now wondering more if the events that transpired the previous night really were only a dream. She reached under the bed and pulled out the coin bag she had stolen from Alina the previous night. Emily made her way out of the inn room and downstairs to the tavern so that she could return the room key she was given. When she got to the bottom of the stairs, she froze for a brief moment upon seeing the black knight. Feeling rather nervous, she threw her hood on, and slowly approached the bartender, returning the key to him.

The elf seemed to appear behind Emily as she handed the key over, she didn't make a sound. Alina gently rested a sharp-nailed hand on Emily's shoulder, causing her to jump and turn her head. She saw that it was the elf, or at least she thought it was. Alina's facial features were a little harder to make out in the dark, but they were much more clear now. Alina gave her a smile.

"Hello, Emily. Sleep well?"

Emily let out a sigh of relief and gave a small nod, "Y-Yes?"

Alina smiled a bit more. "Lovely...," she paused for a moment, looking down at the rags Emily was wearing and how torn up they really where, "... I think we should start by getting you something a bit better to wear, hmm?"

Emily tilted her head in confusion. This all seemed strange to her. First, she was offered to venture with the woman, now she was offering her clothing?

"A-Are you sure... I... I'm fine with these..."

Alina shook her head. "You're dressed in rags, Emily. You need something warmer, especially up here. Humor me?"

Emily went silent again for a moment. "I- If you're really okay with it?"

"I wouldn't suggest it if I wasn't" Alina replied back. She grabbed Emily's other shoulder and steered her outside. Emily allowed herself to be taken by the elf. She was still unsure and slightly uncomfortable having this stranger guide her. Alina led Emily down many streets, looking for a shop or stand that sold the appropriate clothing for someone of Emily's size and age.

"See anything you like?" Alina asked her. Emily looked at a few of the shop windows. In one shop, she spotted a couple of mage cloaks hanging in the store window. They looked very similar to the kind she was currently wearing, only cleaner and in better condition. "Pick whatever you want, don't worry about it..., " Alina went silent for a moment. "... still, have the coin you 'borrowed?" Emily nodded and unclipped the coin pouch from her belt.

"May I?" Alina held out her hand for the coin, as Emily handed it back over to her. Once she handed Alina the coin, she looked down at her feet, frowning. "Don't feel bad, I'm not upset. Now go pick something... how're your shoes?" Emily moved the cloak out of the way so Alina could see the poor condition they were in. Alina let out a long sigh. "Better find some decent shoes too. Gonna be doing a lot of walking, your feet will be messed up if you don't have proper footwear," Alina said.

Emily gave her a small nod and spoke in a quiet tone. "A-Alright..." She was led into one of the shops and looked around. They're where many rows of clothing. From shirts of wool to pants, and undergarments of linen. After a bit of browsing, Emily eventually found some clothing that she liked. She was hesitant to show Alina because the clothing she chose was rather expensive once purchased together. Alina examined the clothing and shrugged.

"If that's what you want?" She gestured towards whoever was running the store that they were ready to purchase the clothing. Emily followed Alina to the front counter and placed the clothing onto it. As Alina started pulling out a coin from her now returned pouch, she looked down at Emily and noticed something. She was gazing in the direction of the witch hats that hung on the wall nearby, specifically the one in the middle which was more traditional and black. Alina got the hint and walked over to the wall, and grabbed the hat. She plopped it down onto Emily's head and through more coin onto the table. Emily was surprised at how much money the elf had just spent on her. The elf she had stolen from no less.

Once the transaction was complete, the store owner offered Emily a private area to change into the clothing. Alina waited outside while Emily changed. She watched the people pass by outside the store window. More knights and adventurers had shown up the previous night, and all of them seemed to be heading in the direction of where the king of men was said to give his speech. Emily soon stepped out of the dressing room. She now wore a darkened shirt, and pants. The cloak she wore was a dark green color, and the witch's hat on her head was black with a dark green ribbon attached around the base. The shirt and pants had a few pockets outlined in gold and the edges of her cloak were outlined in gold coloring as well. She kept the two rings on their respective fingers.

Alina gave Emily a small smile, "Looks good."

Emily gave her a small smile in return, "T- Thanks... for this."

Once Emily was in front of Alina, she was once more grabbed by the shoulders and led forward, out of the store. The two walked for a while before Alina spotted a shoe store. She led Emily inside and gave her the same request, to find something she liked. Emily walked around a bit before finding a pair that she liked. Alina examined the shoes to make sure that they would last well and gave Emily a nod. The shoes Emily had chosen were black boots, that matched with the rest of her outfit, and each boot had a large buckle.

"Those should work." Alina paid for the boots and gave them to Emily to put on. She made sure to take the stick out of her old boots and put them into her new ones. Alina took notice that Emily had been carrying the stick around, and had an idea as to what it was. She led Emily out of the store and into a more private area before speaking to her.

"So... Can you defend yourself at all? Have any weapons or know any magic?"

Emily nodded. "I have a wand, but it's pretty old." She pulled the stick back out. Alina looked at the wand and its condition. The wand looked like it was a small branch ripped straight from a tree.

"What can you do with it?" she asked Emily.

"Well, only basic spells... very basic spells."

Alina raised an eyebrow and leaned against the nearby wall. "Like? I'm looking for examples."

Emily looked back down at her wand, as she spoke. "Uhh... I can make light... and... uhh... I can make a small ball of fire."

Alina pursed her lips a little. "Alright." Emily looked back up at Alina, feeling as though she needed to know more.

"Is it enough?" Emily asked her in a rather disappointed voice. Alina nodded.

"It's a start, for now, you should try and learn more when you can." Emily gave her a nod.

"I can only learn so much with this wand though," Alina sighed, "What do you mean?"

"It's a beginners wand. It's what they give us when we first go to a magic school. It can only do small basic spells to help us get used to magic before we move on to more advanced things."

Alina stared at Emily for a while. She wondered why this girl had the training and if she wasn't attending a magic school.

"... So then we will have to get you something better at some point... well, it's enough for now."

Emily nodded, sliding the wand back down the side of her boot. She stood there for a moment in silence, unsure of what to do now. Alina kept staring at the girl. She wasn't sure why she was spending so much money on her, or why she even took her in, in the first place. She just felt like doing.

"How about we get you something to eat?"

***

Alina was seated across from Emily. They sat at a small table off to the corner of the bar below the inn. Emily sat there eating a rather large loaf of bread as Alina watched her. She didn't seem to have ordered anything. After the long silence of Emily looking down as she ate, she tried to make conversation with her new 'friend'.

"D- Do you live here?"

Alina shook her head, "Not really. I wander from place to place." She spoke in a more relaxed tone.

"So then where are you from?" Emily asked curiously.

"Not here. You?" Alina raised an eyebrow at the kid.

Emily looked down again as Alina asked the question. "N- No... I used to l- live in a town a couple of miles from here."

Alina raised an eyebrow as she tilted her head. "Why'd you move?"

Emily went silent again. "... Bandits..." She spoke in a soft voice. Alina frowned and looked down slightly. All went quiet again. Emily just sat there eating. She had not eaten this much food in a long time. It was nice after having to go for scraps the past year. Alina watched her as she came close to finishing the bread.

"Do you need more right now?" she asked. Emily shook her head and looked back up at Alina.

"Okay." Alina stood up and left Emily at the table while she went to the bar. She paid for Emily's food and inquired about taking some bread or anything else that wouldn't go bad, as they'd likely be traveling. After doing so, she made her way back over to Emily and once again, grabbed both her shoulders and started leading her out of the bar.

"So... What are we doing now?" Emily asked, looking up at Alina.

"Well, we could go to the announcement happening in a bit, unless you can think of anything else you'll need?" Alina asked. Emily shook her head.

"No... You... You have given me plenty..." There was more silence. "How do I repay you?" Emily said. Alina just shrugged.

"We'll think of something, I'm sure. C'mon." She started steering Emily back towards the palace entrance. The abrupt lack of information and tugging around seemed to be somewhat of a theme for her. By the time the two arrived at the palace gates, a crowd had formed. There was quite a lot of people for the announcement of the temple, and why wouldn't there be. The large black knight from the pub strolled up behind Alina and Emily. Their weapon over their shoulder and the shield on their back. More time passed and soon the king of Peccatum appeared. His attire was that of royalty. He wore a long purple robe, with gold outlines. The crown on his head was golden and contained a single red ruby in the center. The black knight looked around at the adventurers who had gathered around, unsure as to what was going on. The king stood on top of an elevated platform so that everyone could see him. He began a long and drawn out speech, explaining the history of man and the importance of the artifact. Emily stood there, rather bored of all the talk. The king said that he would offer enough riches to last a lifetime to whoever could bring back the legendary artifact to him. He explained that the journey would take at least 4 days. The temple was found at the peak of one of Ageria's tallest mountains to the north. It just passed the human city that had lain dormant at the slopes, not knowing that the artifact was behind them for centuries. The king explained that no one had entered the temple yet and that he was unsure of what was inside.

The black knights placed down their blades as well as their shields vertically in front of them and listened. The king stated that he did not care how long it took, as long as he was to get possession of the artifact. Alina watched the king silently, her long stare slightly unnerving. Emily sat at her feet, not paying much attention to the details. The king went on a bit more before finally saying that going in groups would most likely be a wise decision. After that, he stepped off the podium and many people in the crowd started leaving. Alina turned to leave as well but bumped into the large black knight. He looked towards her, being slightly shorter than the tall elf. He spoke in a deep and menacing tone that echoed off the armor he wore.

"... Excuse me..." The black knight spoke. Emily shivered as she heard the knight talk, and stood up, taking a few steps back. He directed his attention at the child.

"My apologies. I didn't mean to scare you." He spoke down to the girl in the same tone. Alina raised an eyebrow at the knight and stared at him. After another long silence, the knight finally broke it.

"Would you two like to form a group?" he asked. Alina kept staring at him, considering her options. The king had mentioned something about traps being a possibility, and being in a group could increase her chances of success.

"Sure." She gave the knight a small nod. Emily stayed behind Alina. The knight gave Alina a nod back.

"I would go alone, but with traps and all that, I do think going in a group would be better, Knight said. Alina gave the knight a small smile.

"Well..." Alina lightly reached back to pat Emily's shoulder. "It's just the two of us at the moment, so someone else to travel with may be a benefit." Emily finally spoke out at the knight.

"So you're coming with us then?" she asked softly. He gave her a nod in response.

"You two might need someone to defend you, two fair ladies," he said chuckling. Alina arched an eyebrow at him.

"I think I'll be just fine. It's Emily here I'm worried about. But what do you want us to call you?"

"Kara." He held out a hand, his black gauntlet had dark brown leather over it. Emily quietly mumbled hello to the Black knight.

Watching the three from afar was another knight. He looked down at the halberd in his hands, smiling underneath the helmet, quietly muttering to himself.

"There's always something to fight for." He placed his halberd on his back and leaned against a nearby wall where he wouldn't bother anyone. Although he did contemplate on how to approach this temple.

Alina held out her hand and lightly shook Kara's. Her grip felt soft, showing no sign of strength, but it was hard to tell if it was an intentional impression or a true one.

"Alina. It's a pleasure. Which kingdom are you from, if I may inquire your race?" Kara went quiet for a moment before responding.

"...Human. I shall put it at that," he said. Alina gave him a brief nod.

"Alright. Shall we head out, then? Or do you think we should try to get more people to join our party?" Emily just stood there as the two talked. She was not paying much attention to the conversation and was looking down at her feet and the clothing Alina had just purchased for her. Kara spotted the other knight leaning against the wall, he told the other two that he would be right back, and started making his way over to the knight.

"Pardon my intrusion, but would you care to join us. We are forming a party for the quest. We could use all the help we can get." Kara's voice continued to echo through his armor. The other night looked back at Kara, surprised, and content that he would consider his participation.

"I'll admit, I was hesitant when hearing your conversation, but I suppose there's nothing to lose. I'll gladly join you, friend." He took a step forward, ready to follow the group. Kara nodded.

"What might your name be?" Kara asked while the two walked back to Alina and Emily.

"Just call me Warden. If I decided I trust you enough, I might tell you. We'll see." Emily watched the two approaches with a nervous expression on her face. She was under the impression that she would be traveling alone with Alina and was slightly disappointed that they had made a party with other strangers. Alina introduced Emily and herself to Warden, and they all started making their way out of the kingdom.

Once at the kingdom's borders, the four were faced with the long rolling fields of Ageria. A few groups could be seen walking different routes. Alina stared around at the hills for a few moments, stretching her arms over her head, then began to make her way down the hills. Warden knelt down for a brief moment. He had been using his halberd as a walking stick for a while now. He stood a moment later.

"Onward."

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