CHAPTER THREE
Arriving at destination
After few hours of walking max finely could see slum area but after escaping and all wandering around in city it already been a 15 or 16 hours so when he arrived at slum area it was around 8pm and max was tired from walking around endlessly. The food in his bag was gone and water was near empty. So he decided to stay night someplace safe but in slum area people were already were living in hut or those who could afford it were in inn or brothel. Max thought checking out bar and inn because he can’t ask people living hut to let him stay because there was barely any space for them self and he didn’t want to go to brothel so his only choice was to go to the inn.
“*sigh* lets hope I get at least decent place to spend night.!”
max was searching for decent looking place and saw a three story tall building with name
“hmmm I guess I’ll stay here for night it’s very cheap.”
As max thought he heard loud noises from inside, so entered the place to look at it. When entered he saw some soldiers arguing with an muscular middle aged man who was wearing chef cloths and by looks of it he was the owner of this place. Seeing soldiers max hesitated to enter any further but then max saw soldier holding a paper and he was showing it to the chef. Max decided to get close look on that thing to confirm something and he mixed himself in the crowed get closer look.
“look carefully have you or anybody seen this man anywhere?”
“I told you I nor any of my employee ever saw this man, so just get out of here.!”
“look old man you are interfering with militaries work here if you don’t answer us honestly!”
“hmph what can a lieutenant do here any way.!!”
“YOU- you old fart I’ll close this place down, I’ll burn this place if I have to!!”
“just try you kid!!”
As surrounding atmosphere was getting hot and intense a voice came from main door “THATS ENOUGH!!” and everybody present in room including max looked at the door. At that door he saw a man wearing military dress walking in and on his shoulder was two sliver lines and man beside him wearing glasses had one silver line. That meant they were captain and 1st lieutenant respectively.
“ah- captain price why- I mean what are you doing here sir?!”
The solider who was furious just a moment ago got confuse by sudden arrive of his boss. Not only that soldier but everybody else was as confuse as him. But price didn’t paid any attention to them and replied while glaring at him.
“I heard news that you have lead on that intruder, so I decided to come myself. Do you have any objection?!”
“NO no- how can I have any objection. Hahaha please come and help!”
(shit! How can that information get to him.) looking towards man beside captain price, he thought to himself
(Ah I get it it was you huh, that glasses guy is fucking weird. He finds every small information shit! If it’s not for him I could have been captain long time ago.)
Price ignored the stares and stared to walk towards max. As he started to walk towards max, he got confuse and in response max backed a little.
“Why are you afraid? I just want to ask you something. Who are you? What are you doing here? Where did you came from?!”
This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.
“uh- ah I-I’m max, just a traveler passing by this city!!”
“oh a traveler in this city where people don’t come that often and at such young age.!!”
“ah- yes I get that a lot.”
“so what are you doing here I mean this is slum area you know. Are you here for some night entertainment?!”
“uh- about that-”
As max was about to answer that, their conversation got interrupted by owner of the bar.
“Price can you stop intimidating my customer.”
At this statement both price as well as max got confuse. Max looked at the man and that man winked back at max. (wha- whats happening here? Why this muscle man winking at me?!)
“hmm what do you mean by your customer old man?!”
“He just recently arrived in capital and his things got stolen, So one of my employee offered him to stay a night here. So can you give some space he already had bad day.”
“Is that so. Did you inform the authority or any guard about it?!”
“ah- I-I’m going to first thing tomorrow.!”
“okay, there nothing more to investigate here lets go and you old man stop calling me price I’m captain now not small kid that you used to know.”
“ya ya I’ll when you stop calling me old man.”
And just like that all soldier left the bar following their captain. All other people also return to where they were seated. Max looked towards owner as to ask why he help him. Owner seeing max face understood what was max gonna ask so with his hand he stop max saying anything an tell him why he helped him.
“you are max right, although you don’t know me I know you. After all one of my favourite person told me about you.!”
“ And wh- who might be that?!”
“Mia, of course I’m talking about mia. She told me that she met a very nice person today and when I heard your story I knew it was you.”
“oh mia! So is she work here or something?!”
“no no she don’t she just help with shopping sometimes. She live nearby in orphanage church.”
“church? I thought she had family.!!”
“ya she got sister but unfortunately their parents died years ago. I knew her father but couldn’t do anything, I already got my hands full running this place.”
(now that is sad. She looked so happy and cheerful person but to live at orphanage at that age.)
As max was thinking about her situation he thought about his parents, but as he try to remember their faces his head started to hurt. And he felt pain in his chest, like someone was poking his chest with many tiny needles, he grab his chest cloths in agony and collapsed on his knees.
“aghhhhh- aghhh ahhhh”
He saw some blurry visions. In his vision he saw a man crying and familiar voice
*sob* *sob*
“father- father don’t cry mommy will come back, right? Mommy promise me she will.”
“*sob* I wished she could, but shes gone in different world now where god will protect her.!”
Max only saw a body lying down and man was crying beside it. He could see only from childs perspective. He couldn’t see that mans face nor he could identify any of his surrounding as it was blurred. Who is this man? Who’s memory is this? Is it mine and if so why cant I see anything clearly? What’s happening? As max mind wander off nothing but darkness consumed his vision and finally max fell in deep slumber.
“AH- wha- where am I ?”
As max opened his eye a ray of light pierce his eyes blinding him for moment.
“oh so you finally awake now?!”
“oh owner what happened and this place?!”
“you are in one of the guest room. You suddenly collapse like that so I called doctor, he said you might have heat stroke or stress out on something.”
“is that so!”
As max was thinking something he notice a small hand near his bed following that he saw a girl sleeping soundly on her chair.
“Oh she, she was attending to you for two days now. I told her to go home but she refused. I think that child really like you.”
“WAIT! What did you just said right now?!!”
“she like you?!”
“no before that!”
“that you were out cold for two days?!”
“two days?! I was out cold for two days?!”
“ ah yes”
“shit! I have to be at some place right now. Have to go there, thanks for hospitality.”
As max got up from bed and put on cloths and taking his things with him, he started to move towards his destination.
“Hey wait! What should I told mia about this?!”
“tell her that I owe her and if I get chance to repay her I’ll gladly do anything.!!”
And max ran out of that inn running towards his destination.
After hour or some he arrived at his destination the old factory. But the scene he saw was little bit different from what he imagined. The old factory was on fire and there were some people standing near by more specifically they were soldiers and one that max saw at bar.
A man wearing glasses was there but their captain was not there. As max was looking for him two people jumped from inside of fire to outside. A girl who was same height as max and a weird looking creature. That creature was 8-feet tall, had wings and horns coming out of his head. He somewhat looked like and gargoyle or devil himself. And this two were fighting intensely destroying anything and everything in there path. As max thought getting out of there man in glasses called out him.
“HEY, HEY YOU’RE FROM THAT INN RIGHT?!!”
Max started to run away from there on that remark but gotta cut off by that gargoyle thing.
“So you also came? I thought there was something weird about you. So tell me you’re the one who burned my base? Depending upon your answer I’ll let you live.!!!”