Gyo stands outside the food courts, try to keep his balance on one foot and against the mud.

Whats keeping her, he says. How long does it take to smoke a pipe.

He hears a loud tumble, glass breaking and the tussle of a fight, he carries himself to the noise.

He sees Marco and his goons with the boy that's had defended him. Marco grabbing him by his shirt, he punches him on the face, pulling him back with the other hand and goes for another punch.

Stop!, they turn to him. Shit, I should have just stayed silent, he says to himself.

You! Marco he let's go of the shirt, the boy drops to the ground,

come on lurker wanna fight, let's trow a couple, I'll put you on your place with the maggots

Gyo watches the blood of Marco's fist ignoring his face entirely.

Look at me Marco, yells

Gyo limps two steps forward, but the gap between them still keeps him at a safe distance.

I can't fight you, not now at least

Marco, chuckle, you'll fight a dragon but you won't fight me, is that how it is huh?

Yeah, that's how it is, he limps another step forward. My doctor won't appreciate me ruining her work, I'm sorry

Yeah, she's done well for me and the boys,we're okay, so why are you still limping around then, crying for attention. walks up to him, up to his face and they lock eyes.

You see I know what you're about lurker, your one of those lurks who whore try to topple the hierarchy

Really, I am, I didn't know, why don't you tell more.

Shut up

Now I'm confused did you come to this realization, before or after, I saved you from the black rider

Marco, chuckle, you think this is a joke

It's hard not to, honestly, I mean you're not evening grateful, but before you said thank you back then, when I save your friend over there or those a mask make me look fate, he chuckles to himself, leaning back, supporting his weight on his crutches on his.

Marco fumes, Gyo drops into a frown, his blue eyes shining out of the dark scowl his hair cast of his face.

Marco lunges at him, he steps back, but intantly regrets doing so, the pain hitting him like a bolt of lightning. Marco misses but Gyo quickly pushes him to the side, he falls to the floor his goons go in for the attack, Gyo bearly standing on two get raises his crutches to them.

Stop!, Marco yells at them, he's mine. The boy looks on from the ground, he see a bottle by his side he grabs on to it. And slowly get up unnoticed, the blood dripping from his nose, his anger raging in his eyes,his glasses broken from the punches. He charges at the goon who has there backs to him.

At the last moment his eyes meet Gyo’s. Gyo nods his head slightly at him, urging he to stop, he drops the bottle and on hearing the noise, the goons turn back to him,

Hey, watch ya doing deer, they punch him in the face, he falls to the ground they go to beat him some more.

Stop!, Gyo yells at him, let him go and you can have me

No, I'll have you either way lurker, he gets to his feet

Don't call me that, not when you life is in my hands now

What! How dare you

It's true, I've saved you more than once now. Third times the charm Marco, I might just let you slip next time.

Watch you tongue, you troll breed. Deep rage feel Gyo’s eyes, Marco could tell the mood had changed but he resolves to press on with his taunts

Hey stop it, he could hear the goon beating at the boy. Marco move closer to him

What will you do, what can you do, you'll let him fight for you and you won't fight for him. It's that what it means to be the top ace, tell me lurker

Marco, towers above him seeming to have find his confidence, Gyo

Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon.

Listen Marco, no matter what you do, I'll be top ace, I'm already top ace, no matter what. Afterall you only fight me cause you know you'll get away with it, if it were other wise you wouldn't have a tongue left to lick your diamonds or whatever you noble sdo.

Now listen! Gyo yells. the goons stop beating on the boy, he raise his arm up, pointong to the sky

My battle is up there, that's where a real ace fights, just you and a curse. There's no class, no hierarchies and no stinkin nobles. I'd love it if you'd join me some day.

Marco fumes, he charges in to kick him,Gyo blocks with his crutch but the force tosses him to the ground. Marco raises his leg to stomp him.

Marco! It's about curfew Marco, the voice of luzia cuts in, even nobles gets reprimanded, remember? It could put your career in jeopardy

He scoffs, what you think that's scares me I'm sure it doesn't but as sure you know the new captain arrives tomorrow, you would want to make a good impression would, see these people up there respect my opinion and that of my families, I could says a could thing, they could get you in trouble.

Shut up hag, I was already leaving anyways.

he turns back, I was leaving anyways. lucia goes to help Gyo off the ground, the boy watches them through his cracked glasses, his face in the mud, he smiles finding the whole picture adorable.

He called you a hag?

Who cares, nothing can ruin my mood now, not while I'm on mandrake. Gyo laughs

The boy gets up on his ass and dusts the mud of his body, they don't come off easily.

Hey! are you okay? Gyo says to him

I'm fine, I'm fine, he says cleaning the blood of his nose

That's looks bad, you should come with us, I'll see what I can do about that

Really, will that be okay. Lucia nods.

Alright thank you very much.

I've haven't done anything, just come along. They turn around to leave and he follows behind them

What did you say your name was again.

I didn't say, it's Eric, Eric dane

Nice to meet you Erick Dane, I'm Gyo, Gyo von buellow. And this is Lucia.

So your a lurker right

Yeah, Eric says, feeling a bit down

I guessed as much, nice to meet another worm, Gyo chuckles

Eric, livens up and chuckle along with him. Ouch!

Don't laugh with a broken nose you dumbass, lucia yells

The door to the hut creaked, the sprite raises it's head of the pillow, its resting on, it hears Lucia voice through the door it get very excited. The door open its runs at her, Gyo gets creeprd out almost lunging at it.

Come on gyo, it's just Yuki. What with you and curses any ways

I don't like em, never will.

The how are you going to be an ace.

Getting on those things raising the hair on my back.I'll just have to put up with them for now. Anyways as long as I'm in control I have no worries

I don't get you at all. She walks in to her desk Gyo follows then Dane. I to even say you have hair on your back I mean seriously what a lie

Hey, do too

Look who's taking I've seen more parts of you than you've seen of your self

Gyo, startled by the remarks, he shuts up upon realizing it's true

Come on you, she says pointing at Dane, whose a bit shy and leaning to the side, come over here. He walks towards her abit on edge.

There's water you two need a bath, like right now.

Yeah, they both say, when I get back to camp, Dane says

It's past curfew already Dane , you'll just have to stay here

Here?

Yes, any problem?

No, no, it's nothing, I justI don't mean to impose, I could just sneak back to my camp.

Shut up already, I swear if I have to put up with another stupid teenager, I'll poison everybody.

It's alright, Gyo says, her baths are always warms and cozy, she mixes portions into them, if you're lucky you won't turn into a frog

Sit! she says pointing to the floor in front of her

Sit? She nods, right here

Sit down already! You boys are getting on my nerve!, he sits down immediately

One of this days I swear I'll poison all of you. Here Yuki. the sprite flies to her and wraps its self around her lower arm.

She draws it's closer to his face

Just stay still, he sees the poking eye of the serpent like creature. It's breaths outs a heavy blast of green fire at his head, Dane screams as the fire engulf his head

He jolts back, away from the curse,

First time,huh? Gyo says. He touches his face in fear of it being burnt but them he realizes

Wait, it didn't hurt at all, it's felt cold. My wounds it's gone.

She chuckles a bit,

I'm sorry I over reacted, I knew they healed, I was just surprised by the fire that all.

It's okay. She turns to gyo, Gyo?

What!

Stop playing with that book and go take your bath. He tosses the books away there's a dragon seal on it

Alright……

Gyo wakes up before the sirens. He Streachs out his arms while on the bed, he's feeling a lot better than yesterday.

I must be getting Better, he says.

He Streach some more, then a sharp pains rest on his head, feels abit light headed but also a if his head is a bit full, and his nose feels heavy. Blood drips onto his bandages. He touches his nose. More blood flows out , he jumps of bed landing on his bad leg, he wraiths in pain and limps off to the rest room.

Lucia shuffles her body on her desk, disturbed by the noise, she had worked late into the night it seems as she drools over an open book. Dane dozing off by the door, resting on his back.

Gyo frantically washes the blood of his bandage, she can't know, she'll stop me, but why, why now, I was doing well, was it that kick, he sighs. Should I tell her

He looks at the mirror, looking at his features, he tries to look up his nose but could barely see past his hair due to the way he held his head, he brush them back and another look. It's just blood, just a blood filled nose, he can't tell anything else, he drops his head back down a bit frustrated,

how many months of assisting Lucia and can't tell a thing.

the sirens echo louder and louder.

Gyo!, Dane calls out

What! I'm coming, just need to wash! he could keep a secret right, he says to him self,

I think that's for us. Since you're not well I'll go see what it's about, I'll be back soon okay

Hey wait I wanna come with! He yells from the rest room

Come on its better if I go alone, I'll get there faster. He closes the door behind him.

Hey wait a minute…. What's that kids name again?... Well whatever.

After a while, Lucia is woken up by the sirens. She sits upright, looks on straight ahead at the board in front of her, her eyes glance across the board, examining what she had written through the night, the bags under her eyes seem to get big and big the more you looked, she's sighs, then slumps back on the desk, falling back to sleep.

Gyo come out of the rest room, trying to dry of his bandage with a towel, his drawn to the board,

Whats is this, what my name doing there and in code too.

There's a knock on the door. Who is it?

It's Dane?

Who's Dane?

I was just here?

Oh you're the brat

Who you calling a brat, I'm the same age as you dammit.

That's nk way to talk to dragon slayer, watch your tone boy.

He comes in. He looks at the sleeping lady

Boy she's still asleep huh? They'll be bring the injured soon from the front.

Really?

Yeah there was a major attack not too far from here, got them off guard, It was a massacre

What are we doing about it, are we going to join the fight.

We don't know yet, but the new captain will arrive at noon.

Alright so we've got some time. He turns back towards the restroom, then there's a loud siren call.

The injured, they're here, they both turn to Lucia, she shuffle around a little bit and rest back peacefully.

Oh I don't have the stomach to wake her, she worked all through the night, Dane says

Lucia!!!!, Gyo screams, the lady jolts up

Who!? what!? Why me?, she barely stays up swaying side to side with dozing eyes.

Gyo shakes her and says.

You've gotta wake up

Why, why, she yawn wildly

They're injured people coming from the front

What? Really? that's so nice

Huh? He shakes her again, she open her eyes a little wider this time . Injured people Lucia really injured people. Her head bobs and he shakes her harder, her eyes are wide open now.

Alright airtight, she hits his arm of and gets of the chair, she looks around the room

Okay which of you is injured.

Not us knights from the front.

What really? How? Why are they here?

They was a surprise attack.

Has the new captain arrived

No not yet

Shesh. What a day to have no orders.

He'll be here by noon.

What ever, I already no what I'm doing, I worried about you guys, hey wait, I know. Get me my bag Gyo and you too dress up, you'll be assisting me too

What! They both yell