Every day from that day on I worked. An uneducated man such as myself would have struggled to find work, so Tarina’s father allowed me to work for him. He was a merchant, and under the I began to work up the 1 million Lupas I needed to pay him for his daughter.
I would go all across Terrafide to sell his goods as a travelling merchant, I would also go to both of the great port cities of Deno and Cordum to sell goods. Standing in Cordum the city where adventures began filled me with hope.
But the disappointment I faced with my job was immeasurable.
“Hey, you how about you buy our fine goods.”
“Don’t bother me.”
“What about you, I believe this amulet would go quite well with your dress.”
Putting up her hand, she says, “Please don’t breath the same air as me peasant.”
Every day I would get talked down to or ignored, as I tried to sell goods. The only solace I had was when I returned back to Bêqîmet and got to see Tarina again.
“Did you just come out of the oven? Because you're hot.”
“Oh, you!”
Her laughing at my dumb jokes gave me strength to keep going, if the entire world was against me, she was the sole person with me and that gave me energy.
Over the next 10 years, I worked no stop and I was finally about to fulfil my contract. Though in that time I noticed something, that my body grew weaker.
My back hurt more, my legs were less stable and my belly wasn’t as flat as before, I even slept more than I used to.
But I managed to ignore all these things until I went to see the Nob's baby.
Holding up the adorable child, I say, “To think the three nobodies now have kids, how time flies.”
“Don’t call us nobodies.”
“Ok sorry, it is surprising that Nob, Od and Zee all have children isn’t it?”
“Yamal you did it again,” Nob says getting worked up.
From behind him his wife comes and smacks him on the head saying, “Darling, quiet down our little Gala, is going to wake up.”
“Sorry,” Nob says, in a tired voice.
Walking up to me Nob's wife takes the baby and as she leaves with it, I say, “Life must really be going well for you three.”
“Yeah, it is.”
“We have wonderful families.”
“But we should say the same about you Yamal, you're almost finished paying off the debt?”
“Your right about that, in about a month’s time I will be finished, and then I can start my adventure.”
Suddenly all three of them have surprised looks on their faces as Zee says, “You can’t be serious about that?”
“About what?”
“Going on an adventure.”
“Why wouldn’t I, I don’t lie I said I am going out to the world so I am.”
“But you want to marry Tarina and knowing you I am pretty sure you want kids, raising kids and having a family while being an adventurer is too dangerous.”
“I am sure I can manage.”
“Yamal isn’t that irresponsible; you can’t go around doing selfish things like that!”
“Who the hell are you nobodies to say that to me!”
From the other room Nob's wife screams, “SHUT THE HELL UP YOU MORONS, THE BABIES ARE SLEEPING!!!”
With all our fervour disappearing, we all say in unison, “Sorry.”
Calming down Nob, says, “I don’t want to offend you, but what I am getting at is that we are no longer children, we have responsibilities and people to take care of when it comes to your wife and any possible children it is your job to make sure they will always be safe.”
“Yeah Yamal, and none of us are as young as we used to be we’re all over 35.”
“The other day I swear my knees started to buckle when I got up, and my back was killing me all throughout the night.”
“Yeah, I know what you mean, my shoulders have started to get really stiff and I can barely eat as actively as I did when I was younger.”
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“Guess it is just us becoming men. Though it can be sad at times.”
“Isn’t that why we have alcohol, when you're drunk you don’t have to think about such things.”
As I hear them ramble on in front of me, I start to feel sick, so I walk to the door and say, “You are great husbands and are all going to be even greater fathers.” Then I slam the door and walk away.
As I leave Nob's house, I hear Nobs scream from behind me, “Wait up!”
Turning around I see something flying at me, so a try to grab it while fumbling, “What the hell was that for Nob.” Looking at what he has thrown me I see it is some hard liquor.
“Yamal that’s for the hard nights when the darkness creeps up on you.”
I take a second to look at the bottle and I say, “Thanks Nob, you might be a nobody in the eyes of the world, but at least for me you’re an important friend.” And like that, I walk away.
Over the next month, even though I try to ignore the Nob's words I just couldn’t, every single day as the debt grew closer to zero, I could feel the darkness crawl up on me, it was unrelenting in its search for me.
With that ever-present darkness following me a month finally passed and my debt was fully paid back, and on that same day, I was invited to Tarina's house to have a small dinner with her family.
As we ate, I sat beside my soon-to-be wife with excitement. But suddenly her father asked, “So Yamal, how would you like to permanently work under me?”
Tarina beside me slams her utensils into the table and says, “Haven’t you taken enough from Yamal's dad?”
“Please be quiet, the men are talking!”
“Father, I believe you know the dream I one day wish to accomplish.”
“To become an adventure at your age, what a truly pointless endeavour. But since I know how much you covert this dream, I will give you a better offer, I plan to open a permanent shop in Cordum and I offer you the position of owner of this branch.”
“Cordum is a great port city, if your shop survives there it will surely generate great profits, I don’t think that is such a position for an uneducated man like myself to have.”
“Just like my daughter you underestimate your value, over this last decade your skills as a merchant have improved tremendously and all my business partners love you, I am sure an energetic man like yourself will be well received at Cordum.”
“But fathe-.”
“40% of whatever the shop generates goes to you, when you consider that and the fact that Cordum is the safest city in the world it is a no-brainer to live there. It is a husband's job to provide for his family and keep them safe, so my offer allows you to do both. To reject such an offer would be crazy.”
Letting out a defeated laugh I say, “Yeah it would be absolutely crazy.”
After he finishes his rant, we all eat, and after laughing at a few more of his tasteless jokes dinner comes to an end and we all go to sleep. Unable to rest during the night, I get up and head outside with a bottle in my hand.
As I drink, I mumble, “Cordum the city where the hunter guild is based, the home base of all the world's adventurers, and the place I dreamt most of going. But now I have to live in the city of my dreams and watch as others accomplish there’s. What a joke.”
As I feel the darkness crawl up on me, I guzzle more wine and I start to cry a bit, then I hear, “You really are handsome when you cry.”
Looking to my left I see Tarina beside me. Wiping the tears of my eyes, I say slurred, “Darling what are you doing here?”
“I came to check on you on your bed, but I didn’t see you there, and then I found you out here. Now when did you start drinking alcohol?”
“It is only a habit I picked up over the last month, it helps a bit.”
Looking at Tarina's face after, I said this I see she is making a rather adorable face of disapproval. Then after a moment, she says, “Yamal, I was thinking about the deal my father made you, and I-.”
Cutting her off, I say, “I will take it, such an offer is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, it will allow us to live a comfy life, and provide for our children, there is also no better country to grow up in other than Cordum, education is free there and there will be thousands of business opportunities, not to mention the country is completely free from war. If it comes to keeping your family happy and safe there is no better place to live.”
“Yam-.”
“And even though I can’t live my dream, I will get to help and support other adventures would want to achieve things, if anything it is a win-win situation.”
“Yama-.”
“And I am not fit to be an adventurer, the other day my knees made a weird sound as I walked, I ain’t the young man I used to be, so I need to grow up face reality and get a real job.”
Suddenly I am flicked on my forehead as Tarina says, “Don’t interrupt me, idiot.”
“Sorry!”
“Yamal, now listen closely you idiot, don’t take the job, let’s go on an adventure together.”
As she says this, I feel the darkness command me to correct her, “Have you lost your mind Tarina, I literally just listed all the reasons why it is a bad idea.”
“I know them all, so let’s go.”
Standing up I say, “I am your husband it is my job to protect, I can’t let stupid things like my dreams stand in the way of providing for you and any future kids we have.”
“Yamal when I was younger, I was forced like all the other little kids to attend church and read the bible, but one of the only things I remember is a verse about marriage. That both the husband and wife become one body.
This new body must provide for itself, clothe itself, cook for itself, clean itself, must be healthy, must be strong, must be wise and must take responsibility for all its actions. But most of those things can change by gods will, fade through time, or are simply things one must do to be an appropriate human, so what’s the point of marriage?”
Getting up Tarina grabs my hands and says, “Simple, because everything you are I want to add to myself. So even when I only have my own flesh and blood, I will still have your funny jokes, your undying happiness, your never-ending will, and the joy you bring to my existence. I want to become one with you Yamal, so never stop being Yamal.”
Feeling the darkness clear from me, I say with tears, “But what about if we have kids, how will they fair?”
“A parent's job is to teach their kids how to get through life and be happy. I don’t think teaching your kid to sacrifice their lives just to make others happy is a good lesson, don’t you think.”
“But it is my job to provide for you and our family, I can’t be a fool, I can’t drag you along with my whims.”
Swinging both of us around with her arms, Tarina says, “Marriage isn’t some chain to hold you down, it is the fusion of two, so when I said yes, I accepted to take on all your problems and dreams with you, I have always been prepared to leave.”
“But I can’t allow you to shoulder that by yourself.”
“Don’t worry you will have to take on my issues as well.”
“You don’t have any that intense.”
“Of course, I do, you don’t know this but my farts stink like hell, I think I actually killed a cow once because of them. So now you must live with that for the rest of your life.”
Letting out a little laugh, I say, “You’re an idiot.”
“Takes one to know one. So, Yamal I ask you, will you become one with me?”
Fully crying as we swing and dance around, I say, “Yes!”
“Now as the first decree of our joint married life, no more of this,” Tarina says, grabbing and throwing the bottle in my hand. “As long as our body continues to breath, no more alcohol, ok DAR-ling!”
Staring at my beautiful fiancée, I feel all the darkness fade as I say, “I vow to god!”