He took a deep breath as the sunrise flared from the horizon, shining a faint orange light onto the room where he lay. His eyes were closed as he tuned in to the chirping of birds, the faint chatters, and the various sounds of brooms sweeping and windows opening.
It felt weird. The last thing he could remember was a fiery explosion and the smell of burning black powder assaulting his nose. However, a pleasant scent of oak lingered in the air as he breathed once again. He was stretched across a smooth surface—a silk bedsheet, and a pillow of the same material.
Suddenly, he heard a gentle rapping on the door. Unfortunately, he was too weak to move, so much so that he couldn't open his eyelids. But much to his surprise, the sound of a chair creaking resonated from the bedside before a pair of feet stepped towards the door.
The door clicked open.
"Took you long enough." Joel sighed.
"Aye, sorry. We've been running around town like maniacs trying to find a suitable wagon." Mik said.
"Wait, have you been up the entire night?!" Dolisia scolded, "Why the hell did you do that? You were told to keep guard, not deprive yourself!"
"Eh, I don't care, it's not unnatural for me." Joel replied, "Plus, I've been worried about him. He hasn't woken up yet."
"Just give it a rest," Mik assured, "It's not like he's dead, he just needs some proper sleep. The poor dude has been tortured after all. We'll handle it from here."
"I'll count on you." Joel said, stepping out of the room. "I'll sleep in the other room, wake me up when we're leaving."
"Aye!" Mik assured.
The door closed shut. The chair creaked once again before the other pair of feet stepped towards the source of the light, partially covering it. It had been a few seconds before the boy finally decided to open his eyes regardless of how much he struggled. He blinked. Once, twice, a third time, and the world was finally in view.
He was laying on a bed situated in the middle of—what apparently was—a vast inn room. Dolisia stood to his right, leaning on the window from which the sunrise shone brightly. On the left side of his bed, there sat Mik on a wooden chair. His head resting back on the top rail of the chair, his eyes gazed nonchalantly at the roof as he breathed out a sigh.
"Where….am I?" The boy spoke in a struggle.
Mik and Dolisia turned towards the bed, their eyes lighting up as a smile was plastered on their faces.
"Luke! You're finally awake!" Dolisia cheered, "It's good to have you back."
"Holy shit, dude. I really didn't think you'd make it out alive." Mik said.
"Thanks…" He whispered, "But…where am I?"
"You're in Cherryfield." Mik responded.
"Huh? When did we get here?"
"You've been asleep for almost a whole day. It's been 24 hours since we got the Templars." Dolisia answered.
"What?!" Luke tried to stand up, only to fall back down and groan in pain.
"Woah there." Mik calmed down, "Take it easy. It's a miracle you're alive, don't push yourself too hard or you'll be unalived."
"Yeah, I can tell." Luke replied, "What happened while I was asleep? No, what happened before that?"
"Well…" Dolisia began, "The Templars were following us, so we tried to lure them out by camping outside again. Joel came up with an insane plan that consisted of us buying two wagons, two horses, and sacrificing…well, all of the black powder you had."
"Yeah, we spent every single penny that we accumulated in exchange for dealing with the Templars for good." Mik added, "We're dirt poor right now, but we dealt with the Templars and got the chance to see a huge explosion! It was really cool, my proudest moment!"
"As insane as he is, I can't help but agree. That was really cool." Dolisia stated, "And…we're sorry for wasting all the black powder."
Luke chuckled in amusement before he breathed a sigh of satisfaction.
"Don't apologize, it was worth it." He assured, "What happened to the Templars?"
"Well, after that, we continued our way towards Cherryfield in the dead of night. We brought the Templars along, we're going to sell the bastards." Mik smirked.
"Huh? Sell them?"
"Mhm!" Dolisia nodded, "Back at Hilltop, Elaine said that anyone that holds the luminary armband without legal means, or abuses it will be wanted and will receive severe punishment from the luminaries. So, we'll give them the bastards, and hope that they pay us well."
"Why didn't you do that right now?" Luke questioned.
"Ah, the town hall here referred us to the one back at Hilltop. We pretty much belong to that one so they're the ones responsible for any bounties given to us." Mik replied.
"How are you lads going to manage that?" Luke interrupted.
"We bought another wagon." Dolisia said, "Hence why we said we were dirt poor. The last bit of money we had we blew on the wagon. It's a dumb move considering that we might not receive jack-diddly shit for the Templars. But, it's worth trying."
"Wait, but I still didn't pay you guys!" Luke jolted up. He stood up from the bed as he held his side, neverminding the pain.
"Woah there, Luke." Dolisia cautioned, holding up the boy before he fell flat on his face. "It's alright, we got time. Just rest easy now."
"No, no. I need to sell the merchandise quickly, I can't let you guys wait." Luke mumbled.
"Woah, easy there, bud." Mik said, forcing Luke back on the bed. "We're not demanding the money or anything, are we? Just take a rest. Besides, Joel is one sleepy motherfucker. You have all the time you need to rest and sell what you wanna sell before he wakes up."
"Huh…" Luke uttered, perplexed. "I've never had an escort say that to me. I put you guys through hell in the past two days, why are you not even angry at me?"
"Luke, you're speaking out of your ass right now." Dolisia scolded, "We're not demanding payment. Besides, hell or not, we are escorts. And escorts do as they're paid. We did as we were paid-…well, yet to be paid to do. Plus, why should we be angry? You saved my life."
"Mine too." Mik followed, "I'm a damn good fighter, I'll tell you that much. But if it weren't for you, I might've I could've gotten my ass split in two."
"Even Joel. Actually, especially Joel." Dolisia added, "If it weren't for you, Joel would have certainly died. It's the reason why he gave enough of a damn to sacrifice a sleepless night to watch over you. He doesn't pity you, he's grateful to you."
"Uh-huh…" Luke nodded his head, debating whether he heard was true or not.
He laid his back on the bed, gazing at the roof with a smile plastered on his face.
"You know…I'm not used to gratitude or sincere emotions. All my life I was always surrounded by liars, cheeky merchants, manipulators, and escorts who wanted money as soon as possible. I never spoke to someone genuinely until you lads showed up…pretty ironic, eh? The ones that I once hated are the ones that I came to be grateful to most."
Dolisia and Mik nodded in response.
"Hey…there's been a question bugging me ever since I met you, lads." Luke began, "That moment when you wanted to kill me…were you actually going to do it?"
Dolisia and Mik exchanged a look. The first seemed wary of such a question, hence why she gestured for Mik to stop and leave her to answer the question.
"That was just a scare tactic. We were going to get you to piss your pants before we knock you ou—"
"No. I mean, truthfully. Were you going to kill me?"
"Well…" Mik said, "If it weren't for Joel, I would have killed you. In fact, I would have killed you in that alleyway."
"Heh…thought so." Luke said, "What about now, would you still kill me, Mik?"
"Well, as I said. Joel is the one—"
"Without Joel. Just you and me. Would you still kill me?"
"Well…" Mik said, itching the back of his head. "I had suspicions ever since we've gone out with you. There have been many occasions where killing you seemed like the only sane option…but if I could go back then with the knowledge that I have now, I wouldn't."
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"Why so?"
"Well, you saved my life. And…" Mik paused, "You sound like you're living a harsh life, I've had my fair share to tell. You're a good guy despite what you've been through, and I respect that. You're a good man, Luke."
Luke was silent as he smiled in relief before he glanced at Mik.
"Thanks, you're a good guy too, you saved my life as well." Luke began, "You too, Dolisia. All of you, actually. Even Sumiko, Tatsuo, and Killian. You lot have been the best thing to have happened to me so far."
"Yeah…" Mik said, "But don't push your fucking luck. You're one lucky motherfucker to have gotten out of this shit alive. Precisely, for getting away from me alive."
"Don't worry, I won't." Luke chuckled, "I wouldn't risk having another sniff at a jar of shite."
Dolisia chuckled in amusement as Mik averted his gaze before he huffed out a laugh. Meanwhile, Luke glanced at the two before he cracked a beaming, gleeful smile. He closed his eyes once again as the fatigue got the better of him—drifting into a peaceful sleep, unlike any that he ever had.
…
Later into the day, around the late evening, the trio were leaning on their wagon, parked at the side of the dirt track leading out of Cherryfield. The sun shone up above with a brilliant orange light. It was yet for it to be the evening, but late for it to be the afternoon. The glamorous rays of the sun bathed the plains around the outskirts with its graceful light.
The grass of the plains shifted color towards the upper ends of it into a beautiful rose pink, stretching endlessly towards the horizon. There was no mistaking the name, the town was indeed a Cherryfield.
As the trio basked in the beauty of the land while waiting, Mik spoke up.
"You know, this world is beautiful all in all." Mik said, "It feels…refreshing. You know what I mean, Joel?"
"Spot on, Miki." Joel agreed, "If we exclude the bad luck that's been following us, then yeah. This is a very beautiful world."
"Well, it's looking brighter for us now than it did before." Dolisia argued, "Be a little optimistic, you two. You completed a mission successfully, at last. We're one step closer to saving the world."
"It's not like we did it for the world exactly." Joel chuckled, "Making money and not dying from shoveling metric tons of shit was my main goal. But…I guess you're right. We're one step closer to it."
"It feels a bit weird, though." Mik interrupted, "This isn't the type of adventure that I was waiting for. Maybe something like fighting dragons and having a harem was a little closer to what I had thought, but it definitely wasn't this."
"Well, is this worse than what you had thought?" Joel asked.
"Pft, of course not. It could be a little more exciting, but this isn't so bad after all." Mik said, "Actually, I'm thankful for that. I wouldn't really want a world with too much responsibility. We've dealt with a little too much back in our world, it's good to slack off for a while, aye?"
"Aye, truer words were never spoken."
With a turn of his head, Joel spotted a wagon riding towards them down the dirt track. In said wagon rode Sumiko as Luke sat next to her, a cheerful smile plastered on his face as he waved at the trio. Joel waved back with a smile before Dolisia followed up with a wave as well.
The wagon stopped behind the trio's wagon.
"Oi, lads!" He said before hopping out.
As his feet touched the ground, Luke almost tumbled down. He quickly pulled himself together before he held onto his side—plodding towards the trio with an embarrassed smile.
"Don't worry, I'm just a little clumsy." Luke said, "Sorry to have kept you waiting for so long, lads."
"Oh, no worries." Joel assured, "We're sorry to have made you run around like a madman trying to sell your merchandise."
"Oh, it's alright. I should be the one apologizing for not doing that earlier." He said.
Luke then reached for his back pocket, pulling out four leather pouches. He handed the pouches to Joel, the latter shocked at how heavy they were. Upon peeking inside, his eyes fell upon a myriad of golden coins.
"Woah, how much is here, Luke?" Joel asked.
"Two thousand and five hundred Coe. Along with the five hundred that I gave you before, that would be three thousand Coe. A thousand for each of you." Luke smiled.
"Three thousand?!" Dolisia gasped, "What about you?! You'll have nothing left!"
"Oh, don't worry. I'm actually…well, kinda rich." Luke said with a giddy smile. "But, I still think that that isn't enough for you, lads. You deserve a lot more."
"Oh, trust me. This is more than enough for us to financially recover." Joel replied, "Thanks, Luke. We really appreciate it."
"No, seriously, lads. If you stay here just another night, I'll get you a lot more." Luke pleaded. "I'm talking tens of thousands of Coe."
The trio exchanged a look before Joel turned towards Luke.
"Thanks, really. But…we still have a long journey waiting for us." He explained in a gentle voice, "And trust me, this is more than enough. In fact, we should be the ones to thank you. You gave us one hell of a ride, and an explosive moment that we won't forget soon."
"Ah…I see." Luke said, averting his gaze downwards.
Out of the wagon, Killian and Tatsuo hopped out before the former greeted the trio with a simple wave. Sumiko then climbed down from the driver's box before she stepped towards Luke.
"Alright, Luke. You better wave them off, they have a journey to take." Sumiko said.
"A-ah, of course." He stuttered, "Could you…could you say goodbye first?"
"Pscht, coward." She jokingly remarked.
Sumiko smirked at Luke before she turned towards the trio. She stepped towards Joel and firmly shook his hand, patting him on the back all the while.
"You're a good man, Joel. Keep being what you are." She said.
She then turned towards Mik, her fist extended towards him. In response, Mik awkwardly bumped her fist back before the former playfully slapped him on the back.
"Oi, don't be so rigid now." Sumiko said, "You're one crazy son of a bitch. But you're a courageous son of a bitch. I'm sure your friends will be counting on you."
Lastly, Sumiko turned towards Dolisia with a smile plastered on her face. She stepped towards her with her arms open wide for an embrace. Dolisia opened her arms as well before the two shared a friendly hug.
"You're really cool, Dolisia. I wish I had a friend like you when I was young." Sumiko said with a reminiscent smile. "But oi, this isn't a goodbye. We'll see each other again, I'm sure of it."
"Oh, much better." Dolisia laughed, "I would have a lot more stories to tell you then."
"Both of us!"
The two shared a laugh before Sumiko stepped back, waving them off. Right after her, Killian walked towards the trio before pulling Joel in for a firm handshake that nearly made him trip and fall flat on his face.
"You're a good guy, Joel. I hope we'll meet again. And aye, I'll have gotten a girlfriend by then, here's hoping for you too!"
"Hah…thanks."
Killian then turned towards Mik before giving him a fist bump on the chest. He gazed at him with a different smile. It wasn't the toothy smirks and silly expressions that he used to make, but rather a simple one accompanied by a serious expression. Undoubtedly, it was his most genuine smile.
"You're a good fighter, but not as good as me. It was a blast, and an honor, to fight alongside you albeit shortly. I hope you'll be stronger when we meet again one day." He said.
"Aye…" Mik replied with a fist bump, "I'll beat your ass if we ever fight one on one someday."
"Hah! I'd love to see you try!" Killian jokingly retorted.
He then turned towards Dolisia, extending his hand gently for a handshake. The latter held onto his hand before shaking it firmly, while Killian stared back with a simple smile.
"It was an honor riding, and to some extent, fighting alongside you guys." Killian said, "You have very good friends, rare gems. I hope you never lose them and keep them polished."
"Don't worry, I'm used to dealing with their shit." She chuckled.
Killian bowed his head slightly before he stepped back towards Tatsuo. The latter was nonchalant as his mind wandered elsewhere—staring at the cherry field. In unison, Sumiko and Killian poked the former with their shoulders, knocking him out of dreamland.
"I suppose I have to as well." He sighed.
As he walked towards the trio, he extended his hand for a handshake. And one by one, he shook the trio's hands without locking eyes or uttering a single word. In the end, he stood back a few paces before he took a deep breath.
"I suppose you guys weren't a pain to deal with, so I'm grateful for that." He said in a monotone voice, "And if we were ever to meet again, I hope you have some rice with you. Else, I might not be so pleasant to speak to."
He then stepped back with an indifferent expression plastered on his face before he nodded at the trio—a sign of respect and appreciation that only Sumiko and Tatsuo understood.
Lastly, it was Luke's turn. The latter stood idly next to Sumiko, nervously fidgeting his fingers. Suddenly, the blond woman pushed him towards the trio, giving him the needed courage—or energy of embarrassment, as some would put it—to speak up and bid his farewells.
"Um…" He stuttered before he stepped closer to Joel. He suddenly wrapped the boy in an unexpected hug before he spoke. "You're a really good person, Joel. You're the first person to understand me, and the first-ever friend that I had. Thank you for this journey, really."
"Hey, I should be the one thanking you. You saved my life, and you gave us a hella lot of money. In fact, I wouldn't mind extending our friendship to longer terms if you could pay us generously like this." Joel joked.
"Oh, that would be a pleasure!" Luke chuckled.
He then turned towards Mik. He averted his gaze as he extended his hand for a nervous handshake. Upon noticing his demeanor, Mik rolled his eyes as he sighed in frustration, opening his arms wide.
"Alright, just do it quickly."
Luke's eyes lit up with gleeful joy before he wrapped the red-haired boy in a hug. Mik was reluctant at first and visibly uncomfortable. However, he quickly gave up as he hugged the merchant back.
"Thank you, for saving my life. And thank you for being a friend to me, Mik. I will never forget your kindness, even if you wanted to kill me at first." Luke said, "You're a good man, you have a heart of gold. I just hope you show it more often."
"Oh…" Mik was left speechless as he pondered how to reply. "Thanks…you too."
Luke chuckled before he turned towards Dolisia. But, much to his surprise, the latter had already had her arms wide open for a hug. The boy smiled in beaming joy before he hugged the woman back.
"Dolisia, thank you so much for saving my life, and for being a friend to me too. You could be one crazy drunkard when you want to be, but you're a very beautiful woman, inside and out." He said, "Thank you, I will never forget you as well."
"The feeling is mutual." She replied in a gentle voice.
The boy stepped back, standing next to Sumiko. He gazed warmly at the trio before he spoke, suppressing the urge to burst into tears.
"I know I was tortured, but I've never felt more alive in my entire life than I did with you guys. Thank you so much." He said, "I really wish we could have ridden together once again, but we all have different lives in the end. And here's hoping for the best to yours."
"Hey, don't act like this is the last time we'll meet." Joel interrupted, "We have other lives, but we'll gladly be your escorts whenever you want to. Just give us a visit, we're never too busy to help a friend, with a free discount!"
Luke snorted a laugh before he nodded in agreement.
The trio then hopped onto the driver's seat of their wagon, for the back was filled with Templars bound with rope, ready to be sent off and given to justice. Mik climbed onto the right side, Dolisia to the left, and Joel in between. He reached for the reins, holding them firmly before he swung them.
The two horses dragging the wagon trotted onto the dirt track and down the road, leaving Cherryfield for who knows how long. As they rode away, the trio heard a voice calling for them.
"Oi, lads!"
As they turned around, their eyes fell upon Luke, his hand stretched to the sky as far as he possibly can. Tears trickled down his eyes as he waved enthusiastically, a saddened smile plastered on his face.
"Goodbye, Joel, Mik, Dolisia! Goodbye, friends! I wish you a safe trip!" He choked up, "I hope we meet again on a better day!"
In response, the trio waved back at him with a smile on their faces. Joel was the only one to reply.
"Goodbye, Luke! May we meet on a better day!"
The trio rode down the road and out of town as the sky shifted into a deep orange. Their carriage grew smaller before it disappeared out of view, headed to Hilltop once again. Meanwhile, Luke waved until the wagon disappeared from his sight and kept waving shortly after.
He truly didn't want to leave the trio's side. As short as it was, he wanted to spend all of his time with them. After all, they were his first true friends. Thankfully, a pat on the back from Sumiko was all it took for the boy to suppress his tears and smile stoically—in anticipation and eagerness for a better day where they would meet once again.