“My father warned you, ‘My daughter doesn’t marry a Strider,’ yet you became one.” Lyra said.
A few months after Kadrain’s visit, Scade pried, wanting to know more about the man and his prowess. He had heard stories from the older folk about Striders, and often spoke of them as if they were heroes. The Officers and Guardsmen of the Solace Ministry were equipped with mana shards to invoke spells like Ice Splinter and Root Entrapment. But Striders… There was a mystery hanging around them. Rumors spread that if an enlistee passed the aptitude test, they would be forced to sign a binding contract or face a lifetime ban from enlisting as a Strider.
Scade wasn’t too fearful for a binding contract, he just needed to keep his mouth shut about what happened in the Wasteland. Jerren seemed familiar, and the man who killed him certainly must have been. That night, when they secretly discussed him in the kitchen, it was a revelation best ignored. Knowing he was a creature, not human like Lyra. It became a daily curse he struggled with after Jerren’s murder.
Now, in this world, he has no one to remind him of whom he truly was.
In Jerren's final year, Scade demanded more details about his origins. But Jerren flew into a rage, throwing things and nearly firing him from his bartending job.
“He was joking around.” Scade bit the inside of his cheek. “Your father knew I would enlist when I felt ready.”
“Then why are you aiming for a dangerous job like that, when you already have one here?” she dropped her gaze.
“I’m not yet a Strider…” Scade ambled over to Lyra, wrapping his hands gently around her waist, his fingers tracing the curve of her hips. He pulled her close and pressed a lingering kiss to her lips. She resisted, just for a moment, before melting into him. His hands drifted lower, skimming over the fabric of her dress…
She bit his lip a bit too hard and shoved him away, “you idiot!”
Scade ran with an impish smile. “I’m going to be late because of you, Lyra,” he said, leaning outward while bracing himself by grabbing the door frame.
“How am I to be married now? Defiled by your hands and mouth.” She grinned at him.
“Don’t worry, heh,” a laugh escaped him, “I suppose I’ll be the unfortunate fellow forced to marry you and sacrifice myself for the betterment of mankind.”
Her grin melted. She turned, snatched a glass from the bar counter, and hurled it at him.
Scade dodged the well-aimed glass as it flew over his head and burst out laughing
Lyra squinted eyes and turned to grab…
Oh no, not again!
Scade ran for his life this time, fully aware of what was coming—the spoon.
Midday in Solace under the shadeless sky was quite boring. The sun glared without remorse, and while he got used to the tingle on his skin, a heavy downpour wouldn’t be cussed at. As for the last time it rained…
From the Moonlit Ruin, Scade walked northwest, occasionally breaking into short jogs as he passed stalls selling fruits, vegetables, and sun-dried meat. A few children blitzed past him, laughing as they played catch. One of the boys slipped and fell with a yelp, but quickly sprang to his feet and raced after them. “Wait for me!” he called.
An elderly couple sat on their rocking chairs by the sidewalk, smiling as they watched the boys and girls darting around the street. Scade wondered how children could adapt so easily. Most had lost one or both parents, and while he was barely an adult himself, he found it hard to imagine learning to live without them.
A middle-aged man bumped against the shoulder, “eyes on the road.”
“Sure.”
Scade pushed his thoughts aside and squeezed through the small crowds heading for the stalls. The folk who stayed in their homes after the beast tides hadn’t abandoned their town; they tried to make the best of it, working and supporting each other to restore Firststand to its former glory as the first town of Solace.
Though Scade hadn’t completely lied to Lyra, his aptitude test was actually scheduled later than he had originally claimed. His hand lowered to the small sack of coins, his fingers idly shifting them inside. He sighed, today was the first weekly meeting of the month, and it had been going for quite a while with this woman. He gritted his teeth.
Walking into Vereen, there was a street to the northwest, just 10 minutes away from Moonlit Ruin. Scade had an appointment at a boutique named LaRose, the wooden building a distinct shade of green, its wide windows displaying mannequins dressed in sultry dresses, corsets, and alluring lingerie. He opened the door, and the bell chimed gently.
Nina LaRose was working in the store, counting the garments on the full racks and checking to ensure the labels were securely attached to the fabrics. She wore a black underbust corset, embroidered with spiraling thorns, tightened with white laces, and paired with a pristine white shirt. Her blond hair cascaded down to her lower back.
He briefly looked away, guilt creeping up on him. His gaze settled again on her high-waisted jeans, which hugged her legs firmly. Oddly, today, she had decided to wear… Bunny slippers?
“Oh, hello,” she said, her back to him as she continued arranging the clothes. “What’s the reason for this lovely visit, Scade?” She turned, biting her plump, rich red lips.
His gaze lingered on her top, barely containing her bust.
“ I’m here for the payment.”
She sashayed towards him and tugged at his collar, her pale skin, straight nose, and sculpted features making him swallow unwillingly. “What if Lyra knew what you do behind her back?” she breathed in his ear.
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“Let me pay, and go on. I’m not playing your games.”
She strode away and leaned against a boutique table. “You can’t hide those eyes from me,” she said coquettishly, undoing one more button, revealing more cleavage.
This woman…
“Just this one time, and I’ll forget about your girl’s little debt.”
“No! Not this Again, I’m not going to whore myself out.”
“Handsome,” she said, walking toward him and running her hand through his dark hair. Her fingers lingered on his firm chest before slowly trailing lower and lower. He stopped her hand before it went further down. She stepped back slightly, smirking. “And determined.”
He held out his coin pouch. “Maybe after I pay the debt,” he said, dropping the pouch into her hands. “No strings attached, when you don’t hold anything over me. And walked out the store.
She blushed and smiled. “Look who’s playing games now.”
Scade rummaged for the last gold coin in his pocket. He opted to hold on to it, though the little bag of coins he had given to Nina was mostly silver and bronze. Its total worth amounted to a gold coin. This particular coin was one of the three coins that Kadrian had paid with.
While he could’ve given it to Nina, paying in advance for next week, the total debt now should be around 4,929 gold if he had counted correctly. His payments had been going smoothly, but shaving off a week when there were still years to go would only be wasting coins down the drain at this point.
However, for his plan to work, he would need to spend coin to make coin. Richard Walker, owner of Cabstastic, was a small but significant part of Scade’s plan. The horse set its sights on Scade, neighing violently and stomping its hooves against the stone road, the sound clashing loudly.
“Easy, girl. It’s alright” Richard gently stroked his horse on her back.
“Hey Richard… about that favor, I need it now.”
He grunted, rubbing his shining bald head. “Should’ve guessed it was you. She’s always so agitated whenever you come around, as if she fears you. I don’t like seeing her like this.
“Ah, c'mon, just one trip,” he said hopefully. “I'll give you my last batch, I promise.”
Richard sighed. “Alright, one last trip. After that, no more favors. She’s not herself when you’re here.”
Scade nodded and climbed on the cart.
“Where to?”
“To Central.”
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Richard Horse was all too desperate to get there as fast as possible. The rattling cart bounced over the uneven dirt paths and gravel roads, making his inner thighs sore. The land between the districts was mostly flats, with only a few hills. The farmers tilled these fields, crops stretching far. Here and there, ancient trees stood solitary, their wide trunks anchored deep, roots gripping soil as their lush branches danced in the gentle wind.
The trip to Central was cut to fifteen minutes. Scade jumped off the cart, landing on a road paved with evenly cut stone slabs. Richard opened his mouth to speak, but his horse snorted and stormed off, sprinting crazed back toward Firststand. His voice was a blur of words.
Guardsmen patrolled the black steel-fortified tollgate, resembling the walls surrounding Solace, though scaled down to a quarter of its size. They wore helmets with visors, clad in formal dark blue buttoned suits, paired with matching pants and black leather shoes. The gate had a small viewing port, allowing guards to peer inside. In the distance, archers stood guard on their towers, dozing off as they watched the area.
People stood in a messy line, shifting impatiently.
A young man, with a small girl to his side, yelled in outrage.
“What hold up!”
“If you're not an enlistee, form a line to the left,” the only female guard said in a bored tone. “If you're enlisting, form a line to the right.”
Scade immediately followed the instructions, stepping into the right line, where three other men and a woman stood. Scade took his place at the end of the line. He fiddled the coin in his pocket, as doors opened and closed. It was fun while it lasted.
Wasn’t much of a saver, not that I had a chance anyway.
“Coin please,” she said nicer, holding out her hand with a slight smile.
Scade dropped the gold coin into her palm. Her eyes twitched, and she turned to yell, “Give me a two-week stamp!” A skinny, twig-like guard came running up from the guard shed. “Here.” She grabbed the stamp and pressed it against the underside of Scade’s wrist. The skinny, deceptively young man returned to the guard shed and pulled a cord. The gate opened and he was led in.
The center bustled with crowds of people, walking through the streets and crossing the road. Reddish brick buildings rose five stories high. At street level, wide shop windows displayed jewelry, sold ice cream, and offered various services. To his right was a famous restaurant he had visited when he was little, with his aunt and Lyra’s family.
A fashionable couple walked with a small, leashed beast from the Wasteland. Its charcoal-sharp nails gleamed, and its wide mouth was lined with tiny rows of teeth, spikes running along the length of its spine to its long swaying tail. Its skin, a greenish muddy hue, resembled tough, layered leather.
Now. That’s new.
It had been a long time, and Lyra wasn’t too keen on paying a lease to be here. Though others thought differently, the place seemed to be getting busier, with people from all five districts flocking in, willing to pay, to be able to buy.
It was hard to deny; the place had its appeal. Center appeared to lean more into progress, while Firststand seemed stuck in a stalemate, refusing to adapt and remain stubborn. The buildings were sturdier, the streets smooth, the shops more diverse, and overall, people smiled more.
Scade wormed between the crowds flowing the opposite direction, softly bumping his shoulder a few times. He didn’t mind. After all, he had been training for years—his back had grown wider, his biceps fuller, and his frame sturdier. Standing at 184 cm tall.
Finally, he reached the Strider’s Guild. Anonymous hooded figures in gray fabric moved in and out, but most were like Scade, dressed in casual everyday clothes.
The guild was an ancient concrete structure. Four bone-white pillars supported the chiseled pediment, and sanded, gleaming stairs led up to polished golden doors with silver knobs. Inside, a cream-marble floor with natural blotches shone, and a silver mana chandelier hung from the ceiling, illuminating the space.
His gaze settled on the dark wood service counter, where a cute, dark-haired girl in a tight blue long-sleeved shirt worked on documents, writing data and filling out brackets. She pushed up her rectangular glasses—which looked surprisingly attractive—and rolled the papers into a cylinder, then shoved it into a tubing system that sucked it away.
Scade approached the girl, and she met his uncertain, questioning gaze. “Can I help you?” she asked, her voice soft and kind. Her dark hair had blue ends.
“Yes please, I’m participating in the aptitude test… I just don’t know where to go.”
She leaned over the desk and adjusted glasses, her small chest barely noticeable and pointed to the right, “if you go there, then to the left, follow the sign to aptitude test area. But be quick, we are almost done for today.”
“Oh, okay, better be going.” He hurried away.
She was sifting through a stack of papers when she absentmindedly said, “Your na…” But by the time she looked up, he was already away.”
Scade couldn't to stick around, he had his priorities straight: becoming a Strider.