Kairen looked at Boram and Kinesha, “Let's get out of here, I don’t want to do the dishes again.”.
He heard Kinesha reply, “Well, you want to head and watch people in the Market, maybe we can find some extra food.” She said expectantly.
The harvest fell short again and the orphanage was hit hard for the winter. Kairen wondered if he could find something to eat or maybe even steal.
“No, this is how I become a criminal and get in trouble with the guards.” Kairen resolved
Since he was a child, Kairen was always hungrier than others. He would feel weak if did not eat for a couple of hours and as a teenager wanting to be independent he did not want to strain the orphanage’s dwindling food supply. He had gotten used to feeling hungry all the time, but it also left him weak. But at the same time he wanted something other than the grey sloop they served at lunch and dinner.
“I am in, but not stealing. We only eat stuff which is thrown away, okay?” questioned Boram.
The boy who was the eldest in the group at 10 years old had decided to become a guard and did not want anything to jeopardy that. Most of the boys who left the orphanage at the mandatory age of 17, dreamed of joining the armed guards and becoming brave warriors or found an apprenticeship. While the resources of the orphanage were lacking, every ward got a top tier education and were able to read and do basic math.
Bairstone was not a very large city but it was still the seat of a Count family. For three little orphan children who had not left the confines of the wall, the city with 150,000 souls was a megapolis and they walked together on the main paths. They kept an eye out for the criminal elements and were careful to not wander into any alleyways. Soon, they reached the market.
The Market, as it was called, was a large bustling place which served as a major hub for the entire southern region of the kingdom. Close to the forests of the south, many plants and hides made their way up north through Bairstone. This meant a constant presence of merchants, representatives of organizations and people trying to get the best deal for items.
Boram, excitedly pointed out a large stone and wooden building at the edge of the Market, “That is the headquarters of the Adventuring Guild, I heard the restaurants around the place cook Mana beasts they get and you know adventurers, they throw fist fights. Who knows we might find a whole chicken thrown away”, he laughed.
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Kairen froze upon hearing the words “Mana beasts”. Mana beasts were dangerous animals and sometimes even plants which could use Mana and had terrifying powers. While Mana beasts were not found near cities they could threaten countrysides and Kairen heard rumors of Mana Beasts who were as intelligent as person. Eating the meat of Mana Beasts had various effects like quickening healing or clearing tiredness depending on the beast. Even the powerful Mages, humans who could use Mana, went out of their way to eat Mana meat.
Kairen, excitedly nodded his head, “Let's go there, who knows maybe we can find some Mana meat!”
Out of the corner of his eye he saw Kinesha give him a look which he was used to getting from the Matrons. Walking confidently towards the large building while keeping an eye out for guards or pickpockets. They soon eyed an inn called the Blue Moon Lodge and Inn. Seeing a burly man wearing metal armor and seeing a pair of hook swords on his back, they followed him into the restaurant.
Inside was a wide space with wooden tables which looked like they were put together many times. The three went to a corner hoping to escape notice from these large men and women and hopefully snatch a piece of food thrown from the tables.
They heard a loud laugh and focused their attention on a table nearby which held two men and a woman. They looked like an adventuring party by looking at their similar armor.
The woman remarked, “I heard Powan, that useless son of a Baron, killed an Earthshaker Boar. What they won’t tell you is he had ten guards with him and another mage. Well to celebrate his killing”, she said with a sarcastic voice, “ a Mana Beast, he is throwing a feast here tomorrow. I guess he is trying to impress the guild so he can join after they rejected his useless ass.”
“Well, we are not invited but hey you don’t see someone kill an Earthshaker every day. Each of them is the size of a small house. Let's head out to fill out the paperwork for our quest tomorrow.”
Kairen filed that information in his mind and Kinesha pointed out a drunk man with a chicken piece left on his plate. They moved towards the drunken man but were stopped by a voice right next to them.
“Well, you don’t see kids here, and there is a good reason for that.” A woman in a black cloak spoke twirling a dagger in her hands.
The kids lept back and were too shocked to speak, never noticing the women right next to them. Their mouths hung open and they stared at this foreign woman who was most likely from the far east.
“I can guess from your clothes why you are here, but this is a dangerous place for children. Adventurers are dangerous and drunk ones even more.” She spoke looking at their “mark. “Here, take this and get out. Don’t come back if you don’t want to get injured, that is unless you become adventurers.”
She handed Boram and a loaf of bread from her cloak and guided them out of the door. The children were too shocked to speak and even thank her. After a minute of staring at the door, they made their way back to the orphanage to share the loaf with others. In their hurry they started using the shortcut alleyways and forgot the cardinal rule of the undercity- “Trouble always waits in alleys.”