5 Bad Boys

Leo bought more skewers as Luis's fight was about to start. Bernard has given him 100 coins: 75 silver and 25 gold. The value of the skewers he was eating was 2 copper coins for one. He spent 2 silver coins; he extremely liked it. He leaned himself against a wall just as the fight starts.

"Hey!" A person from the crowd called. "You that guy's brother, right?" Still relatively far, he asked Leo. He brought a group of men with him too, as if they were trying to intimidate. It didn't take long before they surrounded him.

"You bet he is," Leo replied, uninterested.

"Do you know how a duel works?"

"I know the rules."

"Yes, of course, you know the rules. But you see, by the time you angered my guy, the rules don't exist anymore. Your brother is in huge trouble." He said, chuckling with the men he brought.

"What do you want?" Not stopping munching on his food, Leo asked.

"I just want to see how you would react when you see what will remain of your brother." He replied with a mocking smile.

"You don't want to fight like your guy?"

"Only if you have guts to accept."

"Fine," Leo nodded as he shows a confident smirk. Then he added, "Just know that I'm not as merciful as my brother."

On the ring, the fight was already over. Luis remained standing up with bloody fists, while his opponent was on the ground, helmet broken and face, unrecognizable. The blood that covered Luis's fists was not from himself. All the audience were stunned, more so the men that surrounded Leo.

"I think the ring's free now; how about it? Let's go for a round. Bring your friends with you." With the skewers in his hand, Leo stepped up, signaling them to follow.

"Tha-That fast!?" Ignoring Leo, the men were focused on the ring, shockingly staring at Luis.

"He broke his helmet in half with his bare hands."

"He could've killed him!" They shouted in fear.

"Don't tell me you don't want to fight anymore?" Already passed them, Leo asked mockingly.

"Tsk!" The man who offered Leo a duel looks away, clenching his fists in defeat. "Let's leave," He commanded, leaving Leo behind as he meets with Luis.

"Wash that blood away," Leo said to Luis.

"I know... I didn't expect he'll bleed so much."

"It's fine enough you didn't crush his head," With a sigh of relief, Leo said.

"I'm not like you, brother."

"That's why I didn't fight." Saying so, he offers Luis the left-over food. "I'm already full, let's go."

***

Different from when they first started walking, Leo and Luis are now taking a proper route given to them by Bernard. After a short moment, they arrived at their destination: an inn. Its appearance was similar to a two-stories apartment building, only it was built from gray bricks and sheltered by red clay tiles. They entered inside, and they were immediately greeted by a female receptionist.

"Welcome to Mistress Hilda's inn!" She said with a smile.

"How much for a week?" Leaning an arm on the counter, Leo asked.

"It's a single gold coin for a week. You can take the only available room at the very end of the second floor, I'm sorry, but all the other rooms have been taken." She replied, again with a smile.

"It's fine. Make it two weeks for two people." As he said, he slides two gold coins on the counter, but before the receptionist was able to receive them, Leo resumes. "Before that... do you have cigarettes here?" He asked anxiously.

"Yes, we have cigarettes, one silver for each."

"That expensive? Well, it doesn't matter, bring me the whole box."

"O-Oh... Let me get it first, sir." For the first time, the receptionist drops her smile as she took off.

"You were scaring her," From Leo's back, Luis said.

"How was I scaring her? I was being as kind as I can," Leo innocently replied.

"It doesn't matter if you act kind, you're always scary."

"I'll thank you if that was a compliment, but I'm thinking it's not."

"It's not a compliment at all."

"..." Waiting, Leo remains silent.

"Sorry for the wait! Here," As the receptionist said, she handed Leo the key to their room. She then places a box on the counter, which he immediately opens.

"Holy! These are the size of pipes! No wonder they're expensive!" Leo exclaimed, eyes wide and smiling.

"The whole box costs 2 gold coins and 5 silver coins; another gold coin for the ember." The receptionist apprise.

Right away, Leo took the amount and put it on the counter.

"Go check the room, Luis." He said as he handed Luis the key.

"I'll wait for you upstairs," Luis answered and left him alone.

"Say, you don't mind if I smoke here do you?" Leo addressed the receptionist once again.

"You can."

"How do I use this thing by the way?" Leo asked in confusion as he tries to use the lighter he bought, which is apparently called an ember.

It was a thumb-sized container with no opening. It was smaller than the normal lighter Leo uses and its components seem to be very different. He could only stare at it with no idea how to make it work.

"Umm... well, you just put mana into it, sir."

"Mana? What the hell is that?"