In the Middle of Town

Jonah lies in slumber.

Surrounded by a red sea.

The sea was filled with contorting faces screaming the pains they have had to deal with in the world, the complaints of their despair.

Constantly howling their grievances. Over and over.

A sea of pure suffering.

Jonah floats in this red sea. Constantly having the faces bite at him, gnawing at him. Trying to drag him into their suffering.

For any sane man it would be pure torture. Destroying their sense of self, and psyche.

But for Jonah it was different.

It was relief.

Relief, knowing he got his deserved suffering.

Relief, knowing he could just continue living his life. And that in itself could be his punishment.

He finally found salvation in his suffering.

After all these years he had finally embraced his pain.

Constantly being drowned by the red sea, over and over again.

With every time the sea of agony and despair filled his lungs, all he could feel was the warmth in this pain.

The warmth of life.

Ever since he awakened his law he would always have these dreams. Constantly burdening him with guilt and loss.

It wasn't the red sea that made him feel the guilt though.

Instead it was the golden light shining upon him from the top of the sea.

The light of hope.

He could constantly hear the screams and shouts from the sea, but nothing was louder then his family constantly telling him, not to give up.

They would always yell at him to live his life.

They would constantly try to pull him out of the red sea. Trying to free him of his suffering.

Those shouts filled with hope would contantly agonise him in his dreams.

It was pure torture!

He didn't want this hope!

But at the same time it was his family's last wish.

The last wish they could give through their connection with him.

He just needs a little push.

A little push and he'll overcome this suffering.

But it's a question of if that push will ever come.

Does he need to leave his suffering...?

These are always his last thoughts before coming back to the new world.

And it wasn't any different this time either.

__________________________

Jonah woke up from his sleep, a slight headache forming from his drinking last night.

He was drunker then usual that night.

And it was because of Sarah's constant teasing.

He already knew she probably fancied him from the second he saw her last night, helping him set the plates and utensils.

He wasn't dense.

He just didn't want to accept it.

So he ignored Sarah for the night.

Well at least he tried to...

The group had already travelled for three days west. Towards Alron.

He was constantly finding Sarah trying get his attention.

At first he found that annoying.

But then he started to find that a bit peaceful.

He would walk out of his tent finding Sarah waving towards him.

He would just nod in the beginning but over these past few days he had started to wave back, and even give a slight smile towards her.

He didn't know why he was so kind towards her. He didn't know why he opened himself towards her.

But he started to see his late wife in her.

He started to see Sarah in a new light.

__________________________

Sarah was sitting in the carriage with her brother Damian. Constantly looking outside, bored.

"Hey can't we have some fun! I'm sooo bored from all this travelling..." Sarah complains towards Damian.

Damian gave a wry smile.

'Aren't we in public? There's no way they wouldn't hear us going at it!' Damian shouts in his mind.

But Damian answers instead "No can do. I've gotta keep my focus on the surroundings. Also I want you to see the outside of Morrowl for once." Damian asks.

Sarah pouts but doesn't answer.

They had already travelled south east for a few days by now. They would be reaching a small town soon enough.

The town was called Resuet. It was a temporary resting spot for travelling merchants and adventurers that usually passed by here as they go to Alron. It was a popular hot spot in the country of Glaran.

This town was much cleaner then Morrowl. Unlike Morrowl where most of it's trade routes are barely usable, Resuet has a booming business of nightlife.

The town was filled with inns and bars. There were brothels as a popular businesses in town. When you have weary travellers and adventurers, the best way to reinvigorate them was through a good night of pleasure.

__________________________

Sarah and the group had reached Resuet at around dusk.

Jonah was trying to find an inn to sleep in so he could pass the night, before Sarah started following him.

He looks at Sarah and waves her off "Go with your boyfriend. You two can share an inn together."

Sarah gave a weird expression towards Jonah's statement "He's my brother..." Sarah says.

Jonah didn't seem to register it at first, but then just stood there. Frozen in shock.

Sarah then continues "Either way, I thought you knew where they were. I can't see them anywhere." Sarah says as she covers her forehead, as if looking for someone.

Jonah takes Sarah's statement into account and does a quick check around.

'But they were just here!' Jonah shouts in his mind as he sees they all truly disappeared.

Damian had been forced by the group to quickly park the horses into surrounding stables, so he couldn't stay by Sarah's side to help find a place to sleep in.

Jonah starts peering into the crowd with his impressive eyesight. Trying to catch a glimpse of Damian's black cloak or his colleagues' leather armours.

Johan couldn't sniff them out since the crowd had already masked their scent. It was hard to differentiate between hundreds of smells. Especially since there was food on the stalls as well.

Jonah had an ugly look after this realisation. He didn't want to be accused of fucking a noble daughter just because of a misunderstanding.

Sarah looks towards Jonah's worried look and says "Don't worry. I'll just say you bought me a room in a inn. I'm sure there are spare rooms available." Sarah assures.

Jonah hesitatingly nods his head and walks off with Sarah in-tow.

They soon reached an inn called Cat's Paradise, they didn't know why this inn had such an unusal name. There weren't any feline demi-humans around to justify that name.

Both Sarah and Jonah walked into the inn and went up to the receptionist. There wasn't a bar here like normal inns. It seemed to sell something called 'coffee' instead.

There was a man standing next to the reception, wiping a glass with a clothe in his hand. He seemed to have a handsome face and a lean body. He had shoulder length white blonde hair. He was sporting a cheap brown coloured barista clothes along with all of that. If he was in a catboy game he would fit right in.

Sarah wanted to try this thing called 'coffee' but she first had to get her room for tonight.

Jonah went up to the receptionists and said "Rooms, for two please."

The receptionist looks at Jonah and Sarah then responds "I'm sorry dear customers, we currently have only one room left. This past week we've been busy trying to support the sudden increase in all of the adventurers and travellers running around town."

Jonah has another ugly look as he heard this. But he couldn't refuse now or else he would be held responsible for if something happens to a noble's daughter now. It would be weird to see the only person there with Sarah suddenly returning alone.

Jonah sighs as he says "That's okay, we'll take a room with two beds then."

The receptionist gives an awkward gaze as he looks back at Jonah "Umm sir... how should I say this... we have only a couple's bedroom left..." The receptionist answers.