Only Friend (2)

Elias's voice drifted through the wind, causing a hint of melancholy to settle onto their surroundings. Damian glanced at his friend and discerned subtle signs of sorrow in his eyes, causing him to inwardly sigh in regret.

'I'm so stupid. I should have known better than to complain about expectations to Elias of all people… he knows all too well about how that feels!

'Damn it… now I have made his mood drop down, how do I make him feel better now? Argh I should have just kept my mouth shut!'

As Damian was busy chastising himself, Elias placed his hand on friend's shoulder while smiling softly. "Man you don't know how to hide your inner thoughts at all. It is so, so easy for me to read you right now. Relax man… I'm fine, a little bit of self deprecation never hurts anyone, does it?"

A gentle breeze drifted along the streets, bringing with it the delightful scent of summer warmth. Elias's tousled hair was swept aside by the wind, and the sunlight bathing his face turned his gentle smile into a radiant, picturesque scene.

Damian was momentarily taken aback and captivated by this scene, before shaking Elias's hand off his shoulder in annoyance.

"This isn't fair at all man… how do you manage to look so good even when you are feeling down? How can the ladies even defend themselves against this? If you weren't so stoic, I bet they'd be all over you all the time. I'm a guy, and even I was caught off guard for a second there"

Elias gave a light chuckle in response, which seemed to further highlight his calm and handsome features. "You don't look too bad yourself Damian. If you weren't always getting injured all the time, I'm sure they'd be all over you as well."

Elias glanced at the bandage wrapped around Damian's arm, causing the young man to sulk rather slightly.

"It's not like I look to get injured all the time, it's just that it comes with the job. Crime fighting is dangerous business you know."

In all honesty, Damian didn't look too bad himself. As long as he wasn't compared to individuals with abnormal attractiveness like Elias, one could even go ahead to say that he looked better than the average person his age. Being the same age as Elias, Damian had also undergone his puberty growth spurt. It was also quite obvious that adolescence had been much more kinder to him physically than it was to his childhood friend.

He was half a head taller than Elias, with his muscles and shoulders being more prominent due to the amount of sheer physical labor he underwent on a daily basis to keep fit. His voice was more monotone and his facial features were almost just as sharp. The main difference between the two lay in their aura; with Elias radiating a type of calm and reserved level of masculine charm and Damian's being more wild and free, causing them to seem like polar opposites. The pearcings on his ear, the tape across his arms and nose and even his hair that had been dyed blonde all seemed to further emphasize his wild aesthetic.

The irony of it all was that if one came across Damian for the first time, they might liken him to a street thug or gang member, which was in total contrast to his known identity as the Slums Lawman. Damian was a picture perfect example of the term, 'Do not judge a book by its cover.' He looked like the type of person conservative mothers would warn their daughters to stay away from, basically a 'bad boy' if you will. Yet, his personality couldn't be more different—compassionate and open-hearted, he defied expectations.

"Yeah, yeah I know… I'm not taking a jab at you, I'm just telling you to be more careful in the future. Look, the tape across your arm has basically become a signature for you now. Even the one on your nose… you barely take them off."

Damian paused a bit while looking down at his arms, before running his fingers across the tape with an enthusiastic smile. "Well yes they kind of are. Every badass vigilante and bounty hunter across the 3 kingdoms all have their own personal signatures that you can use to recognize them. Doesn't seem too bad to start setting mine up early."

The confidence and excitement Damian used to say this caused Elias to break out a proud smile, giving his friends a thumbs up. "This is more like the Damian I know! This is the exact attitude you should have. I'm rooting for you, at that time I'd be able to brag to people about having a popular figure as a friend."

Elias and Damian exchanged silent glances before bursting into laughter, dispelling any lingering traces of melancholy from their earlier conversation.

"Thank you Elias… it feels like you always know the best way to cheer me up."

Elias chuckled, before once again calmly hitting Damian on the shoulder. "Don't mention it man, what are friends for?… if I couldn't do this much our 6 years of friendship would have been for nothing!"

Damian grinned, before responding in a calm, but barely audible voice. "Yeah I guess you are right about that… 6 years huh, it's been so long already."

Elias chuckled, before directing his gaze to the bustling streets in front of them. Together, they savored the sight of the lively, chattering streets in serene silence, bathed in the gentle, harmonious glow of the sun.

Damian then turned to look at Elias, before asking a question out of pure curiosity. "So… when are you going to Estica? You didn't end up telling me about that."

Elias was pulled out of his reverie, shifting his attention to the bakery where the distinct voice of Mr. Abernathy echoed as he organized the arrangement of a fresh batch of coconut pies.

"I'm thinking of working a couple more jobs after this one, before taking the ship out early tomorrow morning. Since the assessment starts at noon, I should be able to barely make it if I leave around 4 or 5 in the morning.

"Even if I'm confident in my ability to pass the written assessment with a good enough grade, since the scholarship is available to only 5 students per entry, I don't know if I might meet any genius that is also pursuing the scholarship. So the more Nels I earn before I leave the better. Passing the assessment and not being able to attend the academy because of finances would really suck."

Damian put on a thoughtful expression before finally breaking the silence with a question. "How much have you been able to save up so far?"

Elias hesitated to answer, before finally giving in with a sigh of resignation. "Right now I have about 121 Nel and a couple Oirs personally saved up. Sister Marie said she would try to support me with around 40 Nel out of her own pocket, which means that I would barely be able to cover the travel expenses and school fees if I don't manage to get the scholarship.

"I heard that there are a lot of part time jobs available to students of the academy in the city. If it does come to that, I'm ready to take up one of those jobs, even if it would cut down on my study time and might affect my grades."

The annual tuition fee at the White Helm Academy stood at approximately 115 Nel per candidate, aiming to accommodate students from all socioeconomic backgrounds. While the cost may appear steep initially, it's important to consider that local universities, offering inferior education and fewer future prospects, often charge around 150-200 Nel annually, varying by city and country. Therefore, the academy's tuition rate is reasonable and inclusive in comparison. Moreover, the academy provides opportunities for students to work while studying, making it more feasible for lower-income students to afford the tuition fee.

Moreover the academy hosts the Apostolic Assessment with zero charge to the candidates, further adding to the generosity of the academy's founders.

With other additional expenses such as the formal uniform set, signing up for courses, textbooks and other educational materials, as well as other miscellaneous expenses, the entire fee a new inductee of the academy would have to pay would be about 150 Nel, with the student only having to pay the tuition of 115 Nel in the subsequent years. Elias had enough to cover the amount if he didn't end up getting the scholarship, but he would be stretched thin right after, especially considering the additional cost of transportation to the island city.

The entire trip would amount to 17 or 18 Nel, which would basically leave him broke!

Damian sympathized with his friends financial plight, because he perfectly understood the pain of being in that situation. In fact he felt that if it wasn't for the commissions he got from crime fighting, as well as the generous donations he received as encouragement from some individuals, he might have also been in a similar situation as Elias, or maybe worse, since he wasn't able to work with the same speed and efficiency as Elias.

"Don't sweat it man… if you are ever in need of money, you can lend some from me anytime, I always tell you this but you never take me up on the offer."

Elias's mood was once again uplifted by his friends attempt to make him feel better. He shook his head slightly while running his hand through his hair. "Thanks a lot… but you know how I feel about being indebted to someone. If it isn't my last option, I'd prefer to not resort to it. "

Damian felt slightly annoyed at Elias's remark, as he didn't understand how there would be debt among close friends. Before he was given an opportunity to offer a retort however, Elias subtly cut him off.

"However… I will take your offer into consideration if it ever does come to that, thank you Damian."

Damian studied Elias for a brief second, before tussling his hair in annoyance. "You can never let me one up you, can you?… forget it, as long as you get the message."

Elias flashed him a teasing smile, before asking him a question of his own. "So what about you? When are you leaving for Estica?"

Damian gazed at a cat that was trying to scurry off the path of an incoming carriage, before responding in a measured tone, "I'm taking the last ship to Estica tonight. I already have my bags packed and ready to go, so after I'm done with my shift I'll be on my way."

Elias spared his friend an encouraging glance, before stretching his hand out for a fist bump. "Guess I'll be meeting you there then?"

Damian gave a hearty laugh, before bumping his fist together with Elias's. "You bet! Don't go causing any trouble while I'm not around."

Elias responded with a wholesome laugh of his own, before replying with a clear and crisp voice. "That should actually be my line… it's almost time for the end of the lunch break, we should probably get back to work, I don't want to be hounded by Mr. Abernathy again."

Damian laughed slightly at his friend's casual attempt at self depreciation, before saying his temporary goodbyes to him. He walked briskly back to his place of employment with both hands casually tucked into the pockets of his pants, like he was without a care in the world. He hummed a popular tune famous in the lower district of the city called 'Fish in the well, moon in the ocean', causing him to draw occasional glances of annoyance from passersby's, mainly because of the unrefined nature of the tune.

'No wonder people mistake him for a gangster sometimes… just look at him, he didn't even notice the glances being thrown at him from the crowd and just continued to walk away freely.'

Elias took a moment to admire the scene in mild amusement, before scurrying off to finish up his own allocated work before the lunch break was over so he could hurry to his next part time job. He still had two more shifts to pick up in other places before curfew!

As the two friends walked in opposite directions, they held similar feelings within their hearts, feelings of a promise of a better future and the expectations that comes with tomorrow.