[1.3] Preparation

A servant rushes up into the throne room. He nearly faints from exhaustion as he swings the door open.

"YOUR MAJESTY! THERE'S TROUBLE!"

An old king sits upon the throne with a young princess by his side.

"What is it Willard? What could be so urgent?"

The servant catches his breath as he kneels down.

"Your Majesty, the Black Flare! It's acting out!"

The old king's eyes widen with shock. A surprise such as this would leave any man powerless.

"So after fourteen years, it comes back for more. Fine, so be it! Increase the security in the chamber where it's sealed to the maximum! By no means let it escape!"

"Yes, Your Majesty!"

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Akuma together with Zack and the rest of the group stand before the open city gates. A few guards are standing at each side. Each guard is in full plate armor, only revealing their faces. Every last one of them wields a spear.

The walls itself are made of stone. The gates are made of wood.

"Stop right there!"

One of the guards yells at the group and everyone complies to the given order. As the older guard appreaches the group his face lighs up.

"Zack, Zoe even you Hide! How have you fellas been doing?"

"Gramps! Long time no see!"

The two shake hands like old friends. Though for all Akuma knows they might be old friends. After the two end their long greeting the group is allowed to pass.

The controls are now quite tough around the border due to the bickering of two kingdoms.

Anyway, the group passes through the town with no problems. Zack's group is greeted here and there. After a few minutes they arrive at the Guild building. Zack stops and turns to the mixed group of students and adventurers.

"All right, i've thought about it. Each one of us will take on or two kids and we'll show them how we do it. We'll help them start as adventurers!"

Hana, the teacher protests at first but eventually gives in and agrees with Zack. Everyone gets paired and leaves to register. Only Akuma and Zack are left standing in front of the guild building.

"So, i guess we're together."

Akuma nods upon hearing Zacks's words.

"C'mon while they're registering we'll get you something to fight with."

"Right."

Without any other words Akuma follows Zack to the left of the Guild enterance. The two walk for a little while but they soon stop in front of a blacksmith shop to their left.

Zack enters the shop with Akuma right behind him. In the shop is a tall man wearing a cloak that covers his whole body and a hood that covers his face.

Upon hearing the door close the man turns around and head outside. Just as he passes by Akuma he whispers.

"Come."

As soon as Akuma hears this he turns around only for the man nowhere to be found. Left feeling uneasy Akuma turns back to Zack.

"Zack who was that?"

"Hmm, who was who?"

"You know, that cloaked man."

Zack raises one of his eyebrows.

"There wasn't anyone here."

Akuma would be shoked if Zack didn't greet yet another person. Akuma left feeling of uneasiness behind and decided to focus at what's in front of him. A dwarf enters from the back of the shop.

"Hey, Zack, my boy!"

"Good to see you again Boren."

There are many weapons on show off inside the shop. All of them metal.

After Zack finishes greeting with the dwarf he introduces Akuma to the dwarf.

"Akuma this is Boren, he's the best blacksmith around."

Akuma turns his gaze onto the dwarf wearing regular clothes for a blacksmith.

"Nice to meet you, the name's Akuma."

"Likewise, young blood."

One thing Akuma noticed is that Boren has a slight scotish accent hidden behind his beard. Akuma and Boren then shook hands. Boren soon turned back to Zack.

"So boy, what do ya need?"

"Well, i wanted to know if you don't have any gear for Akuma here. He's an adventurer beginner."

Boren chuckles a bit and crosses his arms over his blacksmith apron. With a wide smile on his face he replies to Zack's question.

"A newbie eh? Good, good, people like that are always necessary. Come with me to the back, we'll see if i got something for ya."

Boren turns around and walks through a door behind him. Akuma and Zack follow him immediatley. The three stop in the back of the shop where Boren takes out a box full of armor.

"Take a look at this, will ya."

Akuma picks up a piece of armor. Presumably a forearm piece. It's some regular light armor, even someone like Akuma can tell that much.

"So what do ya think, pal? Good?"

Akuma who has no idea what separates good and bad armor gives a prompt response.

"Yes, it does."

"Then what are ya waiting for? Try it on!"

Akuma is surprised by being able to try on metal armor, after all something like that isn't something you would normally wear back on earth. Though it starts to make sense to him soon enough. He will try it on like any other clothes.

Akuma starts putting the armor on piece by piece. Watching this, Boren leans his back onto a wall behind him and starts stroking his beard. As soon as Akuma is finished he recieves a compliment from Boren.

"It's like made exactly for ya! Look at that! It sits perfectly!"

Boren's enthusiasm continues as he proceeds with picking out Akuma's new equipment.

"Now kid, show me ya right hand."

Akuma does as he is told to. Boren inspects Akuma's right hand for a while before making his proclamation.

"A dagger. A wrist like this is best for a dagger."

Without skipping a beat Boren takes a dagger that was hanging on a wall and places it in Akuma's hands.

"Try it."

Akuma does as he is asked once more and takes a few swings in the air.

"It's pretty good."

A smile finally appers on Akuma's face. However, it soon disappears as he looks at Zack.

"Can i take those."

Boren butts into the conversation.

"Sure ya can. The armor is cheap and the dagger...well you don't have to pay for it, it'll be a gift from me to you. As a starting adventurer."

Akuma's eyes light up. This is noticed by Zack.

"Then we'll take it boss!"

After Zack pays five silver coins, the two leave with Akuma having a big smile on his face. Wearing new armor and a dagger sheathed on his back. Right behind his kidneys.

"Now, all that's left is to register you and we'll have a day off."

After Akuma nods to Zack's statement he looks up to the sky. He now realizes it still isn't even twelve o' clock.

A while later the two are back at the Guild building. Akuma gets registered without any problems. He is given a necklace with a small bronze rectangle. There are five stages for an adventurer. Bronze, silver, gold, titanium and diamond, with bronze being the lowest and diamond the highest.

The woman who was registering Akuma was an aquaintance of Zack. She was almost as annoying as that Smith guy. Pink hair, glasses and freckles. What gives someone pink hair and freckles anyway, did her Irish dad's dick get stuck in a cotton candy machine? Well what was another mystery Akuma wanted nothing to do with.

Evening soon came around and Akuma was sitting in the main hall. From the persective of someone who just walked into the building from the outside it was like this, to the left and right were tables and benches to sit on. In the middle at the end were the counters, there are three in total and to the complete left were the stairs to the rooms.

Akuma was sitting on the top left, near the stairs. He was alone, a smile wasn't on his face anymore, rather it looked like something was worrying him. Like a blessing, Haku walked down the stairs and noticed the gloomy Akuma. Determined to help his best friend he immediatley sat down next to him.

"What's buggin' ya Aku?"

Akuma lifts his head from the table and gives Haku a tired yet worried look.

"Zack said that tommorow we're going on our first quest. We'll be divided into two groups. You, me and Kaede together with Zack, Zoe and Hido are one group and the rest are taking a completly different quest."

"Worried bout' others? C'mon that ain't like you. When have you been worried about someone other than me or yourself?"

Akuma now sulks back into his hands on the table.

"I'm not worried about others, i'm worried about how will i do tommorow."

Haku's surprise turns turns to a kind smile and places his and on Akuma's shoulder which grabs Akuma's attention.

"You don't have to worry. Because i know you can do it. Hell, you've always been able to do things other couldn't. Even if i fuck up, i know you will be able to do it. I'm strong physically but i have a weak will, you on the other hand aren't lacking physically and you have an unbreakable will. Through all the shit that you've been in the past, you've never lost sight of your goal. You'll keep on living just like Anna wanted."

Akuma's gaze drops down, nearly making him tear up. Haku just unknowingly opened an old scar. But Akuma knows the best that this is something he has to deal with, or else he won't be able to move forward. Haku continues with his motivation.

"That's why Akuma, i know you'll do it."

As Haku's motivation ends Akuma raises his head. What a while ago seemed like a face that would start spurting tears was now housing a delicate smile.

"Thanks, pal."

Haku smiles once more before getting up from the bench.

"C'mon you got big day tommorow so we better hit the sack already."

Akuma nods as he gets up as well. Before going to their rooms Akuma and Haku end their evening with a fist bump, oblivious to their future. Perhaps they will be enemies in the future, perhaps they'll be even closer than they're now or perhaps they'll be like strangers. Only time will show the change in Akuma's heart that started this evening.