Yetri

And so, Yetri continued on with his life in his clinic. Making notes, checking medicines, going out to buy necessary supplies, and treating the stray one or two patients that wandered into his clinic tucked away in a corner of the brown city of Banster.

Yetri's life was monotonous, just the way he liked it. And it was going great for him...well all except for a black spot in it. A certain black spot that hovered around his front door, casting a shadow over the peace that Yetri desired.

That certain black spot went by the name of Kalsen, who was currently sitting on the steps leading up to the clinic. Lightly swinging his arms around, he winced from the jolts of pain that arose from moving them.

'Haaaah, it still hurts. I need to be careful while moving them.....'

His train of thought was interrupted by some soft footsteps down the road. Coming into the flickering lamplight, Yetri paused slightly after locking eyes with Kalsen.

"Haaah," Yetri sighed and moved past Kalsen to open his clinic door. All the while, Yetri felt two lasers being drilled into his back. The presence of Kalsen had been bothering him ever since Kalsen had taken up residence at his doorstep, and finally, Yetri couldn't take it anymore.

"What do you want kid?" Yetri asked, turning back and leaning against the door.

"...Nothing much," Kalsen tilted his head back to look at Yetri. "I just want a place to stay."

Yetri blinked slowly and answered, "I run a clinic, not a motel. Go back home or to the orphanage."

"The orphanage won't take me anymore."

"Not my problem kid. Figure something out and kindly stop scaring away my customers."

"You don't get that many anyways," Kalsen rolled his eyes.

"And I need to make sure that I can keep the ones I have," Yetri retorted and prepared to enter his clinic. "Now scram."

"Will you allow me to stay here if I work for you?" Kalsen blurted out before Yetri could turn around and lock the door in his face.

Yetri scoffed, "You? No way. I'm not interested in child labor."

"Then pay me in food as well as letting me stay." Kalsen insisted.

"Again not interested in labor of any sort. It's too bothersome to make them do what I want them to do."

"I don't need to be told," And then Kalsen revealed his last bid and looked Yetri dead in the eyes.

"What?" Yetri questioned as he turned himself back around and stared down at Kalsen.

"I can do whatever you need me to, just let me watch you once or twice."

Yetri narrowed his eyes and looked back at the boy. Analyzing him, Yetri tried to detect any falsehood or tells that would give away that Kalsen was lying.

Kalsen started to sweat slightly as Yetri's piercing gaze had frozen him to the spot. In that instant, Kalsen could've sworn that he saw Yetri's placid blue eyes turn turbid for a split second, and then it was gone. Kalsen slumped down, his head slightly hazy and sweat beading along the sides of it. Meanwhile, Yetri casually opened the door and stepped inside as nothing had happened.

"Kid, come inside, if I find that you're lying then I'll be doing much more than just kick you out." Yetri's voice drawled out from inside.

On hearing the words, Kalsen's head cleared up and he jumped to his feet. Cheerily he ran inside.

"Thank you Yetri sir! I promise I'll do my best," Kalsen chirped.

At that point, Yetri shot Kalsen a weird look, 'kid sure has some mood swings.'

"Before I forget, how old are you kid?" Yetri asked while setting his groceries on the floor next to his desk.

"No idea!"

"....not a single one?"

"Nope!"

".....what age did the orphanage assign you?"

"Nine!"

"...." Yetri sat down and started at Kalsen with a deadpan look. "Couldn't you just have started by saying that?"

"Nope~, you were asking what I thought anyways and I think I'm supposed to be ten!" Kalsen grinned.

Yetri felt his soul leave his body as he stared at Kalsen's infuriating grin.

He was starting to regret his decision. Well, almost that is. If there were two things that Yetri liked, they were a peaceful life and laziness. And he was going to sure as hell achieve one of those goals if he couldn't have the other one.

Suddenly a soft smile appeared on Yetri's lips while he was daydreaming about the future which sent shivers down Kalsen's back.

Kalsen would soon find out that his premonition would come true in just a few days.

------

While Kalsen was being put to work, in a hotel on the outskirts of Banster, a whale of a man paced around the room. The room was fairly maintained and clean, and in contrast to the city's muddy streets, not a speck of mud was seen in the room.

An achievement of this sort in the city of Banster should have been heaped with praise and marveled at when inside the room. But the occupant of the room had neither the patience nor the desire to marvel at the room.

In his eyes, the room might as well have been a shabby roadside shack in the middle of nowhere. Well, that's because to him it really was. He had seen greater things in life such that this planet itself felt like a slum to him. And his only goal was to leave this accursed planet that he was cast down to.

This man, Ginsberg, paced around the room with irritation oozing out of every pore of his body. He was staring at his hand where a holographic screen floated. It was slightly choppy and the pixelation was grainy, which only added oil to the fire that was already raging inside Ginsberg.

".....I managed to push you into the calender, you have a free slot in two years' time," an almost bored voice stated nonchalantly.

"Can you... please push the date up, please tell her highness that it is of utmost importance," Ginsberg managed to squeeze out with much difficulty through his clenched teeth.

".....I've done what I can to aid an old acquaintance. How you utilize this is up to you." The voice over the speaker stated coldly. Right after the call went silent as the call was ended.

"F*****," Ginsberg cursed loudly and smashed his fist against one of the walls cracking it.

Ginsberg was boiling, literally and metaphorically as actual steam was rising from his forehead which was red.

"He'll regret his words after he sees what I get her highness," Ginsberg repeated to himself as a mantra to calm himself.

"Yes, of course," Ginsberg calmed down and eyed a black object on his bed stand with greed. A shiny black stone sat there silently, a stone which he had acquired from this s***-hole of a planet. And a stone which was his ticket out of it as well.