Goodnight Hope

Soul put the flyer on the counter and nodded to Ewun, who then proceeded to pick up a pouch and drop some coins on the counter. Soul put the coins back into his own pouch while counting slowly.

Black Cat was lively, with men clinking their mugs together, toasting to various victories and woes. In the corner, a bard strummed a lute and sang tales of ancient heroes, his voice barely audible over the din. Waitresses weaved through the crowd with trays of ale and food, occasionally stopping to flirt with the patrons. The inside was filled with the aroma of roasted meat and the sharp scent of spiced wine.

After about a minute, he left fifty gold on the counter for Ewun's compensation, then turned to leave. Ewun stopped him by reaching out and holding his shoulder. Soul paused and slightly turned his head.

"Want more quests?" Ewun asked.

"Nah, thanks. The sun is going down, and I need to be in the boys' dormitory, or I'll get punished again," Soul replied.

"Okay," Ewun said, letting go of his shoulder. "You really saved me, man. My kid wanted a damned bow from the market. It was a hundred gold, you believe it?"

"Is it made out of actual gold?" Soul asked with his usual stoic face.

"Silver," Ewun chuckled. "Ah, anyway. See ya. Come back soon, don't make me wait, please."

"Hmm," Soul responded, nodding slightly.

"Hmm to you too," Ewun said with a grin.

A man in the corner slammed his fist down on the table, the wood splintering beneath the force of his blow. He strode toward Soul, towering over him at 6'1, with a short sword sheathed at his hip and a dagger strapped to his boot. His belt, laden with various pouches and trinkets, weighed at least ten kilos.

Grabbing Soul by the collar of his shirt, the man seethed with barely contained fury. "You killed Marcy. Sirenar's champion, ya dumb fuck," he said with a disgusting breath.

"It was a mistake. We didn't mean to kill him," Soul replied evenly, maintaining his calm demeanor. "We are terribly sorry."

"What happened inside that smoke?" The man shoved him, sending Soul to the ground. "Tell me. I am blessed by Sirenar, I know how to show mercy, silver-haired fuck. If you tell me the truth, you'll be getting away with only one – no, two punches. But if you lie to me…"

"Nothing happened. We battled, he died by accident," Soul insisted, his voice unwavering. "I'm telling the truth."

"Liar."

He punched Soul in the stomach, knocking the wind from his lungs. Before soul fell onto his knees, the man punched again, seized him by the neck and hoisted him onto the counter, his rage boiling over.

Another blow followed, the impact leaving a fist-sized hole in the counter.

"You liar! Tell me!"

'At least he held his promise. Punched me twice, that idiot.'

"I told you everything," Soul gasped, struggling to maintain his composure.

"I'll kill you!"

"Oi, that's enough!" Ewun intervened, pushing the man aside. "Let him go. Everyone, calm down!"

"If I see you here again…" the man sneered. "I'll kill you with my bare hands."

"Go, Soul," Ewun said, gesturing for him to leave. "I've got this."

"Hmm…" Soul muttered, casting a wary glance over his shoulder as he made his exit.

The patrons watching the fight in silence turned to their own business and acted like nothing happened.

He climbed the stairs and exited Black Cat, stepping into the hot, humid air. Even though the sun was down, the temperature remained high, making the atmosphere feel thick and stifling. Everyone was sweating, and some of the children playing in the streets were panting and drinking the cold juice their parents made.

"Time to go…" he muttered to himself. "It's really hot."

"Soul!" Hope yelled from further down the street. She had a man in chains walking behind her. "I got the man!"

He changed direction and walked up to her. "This the target?"

"Yeah. Let's turn him in?" she asked, wiping sweat from her brow.

"Okay," Soul replied. "The Guild is close by."

The door swung open and the man with the tattoo crashed in. Hope, dragging him across the floor, marched toward the counter and made him hit his head on the floor. She placed her foot behind the man's head, pinning him to the ground, and crossed her arms.

Soul leaned against a wall, waiting for the examination to start.

"Here's our man," Hope said.

One of the guards knelt down and checked the man's hand. Seeing the tattoo, a skeleton with a heart-shaped key inside its mouth, he apprehended him by pulling his hair and forcefully making him stand up.

"I'll be damned. He's alive," the guard said as he escorted him out of the building. "Jamey the Slaver. You dog."

"Well done," the woman behind the counter said, handing a pouch of coins. "That's Jamey, all right. We've been after him for a while."

Hope weighed the pouch in her hand, then handed it to Soul. "Wasn't an easy task."

Soul opened the pouch, counting the coins inside. "Looks right."

The woman behind the counter smiled. "If you're ever looking for more work, come see me. We always need capable people."

Hope nodded. "We'll keep that in mind."

As they turned to leave, the woman called out, "Take care, both of you. And thanks again."

After they stepped outside, a soft breeze stirred the air around them. Soul handed her the pouch with a nod. "You earned it."

"Yeah… where can I stay the night here?" Hope asked. "Do you know any decent places?"

"Icy Hearts. I would recommend there," Soul suggested, "rooms are clean, free food in the mornings. Far from the market and noise."

"Okay… I'll go there."

"Hmm. I have to go back, don't wanna get punished by Professor Yuu again."

"Who is he?"

"He's…" He paused, then shrugged. "Forget it. I'm off."

"Okay… and, Soul…" She held his hand. "Thank you for giving me a second shot in life."

"You gave yourself a chance." He replied with a boring tone.

"Maybe I did… I don't know. I don't know anymore," she confessed, uncertainty threading through her words.

"Hmm. Goodnight, Hope."

"Goodnight, Soul. See you tomorrow?"

'Hope not.'

"Sure."