Tranmere

~ [Three Days Before The King's Order]

Zac and Galen walked towards whatever town they could find. They didn't have a destination in mind; they just needed somewhere to sleep, bathe, and get new clothes comfortably. It was their mistake not to ask where the nearest town was, but hopefully, one would be close. They wouldn't mind sleeping on the ground if there wasn't town ahead. Zac became used to it, and the ground was always Galen's bed. It only sounded better for Zac and appealing for Galen when he heard about the existence of a cushion and a piece of fabric that made for better comfort when sleeping.

"So how soft exactly is this "bed"? Nothing is softer than a nice pile of dirt you can get cozy in." Galen asked. Zac looked at Galen with an insulted face. "A pile of dirt can kiss my ass. With all the rocks and other hard shit on the ground, it's impossible to get cozy! But a bed, a bed is just pure fluff. There's nothing beneath it other than what holds it up, and you can sleep like a baby." Zac remembered the bliss of a bed when he lived with Katrina. Zac never had a bed to sleep on when living with his mother; only the hardwood floor and his mother's hugs put him to sleep every night. He felt safe whenever she hugged him close enough so her body pressed against his own. She'd tell him stories before falling asleep herself. Her arms were warm from under a thin blanket while holding her son tight.

Zac gave off a sigh as he thought back to those days too. Without a father, it only made everything worse for their lives. Men are above women in this unfair world. No women could find a decent job, and the ones that could never get paid the same as men. For a widow, it was nearly impossible to get any job or make enough money to live off of. That was the reason for her prostituting herself. It wasn't because she wanted it; it was the only thing she could do. Especially being one of the poorer people in society, it was as if her existence wasn't even worth a spec of dust that collected. She was below human, and no one wanted such filth to serve beer or make food. She was even lucky to land a prostitution job.

Thinking back on it, Zac never realized how much she suffered before his mother's death. Of course, he knew that she suffered but to the degree that she wasn't even treated as human. It was impossible for him not to feel the hatred burning deeper inside him. "Who were they to put a value on human life...? Well, I guess it is hypocritical to say that when I think of bandits as nothing but animals and wild beasts going off instinct." Zac said his thoughts out loud.

Walking with his mind occupied, Galen budged Zac to put his attention on what looked like buildings off in the distance. When they got closer, Galen noticed some guards standing around watching over the town gates. A man stood by each side of the gatehouse. Their eyes were sharp and focused on anyone coming near. As soon as the two approached, the guard turned to look at them. His gaze went right past Zac without even bothering to notice who he was. Instead, his focus rested upon the Galen, who stood tall, had a beautiful face, and light blonde hair that no one had ever seen before.

Galen and Zac reached the gates, where the guard stopped them. "Halt!" the guard demanded. Both of them halted and waited for the guard to continue. "I'm sorry, sirs, but I don't think I've seen your faces around here before," the guard said. "No matter. We're just passing through and will be gone within the day." The guard continued to stare at Galen. "Sorry, but I can't just let anyone in," the guard told them. "Is there a specific reason as to why?" Zac asked. "There's an entrance fee. ten Solars." "That seems steep for just walking into a small village. What's so special about this place? You must have something amazing hidden behind these walls." Zac questioned.

The guard looked at both of them for a moment, then spoke again. "I don't think I like your attitude," the guard started getting hostile. "What's wrong with asking a question?" Galen responded for Zac. "You know damn well what's wrong with it!" The guard yelled, putting his face up to Galen's. Galen especially got irritated, ready to kill the guard; Zac immediately stopped him without the guard noticing. "We'll just pay the fee," Zac said. "That's twenty Solars now, boy!" the guard shouted. Ready to kill him, Zac stops him again. He grabbed the Solars they looted from the gang they had previously killed. They gave the twenty Solars to the guard. With nothing else to say, the guard waved to the gatekeeper, who stood by the lever, pulling it and slowly opening the large gates.

"Welcome to Tranmere. You both better be gone by tomorrow, or I'll be coming for you," the guard got in the last word as Zac and Galen walked in. Inside the gates, the streets were lined with shops lining the main street. Each shop offered different things; clothing, weapons, food, alcohol, and more. Some of the stores offered goods the two had yet to see, but they decided to find the inn first before wandering around the town. They passed by many people, most of which ignored the two, and some greeted them with a smile and a wave. One person, however, caught their eye.

She was dressed differently than everyone else, with flushed red cheeks and two of her friends giggling behind. She walked up to Galen with her hands clasped behind her; she looked at the ground, then at Galen. "Would you like to go on a walk sometime?" She asked with her red cheeks getting even redder. Zac looked up at her with a disappointed face, and Galen looked at her like he was confused out of his mind. "I'm sorry, why would we go for a walk? Where would we be going? Will you die if you don't go for a walk without me?" Galen questioned the reason for such an odd request. She stood there with a rejected face, and her friends with a face that said they were going to murder him.

Zac put his hand over his face in embarrassment and responded for Galen. "Sorry, miss. But my father is already taken by the best mommy in the world," Zac responded using a childish voice, lying for Galen so as not to embarrass himself any further. "What the fuck? You're not my child," Galen said, with Zac covering his mouth so as not to let his lie get out of the bag. "Oh, I'm sorry for bothering you then!" With a sad yet confused look, she accepts her rejection and goes to her friends, crying from the embarrassment.

"Are you done embarrassing yourself?" Zac asked Galen. "I have no idea what you mean. That girl just asked me to go for a walk. WHY WOULD I WANT TO GO FOR A WALK!?" Galen yelled, unaware of the human's way of asking each other out on dates.

As the two kept walking down the road, looking around for an inn, they saw a sign reading: 'Baker's Inn.' Walking towards it, they found the front door wide open, showing the interior of the building. Within the entryway, someone sat on a stool next to the counter. A young woman, probably in her late twenties, with curly brown hair tied back with a ribbon. She wore a white dress with black trimming along the bottom hemline. "Good morning, welcome to Baker's Inn," she smiled cheerfully.

"Yes, we would like one room with two beds," Zac said. "Of course. Anything else I may help you with today?" The woman asks. "Do you sell any food here?" Galen asked. "Why yes, we do. Our bread is delicious. "What about meat?" "Of course! Our beef stew and mutton soup are very delicious."

"Will that be all?" the woman asked. "Yes." both said at the same time. "That'll be five Solars then." They paid the five solars and headed off to their room which the lady said was "Room 14". When entering their room, Zac immediately ran for the bed and rested on it. Squirming in comfort, it was time Galen experienced what Zac had been bragging about since they left to find a town. Hesitating for a second, Galen slowly puts his body on the bed, feeling the softness of the mattress. After taking a deep breath, he lays on top of it, resting his head on the pillow, imagining fluffy clouds and bouncing in them. He finds the comfort to be extremely good. It is an experience he's never imagined before. His pile of dirt couldn't compare to this softness.

"So, how is it?" Zac asked with a grin of victory. Before he knew it, Galen was already asleep. Although it was the middle of the day, Zac decided to get the well-needed rest he could get. Soaking in the comfort of the bed, he closed his eyes and fell fast asleep.

***

After waking up, Zac or Galen didn't want to move from the comfortable bed. Thinking about leaving would require them to move from the spot, which seemed almost impossible for both of them to accomplish. Finally deciding that they should leave, Zac threw off his blankets and opened the curtains to get a view of the town. It was around midnight, and their stomachs growled for food. Remembering that the inn served food, they headed downstairs to get the meat they had been waiting for.