Coffee is Better Drunk In The Morning, No?

In the morning… most of us started with a cup of coffee…

But nope, I prefer tea. Green tea, that is.

******

…

Sunrise. The weather is partly cloudy. The bright of the sun begins to shine over the Island of Areda.

"Hoaaaaahhhm…" Marco yawned. He woke up a bit later than usual.

"Nothing's better than a good morning to myself... huh?" said Marco as he scratched his head. He then noticed something on his arm surface.

"Huah?!” he startled shockingly. “S-Since when did I get bandaged like this…?” he then thought momentarily, he can only think of one person: Scias. “That tower dude…” he muttered. “I really wonder if he’s actually okay…” Marco said to himself with concern. He then felt a sudden swivel in his sight, which was himself getting dizzy.

“Gah… my head felt like it’s been drilled… the frick’s going on with my head?” Marco rubs his head.

"Oh..." He remembers it now. “Last night I dreamed of a dark-buzzing-place... screeching noises, screams, I couldn't really hear anything much that time…” he stated.

Marco leaps off his bed and about to leave his room, only to be stunned as he noticed his cloth from yesterday on the desk. He then inspects it, “woah, crap, this cloth is all jacked up,” he said with a cold stare to his own clothes. “Hah… I need to get a new reserve,”

Marco decided to go to the armory to get a new set of explorer’s clothing right away. He walks to the living room that also connects with the front door.

"Guess I should change—

*BDAM!

"GAAAAAAAAAAAAH-Huh?" Marco nearly had a heart-jump after getting shocked by the door which got forcefully opened by someone. Beyond the door, stands a tall man… who else, if it isn’t Scias.

"Geez, Scias! The frick were you doing?” Marco yelled at his buddy.

“Opening the door, of course,” Scias replied casually.

Marco got stunned instantly. “W-Well, that’s true, but the way you slam-opened it, dude. It's still early in the morning,” Marco tried to scold.

"Oh… I’m sorry,” Scias said effortlessly. “I t-thought you're still unconscious... it turns out you were up already, huh?" he added with a slight smirk.

"Dude, you could've given me a heart attack," Marco retorted,

"Yeah, yeah, I understand,” Scias waved his hand as he walks into the house. “But you know… c-consider it as a lesson, t-tho,” Scias smirked again. “T-That's how Aily and Nina felt when you s-s-slam their house door," Scias savagely told.

Marco got completely stunned. Scias made him taste his own medicine.

…

"Say… Scias, did you just say I was unconscious before?” Marco then proceeds to ask about yesterday’s letter.

“Huh…?” Scias looked clueless.

“You wrote a freaking letter to me,” Marco then showed the paper, “Here! Here!” he waved it in front of Scias’ face.

“Oh… right… I did write ‘em,” Scias resembles a careless attitude.

“Oh, come on, man… you forgot a letter you wrote yourself?” said Marco madly.

“It’s not my fault if I f-forgot, you know…?” Scias stated with a devoid of expression. “You w-were unconscious for three d-days… what is there to say?” he added.

Marco… received another stun attack. “Three days?!” he thought. He believed that he had woken up last night, in which he thought was just a day, turned out to be three.

Scias simply proceeds walking past Marco and took a glass of water.

*Gulp *Gulp *Gulp

He then refilled the glass and proceeds to drink it again.

"Geez, dude… you’re drinking that much in the morning?” Marco asked.

"The water in your household seemed fresher and healthier than other places, Marco. So I thought it’s the b-best idea to drink from your place,” Scias replied softly.

“Oi, this isn’t a bar,” Marco said funnily. “Why not just say you want a free drink, huh?” Marco sighed funnily.

Despite Scias’ cold attitude toward others, he and Marco are best buddies. After years together, Scias thinks Marco’s house as his own.

Scias wiped his mouth with his shirt’s collar and sat down on the chair next to the table in the living room. Marco joined in and sat down along as well while having a small chat with him.

"So… what happened exactly? I couldn't put a number on Ordan, mate," I asked in a chuckled voice.

“Ah, really? As if you didn’t, huh?” Scias chuckled slightly.

Scias then told Marco everything, about Ordan's fall and the end of his life.

"W-Whoa… huh… but I literally failed to defend Nina and Aily, you know?" Marco concerned.

"You d-did your best, Marco. You managed to save them both from Ordan's r-r-reach," Scias comforted him.

"Oh..." Marco didn't continue on talking. He knew their condition in that time too well. But in the same time, he did suffer some damages that he thought SHOULDN'T be healed in an instant. He opened the bandages within his arms and yes they’re all normal as if Marco didn’t join the battle and had a sound sleep.

"Fear not, Marco. Some REALLY g-g-g-good potions were involved i-in your medication, don't w-worry about the cost, it's kinda 'free', heh…"

“That chuckle in the end doesn’t sound assuming, dude…” Marco scrunches his face, “what about Aily and Nina?” Marco asked.

"The twins, huh? Don't w-worry, medications are done to them, too…" Scias replied surely.

Marco releases a wind of relief. He then looked at his own hands, then clenched them,

"Hm. Truly, Scias, I'm glad you're there for us… I mean, look, we were the ones 'supposedly' to prevent you from fighting Ordan," Marco sincerely stated.

"That's why, n-next time when I told you to not worry about me, you'd better put your e-ears on. You k-know I have trouble t-talking normally," Scias scolded with a soft-yet-tearing voice.

Scias inhaled shortly, he then fixed his seating.

"Ordan, n-no, The G-Green Minotaur had a natural weakness against Fire element, not to mention their body is sensitive when got stroked with sharp steel… or for short, melee weapons like swords. T-That's why I joined the mercenary t-team... if not, I might've decided to remain here, you k-know?" Scias explained thoroughly.

In addition, Scias makes a much more serious face.

"Literally, risking your lives to enter an unwinnable fight might sound crazy, but if situation forces you, what is there to say? Heh, doesn’t it just beat all?” Scias stated.

“I’d prefer to not go into a fight that I had no chance of winning…”

"…unless if it is an emergency situation… where I m-must fight whether I’ll win or lose…"

Scias lowered down his seriousness, he then stood back up to take another glass of water.

*Gulp! *Gulp! *Gulp!

Marco was captivated by his words. Indeed Marco himself is an experienced explorer, but in terms of battle, Scias is much more experienced. However, his fighting spirit isn’t all that great as his previous self when he was a soldier of the Starlynx Kingdom. Scias hinted a little that he resigned as a soldier ever since his loss at the battlefield…

…which was caused by unknown reasons.