Fuck Atlas(1)

Kicked from the Hero's party

15 Years of adventuring together, facing challenges that endangered our own very lives. Yet at this moment, he ordered me to leave the party, even willingly giving me a sent-off party. We were destined to travel and fight the demon king together yet… he abandoned me.

"Hanma…Have a seat." He said, his tone felt serious which contrasted his comical nature.

"What's with the sudden seriousness?" I asked as my eyes wandered around my surroundings, particularly the other three members of the party. Their eyes were all on mine and the air began to feel suffocating. 

He didn't say anything, nor did the other three party members. 

At least a minute of awkward silence had passed before he said anything. "You remember the promises we made when we were little?" He put his elbow on the wooden table and his hands covered his face, only exposing his mouth.

"Yeah? Which one in particular?"

"The one where I promise you that… we would be adventuring together until we beat the demon king and save the villagers. Together."

"Yeah…We made it when we were nine. But why? What's with the occasion?"

He slid his hands down to his nose. "That promise won't do anymore. You… I am kicking you from the party."

I didn't reply, It was all so sudden to me. I would've never thought we'd part ways like this

"Here's the compensation coins. It's enough for you to survive for a month." He slid the coins to the other end of the table. 

"Why?" I asked, devastatingly.

"You…" He paused for a moment. "...aren't good enough. For the challenges ahead of our road."

My head was spinning and my mind clouded. I didn't know why I wasn't good enough to them nor did I know how I wasn't any good for the challenges ahead. Was I simply not as great as I thought? 

"How?" I dropped to my knees."How was I not good enough? Why didn't you tell me earlier? Perhaps then I could've changed."

He looked me straight in the eyes and said, "Please… leave." He gestured at me and so I did devastatingly.

I left the tavern, along with the pouch of coins he had given me and I sat on the fountains looking up at the sky as I contemplated what just happened a few minutes before. My life was basically over. 

As I reflect on his words before I parted with him. I could only think of the words, "You simply were never good enough for us." 

Perhaps I was but I tried my best. I did everything I could to help them, within my utmost ability. I helped them cook, navigate, and whenever they were injured I took care of them. What else was I supposed to do? I helped them with my utmost ability! I simply didn't get it. After I reflected upon it, I stood up and wandered. Aimlessly.

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When I regained my consciousness, I was in the middle of a bustling street and the pouch of coins he had given was empty. Before I cursed my "friend" and my bad luck, I felt my own chin was bushy.

"Man…fuck Atlas and my life."

I stood up from the rotting streets of whatever streets I was in. My pouch of coins now empty and alone, I could only damn my fate. And Atlas. But before I could yell it aloud one more time a piece of newspaper flew to my face. 

I looked at it, and saw Atlas and the three other members of the party standing on top of a wooden carriage whilst the people were cheering, hands up in the air, cheering for them. Then my eyes glanced towards the headlines, local Heroes Atlas, Emily, Ethel, XuiSiu, have beaten one of the four greater evils!

I could have been in that picture with them… 

The headlines continue…: YEAR 1830.

These numbers stayed within my mind for a while. Until it came to me that it was indeed the year 1830. The year had just passed, and I didn't realize. Usually that's not the case, I kept track of the time always, to document our journey and help me plan for the day.

During our adventures, I would be the first one to wake up, before Atlas and the others. I would raise my hands in the air and feel the flow of mana in the air. If it feels heavy then there was an abundance of mana in the air which could cause a rise in temperature, if it was lighter then it'd be colder for the day. And to cook breakfast for them too.

As I reminisce about my old memories. I felt a stinging chill in my feet, I looked down and saw I wore no shoes, and that I was stepping on a pile of snow. 

I flinch. Lifting my feets high up in the air to avoid the stinging sensation. I moved away from the pile of snow and stepped on a brick that was layered on the ground. I heard the swooshing sounds of snow moving against one another, then someone spoke to me.

"Hey mister. Mind moving out of the way? Clearing the snow over here!" exclaimed by some kid dressed in a tattered coat, and his feet visible through the holes of his shoes. He holds a half-cylinder shovel-like magick.

"Oh, yeah… Alright." I said, as I moved out of his way. "What is that?" I pointed towards the shovel-like magick.

"It's a snow removal tool! Check this out!" He said, then as the snow piled up inside the half circle, he swung it up swiftly and with some power. The half cylinder turned into a full cylinder by the hidden other half cylinder behind it. The cylinder thing. Trapped the snow inside. 

The kid looked at me expectantly. Like he wants me to ask him something.

"Go on…" I obliged.

"I press this button." He pressed the button.

"Okay." I said as I watched him press the button.

Heat begins to rise from within the cylinder then comes steam, melting the snow surrounding the cylinder and possibly inside it.

The kid then pulled up the shovel thingy, pulled a heavily dented metal cup from inside his coat. "Look! Free water!" He pulled a string from the flat side of the cylinder, then he proceeded to drink the melted snow, now water from it.

Disgusting yet innovative.

"Where's your parents?"

"Mommy is back home, with sister. Father at work. Haven't seen him for a while now." He said solemnly.

"I don't blame him." Then I walked past him. 

"Bye mister!" He said enthusiastically.

I walked along the streets. As I passed by the people that walked opposite of me. People that dressed in thick coats, and fur suits. As the sounds of horse carriages, multiple drowned out my thoughts. The lights on the lamps became much more noticeable due to the darkening of skies, and the departure of the sun. Then for a moment I stopped, thinking and dreaming of an imaginary past and future, what could have been and the reasons. 

I looked back and forth. I had no idea where I was, the environment was different all the way from the beginning when I first woke up. It wasn't the same place when I first left the party, I was somewhere far. Very far. 

Where the fuck am I?