Chapter 6: This Boy Just Says Everything Out Loud..
Wei panicked. He couldn't handle someone dying on the path leading to their hut. So he dragged Theo and all the goods back home.
Theo, half-conscious, let himself be dragged. Whether Wei was a savior or a threat… being alone in the forest was worse.
At the hut, Wei tried sneaking him in.
Miwa shouted from outside, "Hey! Where are the goods?"
He rummaged through the pile Wei dropped—until he saw a body.
"WHAT THE—Wei I thought you brought a dead corpse! Don't scare me like that!"
"Well, he will be a dead body if I don't let him rest," Wei muttered, setting Theo down and tucking him into bed.
He began patching up Theo's wounds.
"I can't believe I'm doing this…"
Miwa entered. "What happened? Where'd you find him?"
"He was being chased by that monster again."
"Oh, that creature? I thought we wiped them out. Guess not… wonder where it came from."
"Yeah, weird. Anyway, that's how I met him."
"Well, he's probably a traveler who got lost. We'll help him leave when he wakes up."
"Yeah. Definitely."
Miwa left to cook meat he'd hunted earlier. It wasn't new—this wasn't the first person they'd saved.
Wei finished patching Theo up and stepped outside.
Miwa was roasting something suspicious.
"What are you cooking this time?" Wei asked, disgusted.
"Hey now, don't make that face. This one eats plants, so the meat's fine."
"Where do you even find those here…?"
"It's a secret."
Wei forced a smile—he genuinely couldn't tell if Miwa was joking. But the food tasted good, so he kept eating.
Night fell peacefully. With someone occupying the hut, both Wei and Miwa slept on hammocks outside.
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Morning.
The silver-haired boy woke up late. He sat up, confused.
"What… where am I?"
The hut was small, made of old unpolished wood, some planks newly replaced. Then he looked over at his body he noticed he was bandaged, and immediately surged of panic shone on him he searched for his belongings only to see it untouched. Relief washed over him.
Then he stepped outside—no one was there, absolutely no one in sight. It was quiet and peaceful. Much too peaceful for a land that was supposed to be barren.
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Then he heard footsteps. He followed them through the grass and trees—
—just to see a black haired boy near his age wearing a dark robe, dark pants and a grey shirt sparring with a roughed ragged man who looked like he's in his 30s or 40s wearing the same dark robe except it had two slits on the side. Wearing no shirt underneath his bare chest was exposed, and even more so the happy trail that leads to his lower half. His vision was a bit hazy and blurry at first due to the excessive sunlight shining over him, but when it adjusted he finally recognized the boy's appearance, it was the same boy who saved him yesterday. Although he didn't recognize the other man. In short person sparring Infront of him were Wei and Miwa.
Wei fought with fists and feet, while Miwa wielded yesterday's sword. (The supposedly scam sword) Flames curled around it, smaller than when Wei used it but still strong.
They moved in perfect sync, dodging and striking in a rhythm that wasn't training—it was routine.
The silver-haired boy watched, in a daze. Awe and analyzing.
'..I can't sense what realm they're in… Just who are these two..?'
But then he stepped on a twig.
Both froze. Stopping their fight altogether.
"Oh hey, look—he's finally awake," Miwa said.
"You feeling better?" he asked.
Theo looked away. "…Yeah."
Wei grinned. "I'm Wei, by the way. This is my uncle Miwa."
Miwa raised a hand. "Hey-hey!"
Theo stared at them for a moment, then finally said,
"Theo. My name is Theo Avengarde."
Wei smiled. "Nice to meet you, Theo."
Miwa smiled too. Theo glanced away, relieved they didn't recognize his name. Or more precisely his last name.
"Well boys, I'm off to hunt—it's almost noon."
Miwa grabbed the sword and walked off lazily
"Miwa, please get edible food again!" Wei pleaded dramatically.
Miwa shrugged and disappeared into the forest.
Wei and Theo were left staring at each other.
Quiet.
Awkward.
In Wei's mind, all he could think was, 'This is so awkward…' He scratched the back of his neck, a good minute until he finally asked, "So… where are you headed?"
Theo looked at him. "I don't know."
Wei froze. "Eh—uh? You don't know…?" He asked, genuinely curious and confused.
"I have no place to go…"
"Seriously?? Wait, what were you even doing yesterday anyway? How'd you end up in that situation?" Wei pressed.
"I was traveling alone," Theo said. "Then I went ahead to this city—"
"You mean Pangenese city? I was also just there yesterday," Wei cut in.
"Yes, that one. I saw a flyer about a monster near the city. It was supposedly a big threat, and there'd be a cash reward for whoever killed it, so I accepted it," Theo said.
"What!? But—hey, I guess you were brave for that. Why'd you even accept it though? Have you ever killed a monster before…?"
"No." Theo looked away, a little ashamed. "I guess I was desperate and way too confident in my skills. But the moment I saw how big it was, my mind suddenly wouldn't cooperate, so I just ran."
"Ohh… so you've never fought a monster before?" Wei asked.
"No. I did grow up being trained every single day, but the people I used my skills on weren't ginormous and bloodthirsty. So it really surprised me."
"Ohh, I see. Well, that explains that…"
Theo hesitated, then asked—skeptical, unsure, but also a bit admiring, "How… how did you kill that monster with just one swing anyway? And the sword you bought—I'm pretty sure it's nothing special. It's common throughout that city. Most people say it's a scam."
"Well, I've been fighting and killing monsters since I was, what, eleven?" Wei said. "You do know where you are, right? And the sword might be a scam, sure, but I'm pretty sure I get what it's about. I asked first—they said it reflects one's power or something. I forgot the rest of what that man said… but anyway, it's not really a scam. It's just that most people who buy it probably aren't strong, so the sword just reflects them."
"You've been fighting them since you were twelve…?" Theo thought, Just what kind of life did he have…? Then he spoke again, "I don't really know exactly where I am right now, but I know I'm in the Borderlands. After running and running yesterday, I lost track—and even lost my map. But you're right about the sword. It did say it reflects one's power."
"Yeah, well, don't be surprised… you're in the middle of the Borderlands." Wei scratched the back of his head again, almost skeptically.
"This is the middle…?" Theo looked around, thinking, Why does it look… welcoming…?
Wei stretched. "Yeah. And, well—" He paused, wondering if he should say it. But he decided to anyway. "Me and my uncle… we're outcasts."
Theo looked up. Wei couldn't meet his eyes—afraid that revealing this would make Theo treat him like others had before. But he still took the risk. They were in the Borderlands anyway. Plus sooner or later he'll find out.
But instead of disgust or fear, Theo's eyes widened—bright, almost excited, like he'd just discovered something new. "You're an outcast… I see."
He looked away, but it wasn't rejection. If anything, it felt like the opposite.
Theo's thoughts raced. 'So that's why he lives here. I thought they were just runaway slaves. But a slave wouldn't be able to take down a monster like that. And outcasts… they're supposed to be dangerous, unstable, bloodthirsty criminals. But these two… aren't even close. Has everyone been wrong? Could it be that not every outcast is actually cruel or evil…?'
Wei's thoughts mirrored it. 'He's not reacting like people normally do… what is up with this dude? He's so weird...'
"So, Theo," Wei said, "when you say you 'have nowhere to go,' why were you traveling in the first place?"
Theo hesitated, but eventually sighed and gave in. "I ran away."
"OHH?! You ran away!? From where? And why?"
Theo looked off to the side but answered anyway. "From my grandparents' house. I just wanted to experience new things."
"Ohh, so that's why…"
"..Come to think of it you're pretty open... I just ask you whatever even the ones you sure you shouldn't be saying to strangers you just outright say them..." Wei said looking at him flatly.
Theo said nothing for awhile, "...I just thought you would be curious. You also told me who you are. I know what outcasts are, but you saved me yesterday, you even took me home and helped me with my injuries. If you really intended to hurt me then you would've just left me to die. As for your other motives... whatever it may be as long as it's not against my will or is too far, I would give it, or do it for you. I owe you my life anyway."
Wei just looked at him conflicted, he didn't say anything more neither did Theo.
After that, the conversation fell quiet—because really, what else were two people who didn't know how to make friends supposed to do?