The man stares at Kami while Kami turns himself slowly around and looks at the man's eyes, no one else inside the bar reacts.
''I asked you whether you're not too young to be drinking that rum...'''
''I think I'm old enough, thank you.'' Kami smirks while grabbing the glass in attempt to snatch it back.
''You don't look that old to me.''
''I said I'm old enough. I really appreciate your concern, but I'll be fine. Thank you.''
The soldier looks around the room and smirks he slowly approaches to his ear and whispers to his ear. ''I think you're not getting who's in control of the situation here. Here's an idea, look at your surroundings and see the difference between you and I.''
Kami looks at him and then goes to take a sip of his rum, and drinks it. The soldier slaps the whole drink out of his hand and the rum spills on his face and some on the table. The fluid runs down the table and slowly starts dripping towards the ground.
''You don't get to disrespect me by drinking that, after I've told you not to drink it.'' The soldier's expression now changed, and he looks visibly looks upset.
''You know, that actually tasted good... You just ruined my first experience of drinking of the best drink known to man, and you want to talk about disrespect?'' Kami gets up from his chair and looks at the soldier dead in his eyes.
The two of them look into each other and then a sudden interruption by someone walking in at the door. The man swings the door open, and everyone's attention goes towards him, he drags his feet inside the bar.
His eyes bagged and barely open, his walk unbalanced yet he doesn't give the impression that he'll fall over, and his clothes all ripped and old. His skin black from him not washing and a person wouldn't be able to tell what his real complexion, and as soon as he walked in the bar his stench covered the whole place.
He drags himself forward and finally makes it towards the bar table. ''The usual please. And I'd like to buy another one for the kid as well.''
Both Kami and the soldier stare at the man, and Kami takes his seat again next to the man. ''Thanks man, I really appreciate that.'' Kami smiles.
''No problem kiddo.'' He shows Kami the thumbs up.
The soldier approaches the man and suddenly presses the man head against the counter; he repeatedly hits it on the table. ''Hey! Can't you see I'm trying to have a talk with this kid about drinking at such a young age?''
''Hey! Come on if the kid wants to drink let the kid drink.'' The man chuckles after being pounded on the table.
''You make me so fucking sick, you damn rat. Why don't you go back to the sewers where you belong.'' The soldier spits before removing his hand from the man's head and wipes his hand off his pants in disgust. ''You make me sick.''
''Come on man, I'm still better than a rat. I might be a drunk, but I'd never do something a rat would do. Right Sergeant Silva?''
The drunk looks towards Sergeant Silva who is the big soldier sitting on the table. Silva doesn't answer him and doesn't even look at his way, but the drunk man starts laughing anyways. The soldier that was bullying him walks off pissed and goes to back at his table.
''So kid, what's ya name?'' The man asks.
''Kami Van Hellsin.'' He smiles. ''What's yours?''
Silva who never looked at Kami once finally turned his eyes towards him and Kami felted it, and Kami could feel his big bodily presence hovering over the whole room. But Kami doesn't pay any mind to him and focuses on the drunk man.
''Me... I'm Zhi Lushen. A man only known and focused on drinking.'' He laughs.
''Let's drink to that!''
''Exactly!''
They laugh and start drinking the rum offered by the bartender and they drink while laughing at the jokes and story they tell one another. They finally decide to leave the bar while holding their bottle and walk along the streets. Both of them hanging on each other's shoulders.
''Old man Lu! Old man Lu! guess what?'' Kami laughs, drunk as he can be.
''What is it kid?!''
''That Mason guy was right; you do stink like a rat!'' He laughs.
''Hey stupid! he didn't say that I stink like a rat. He said I am one!'' He laughs.
''Maybe he was right!! Haha!''
They walk unapologetically through the streets of Pheonix, with nothing in the streets but them with their broken voices singing through the silent streets. Breaking the awkward silence with their boldness, they walk until they finally arrive at an alley way where there's a cardboard box and Lushen drags Kami to sit with him on the box.
At this time, Ava is busy looking through a clothing store where she tries on a scarf. She takes it off and puts on another one, she compares the one she wore before and the second one. She finally decides to choose the first scarf; that's a blend between both red and brown.
She covers her neck with it and walks towards the register and offers the woman the money. She hands over 80 quills for the scarf and the woman smiles as her eyes shine towards the money.
''Thank you, ma'am! Thank you so much.'' The woman bows multiple times while thanking her.
''It's okay. I just bought what's in the store.''
''Thank you very much.''
The woman keeps thanking Ava as she walks out the store, and Ava feels weird from her behavior, but she feels the woman's gratitude. She walks out and before going out she turns around.
''Oh, I meant to ask, do you know where I could clean my gravetread?''
''No ma'am, most of the places around here have closed down. They're out of business.''
''Out of business? Okay thank you.''
Ava walks out and looks both way at the street, and she realizes how quiet it is. Even the citizens of the kingdom aren't outside which that she has considered very weird ever since she arrived at this kingdom.
She looks around and also notices how there's a Grand Mason base in the middle of the kingdom. She looks at it and thinks about how weird it is that a Grand Mason would be at the middle of the kingdom.
Why is there Grand Mason base there? Where's the Warsaw building supposed to be if the base is there?
''Where's the money?!''
Ava looks where the noise is coming from, she sees a yellow uniformed Mason soldier speaking to a civilian.
''This isn't enough! Give me the rest!'' The soldier shouts
''I'm sorry sir but that's all we have.''
''How will we be able to protect you against bandits if you can't pay! Huh?!''
The man looks down. ''It's been three years sir; the bandits haven't come back. I don't know why you would still want our money.''
''You and this again.'' The soldier slaps the man, to the point where he falls. ''And who do you think is keeping them away!''
Ava stares at the soldier as he abuses the man in front on his family.