Tirus Severia (Discontinued)

Chapter 5

"Woah! Hold on!" I exclaim, raising my wrist to prepare to defend myself with my golden bracelets.

"Who are you?" A tall, muscular man with shaggy black hair asks. His voice is intense and stern.

"Uhh... I'm Tirus, and I'm here because I hurt my leg." I show him my blood soaked leg.

"Tirus... where are you from?"

I look him in the eye. "Siren." I reply. That's not where I was born, I don't remember where I was born. But I live in Siren now, and that's my home.

"Siren..." He mumbles. "Very well."

He lifts the gun from my head and reaches his hand out. "I'm Matzu."

I take his rough, dirty hand and he pulls me up. I wince in pain as I attempt to put weight on my injured leg.

"Layla, come have a look at this!" Matzu calls back into the shadows of the dark building. A tall, blonde haired girl steps out from the darkness. She has a kind face and warm, gray eyes.

Layla glances down at my leg and gasps. "Oh dear, how'd you get that?" Her voice is laced with a soft British accent.

"Rift Eater." I respond, sounding more prideful than I meant it to be.

"Sit." She instructs me. Layla bends down and rolls up my pant leg to reveal a large gash in my calf. She stares at it a moment, then looks around her shoulder.

Layla hesitates a heartbeat before calling out for help. "Usun, come here. And bring some Kiye herbs with you."

I hear some cluttering and banging before a small boy, only about 10, brings out a small case half full of leaves. The boy, which I assume is Usun, has brown hair down to his neck and intense green eyes.

"Good." Layla approves as she takes the case from Usun's hands. She opens it and removes some leaves, then places them on my wound. At first it stings, then it begins to feel soothing. "Thanks." I sigh.

"You owe us." Matzu says. He's standing in the corner watching us.

"I don't have anything." I say, holding out my hands as if to prove my point.

Matzu glares at my bracelets. "We've taken you in and healed your leg. We'll even let you stay the night and feed you if you give us those bracelets."

"No!" I exclaim, holding my wrists. "I have nothing I'm willing to pay you." Matzu raises his hands in frustration.

"You should've said that before we used our healing herbs on you! Do you know how rare those are here? Listen, Tirus..." Matzu rubs his temples. "You need to pay us something. We're not letting you leave until you do."

"Then we have a problem." I shoot back.

I glance over at Layla and Usun, who are sitting quietly, not moving. The glass case of herbs sits idle by Layla's side. "She could pay us in work." Layla mutters. "That seems like her only option." Matzu agrees.

I cringe. "What kind of work? And how long will it take for my leg to fully heal?" My wound already feels better, but I'm afraid if I put too much pressure on it, it will open up again. "A couple hours, but don't put it too hard at work." Layla replies.

Matzu looks out the window I'd come in through. "Can you fight?" He asks me. I nod, and a mischievous glint sparkles in his eye and the edges of his mouth are raised into a small smile. "Tirus, I think I have just the job for you..."