OUR SPOT // SkepHalo

Chapter 1

Warning: Mention of theft, mention of illness

     Zak hummed a tune, tossing the little bag of coins between his hands. It was finally payday, after days of starving himself and spending wisely, at last he could afford to put some meat on his bones. His boss had tipped him a little extra as well, just to add a cherry to the cake.

     The marketplace was bustling with people. Most were getting off from work and browsing the shops, but some seemed to be in a hurry to get nowhere at all. If you weren't careful, there was the occasional pickpocket, but that's just how life was.

     The capital city of the Kingdom of Trimid was called Ekaport, named after the famous fleet of ships that had first colonized the land. It was nothing special, but it was exactly as you'd expect a capital to be; crowded, diverse, and full of mean-spirited humans. People from all over the world would trade with Ekaport, usually resulting in immigrants from kingdoms across the globe. Zak's family was actually from a little kingdom just north of Trimid.

     The current king was a good one, with a good reputation and a fine use of his power. People often liked to call it the Golden Age because of how much the kingdom's wealth was improving. Poverty rates were going down and their were more jobs than ever!

     Or so you would hear...

     Zak had turned 16 just earlier that year, and he already was forced to have two jobs to support his family. His mother was too weak to work and his father could only balance so much. His sister was to be married soon, and that was a celebration they were all looking forward to. Secretly, Zak was excited to have one less mouth to feed.

     As the boy passed by a stall, he eyed the expensive jewelry with disgust. There was no point in having those stalls, only royals could afford such luxuries nowadays, and they would never come down to the market. They thought too highly of themselves. Sometimes, for fun, Zak would imagine what a royal snob would do if they suddenly had to work two jobs to stay alive. Skip sleep to fit in more hours. Do house work and chores. Sometimes, it made him smile to think that he could do things they could not.

     " Fresh bouquets! Freshly picked, straight from the garden," a nearby store-owner called. Zak eyed the selection, grimacing a bit at the sight of a happy couple browsing it.

     Every couple Zak saw felt like they were making a mockery of him. He had never felt something as deep as love, or as pure as a crush. Not even lust. Girls just never caught his eye, even when he was in schooling with a few nobles' daughters. He yearned to fall head over heels for someone, maybe even to have his heartbroken. He decided something was better than nothing at all.

     It was only a few years until he turned eighteen himself, and then he would be expected to marry. For now, though, he would enjoy being single, and he would enjoy needing no one at all. Mentally, Zak made a note of how much he could spend right then. He still needed money for the family and other necessary items, so he couldn't go crazy.

     He separated the coins in his head, planning out how he would spend every last cent. He would have two silvers to spend on his little endeavors and the rest would go towards food, clothing, and bills. While he was thinking, he paused in front of a fruit stand. The apples taunted him, and the man running the stand began to notice his interest.

     The man picked up an apple and held it out, the glint of a possible sale shining in his eye. Zak's stomach grumbled audibly, causing his ears to heat up out of embarrassment. Gingerly, the boy took the apple, trying to seem like he wasn't has eager as he was. " That'll be three silvers!"

     Zak's eyes widened out of shock, and he nearly dropped the apple. " What?! Why so expensive?!"

     " There's a famine up north and my farm is donating, I've had to raise my market prices to account for the sales lost," the man explained tiredly. " Now, three silvers."

     " I don't have three silvers," Zak mumbled. The man rolled his eyes and gestured to the bag.

     " You seem to have a lot more than just three, this'll be nothing, kid," he insisted. The dark-haired male debated with his inner demons. He badly wanted the apple, but he couldn't afford to be one silver down when it came to bills. He sighed and moved to return the apple to its pile. The man grabbed his wrist, stopping him. " Nah, you can't put it back. Your filthy hands have been all over it."

     " What?! Can't you just wash it!" Zak yanked his hand from the man's grip, still clutching the unwanted fruit.

     The man shook his head. " Kid, there's an illness going around, I can't simply wash sickness away. Now, are you going to buy the apple, or do I have to get the guards for stealing?"

     Zak gaped, horrified that such a horrible salesman existed. He couldn't even sell his products legitimately, so he had to rope naïve buyers in and trap them?! Oh, if the boy wasn't so much smaller than the man, he would fight him right there in the market. " I don't have three silvers!"

     " Guards it is," the man said nonchalantly, as if that wouldn't screw up the younger man's life until the end of time. The salesman drew in a breath, about to shout for all to hear. And who would they believe? A shop owner, or a scrappy little kid?

     Suddenly, Zak jumped at the feel of a hand on his shoulder. He almost thought it was a guard, but the grip was too soft. Someone dropped a small bag of coins on the ground at the man's feet. Zak turned slightly, but the face of the new man was blocked by his hood. " Make it two apples, keep the change."

     The shop owner's eyes widened, and he picked up the bag, counting out the coins. " Ten silvers?!"

     Zak's mouth fell open and he glanced between the stranger and the salesman. The grumpy old scammer quickly pocketed the money and handed the man a second apple. With a nod of his head, the hooded man led the boy away. Once they rounded the corner into an alleyway, Zak scrambled away from the man.

     The stranger's hood cast a shadow over his face. Zak sighed, deciding he probably shouldn't be too wary of someone who just paid off a scam artist. However, he was still careful. This town was high in crime. One minute someone would help you buy an apple, the next they're mugging you to make up for any money they lost in the exchange. But he would still give him the benefit of the doubt.

     " Thank you for that back there." The dark-haired male rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly. Zak flinched as the man stuck out his hand suddenly. Slowly, the boy reached over and shook it, surprised by the strength behind the man's grip. " I'm Zak."

     The stranger reached up and pulled back his hood. The boy sucked in a breath, surprised to find a kind-faced boy not much older than he. There was a stunning smile on his face and eyes as green as the trees. " Hi, Zak!"

     Zak blinked, severely confused. Not moments ago, this guy had been the most intimidating person on the street, with a deep voice and an aura of authority. Now, he was standing before him, biting into an apple and grinning like an idiot. " I'm Darryl!"

     " Uh, okay. That's cool," Zak said, struggling to think of anything to say. " Well, I really appreciate that, I'll have to pay you back some other time though-"

     Darryl waved his hand, shrugging. " Nah, don't worry about it. It's only a few silvers."

     " Right," Zak hummed, holding his own apple as if it were poisoned. Darryl finished off his happily.

     " So, where were you headed after this," the stranger asked, tossing the core into a nearby trash can. " I'll walk you there."

     " Thanks, but I'm fine," the boy responded, turning to go. " You've helped me enough, I don't want to trouble you more."

     He started to walk away when suddenly, Darryl gripped his wrist a little too tightly, causing the boy to yelp. " Ow, what the heck?!"

     He looked over his shoulder and froze. Darryl's soft face had hardened and his eyes could turn anyone to stone.

     " It wasn't a suggestion."