The Arena finally had room to breathe, and the crowd that had squeezed out air between each other left earlier. Aegis rubbed his nose as he no longer smelled the sweat in the air. Ananke's fight was spectacular, but the fights that followed were nowhere near it.
The fighters that came after him were low-level fiends; they lacked proper armour and weapons. Few even carried Makeshift armour, as such, the audience in the stands felt bored. This repeated a few more times before a large audience left.
Aegis, however, had a frown plastered on his face as he circled his finger on the railing. He thought Ananke saw him in the crowd,
Was it only a coincidence?
Ananke soon turned back and left the battle pit. Aegis was dumbfounded. His arm halted mid-air as Ananke left.
Why did he turn?
Aegis now leaned onto a railing and cursed his luck.
"My luck is truly playing with me."
He always thought his luck was teasing him, but the past few days made him believe it was truly on his side, until now. Aegis sighed as he scratched his head, mumbling.
"I've wasted my coins!"
He banged the pillar beside him in frustration. Aegis leaned for a few more minutes before heading out. Not every day can be his. With his head down, he walked out of the Arena gate. He lifted his head only after reaching the final step.
Well, it is better than being beaten up.
His steps carried him forward, away from the arena. The streets were busy as always, and the two suns were now a little bit higher than they were when Aegis stepped out. Aegis walked down the stone road, his steps moving aimlessly.
The city of Pitt was no less than a lively labyrinth, as every turn had a vendor. The black-grey building had minimal golden lacquer along the borders, as he was in the mid-city. The alleys were dark as always, inciting fear in beggars and powerless residents.
But to Aegis, it was just another useful corner. He used those alleys to travel. It would save him time. He kept circling a section of the city aimlessly. The vendor on a particular street gave him a disgusted look as he passed the first time. But when Aegis passed for the tenth time, his gaze turned more confused.
For a normal resident, he was probably a crazy cambion who was circling the city. Unless Aegis approached them, he knew he was safe. But Aegis knew he was not crazy, as he was planning.
What now? I can only go to the quarry.
He kept walking, and the faces around him changed each time as he reached the same vendor. The vendor's gaze was fixed on him.
Aegis ignored his gaze and kept moving.
But I cannot stay safe there. Anybody can harm me if they decide it is my time.
He kept walking through the same path until he finally saw the same vendor again. Aegis ignored the vendor's gaze again. He reached an alley as he walked, and a wave of rotten stench hit him. Aegis quickly covered his nose.
He grimaced and closed his eyes as the smell still lingered in his closed nostrils.
Kluck!
The fiends and other residents around him shared his expression, and they were disgusted, too. As soon as Aegis looked at them, his eyes widened as he realised.
…
A giant gate stood in front of Aegis as he reached the quarry, and the jagged edges on its arch were intimidating as he trembled a little. However, the strangers around him pinched their noses as they looked at him in disgust. They cursed as they passed him on their way.
He wanted to step in, but the rumour of the poor cambion's head replayed in his mind. Finally, he slapped his cheek and stepped into the quarry. As soon as he did, the guards near the gate pinched their noses. Each one of them grimaced as they saw Aegis.
Aegis willingly picked up a pile of filth in the alley; it was particularly smelly because whoever it belonged to did not digest their food. He was carrying filth in one of his pockets, but he took care that it was not the one with the purse.
As Aegis expected, the guard did not care much. They only wanted him to leave the area, and he obliged happily. He left the entrance and moved toward the quarters of Zerra. He did not want to roam around the quarry with shit in his pockets. As useful as it was as a repellent, if he stood long enough, it would attract someone's attention.
He finally reached the stone quarters and placed the small log of filth on the ground behind the quarters. Her quarters were a little isolated, as behind her quarters, a mountain of other quarters stood with wooden steps branching like a tree.
Aegis finally stepped into the stone room. Zerra always left the door open for him and Kaelran. She was also not afraid of her items being stolen, as she did not have any. Only a piece of red cloth and a portrait of an apple lay in the corner.
Aegis looked around. The room was dark, as it was made of stone. No corner had an opening for the light to creep in. A lone lantern stood on a makeshift table on the left wall of the room. In front of him, a straw bed issued to workers was present. He closed the door behind him and gently sat on it.
Even though Aegis could feel the tiny thorns of straw poking his hips. The feeling was not at all comparable to his useless, torn, bed bug-infested mattress. Aegis lay on it as he felt comfortable.
He stared at the dark ceiling, lost in thought. The darkness in here compared to his cellar was different. It felt peaceful. He could live here as a worker if he were a fiend.
Dreams.
He sighed, his body sank into the straw bed as he kept thinking.
What should I tell them?
Aegis knew it would be hard to convince his friends, especially Zerra. She always held them both, him and Kaelran, back if she sensed any danger. It was like his master, like he apologised on his behalf.
However, his lips curved downward. He apologised to punish Aegis the very next moment. His master had a use for him, that is, to take money from rich fiends and leave Aegis with them for a time.
Aegis hated it, but he couldn't stand up either. He simply took it in silence. But Zerra? She was different, even though she teased him and hit him. Her hits never hurt, and her comments never reminded him of his miserable life as a slave.
This was the difference between Zerra and his master, and she did not expect anything from him, unlike his master. It confused Aegis, after all, who expects nothing in the domain of greed?
Even Kaelran started working with a cambion like him for coins. So why did Zerra, a natural-born brawler, protect him without any reason? This always lingered in Aegis's head, even though he did not have an answer for it.
He tried asking her the very same question, but her answer changed every time, or she ignored it. So Aegis stopped asking and simply accepted her.
I cannot lie to them, I'll lay out everything.
Aegis lied to everyone else except his fiend friends. He either told his friends half-truths or he was completely honest. There was no instance of him lying after they grew close throughout his younger years.
However, before he could reminisce. The door groaned as it opened, and a girl covered in sweat entered. He lifted his head and looked at Zerra. She flinched as she spotted Aegis's slumped body on her bed.
Aegis smiled and waved as he spoke.
"Welcome home!"
Zerra was about to reply, but she sniffed. Instantly, her face tightened as she pinched her nose and screamed.
"You stink Aegis!"
Aegis frowned and spoke,
"Is that how you treat your guest? I came all the way here."
Zerra came close and hit his head gently,
"Why do you stink of filth?"
Aegis smiled again and replied,
"Because I carried filth. Call Kel too."
Zerra's eyes twitched, and her expression made her anger at his answer clear.
She left the room with her nose pinched and soon returned with Kel.
However, before both of them sat down, Kel reacted just as Zerra did,
"My Devil! You stink!"
Aegis frowned again,
These fiends.
Zerra took two wooden clips used to hang clothes and gave one to Kaelran, and both of them put them on their nose and sat beside Aegis.
Aegis's frown deepened, but it did not last, as he spoke.
"I had another dream."
Zerra looked at Aegis and said,
"Past?"
Aegis nodded as he returned her gaze.
She sighed and continued speaking,
"Is it another pouc-"
However, before she could finish, Aegis cut her off and spoke.
"Do you remember Deron the disgraced?"