In a pub that was half empty in the third sector, In a table of four two were seated, all men dressed poorly.
The barkeeper cleaned the cups and the waitress cleaned the empty tables as a man walked in
[groaning] "my back aches" the man came to join them to make them three. "If you both don't mind." He said as he dropped his head down on the table to rest.
His apparel was that of a worker with his hair wrapped over by cloth and his beards looked unkept, he looked unfed and overworked and he was slouched.
"Ah Jake, you've been frequenting these parts a lot more lately." one of the men sitting beside him said glamorously, he was very muscular.
"The construction has been exponentially faster of recent, hardly take breaks need to work the hours for sally you know." The man named Jake replied.
"You and your big words..., and Sally, how's she doing" the other beside Jake asked.
"She's growing up well, will be twelve in a few days." He had a soft smile on his face. "Little lass wants me to take her to the capital for her birthday.
I've been doing my best, but when does trying become poison…in the end I have to do everything in my power.
Waiter, one cup of the good stuff if you will-" Jack said.
One of the men interrupted. "Waiter! get Jacky a few, on me!."
"And also some soup, that's on me." The other man said as he wrapped his arm around Jake's shoulder.
"Jenny, add some more meat that's on me." A woman from another table said.
Jake turned to them all with an appreciative smile. "Thanks you all, he said as he teared up."
A man walked in to the bar during their conversation, he sat in front of the counter.
He wore a long black coat and black trousers, the sleeves of his coat dangled as he wasn't utilising them since his arm was beneath them.
And his collar went up all the way to cover around his mouth region, and to top it off he had a black hat on his head.
The man held a newspaper in his hand, of which he was going through the contents, the title on the back was bold. [The new world, or the lies of the heretics.]
Eyes turned to him, he was suspicious like a white sheep in the midst of pigs, he could feel them but chose to ignore the constant stares.
–
"I've been considering joining the army or the watchers, they say the pay is at an all time high currently." Jake said.
"No don't even go there, that place is a mess now.
The pay is that high because it's dangerous now, wether it be the watchers or army." The muscular man said.
"It's guaranteed that it's going to be a mess.
But considering the way the world currently is I'd take the risk, and I need a lot of cash." said Jake as the waiter served him the food.
"And what do you mean by sure death, I'm a bit out of the loop." Jake scoffed. "... actually not he muttered."
"Have you heard of 'the new world?'" the man asked.
"..." Jake shook his head in refutal. "What of it?" Jake asked.
"It's the fastest people have ever turned their back on the brave I'll tell ya!" The other man at the table said as all eyes turned to him, gazes with nothing but knives in their eyes.
"Don't mind my friend over here, he's a bit drunk." The muscular man said and.
"Tch…" [slam!] "You wouldn't!...unde…stand a thing." He stood up and stepped out of the pub clumsily he was indeed drunk.
"The army came back from their outing a couple of days ago, maybe a week now, and then they started sprouting rubbish.
Like how the land outside the empire is different, they said a lot about the world outside.
It has been the hottest topic in recent days." The man said with a smile on his face.
"I've heard some things and I don't find that hard to believe considering the creatures that now plague our walls.
And the light that is now gone to save our world albeit poetic even if it didn't save us from anything at least it saved us from the religion forming to worship it.
A few more weeks of that and many more might've been brainwashed." Jake replied with his mouth full as he downed the food.
"Then why'd you say you hadn't heard a thing, well the one I want to talk about isn't what we heard from them…" the man was speaking frantically. "It's what people saw from them.
They said they used witchcraf and sorcery before their eyes." The man said.
"What?!" The spoon dropped from Jake's mouth. "Witchcraft?"
"Do you remember the voice from that day?
The one that everybody heard at once, it said something about aether, they said that's what the sorcery is, even the heaven on earth was using it and they threatened to kill everyone there." The man said as Jake stared at him, his words were all so jarring.
[Slam!] The suspicious man at the front of the counter slammed his hand on it.
The barkeeper behind it squirmed.
"That's my payment, thanks for the drink." The man said as he walked out of the pub with some papers in hand.
The barkeeper's eyes gleamed at the coins of gold. "Sir these are too much." Before he could finish speaking the man was already out.
"What was that all about" The muscular man said.
"Thanks for everything" Jake said as he stood up, cleaning his hand with his sleeve, he now reached for his pocket.
"You're done already, come you just came in." The man said.
"Need to get back to work immediately, I've already gotten the gist of things, no way in the blue sky am I going anywhere near the army.
I had my thoughts on joining the emergency draft in some weeks but it's gone, they said this time it's a much larger group than the last time.
I'm definitely not going anymore…" Jake said as he put four papers on the table.
"So you already knew of everything, you scandalous man." The man said to Jake, he looked at the paper. "And what are these."
"I'm in need for some quick cash, they say they're rewards for just spotting them.
Seen any?" Jake asked.
"Don't look like any I've come across, and doesn't that one look a bit like you?" The man asked.
"Unfortunately it does, but it helps since you can just look for a person that looks like me with red hair.
We'll share the rewards please." Jake pleaded while pointing at the black hair sticking from the cloth wrapped around his head.