Fate's Reluctant Heroes

“Away with you, now! Don’t be pulling anything like that again, or I’ll be calling for the guards!” screamed the shopkeeper at Acacius, who was scrambling up from the ground. “Oh, come on! It was only three royals! He didn’t even notice they were gone!” Acacius screamed back at the shopkeeper. The shopkeeper glared at him with disgust and slammed the door to his shop. Acacius pulled his cloak close to him as he shot one last venomous look at the shop. All he owned were the clothes on his back and a small green satchel slung around his shoulder. His clothes were torn and rustled up from street living. He could have used an extra three royals.             "Why am I stuck here?” he muttered to the sky. "I sure as heck didn’t want to be here." His mind wandered back three years, to when he had been fourteen years old. His house was ablaze, and he could see the faces of his parents burning inside the window. He never saw his sister with them, and he was never sure if she made it out or not. He was saddened by the thought he never got to say goodbye to his family. He had tried to run in and help them. Though, the last thing he remembered was a wave of blackness washing over his consciousness. He shook his head to clear his thoughts and started the trek towards the inn his friend, Tom, owned. He saw the collapsed buildings that littered the outside of the capital, Fortuna. They created a grey and dull atmosphere around the city. They had all collapsed three years ago during an earthquake. The same day his house had burned. “And they call this the land of Fortune,” he muttered.             He continued past the ruins to the inner part of the city, which had tall structures that made up eighty percent of the city. He could see the grandeur and size of a city that had hundreds of thousands of people living in it. The poor were very obviously poor, wearing nothing but grey rags and living together in large numbers. The rich flaunted their wealth in their bright clothes and fancy houses or carriages. Acacius grew used to the disparity, but still wished to live in a world that was fairer. He looked up and saw the bright blue sky and felt the stifling air of a crowded city. Soon the shadow of a building came over him, and he saw the Barnes Inn. “Hey, Acacius! How’d the training with Nicolas go?” called Tom cheerfully from the counter. “Well Tom, I didn’t actually go…” replied Acacius. Tom got a serious look on his face, “You weren’t out stealing again, were ya?” Acacius couldn’t quite look up to meet Tom’s eyes, pretty easy for him since he's a head shorter than the average person. “You know Nicolas wants to be a knight!” said Tom, “He wants it more than anything, and if you want to make a living in this world, you should too. That means more training!”  “Yeah, I know. But, I wouldn’t get in anyway, a little pipsqueak like me. Besides, I wouldn’t be able to make enough money to last until I became a knight.” Acacius knew that his friend Nicolas wanted to be the supreme knight of Faton. It was the highest and most honorable title a knight could achieve. Nicolas’s parents had died around the same time as Acacius’s family. Nicolas, however, had an inheritance, and he was using that to become a knight. Acacius hoped to join Nicolas on his journey to become a knight, but he hadn’t made much progress in the matter.             He was lost in thought when he overheard one of the locals in the bar. “Did you hear about that story over in Sumar? They say a strange man came through the town there. He stayed at an inn and kept talking about looking for someone and was threatening the customers. The next morning, the whole place was burnt to a crisp and the only a couple escaped, mumbling about a crazy fire man.” The man across from him responded, “I wouldn’t want to run into that feller. They’ve even put a bounty on his head for ten thousand royals.” Suddenly, Acacius had a great idea. “Tom! I know what we can do to help Nicholas!” Tom shot him a worried look, “I know that face. You can’t be serious?” “Yeah! Nicholas and I could chase down this guy and get the bounty! We’ll be rich and get practice, all while taking down the criminal.” Tom shook his head, “You haven’t got a clue of this shady character’s skill. You don’t even know what he looks like, or where to look.” Acacius’s mind was already too far into his plan, “I can ask the town people in Sumar about him…Hey, could I borrow ten silver?” “What do ya need ten silver for?” “Food and travel.” “Now see here, Acacius…” “You know Nicholas will agree with me. We’ll be off, with or without money”             Tom finally consented and lent him ten silver. Acacius gratefully grabbed the coins, thanked Tom, and hopped out of the Barnes Inn. He knew Nicolas lived on the edge of the city. He also knew that this would be the last time he would see the city for a long time. He dashed across the streets, laughing, finally having a chance to truly go out into the world.