Zeltara marched over to the two teenage boys who had run into her. The blond was holding a girl by the collar while the brunette raised his arm to strike her. First they heckled her, and now they wanted to beat somebody else up? She was going to give them a piece of her mind and then some. She stopped several feet away from the teens. Just as Zeltara was getting ready to yell at them, a voice from behind her interrupted.

  “Just what do you thugs think you’re doing? Harassing a girl like that in broad daylight? You should be ashamed of yourselves.” Zeltara, along with the other three, turned to see who had spoken. A teenage boy with tanned skin, brown hair, and red eyes stood before them. He wore quality upper-class clothing along with a noble amulet. The symbol on the amulet seemed familiar to Zeltara, but she didn’t think about that now. All in all, a total rich kid. One from a noble family to boot. He walked over to stand beside her and glared at the blond and brunette.

  “This isn’t any of your business, kid. Just walk away if you don’t want any trouble. Besides, omen girl here deserves what’s coming to her,” the brunette said. Zeltara’s attention snapped back to the two. Righteous anger returned to her.

  “The only thing deserved here is a smack around for you two. First you knock me over and insult me, then you try to beat up some girl. Just who do you think you are?” The two teens turned their attention to her. With a sneer, the blond let go of the girl and turned towards her.

  “Just like an elf to butt in where they don’t belong. Don’t think we forgot about you. Once where done with the omen here, we’ll get you next,” the blond said. Rich kid takes a step towards the two. He had an easy grin and raised his hands disarmingly.

  “There’s no need for this to come to blows. We’re all rational people here. Just let the girl go and we can all go on our way.” Zeltara found it strange someone could sound both pompous and genuine at the same time, but the rich kid somehow managed it. Nobody had that accent without coming from an affluent background. Meanwhile, the blond let go of the girl, and both older teens turned towards them.

  “Oh, there’s plenty of need here, kid. You don’t seem to realize who we’re dealing with here. The Omen deserves some roughing up for what she did,” the brunette said. The blond girl watched the four of them warily. Seeing the attention on the rich kid, Zeltara made a small motion with her head, telling the girl to leave. She then turned back to the teens and grabbed their attention.

  “What, did she stand too close for your general vicinity? Or perhaps you‘re jealous that she seems to have a brain between her ears, unlike you two.” Zeltara figured it would be best to get them angry enough to ignore the blond girl.

  “Are you calling us stupid?” the blond demanded. Zeltara gave crossed her arms and smirked. They were making this too easy for her.

  “So you figured that out? Jeez, took you long enough. I can hear your brains struggling to form a coherent thought from here. Sounds like a bunch of grinding gears.” Before they could exchange more insults, the rich kid then moved in between them. He faced the two teenage boys.

  “Why don’t you two just walk away? There’s no need to escalate this.” He then turned to Zeltara and fixed her with a stern stare. “And there’s no need to act so hostile. You don’t need to stoop to their level.” The rich kid’s reprimand surprised her. Wasn’t he on Zeltara’s side?

  “You think you can stand there and insult us? You’re just a knife-eared, Dema-cursed, null. Why don’t you just scurry off and die in the mud like the rest of your race,” the blond spat out. Zeltara had to hold back a flinch in bewilderment at the vitriol. She was used to insults, but getting cursed out was uncommon. The rich kid had a look of shock on his face. His hands tightened into fists as he once again rounded on the two teens.

  “How dare you call her such sacrilegious names? You bring shame to yourselves by acting in such a manner. I don’t know what your problem is, and I don’t care to know. Leave these two alone or you’re going to have to deal with me.” Zeltara wasn’t the only one surprised by his staunch support, based on the looks of the two teens. It wasn’t often that someone would defend her in that way. Still, that left her and the rich kid facing off against the two teens. The four seemed at an impasse, with no one making a move.

  The girl finally seized the opportunity presented by slowly moving away. Unfortunately, the blond kept half an eye on her as he grabbed her by the wrist before she got too far. He pulled her back towards him. “Don’t think you can run away now, omen. I believe it’s time to pay you back for my foot.” He raised his hand to strike her, but before he could, the rich kid grabbed his arm.

  “I told you that-” he was interrupted when the brunette came over and sucker punched him across the face. The rich kid backed away, clutching his cheek while the brunette pursued. Zeltara took the opening provided and socked the blond across the face. He let go of the girl and swung back. She dodged back and brought her fists up.

  Behind the blond, Zeltara can see the rich kid and brunette exchanging blows. She couldn’t tell who was winning. The girl took advantage of the brawl and started to sneak away again. A narrowly blocked punch brought her attention back to the fight at hand. She tried to jab the blond, but he blocked her. He countered with a wide right hook that she ducked underneath. Zeltara took the opportunity and kicked him in the gut. The blond backed away with a grunt, and Zeltara pursued to take advantage. Unfortunately, he grabbed her wrist when she tried to punch and turned to throw her behind him. Zeltara stumbled, unable to catch her feet, and collided with the rich kid. They both tumbled to the ground. She and her new partner stood up and faced their opponents.

  “Hanging in there, rich kid?” Zeltara asked, giving him a smirk. At a glance, she saw he had a bruise forming on his cheek, likely from that hit at the beginning. The rich kid glanced back at her and grinned.

  “I’m doing just fine, friend. Now, let’s teach these miscreants a lesson.” The elf could only shake her head and wonder where this guy had learned to speak. Who used the word ‘miscreant’? They turned back to their opponents, who stood across from them with their fists ready. From the corner of her eye, Zeltara saw the blond girl still inching away. Soon she would be out of sight and make a clean getaway. Though the elf wondered just what was taking her so long. The girl could have sprinted away when she had the chance and been long gone.

  The brunette lowered his guard for a moment. He stared at the rich kid and said, “You know, I just recognized the family amulet that you’re wearing. I may not know anything about noble families, but almost everyone knows that symbol. You’re a Molinar, aren’t you?” The rich kid didn’t respond. Zeltara looked over at him and examined the amulet again. Now she knew where the familiarity came from. The winged hammer was clearly recognizable.

  “No wonder you stuck your neck out for them. The three of you belong to each other. A forsaken elf, a traitorous Molinar, and the omen girl herself. You all belong in the trash together,” the blond said. Both teenage boys began to laugh. She wondered about that last moniker. Omen was a title that supposedly carried dark connotations, but she couldn’t recall the specifics. Zeltara wondered just how that blond girl was stuck with it. Meanwhile, the newly revealed Molinar clenched his fists from the continued jeers. He looked over at her with concern. He was probably worried about her reaction. The elf gave him a reassuring smile before turning back to the other two.

  “So what? Do you think I care about who he is? It doesn’t matter whether he’s a Molinar, a beggar off the street, or the emperor himself. He’s here helping me take out two pieces of trash.” Molinar glanced over at her in surprise, but then stood with more bravado.

  “It figures you would say that, elf. Your race and his family are all the same. Worthless dregs who would be better off gone,” the blond mocked. Zeltara was about to fire back when Molinar held his hand out to stop her. He answered her questioning look with a confident grin.

  Molinar then stepped forward and said, “It doesn’t matter who or what she is. My companion here is fighting with me for what’s right. We’re going to take care of you two for attacking that girl and insulting our honor.” Zeltara smirked at the words. She was glad that he had returned her support.

  The brunette was quick to taunt. “What honor? You three are just pathetic losers no one wants to be around.” Zeltara steps forward to be beside Molinar and smirks at the two.

  “Well, if we’re a bunch of losers, then we might as well stick together, right? Besides, better to be losers than braindead failures like you two.” The two teens went red-faced at that.

  “Stop mocking us!” The blond ran forward and threw a punch at Zeltara, who evaded to the right. The brunette charged Molinar and tackled him to the ground. Zeltara kept retreating as the blond threw punch after punch at her. Maybe provoking them into a rage wasn’t the best idea. Each strike came closer to landing as she struggled to evade.

  Her luck ran out as the blond punched her across the face. She just managed to keep herself from falling. Zeltara swung back wildly, trying to get some breathing room. She hit his shoulder, but the off-balance blow didn’t faze him. The punch left Zeltara open to another blow that hit her right in the stomach. She gasped in pain, clutching her stomach. The blond took advantage and landed another strike across her jaw. This blow finally knocked her over as she stumbled back several feet and collapsed.

  Unfortunately, she left her equipment at home. If Zeltara had one of her inventions, she could turn this fight around. Alas, she had nothing but her fists to protect herself. The blond girl had at least escaped by now. It’d make sure the beating she was about to receive wasn’t in vain. Maybe Molinar was doing better than she was and could help soon. Zeltara just had to hold on for now. She looked up towards her opponent as he got closer. The blond stared down at her, chuckling.

  “Not much of a fight, huh knife ears? Now, how about I teach you a lesson you won’t forget?” He brought his leg back, aiming at her torso. Zeltara brought her arms and knees up to protect herself. Before he could kick her, the blond girl came up from behind him and hit him in the back of the head with a small rock. The blond collapsed to the ground, clutching his head and groaning in pain.

  Zeltara could only stare up in surprise at her unexpected savior standing over her. She thought the girl had taken to chance to leave. It was a good thing she didn’t, or Zeltara would be in a world of pain right now. The girl stepped past the blond on the ground and brought her hand out to help Zeltara up. Oddly, when she went to accept the help, the girl suddenly withdrew her hand and took a step back. Zeltara awkwardly stood up on her own. She didn’t let the interaction phase her as she walked up to the girl.

  She placed her hand on the blond girl’s shoulder and was about to thank her when the girl stepped out of reach. She said, “Don’t touch me.” Zeltara took a step back from her and raised her hands disarmingly.

  “Sorry about that. I just wanted to thank you for the help. You didn’t need to do that.” She gave the girl a reassuring smile, hoping to lower her guard. The girl shrugged in response as she looked away.

  Reading on this site? This novel is published elsewhere. Support the author by seeking out the original.

  Movement from behind the girl caught Zeltara’s attention. The blond stood up, clutched his head, and glared at them. He reached out to the unaware girl. Zeltara hurried past her and punched him right on the nose before he could do anything to her. He crumbled in a heap on the ground, unconscious.

  Zeltara turned back to the girl and with a smile remarked, “There, now we’re even.” The girl stood there with surprise on her face at first before settling back into a neutral expression.

  “Thank you.” She murmured so quietly that Zeltara almost didn’t hear it. She nodded at the blond girl with a grin before turning to look for the Molinar. He was a few dozen feet away, standing over the brunette in victory. He also appeared to be knocked out. Zeltara ran up to him, with the girl following behind.

  “Looks like you took care of business, huh rich kid,” Zeltara said as she nudged his arm. Molinar turned around, and she took in his appearance. He had a bruise on his cheek and some ruffled clothes. “Looks like you got out of that scrap just fine.” Better than she did, at any rate.

  Molinar had a big grin on his face as he said, “Indeed! He put up quite a fight, but stood no chance compared to my prowess and determination. Now, how did you fare? It looks like you achieved victory, though you are quite roughed up.” At those words, Zeltara felt the pain on her face as the adrenaline from the fight died down. The young elf didn’t manage as well as her companion did. She had a bruised cheek, a cut lip, and a black eye. She almost dreaded having to explain this to her father.

  Nonetheless, Zeltara gave a smile that matched Molinar’s. “Yeah, it was pretty tough. I’m not used to fighting a guy bigger than me. Thankfully, I had some help.” She turned and gestured to the girl who was standing silently. “If it weren’t for her, I would have been in a lot more trouble. She gave me the opening to punch that guy out.” They both turned to the girl. She flushed slightly from the praise and fidgeted under their gaze. She looked away from the two out of embarrassment.

  “Fantastic! I’m glad you two could achieve victory. Thank you for helping my companion here. Now, you’re not hurt, are you? They didn’t do anything before we got involved?” The girl shook her head in response. “Perfect! I’m glad we showed those thugs what happens when you attack the innocent.” Unable to wait any longer, Zeltara decided to inquire about something that had been bothering her.

  “Speaking of which, why did those two mess with you in the first place? They seemed pretty determined to beat you up. Did something happen to cause this?” The girl said nothing in response but tensed up at the last question. An uneasy silence hung between them for several moments. “Sorry, you don’t have to answer if you don’t want to.”

  The girl shook her head in response. “They live at the orphanage with me. I got them in trouble, and they didn’t like that.” There was a pause as Zeltara and Molinar waited for her to continue. She didn’t respond and only stared back at them.

  Molinar fake-coughed and stumbled to continue the conversation. “Well, how about we introduce ourselves? I would like to know the names of my new friends.” Molinar paused before saying, “If you want to be friends, that is. Sorry, I don’t mean to be presumptuous.”

  Zeltara gave the two a wide grin. “I would like that, actually. I’ve been pretty limited in friends myself. Not many people want to hang out with me.”

  “I know the feeling. It has been a challenge to find companionship. And to find people so kind. Not everyone would help someone in need.” Zeltara sheepishly shuffled a bit at the last part.

  “I didn’t exactly do it with helping her in mind. They knocked into me before, and I wanted to get payback. I don’t know if I would have intervened if it weren’t for that.” Zeltara hoped that this didn’t offend Molinar, but she didn’t want to stay quiet about it either.

  Thankfully, her fears were unfounded as Molinar reassured her. “Nonsense! You’re not giving yourself enough credit. You still helped her at a cost to yourself. Think about your actions instead of hypotheticals.” The girl nodded in agreement. Zeltara felt a hidden tension fall away at their reassurances.

  “Thank you for the words. It’s not often I get words of praise from strangers. I guess we should introduce ourselves. My name is-” a distant shout interrupted Zeltara before she could finish.

  The three looked to see a town guard jogging towards them. Zeltara turned and noticed the two teens still knocked out. She glanced at her two companions and realized how this might look with the three of them standing there. The guard may make assumptions about her and the Molinar. That’s not including the baggage Zeltara suspected the girl was carrying.

  Thinking fast, she grabbed her companions’ hands and pulled them into a run. Luckily, it seemed like her new friends got the idea and soon joined her. As they escaped, the guard shouted after them to stop. Zeltara let go of their hands and ran ahead to lead them. Turning her head back to them, she said, “Follow me! I’ll take us somewhere safe.” They could hide out at The Workshop if necessary. Molinar shouted back affirmatively as she led them into an alley.

  It took only a few winding turns to lose the guard. Zeltara assumed that a scuffle between kids wasn’t his highest priority. With the coast clear, the three slowed to a brisk walk. She continued to lead them through town towards her home. They kept an eye out for any potential problems, like more guards searching for them, but none appeared. After a few minutes, the three had reached her home. She turned to both of them and gestured toward the building.

  “Well, this is my home. If that guard is still looking for us, then he won’t find us here. My dad should be inside working right now. Just let me do the talking, and things should be fine. Though I’m sure he’ll not be happy when I try to explain this.” The girl examined the building while Molinar looked at her in concern.

  “Would that be problematic for you? There’s nothing nefarious about your father, is there?” The question surprised Zeltara until she realized what he was hinting at. She rushed to reassure Molinar.

  “Oh, it’s nothing like that at all. My father is a kind man, to be honest. It’s just that he is sort of a boring guy, is all. I’m expected to help him with work when I get back today. I just wanted to talk to him to get the rest of the day off. That, and he’ll worry about the bruising I suddenly have,” Zeltara said as she gestured to her face. Her explanation seemed to settle his worries.

  “Well, I’m happy to hear that your father is such a kindhearted man. Though I’m curious, what are you and your father’s professions?” Molinar asked. The girl turned back to them with a curious expression. It made Zeltara smile that both had an interest in their business. She never got to talk about this sort of thing with others.

  “My father and I are tinkers. Our workshop is actually on the first floor of the building. We fix all sorts of things, from furniture and clothing to weapons and mana tools,” Zeltara explained as she turned and walked to the front door. “Now come on, we can talk in my room. Our living space is on the upper floor.”

  Zeltara entered, followed by her new friends. The shop had no customers, but her father was working in the back. He turned to them at the sound of the door. Upon seeing his daughter, Kolidran made his way towards them.

  “Zeltara, you’re back early. Did something happen?” He came closer and got a better look at his daughter’s roughed-up appearance. “What happened to your face? You’re all bruised. Did someone attack you again?” Zeltara took a step forward. Behind her, she heard Molinar mumble to himself about her father’s last sentence.

  Zeltara was quick to ease her father’s concerns. “Hey Dad, I got roughed up a bit. Nothing too serious, though. Luckily, I had some help.” She moved a few steps to the side to reveal Molinar and the girl. “I made some new friends. They helped me out of a tight spot.”

  Kolidran’s response came out as a stutter. “Fine, but you’re... wait, friends? You don’t have any friends.” Rather rude of him, but Zeltara attributed it to surprise. Not like it wasn’t true, anyway. Besides, it was a lot to put on her father suddenly, which she was counting on.

  “Yeah, a couple of idiots were causing trouble. Luckily, my new friends were a great help. It probably would have been a lot worse if it weren’t for them. I know I was supposed to work for the afternoon, but could I hang out with them for the rest of the day? I just want to get to know them better. Please, Dad?” Zeltara put a pleading look on her face that her father could never resist.

  Kolidran, still off balance from the earlier shock, was quick to concede. “Sure, I wouldn’t want to get in your way of making friends. I suppose one day off won’t hurt anything. Go enjoy yourself. But Zeltara, we will be talking about this later.” Zeltara thanked her father and led the other two up into the living area. They walked through the hallway and went into her bedroom.

  “I’ll be right back. Just need to get something for the bruises on my face.” Molinar and the blond girl nodded as they curiously looked around her room. Zeltara made a quick trip to the bathroom to grab a wet cloth, healing salve, and bandage patches. She made her way back to her room in no time. When Zeltara walked in, she noticed the girl reading one of her history books while Molinar inspected her workbench.

  Both turned to look at her as Molinar said, “What a charming room you have. It has some rather fascinating contraptions and texts lying about. Though it is on the small side and rather messy for my tastes.” Molinar paused and realized what he had said. He rushed to correct himself. “Not that there are any problems with that. It’s just not what I am used to.”

  “It’s fine. I know that it’s a bit of a mess. I just wasn’t expecting guests today. Make yourself at home, okay?” Molinar calmed down when he realized he hadn’t accidentally offended her. Meanwhile, the girl came up and took the medical supplies from Zeltara. She motioned towards the bed. Surprised, Zeltara asked, “You want to patch me up?” The girl responded with a single nod. “Well, I appreciate it. It’s hard to do by myself when Dad isn’t around to help. It’s not the first time I’ve needed some bandages.” Zeltara sat on the bed as the girl began wiping the dirt off her face.

  Molinar’s expression turned serious as he asked, “You weren’t joking about what you said earlier, were you? People have attacked you in the past?” It surprised Zeltara that both of them cared about her health. They had just met, yet they seemed to care about her more than most people. Still, she wouldn’t leave her new friend to worry about her.

  She was nonchalant in her reply. “Nothing as serious as you might be thinking. Just some bullies messing around from primary school. It hasn’t happened since I graduated last year. Some people just have a problem with me and want to let me know.”

  Molinar turned away as he said, “I think I know the feeling.” The girl also nodded in response. A momentary silence passed as each took in the odd point of camaraderie between them. Zeltara then got things back on track.

  “So, to continue from where we were interrupted, how about we introduce ourselves? As you heard my father say, my name is Zeltara, and I’m thirteen years old. I’m a half-elf who works at this workshop.” The girl softly hummed in response as she continued to treat Zeltara’s face. Molinar spoke up next.

  “It is a pleasure to make your acquaintance, Zeltara. So, you are an elf then. I can’t say I’ve seen too many of your kind around town.” Zeltara tensed at his words and instinctively snapped back.

  “Are you going to have a problem with that?” Molinar, realizing he may have misspoke, rushed to correct himself.

  “Of course not. I’m always enthusiastic about meeting new people, no matter who they are. Although the opportunities to meet new people in Urada are rare.” Zeltara let out a sigh of relief at the hurried reassurance and blushed in embarrassment.

  “Sorry about that. A lot of people have of problem with elves around here. I guess I’m not used to positive reactions about it. Though I guess you would know something about that, Molinar?” This time, it was Molinar who became tense as he looked off in thought. Meanwhile, the girl finished patching up Zeltara, who felt the bandage on her cheek. She thanked the blond girl, who gave a nod and stepped away. Both turned back to Molinar, who was shuffling nervously.

  He finally spoke after a minute of silence. “Yes, I hail from the noble family of Molinar. My full name is Kaztos Molinar, and I am the age of thirteen. I’m a student at Urada Academy.” This was the most unsettled Zeltara had seen Kaztos since meeting him. It was a surprise, since he seemed to radiate confidence.

  “So, how are you related to Lilathos?” Zeltara asked. She had read enough history texts about the infamous man and couldn’t help her curiosity. That there was someone closely related to him right across from her was fascinating.

  Kaztos was hesitant in his reply. “Well, he was my great-uncle. My grandfather was his brother.” He seemed ready for her to rebuke him for the familial association. She could only imagine how much hate he gets for the mere association with such a man.

  Zeltara was quick to ease his worries. “Don’t worry about it. It doesn’t matter what family you come from. You’re still the same guy willing to jump in to help a stranger.” Kaztos perked up at this. The blond girl offered a soft smile in agreement. She was glad that he got his confidence back. Still, Zeltara couldn’t help herself and teased him. “You’re not so bad for a rich boy. Though you are full of hot air.” She punctuated the remark with a wink.

  Kaztos grinned at the teasing and responded in kind. “Unacceptable! Me, someone to make egotistical speeches? Such a slight to my honor. My words are as genuine as my actions, I promise you. I’m sorry that someone such as you has trouble understanding my sophisticated lexicon.” Zeltara couldn’t help but laugh at this, and Kaztos joined in with a hearty chuckle. To the surprise of both of them, the girl gave her own soft giggles as well.

  “You two are such idiots.” They both turned to her in surprise at the mocking words. Zeltara almost wanted to be offended, but knew the words were said in jest. Their gaze surprised the blond girl out of laughing. She stood rigid under their stares and was stone-faced.

  Kaztos asked, “Why don’t you introduce yourself to us? There’s no need to be nervous. We’ll value whatever it is you say.” The girl hesitated for a moment, but finally spoke.

  “I’m Saiya, almost 13 years old. I live at the Urada orphanage.” Once again, Saiya murmured her answer. The other two waited a moment to see if she’d say something else. When nothing more was said, Zeltara tried to encourage her.

  “Is there anything else you’d like to say about yourself? Any hobbies you have or things you enjoy?” Saiya seemed to think for a moment before responding.

  “I like to read.” It wasn’t much, but Zeltara jumped at the opportunity.

  “That’s a nice hobby. I like to read too. You were looking at my books earlier, right?” Saiya nodded. “Well, I have a fascination with history and myths. The past is just so exciting to me. I also like to invent things. It’s the reason my room is so messy. Sometimes there are mishaps that can’t be helped.” Saiya seemed to ease at Zeltara’s rambling. She seemed very shy, but the elf knew they just had to get to know each other better. Who knows, from the comment before, the girl seemed like the sarcastic type.

  Kaztos said, “I’m glad to hear about your curiosity about the ancient world. I personally enjoy reading political journals on occasion. I also enjoy familiarizing myself with family history. Although I devote most of my time to weapons training. It’s important to maintain good physical fitness.” Zeltara nodded with approval in response.

  “It’s good to hear a fellow history enjoyer. How about you, Saiya? What do you like to read?” Zeltara asked. Saiya was more relaxed as they kept speaking. Zeltara didn’t realize she was so tense until now.

  Saiya answered, “I enjoy medical journals and philosophy books. I also have a special interest in theocratic subjects.” While she still talked softly and to the point, Saiya was the most confident Zeltara had seen her so far. The elf tried to think of something else to ask to have her open up more.

  “So, why did those two guys call you an omen before? The term sounds familiar, but I don’t really keep up with town gossip.” She immediately knew this was a mistake when Saiya visibly closed up again and looked away.

  “I don’t want to talk about it.” Zeltara hid a wince at the dismissal and chastised herself for pushing too much. She should have known better. Zeltara raised her hands in surrender, hoping to salvage the conversation.

  “Sorry, I didn’t mean to be insensitive. I’ve been told that I’m too curious for my own good.” Saiya nodded and relaxed again. An awkward silence washed over the three as Zeltara thought about what to do next. Her answer came as a single chime coming from a clock in the hallway. Her stomach then growled in hunger, which caught the attention of the other two.

  “Ah, it seems like it’s one o’clock already. I don’t know about you guys, but I’m hungry. Why don’t we go out and get lunch? We can get to know each other better over a meal.” Kaztos gave a loud affirmation of this while Saiya nodded. The elf went first and led the other two out of her room. The day wasn’t going as planned, but Zeltara found she didn’t mind that at all.