Siderius needed to find sothing to eat. His stomach was growling intensely. The vomiting had caused him to lose quite a lot of energy.
He was the infamous murderer of Mucktown, killing his own mother. Even with the guard outfit, people would recognize him and imdiately report to the authorities.
He didn’t even have money to buy food either.
The best solution was to steal. Siderius despised this act but one must do what needed to be done to survive.
He approached a house at the edge of Mucktown, near the Rottin Woods. This house was outside the inner walls of the town and rarely had any guards.
Worst case scenario, if he was spotted, he would just run into the woods.
The house was a small wooden cabin with an empty crop field in the front. A house of a farr.
The dead land of this place made sure farming was a nightmare. The people could barely hunt and they couldn’t farm. What awaited them was only poverty and suffering.
This farr seed to get the sa treatnt. The crop field was barren and the soil was so dry and cracked, the only thing that could survive there were insects.
The door was locked from the inside but the primitive structure of this world couldn’t keep him out. By simply sliding the knife inside the crevice of the door and nudging the bolt little by little, Siderius opened it.
It was dark inside. Siderius tiptoed through the house to avoid making noise.
The main entrance looked into the bedroom where a young woman was lying. She seed to be deep in sleep. There was no need to awaken her.
Siderius went to the kitchen and looked through everything. He found a few pieces of breath and apples. He took them all.
Suddenly, the floor behind him creaked.
Siderius turned his back. He snapped a knife out of the woman’s hand and shoved her to the wall.
His sword was drawn and its cold blade hovered at the woman’s neck.
It was a young girl, twenty at best, maybe even younger. She had dark hair and a pair of large eyes that were sparkling in the night.
Siderius covered her mouth to prevent her from screaming.
"S...Snow?" The woman uttered. Siderius could still make out what she said even when her mouth was covered.
Siderius raised his eyebrows. "You know ?"
The woman nodded. Siderius found no trace of her in his mory. Whoever this woman was, he didn’t know her.
"Are you going to scream if I let go of my hand?" Siderius asked.
The woman shook her head.
"Good. Then I will remove it. But rember, one squeak and I will end your life."
The woman nodded with fear. Siderius slowly pulled his hand away.
"Who are you? How do you know ?" Siderius said.
"My na is Ashe... Ashe Costeau. I saw you on the stage many tis."
"I see. So you must know that I am a heartless bastard who killed his own mother."
"No!" Ashe shouted which caused Siderius to raise his blade.
The girl covered her mouth quickly, she knew she was being too loud.
Ashe lowered her voice. "I know you didn’t do it, Snow. Not you. You have a good soul.
You wouldn’t do anything that cruel."
Siderius smirked. It seed like he found a fan.
"You are too confident with your assumption, Ashe Costeau." Siderius sheathed his blade. "This naive nature will kill you soday. Don’t let it cloud your judgent again."
Ashe nodded. She seed to disagree with Siderius. Her gaze told him that.
Siderius had to admit that she was right. Snow was a delicate soul. But that was pure coincidence. Because right now, Snow was sothing else entirely.
"Costeau, huh? That is not a commoner’s na. Who are you really?"
Ashe bit her lips. "I belonged to a Noble clan. But I was exiled."
"Hmm. It seems you have quite a tale." Siderius said.
Ashe observed Siderius carefully. Behind the young face of the circus boy was a lonely and cold soul. She couldn’t imagine what had happened to him that turned him into this kind of person.
And his hair, as white as his na, delivered an ethereal sense to his being and a sadness that couldn’t be explained by words. Ashe knew he wasn’t like this before. What could cause such a man to be grayed out so quickly.
Ashe shed a tear. She wasn’t crying just because of his fate. She cried because he reminded her of herself.
She empathized with him. She, too, was abandoned by her people and left alone. But she was more lucky, she didn’t bear a cri that she did not commit.
"Don’t cry." Siderius said. His voice was srizing. "Never show anyone your tears. Not even to your most intimated loved ones. The world can only know your strength."
Ashe wiped her face. "You’re right, Snow! I will never cry again."
"Well. As we are being honest to one another. I have to tell you the truth. I ca here looking for food. But now that you catch . I am willing to trade for it.
What do you want?"
Ashe blinked a few tis, processing the situation.
"It’s alright, actually. You can take it."
"No, girl. Everything has its price. And I would have to face a much more grave consequence if I didn’t respect this rule.
So tell , what do you want? I may not be able to repay you now. But consider it a debt. I always settle my debt."
Ashe had her own desire. She wanted to beco stronger, to show those that abandoned her and looked down upon her that they were wrong. She wanted to take back everything that they had taken from her.
Finally, she would rule the land of her clan as its supre leader.
That was what she wished for the most. The regret and dream that she could never fulfil. The one that kept her awake most nights.
But to do that was a difficult task, outright impossible for soone like her.
And she doubted that this circus boy, who was in an even worse situation than her, could help.
She laughed and shook her head. But Siderius read her like a book, he knew she had sothing on her mind.
"It seems you have your request." Siderius said. "Tell ."
"Forget about it. No one can help achieve what I want." Ashe shared a pitiful laugh, of which Siderius scoffed right away.
"Nothing is impossible if you have the will to do it. Tell now or you will lose this precious chance forever."
His words swayed her. There was sothing about him that convinced her he could help . Maybe it was his confidence, or his relentless gaze or maybe his tone of voice.
She decided to tell him.
"I want strength. Strength to take back what is mine. Strength to show those who turned their back on that they were wrong. And STRENGTH to prove that I. Am. Worthy."
"Worthy of what?"
"Of everything!"
Siderius smirked. His white teeth shone in the darkness of night.
"That, I can help you. But that is a hefty price for this tiny amount of food. If you are to ask of this, you must also pay by other ans."
Ashe covered her chest and stepped back, which made the hunter chuckle.
"You entertain . But I do not wish for your flesh. I need you to be my apprentice, to do as I say and help with my tasks.
This is a sacred bond. One that won’t be severed unless one of us leaves this world.
And in return, I shall give you what you most desire.
POWER!"
"So...I will beco a slave to you?" Ashe said.
Siderius shook his head. "Not a slave. A student. And I will be your teacher.
A good teacher is like a second father. I shall guide you, teach you of my craft and train you to be the greatest version of yourself.
And you shall do what a good child should do. Listen to your father and help him with what he wishes to do.
Of course. If this is too much for you, I will simply pay you in coin once I have the money.
Consider this ’offer’ carefully.
You can keep rotting here as a naless farr for the rest of your life or taking a chance to beco sothing so much more."
His words influenced her. It made her feel like if she declined this, she would never be able to achieve her dream.
Ashe couldn’t believe that she actually thought that this circus boy was capable of fulfilling his promise. She knew that he was nothing more than a falsely convicted criminal and an actor no less.
Still, faith wasn’t enough to convince her fully yet. What Siderius was asking was not a simple request.
He saw the suspicion and hesitation in her eyes. However, he had no intention to show her his secret.
Siderius wanted her to take a leap of faith and venture into the unknown. If she didn’t even have that in her, Ashe was not worthy of being his apprentice.
Silence prolonged. Thoughts danced in Ashe’s head. Sowhere in the unknownable web of fate, a string was being pulled. A slight push from the void to allow Ashe to take a step further.
She had decided to trust Siderius.
"Deal." Ashe said.
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