Grilin CityThe warm rays of sun fell on passers-by in the street. Aldric was walking among the people and looking at everything in amazement. A few minutes ago, He arrived in Grilin City thanks to that map, he asked a man passing in front of him about a hotel where he could sleep tonight. The man stopped and told him that it was a one in few blocks away and that he had to walk a little to get there.

  Aldric thanked the man and walked towards the hotel, looking right and left curiously. Unfortunately, he does not have any money, but this problem is easy to solve. He looked at every alley that passed in front of him.

  When he was about to approach the hotel, he found an alley in which there was a gang of thieves. He smiled happily as he entered the alley. After a short time, he left the alley carrying in the palm of his hand a bag full of money.

  In this world there are always people who will help you in your time of need. I hope the souls of these thieves’ rest in peace, Aldric was thinking without realizing it. He arrived at the hotel, pushed the door inward and entered. Inside the hotel there were a group of tables, on each table a group of people was talking.

  When they're heard the door opening, they looked at Aldric, after a few gnces, they continued their conversation. Aldric went to one of the tables next to the window. The waiter came to him, “Please tell me about your order, sir.” Aldric pointed to several foods containing meat and a gss of high-quality beer.

  The waiter nodded quickly and headed to the kitchen in the back. At the table, Aldric was thinking about something. The sun's rays fell on his face. His head leaned on the chair and his eyes were closed. He took something out of his coat. It was the letter. He gently wiped the surface of the letter as he looked at his name written on the back of the letter.

  His hand shakes while he looking at the leter, then he put it back in the coat and listened to the conversations of the surrounding people to gather intelligence, “Man, I heard that the old woman is getting married soon,” “Yes, I didn't believe it the first time, but she is getting married.” “Isn't that strange how someone could marry her when she looks like the bark of a tree?” Aldric shook his head. Didn't they say in the stories that in bars people tell some important news, damn it, it's all just bullshit.

  “Sir, your food is ready.” The waiter announced as he began pcing different dishes on the table, Aldric started eating and drinking.

  Aldric finished the food and headed towards the counter. At the counter was a woman standing. He came to her and asked her how much it cost for food and one night’s sleep in the most luxurious room. “That will be 40 silver coins.” He took out a gold coin and threw it on the counter. “The rest is a tip.” The woman quickly took the coin and motioned to the waiter to direct him to his room.

  Aldric arrived with the waiter to the room. It was a spacious room with a bed rge enough for two people, a closet and a table between the bed and the closet. On one side there was a bathroom connected to the bedroom.

  Aldric nodded to the waiter and went to the bathroom and showered. He came out of the bathroom with a towel on his waist, the steam rising from his skin and water dripping from his long hair onto his toned muscles. He sat at the table and began to arrange his thoughts.

  His goal is to find a man named Bruce; his grandfather told him he doesn't know where his parents are, but he knows someone who might know about that person on the letter or that city. As he thinks, he hears a knock on the door, "Come in," Aldric said as he put the letter back in the Drawer. The waiter entered with an apologetic smile, "Sir, I'm sorry to wake you up, I think you not used to sleep alone so I brought a gift from the owner." Aldric looked at him curiously, "Tell me what you brought," the waiter didn't answer but cpped his hands.

  A cloaked figure pushed open the door. Aldric's gaze turned to the figure and examined him with his cold eyes. The figure trembled when he met his eyes. "Take off the cloak." The waiter ordered in a cold voice. The figure hesitated but took out his hands and untie the knot of the cloak. Aldric silently watching the cloak slide down, revealing the woman's naked body. She lowered her eyes, not daring to look into those cold eyes.

  The waiter investigated Aldric's eyes and saw the slightest bit of interest disappear, "Sir, this is a gift from the owner, please let it at least warm up your bed." He said with complete panic in his voice if he returned to owner with that woman, he would get fired. Aldric didn't answer and still thinking, and silence fell over the room, the waiter sweating and the woman trembling in fear.

  “Okay.” That sentence changed the expressions of the waiter and the woman, the waiter’s face was filled with joy, but the woman’s face was filled with fear. “Thank you, you saved my job, it’s winter and if I don’t get food and supplies, my family will die, thank you a lot sir.” The man bowed several times then turned to the woman, “Obey the master’s orders or you will be sold to the brothel.” He bowed again to the Aldric and walked out of the room.

  Early in the morning, at the same table, Aldric was sitting with a cup of tea in his hand, his eyes staring into space. He finished the tea in his hand and walked towards the counter, unlike the previous night, a fat man was standing in the pce of the woman. “Sir, how was your night?” The man asked with a smile, Aldric didn’t answer but nodded with a smile, when the man saw the smile, he was happy and anticipated how much money he would make today.

  He pced three gold coins on the counter, the man saw the money and smile, Aldric was about to leave but the man stopped him "Sir, I have a thing that you might be interesting in." without any hesitation he go to the back of the hotel, after some minutes of waiting the man showed up with a girl, "this is a sve that come fresh st night and I was to sold it to a friend but I think it will suit you better." Aldric looked to the girl, "how much." he asked the man "only 3 gold coins for you" the man repyed with smile "2 gold coins" Aldric said without hesitation, the man nodded quickly to him 2 gold coins is an enough for that girl. Aldric come to the girl, and he raises her chin "open your eyes." he says with a cold voice, the girl opens her eyes with fear " you have beautiful eyes," he said while he looking to her face, that white-grey hair with those silver eyes make the girl beautiful but that beauty hidden under dusty old clothes.

  "Give her some new clothes and pce to take a bath." Aldric said to the man and he replied by nodding then calling out that woman that Aldric slept with st night, the woman take the girl with eyes full of envy and jealousy, she wish she was the one who being sold, "do you know you are lucky." she asked the girl but girl didn't repy but simply shook her head, "TSK.." the women saw that the girl don't know "you are lucky because that man are taking you, you don't know what was waiting you." the girl didn't answer but continue walking after the woman.

  After some time, they come out, the girl was dressed in a new dress and combed hair, Aldric with a smile nodded his head toward the man. The man took a piece of paper from the drawer and a pen, and he came to Aldric with the paper in his hand then gave it to him.

  Aldric looked at him in confusion, "What is this?" He asked curiously, looking at the paper. The man understood that he did not know, he slowly expined, "This is a svery contract. It is a contract that the kingdom personally prints with some kind of magical power. When a kingdom invades another kingdom, the winner gets literally everything. Lands, artifacts, even people are turned into sves. This contract makes the process easier, as when you sign this contract, the sve's life is in your hands. One thought and they die in eye blink." because of that the war is rare, when a kingdom the people will scape but if you caught you will become sve.

  Aldric was surprised at this kind of thing that he had never held before. the man continued the expnation "When you sign this contract, it will disappear, and the sve's life will be in your hands." please sign here. The man handed the contract to Aldric. Aldric took it and read it then signed it. The contract disappeared and he felt that there was a visible thread between him and the girl.

  Aldric nodded to the man and walked out of the hotel; on the way he turned to look at the girl. "What's your name?" The girl shuddered, "Alice, sir." In a low voice she answered, if it weren't for Aldric's strong hearing, he wouldn't have heard her. "How old you are Alice?" He stopped and looked at her. "19 years old."

  “Well Alice, from now on your duty is to serve me, physically and mentally.” He said, patting her head. Alice nodded "So Alice what is your goal in the life." she looked puzzled when she heard him, he saw her confusion "I remember when I was 6 years old, as usual me and my grandfather was sitting on the side of the river, he was fishing, and I was holding bag with some fish. "Aldric what is your goal in the life" he asked me while focusing on the river and in his hand the fishing rod was, I looked confused at him and answered "I don't know" he ughed at me then said:

  In the fabric of reality, each person must find his purpose, a beacon in the dark sea, like a torch that lights his way in the shadowy forests, without a purpose, the soul drifts like a leaf in the autumn wind. Ignite the torch within you and carry it to be your source of light and your boat in the river of eternal time.

  from that day make I choose a goal and now I am my way to achieve it, so again what is your goal Alice?" he asked her while he looking at those silver eyes "my goal I think it to know who really I am." she looked at those blue eyes and answer firmly, "good goal Alice, but remember always you need to have main goal and sub goal, if your sub goal become your main goal you lose that fire inside you. your sub goal right now is to find who you are, but your main goal is to serve me." he said while stokes her hair.

  she nodded and they start walking.

  After walking for a while they came to a house, on the side of the house there was a workshop with a sign on the roof that said Bcksmith. Aldric entered the workshop and Alice quickly followed him.

  Inside the workshop, a muscur man was rhythmically hitting a piece of hot iron with his hammer, as if he sensed someone had entered, he turned around and saw Aldric and Alice, he put the hammer aside and with heavy steps came towards them. Aldric's body was filled with a sense of crisis, and he took a fighting stance, Alice grabbed Aldric hand to not fall, unable to bear his aura. The man approached step by step, he came over Aldric and looked down, with a height of 1.95 meters, he was half a meter taller than him.

  “Boy, what do you want?” A deep voice rang out from within the workshop. Aldric’s body trembled but he held on and pulled out a letter from his coat and handed it to the man. The man took the letter and looked at it several times then looked at the letter, when he saw the contents of the letter his eyes shrank. Aldric looked at the man in awe. This man had some kind of invisible aura to him. It was as if he was looking at a higher being, he was like an ant looking at a human, one move and he would die.

  "What is your retionship with that old man." he take the letter and fold him then asks Aldric, "he is my grandfather," he answered nervously. "Hahaha...." them man start ughing "come in boy, I am happy today," while he was ughing, he invites the two of them into his house, the house was spacious with a normal looking. "Come on, sit down."

  when they sat down, he tell them that when he was young he visited the forest a lot but one day the sky was raining, he was te from home and lost his way to the house, he searched but can't find his way, it was like that night he was destined to die, out of nowhere a lot of skeleton come out of the ground and start attacking me, I was young and didn't know how defend myself and the time is te to scape. the skeletons attacked me, but I can't do anything I barely kill one of them, but he back as he was in less than minute.

  when I closed my eyes and start to regret why I become to this cursed pce, when I remembered my daughter will become orphan, I regret it, but there's no way back, I accepted my death. but nothing happened that pain that darkness, I opened my eyes and saw all the skeletons has been destroyed and they can't come back as they doing before, I found a letter in front of me.

  I opened it, it was from an old man saying he is becoming old, and he ask him to do Favor 15-20 years after tonight there will be child named Aldric that will come to you I need you tell him about some information in this letter. "I accept to do him that Favor and waited for 20 years to meet you Aldric." he continued while facing him.

  "So, you are saying that my grandfather told you that I will come to you after 20 years, that was before I born, before he found me." Aldric was confused and looked at Bruce with questioning face. "Basically, yeah." Aldric wanted to ask more, but a sound cut his thought chain "dad, why you didn't tell me we have guests," it was a girl in her 20, the three people looked at her.

  "they just sat down, I was like you I didn't expect them," Bruce answered, then but his big hand on Aldric shoulder "can you guess who is this boy" the girl looked at him "no, who is." with a voice full of enthusiasm "he is the grandchild of that man who saved me, do you remember" "oh, is that true," she came to Aldric side and bowed little bit "thank you, and your grandfather, without him my father was going to die." Aldric stood up quickly and helped here "it's okey."

  "Okey, Cara can you give our guest's some thing's to drink." Bruce said to Cara, she nodded then headed to the kitchen and brought some drinks with some sweet and put them on the table.