"Looks like the party's over," Han said as he finished off another pouch of whatever he'd been drinking. He tossed the sack near a vendor's stall. "You need to eat, huh?"
My stomach answered for me. "Yeah, something like that." I glanced over at the boy. "So is the dancing over?"
"Nah, they're… huff… huff… not done. The ritual keeps going till… the whole festival's over." The boy sat down on the floor as he caught his breath.
Boom. As the clouds continued to roar, the rain showed no sign of stopping. If we continue to stand here, we will definitely catch a cold, and I do not want to be the one to witness the state of healthcare in this world.
"Do you know any shelters around here, guys?" Han just grinned and looked at the boy. "Do you know any shelter, boy?"
"Shelter… huff." He took a quick breath. "Yes, I know a shelter just around here, and we can buy food on the way, but I will not take this annoying person."
Han chuckled as he put his arm upon my shoulder. "Looks like the boy finds you annoying, my friend."
"I am not talking to him, but you, old drunk vreu." The boy put his hands around Han's hips and stared into his eyes.
Han blinked, then grinned. "Old drunk? First of all, my name's Han Hook. Sounds a lot better than boy. So what is yours, you little shit?"
"Amay. Big shit," the boy said, continuing to stare him down.
I choked on a laugh. "Big Shit? I was trying not to, but coming from his cute face, it was really funny."
Han snorted. "Well, you certainly smell like one after all that running."
I raised my hands between them. "Guys. Please. We're wet, we're hungry, and I'd rather not die of pne@#$%%umo#$$nia just because you two wanted to out-insult each other. Can we argue indoors, maybe?"
Han snorted. Amay huffed. Neither looked convinced.
Amay finally took a deep breath. "I am going to the big person. Follow me. I am going to take you to my shelter."
Han screamed, "WHAT THE HELL, YOU STARTED THIS. YOU CAN NOT JUST WALK AWAY."
"Bla bla bla bla bla bla bla bla bla bla bla bla bla bla bla bla bla bla bla bla bla bla bla bla," the boy chanted, cancelling whatever Han said as he kept glaring back at him every ten steps.
He started walking, his steps light, and I noticed his back was like a skeleton stretched tight with skin.
We weaved through the narrow alleys of the outer district. The smell of wet trash mixed with damp spices. Makeshift shacks leaned against each other, trying not to fall. The boy darted ahead, skipping puddles with the agility of someone who had done this all his life. Me? I almost faceplanted three times. Han? He deliberately stepped in the deepest puddles, splashing water high enough to annoy passing vendors, which only made the boy angrier, as he hissed like a small cat.
"Han," I whispered, "please stop baiting him. I'm starving here."
But he continued to do so.
Certified rage-baiter.
After a while, we encountered a small shop selling bread and roasted rats.
The boy bought food for all three of us, and after a few minutes, we arrived at his shelter.
The shelter's door had a lock. The boy grabbed a key from his pouch and opened it. From the looks of it, I don't know what thieves could even steal.
The shack was… small. Too small. The roof dripped, and I was certain it would break at any moment from the heavy rain. A mat lay in the center with so many holes that it could be classified as a net, surrounded by little clay bowls filled with ash, herbs, and shells. As several baskets were tied to the roof. The smell of smoke and damp earth filled the place.
The boy pushed me onto the mat, then gave me a wooden bowl. All three of us started eating the food. It was decent.
The boy rolled his eyes so hard I thought they'd fall out. Then he closed his eyes and fell asleep. Han picked at a piece of roasted rat bone with his teeth, his eyes fixed on the sleeping boy. "He's out cold," Han murmured.
"That much dancing could knock anyone out," I said, grabbing the last piece of bread.
"He trusts you, you know," Han said, not looking at me. "Bought food for you. Never seen someone do that for a stranger…"
He swallowed a whole rat in one gulp. "He gave you the bowl first. Pushed you right onto the mat. Didn't even hesitate."
I had no words. "Maybe he… was being hospitable—"
Han cut me off. "Not out here, buddy. What have you done for him that he's showing such kindness?"
I don't know why he was being so kind to me.
Han finally lay down, still chewing the rat bone like it was a lollipop.
"Good night, my friend," Han grunted, leaning back against the wall and closing his eyes while still chewing the bone.
As I closed my eyes too. Finally relaxed, finally under a roof — even though it had holes.
I woke up to the sound of dripping water. Plop. Plop. Plop. Each drop fell through the roof and landed right next to my ear.
Bright sunlight pressed against my eyelids. The rain was still not silent; a few droplets kept falling.
I looked toward Han, who was snoring in the corner, still chewing that cursed rat bone in his sleep. I swear the man has dreams about gnawing it forever.
Amay was curled up like a cat.
I pushed myself up slowly. I rubbed my eyes and then saw a big text.
[YOU EXPERIENCED YOUR FIRST RAIN AND ALSO A GOOD SLEEP]
+75 EXP
(625/2000)
I opened the door, which was one of my biggest mistakes, and I soon realized it.
WHUSH.
A huge pour of water rushed inside like a shotgun. In a few moments, the water filled up to my knees, and worse, it was sewage water.
The stench hit me first, then the sight. My eyes watered as the dark water swirled around my legs, carrying scraps of trash.
Immediately, Amay woke up, and Hank was fully covered in the stench.
"Well, well, my friend. What a wonderful way to wake up a person?"
Amay quickly screams, "My shelter… my house… my stuff! Grab everything before it flows away!" We both quickly grabbed everything as Amay started to put the clay pots into the baskets.
[SKILL " QUICK HAND"]
I quickly helped the boy put everything into the baskets, but several of the clay pots containing something were ruined.
Fuck man, why can't my day start without fucking disasters?