The scent of fish was everywhere mixed in with unfamiliar pheromones that infiltrated Mikel's sense of smell with each person that walked past.
Mikel's little fish pet was left home while Shi Fei was definitely not following the little thief around.
It was easier to just ignore the red head and get to know his surroundings better.
One was fighting him away from a shack and another was fighting him away from a village.
Everyone seems to wanna tell him what to do!
With a scoff and a flick of his hair he was determined to go his own path. He began with buying himself some meals instead of stealing them, why? Because a red little rat is barely hiding himself!
It was easy to ignore and whenever he talked to him the man would insist for them to run away together.
Really I should run away from this rodent and that fish…
Maybe it was just a feeling but he could feel eyes all over him. Has he gotten paranoid? There was a little kid following him as well.
He made his way to the nearest map he could, there were two next to each other. One was simply of the little village but another seemed to depict not just one but two villages.
He followed each trail attentively, since he couldn't read, simply memorising will do.
Each line he followed seemed to loop with each other; it was a small village so that made sense. But when following the second Maps trails he noticed it led to another large depicted place.
Another city? So close? The map seemed to be torn at the upper corners.
"May I help you.." A youth who seemed to be around his teen years was standing beside Mikel.
He wore a thin layer of clothes but they were particularly clean. He couldn't smell anything on the teen either.
"I don't think so.." Mikel responded harshly, taking the teen aback.
"Excuse you?"
"Beat it." The older man's eyes were green but with the amount of hostility he was showing they might as well had been gleaming red.
"You sure your eyes don't represent the colour of your personality?" The young one scoffed.
"I'd like to think they represent the venom I spit out.." The thief hummed. "That's literally- ah! Nevermind!!" The young one stomped his feet in frustration before taking a step aside.
"Whatever.. I just wanted to help." His arms crossed with a pout making Mikel's eye twitch.
—
"PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE I BEG YOU!!!"
"PLEASE!!!"
"___ PLEASE!!!!!"
—
All because of a dumb project… I could've done this shit myself but no! He had to pester me!
Mikel bit his nail in frustration.
"Are you sure you don't need help?" The young man asked once more.
"Alright, what do you wanna help with?" Deciding to cave in, the kid was suddenly beaming from ear to ear.
"I can help you understand the map!"
"Sure you can… Just one question." Mikel eyed the teen up and down.
"Yeah?"
"What's your hair made of?"
"Water, sir!" The young one grinned.
Maybe he should've asked sooner but his flowing string of water really was hard to miss. Surprised that no one else was calling him out for it.
He looked back up at the map but his vision turned distant.
But maybe I'm the odd one out here again..
"The map…" The boy pointed at the torn pieces, "these parts! They were torn off since no one was allowed into the forest anymore." He explained diligently.
The place I came out from? Why?
"A lot of people came back severely injured, saying the moose went wild and attacked anyone attempting to get in."
The more he explained the boy, the more the dots connected for him.
How long were they stuck in that mud? Was it that dangerous? Nothing happened to me..
"Then what's this?" Mikel pointed after some consideration.
"That's the kingdom next door, it is known for its new hybrids!" The boy smiled, his legs moving around on the spot.
I knew it. Well, not the hybrids part.
"This?"
"That's a bar! You wanna go there together?"
"No." He shut down instantly.
"Oh…"
Seriously!! Taking a teen to a bar!! Don't make me mad!
"Sir?" The boy called out.
"Yeah?" Mikel turned his head just for a bit, when his eyes met the boy's sparkling ones he shuddered.
A shiver ran down his spine close after before he turned away.
Ew!
Mikel took one last look at the map before walking away with a dismissive wave.
"Well done kid." He praised lackluster.
That should've been the end of it, but that thing was still following me!!
"You know what?"
"Wha-?" The kid suddenly felt his collar grabbed, Mikel threw the boy aside after ensuring no one was around.
The teen quickly got up and splashed a water attack back. Obviously as a thief he wasn't gonna let that get him but neither was he gonna let a stalker chase him.
With a twist he pinned the kid onto the floor, his painful groan barely audible.
"Yo, stranger danger. Cut it out." Mikel chuckled before regaining his composure.
"You're lucky I'm going easy on you!! Let me go!" The teen retorted while kicking his legs around. "What does yo mean! Tell me!"
"Cut." Mikel twisted his arm harder. "It." With one final twist he released the teenager's arm. "Out."
The boy looked butt hurt but really Mikel was tired of everyone and their mother following him.
"You're mean! You know that?!"
"Yeah." Mikel coldly responded before turning away.
The boy was still following him but this time just far enough to not get surprise attacked again.
He really didn't wanna injure that pest so Mikel decided to go to drop him off at Shi Fei.
Surely he didn't enjoy watching me hurting that brat.
Speaking of which… Where'd he vanish to?
Mikel was looking around a few times and even snatched two pouches with the boy visibly watching but the red head didn't react.
"Why did you do that?" He curiously asked.
"Did they give you permission? Why not ask them?"
This kid…
—
"But why lie?" "do they know you were lying?"
—
"Yeah…"
His eyes lingered for a second longer before facing the sky above him.
"It's gonna rain." Mikel smiled.
"Let's seek shelter!" The boy lit up.
"Does the rain affect your little water hair?" He joked while the boy quickly shook his head. "Then we don't need it!" He dismissed the little guy behind him.
"We're gonna be drenched!"
"Are you made of sugar?"
"Sugar?" The teen suddenly tilted his head.
"Shame, I thought you'd know that quote." The man mocked with another dismissive wave.
"I KNOW A LOT OF QUOTES! The Sun shines, the fog blinds, -"
"Together they make a rainbow in the sky." Mikel laughed. "C'mon! That's a well known one! Challenge me!"
"I know more! I know more!!"
Without realising they were both already walking side by side. Throwing a poem here, a riddle there, and a little bit of bullying to be fair.
The teens face was beet red with frustration, his blue eyes standing out much more than before.
They're pretty.