Inside the cart early morning

"..." Sleeping while tied up in the air was the young boy Nobel now dubbed Bread by Blake and most of the party.

"..." The only other person in there was Blake with a cup of tea that he was drinking ever so often until he walked up to Bread and brought his mouth right up to boy's left ear and breathed in deeply. "WAKE UP!" The teen yelled as loud and hard as he could, and the boy's eyes shot open.

"AH!? WHAT!?! WHO!?! WHY!?!" Bread screamed with his ear ringing so hard that it blocked out his own voice. "YOU!?!" He snapped his eyes at Blake, kicking and thrashing at the smith. "AHHHHHH!" So Blake spun him around a few times. "...Ugh...I think I'm gonna be sick." He groaned after coming to a stop with his head rocking back and forth.

"Better not or I'll kick your ass," Blake warned, taking a sip of his tea then pulled out a knife.

"Uh!?" Which sent Bread's face into a deep shade of blue.

"Don't worry; this is for the rope, not you...sadly..." Blake cut Bread free and watched him land on his feet. "Huh? Not bad, kid." Blake was surprised by the boy's grace expecting him to fall on his ass.

"Hmph! Don't try to get me to like you, old man!" Bread glared up at Blake, having to sleep tied up in the air like that really didn't help in making him any friendlier towards the smith.

"Tch!" A vein poked out of Blake's head at 'old man,' but he breathed in to stop himself from beating the shit out of this brat right now. "Whatever kid, now come on, I've got work for you..." He told Bread before finishing his tea then pointed at the door. "...Outside."

"Stop ordering me around! And where's my breakfast and what about this rope!" Bread yelled at Blake while trying to get out of the rope.

"You know? We've only been talking for like two minutes, and you've pissed me off so much already, so n-" Blake was about to ignore Bread when Risabeel with some food walked into the cart, and he froze. "-Oh! Hey, Risabeel! It looks like you brought Bread's food! Eat up, kid! I'll be outside waiting for you!" He nervously blurted out as he tried to get by Risabeel. "AH!" But she let held out a hand to stop him.

"That is all well and good, Sir Blake, however, Lad Nobel is still bond to those ropes." Risabeel raised a hand to the rope and Blake went over to untie Bread.

"There I'll be outside helping Mari out," Blake told her before going outside while rolling the rope around his arm. "..." Then looked at Bread then at the rope then back at Bread again. "...Just try me, kid." He whispered, leaving the cart.

"Now, please, Lad Nobel, eat." Risabeel held out the food for Bread, but he stayed where he was and even moved back still afraid of her. "Ah? I see...?" Risabeel understood him and sat the food down on the floor and stepped back. "You have nothing to fear I was not the one who prepared it; that would be Marius." Once Risabeel said that Bread got down to eat, causing her to laugh.

After getting food in him, Bread followed Risabeel outside there he found only Blake and Mari packing up what they used to for breakfast. "Hey, where are the other monsters?" He asked, looking at Blake.

"They have names, you know?" Blake muttered, but Bread just rolled his eyes. "...Saffire's the Dragon; she's back in her cave. Baba's a wind spirit called an Ala and not 'Ghost,' she's up in her that tower. The big bad wolf is Gram, and he hasn't been back since last night, so it's just us for today," Blake answered Bread's question after putting everything away then called Nash over. "Hey, bud, ready to do actual horse stuff for once instead of getting into our usual fun?" He asked the horse to which he nodded since it would be nice to do something normal for once.

"Huh? That horse kind of looks like he understands you?" Bread thought out loud as he walked up to Blake and Nash.

"That's cause he can! Nash is super smart after all," Mari stepped up next to Bread with an apple in hand that she held up to Bread's face. "Here! Feed him, and he'll like you!"

"O-okay." Bread shuttered out after taking the apple and held it for Nash. "Here, hor-OW!" Nash bit down on Bread's entire hand the moment he saw the apple. "Let go! Let go! Let go! Let gooooo!" He screamed, feeling like his hand was going to get chewed off and he only got louder when Nash picked him off his feet. "HELP!?!"

"Hehe!" Blake sneakered from the sidelines. "Ugh." Until Risabeel looked his way. "Nash, let go." He called out to the horse, and Nash let go of Bread. "Good boy!" Blake patted Nash on the head then grabbed horse's reins. "Everyone ready?"

"Yep!" Mari cheered, holding Os inside its jar which now had some straps added to it so she could carry it on her back.

"Oooo!" Os cheered as it lifted the lid of its jar to wiggle around a little.

"Whatever..." Bread muttered, waving his spit covered hand in the air a little bit then held both of his hands behind his head.

"Ah, Sir Blake, but who shall watch over the cart while we are gone?" Risabeel asked as they were about to leave and pulled her hood up.

"Don't worry, Baba said she'd check-in on things for me," Blake answered now leading the group out of the clearing and onto a path towards the town in the distance.

One hour later

The party of 4 plus Os and Nash came to a small town settlement about the size of Fairmaw. It was made up by wooden buildings unlike the stone of the main city, with a low stone wall circled it, in front of the group was a signpost at one of the entrances to the town reading; 'Welcome to Troville!'

"Greetings!" A voice came out of nowhere as the group went past the signpost and sitting behind the wall was a young man not as old as Blake maybe 14 or 15 at best. He had a small bucket at his feet with 'tips' scratched into it. "No worries! Just your kindly town greeter! Making his daily income! So come in!" He cheered in a bit of an acted out style.

"Yo." Blake greeted back at him, followed by the others as the teen got up and walked up to the group.

"New faces, huh?" The teen looked at the group with a hand under his chin then he spotted Bread. "The hell are you doing here! You fucking rat!?" He balled one of his hands into a fist while the other held his tip bucket and moved in on the boy. "Huh!?" But Risabeel stepped in his way.

"Please, kind Sir, explain why are you acting in such a violent manner towards, Lad Nobel?" Risabeel calmly asked while the teen just stared past her and right at Bread.

"Tch!" The teen spat on the ground around Risabeel's feet, making her jump back. "Why?! Hah! Do you want to know how many times this kid has come through here and ran off with my money!? Seriously!? This job pays nothing at all! Then once I get a little extra, this fuck shows up!" He held up his tip bucket up at Risabeel bearly anything in it. "Now move out of the way! And let me give that kid a piece of my mind!" He went up to shove Risabeel out of the way. "Ugh!" But Blake stood between them.

"I don't care what the brat did to you or what you want to do to him, but do not pass that on her," Blake warned in a cold and low tone unlike his usual laid-back self and looked right at the teen making him slowly back up. "Heh! You lost all your stones when someone bigger than you showed up, eh? Cute." Blake almost laughed at him then took a peek at his tip bucket and dropped double what was in there. "Alright, everyone! Let's get a move on."

"Ugh...thanks?" The teen muttered as the group went past then he eyed Bread hard from the back. "Lucky!"

"You didn't have to do that." Bread said to Risabeel and Blake after walking in front of them. "I don't need you people take pity on me. I can ta-"

"Take care of myself? I don't need anyone? I'm better off on my own? And all that loner bullshit?" Blake interrupted Bread while counting on his fingers with the boy just looking on confused. "Got nothing else to say, brat?"

"..." Safe to say Bread had nothing and just stared up at Blake. "How...?"

"Look, kid, just shut up and don't try to run off or anything like that, and maybe I wouldn't drop you off at the nearest City Watch post, kay?" Blake warned, but somehow Bread thought that he wasn't as mean about it as the other times then walked past the boy.

"Tch, what's up with that guy trying to act all cool!" Bread crossed his arms as he followed Blake and Risabeel.

"My brother's not acting, he is cool," Mari told Bread, giving him a small grimace, walking alongside him. "And you're kind of like him."

"Hmm?" Bread stared at Blake's back for a while then shook his head. "Hah! Yeah right! I'm not anything like that old man!" He yelled out and bumped into Blake, who had stopped suddenly. "Ugh!" Then braced himself of something to come his way.

"Risabeel...?" Blake looked at Risabeel as if asking her for something with a white-knuckle fist held up.

"No," Risabeel answered, and Blake's shoulder's dropped along with his fist.

"Fine..." Blake groaned, turning back to the younger pair and sighed to himself. "I want to hit someone so badly."

30 minutes later

The town was mostly farmlands with the crops grown here being sent towards the main city for sale. So there wasn't much in the way of supplies for fixing a place up or in the Guild House's case complete remodeling,.aAong the way some stares were thrown the group's way; 1) Because they were new to the town and 2) because of Bread, which caused him to pull his hat down most of the time.

"This place looks good," Blake stopped at a small tavern named the 'Heated Scale' from a little sign that was about ready to fall off. "That looks dangerous...?" He muttered as he tied Nash to a post next to the tavern while everyone else but Bread went inside. "What's up with you now, brat?"

"..." The only thing Bread did was lean against a wall.

"You know I'm not going to leave on your own even if Nash here can watch you," Blake added, pointing a thumb at Nash who let out some air from his nose. "Yes, you can hit him with your tail if you feel like it."

"..." Bread again was silent until a hand grabbed him by the shoulder and lifted off his feet. "HEY! PUT ME DOWN! YOU OLD MAN!"

"Damn, you still have your voice." Blake groaned after swinging Bread on to one of his shoulders and stepped into the tavern.

Inside it was nice and cozy with a bit of warm feeling coming from it, likely from the large stone oven over on the side of the place, which was set like a bakery with a glass display showing off some baked goods giving.

"Oooh!" That Mari had her face stuffed in front of.

"OooO?" With a green Os doing the same.

Other than the in-house bakery rest of place was pretty simple with the chairs and tables arranged nicely, but all of them were empty, making it a bit hard to tell if this place wasn't very popular or it was just a slow day.

"Those two better not want me to buy out the place." Blake turned away from Mari and Os before they could notice him and found Risabeel speaking with most likely the owner of the place or the bartender at the very least since they were at the bar part of the tavern.

They turned out to be what looked like a giant bipedal lizard wearing a brown and apron the only thing that made it clear that they were a woman. She had forest green scales with some black ones around her round golden eyes and the tip of her tail that was sticking out from under her dress.

"Oh? Hello! Come in! Come in! New Faces mean new customers!" The lizard woman cheered once she spotted Blake, waving him over with a clawed hand and wide grin on her face. "Welcome to the Heated Scale!"

"Oh? A Lizardfolk? First, I've seen one of you guys." Blake walked up to the bar, still carrying Bread like a bag of flour, feet first. "Uhmm, Eastern Raptor?"

Humanoid Monster, Lizardfolk/Reptilians: One of the more civilized races of monsters in the world. These scale-covered creatures vary from one group to another such as, bipedal lizards to talking lizards. All of which can come in different colored scales, sizes, shapes, based on the type of reptile they are from.

They hold Dragons in the highest of regards, to the point of viewing them as gods. Lizardfolk are thought or believed to be the descendants of Dragons or at least one of the first races to work under them often keeping statues, books, paintings or something relating to Dragons around their home or workplace used for prayer or luck.

Items forged from these scaly monsters' Ore depend on the type of Lizardfolk they belong to.

"Yep! Good eye on you, boy! Name's Sarah! Bartender and owner of the Heated Scale!" Sarah answered while clicking her claws together with a small bit of glee coming through her voice as a mohawk of black spikes flipped up on top of her bald head. "Most people just stop at Lizardfolk, I mean it's not that hard! Just look at these scales!" She showed off the scales on her arms to Blake.

"Well, don't get too happy, it's part of my job as a blacksmith and all that," Blake told Sarah, and once again the raptor's face lit up again.

"Ooooh! A blacksmith, you say!? Don't see a lot of your types around this part of the city?" Sarah wondered out loud with a claw scratching at her chin.

"Why would that be, Miss Sarah?" Risabeel curiously asked with a finger held under her chin like Sarah was doing with her claw.

"Oh, you must be 'new new,' yea?" Sarah asked, taking a closer look at Blake and Risabeel, and after a nod from them, she continued. "Well, not to take too long it's just that most blacksmiths, builders, and those types tend to just stick to the big city and not even bother with the smaller parts like Troville where farmers usually work, you know? Cause there's more business there than here and all that..." Sarah answered with some of her spikes going back down as she tapped on her claws a little. "...makes business bad for me as well as you can see." She waved a hand around her place.

"Oh..." Blake looked a little nervous before speaking again. "...yeah? I was kind of thinking doing the same, but I couldn't really find a place to set up, I guess other people had the same idea, hah...?" He went quiet when Sarah looked at him a little betrayed and hurt. "...but, uh? I found a place just outside of here at Mt. Nod! It's nice, and we're kind of neighbors now!" He tried to save himself from Sarah's eyes.

"Wait? Do you mean that old Guild House that's about to fall over?" Sarah asked, perking up a little with her mohawk back up. "Careful that place might be crawling with all kinds of stuff. Heck, I bet you might find someone living in there, hah!" She laughed a little, but Blake and Risabeel turned to stare at eachother, leaving her out of the loop. "Haha...? Speaking of people? Who's that you have on your shoulder there?" She finally asked about Bread who tensed up.

"Uhm? Well? He happens to be someone we found in that old guild house, say hi Bread!" Blake grabbed Bread and turned him around to face Sarah.

"Hi, Miss Sarah..." Bread muttered while not exactly looking at Sarah.

"Oh, look, It's the little thief? Seems like you got caught good this time around and your name's Bread now, eh, Nobel?" Sarah crossed her arms at the young boy while he just stayed silent.

"You know this, brat?" Blake asked as he let go of Bread but kept an eye on him before he ran off somewhere. "Wait? Wouldn't that be a good thing?"

"Sadly, yes, he's being stealing from the people here for a while now...with my place being one of his favorites even after I took care of him when he first showed up here..." Sarah's voice was cold as ice, and she was slowly taping one of her claws into the counter until it dug into the wood like a hot knife through butter. "Whoops? I don't know my own strength..." She kept her eyes Bread when she pulled it back and wiggled it around. "Some bread sounds nice right now."

"...I think I'll go help Mari pick something." Bread went over to Mari as quickly as he could without looking like he was running along with Sarah and Blake staring at him.

Then the raptor eyes went to Blake. "But I'm surprised most people that get a hold of he usually beat him half to death then leave him somewhere or if he's lucky I look after him until he runs off again..." She paused to smile as Bread was pointing out some of the tastier treats to Mari and Os. "...he seems to have taken a liking to you, Mr. Smith."

"Hmph, well, you can just thank her for that." Blake motioned over to Risabeel then slammed a fist into an open hand. "If I had it my way I would hav-"

"Sir Blake, please stop that at once!" Risabeel raised her voice at Blake, stopping him from saying anything more.

"Fine..." Blake moaned, dumping his hands into his pockets. "He's lucky; I listen to you."

"Heh, well, that's a one-sided relationship there." Sarah giggled as Blake gave in to Risabeel without even putting up a fight and everything seemed to be going alright in the 'Heated Scale' until the door swung open violently. "Sweet Goddess on high, why?"

And standing in it was the sight of a giant humanoid bird specifically a male vulture. He had small beady black eyes, glossy black feathers covered his body except for his head and neck, which were a bright shade of red. A long bony white beak was his mouth which was tipped in silver. He wore a lavender button-down shirt with white ruffs at the base of his neck, black bell-bottomed pants allowing his brightly shined talons to move around freely, and finally, a feathered cap rested on his head.

"Good day to all!" The vulture greeted the inside of Heated Scale, waving around a human-like hand covered in his black feathers and bowed which showed a broad set of tail feathers that acted like coattails.

"And now we have a big bird." Blake waved a hand at the bird while Risabeel looked mystified by him, Sarah seemed a little indifferent to him, but she did go quiet, as for the children and Os they were still gazing at the sweets.

"Hmm?" The vulture's face twitched at the way Blake addressed him and glared at the Smith. "That's is incorrect you ruffian! I Gregor! Am a proud member of the Avian race! KAAAAAAH!" He did a loud screech at the end that made him stretch out his neck a little.

Humanoid Monster, Avian/BirdFolk: One of the more civilized races of monsters in the world. Avians are usually feathered covered monsters that have human-like features to them with some leaning more on to the bird side while others are more human-like, all being different kinds of birds in the world and often come with the ability to fly.

Like LizardFolk with Dragons, Avians hold Phoenixes in a holy place in their hearts and feathers. Their legends often speak of their race being born from the flames of a great Phoenix said to be as bright as the sun.

Items forged from these winged monsters' Ore depend on the type of bird they belong to.

"Shut up, birdbrain!" Blake yelled at the vulture for his screech, rubbing a finger inside one of his ears a little.

"Kah! And who might you be, boy?" Gregor asked as he took long strides towards the bar's counter, keeping his eyes set on Blake. "Hmm? I know every face in Troville, and I can see as plain as day that you are new, in other words, you do not understand how things work here, kah!"

"And how do things work around here...kah?" Blake asked seriously and mockingly as he threw Gregor's kah right back at him, annoying the vulture since he raised his head high above Blake's to look down at him. "...I'm waiting?"

"Hmm!" Gregor eyed Blake some more then gave once the young blacksmith didn't seem intimidated. "Kah! I am Troville's reeve! You see, a city as grand and vast as Gorz cannot be completely ruled by one man alone, so our dear king Loth along with the other Founding Houses allow ones, such as myself! To keep watch over some of the smaller settlements in our fine city, taking care of tasks such as taxes, farming, housing, unemployment, and the like." When he finished, he returned his head to a normal hight looking all too proud in himself.

"So, you're just a stand-in for the king? Good for you, birdbrain." Blake wasn't impressed or honored by anything Gregor said.

"Kah!? How can such a low person as yourself be so rude to me? I Gregor! While here in Troville should have the same level of respect that a king would have! And do as I please while all under me do as I say! Kah!" Gregor spat at Blake for his lack of respect. "Maybe I should have you spend some time in a c-KAH!"

"You're getting loud and annoying, bird." Blake grabbed Gregor's beak, making sure he couldn't so much as open it then he held him up high almost off his feet if it weren't for his long legs and neck. "So would you kindly do me a favor, reeve? And keep that ego of yours to yourself." He moved Gregor on the tips of his feet like a pet bird tied to a string and made a fist with his free hand. "Or I can finally cross hitting an upper-class asshole in the face off my wishlist!"

"Sir Blake, please stop at once!" Risabeel tried to stop Black by pounding on his arm. "Doing such a thing to one in power would not do well for your reputation within the city." She added, trying to hold Blake's fist down.

"Come on, Risabeel, I've been needing to hit someone all day!" Blake was once again stopped by Risabeel who was currently being semi-lifted off her feet while hanging off his arm. "...Fine," He sighed then tossed Gregor back and let Risabeel down.

"Tch!" Gregor almost fell over, and after fixing his clothes, he glared at Blake about to reprimand him for such disrespectful and crude treating of an official such as himself. "Hmm?" But then he thought it over a bit. "Bah! I need not waste my time with you! I have far better things to deal with than throwing out some ruffian..." He pulled at his shirt, then turned to Sarah. "Now then, Miss Sarah, I'm sorry to say, but I've come by today asking for the tax of this month."

"Ack!" Sarah, who was silently watching Blake's and Gregor's exchange, suddenly had her head spikes shot up with her mouth agape. "Oh! Uh, haha, about that? Yeah, taxes...I'm kind of in a hard spot right now..."

"Well, times are hard even for our king who has so graciously given you and many others protection and livelihood under his banner for years. If you wish to be so selfish as to deny the grace of the king and not pay your due to him then I shall have no choice but to put you out," Gregor warned, swiping one of his arms out at Sarah as she flinched in fear of getting put out of business and home. "I see, you that understand the consequences as clear as day which is good since after I caught you harboring that thief some time ago, I was beginning to doubt you, my dear."

"Haha, yeah, that kid." Sarah laughed awkwardly to herself, which Gregor didn't pay any mind to. "What did you do with him, anyhow? Just asking?"

"Kah! The little rat ran off before I could administer his punishment but worry not for the moment I spot him, I shall do everything in my power to bring peace to Troville and for the greatness of Gorz!" Gregor threw a hand up to the air as an act of pound vigor, showing how much his position went to his head.

"Hey! Blake! Buy this for me!" Mari cheered, after finally picking out something from the glass display and came up to get Black's attention with Bread following behind her with his hat, pulled down to hide his face. "It's a rock cake! Bread said they're the best thing here!"

"Oooo!" Os agreed, nodding up at Blake.

"As long as it's one thing, baby sis," Blake warned, holding a finger to her face. "And don't throw them at me or anyone?"

"Okay!" Mari nodded quickly then her's and Os' eyes fell on Gregor. "Big Bird..." She just stared at him a bit while Gregor did the same back to her. "...Can I have him?" She asked, turning Blake while Os kept looking at Gregor.

"Kah! Well, isn't that a surprise? Most children run at the sight of me." Gregor's beak curved into a small smile as he walked up to Mari and patted her head. "Most flock to the swans and robins, bah! Where is the love for the bone pickers, eh?" He grumbled at the thought then he noticed Bread trying to hide. "Hmm? It is quite rude to hide one's self from others in plain sight, and Bread? That is an odd name, indeed, blast your parents..." Gregor moved over to Bread and lifted his head. "...Hmm?"

"Hehe, what's up, Mr. Gregor?" Bread smiled at the vulture and backed up slowly until Gregor grabbed his hand with an iron yet feathery vice. "Ugh!"

"You were foolish enough to return, I see? Even after you escaped me the last time, mocking me, are we?" Gregor pulled Bread off his feet and stared into his face. "But it appears that luck is on my side today and you shall be placed where you belong!"

"I am not going anywhere with you, featherhead!" Bread yelled at Gregor, getting a laugh out of Blake for featherhead and tried to kick said bird in the beak but Gregor just held him away at full wingspan.

"You're only making things worse for yourself, boy! Take your punishment as is! Kah!" Gregor yelled back at Bread with a snap of his beak that could pick an eye out if he wanted to. "Miss Sarah?" He turned to Sarah, who looked away from Bread's begging eyes. "I shall return after I've dealt with this one be sure to have your taxes ready by then yes?" He informed her as he was making his way out of the tavern with Bread fighting him each step. "Hmm? What is it, young maiden?" He asked once Risabeel got in his way.

"Please, Reeve Gregor, although it is not my place to speak, I would like to know just what you are planning to do to reform Lad Nobel?" Risabeel asked, showing some concern towards Bread as he still fought with Gregor.

"I would usually set him up with some form of job to pay back what he stole from the people of Troville, but each time that I've placed him somewhere be it on a farm, a shop or even a greeter. He runs off the moment someone isn't looking over him, or the employer comes to me saying how useless he is at everything...such a headache..." Gregor answered, rubbing his beak and twisted Bread's arm to stop his trashing before he spoke again. "...which has left me with but one option left...a dungeon's cell..."

"Huh? A cell? Don't you just throw people out, and that's it?" Blake asked from the counter as he got done paying for Mari's treat and brought a basket's worth of them on top of that.

Gregor turned his head to Blake. "I've done that, but he has many a time sneaked back into the city and escaped from the City Watch, so I am left with little choice."

"That can not be true, Reeve Gregor? He is but a boy to have him locked inside a dark and unforgiving place such as dungeon would do little to nothing in helping him reform." Risabeel pleaded with Gregor to let Bread go, but the look of the vulture showed that he did not care and had some words for her.

"You may say that, but what can I do for someone who wishes not to better their own self? Even when they have nothing! No money, no home, no friends, no family, no skill or status! Nothing but the clothes on his back and his name, yet still when others try to help him, he does nothing and is left with nothing! People like him have no value in the world and should be put aside!" Gregor lectured Risabeel, inching his head closer to her face, forcing her to back away from him. "Unless you have some skill or craft or anything at all that you can pass on to him?"

"..." Risabeel was left a little shocked and stunned by Gregor's words. "Well, no, I do not but...?" Her eyes went to Blake, who was watching them from the counter but didn't look like he would step in anytime soon.

"Stop..." Bread spoke up at last after listing to Gregor and Risabeel. "...He's right. I'm just a waste. A kid with nothing...and because of you guys I got caught...that's why being around other people just doesn't work for me." He kept his head down to avoid the eyes of either Gregor showing disgust or Risabeel with worry.

"Hmph! It seems like you have finally come to an understanding of what you truly are in the eyes of others," Gregor smirked at the silent and demoralized boy. "Now come! To a place where unsightly things like you are put out of mi-KAGHHHH!" The moment the Avain reeve took a step in taking Bread away, a fist smashed into the side of his face and sent him crashing into a set of tables and chairs.

"..." All of the people inside turned to Blake after he had punched Gregor with his fist still stretched out while his other hand was holding on to the basket of rock-cakes.

"Alright! I think we're done here!" Blake cheered in a deadpan as if what he just did wasn't that big of a deal then looked at Sarah, who had her jaw left hanging open. "Should I pay for the chairs and tables?" He asked, pointing at the damage he did with Gregor's body. "That bird's a lot thicker than I thought?"

"Ah...?" Sarah looked over at where Greoger landed, he was slammed into the wall on the other side of the room with some broken wood on top of him, knocked out cold with his eyes whited out, and his tongue was resting outside his beak which was bent slightly to the right. "...Uhm? No, they don't look that badly broken or anything so you can just lea-! I-I mean leave them to me! I'll take care of it...and uhm...come again...? Or not?"

"Cool, and these aren't that bad when they're not thrown at me," Blake said with a rock cake in his mouth and offered one to Risabeel, but she turned him down, making him shrug. "...Too bad we couldn't find anything to help with the Guild House, guess we'll have to check the inner parts of the city, huh?"

"Ah, yes?" Was all Risabeel could say to Blake at the moment, seeing as he was acting all too normal with himself that it was scaring her. "He must have really wanted to hit someone as he said..." She thought of the only thing she could think of that would give Blake the reason to hit a man of rank such as Gregor.

"Good to hear, then let's get a move on. I want to get that place fixed as soon as possible and start working," Blake muttered as everyone got out of the Heated Scale. "Huh?" But had to turn around with the door open to stare at Bread just standing there. "Hey, kid, you coming, or do I have to carry you again?"

"Why...?" Bread asked not moving a step away from his spot and looked right at Blake for any kind of answer for what he just did for the boy. "Just tell me why?"

"Hmm? Why did I do that...?" Blake looked up at the ceiling then at Gregor out cold, then at Sarah waving at him to leave then back at Bread. "Well, let's see? First, you camped out inside my new home without my knowing, you threw a drumstick at me, ran over my face and made me run after you for a bit..." He started out pausing to take a few bites out of his rock cake.

"You've already yelled at me for all of that. What's the point?" Bread asked, hearing Blake go over things he's done to him. "It's just like everyone else I've messed with! They catch me, yell at me for things I've done, then either beat me or throw me to that bird!"

"Oh? And you hit me with one of these amazing things..." Blake kept going, waving his rock cake around. "...and I was forced to give you food and a place to sleep...ugh!" He would have gone on more, but Risabeel looked at him, so he got to the point. "What I'm getting at is that you own me, kid, a lot, and you're gonna pay me back."

"Didn't you hear the bird? I got nothing!" Bread shouted while grabbing at his clothes, almost tearing them up. "No money, no home, no friends, no family, no skill or status!"

"Well? As far as I see, you got two arms, two legs, and I think you got a brain in there. Where I come from; that's good enough." Blake muttered, barely even trying to sound convincing to anyone, then he walked up to Bread. "At the very least, I could use a training dummy. So, what about it, Nobel? What do you want to do with all that nothing you've got there?" He asked, slapping the brim of Bread's hat down over his eyes then walked out without him.

"..." Bread's hung his head low after Blake's last words, and he gripped the brim of his hat until he finally flipped it over back up and ran out the door. "Hey! Old man! Wait up!".

Chapter End