The group has finally arrived at the capital. The city was surrounded with a wall, making it look more like a fort. To enter, they needed to wait in line as soldiers checked everything and everyone coming in.

The group was in awe, everyone else waiting in line had either gold or red, almost orange hair color. They met a traveler or two per month that had such colors, but never did they see so many people that didn't have the brown hair color their village is famous for.

A whisper could be heard “It is the same color dad dyes his hair.”

Worried glances traveled between Zakki and Ellanour, and before either of them could say anything, Nabih jumped in, carried Ward up, and put him on his shoulders.

“You can sit there quietly for a while.”

In the meanwhile a sense of worry traveled through Ellanour's back ‘we are doing nothing wrong, why do I feel stressed?’

Finally, it was their turn. One of the soldiers had a curious look in his eyes as he asked them for their reason to visit.

“We are here to pay the tribute.”

From behind him another soldier with scorn in his eyes asked: “With just these two carts? are you perhaps part of the tribute?”

“We have sent another group ahead of us, but they never made it here, so this is all that we have left,” responded Zakki, trying to hold back the irritation he was feeling.

The two soldiers looked at each other, the curious one simply shrugged his shoulders and continued “you arrived early, the office will open at a later time today, you can leave the cart to the right when you go in, and simply return when the sun is right above us.”

The soldier with the golden hair then gave a smile to Ward who was sitting on Nabih’s shoulders. Who returned a smile to him.

As they walked in, the second soldier started smirking maliciously.

“Can we buy tomato seed while we are here?”

“Why tomato? None of our dishes use tomato.”

“I promised Annie I’ll bake her a Pizza, it is something delicious - you will not regret growing tomatoes, you can make so many dishes with it.”

“Take my backpack. There is a bracelet in it, see if you can trade the seeds for the bracelet. I’m going to ask around town about the merchants.”

Ward eyes grew wide and quickly asked: “can I joi..”

Before he could continue asking to join her, he was denied. Nabih’s hand held onto Ward’s two feet, and without a second word headed directly into the city.

The city looked mismatched. At first, the buildings seemed old, small and cramped on one another, it felt like the houses were prisons. Yet, the people were lively.

They continued to walk in the city, when suddenly they started noticing a different kind of buildings, the buildings looked newer, and they had dirty-glass windows. Some were opened, some closed, but it all seemed good.

Throughout the entire walk, they noticed stares from everyone around them, but they didn’t know why. Soon enough, they could only continue searching for someone selling tomato seeds.

They finally reached a market and found someone selling tomatoes. It was Ward that pointed out the vegetables stand, Nabih just followed his directions.

A man as old as the village Cheif was sitting and smiling to himself. When Nabih walked toward him, his smile turned into a frown.

Before Nabih could say anything, he already started talking “You can’t scare me here, go away I won’t work with you.”

A woman standing in the next stand returned a worried glance and whispered to the older man “just do what he wants, look at that battle scar on his face, just because he is carrying a child, doesn’t make him any less of an Aklamatian.”

Another man from across the streets said “Yah, even the child he is carrying is Aklamatian.”

Nabih looked up, and his eyes met with Ward - they were both confused.

A child came out of nowhere and screamed. “We don’t want the likes of you in our streets!” his eyes conveyed deep hatred.

Nabih, shocked to hear the child’s words, started mumbling “is it because of the scar? All the children are afraid because of this cursed scar, all I want to do is play with those children, why am I cursed to have them hate me” he mumbled on an on. The aura around him got darker and more depressed as the seconds ticked by. Suddenly, Ward used Nabih's head as a drummer which he slapped, waking him out of his mumble.

Disregarding what was going around them, he directed his voice to the man operating the stand “We would like to buy some tomato seed.”

Before the man could reply with the scorn that was ready to leave his mouth, the woman from the stall next to him intervened again, she took the seed and threw it to Nabih “Just take it and go.”

The people who stopped to watch the interaction started agreeing “this is why women live longer.”

Nabih felt like there was some misunderstanding, but he also felt rejected and dejected. So, he wanted to leave the area as soon as possible.

He said a light “thank you” which was echoed by Ward, and he walked back to the cart at the city entrance, even if it was earlier than they agreed upon, he suddenly felt it is unsafe to walk in the city for reasons he did not understand yet.

Nabih was only 18 years old, but he looked like he was 35, and that always depressed him. But today, he felt rejected as he has never been before. He knew it wasn't personal against him, but he didn't want Ward to be affected by it either.

As they sat at the cart to wait for the rest of the group to return, Ward noticed the curious soldier walking back from the gate. The soldier saw them and gave them a nod, then he took out a small book from his pocket and started reading.

“Sir, I have a question.”

The soldier who was near enough to hear Ward, pretended not to and continued walking away while keeping his eyes directed at the book in his hand.

It wasn’t long before everyone returned to the cart. They had split into two groups, with four people in each group.

“So, this is what my dad wanted me to learn? I feel sick to my stomach.

Seeing how everyone returned here quickly, I assume you all had horrible experiences?”

“I think the fact that we split into four people group and that the people here were so afraid of us, is the only reason we aren't physically hurt right now.”

Zakki tried to lighten up the mood “see, this is why we shouldn’t have switched the eight-strong men with eight sickly people.”

Some chuckle was forcibly heard, but the mood of the entire group was extremely dark.

After a moment of awkward silence, Ellanour spoke "Nabih, walk back with Ward to the edge of the forest and wait for us there. I have a horrible feeling about our next meeting.”

“If anyone should go, it should be Zakki or you Ellanour! If need be, I will bash anyone’s head who would dare try to harm you or Ward.”

“We can’t risk turning their wrath against the village, so no matter what happens we can’t fight back. Just protect Ward, and wait for us, it should only be a few hours.”

Nabih clenched his fist, and before Ward could say anything, he picked him up and walked out of the gate.

No one stopped him upon their exit, and when he reached the edge of the forest, they just stayed there, hidden behind a tree where they can't be seen, but could see everything in front of them.

“Let’s play one of your card games” to pass the time, and relieve some of the stress, Nabih urged Ward for anything distracting

“How can we when they could be in deep danger. We can help them. We shouldn’t just stand here like statues” Ward’s eyes conveyed conviction “If you are a man, you won't let Ellanour be at risk.”

Upon saying that, Ward’s head was met with a fierce hit “If you weren’t here, I would be there. I can’t leave you, and I am certainly not taking you to where I can’t protect you.”

Either form being scolded, or getting the hit, or the from worry. Ward started crying.

“Don’t cry…” Nabih already felt guilty for pressuring him “We just have to wait a bit, they will be fine.”

“If… any.onee.. thought that, we wouldn’t be waiting at the edge of the forest.”

Their worry was in its place. It wasn’t long after that, that the curious soldier they met before, came out of the gate and walked straight toward them.