Chapter 2: Reality

"COSMO WHAT THE HELL DID YOU DO!!"

In the distance i could hear my sister screaming my name with unadulterated rage, and when she usually does that i know it's not gonna end well for me, so i did what any normal good brother should do when your sister is mad at you. I blamed the dog for it.

"It wasn't me sis i swear! Choco was the one who tore apart your Sky Piercer martial arts manual, im very sure he did that to pin the blame on me! Come on i was at the library when it got torn, see choco is even glaring at me for exposing him"

I say it with utmost passion and honesty that even im starting to believe my own lies, unluckily i could see choco staring at me with obvious hate at what i did, im sorry choco i really dont wanna taste her divine spear again.

"Uh Huh sure cosmo, and hey i gotta ask, how did you know it was a martial arts manual that was ruined?"

Oh no.

"Yeah about that…"

Swiftly i try to run away but before i even attempted that thought, i was quickly dangling from my sister's spear. I can even see the tip shimmering before my eyes, ready to pierce through me if i make one wrong move. I knew i should have blamed the turtle for it instead.

"My dear brother cosmo, it seems you have forgotten the last time something like this happened, but fear not, i will make it absolutely sure this time you wont forget it even if you want to"

Sigh*

"Big brother cosmo? Helloooooo"

Suddenly i wake up drunkenly from my dream, i belatedly realized that i was dreaming, though thank god i don't have to go through my sister's punishment again. Slowly i open my eyes and see what was going on, i try to recall what happened last night but miserably failed as a splitting headache was preventing me from thinking properly, i try to stand up but wobbly as i saw that the room was almost spinning, so i sat back down a nearby chair as i try to look at the person before me.

Short black hair with with a red bow at the side of her hair, and emerald green eyes that was currently staring at me like a drunk idiot, but i ignore it as i continue to observe her, brown overalls with a white apron to match, skinny and a bit short in stature but taller than frank at least, i try to look at her chest area but what i saw was nothing, just flat.

I felt a searing pain at the top of my head and i saw that the girl in front of me was the one that hit me, this feels strangely familiar for some reason, that thought didn't last long as i try to clutch my head from further hits from the girl

"Hey Hey Hey, what are you doing that for, i didn't even do anything"

"Whatyu mean you didn't do anything, i could see you're staring at my chest."

"Don't worry little miss, there's nothing to see"

I quickly regretted saying that as i saw the room was spinning even more, and i'm pretty sure its not from the beer, i got thrown to the side of the bar and immediately felt the consequences of my actions. The little miss turned rapidly cold and ignored me like i was the scummiest person in the continent. I guess our first meeting wasn't the best, I presume.

I got a hold of myself and made my way to the counter, to which i see Mr. Frank and Mr. Samuel having a drink in the morning, i was about to greet them with a good morning but Mr. Frank quickly interrupted me before i could do so.

"Good thing you're awake kid, we were just about finishing our talk on what to do with you, but before that, wash up first, you reek of sweat and beer with a hint of blood too."

Stupefied over that last part, i hurriedly inspect myself and for some reason i'm bleeding from the top of my head and a few of my teeth are missing, now I'm starting to feel the pain as the alcohol is slowly wearing off so now all i'm left with is pain and confusion, not a good combination to be honest.

I ask where the bathroom is and i made my way over there as fast as possible, im now running to there i realize, i open the door and i see a mirror on my right, with a sink just beside it and what i can only assume as a toilet, reasoning being that its design is entirely different from the one i have at home. I look at the mirror and inspect myself to see what's specifically off about me today.

Long black hair with mesmerizing ocean blue eyes, though it's now ruined because i have a black eye now, dang it what happened last night.

Sky blue taoist robes which were supposed to give off a lustrous surface, though now it is the complete opposite as now my robes are all over the place and it's even tearing in some parts, alright now i'm getting mad, what the hell happened last night!

After i clean up after myself, which took only about an hour, normally it takes a few hours to get ready but this is the best i can do for now. Going back to the counter I greeted both Mr. Frank and Mr. Samuels and this time I didn't get interrupted.

"Good morning Mr. Frank, Mr. Samuels, today's a good day huh, now what was it about how you're going to deal with me?"

Mr. Frank looks visibly irritated as he's staring daggers at me while Mr. Samuel is actually pulling out a dagger, I dazedly look confused towards their reactions and so i ask them what's wrong.

"What's wrong, What's Wrong?! God damnit kid it took you an hour just to clean up and you're asking us what's wrong?"

"I Always wanted to test out my new dagger, and fortunately an opportunity to use it has arrived"

Oh no. I felt a chill up my spine as i felt I was being stalked by 2 predators, ready to devour me alive if i didn't give a proper excuse, and i didn't feel like getting devoured whole today. Since i didn't have any good logical excuse up my sleeve, i did the 2nd best option when you have done something wrong, you beg.

Thud*

"I'm Sorry for my transgression and i promise i will never do it again"

I knew this pose and excellent technique as i often used it against my sister whenever i did something wrong, usually, it would work and she would readily forgive me, but this time i had a feeling it wouldn't work. Welp, at least I tried, it does count for something, can't it?

"Whatever kid, a punishment is in order but for now there are more important matters at hand."

Oh, it did work, cool.

"Thank you for gracious forgiveness as this one will forever remember it"

"Don't push your luck kid, we're only delaying the punishment, you're not off yet."

I wasn't too disappointed since I could always come up with an excuse at that time. I got up from my position and saw that the girl was approaching us, i wondered who she was since she's working in this place.

"Kid, this is Amy, Amy Jen Neworld, my beautiful daughter, she'll be helping ya with learning the ropes since you'll be working together from now on. I don't care if you get along or not, just don't mess with my daughter and your gonna be fine"

I tearfully smile as I carefully ponder about my dark future and its a wonder how i will survive in this hellhole for a while, though something did confuse me with what Mr Frank said, what did he mean by work together?

"I'm sorry but what? Mr. Frank i did say i want to work for you but i meant it as simply running errands for you and such, I never meant i wanted to work in the bar itself and run it, especially run it with her"

Ah, maybe i shouldn't have said that last part, I can visibly see Amy shaking and trembling and its not of the joyous kind, me and my mouth. I disregard her reaction and continue talking to Mr. Frank and Mr. Samuel, i can die later but for now, I want to know what they mean first.

"Tough luck kid, your the one who asked for a job and thought that you could get it for free"

"And let's be honest here, without us you won't survive out there without our protection, have you ever thought why the imperial guard isn't here and dragging you out to the dungeon? it's because of us kid"

Shocked by this piece of information, i never thought about it before and now i know, i'm not from here and i'm certainly not powerful enough to go against an entire empire, i ponder on it more and realized im stuck between a rock and swords of the empire, and you bet I'm picking the rock.

"Do i really have no choice?"

"Fraid not kid, now ill let Samuel do the talkin, I'm too busy to deal with this shit"

He was in fact not busy as i could see him drinking a glass of ale in the corner, but nonetheless, Mr Frank promptly left the premises and left me with Mr. Samuel, and now Mr. Samuel is about to decide my fate,, yup I definitely should have listened to my sister.

"Now this is what's going to happen kid, there will be 2 parts to your slavery, ehem i mean job."

No wonder mom always said to me that i should always listen to my sister.

"The first part will consist of you working in the bar and helping Frank run this place, oh and if your working here then you might like the surprise gift Frank has in store for you"

I don't know why but when he mentioned the gift I didn't associate it with the good kind, i felt my legs almost buckle but stopped myself before i could do so.

"The second part will be more enjoyable for you in my opinion, you will be working under me by learning the trade of assassination, yes kid you heard right, you will become an assassin"

Suddenly i felt shivers down my spine like i'm about to walk into a dragons den with nothing but a wooden sword, and i'm doing it naked. I was appalled by what he said and quickly retorted.

"Mr. Samuel i didn't sign up for this, i didn't want to become an assassin, i don't want to hurt people just because of money, that's wrong and very evil"

"You don't seem to understand your situation, but you have no choice, this isn't your home where you could do whatever you want and feel no consequences for your action, this is the real world, where everything is a zero-sum game, you are either a winner or a loser, a predator or prey, and trust me no one is going to save you when you fuck up."

"Don't expect anyone in this world to save your sorry ass without a price to pay, people are to busy with their own lives and you have the arrogance to think that if you just sit your ass, everything will go with what you want without doing anything for it, without sacrificing for it, the world isn't a fucking fairytale and you are no damsel in distress"

"Honestly me and frank are only doing this because we think it's fun and entertaining, but if you are not going to go along with it then you are welcome to leave, we have no obligation to offer you assistance and if there comes a time where the imperial guard caught you, we will do nothing, absolutely nothing."

"Wha… but…"

"No buts, no ifs or maybe, no nothing, this is your reality Cosmo le Strange, either you accept it or absolutely do fucking nothing and wait to die"

A sudden heavy atmosphere enveloped the room and my breath quickened when i tried to breath but inevitably failed, i tried to form coherent thoughts and try to think of a way to respond, i have nothing, I need to leave, I need to breathe.

"Mr. Samuel, can you give me some time to think"

"You have 10 Minutes."

I slowly went out of the tavern to calm myself down, i need some space to at least have a good moment to think on what I should do as I genuinely don't know what to do. It was not more than a day that i decided to run away but slowly the feeling of loneliness and the uncertain future of mine is slowly weighing me down.

At first, I just planned to work a little here and there and try to build some funds to get out of this city and explore the world, that's the whole reason why i ran away in the first place, the reason why i dropped everything and went on an impulsive trip in the middle of nowhere.

In the back of my mind, I'm regretting it. Questioning why I'm even here in the first place, why i ever decided to leave the warm and comfortable fireplace i have in my room, to leave my terrifying but loving sister, to leave my overprotective yet loving parents, to leave the place i call home.

Was it all worth it? Slowly the idea of going back home grew and the creeping loneliness and the void that fills my heart suddenly clocked me all at once. Maybe my dream of finding my own place in this world could have been achieved back at home with the help of my parents, and the decision of rashly departing was a stupid idea in the first place, i didn't need to do this, sure i could have found my place in life at the comfort of my own home, But I didn't need to do this…

Lost. For the lack of a better understanding of my situation I'm lost, all I feel is the unknown path ahead of me, I don't know where to go nor even know where to begin, if mother and father were here they would have certainly known the answer, if my dear sister was here, she would beat me first before telling me where to go if I'm lost. All I see is the dark and never-ending road to which i know next to nothing about how to proceed and what lies ahead of me is a mystery i do know i could solve.