A Gorgeous White

A wondrous smell filled Moulin's nostrils.

It made his stomach grumble but before he could sate his curiosities behind the thick brick wall of the building, a firm hand reached out to fix the light blue shawl covering his head like a hood. It conceals his hair and, barely, his face. For some reason, his two friends were adamant to want to have hidden his face.

"It'll cause an uproar." Said Ghana.

Jagra suprisingly, and hesitantly, agreed. Moulin only thought they were exaggerating. Nevertheless, he didn't care either way if anyone saw him or not.

With a wide grin, Ghana leads the way with large strides. She stepped out from the shadows and welcomed the bustling street with her eye-catching appearance. The people selling and buying from the stalls paused, looking at her with shocked expressions. A strong-looking woman like her seemed to catch the attention of the crowd at first sight. Gazes drowning in admiration and regard immediately spread around her.

However, Ghana didn't look like she felt the attention. She only gestured for Moulin and Jagra to follow her through the sea of people.

Seeing this, Moulin scoffed. Agh, he wanted to walk freely too. Not for the attention, of course, but to walk uncaring of those gazes. Discomfort caressed his skin at the thought of always hiding. However, Moulin then shrugged the thought away. Truthfully, his current situation was more favorable though if you wanted to stay invisible through the crowd.

Jagra patted Moulin sensing his thoughts and the latter shook his head with a chuckle. As they moved deeper into the street, Moulin became fully aware of the situation around him. This district was famous for food production and filled with thriving businesses. They may not be as prominent before the Kron took over but they were better especially, during this time of scarcity and survival.

Ghana pointed out buildings housing indoor farmlands kept within spatial pockets. Farmlands? Moulin took a while to process the idea. When his eyes shone with fascination, Ghana had already pulled him elsewhere to admire other places. Jagra sighed helplessly as he followed them.

As they kept walking Ghana would stop and admire some products before purchasing a few and moving to the next stall. She was quite friendly to the merchants and customers. Moulin took the time to gaze at a few stores, marveling at handmade fabrics and precious items like mana-infused objects and crystals. Silver eyes twinkled at a gem-embedded comb that was said to make your hair extra shiny and beautiful. No hair tangles forever.

"Moulin, Ghana, come on." Jagra pulled his two friends away, mindful of the short time they had to spend. The last thing they wanted was to have people searching for them, a captain who shouldn't have this much free time in her hands, a mage who should be attending to his duties and punctual in his appointments, and a certain precious young master of the most overprotective family in the city and lover of a certain High Lord.

But would it hurt to play for a few hours? They were careful, what could go wrong?

"Want some?" Ghana pushed a stick of savory skewered meat to Moulin's mouth.

Moulin bit one off while glancing at a stall selling enchanted weapon ornaments. Chewing the meat, Moulin asked his friend as they walked. "Charms, embroidered garments, mana crystals... How do these people find these items? At times like these, isn't it difficult to obtain such things?"

Ghana finished three sticks before finally answering, "Ah, a few times a month, traders from different bases would come to visit. Before, the supplies in Helios were scarce, and every day many survivors came to seek shelter in the city. Perhaps, without the trades, Helios wouldn't grow to be as prominent and secure as it is now. Our esteemed High Lord took action before the situation became critical, building alliances and finding resources."

Moulin's eyes widened slightly in wonder. "Ah, I see..."

"Yes. Now, wait here, I'll go get something. I'll be right back! Don't go anywhere!..." Ghana said to her friends before leaving.

"What?!" Jagra shouted. "No, come back here! G-Ghana!"

However, his voice faded from the noise of the streets and was left to be ignored.

Witnessing the bustling streets and richness of commodities, Moulin could feel the rising development of the city. A faint smile graced his face while observed his surroundings.

Suddenly, his eyes found a few children at a corner of the building chasing each other. They laughed cheerfully before huddling together and whispering.

"Sh! Listen, my mother tells me that if we don't come back home on time, the spirit of the White Forest would come and drag us outside the city walls."

"No! My father told me that the forest would wilt if we don't help with work. And the spirit wouldn't bless us anymore."

"Yes, The Spirit of the White Forest would only bless those who are good. My mother tells me he has hair as white as the tree crystals of the forest. It sparkles like a sea of stars. If you are very good, it'll leave you a braid of its hair to protect you from monsters!"

The children yelled excitedly as they shared their stories.

Spirit of the White Forest? Moulin's forehead crinkled. What were they talking about?

"Curious, are you?"

Moulin heard Jagra chuckle behind him. His friend approached his side and gazed at the laughing children from afar. "Although your name was known to most people within the tower, little knew within the districts and some chose to believe in a guardian spirit protecting the city from evil. The White Forest is a symbol of its purity and presence. It sparked hope."

Silver eyes shone with amazement. Moulin couldn't say a word.

Jagra smiled, "Something as raising an entire crystal forest from a contaminated ground sounds quite unbelievable to some folks. But best leave them to their beliefs when it helps."

Moulin smiled nodding, "Yes, I wouldn't mind being a spiritual guide at all."

Jagra chuckled, shaking his head. At the same time, Ghana finally appeared breathing heavily.

"I'm back! Now, come and follow me! There's a place I promised to bring you to." She pushed her two friends through the crowd until they arrived before the doors of a tall building.

Hearing the rowdy sounds within the building, Jagra gave Ghana a suspicious look. "This place-"

"It's just a regular bar, my friend. Nothing special." Ghana interrupted before stepping inside in a blink of an eye. Helplessly, Jagra and Moulin followed her.

"Captain!"

"Ah, our fearsome warrior is here!"

"Here again, I see!"

Melodious music filled the air and the savory scent of food immediately caught Moulin's attention. There were many customers in the bar, occupying almost all the tables inside. And almost everyone knew his jovial female friend whose smile became wider with every passing second.

"Ghana!" The barkeeper waved. He was a muscular man with hairy arms wearing a soiled apron that smelled of oil. He looked as friendly as Ghana, wearing a wide grin as he tossed a stained towel over his shoulder.

Moulin couldn't help but be curious. Meanwhile, Jagra stood as though he was invisible, deadpan.

"I see you brought me new customers." The barkeeper's eyes shine with delight. "I'll cook up a nice meal for your three! It'll be the best food you folks ever tasted!"

"Heh, that sounds a bit unfair, master." One of the men at the table nearby spoke.

"Bah! shut up and eat your damn food or I'll have your wife drag you outta here!"

Boisterous laughter surrounded Moulin and even the threatened man couldn't help but laugh. Ghana shook her head as she lead her friends to an empty table. The atmosphere was nice and warm, accompanied by some joyous music. Ah, to think that there could be so much positivity within this nearly desolate world. With death constantly knocking on one's door in unpredictable circumstances,

Moulin thought each person would be too serious to even spend time in joy. Perhaps, the unexpected somewhat triggers a certain feeling of doing what makes one happy and not losing oneself in the sea of despair and fear. As the darkness swallows, the light creeps, surviving on every bit of blooming happiness left on this land.

They were served hot food and the bar's best liquor. The roasted chicken and mushroom broth once again woke the sleeping beast in Moulin's stomach. The smell was tantalizing. Even Jagra couldn't resist eyeing his plate in a daze. Ghana laughed proudly as she watched her friends eat with enthusiasm. Nothing beats the food from her favorite place in the whole city!

No matter how fast the two ate, Ghana was the first to finish her meal. She went to talk with the barkeep instead of waiting for her friends to finish.

Moulin secretly patted his stomach once he finished. The food was undoubtedly satisfying.

"Ah, I heard that the people from Grekellia would arrive in Helios in a few days."

The voices of the men at the nearby table reached Moulin's ears.

"Yes, they'll be arriving with some of their merchants. Hmm, their resources seemed to be better than ours here in Helios. Perhaps, it wouldn't be long before the High Lord decides to solidify the alliance with Grekellia."

"Grekellia's men are a handful of crap."

"You think they'll search for brothels here again?"

"I bet they will."

Moulin furrowed his brows. Grekellia. It seems to be another base, perhaps on par with Helios's when it comes to resources. However, Moulin knew he could not rely on rumors alone. This base, Grekellia.

"What is it?" Jagra noticed Moulin's thoughtful eyes, lost in deep thinking.

"Grekellia..."

"Ah..." Jagra's lips thinned. "Grekellia is a base not far from Helios. It settles within the woodland mountains."

Moulin's eyes widened. A base in a forest?! From his experience, the forest was the worst place to even set up camp for one night. Before, he could ask, Jagra explained with an uninterested expression.

"They put up a barrier as strong as ours here in Helios as well as built walls around their city. The woods gained them one great advantage though..."

"And that is?"

Jagra lowered his gaze, "It attracts malibreeds for them so they could hunt them for sport."

With shock-filled silver eyes, Moulin could not utter a word. Truly, these people are mad to point of discarding their lives for entertainment...

Moulin wanted to know more. However, a heavy hand slammed the table startling both maeruthans. Ghana's bright smile filled their vision.

"How was the meal?" She asked.

"Great, surprisingly." Jagra narrowed his eyes on her.

"Surprisingly?" The barkeeper's voice rose as he carried a tray filled with liquor. The foam dripped from the mouth of the mugs as he approached them. "Here! Have some of our best ale!"

Jagra's forehead scrunched. "Ah, we already drank-"

"Nonsense! These are on the house! Anything for my best customer's friends!"

Jagra swallowed as a thick mug was pushed into his hands. He turned to Moulin for help but the youth only chuckled with amusement as he accepted his own mug.

All of a sudden, Moulin felt an abrupt surge of mana from his hand. His gaze lowered and noticed his bracelet's gemstone blinking.

"...?"

Moulin touched the stone with a fingertip. The moment the stone felt his touch, one sentence materialized before his eyes. The white text seemed to be invisible to other people.

'Where are you?'

Moulin's eyes widened briefly, 'Hadrian...'

As Moulin was still, the people around him weren't. The music's tempo increased and a few drunk men at the nearby table wobbled as they stood up. Suddenly, one of the drunk men stumbled, losing their balance near Moulin's table. Fortunately, he recovered himself before he could collide with the chairs. However, his hand accidentally tugged the end of a certain person's light blue shawl.

Slip!

A head of dazzling silver-white hair is revealed to countless eyes. Then, little by little the noise faded until silence filled the area. Even the musicians stopped playing. Countless gazes settled on the oblivious youth.

"..."

Meanwhile, the person at the center of all the attention was anxiously fiddling with his bracelet.

Moulin was sweating. H-How does he respond with this thing??