The City of Ionia

Out of nowhere, candlelight glowed beside me, revealing a boy around my age. His left eye was hidden beneath an eye patch, and the corner of his lip was busted pretty severely. I bet that eye patch was for looks.

“Hey,” he greeted, unfazed by my presence.

“I can leave you be if you want.” It was a blunt statement, but he was there first. I had no right to get into his personal space.

“N-No! I prefer you to stay… well, um… if you want. Just don’t take anything from me unless you ask, please.” He placed the candle in between us, snuggling a quilt.

“I’m not going to steal from someone who doesn’t have anything worth stealing.”

His face reeked with disgust. “Wow, that’s pretty blunt.”

“I guess. Besides, look at yourself. I couldn’t possibly steal from someone who’s handicapped.”

“I-I-I’m not handicapped! I can do everything someone with two eyes can.”

Oh, so I guess he wasn’t wearing it for looks.

He crossed his arms, probably upset by my careless remark. “Anyways, what brings you here to this random corner? Shouldn’t you be shopping? I mean, it’s Ulm of all places, and you’re in the dead part of town.”

“I could ask the same.”

“This is my home. It’s one of the few quiet places in Ulm. Do you know how hard it is to get a good night’s rest anywhere near the markets? Impossible.”

I moved my long hair away from my face. “Do you not have an actual home—like with your parents?”

It was an empty smile. One where his mouth didn’t know how to respond, so it smiled without reason—almost as a default option. “My mother passed away a month back due to an illness. And my father, well, I never met him. But I think he’s out there somewhere. If I had a chance, I would want to meet him, even if it’s a one-time thing.”

So, he had a dream as well? A desire worth living for. There was a way he could meet his father, but I’ll hold off for now. Currently, I want to know a little more about him. It’s been way too long since I had a conversation with someone. I almost forgot how the company felt.

“What type of person was your mother?”

He stuttered, probably not expecting that question, but gathered himself together. “She was the type of mother that constantly stayed by your side, never leaving you. Wherever you went, whatever you did, she had to know everything. It was pretty annoying if you ask me. But those annoying questions made it positive that she cared for me.” He looked at the sky, similar to how I did. “I would trade anything to get her back.”

A mother who cared for her child, a mother who stood by his side through thick and thin, no matter what. Would I be in this situation if I had a mother like his?

Probably not.

“So you’ve been living here since her death? In the corner of an eventful town?”

“Nah. Rent was tight, so I had no choice but to bounce around. For now, though, I’m here. Not sure for how long, but probably until I get driven out.”

“Driven out? Meaning?”

“It means anything. Lack of food, troublesome people, constant noise, anything. Thankfully, it’s not winter yet, so I have time to look for a place indoors. I still have a few hundred bronze outis coins my mother had, so I’ll live off this for a bit.”

“How are you lacking food in this town even with money? There are markets everywhere. Even if you don’t have money, it’s pretty easy to distract workers and sneak out with free stuff.”

The boy repulsively shook his head. “I’m trying not to spend anything until it’s necessary. Besides, mother said stealing is the building block of becoming a sinner.”

“Oh, c’mon. You believe all that crap?”

“It makes sense to me,” he shrugged, “We’re in the outside world because of our sinful ancestors. Without sinning, we could be thriving in the City of Ionia.”

“Aaahhhhh enough of this.” I pushed myself up, looming over the boy. “Tomorrow, when the sun rises, I’ll meet you here. I’ll teach you to steal. We’ll start small—like fruits or maybe clothes.”

He also stood, though much quicker than I did. He was a tad taller than me, but it wasn’t noticeable. “Did you not listen to a word I said?”

“Oh, I did, but I simply don’t care. Your petty ideals will lead to starvation. Do you know how it feels not eating for days? Scraping for crumbs left by the last meal. Rationing everything and sealing it away where your hunger wouldn’t impulsivity control you. Have you ever tried biting off your skin? That’s what real hunger is. You haven’t experienced it, living off the small fortune left by your mother. But once that money is gone, what will you do? Work till you collapse? Or play games with vendors? You would do anything to prevent starving, right? Sticking to your pathetic ideals won’t help you do that.”

He backed up, his face representing one who was in complete shock. “What exactly are you saying?”

“I made myself quite clear.” I stuck out my hand, similar to what the man did to me earlier. “What’s your name?”

“M-Marshall.”

“Well, Marshall, I’m Jill. I hope you’ll be here tomorrow.”

Marshall gave me a hesitant thumbs-up. I turned around, walked out of the alleyway and onto the streets, and found a comfortable rock to sit on. I looked over the distant farmland. Wow, there was only farmland. Where the hell were the trees?

After I took in the gloomy yet satisfying scenery, I revisited my time with Marshall. I didn’t know what the plan was. Whether he would accompany me on my journey or if we would split paths. Whatever it was, I wanted to make the most of it. I wanted someone to be there with me—laughing, crying, singing, twirling around.

I hated this pitiful feeling.

The pitiful feeling of loneliness. I despised it.

I formulated a plan—what to teach him and what I wanted in return. I should have sugar-coated it, but I wanted him to accompany me. An average person couldn’t achieve Raphtalia’s dream on their own. If I could get extra help, it wouldn’t hurt, right?

The moon, a shining orb of pale light, cast a soft glow on the landscape. Stars twitched their lights like crystals inside rocks. I gazed at its beauty.

Raphtalia, I wish you were here gazing at the beautiful stars with me.

***

When the next day rolled by, we met at the designated area. From there, I instructed Marshall on the plan. He knew the town better than me, so he knew which shops carried goods. Previously, I said we were going to steal fruit. Well, I lied. The goods I sought were a new cardigan or a long-sleeved shirt. It felt uncomfortable exposing my past.

We walked through the heart of town where all the commotion carried over from yesterday. The sight was identical. Adults yelling for a cheaper price, kids jolting around the block, and vendors trying to attract customers. How did people enjoy this?

Our eyes were attached to a clothing shop—well, mine were. I shook Marshall’s arm, saying that should be our first victim. It’s not like stealing clothes was a severe crime. It’s not like I cared. But I wasn’t familiar with laws and whatnot, so I wasn’t positive.

But c’mon, it’s a piece of cloth.

Yet again, I almost got stabbed yesterday over food.

Ah, whatever. What’s the worst that could happen? If things go south, we abort the mission. Simple.

He was still adamant about not stealing or blabbing about his mother, so I slapped him on the back of the head and asked if he listened to anything I said yesterday.

After more convincing, Marshall agreed with a rough sigh. The plan was simple. Marshall would go in, distract the workers, and I would sneak in and grab something. Yes, it was the most basic plan known to man, but coming from someone who spent their entire life behind bars, I felt pretty confident with my creativity.

He walked in, pumping his tiny chest, trying to appear bigger than he was. I wasn’t sure why. It was pretty clear he was no threat since anyone could flick him on the forehead, and he would collapse.

I peeked through the crevasse of the curtains for some time. After a few minutes of wandering around the shop, Marshall held his toe, screeching to the top of his lungs. He collapsed onto the ground, his hand reaching for anyone to help him. I guess that was the signal. I crawled into the shop while everyone huddled around the dying bird, grabbed a few items, and snuck out without being spotted. With a pile of clothes cradled, I raced to the get-back-together spot, waiting for Marshall.

Marshall came back an hour later.

Seriously, what took this man so long?

I asked him, and he got all upset at me, saying everyone thought he faked an injury for attention.

First of all, that had to be the dumbest reason to fake an injury. And secondly, they weren’t entirely wrong.

After he cooled down, he checked out the clothes that I grabbed. A fresh pair of gray pants, a red sweater with a pink heart on the upper chest, and another plain black sweater. He threw the clothes on the ground, complaining how it was summer and no one would want to wear anything with sleeves.

Yet again, he wasn’t wrong. I wouldn’t be surprised if the buildings started to melt. For some reason, the sun decided to be extra brutal.

While ranting, he looked at me with a flabbergasted expression. I was wearing a black, long-sleeved shirt. The material was thin, so I wouldn’t classify it as a sweater.

After Marshall looked inside my soul, he threw another tantrum, claiming how crazy I was.

And that’s basically how our day went.