Quentin Spiros
The wind carried the scent of Lapideus Lake on its back. Gulls flew lazily overhead as they caught current after current. Every once in a while a black loon would dive head first into the sea and come up not moments later with a fish hanging from its beak. The sun shone brightly overhead, not a cloud was to be seen in the sky. A small breeze drifted through the air and every once in a while a small wave would bump lightly against the side of the small boat.
Quentin had a fishing rod and a lure cast out into the lake smooth, blue water. Today was his one day off for the week and he was spending it catching fish for his family. He hadn’t talked to them directly since he had left home ten years ago, but that didn’t mean he wouldn’t help support his brothers and sisters. Every week he left a bucket of fish or small game outside of their small hovel and waited until he was sure they picked it up. Sometimes he would see his younger siblings playing out in the filth drenched street and wave but he never approached them.
Quen sat lazily in the small boat with his large, straw hat drawn over his face. He felt a slight tug on the line and quickly began to reel the fish in. It was a small fish, barely big enough to support one person, but it would do. He quickly killed the fish and set it in the bag beside him. Already he had caught four more fish, this one now being his fifth fish. Quen cast his line out once more and lay back in the boat, pulling his straw hat down once more.
Suddenly, without any warning, a huge blast sounded out across the lake. Quen, who had started to drift off, woke suddenly, flailing about as though he was being attack. The small boat tipped over and spilled the young man and the fish into the lake. Quen spluttered when his head broke the lake’s surface. The bag of fish floated next to him as well as the boat with one oar still attached. The other oar had already sunk along with his fishing pole. It wouldn’t be wise for him to dive after either item. He quickly grabbed the bag of fish before it began to sink and flipped the boat over.
He must have looked very awkward trying to get back into his boat. His clothes were completely soaked through, weighing him down quite a bit, but he somehow managed to wiggle his way out of the water. Cursing, Quen quickly checked the bag of fish to make sure all five were still there…there were only three. Quen turned to look in the direction the loud bang had come from. No smoke or anything came from the large city of Caritus, then again, he couldn’t see that much. Caritus was merely a speck on the horizon. The only reason he knew it was there was because of the maps he sometimes read.
Quen let out a heavy sigh as he picked up his one oar and began rowing to shore. It had taken him an hour to get to his location from Lapideus city with tow oars. It would take at least an extra half hour for him to get back with only one. Quen fixed the straw cap on his head and began to slow process of rowing.
It took him two hours to get back to shore. The wind was against him the whole way back, causing him to strain even harder to row the boat. He had planned on staying out on the lake at least until the winds shifted but without a pole there was no reason to. Quen pulled the small craft onto shore and tied it up along the dock. He paid the dock master for the missing oar and apologized profusely. The old man merely grunted and shooed him off.
Quen continued about his day as usual. He picked up some supplies at the market and even bought a few extra fish just in case his three would not be enough. Every once in a while he would hear people talking about the blast that had come from Caritus and that scouts had gone out to check. Quen wanted to listen and to ask about what had happened, but he had more pressing matters to attend to.
The streets of the pleasure district were crowded today. Quen kept his money and his goods close to his body just in case some street urchin tried to pick pocket him. It had happened multiple times, but he always caught the child. Quen felt sorry for the children living in the pleasant district who were forced to pick pocket. He and his siblings used to do it as well. Quen wouldn’t have been surprised if his younger brothers or sisters had tried to pick pocket him before. Quen made sure nobody was around as he dropped off the fish and the extra supplies from his shopping trip. He then knocked on the door and ran to the neighboring alley way.
He waited out there for an hour, but still no one came to claim the fish. Puzzled, Quen left the slums of the pleasure district and headed back toward the wealthier side of the city. He was growing more curious by the minute about what the bang was. He had heard that the demons had begun to invade the human side of the world. Perhaps they had attacked Caritus? ‘No,’ he thought as he neared the dojo, ‘we would have heard about that by now’.
He bowed deeply to Danosia as she exited the dojo and gave her a cheeky smile. He stepped into the dojo and made sure to remove his still wet shoes. Then again, most of his clothes were still wet. He bowed deeply to Loreitia from the entrance before stepping toward her. “Mistress, have you heard about Caritus?” he asked, hoping she knew something.