The First Taste
Mother needs you at home, but for what reason?
The rest of the squad was waiting outside the headquarters, just having returned from a mission. People walking around, city buzzling and all they wanted to do was to finish the shift.
”Ah, here he comes.”
Someone pointed out and Valdor raised his gaze, to confirm that, indeed, there came their squadmate decorated with the characteristic snake tattoo.
“Finally. He sure took his time.”
He smiled and straightened his posture but observed the look on their comrade’s face. Something was off, if not necessarily wrong, but Valdor didn’t pry. Maybe the secretary had been bitching about some protocols again.
They headed to the locker rooms to change. Splash of water on face to wash off the dust of the corridors and changing from the armor back to his ordinary clothes. Valdor didn’t hurry, as he knew that Mother would be waiting for him, but he really didn’t want to go. So, if not necessarily defying her will to get him home immediately after the work, he didn’t rush either.
“I’m dying of thirst!”
Exclaimed Shardriin’dyn while putting on his pretty tunic. Prettier than Valdor himself had, but he wasn’t necessarily envious of clothes, like mother. They had, as a family, come a long way, and he was for now just happy to have food in the table and an intact roof over his head.
“Anyone else for a pint?”
He asked, but Valdor just waved his hand.
“Not this time, I’m needed at home; we’re having visitors.”
He gave a crooked smile and got some ‘aww, that’s too bad’ answers from the rest of his squadmates. They parted ways, when they got out to the plaza. He stopped for a moment, eyes observing the familiar backs disappearing into the crowd, and he let out a sigh.
Valdor shook his head to himself and started his slow walk home. Mother hadn’t forbidden him from buying anything on his way, so he treated himself with a lizard-on-a-stick, as he was also starving after a full day’s work. His current financial situation made him frown, though.
Yeah… Needed at home, but also a silver and two coppers away from bankruptcy. His money pouch couldn’t have supported him through a night of drinking with the boys, anyway. Mom should have paid him of the last month’s wage already, but she was sitting on the money like some kind of greedy copper dragon protecting her treasure. Or maybe this was just her way to keep him on a tighter leash, again. And that only could mean she had something planned; something she needed him for, and thought of It involving higher ranking females, again, made shivers run down his spine. Thanks mom. That’s just what I wanted after a hard day’s work. Maybe he should have volunteered for a double shift instead and just faced her mother’s wrath later.
”Ah, here he comes.”
Someone pointed out and Valdor raised his gaze, to confirm that, indeed, there came their squadmate decorated with the characteristic snake tattoo.
“Finally. He sure took his time.”
He smiled and straightened his posture but observed the look on their comrade’s face. Something was off, if not necessarily wrong, but Valdor didn’t pry. Maybe the secretary had been bitching about some protocols again.
They headed to the locker rooms to change. Splash of water on face to wash off the dust of the corridors and changing from the armor back to his ordinary clothes. Valdor didn’t hurry, as he knew that Mother would be waiting for him, but he really didn’t want to go. So, if not necessarily defying her will to get him home immediately after the work, he didn’t rush either.
“I’m dying of thirst!”
Exclaimed Shardriin’dyn while putting on his pretty tunic. Prettier than Valdor himself had, but he wasn’t necessarily envious of clothes, like mother. They had, as a family, come a long way, and he was for now just happy to have food in the table and an intact roof over his head.
“Anyone else for a pint?”
He asked, but Valdor just waved his hand.
“Not this time, I’m needed at home; we’re having visitors.”
He gave a crooked smile and got some ‘aww, that’s too bad’ answers from the rest of his squadmates. They parted ways, when they got out to the plaza. He stopped for a moment, eyes observing the familiar backs disappearing into the crowd, and he let out a sigh.
Valdor shook his head to himself and started his slow walk home. Mother hadn’t forbidden him from buying anything on his way, so he treated himself with a lizard-on-a-stick, as he was also starving after a full day’s work. His current financial situation made him frown, though.
Yeah… Needed at home, but also a silver and two coppers away from bankruptcy. His money pouch couldn’t have supported him through a night of drinking with the boys, anyway. Mom should have paid him of the last month’s wage already, but she was sitting on the money like some kind of greedy copper dragon protecting her treasure. Or maybe this was just her way to keep him on a tighter leash, again. And that only could mean she had something planned; something she needed him for, and thought of It involving higher ranking females, again, made shivers run down his spine. Thanks mom. That’s just what I wanted after a hard day’s work. Maybe he should have volunteered for a double shift instead and just faced her mother’s wrath later.
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