Chapter 9: Sealed signs

How can a grown man be crying… especially someone of his caliber?

Jorel's hand shudders at the thought.

"If you give my father—I mean the Ujochi clan your mines…" His head facing towards the light brown stained roof with black patches.

"You and your people won't inherently suffer… at least anymore." Putting one hand on his waist and pointing towards the door.

Dorl, raises his head up to look at him, tears racing down his face to see who reaches the ground first.

"...What do…You mean?" His voice sounding as if it'll almost crack like an egg.

I mean can't you think for once.

Is the thing in your head just for fashion?!

"Hmff…" Jorel sighs.

"If the Ujochi clan uses those mines, that means more money."

For us I mean.

"That also means that this town would develop."

"More money means better infracture." He cups his hand and taps his other hand on it like explaining something to a child.

"The quality of life would improve for everyone—Including you and your daughter" Trying to paint a picture with an empty canvas that is the air and with no brush except his hands.

"...." Dorl's eyes squint as he strokes his beard.

"Hmm…"

Even if you think of it just like a second…

It's entirely beneficial to them.

"But.. what about jobs?" He asks, his voice sounding more collected.

"That's your own personal problem." Jorel points his finger at him, so close it's at the middle of his eyes and nose.

"You can't expect us to fix every one of your problems."

Damn that's the thing with peasants…show them a little help and they'll want you to completely fix everything.

His head bends down, one arm on the edge of the chair he's sitting on the other on his lap, nodding as he strokes his beard.

"Since its for the betterment of Slov…"

"And based on what you said… You're father doesn't prove to have any harm towards us."

Letting out a big burst of air from his nose, his chest decreasing as the air comes out.

Yes… Yes at long last!

Jorel's hand fidgeting.

"TINA!" He screams at the top of his lungs.

SCREEECH!

It tears Jorel's ears making him slightly recoil.

"BRING THE SEAL!"

Argh! —my ears again!

Metal clanking and tiny footsteps echoing through those thin walls.

"Yes daddyyy." She shouts as well—Are they normally like this?

In her hand, a tiny rectangular metal box with a stamp on it, liquid can be violently sloshing inside proportional to her steps.

"Here it iss!" She stretches the box forward.

Dorl collects it, putting it on his lap beside the paper.

"Huh… it's still warm—still a liquid inside." He gently shakes the box.

Opening it as a crimson liquid almost mistakable for blood becomes more visible, carring the stamp and moves it around in the liquid.

He removes it as the liquid drips from the stamp onto the floor and even some parts of his lap, pressing the seal firmly on the bottom of the paper.

Raises the stamp as the seal, Slov's insignia becoming apparent—A symbol of a horse with a pickaxe and shovel forming a cross.

It quickly dries close to the inked symbol of Jorel's clan—The twin snakes with their backs facing each other forming a circle in between.

He sits the paper on his lap for a minute, tina just staring at Jorel as she quickly then looks at the paper.

"A snake! Aren't snakes bad?" She points towards my clan's symbol.

"..." Dorl, just quiet, not even look at her.

…

"Here." His hands shaking as he extends the paper and Jorel grabs the paper and immediately puts it back in his satchel.

"Ohhh, look snakes on the strangers body." She points at Jorel, specifically his purple shirt.

"So the stranger is going to get bitten and die?!" She asks while tears fill up her eyes and tries to walk towards me.

Jorel's face slightly not in fear but because of the way Tina said it suddenly

But Dorl grabs her by the hand while nodding his head gently.

Weird kid…

"Well then that's done…" Jorel turns around with his cape following him, moving towards the door with a warm fire lit in his chest.

"Wait…" Dorl forcing his old bones to get up from the chair.

"At least let me escort you back and send you off…"

"...As the town's Kumigara." He smiles as he moves in closer.

…I don't see the harm in it.

Jorel looks at him over the shoulder.

"Whatever." Jorel's answers as he opens the door.

"Daddy can I follow?" Tina asks as she licks her own mucus.

"Hmm…" Dorl drops his hands, relaxing his muscles as his smile returns back.

"I don't see why not."

Tina's face slowly glows with a warm and fuzzy light as her incomplete teeth show themselves.

Walking away from the house as Jorel follows right behind Dorl and Tina.

Dorl forming faces and gesture at the Tina, and each time she smiles and slaps his face and Jorel not even paying heed to them, looks off to the side and thinks.

If I remember the way correctly back to my horse…

Wait…!

I didn't even tie the reins to something!

…Hope it hasn't wondered off—The dumb animal!

They walk past the run-down buildings, the moldy stalls, peple have their eyes on Jorel again, sweat starts to build beneath his skin…

But this isn't as much as before…

I can manage this…

Jorel breathes out slightly as he continues moving.

…

"I can't believe that you're going so soon." Dorl, turning his head back and looks at me as he carries Tina.

"You won't even rest for a day?" He nods his head.

"The journey to get here must have been long and hard." He continues while Tina plays with his beard.

"No, thank you." Jorel softly answering dredges along the thick mud that he still hasn't grown used to.

"Tsk…Tskk" Some leaning on the rotten wooden pillar of a shop, his gaze as sharp as ever, his hollow smirk still prominent.

Tina noticing the man as her body tingles lightly.

"Uncle Isan!" Tina shouts and jumps down from Dorl's body and darts along the mud and towards Isan.

Isan widens his hands and carries her into the air.

"Aww, how are you Tina?" He asks, his voice surprisingly compassionate.

"I'm fine, I just saw snakes." She smiles with her eyes closed and head slightly tilted.

Isan, his face slightly wrinkled.

"Where?"

Tina points directly at me as she picks her nostrils.

"Oh him, he's a snake that's why." Isan, his warm smile slightly widening at the edge and his head bent.

"A disgusting one at that." He goes back to his warm smile and faces it at Tina but his eyes curse at Jorel.

Excuse me?

The slight breeze filling the gap in Jorel's thoughts as his hair and cape dance.

Him! He made me touch the freaking mud!

And now insulting me? Infront of child?!

Jorel quickly grab the hilt of his sword, ready to remove Isan's head, but Dorl puts his hand in on his chest, stopping him.

"No" He says as he walks ahead instead.

Jorel, his heart racing heavily as he can't help but just watch Dorl from behind.

—The end of chapter 9—