The Four Guardians

My food didn't take very long to arrive. It arrived a few minutes after the rowdy group entered. I was kinda worried at first because I didn't know what they would do but once they got their drinks they sat down. Apart from destroying the peaceful atmosphere, they seemed to be minding their own business for now.

"So… Where exactly are you heading?" The waitress had approached me. I noticed earlier that she liked to listen to traveller's stories and she probably wanted to hear mine.

"To the Magia Academy. I have some business with some friends there."

The waitress wasn't surprised to hear where I was going. I assume most people stop off on their way.

"If you don't mind me asking. What is your name?" I thought that I may as well ask for her name so it was easier to talk to her.

"Ah, my name! My name is Caitlyn, but everyone calls me Cait!"

Caitlyn huh? What a nice name.

"What about you?"

"I'm Tempus, nice to meet you."

"Tempus… what a magical name… are you perhaps a mage of some kind? Is that why you are going to the Academy? Are you a student!?"

"Haha… I am a mage but I'm just going to the academy to visit some friends. Hopefully, it all goes well."

"Ah, I see… You better be careful. Weird things have been happening lately. A lot of adventurers that stop here say they heard rumours about that city. Missing people and an increasing number of dead bodies showing up. Creepy stuff."

Well, that certainly can't mean anything good. I don't think it would have anything to do with the academy. The city has always had a problem with crime.

"I'll be sure to be careful."

Smash! I turned around quickly and noticed a pile of smashed glass on the floor. The rowdy bunch had knocked over a glass. Typical drunks.

"Oh dear… Let me come clean that up." Cait was cheerful and happy to help.

She walked over to the group and helped cleaned up the mess they had made. She gently squatted down as she picked up the large pieces with her hand. The group was all staring at her with fierce eyes. Watching her every move like predators.

"Tsk. What assholes…" I said under my breath.

Cait stood back up after picking up the largest parts. She seemed happy and pleased with herself for having completed the job.

"If you need anything else I'll be behind the bar."

"Sure thing missy." Slap! One of the drunks slapped Cait on the backside causing her smile to fade before quickly returning as if nothing had happened.

The group laughed at her behind her back as she walked back to the bar, red from embarrassment, trying to hide her quivering expression.

"Well… Are you guys going to apologise for that?" I couldn't sit by idly anymore.

"What was that? You talking to us shit head?"

"And if I was?"

The drunks all stood up and walked over to me. Cait was trying to calm down the situation but I had to do something.

"You've got some nerve talking back to me, kid."

ugh. I'm not a kid, I'm a hundred years older than this dude.

"Kid? You should learn to respect people no matter what. You don't know someone's story, as far as you are concerned. All you know about me is that I enjoyed the pie I ate. Whereas all I know about you is that you are a shitty person who deserves what's coming to him."

I stood up so I could meet the guy eye to eye. Up close he isn't intimidating at all.

WHAM! Before I noticed I was hit on the side of the head, sending my head spinning.

"Already resorted to violence huh? Don't take me lightly, I know how to fight."

I stood back up and prepared myself to fight. Cait was trying to stop us from fighting but it was too late for that.

WHAM! Again he hits me in the face quicker than I expect.

I stand back up again, refusing to stay down. I prepare myself to swing.

"Ack!" I fell to the ground before I could connect. My body started burning up and my heart felt as if it wanted to explode.

I began to cough up blood as the group proceeded to kick at me whilst I was down, unable to do anything but protect my face.

"Tsk… What an idiot… Let's leave this guy!"

"C...cowards… Y..you're p...pathetic" The leader stopped and looked at me as if he was going to come back and finish me off, but the others forced him out leaving me with several bruises and a black eye.

"Are you ok?" Cait came rushing over to me and sat next to me in my dried up blood.

"Thank you… You were defending me. It's my fault you are like this."

Cait's usual smile had dropped and it didn't seem like it would return for a while.

"Don't worry about it… I chose to fight them, It's my fault… I'll be fine…"

"You're a mage, right? Do you know healing magic?"

"Sadly I don't…"

Because I was part Demon, healing magic was useless on me. The way I typically heal things uses other magic that requires me to be in the Demon Realm because I can borrow mana from The Vault. But using it outside the Demon Realm takes a lot out of my body. Even now I'm not fully healed from using it on the horse.

"I think I have something to rub on your wounds. I'll be back and quickly go get it."

Cait ran off to go and get something from the back, I sat on the floor picking out shards of glass that ended up in my skin somehow, a glass must have got shattered whilst I was being beaten up. I held my c.h.e.s.t tightly and breathed slowly when a strange man walked up to me. I looked up and didn't know who he was. He was dressed like a servant for some royal house and didn't look as if he belonged in a place like this.

"Why didn't you fight back?" The stranger said.

"E-excuse me?"

"Fight back… I saw you went to swing earlier but you stopped halfway. Why was that?"

From what he just said I can assume he saw the fight. Thinking back it was possible that there was a guy like him eating in the place before the fight started.

"Oh… I was already injured going into that fight… The wounds from before started hurting again that's all…"

"Ah, I see."

The man looked down at me with a creepy smile. I returned a smile of my own which was equally awkward just as it was creepy.

Whoever this guy is certainly is a weird one.

"Sorry I took so long…"

Cait had returned holding an old box of medical supplies.

"Ah… it's no problem, I was just talking to this guy-"

I looked around to find the guy who I was just talking to but he wasn't there. He had vanished without a trace.

"Talking to who?"

"N-nothing."

Just who was that guy?

After about 30 minutes of teeth grinding to b.a.r.e the pain, Cait had managed to patch me up. We talked some more as we cleaned up the bar before I headed off to my room upstairs for the night. Cait gave me some supplies in case I needed them during the night and if it got really unbearable I could call her. Apparently, she lives in the first room.

Either way, I knew I couldn't stay for long. My first priority was getting to the Magia Academy and I couldn't waste any more time here.