This is a stick up, hands where I can see!
Put away your gold, it's no use to me.
But those fine books, I'll take from your hands,
Now head that way, before you get lost in these sands.
——, Boss of Bad Soul (7 years old)
The entire place seemed like it was on the verge of coming down. Gravel blasted in through the cracks of the windows, pelting the mugs like bullets. But at this moment, the traveler would rather be braving the sandstorm outside than spend another second in Snakebone Tavern. The traveler had come from the Moniyan Empire, intending to take advantage of the Festival of Enlightenment to study in Eruditio. He couldn't believe his luck finding a place to spend the night this far out in the desert. That is, until a group of Sand Hunters sat down at the table beside him and began ranting about their last job. He wrapped himself tightly in his cloak and pretended to enjoy the gravelly soup in front of him, trying not to look like their next victim.
"That's enough booze... I ain't in the mood. You know, I don't regret shooting that brat, but now it's suddenly getting to me, like a sandworm crawling in my head. The last time we had a sandstorm this fierce was when was born. That was sixteen years ago, on a night so dark you couldn't even see your own gun in your hands. Her mother, the then boss of Bad Soul, had gotten lost in the desert and was about to go into labor. But as things would have it, a shooting star flew over Eruditio and lit the way to 's birth.
was always a clever kid. She learned how to load a gun before she could even walk straight. Sigh... It's a pity she picked up such bad habits. She was only seven when she stole for the first time. And what was her plunder? A stack of books! Can you believe that? What kind of Sand Hunter steals books? And from then on, she would always target caravans bound for Eruditio, just to return with sacks of dusty books. She said she wanted to be an inventor... What a naive, little fool! She kept 'inventin' all these useless junk... A grill made out of a guitar, a desert swimming contraption.... Hell, my boy nearly drowned in that quicksand! And... Huh?! Who's making that noise?"
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The traveler pretended to choke on his soup to cover his sudden burst of laughter. An outlaw who loved to read? He had never heard of such a thing. Filled with curiosity about this person, the traveler silently moved his stool ever so closer to the rowdy table.
"Anyway, it had nothing to do with her inventions. I took that shot to uphold the ways of this land. I couldn't believe it when her mother passed leadership of Bad Soul to . She was shorter than my rifle, yet dared sit so high above her predecessors. I often ran into her while out on our hunts. She was fearless and a natural shot, and as her senior, I had planned to look out for her, but she looked down on us for taking from unarmed civilians! She even went out of her way to return everything we stole! A crook with a conscience... Ain't that rich! That girl really doesn't know what's best for her until she's facing down the barrel of a gun. I would have made my move long ago... If it wasn't for old nana's sake. That breathing thingy made cured grandma's snoring problem..."
The traveler was taken back, for he had a keen interest in medical devices. Perhaps he could exchange knowledge with this ——
THUMP! A knife came down and nearly split the table as the leader of the group angrily cleared his throat.
"Idiots! You deserve to have suffered under her thumb for all these years. Who cares about her inventions, or even dishonor amongst thieves? 's biggest mistake was drawing the ire of Eruditio. Just think about it! When did the winds of this desert turn against us? The Eruditio Rangers have spent years trying to keep us down, yet grit and gunfire have seen us through the worst of it. But ever since they found out was inventing things, they thought we were looking to take what was theirs! They came to our lands, installed pumps and generators, and then lured our men into taking their so-called 'stable jobs'. Depravity, complete depravity! But Eruditio doesn't care about at all. During the last Festival of Enlightenment, drawn by their nonsense about equality and openness, she took that new invention of hers to the city for some exhibition. What a laugh! She was stopped by a guard before she could even get inside. They smashed her contraption and turned her into the laughingstock of these lands. Do you know what that guard said? 'Eruditio would never accept such a crude invention. Stop daydreaming and crawl back to the desert where you belong!'——"
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BAM! The door of the tavern suddenly burst open, and the onslaught of wind and sand nearly threw the traveler off his stool.
"Those are my stories to tell."
The traveler adjusted his glasses just in time to see the figure pull out a pair of strange gadgets.
"But I'll give your widows something to tell!"
And that's when the bullets started flying. Arcing exquisitely around the traveler, 's shots found their way to the three Sand Hunters behind him. The traveler dove under the table and held his mouth shut. He watched in terror as a pair of spiked boots approached and stopped right in front of his table.
"Bullets that can arc, inspired by the very sandworms of this desert. What do you think, stranger?"
With great interest, bent down halfway and lifted the cloak that was tightly wrapped around the traveler, as if admiring a new invention.
"Hmm... The smell of shoe polish and leather. It hasn't dissipated even after traveling all this way, has it Mr. Moniyan shoemaker?"
As keenly exposed his identity, the traveler's face flushed a bright red. The jig was up. How could a simple shoemaker ever hope to become an academic? Eruditio would definitely have mocked him the same way they mocked . He should just go home and put this terrible trip behind him.
But in the spur of the moment, the traveler summoned the courage to utter a question.
"D-D-Do you think I can become an academic at Eruditio?"
"Heck if I know," shrugged as she grabbed the traveler's bag. "But in this desert, no one can tell you which way is right or wrong. They say Sand Hunters can't be inventors, and inventors can't be outlaws." gave a sly smile, and took out a few books from the bag for herself. "But who are they to define us?"
The traveler was taken back by her words and become lost in his thoughts for a moment. Picking up her loot, was halfway out the door when she glanced back one last time.
"You have to make your own way, just like the ever-shifting sands."
