After gathering up all the precious runes, as well as doing some more scavenging around the keep to see if there were any more valuables lying around, Miri, Anne, and Isaiah proceed to give both Hugo and the chimeragon a proper burial. It was more than that traitorous bastard would ever deserve, though Anne pointed out another benefit of the burial was to lessen the chance of him coming back as a ghost, so there’s at least that benefit to consider. Wouldn't want a guy like him to come back to haunt them.
Once everything was taken care of, all that’s left was to discuss how to distribute the runes.
“You two should take all of the runes,” Isaiah suggested.
“Wait, did I hear that right? You're just gonna give us all of the runes?” Miri asked.
“Yes, that’s right,” Isaiah confirmed with a nod. “I cannot, in good conscience, keep any of them. Not after what had happened. My father did try to kill the two of you just to get these runes, after all. What he did was unforgivable. Here’s hoping that my share would be a good enough compensation for that.”
“Isaiah…you shouldn’t have to…what your father did was not your fault,” Anne said softly. “And you shouldn’t feel the need to accept the responsibility for his wrongdoings.”
“Yeah. Besides, doesn’t your dad still have some leftover debts to pay?” Miri pointed out.
Isaiah grimaced, remembering the financial problems that were still burdening him, one that won’t simply go away due to his father’s death. “I…I’ll figure out some other way.”
Miri sighed as she shook her head. “Stop acting tough, kid. Just accept your share of the runes. No one’s gonna think less of you if you do.”
You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story.
As much as Isaiah hated to admit it, he couldn’t help but succumb to Miri’s request, knowing full well that it would be the more practical solution.
“Now that your father is dead, what will happen to you now?” Anne asked. “Do you have any other family to go to? Maybe some distant relatives or family friends who can take you in?”
“Not that I’m aware of,” Isaiah replied. “I don’t remember either of my parents mentioning any distant relatives. My father did have some business friends, though they were no longer his friends after his business went bankrupt. Even with the debts paid, I highly doubt they’ll be willing to take in someone like me.”
“I see. So, in other words, you pretty much have nowhere to go,” Anne concluded.
“Yeah, pretty much,” Isaiah said, a woeful expression on his face. “I’m still too young to be a full-grown adult. Best case scenario for me is to end up in an orphanage.”
“Man, that’s depressing to hear,” Miri said with a sigh. “Look, how about you come tag along with us for a while until we can find a better place for you to settle down. We’ll go sell off the runes and see how much money we’ll end up with. With a bit of luck, you may even end up with a bit of extra money left over after all the debts have been cleared. Who knows? Maybe you’ll end up being a rich orphan instead of a poor orphan. That’s something, at least, right?”
“You want me to come along with you? Are you sure about that?” Isaiah asked, feeling a bit uncertain. “I won’t be a burden to you, would I?”
“Man, now you sound like Anne,” Miri whined, rolling her eyes.
“I do not sound like that!” Anne snapped with a frustrated pout.
“Like hell you don’t! You’re always go on and on about how you don’t want to be a burden to everyone. That’s exactly the same thing he is saying. I bet if he puts on a blonde wig and some cleric robe, he’d look exactly like you as well.”
“Miri!”
“What? You know I’m right.”
For the next couple of minutes, the two women started to bicker, though it was more of a lighthearted bickering—one that’s usually done between two close friends. For some reason, watching the two of them bicker like that made Isaiah feel more at ease, the tension in the air slowly lifted away. Though he may have a troubled life up to this point, he’d somehow gained a slightly more positive outlook on his future.
