BEYOND THE BLAZE

The dark sky faded, giving the light to the ground. All of the clouds found their way out to let the stars and moon do their jobs.

"No arguing, you two; we all wanted to say thank you. We don't want to know the monster's prey." The elder who was leading the village said as he pointed at Akirion and Elina.

"Okay, you are welcome," said Akirion, holding his painful chest.

"It's late; we should be going. Good luck out there!" Elina added on top of Akirion's point.

"Wait, we want to give you some, you know, gifts." The elder stopped them, showing a smile to Akirion and Elina.

"Huh?" Elina and Akirion said as they got surprised.

"Yes, I almost forgot, we've got some things for you!"

Someone stepped forward, carrying a treasure chest.

"Actually, it's a something, not somethings," the elder corrected himself.

"W, wa, wait a moment, what is this?" Akirion said, as he reversed a bit, astonishment flowing in his body, giving chills.

"It's your gift, contributed by all of us. Thanks a lot for saving us and our land; we were going to be minced if it wasn't for you!" The elder led the thanking; the others bowed down.

Akirion's heart wasn't stable; he continued to ask questions and deny the gift, "But, but…!"

"No, it's yours!" The elder cut off his sentence.

"But that was, like, my job!" Elina nodded, agreeing with Akirion.

"No, it's yours; we can't take it back. Keep it; it's yours from now on. If it was your job, then you should get paid, so that's your salary." The others nodded, their eyes on Akirion and Elina.

"Ahhh, okay, we will take it, but it feels a bit unfair!" Akirion agreed, but with a little bit of doubt.

"Thank you for accepting our gift; it's the least we can do—just our poor lives and more. We've managed to organize 2,000 gold coins!"

Elina helped Akirion in asking the same question at the same time, "Two thousand?"

"Yes, I know it's less than you…"

"No, it's too much. If it was a thanks, you were supposed to give me a purse of 100 coins. It's unfair to receive these. Please just take them back and give them to the constructor, you know, to repair all the damages." Akirion looked at the box with doubt; he was totally thunderstruck. Nobody will offer 20 thousand silver coins to a helper.

"No, we are done planning for that; this is what we have for you!" The elder denied taking it back, a smile still printed on his face.

"Okay, I'll take it then; it can be mine and my friend here, Elina's." An acceptance of suffering was now over. Akirion didn't want to receive them, and neither did Elina; she stood by Akirion, and she never took another way around.

They received the box from the girls that were carrying the box!

The villagers thanked them again and again, and they even cheered for them.

They started to go back to their homes, and Akirion and Elina thought of leaving too.

"Hey, Elina?" Akirion called out, his voice a bit low, their footsteps thudding on the ground as they headed to the blacksmith.

"Huh?" Elina replied while she widened her eyes, glaring at Akirion.

"What do you think of this gift?"

It's too much, and it's heavy too. I guess you can use it to find yourself a house since you disagreed with my point of living with us until you get some money!" Elina replied, adding a point of what he should do.

"No, I mean, isn't it too much?" Akirion asked again.

"YEAH, it's too much, but what were you going to do since they disagreed with your point of view of maybe giving to the constructors?"

"Yeah, we had no choice, but these streets are too destroyed. This money was going to help in patching all the gaps in the road and walls."

"But they said that they've got it all covered, so don't worry; it's already in your hands. You are now supposed to plan what you are going to do with it. You can make a perfect living with it!"

"No way, I should earn it!" He came up with his story of earning it again.

"You did!"

"But!"

"No, Akie, you got it just by your hard work."

"Ohh, okay, so where are we going again?" Akirion dodged it and asked another thing because he was a little uncomfortable with the idea.

"To return the sword"

"Ohh yes, you are right." He paused for a moment, and they took, like, 10 steps without saying a word. Akirion's mind was still thinking of what they were arguing about, really. He got a point and asked it quickly, "Wait a moment, you are saying 'I.' Why aren't you adding yourself in it? This is our money since it's in our hands!"

"I didn't work for it!" she replied with a pale face. She looked down, a bit of disappointment in her eyes. She tried to hide her ashamed eyes since she told herself that she didn't contribute anything in that fight, only trouble for Akirion.

"What?!"

"Yes, what did I do? Nothing, right?"

"No, this sword was found by you; that was the biggest job ever. I wasn't going to win if it wasn't for your help." Akirion tried his best to let her understand.

But Elina denied, "That doesn't make me feel like accepting it!"

"By the way, this gift was meant for me and you, since we were together during this fight."

"Okay, I get it; I'll take 500 then!"

"That's stupid. Why are you leaving the other 500 for?" Akirion asked, a little anger hinted in his eyes as he glared at Elina, his eyes a bit scarily narrowed.

But she didn't care about Akirion's eyes; she replied with confidence, "For you, obviously!"

"It's yours; I don't need it!" He denied, shaking his hands and his head too.

"What?"

Akirion added, "I don't accept charity!"

"It's not charity; you worked for it!"

"I didn't work for money; I was only saving my own skin!"

"Ohh, okay, that's on you. We are almost there!" said Elina as she pointed at the shop that was after the road.