Chapter 4: A child's thoughts

Before Tafari could continue his work, Little Sue had him sit on a stool to apply ointment to his bruises. Despite the pain and having to grimace at every touch, he gritted his teeth to not let out a single word.

Sweetgrass is a rare herb that is the main ingredient of the ointment. Sweet Grass was widely believed to be very effective in healing wounds with the mild effect of preventing infections. However, its drawback was the stinging pain it inflicted when applied to an injury.

Tafari didn't mind the pain, though, as he recalled all the loot he had gathered today. His thoughts ran a mile a minute.

'Damn! I should keep a low profile from now on, or else next time, it won't be just a few bruises. Next time, it'll be my life.

These gangs are known for holding a grudge, and understanding them, I've probably made it on their hit list by now, even if I am a kid. Most likely, I'll be mentioned to the higher-ups in their little organization. What will my score be this time?

Tafari felt a rollercoaster of emotions, a mixture of excitement and anxiety about his future, as he rushed to clean the dirty dishes. After an hour, he had finally finished his work with all the floors swept and tables wiped. Taf sped up to his room in the attic without a second to spare.

There was much to do tonight. First, Taf would take a bath. Then, he would finally have a look at his spoils of war. A few minutes later, Tafari sat on his bed with the hide bag on his lap.

'Hmmm, it feels heavy. How many silver coins is it holding?' Excitedly, he opened the bag to see the contents. In it, he saw four purses and three pouches.

The purses were from the females, and the pouches were from their male companions. He grabbed the first purse, opened it and was overcome with disappointment. There were only two silver coins. 'You have got to be kidding me right now!' He exclaimed. 'How can someone walk around with this little money and dress so suave?' Taf sighed in disappointment and continued, hoping that searching the other purses would lift his mood. He found 10 silver coins in total. 'Well, it's not that bad, right?' He questioned himself rhetorically. It definitely could've been worse. 'I hope the men can have a bit more to offer.' Taf muttered to himself as he proceeded to open the remaining three pouches.

The heavens seemed to have blessed him as he felt delighted at the large sum of twenty-five silver coins. Hmmm! "Interesting! I could finally buy a book about the world outside of the city.

Tafari had always held a strange fascination with the world beyond the high city walls. All the residents behind the walls were only mortals. And, even though they called it a city, it wasn't much to speak of. However, he had once heard hushed mutterings that this city was nothing more than a blip on the map compared to the broader world. People whispered that since this city had only mortals, it was given little importance, unlike those that had cultivators as citizens. Even though Marvel City had no cultivators, a group would visit every few years. They would descend to find any potential youngsters with the aptitude for cultivation and their talent. That was why Tafari sought more knowledge on what it took to be a cultivator. What does cultivation mean? What cultivation could do to change his destiny?

'Will I become a god among men if I cultivate?' He shook with excitement at the prospect of being a great cultivator, spoken about like Gods in the city, and pondered his future. Taf wistfully thought about his future and whispered, 'It must be the grandest.'

To be continued...

Editor: Shiksha_Jerath & Robespierre_K