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After sailing the Outer Oceans for weeks, the Heroes of Light arrived at a small port at the base of a singular mountain. Elvis and Adelle decided to have a date at a nearby tavern, and Seth was busy taking care of the ship, so Gloria was left to her own devices. The princess opted for exploring the town, stopping once she reached the mountain path. She could not see the summit from where she was. It reminded her of Musa.
“Is something wrong, miss?”
Gloria turned around to see a slightly disheveled man in a coat. He appeared to be middle-aged, with short brown hair and a messy beard and tan skin. He also carried a satchel of sorts. The man looked at her expectantly with brown eyes. The princess hadn’t realized she was crying silently.
“My apologies, it’s nothing to be concerned with.”
His eyes widened slightly once Gloria turned around to meet his gaze. After a few moments, he said, “Sorry, we don’t get visitors too often.”
“Really?” Gloria looked towards the port, remembering that she and her friends weren’t the only ones there. “I’d assume a nice town such as this one would get some tourists.”
“Some, yes. I can be your guide for now if you want.”
The princess raised an eyebrow. “Are you that desperate to talk to me?”
The man winced. “Sorry, it’s just that you remind me of a relative of mine.”
Gloria tilted her head to the side with curiosity. “A relative? Alright then. What’s your name?”
“It’s Hugo. Hugo Dawnpeak.”
Gloria flinched. “Well… Let’s walk and talk, shall we?”
Hugo was a simple man, as far as Gloria could tell. Not in an insulting way, but he seemed rather unrefined and straightforward. From what he told her, he was adopted by a hermit when he was still young, and he worked near the mountain’s peak. She wondered if it was a coincidence then, that his surname matched those given to the baseborn of the House of Musa. They were having some coffee in a small shop when he asked about her own family. “It doesn’t matter now. They’ve all passed.”
He looked down at his cup. “I’m sorry,” a few moments of silence later, he continued, “do you at least have people to rely on?”
Gloria considered not giving a response, but she opted for the truth. “Yes, and I am thankful for them.”
Hugo smiled. “That’s good, at least.”
Suddenly, a band of rowdy sailors entered the coffee shop. As soon as Gloria looked at them, their leader plunged their axe on the floor and crossed his arms at her. “Well, well, well. We got ourselves a fancy wench over here! What’s your name?”
Before she could even scoff at them, Hugo stood up to face the much bigger man. “It’s none of your business.”
“And who are you supposed to be?” The sailor shoved Hugo slightly. “I don’t think nice ladies like her should be hanging around hobos like you.”
“I’m nobody important,” Hugo tapped his satchel, “however that doesn’t matter right now. Please apologize to her and leave.”
The sailor laughed out loud, practically spitting on the smaller man. “Why should I listen to ‘nobody important?’ Someone ought to teach you a lesson!” He threw a punch, sending Hugo crashing against a table. The satchel opened slightly, and Gloria’s eyes widened in shock when she saw the contents.
“Ok then,” Hugo pulled himself up, “fisticuffs it is.”
The next few seconds went by in a blur. One moment, the huge sailor was about to punch Hugo again, but the shorter man somehow tossed him outside the coffee shop and pummeled him with ease. Gloria wasn’t sure if what she saw on his satchel was distracting her, or if there was strange magic at work, but the gang of sailors were running away by the time she noticed Hugo apologizing to the shop owner and paying for repairs.
“Hugo, what was that?” She asked.
“Pirates. Don’t worry about them.”
“No. I mean the book on your satchel.”
“Oh.” He picked it up. It was an exact copy of the one Elvis had on their travels. “My biological father left it behind for me. That’s a long story, though.”
Gloria looked at Hugo, deadly serious. “I have time.”