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Chapter IV
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Chapter III
Learn From The Best


"FOOD!!!!! I NEED FOOOOOOOOD!!!!" Dante cried as he dragged his feet across the market square.
Dante made his way through the masses of people, half-starved and helpless. He didn't have the currency of this country he was in and he knew no one, save the girl that left him here to die. That bitch. How dare she.
"Screw this," He thought.
He was too hungry to be thinking about her. Dante was going to die if he didn't eat soon. Eat decided to steal some grub from this outdoor swapmeet. The fruit the vendor was selling next to him looked pretty good right about now. (The funk souled brother) Dante used the "hey look" technique. "Pretty good looking fruit you got there," said Dante. "I sell only the finest," the husky vendor said, stroking the tip of his beard.
Dante looked at the strange fruit. They were shaped like pears, only they were purple with yellow dots all over them. "Gross," he thought to himself. He hoped they tasted better than they looked. Then he thought, "well, when you're starving, you'll eat just about anything." Well, it was time to execute his plan....
"Oh, hi uhhh, Liss!" said Dante, hoping the fool the vendor into looking that away.
It worked. He snatched up a piece of the strange fruit from the cart and was on his way. He turned around. The plan wan't a success; the vendor caught a girl four feet away from him, in a tan cloak, trying to do the same thing. He was yelling at her, holding her by the scruff of her neck. He turned away, feeling sorry for the girl.
"Hey!" the girl said to the vendor. "That guy's no better! He stole an even BIGGER cagola than me!"
Dante choked down the piece of cagola, sweating bullets.
"WHAT?!?!?!?!?!" the vendor bellowed, releasing the girl and grabbing a scimitar, "Rotten thief! I'll slice you both up!"
The vendor charged at the Dante as the girl scurried past him.
"See you later, boy," the girl said running off, "Better run before you die!"
"Dammit! I'm not going to be left behind twice!" Dante said running after the girl.
He just realized the vendor was still after the both of them and knew he had to lose him. He thought up something quick.
"Hey!! The cart ten carts down is giving away FREE CAGOLAS!!!" yelled Dante.
Just as quick as the words left his lips, did swarms of kids start to attack the cart.
"NO!!!!" The vendor cried, turning back to his cart, "Damn you kids! Get away you kids!" the vendor turned back to the two theives making their get away, "I'll get you two! Just you wait!"
Later on, Dante managed to catch up with the girl, who was catching her breath behind in an alleyway.
"Hey......what the hell....was that for?!" Dante said, catching his own breath.
"Hey...yourself, I needed to save my own ass," the girl said.
Dante was silent. What she said was true. Given, he was in the same situation, and he was about to get away with it too.
"I didn't catch your name," Dante said, warming up to the girl.
"Cuz I never get caught," she said, chuckling. She took off the cloak she was wearing, "I'm kidding, name's May Durango, Master Adventurer.
Whoa! "Babe number two!" Dante thought. She held out her hand. Dante shook her hand gladly, seeing all people weren't cold-hearted punks like Calysta. He liked this girl. She was kind, ya' know? Down to earth. And, he had to give her props for trying to steal that food. Which reminded him, he still had the cagola in his other hand. He put it in his coat pocket in some tissue. He went through his thoughts until he remembered that he was still shaking May's hand.
"Oh yeah, my name's Dante, Dante Sojiro." he said, rubbing his head in embarassment.
"Mind if we sit down somewhere?" May asked.
"Sure, how about over there by that tree?" Dante pointed out.
"Okay," May said as they walked over to the tree.
"Dante Sojiro, huh? Funny name," May said with a smile, "You aren't from around here are you?"
Dante was munching down on his cagola. It was delicious! She could see the orange juice all over his mouth. May jumped in surprise. He quickly swiped his mouth off.
"No, I'm not even from this world," said Dante, "It's a long story."
"I've got the the time." May said now sitting cross-legged, head resting on her hands and eyes glisening.
Dante looked at her expression. She looked really interested... IN WHAT is what he would like to know. He began to tell his tale of how he had arrived here and the girl who had left him to fend for himself; all the way up to meeting her.
"Pretty interesting stuff," May said, searching through her camping pack, "And your kinda in the same situation as me."
"And what would THAT be?" Dante said, raising an eyebrow.
"Little or no money, no provisions, no place to go, living almost day to day..." she said pulling out a piece of bread.
"Hey! My situation isn't THAT bad," said Dante.
His stomach growled. That cagola didn't fill him up. May handed him a piece of her bread and Dante hungrily accepted. "Okay, maybe it is...." Dante said in between a mouthful of bread.
"Duh kido," May said standing up, "Well, see ya around bro, take care." with a single wave, turned, and walked down the hill towards the market.
"Hey! Wait!" Dante said standing up quickly.
"Watcha need?" May said turning around.
"......Can I come with you?" Dantle pleaded.
"Well, from your story, that girl says you should be going home soon anyway..." May said.
"But I don't want to die out here! Can I PLEASE stay with you?" Dante got down on his knees, "I don't want to be out here alone. You're the only person I know around I know from around here. Can you find it in your heart to help a guy in distress?"
Boy, was he laying the shit on thick. Well, most of it was sincere. He really hoped she would help him out.
"Well, you got any skills?" she asked with a devilish look in her eye.
Dante thought about his ceramics and woodshop classes. He shuttered. The look he was getting from her wasn't helping either.
"Well, nothing that I think you would find useful," he said, so he wouldn't look like a complete idiot.
Ceramics.....eww. "How about I apprentice you?" Dante said, eyes widening, "I bet I could learn to be an adventurer like you!"
Boy, he was REALLY laying the shit on thick.
"Well.........................okay," May said after a while to playfully torment him in her own perverted way.
May looked at the horizon. The sun was about to set in an hour or so. The shopkeepers where already putting away their merchandise before it got dark.
"Let's head to an inn for the night," May said, jumping on his back, "And you have to give me a piggyback ride, hehehe".
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Chapter IV