Today was an unlucky day for Niko, a neighbourhood thief in Dohara. Not only was he caught during the act, but the worst thing was that his captor seemed to be of a higher standing than the boy had expected.
Catching a glimpse of a metal plate underneath that person's shabby cloak, his eyes fixated on the symbol of the World Tree etched on the plate. He started to sweat profusely.
"Please, Sir holy knight, I can explain!" He said in panic. With one arm being tightly gripped, he could only drop his knees on the ground, not daring to look up to meet the other man's gaze.
"Hmm..." A deep voice came from the man, sounding contemplative.
His companion, a red-haired man with a thin scar running along his left cheek, chuckled.
"What a warm welcome to this backwater city, eh? What are you going to do, Armand? Should we take him to the Magistrate?"
Niko's knees weakened. If he were taken to the Magistrate and jailed, he might lose a limb or two, just like his brothers and sisters warned him. While the Magistrate was a fair administrator, he was also very strict.
"Please don't, my Lord! I'm sorry, I promise I won't do it again!"
"..how old are you?" The man called Armand looked down at the teary-eyed boy.
Niko swallowed hard. "E-eleven, my lord, at least that's what Anya said."
"..Anya?"
"I think he was talking about the 'Mother' of all the street kids in this place, the unofficial boss of this territory." The red-haired man leaned towards Armand, his voice low.
Armand looked at the skinny boy with conflicting emotions. The teachings of the World Tree Temple were strict regarding criminal acts. On the other hand, his opponent seemed to be just a child.
Sighing, he loosened his grip and manoeuvred his hold to lift the child to his feet.
"What's your name?"
"N-Niko, my Lord."
"Niko, I'm Armand. Could you please guide me to where you live?"
*****
"Hey, Armand, I don't think this is a great idea." The red-haired companion whispered to him as they walked down a narrow, dark alley lined with dilapidated buildings, guided by Niko at the front.
"..let's just wait and see. You're free to wait at the inn, Flint, if you're scared."
Flint immediately scowled. This bastard!
"Um.. we're here." Niko looked at the two men hesitatingly. As much as he disliked taking them to his homebase, he did not doubt that Anya's men would be able to handle them if needed.
Armand looked at the run-down building in front of him. He could feel the presence of six adults and roughly a dozen children inside. He entered without hesitation, followed by a sighing Flint.
The six men turned around the moment the two men entered, wariness and suspicion drawn on their faces.
Without a word, two of the six men inside reacted and approached Armand and Flint. They drew their swords in unison. Niko shouted in panic,
"Uncles, wait! They are here to see Anya!"
The two men ignored Niko; their swords were directed straight at Armand's chest. However, before they could even reach him, they were flung away with such force by an invisible shield.
"Ahhh!!" Some children's screams could be heard as they ducked to avoid the flying swords. The two attackers were flabbergasted for a moment, but they became even more on guard.
"He's a mage!" One shouted.
Not quite, thought Armand.
In a heartbeat, the remaining four men joined the initial two, their swords withdrawn in a tense stand-off.
Flint sighed. "Well, I can't say this is unexpected. Armand, you seem to bring chaos wherever you go!"