Day 21, Winter 502 AV
It was another cold winter afternoon in the city of Syliras, a young boy ran passed the merchant stall, there are several people in the market. They are chattering with friends, families, another group people where busy negotiating prices with the merchants in the market.
The little boy stop in his track, he looked at all the people, he began carefully observing them, there are a lot of people from the middle class and the lower class, and a few knights, and several rich looking people.
He carefully scan the area, until he found his prey. He whistled, giving a signal to his friends, six more silhouette of boys, small boys, in their eary teens.
His friends having move to position in the stalls near their target mark they waited for the signal. As usual this is the young boy's job, to get attention of the target. So putting on his innocent face and making the sweetest smile, the boy shyly walked toward the rich looking couple.
As he neared them, he slowed his pace a bit, take a deep breath and go to do his plan.
He said "Hey there mister", with the biggest smile a little boy of his age can put.
The rich man just keep on talking to the merchant, not knowing that there is a little boy there. Beside the rich man, is his wife, a young beautiful lady, in her early 20's, wearing a long purple velvet coat. The young lady carry her gold in the purse just inside of her coat. The young lady looked at the little boy, and nudge her husband, while nodding toward the little boy. The husband, then turn his head downward and saw the little boy.
He said "Hello there young man. What can i do for you?"
While smilling to the little boy.
The little boy replied "Mister if i may have a moment with the two of you?"
The rich man nods gently, and the merchant went to the back of his shop to get the merchandise that the rich man ordered.
The boy seeing this chance decided to signal his friends.
His friends take position.
The young boy said to the couple "Mister and Madam, would you like to see a trick?" while getting a coin from the boy's pocket and showing it to the couple. The boy has been talented in this trick, he hid another coin near his ear, not visible to the couple. The rich man replied "Sure, we have the time to see a trick"
Both couple gaze at the little boy. The little boy nodded and then he said "Mister, there is the tale of gods having children, and also the demigods where born. Now right in front you here, i am one of the son of the goddess of money."
The couple stared wide eye. The rich man observe the young boy and then he laughed, he said "Son of the goddess? you dosen't look like one. If you are, show me proof." While smirking and laughing sarcasticly. His wife just chuckled.
The boy taken a back by the man's saying decided that the couple will be an easy prey.
He wink to his friends and the boys sneak up on the couple and pickpocket them.
While the young boy said "Mister to show proof of my birthline, i will make this coin into two coins" The rich man sneered.
The young boy, having done this trick a million times, can even fool people who are not observing close enough. With his quick hand he put the coin to his ear, and pretended to swallow air, then he brought his hand out from the back of his ear and he held in his palms two pieces of gold coin.
The rich man was amazed and so does his wife. The rich man then proceed to give the boy some money. As he put his hand into his back belt to get coins, he could not find his coin pouch. The rich man is shocked, and so is his wife, when she look for her purse too. With this the young boy disappear into the crowds of people.
The couple where shocked, they look everywhere but can't find the boy or their money.
In the distance alley, seven silhouette of boys crouching in the alley. They are happy and count the loot. It was a quite rather big profit that they made.
While they are dancing for joy, one of the boy's line of sight met with the rich man's eye. The rich man glared and called out "Thief, Thief!"
The boys where starled. Two guards give chase, the rich man also give chase. The boys ran. Unforunately the guards and the rich man caught up with them. Only three boys escaped. This young boy was also caught.
The rich man scolded them, the other three boys decided to backstab their friend. They told the guards that it was this young boy's plan.
The young boy stare at them, mumbling "I..I...I didn't.."
One of the guard slap the young boy in the head, and the other guard look for the gold in his attire. Unknown to the young boy, the other boys have put half of the profit in the young boy's coat pocket. The guards found the money, returned it to the rich man.
The rich man tampered of while mumbling to himself "Kids this day, they'll do anything for a living.", The young boy cried. The guards just keep on scolding him and slapping him in the head.
While the guards are scolding the little boy, a man, in his early 40's with a great stature, dressed in goverment official's attire, followed by his wife, a beautiful woman in her mid 30's, and also with four guards dress in syliran knights armor, but adorned with a gold plating and another man dress in the same armor, with quite a good build, tall, and a stern looking face, a man in his mid 20's. The group heard the commotion and the man in the official attire approach the guards. The guards did not sense the presence of the man, and continue to give punishment to the little boy.
The man in goverment official's attire said "Let go of the kid, why are you hurting a small kid?", The guards, they were having a bad day and decided to pour their anger to this little boy. One of the guard who is slapping the little boy, he paused, he thought "Hmmph, some lowly folks who wanted to play hero huh?", He turned with a fist, as he turned and about to punch the man in goverment official's attire, one of the goverment official's guards, the man with the stern looking face, he reacted quickly and caught the guard's fist with one hand. He hold the fist so thight that the guard can't do a thing, after that the stern looking guy throw the guard with ease, the guard was sent flying to a nearby merchant stall. The other guard release his hold of the boy, annoyed and surprised he turned around while unsheating his sword. The stern looking guy noticed it, then as the guard was about to turn around, the stern looking man kick the sword out of the guard's hand, and using his right arm to choke and shove the guard to the wall near the merchant stall, where the other guard was sent flying.
"Duke!" , the man in the goverment official attire ordered.
Duke let go of the guard, the guard fall to the ground, then the guard looked up, he was shocked. Because who is standing before him is the leader of the Hearthglen house. A house of aristocrat family in the city.
The guard quickly bow and said "Sire"
The man looked at the guard and nod, and tell the guard to stand up, and ask them to go back to their duty. While the guards where leaving he called out to the one that Duke throwed and give him a pouch of mizas. The guards quickly go away.
Duke grabbed the boy by the shirt and just picked him up, like he was picking up a puppy. The man ordered Duke to put the boy down. Duke dropped the boy.
The boy's face looked amazed, and show pain.
The man approach the boy and said "Hello there young boy, i am Sir Leonhearth, Leader of the House of Hearthglen."
The boy reach out and grab the man's hand and shake it. "I am Kaizar..., p..p.please t..to m..mee..meet you" The boy replied.
Leonhearth looked into the boy's eyes and saw the pure innocent and scared child.
His wife looked so please. Leonhearth ask the boy "Little one, where is your father or mother?"
Kaizar looked at him and replied "I am without a father and mother, i was raised in the nearby tavern, i have looked everywhere but cannot find my parents. The tavern owner told me that he found me at the door step of the back of his tavern, a little babe, wrap in layers of clothes, and with a note in it, a note with the writing 'Kaizar'."
Leonhearth shed a tear after hearing the young boy's story.
He stood up, stretch a hand toward Kaizar.
The boy stood up and grab the man's hand.
Leonhearth said "My dear boy, we will become your family, from now on you will be a part of our family, the Hearthglen, and your name shall be called Kaizar Hearthglen, of the House of Hearthglen."
The boy cried, the wife of Leonhearth pull the boy toward her and embrace the boy.
The boy said "So this is how a mother's embrace feels like"
The woman hug the boy tightly, she kiss him on the head and said "Yes my son,and this is the feeling that every mother felt while embracing their child"
Leonhearth shed a tear, he let the two hug each other. After a minute or so he motioned to the woman. The woman nod. Then the group went and walk away from the market square.
