In a small warehouse near the Corvassa docks, a hooded figure sat on the ground, panting heavily as they struggled to remove their cloak.
"Dammit, what the hell was that kid's problem? He just kept going and going until I finally lost him in the heart of the city…"
Finally ripping off the stuffy piece of clothing, a clump of dark black hair popped out, matted and wet with sweat from the long chase through the streets.
He was but a young boy, yet there was something about the way he carried himself that betrayed a life hardened by desperation.
His eyes were strikingly mismatched—the left was a rosy red, and the right was the same clear blue as the river that coursed through the island's center.
On his body, he wore a thick jacket that covered all the way up to his neck, hiding anything below, while making him look larger than he really was.
Let's see what those chumps gave me today…
With an excited grin, he unstrung and opened the pouch at his waist, revealing the assortment of items he had pickpocketed throughout the day.
Pushing his hand inside, he dug around until he heard the sound of coins sloshing around in some sort of fabric container.
"Bingo!"
Hurriedly, he grabbed the money bag from inside his own pouch and unknotted the tight string that sealed it.
Craning his neck slightly, he peeked inside with an even brighter smile forming across his lips as he caught the glint of silver Draughts spilling over one another like a shimmering sea.
Holy hell, this guy was loaded! With this much, I might be able to finally afford—
The boy's thoughts were cut off as the cold touch of metal pressed against his throat ever so gently.
"You took something that didn't belong to you. Give it back."
A spark of recognition flared in the black-haired boy's mind as he realized that the person holding him at sword-point was the same one who had chased him earlier.
"N-Now look, man… I didn't want it to come to this, but…"
With a slight movement of his wrist, he pulled a gun from a holster inside his cloak as he spun around to aim at the attacker.
BANG! BANG!
Two shots rang out towards their target; however, the assailant had already drawn his blade, deflecting both with a single arc.
Though alarmed by the impressive display of swordmanship, a daring smile worked its way back onto the boy's face as he aimed again.
BANG! BANG! BANG!
Another three shots were fired, yet only one was headed towards his opponent.
The other two struck the metal plates scattered around the warehouse, ricocheting toward their true target from different angles.
Just as the boy had predicted, the first bullet was cleanly blocked by the attacker's blade.
The second nearly caught him off guard, but he barely managed to twist and knock it aside.
Finally, the third came too fast, slamming right into the swordsman's shoulder.
"AGH, DAMMIT!"
The sudden scream of anger and pain startled the black-haired boy; however, he didn't have to think twice before darting to the exit.
That chump is insane! Blocking bullets!? Didn't help him in the end, but what the actual hell!?
As he reached the exit, he rushed to pull open the doors from which the intruder had come.
Yet when he reached for the handle, a surge of panic overtook him, his whole body stiffening under the weight of a realization he could barely voice.
"T-The lock ain't broke?"
His trembling hands dove into his pockets in a frantic search for the key, but even if he had one, it was already too late.
"Dirty tricks won't get you far. You dented my new armor, and you sure as hell are going to pay for it."
Behind him, he heard the intruder's voice, all too close, but with clenched teeth, he spun around to fire two more shots.
Click. Click.
"E-Empty? Now?"
The boy's defeated whisper drew a laugh from his attacker, who stepped forward into a beam of sunlight seeping through a small window on the roof.
His blond hair glowed like pale gold, streaked with strands of blue, while his turquoise eyes locked onto the bag of stolen goods attached to the thieving boy's hip.
I didn't get a good look before, but this chump's just a kid, and probably the same age as me… Dammit, I should've reloaded after that fight this mornin—
Reluctantly, he dropped his weapon while the blond boy's blade was pressed against his throat without hesitation.
"Gonna kill me if I run?"
The words might have sounded like a taunt, but there was no mockery in his tone nor any hope of buying time for escape.
In reality, it was nothing more than a genuine question.
In front of him, the blond boy thought for a moment before responding calmly.
"Perhaps. Plenty of other things I can cut first before your head, though…"
The eerie threat echoed through the warehouse, sending a chill down the black-haired boy's spine as he stared helplessly at his captor
"C'mon, man. How bout we split the haul fifty-fifty and call it even? Hell, I'll even throw in my pistol as a bonus! Now that's a great—"
Before he could finish, the intruder lunged forward, yanking the bag from his waist and rifling through it with an impatient frown.
"I wonder if the Hunters' Guild has a bounty on your head… Cam would probably know…"
Murmuring to himself, the blond-haired boy deliberated about the thief's fate without much sympathy, still seething over the damage he had done to his freshly crafted chestplate.
B-Bounty? Is this guy an idiot or something, because what the hell kind of jargon is he spitting?
With an exasperated sigh, the armed boy tossed him aside before barking a question.
"Who are you?"
As he waited for the answer, the black-haired boy spat at his feet with a fierce scowl on his face.
"The name's Ezra Flock."
Instantly, a strange tension filled the room as the blond boy froze, deep in thought.
"Flock… As in Javier Flock? The former King of Dreams?"
Furrowing his brow even more, Ezra let out a bitter laugh and nodded in affirmation.
"Sick world, eh? Grandson of a Sea King living on the streets, pickpocketing random dockworkers to survive."
Resentment and anger filled his words as he grumbled out his gripes with the life he had lived for fifteen years.
"Dammit, man, I really needed this money for my lil sis, and you just had to come be an upstanding citizen or something."
The mention of a sister caught the other boy's interest as he stared at the black-haired boy below him.
"Does your sister know you live off stolen money?"
His cold words echoed through the vast room, leaving Ezra silent as he dwelled on a far-off memory of his childhood.
After a short moment, he exhaled softly and spoke in a low voice.
"Hell of a thing to say to somebody whose sister is being held captive by slavers in the black market."
The room fell silent again as the young swordsman just stared in shock at what he had just heard.
He tried to speak but ended up stumbling over his words and sighing heavily while rubbing his face.
"You've got to go and make me feel like a bad guy, eh? Let me guess, all this money you're stealing is going to be used to buy her off the scum in the market, right?"
At his feet, the black-haired boy slowly nodded his head and spat another wad of saliva at the other teen's shoes.
With a hard groan, the blond boy's sword disappeared into a cloud of sparks, leaving the pickpocket confused and a little scared.
T-The hell?
Slowly, his pursuer, no longer wielding a blade, extended a hand in a friendly gesture towards the fallen boy.
"In exchange for you returning all these valuable items and paying for my chestplate repairs, I'll help you save your sister. How does that sound?"
The boy with heterochromatic eyes quickly grabbed his hand, accepting the offer.
"You'll really help me and my sis out for no reward? Damn you, a better man than me…"
His praise had stopped the moment he noticed the grin spreading across the blond-haired boy's face.
"W-Wait, I ain't got anything so don't expect me to pay you a bonus or nothin'!"
Next to him, the boy simply laughed, pulling him up to his feet in one strong tug that made Ezra question his own grip strength.
"I'm not doing this for the money, Ezra. I'm doing this because I think it's wrong that the descendants of one of the greatest men in history are living on the streets. I won't pry into the details, but I feel that it isn't as simple as it seems."
As he spoke, he let go of the black-haired boy's hand, leaving him standing there, surprised.
"The name's Aaron, by the way."
Stepping backwards to get some space between them, Ezra turned his head towards the roof where the metal was torn open in a distinctly human-shaped hole.
This guy really is crazy… But if it'll help Abby out then…
"Alright, Aaron. I'll lead you to the black market, but it's your own responsibility to keep y'self safe from pelican traders who want to buy your liver."
He smiled as he watched the blue-eyed boy's face contort in confusion, which quickly turned into worry.
"A-Are there actually pelican traders who want my liver…?"
Ignoring the question, Ezra unlocked the actual entrance that was, in fact, not the ceiling, and walked out, heading for the place where his sister was held.
Behind him, Aaron just stood silently with his eyes glazed over as his mouth was left agape.
Then, with a sudden jolt, he snapped out of his stupor and bolted after Ezra.
"W-Wait, hold up! Answer my question!