The boy continued to stand between them and the children, his stance resolute. With a sigh, the bowman placed his bow back on his back, “Vincent, please disarm and restrain this boy. I’d like to speak with him.” The warrior nodded as the boy tensed again. The boy shot forward again with similar incredible speed, his sword beginning to swing forward. Swiftly, the warrior unsheathed his sword and swung down forcefully upon the boy’s weapon as he came within range. With a resounding clash, the rusty sword broke into countless shards and the boy stumbled to the ground as he struggled to regain his balance. A strong hand picked him up by the back of his shirt and stood him up before resting on his shoulder.

The boy froze, afraid of what would happen if he tried to get away. “Now,” the bowman began. “Let’s talk. I can see the you and your… friends are not in the greatest of conditions. Obviously, if you’re resorting to stealing from someone like me, you must be in dire times. However—”

“And what, exactly, is so special about you?” the boy asked with more than a hint of distaste.

The bowman looked genuinely surprised, “You mean you hadn’t noticed? Both my companion and I belong to the Order of Tutela.” Seeing no signs of comprehension on the boys face, the man continued, “We are the people who protect Henseys when regular guards are not enough and also serve as ambassadors to the other cities of Victoria. The highest among us serve as representatives for the Order of Equitas, the governing body of all of Victoria.” After seeing that the boy was incapable of fully grasping what he was saying, he simplified the matter, “We belong to a very powerful and influential organization. Stealing from us is like signing your own death warrant.”

Finally, it seemed the boy understood, “But we need food!” he yelled.

The bowman’s patience began to grow thin, “Look. I understand that and am offering a solution to your problem; now, hear me out.” With the boy’s nod, he continued, “You seem to have a large amount of potential built up in that little body of yours, and we were actually on our way to visit a promising young recruit in a small community on the edge of Heneseys. You, however, are much more interesting than any noble brat who’s been trained all day for the last half decade to gain entrance into the academy for our prestigious organization. In short, I offer to provide for all of these children: food, shelter, even schooling if you will agree to come back with me to this academy and at least give it a chance.”

After hearing these final words, the boy stood awestruck. All of these orphans he had provided for out of pity for the past few years would be ensured everything they ever needed. He deeply disliked the idea of going to this academy and being forced into this organization that he hardly understood, but he loved these children too much to sacrifice them for something so selfish. To a regular person, it would be nothing more than modest accommodations, but to him it sounded like the pinnacle of luxury. Tommy, Davis, Marie, Gerald, and Rachel, all had already lived a life full of more stress and trouble than most people would face in a century. To refuse them this incredible gift would be worse than deserting them all together.

His mind made up, the boy looked up again, “I’ll do it. First, I have to talk to Julie though.”

The bowman contained his delight and kept a straight face, “And she is?”

“My sister.”

The bowman nodded, “Fine, fine, and she’ll be provided for as well. Oh, kid, what’s your name?”

A grin grew on his face. His name was one of the few things he had of any real worth, and he’d fight to protect it. “Ty.”

I’m going to say this again, I reserve the right to periodically disappear, but I’ll try to be better about it. Anyways, enjoy. I’ve got lots planned for Ty and company. Click it (the button) and comment… it if you want.