Thatch and Azroth's son walked quietly for some time among the din of tradesmen bargaining goods. Soon, however, the sounds of the market became fainter as they walked away from it and into the less busy streets.

---

"Ah, I didn't ask how far away you were taking me. I must be home before father finds out" Ginger broke the silence between them after a while of walking.

Thatch audibly sighed. 'This kid, he's even telling me that his parents don't know he's out? Just how much can you trust another person?'

"It's about a few miles more. The twin stars will still be up by the time you get back. You could turn back now though. In fact, I'd advise it." Thatch said.

"No, I won't. We might not meet again if I leave now" Ginger said.

"Really? You could lose your life you know". Thatch replied.

"I don't think that's very likely, right?" Ginger looked around him. The cobblestone streets were quite clean. And although mud and dirt lined every pathway, the homes were made of brick, and he saw a few children running around, throwing and catching a wooden ball.

"I don't know. You're too well dressed" Thatch spoke as he eyed the boy's clothes. Although common-wear, it looked very well maintained, maybe even brand new. This was a detail Thatch had missed when he approached the other boy.

"What does that have to do with anything? And what do you mean well dressed, these clothes are quite normal?" Ginger said as he looked down at his clothes and felt the fabric in confusion.

"Ask that question once we get closer to where I live" Thatch said as he continued to walk.

"No, if it'll get me killed, I won't take any chances. How about this" Ginger walked towards a side of the dirt path they were currently on and dug his hands into the mud.

Thatch stopped, staring in amazement. 'What's he doing?' Before Thatch could register what was happening, Ginger smothered himself, clothes, hair and all, in the dirt.

And when all was complete, he looked up at Thatch with a satisfied grin.

"There, now I nearly look as bad as you, eh?" Ginger laughed at Thatch's stunned expression, where his eyes had widened a fraction and his mouth had been left open.

For the first time since they met, Thatch had the desire to smile at the boy's antics. Even though he could wash those clothes later, he began to lose the motivation for them at this current moment.

For what he needed those clothes for, it would lose purpose if they couldn't be presentable.

Thatch smiled playfully and approached the boy, also digging his hands in the mud, and then threw a handful at Ginger "At least make it look more realistic, crease your clothes more, maybe even tear them up a bit" He said as he approached Ginger menacingly with muddied hands threatening to further dirty the boy's appearance.

Ginger flinched at the mud ball thrown at him, retreated, and then retrieved his own mud ball from the ground, which he threw back in retort "Oh, well what's to say you look any more realistic without as much dirt on you?" He laughed.

Ginger and Thatch then got caught up in the game of dodging and throwing mud balls, and by the time the two realised what they were doing, they had already gathered the attention of a few passers-by. Luckily this wasn't the markets, so there wasn't much of a crowd.

Thatch paused mid-throw and looked at Ginger who also did the same. They both looked around to the few people that had gathered, then at each other, and at the same time both ran away trailing mud and laughter behind them.

---

As he ran, Azroth's son was surprised at himself. When he woke up this morning he had expected to simply stroll the markets and see the sights, while also fulfilling his secondary objective to interact with people and understand their thoughts on the current political tensions.

Never had he thought he'd abandon all of that to instead throw mud with an orphan.

He had never gotten so dirty before and it should have disgusted him, but for some reason, he found it enjoyable. Azroth's son never really had friends. In the circles he participated in, he couldn't think of anyone he'd play throwing mud with.

Was that it?

The two boys ran until they were out of sight and panted for air.

After a few moments, Ginger spoke "Thatch".

"Yeah?"

"That was fun".

"..." Thatch paused. Fun, was it? He never had the luxury for something like that.

Ever since he was born, he never had the luxury for it.

There was only death and destruction and tragedy and abuse and struggling to survive.

There was never 'fun'.

Thatch looked at Ginger, covered in mud, still panting and sweating from the brutal heat of the twin stars.

There was never fun, but he supposed...

"... Yeah, it was, wasn't it?"

---

After regaining their breath, Thatch led Ginger across the cobblestone streets, and then even further beyond towards the outskirts of the city.

Cobblestone.

Then a suggestion of a path.

Then simply mud.

Then nothing at all.

As they made their way further and further down, Ginger thought the living conditions couldn't possibly get any worse. That was until Thatch led Ginger even further still.

There were no paths here, just foul waste and desert and sometimes a rotting corpse hanging from a dead tree.

"How is it?" Thatch looked at Ginger

Ginger felt his all of his senses overwhelmed and involuntarily gagged, emptying his stomach of whatever contents it had. Ginger even felt like he was almost throwing up the stomach itself.

What was this?

People can still live here?

Is this The Under?

Among the many thoughts and shocks to his senses, Ginger had another even more morbid thought which surfaced as he glanced at Thatch

'Wouldn't he be better off dead? Why would he want to survive? That too with no family?'

"Why I'd want to survive living in a place like this?" Thatch looked at Ginger with none of the playful expression he had just hours before and clearly saw Ginger's thoughts this time.

He pointed at a hanging corpse on a tree not far away from them.

"I could do the same, but look at its face. Does it look better off?" There was a darkness in Thatch's voice this time. A darkness so profound, that for a moment Ginger couldn't help but shudder.

Thatch had already warned him about this, but Ginger never thought...

He never thought a child's eyes could look like that.

"Would you like to continue or go home?" Thatch asked, more softly this time.