“Come on, you can’t catch me!” the little girl yelled behind her. She ran through the busy market of Yikensworth, avoiding the bustling crowds filling the streets. The stall owners were boasting their stocks, while the older women were haggling the merchants, yet both stopped their activities to yell at the girl as she ran between them.

Suddenly, a mouth-watering smell slammed into the girl, stopping her in her tracks. Drawn by the scents, Mina looked up to where the young men were purchasing skewers of grilled meat which oozed with warm juices. She extended her hand to grab a piece, but it was promptly swatted away by a fat hand of the stall owners. She pulled back her bruised hand, spat in his grill and ran away before he could do anything. She would’ve smiled at his shocked expression more if not for her belly reminded her that she hadn’t eaten all day. But she was still in the game and the last one not caught, so she couldn’t afford to lose focus now.

She dodged the oncoming crowd of new shoppers by slipping into the alley between the tailors and the tavern, but not before sneaking a peek at her friends closing the distance behind her. As she approached the end of the dirty alleyway her feet began kicking up quite the dust storm. The plumes of dust entered her nose, and before she could do anything she found herself sneezing her lungs out. The snot swung out of her nose and she was forced to clean it with the hem of her already ragged tunic. All the while the little girl had not stopped running, she was so occupied with herself that she didn’t see the passing patrol of guards until it was too late.

*Thump* “Ow” She shrieked as she collided with the armoured man among the group and fell back. She looked up to see the guard’s face twist in disgust.

“You dirtied my new armour. Filthy rat!” The guard swung his backhand.

“Mina!” a voice called out from behind her. Led by the tallest, the group of kids of varying ages stepped out of the alleyway, whom the girl scrambled back to.

“Sorry Ollie,” Mina said as she hid behind the boy.

“I’ve had enough of your pickpocketing, you filthy beggars,” the guard snarled. “Men, arrest them.”

Simultaneously, they sprung into action. The children retreated back into the alleyway, running at full speed, while the guards gave chase. However, due to their larger bodies, they were slowed down while the children were able to run at full speed. Mina felt a surge of hope grow in her stomach as she and Ollie brought up the rear. She could see their escape-the end of the alley that led into the crowd, half of them were already out.

That was when reality came crashing down, it was at that moment that some guards cut them off from the front and caught the other kids running out. She didn’t dare slow down and tried climbing the wooden buildings instead. She was a few steps off the ground before her leg felt a powerful pull and she was ripped off the wall and grabbed with bruising hands. She struggled with all her might but her skinny arms were quickly caught behind her back and she was pushed to the ground.

In a matter of minutes, they were caught and being led to the jailhouse. Mina kept her head low and only focused on keeping her feet from tripping over the other. She scratched her neck as it began to itch but quickly let go when she felt blood. She wiped her hand in her dirty clothes and cleared her throat in a vain attempt to appease her itch.

“Hey,” Ollie nudged her. She looked over and saw him smile reassuringly at her. “At least some of us got away, they’ll tell the old man and he’ll get us out. It’s alright.”

“Will he be quick?” she frowned. She couldn’t understand why Ollie refused to call him that, it was disrespectful to call the man who’d saved them with something like ‘old man’. He’d saved them all, giving them a house, food and-her favourite-white sweets every night and morning. She could go for whole days on those sweet alone, all she had to do was smell them and she’d feel energized for the rest of the day. But if she didn’t get them for breakfast like today-

“…Is it starting to itch again?”

-the stupid itch would always return. She’d be up for hours at night, just getting rid of the itch, if she didn’t get to eat it for dinner. The old man was nice to her so she didn’t bother him with it, but Ollie knew and…Suddenly, Mina bunched up her ragged clothes and squeezed, digging her nails into the padding on her palms until they hurt. She released the pressure, took a deep breath, and upon feeling the itch return repeated the same motions. Meanwhile, unbeknownst to her, Ollie began muttering to the surrounding kids.

“Remember, when I give the signal you all run.” He whispered.

“What amount Mina?” a small 6-year-old boy whispered.

“She’s very sick so she can’t run with us, but don’t worry: the old man said he’d take care of it if anyone got captured.” He said uneasily.

“Grampa’s the best.”

“…sure-”

“-Hey, keep it quiet you street rats!” The armoured guard yelled. “Keep alert men, we are passing through the crowds now.”

“Got it, leftenant Guzmund.” They answered in unison. The crowds before them parted like a river splitting around a giant rock as they took a right for the jailhouse from the town square. It was then that a passerby suddenly threw up in front of them causing Guzmund to stumble.

“Hey you!” a guard yelled as he grabbed hold of the passerby's shoulder and threw back the hood to reveal an old man.

“Now!” Ollie yelled. Due to their small statures, the children were able to suddenly jump from between their legs and run leaving Mina behind in a daze. She watched the last one disappear in the crowd before the came back to her senses and attempted to join them. However, a strong hand came down on her and held her in place. She looked up and swore she saw Guzmund looking at her with surprisingly soft eyes before they hardened behind a snarl as he barked orders at his men to give chase.

When they were all gone the captain whispered something like; ‘Despicable thief, he stole my coins, before pulling her away.

“Come on your pickpocket at least you’ll get what you deserve.”

“Help! Help me!”

Mina shouted for anyone who would listen, trying to hold their gaze so they would help.

“Hey, shut it you,” Guzmund shook her. He raised her hand to strike her, and she expected to feel the full brunt of the slap, but after a moment of hesitation brought it back down prompting her to continue shouting. The armoured guard continued onwards, ignoring the shouts, the fearful eyes of the citizens and the old man who’d ruined his clothes. Unlike most of his co-workers, he didn’t care much for the small inconveniences, as long as he got the job done, for harassing people would only delay his objective.

Mina continued to shout for the next three blocks as she struggled with all her might, but as the itch got worse the coughs started to break out. That god awful feeling overtook her shouts and by the third or fourth block after that, by which time they’d reached the black keep. Mina was continuously shaken every few steps so she couldn’t even scratch.

“Open up Gale, I’ve got a pickpocket to throw in,” the armoured man called out. A few seconds later she was led in through, what seemed like, a sliding door. There weren’t many people out into the yard except a few running around with clothes and armour parts.

“Just the one?” someone said from their left, but she was so busy trying to get rid of the awful itch that she ignored him.

“No matter how small the task, if done enough times, it creates big changes,” Her shaker replied. Mina’s hands had begun to tremble and she had to continuously swallow the saliva that threatened to slip out.

While she struggled with her mouth Guzmund took her into one of the lower jail cells made of nothing but a simple wooden door and cobblestones. He carried her down the stairs and locked her into one of the cells at the end, before leaving to find his group of guards.

Mina felt jumpy, she scratched the walls, attempted to climb them and even hung from the bars near the ceiling in vain attempts to get out. The fourth wall seemed to be closing in and suddenly the room appeared even narrower than before. Why was the door getting further away?

“She’s in here?” someone called out from outside her cell. “You can go now.”

She immediately scurried back before realizing that her back was already touching the wall. The door clicked and a tall man looking like a butcher walked in. He looked at her warily and closed the door behind him, locking it after checking the hallway outside.

“So you’re the successful child,” he said with a frown. He hesitated before crouching in front of her, pulling out a metal ball and wooden cup, and placing them before her. Then he pulled out a knife and Mina’d had enough. She’d seen the key hanging on his side, if she could get it she’ll be able to escape, so she ran for that side. But she couldn’t get past his large arm as he pushed her back.

“Stop, wait!” he said, but she couldn’t hear him. Mina fought and cried at the top of her lungs, punching, kicking, and spiting, but he wouldn’t budge. She knew he was gonna kill her. She would never get to taste grampa’s sweets again never.

“This better work.” The man said, pulling something from inside his pockets. “Look, sweets.”

She was saved! This good man wasn’t here to kill her, he wanted to cut her loose and give her sweets…but she wasn’t carried so why did he have the knife?

“Knife?” she forced. The itch was getting worse and she couldn’t fight it for much longer.

“I need to cut your hair, look it's all dirty from all the running,” the man smiled, extending his hand with the sweets. She swiped at his hands, her mind made up and smelled the sweets deeply before swallowing them-tasting the sweet honey flavour at the same time as feeling the loveliness run through her head. It wasn’t good the first few times but she’d soon got used to it. Nowadays all she got was a wonderful feeling, not the bleeding noses.

She smiled the man as he brought the knife out and swung down.

……………………………………………………………………………………………………..

“Hey, have you seen a bunch of kids in rags running out of here?” one of the guards asked a tall armoured man. His black full metal armour would’ve made him almost disappear into the shadow of the building he stood under if not for that large red cape that hung over his shoulders. Large pommels at the end of long grips, likely belonging to greatswords, protruded from behind him adding into his intimidating aura.

“Yes, I’ve seen them running across into that alleyway”, his deep voice carried over as he points at the alleyway opposite the street.

“Come on men, they couldn’t have gotten far,” the guard said before leading the rest of his group into the alley. When they were all gone the man turned around and revealed a group of rags wearing kids trying to blend in with the walls. There was no way to see that person’s face through the narrow slits of the closed helm but his glare could still be felt by the youngest of them all as they shivered. The oldest boy stepped forward and deposited some coins into the man's extended hand.

“Now get out of here,” the man said before leaving for the market in front of them. A few minutes of walking into the crowds he suddenly looked back and saw the eldest boy staring back at him with clutched hands. “What do you want a kid?”

“I-I need something else-”

“You got any more money?” he promptly asked.

“Y-yes,” the boy said, startled. “Is this much enough?”

The boy showed a small pouch of leather, jiggling it to show its worth. He nodded and gestured for the boy to lead.

“What do you want to be done?” he asked.

“There’s a little girl taken to the jailhouse I need you to get her out,” seeing him hesitate the boy quickly continued, “You don’t have to do anything but talk and show the guards this.” The scrawny kid pulled out a small copper metal plate and showed it to him. It held an insignia of a flame in blueish iron in its middle. “Ask to see a girl called Mina and bring her to me.”

“What is that plate?” He inquired, bending down to get a closer look.

“The Release, the old man who I-”, the ragged child hesitated. He shook his head and retried; “It doesn’t matter; all you need to know is that it can get the one who possesses it out of any jail or problem with the guards in Yikensworth. With this…I’ll rescue-I mean you’ll rescue Mina,” the boy said, glancing up at him.

“Kid, you tell people stuff like that and one day one of them be stupid enough to believe it that will be the day you’ll meet the sharp end of the blade,” he said.

A look of realization dawned on him and he slowly retreated two steps back.

“Luckily, today will not be the day you’ll meet such a fate. But if you have this release why no use it yourself?”

“L-look at me,” the boy gestured to himself. “I look like I belong on the streets, at least with your armour they’ll think it’s someone important.”

“Regardless of what lies beneath…” he nodded.

“Yeah. Come on, it’s this way.”

He was led down the streets until he arrived at the main street. The kid suddenly hid behind the empty barrels outside a shop and told him to continue onwards towards the black building around the corner. He left the kid and began walking towards the jailhouse which imitated the castle’s design it was within. Coming to the end of the street, where the cobblestone yard began, he squinted ahead to see the raised portcullis and a little girl that was making her way out in, what looked like, a drunken state.

“Mina?” he asked. The girl’s eyes flickered towards him but she remained steadfast in the direction she was walking. He slowly reached out and grasped her hand expecting a reaction, but the girl continued onwards. Once again, he slowly moved her his way and found that she followed with no resistance. Clenching his jaw, the man led her back around the corner where he saw the boy’s eyes almost pop out of his head. The boy quickly pulled her in a hug, and for a moment it seemed as if he was going to cry.

“It doesn’t matter what happened in there, you’re fine now. I’ve got you now.”

The girl slowly reached out and clenched his sleeve, pulling him closer, and soon enough they were both quietly sobbing in their own world. Meanwhile, the armoured man stood at a distance, with his arms crossed, quietly watching their exchange. Eventually, he nodded to himself and approached them when he noticed that they were finished.

“Ah, here you go,” the boy said, tossing you the bag of coins.

“You too,” he said, tossing the metal plate the boy had given him.

“Thank you,” he smiled. The man nodded before turning his attention to the wide-eyed girl between them.

“Did she have those before?” he asked softly.

“Wha-Mina! What happened?” the boy shouted, pushing away the sleeves to expose more of the cuts.

“Nothing Ollie, I just tripped and fell over on some knives they had lying around when I was getting out.”

“They just let you go like that?” the boy, Ollie, asked.

“No silly, I had to cut some of my hair off. There was this nice man who even gave me sweetly after they cut it, or was it before?”

“No, no…what’s going on? Mina, did you sniff the sweets?” Ollie asked with worry.

“Yeah,” she giggled. “How else would you eat them?”

“She’s poisoned,” Ollie exclaimed. “They’ll pay for this.”

“Whatever’s happening here seems to involve more than just a couple of guards, it will not be…smart for you to pursue vengeance for just this, especially if you can’t defend yourself. You need to worry about her poison before you can do anything.”

“Ugh, you’re right, I’m just being stupid right now.” After a moment of silence, the boy asked. “Are you going to help us?”

“…”

“Please, she’ll die if she isn’t cured. Please, you’ve got to save her.”

‘Fate has a weird sense of humour,’ he thought.

“What poison does she have?” he asked and watched Ollie’s face light up.

‘Maybe that’s how I looked back then too.’

“It’s a white powder stuck together by honey. It comes from a blood-like flower with a cross of tar in its middle,” Ollie looked up slightly embarrassed. “Sorry, I know it’s not much help but that’s the best I can tell you.”

“Hmm, does it look like this?” he asked pulling out a dried-up flower from one of his pouches. Ollie and Mina looked leaned closer before the former nodded vigorously.

“Yeah, yes that’s the one.”

“Hmm,” he stuffed the flower back into his pouch before moving past them. “Follow me”

“What about her? Is she gonna be alright? Hey mister-”

“Shhhh.”

Blinking in surprise, the scrawny boy followed his gesture towards a nearby tavern. So keeping a strong grip on Mina’s arm Ollie followed him in silence. The armoured man immediately drew attention from everyone inside. With burning ears, Ollie sat beside Mina, closest to the door and silently watched the man ask for some stew. He waited until the wench was gone before asking again, but once again the man held a finger to his helmet, gesturing for their silence while he placed a few of his own pouches on the table and began shuffling through them. He took out a few dried herbs and set them aside until the stew arrived. By this time, beads of sweat had lodged them into all sorts of uncomfortable places all over his body. There were so many ways this could end badly.

“Stop shaking boy. Calm down and just eat your food,” the man gestured. Lightly slapping Mina’s extended hand, as she tried going for her stew. “Not you little one, you are sick right now and require something more to take care of you.”

“Uh, thanks…who are you?” Ollie asked.

“A traveller, now a mercenary,” he said, pulled out his necklace holding a metal plate with one slash on it from within his cape’s folds.

“What are you going to do with us?”

“Ease your troubles, in exchange for some information.”

“Like what?”

“Wench, get me some water tankards, will you? Thank you. Not right now child, first you eat then we talk.”

Ollie could feel his stomach respond to the delicious smell with small growls and lurches. He could feel his mouth salivate, so wiping it by his sleeve he dived into the warm lunch. Unfortunately, Mina wasn’t able to follow suit as the man suddenly held out his hand, stopping her again.

“Not now child, first I prepare it then you will eat,” he said.

“What are you adding?” Ollie sat up straight, frowning at him as he crushed the leaves into her stew.

“Plants, this should help her regain some meat on her bones,” he said when he was done. “Now you can eat.”

“Are you going to eat that?” Ollie asked, pointing at the other untouched bowl.

“No, this is for the girl.”

“Okay,” the child said before returning to his stew. It was very simple, some broth with vegetables, yet to him, who hadn’t eaten for the whole day, it felt heavenly. Soon, they’d loosened up and he’d begun telling Mina of what’d happened after they escaped which prompted her to ask;

“Um…mister?” she suddenly asked.

“Hmm?”

“Aren’t you afraid of the guards?” Upon her question, the other children perked up.

“Should I be?” the warrior asked.

“Yeah, you should,” Ollie spoke, pushing his bowl aside as Mina took her second bowl. “They’re...they did this to her just for bumping into them. There are rumours of how-”

Even though he’d said it only to the armoured man, the silence that fell onto the busy crowd told him he’d been heard by all those present, promptly causing him to stop. All eyes seemed to focus on their little group at the mention of the guards.

“It seems they have quite the reputation,” he pointed out curiously.

“Yes. They have a very scary reputation,” the boy whispered, “One of the reasons I wanted to get her today instead of waiting was because I’d had heard that they sometimes capture the people who offend them and ra-”

“Shut up, boy,” a man stood up from the table next to theirs and scolded. “Don’t talk about shit that’ll get us all in trouble if anyone of them happens to pass by. I won’t pay for your stupidity.”

Despite being fat and short, the man showed an impressive effect on Ollie as he sank down and focused on his stew, apologizing quitely.

“Hmmph, good.”

The man sat down with a huff and gulped down his, rather large, mug of ale before carrying on with his companions. Understanding the matter dropped the crowd returned to their own conversations, forgetting about the boy as soon as they’d gotten involved.

The warrior nodded to himself as he leaned back and watched them transition with apparent ease. Time went by quickly, and once it seemed she’d had her fill he gave the pouch of coins to the nearby wench and took his leave.

“A few parting words, children. The following days will be much worse for you two,” he warned the boy as the girl held onto him for support. “I suggest going to one of the villages outside the city if you’re able. Otherwise, find some quiet place to sleep for a few days with water closeby, you’ll need lots of water. Well, this is goodbye for now children let’s hope we meet again.”

“Where can we find you?” Ollie asked as the man turned to leave.

The armoured warrior simply walked into the crowd without a word and disappeared into the alleyway opposite the street. They stood there for some time before the Ollie saw a patrol of guards coming their way. Acting quickly, he guided Mina into the crowd and disappeared in search for that quiet place.