Those three men came closer, they were alive, unhurt, carrying hand guns and knives. They wore black leather jackets, the kind which made them seem like thugs, which they turned out to be.

Daniel remembered them from when he worked as at the garden centre.

"Hey now, let's have a chat why don't we boys? I mean wouldn't it be easier for you to let us carry some of those bags?" The larger man in front asked sarcastically.

He had very short and greasy brown hair and a horrible beard, unattended. The offer to help carry the bags was merely a nicer way of saying 'hand over your belongings' in Dan's ears but he decided to play along with their style.

"No, thank you. I believe we will be just fine."

With that, the man was angered, his face wrinkling and frowning like a bulldog who didn't simply want to play anymore.

"That wasn't a question punk! Hand them over!"

The two others from behind him stepped up, clapping their fists into the other hand. Tommy was frightened and looked at his friend with his usual doll eyes.

"What should we do?"

Daniel didn't listen, he was still thinking about the group and about their leader's name, they were a group of thugs who always thought they could bring trouble to the store, they were no fans of flowers. Rather they enjoyed trampling them.

"You are Andre if I remember correctly, right? Does that scruffy fellow still exist and lead you? What was his name again..."

"You mean Claude. I remember you, you are that gardener from that sissy store," he laughed.

"Ah yes, Claude. Is he still alive?"

"Of course he is! And he is a great leader, now hand over those bags you punk!" His patience seemed to have run out.

Meanwhile Daniel didn't know if he should be annoyed or glad. Glad that someone didn't die, or annoyed that the one guy who he wouldn't mind disappearing still lived. He knew it wasn't right to think that way, but his experience with him simply didn't allow for kindness in connection with that person.

This past year their group suddenly appeared and acted like they were the biggest fish in the whole ocean, but actually this was merely a small pond. Claude was their boss, or their king as they usually referred to him. He was always impossible to miss, his long stature, his red dyed scruffy hair and his grey stubble beard were almost like his initials. To their luck, the police gave up hope and eventually got sick of having to put them to custody every day, so they didn't bother after about a month. Soon Ashburg was a city filled with fear. One could not simply walk through the streets, one had to sneak past them and hope to not so much as touch them, for they would beat you up immediately. Through threats they made the shopkeepers give them free food and some even gave them money, it was unbearable. However, the garden centre had it the worst.

Those tough guys in their black leather jackets obviously wouldn't allow such a thing called 'flower' on their turf. Climbing over fences and walls, they trampled his garden, littered it, and even were like dogs, leaving presents on the lawn. Sadly, even back then Daniel was too weak and shy to really speak up, so every day he cleaned up after them, trying to do his job, hoping that one day someone rich enough would get hurt by them. That would mean lawyers, trials and jail for those thugs, however that day never came, instead they merely moved on to another town in August. He didn't know the reasons, he didn't question them, Daniel was merely glad that they were out of his eye sight.

Now they seem to have come back and wanted to steal their loot, but Daniel wasn't as weak anymore. He knew that now that there was no law, they would just bash their skulls in, even if they gave them the bags. Thus he put down those white plastic bags, filled with all kinds of objects and summoned forth his sword, not even saying the usual chant.

"Fine you can have the bags," Daniel looked at Tommy and moved his head to tell him to stand behind him. "But only if you can put up a good fight."

His sword held tightly in front of him, he was ready, unsure of his position, but ready.

"Now we are talkin' the same language man!" the big man in front shouted.

They pulled their guns with their left hands and held their knives in their right. They didn't think of much as they saw the sword, it looked like a fancy sword made out of glowing glass, no more no less. Without a warning they started shooting, the three blades moved in front and formed the shield, leaving the bullets to repel onto the road.

"What is this witchery?" the two beside Andre feared.

"Sorry, but you don't actually give me a choice here!"

Daniel swiftly ran towards them, and swung the sword to cut all three at once. He tried not to hurt them too badly, but to his surprise the sword didn't so much as scratch them.

"What was that supposed to be, huh?" Andre taunts.

The swordsman stood confused, he was sure that he cut them, but for some reason nothing happened. Suddenly their legs become like pudding and they fall onto the road, feeling very light headed.

"Why am I feeling so numb all of the sudden?" a grunt said.

"Yeah I feel so tired..." the second grunt fell unconscious.

"What kind of crap are you pulling here kid? What did you do?" Andre asked ferociously.

Daniel wished he could answer his question but was unable since he didn't know the answer himself. Against demons, or rather their host bodies, the sword would cut deeply and pulverize the remains. Apparently it was a different story for humans. He looked closely and small, black, particles emerged from their bodies. He thought he had found the answer in it, possibly the sword would purify the darkness in whatever it cuts, in case of a demon it would pulverize everything but for humans it would possibly only affect the small amount of darkness within their souls. He had no concrete footing for his theory, but that was how it looked like for him.

Eventually they all fell onto the ground, sleeping.

"What did you do Danny?" Tommy asked, worried about them.

"I-I don't know to be honest with you. Let's drag them inside the shop, nobody deserves to be eaten by a demon while sleeping," he says, scratching the back of his head.

Carefully they carried the men inside the shop and walked back home, to the church. Storing the loot and rearranging the furniture they finally set up a small room to bathe in. They couldn't wait to finally take a good warm bath after such a tremendously exhausting week, that was when Daniel remembered that there was one tiny little thing he forgot to ask Tommy.

"Wait how old are you exactly?" His eyes frowned, as if being worried about something.

"Me? I am eleven, why do you ask?"

"Eleven! Wha- but... huh?" Daniel held his flat hand over the boys' head, and moved it upwards, downwards, upwards. He continued for a little while. "Are you sure? You are incredibly small for an eleven-year-old, plus you look really young too."

Tommy was visibly annoyed, puffing his cheeks, "You are mean! You are also really short for a grown up you know?"

Daniel's eyes moved away, trying to loose eye contact under any circumstance, "Well, I know. I guess you have a point," he scratched his cheek with his left index. "If you are eleven, that means you don't help washing right?"

"No worries I can wash myself."

"Oh thank the almighty," John sighed in relief, as a single child he never had any experience with a little brother, meaning he felt really awkward having to imagine helping the kid wash.

While Tommy was readying the bath, Daniel went out to fill up some buckets of water from the river and also to collect wood for a fire. Soon after, they were finally able to have a bath, one after another, using the tablecloth thin blankets to dry themselves off and then change into their new clothes. Tommy wore cream coloured shorts, a white button shirt and a small tie which he had found. His parents used to dress him up with a tie to make him look good, as soon as he saw the tie he knew he had to wear it for their sake. Daniel changed into pair of blue jeans, baggier than usual, and wore a long sleeved white T-shirt. Due to the cold weather both of them also had a jacket, Tommy's was blue stuffed with feathers and Daniel's was a pullover jacket. On top of that the child also had a winter hat on, while Dan decided against wearing a hat since all of them were too small for him, in return he had a blue wool scarf around his neck.