Nearly a moment of silence passed between the two, Owen’s out of patience and because he didn’t have anything to add, and then Ethan’s because he was still overwhelmed by a cyclone of confusion and emotions from what he had just heard. He tried to start speaking several times, his lips parting and closing more than once as he failed to audibly express his disbelief and frustrations. It was Owen who finally broke the silence and offered some assistance in organizing the chaos within the boy.

“Are you surprised? That everyone isn’t just helping the orphans out of the goodness of their hearts?”

No response, except for the clenching of his fists that were resting just below his waist. Owen noted the physical response and then continued.

“They are just a bunch of kids who’s parents are no longer around or didn’t want them. Certainly there are better things for everyone to be doing.”

He turned away and began walking down the hallway once more, though this time his steps were much slower, as if he was expecting to have to stop shortly after starting to move.

“Wait! Are you... are you actually being serious?”

Ethan’s words were pushed through clenched teeth, his arms now flexed and his clenched fists held higher as a result. His eyes were narrowed and his chest was heaving with angry breaths, the air being expelled warmer than normal due to his rising anger and subsequent body temperatures. After Owen stopped, when he turned to look at the boy his face was void of any concern, in fact he almost looked disgusted.

“The real question is are you? What do we get out of saving those kids? Money? No. Prestige? Perhaps a little, but that won’t amount to anything. Gratitude? From the kids certainly, maybe a few dozen others, but that won’t amount to anything tangible.”

He could see the emotional turmoil within start to flirt with his mental limits and sighed expressively before turning to face him directly. He had closed his eyes before sighing and now looked down at the boy as if he were something that disgusted him.

“What? Did you really think everything runs on sunshine and rainbows? That all is right in the world if everyone smiles and holds hands? You said you were surprised about how everyone was reacting but you didn’t grasp the real reasons they were all so concerned.”

Ethan felt the urge to leap up and smash Owen’s face when he turned to look at him with such an expression of contempt. He kept himself in control, for now, knowing violence hardly solved anything, it just made someone feel better for a short amount of time. He started blinking rapidly as keeping control meant some sort of emotional venting had to occur and it was taking the form of tears welling up in his eyes.

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“Then why?”

He was able to finally spit out the question, his eyes rimmed in red and his cheeks wet with the expelled tears. He then repeated his question, this time almost yelling it.

“Then why!?!”

“Perception and subsequent public image.”

Owen’s statement was spoken softer than his others up until now and it was in direct response to Ethan’s escalating tones. The boy let out a noise that bordered on a “huh” mixed in with a grunt from being hit and his body relaxed just a bit in confusion. He repeated parts of Owen’s reply.

“Perception? Public image?”

Owen considered the boy for a moment before nodding slowly and continuing with his explanation.

“Yes. The town will, and the guild is, responding because for their own reasons the townspeople will expect it of us and, as such, if we don’t, our public image will be sullied. We wouldn’t bother otherwise.”

“But... but... what about the Keepers?! The sanctum was attacked during the kidnapping!”

Ethan suddenly blurted out his words, frantically trying to offer some reason why people would help even if they didn’t get anything out of it.

“Do you mean out of fear? Or perhaps out of outrage that a place of their worship was desecrated by thieves and kidnappers?”

Owen chuckled then and shook his head before lifting a hand loftily between them. His tone and expression were mocking and his words were cutting deep.

“Perhaps a 100, or maybe even 50 years ago you may have a point. However, the Keepers are dead and everyone knows it. No one really cares anymore and they certainly don’t fear them.”

He couldn’t take it anymore. The levels of self-centered bile Owen had been spewing forth finally pushed the boy to a breaking point. It was strange though, despite not being overly religious, or arguably faithful, just respectful, Owen’s last statement hit him almost as hard as the others about the children. However, he wasn’t paying that close attention to everything going on inside his heart and mind any longer. His body stiffened again and he started to lower himself in preparation to launch himself at Owen. One final thread of control was trying to maintain its structural integrity and prevent him from lashing out.

It was at the last possible second, right before that thread of reason snapped, that Owen suddenly extended his arm and put a hand between them, his palm facing Ethan. His face took on a much gentler expression and his voice was the epitome of soothing.

“Easy there Ethan, I’m just goading you on purpose.”

That statement, on a lot of other people, would have made the situation even worse. However, for the young Ethan it served its purpose of completely throwing his intentions off track and he suddenly expelled a frustrated and flabbergasted “huh?!?!”

Owen considered the situation for a moment, letting the panting boy catch his breath, and also regain some control, before he continued.

“While my explanation of the situation isn’t as severe or socially dire as reality I wished to impart on you some level of tutelage regarding the world you live in.”

Ethan’s chest absently surged along with his labored breathing though with each following exhale the inhales became less pronounced.

“So... you were teaching me a lesson?”

“Yes! Exactly!”

Ethan’s expression had been one of dubiousness, but it quickly transitioned into one of incredulity when Owen replied the way he did with such a large smile on his face. Now the boy wanted to hit the man for an entirely different reason. Owen was quick to continue though and thus another attack was avoided for the day... at least for now.

“You see Ethan...”