A throbbing pain pulsed from the back of Arthur's head as he walked down a cobblestone road. He gritted his teeth as his vision faded back and forth. Each step felt like a tremendous hurdle, making his muscles ache.
Arthur brushed his ivory hair with obsidian highlights to the side as his body swayed in the chilly morning breeze. Countless droplets descended from the sky. The weathered brick walls and arches brought out the gothic buildings that stretched beyond the horizon.
Pressing his back against the alleyway's rigid walls, Arthur stopped for a moment, both hands resting on his thighs. Every breath took a considerable ounce of strength, and he looked into the reflection in the puddle. He saw clear white skin and emerald eyes shining brightly despite the dark gray skies.
Arthur moved one hand towards his shoulders and tightly clenched onto the black cloak that wrapped around his body. Even though it was damp on the surface, the area beneath was completely dry, protecting Arthur from the freezing rain. Steading his breathing, Arthur could feel the headache slowly subside as the pain became more bearable.
Carefully, Arthur's fingertips brushed against his body to examine for any injuries. After confirming there was none, a sigh of relief escaped his lips as he forced himself off the icy stone wall. A bit of puzzlement lingered, but it was soon cast aside as Arthur continued moving south toward the town's western district.
There were better options than this, but according to the guards at the north gate. They recommended going to the western district because there was a region that provided shelter to outsiders like him.
"When it rains, it pours..." Arthur gazed upon the dark skies.
He couldn't forget the small comment since it was the only thing he could remember from what remained of his memories. These days, it was a miracle that he was even alive as he traveled across the land. His group guided him through plains and valleys until they reached this town. They had to run from bandits, wild animals, and monsters many wouldn't dream of encountering. He wouldn't have made it so far without the odd group of strangers who stuck to him like an overprotective mother. But it didn’t help that he was the only one who was allowed into the town, and to make matters worse, they didn’t tell him the name of the town.
Arthur ignored his pain and kept wandering through the town's streets. Numerous guards were stationed near the outer perimeters of the walls, and several others patrolled the roads.
Even though it was a gloomy day, countless people were smiling and walking down the streets as they bought their daily necessities. It was remarkable to see how well the magic lanterns along the side of the road illuminated the town.
As Arthur was walking down the main street, he saw two silhouettes trembling in a dark alley where the light of the magic lanterns had failed to reach. He turned away from them and kept walking, but shortly after, another sharp pain coursed through his head as memories flowed in.
----------------------------------------
“You damn rascal, don't you know the true virtue of men were the principles they built for themselves?!” An old man roared at the top of his lungs as he stood on top of a collapsed tree that the recent storm uprooted. 'Principles keep us in line, help us define who we are and what we stand for!'
The old man continued to yell with all his might while raising his black metallic cane to the heavens. His sheer presence created an indescribable pressure throughout the area. Soon, he turned towards the young boy standing behind him and awaited his response.
“But that doesn't answer my question…what principles should I set for myself?” Arthur raised his hand and stared at the figure before him.
“That's for you to decide. Must these old bones of mine tell you everything? Upstanding men should be able to define these principles themselves.” An audible thud echoed as the metal cane landed on Arthur's head. The old man snickered and added, 'Do some good for yourself and figure it out.'
“I don't even know what principles are!” Arthur protested while ducking the next swing from the old man's cane as it cut through the open space above his head.
“That's why I told you to figure it out!” The old man spun the cane in his hand before sending a fury of strikes from all directions towards Arthur. His brow slightly raised in surprise as Arthur dodged his attacks, but his speed drastically increased tenfold instead of praising the child before him.
“Can't you be fair, you deranged old man?! At least give me a hint! Just one principle to help me go down the right path!” Arthur covered his face with his arms from the onslaught of blows, but once the old man heard this, he stopped for a moment and pondered.
The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation.
“Hmm…I guess I could give you one since I am your teacher for now.” The old man stroked his gray beard with one hand and grinned. “We'll keep it simple. Just help others out when you get the chance.”
Arthur let out a sigh of relief and lowered his arms. “Isn't helping others obvious? I mean, even I can think of something as simple as that.”
The old man's brows furrowed at Arthur's comment. Shortly, a pitiful gaze fell upon his naïve student. “If it was so obvious, then why didn't you think of it?”
With one hand, Arthur rubbed the sore spot near his forehead and answered, “Well… that's because I thought you had some hidden wisdom that I wouldn't know about.”
“Oh yeah?” The old man nodded at his disciples' words before sending a quick jab into Arthur's chest, causing him to take several steps back as air escaped his lips.
“You cruel old man!” Arthur cursed the old man, who mockingly smiled at him.
“Was that so obvious, you brat?” The old man grinned while tightly grasping the cane with both hands. “Don't let your guard down, you damn runt. Only a fool would relax himself during a fight.”
“A fight?! I thought you were teaching me principles!” Arthur's quick objection soon made him take several more steps back. A familiar chill ran down his spine, and he saw the old man tilt his head to the left and then to the right, stretching the muscles on each side.
“I'm doing both now, you damn brat!” The old man immediately chased after the fleeing Arthur while swinging the cane repeatedly in both hands, and from afar, people could hear Arthur's screams as he dashed away.
----------------------------------------
Arthur stood still while releasing a heavy sigh at the troubling memories returning to him. A trace of sadness flickered in his eyes. Even though many would consider it a traumatic experience for Arthur, it was nostalgic. He couldn't remember who exactly he was or why he went to this town. However, he believed there was a reason for those memories to appear.
Regardless of the questions lingering in his mind, it was as if a guardian angel was guiding him. Before he knew it, Arthur found himself standing in front of two silhouettes with vastly different gazes. He awkwardly looked back at them and took the cloak off his shoulders before wrapping it around them.
His actions were swift, as the two small figures couldn't react in time to stop him. One stared with puzzled eyes while the other continued to glare at him. Despite being slightly damp, their clothes stayed relatively clean without any rain protection.
Seeing the conflicted expressions on their faces, Arthur revealed a bright smile as the corner of his lips curled upwards and asked, "Warm?"
Not a single sound came out of them. Since it was Arthur's first time wrapping a cloak around someone else, he didn't overlook the possibility of doing it wrong. So, in another attempt, Arthur tightly pulled onto both ends of the cloak and firmly tucked them in.
"Is that better?" Arthur asked them once again.
One of the small figures timidly nodded while the other frowned at him even more.
"It's okay. You can keep the cloak, so don't worry about it," Arthur tried to reassure the other small figure, constantly staring holes through him.
The small boy glaring at him clicked his tongue and looked away before muttering in a low voice, "Thanks."
"Don't sweat it. It's best to rely on people older than you when you need help." Arthur smiled and tapped his chest twice with his fist, causing both of the children in front of him to tilt their heads.
"Aren't you a kid too?" The small boy glared at him as his eyes inspected the outline of Arthur's figure.
There were countless dirt and grass stains on Arthur's clothes, and it didn't help that ease his pitiful appearance as the rain drenched him.
"Brother, don't be rude. He's trying to help us!' The small girl tugged at her brother's sleeve with a pout on her lips.
"Wait, you two are siblings?" Arthur stared at them and quickly realized their resemblance. They had black hair and eyes and were practically identical, except one had longer hair than the other.
"Now that I have a closer look, you two are pretty similar."
The boy stared daggers at Arthur and clenched onto the cloak wrapped around their shoulders. An icy voice filled with doubt came from the boy's lips as he asked, "What do you want? There's no way you're helping us for free."
Arthur pondered for a moment before smiling. Looking at the two shivering from the cold, he knew their circumstances weren't great, and they probably had a good reason to be so doubtful. With a simple pat on his chest, Arthur spoke in a kind tone: "I don't want anything. I just figured I could help you guys."
"You don't want anything?" The boy scoffed when he heard this. He tightly held onto his sister's hand and watched as her trembling slowly subsided.
"Yes, you see where I'm from. People say that they build themselves on the principles they set, and one of my principles is helping those in need," Arthur proudly explained.
"Wow…" The little girl couldn't help but break free from her brother's grasp and clap in response with admiration, causing the boy to frown deeply.
"Claire, stop that." The boy scolded his sister and watched as Arthur knelt beside him. With a puzzled look in his eyes, he asked. "What are you doing?"
"Well, I have nowhere else to go, so I might as well huddle with you guys." Arthur calmly said while leaning back against the stone wall. Like how the strangers bounded together to help him, Arthur realized the importance of relying on each other and the value it brought to be a team. "Oh, also, my name's Arthur."
The boy let out a pitiful sigh at the new friend they had made and resentfully said, "I'm Raphael, and that's Claire, my little sister."
"A new friend?" Claire leaned over Raphael's shoulders and smiled while looking at Arthur curiously.
"For now," Raphael dejectedly answered.
Raphael could feel the burden on his shoulders increase as he sat between Arthur and Claire, but all he could do was silently cry inside as he listened to the two make small talk with each other. He looked up towards the dark clouds with downcast eyes.
Mother…I miss you so much. I know I was praying for you to send someone to help us for the past few days, but it seems like you sent us a weirdo. Please send someone who doesn't look like a beggar to help us next time.
Those were the last thoughts on Raphael's mind as the busy streets glimmered to the side. They were lucky enough to enter the town and escape the cold early spring, but only time would tell if this new encounter would bring joy or misfortune.