In the Fetrias main continent. It was already late afternoon and the sun will set.
In alley there is three children beating a one child in the corner.
“Hey open your hand and give it to us your money” the one child that was bigger to the three said angrily. He kicked many times the child on the ground that like a turtle protecting his money and the back of his is the shield of the attack of the children kicks.
The three children kicked so hard angrily because even they kicked him many times he still didn’t give up.
For many minutes the three children tiredly kicking him and stopped after. They give up and said “When we meet you again and begging in our turf, we will kill you for sure” they put their feet to his head and they spit him before leaving.
After they left, the 5 years old child that was beaten up in the alley have many bruises on his body, his clothes were tattered and torn. His appearance as he had black hair and black eyes that so dark and deep. He slowly getting up because of pain and he looked at his hand, it has a four coppers coin. he can buy a one cheap bread for two copper coin and eat with his little sister. He will save the two copper coins in case of emergency.
“My little sister will be happy that we will eat today” he said.
He looked happy that they can eat something today, he slowly left to that alley and went to the bakery to buy the bread for him and his little sister but he also cautiously going as he maybe saw by other children and took his money.
When he was already near to the bakery, the people distance themselves as he was coming to the bakery and they looked disgusted to him but he didn’t care about it and just do his own things.
He asked the baker for one bread that was cheap enough to pay 2 copper coin. The baker looked concern when he saw him and he took 2 breads and gave to him.
The baker said “Kid here is your bread, I put another one bread. I will put it on my tab, so don’t worry about it and pay me in the future”.
He thanked him many times but the baker said only “don’t worry about it”. After he said goodbye to the baker, he went to the corner of slum near to the garbage as he saw a small wooden house that looked easy to destroy by the wind. He fixed himself and he find clothes in the garbage as he wore it. He opened the door and saw his little sister lying down because she has a fever for a few days and still not cured. His little sister is the only family he had without her he had no reason to be alive.
“Divina, I bring two breads with me and thanks to sir baker we had extra one piece. We will eat today delicious bread soup” Cien said happily while smiling like nothing happened to him.
Divina slowly looked to her brother and smiled that he came home but she was shocked and angry when she saw the bruises of Cien body.
“Brother, why did you have so many bruises? Did that ugly kid in the other alley pick a fight at you? Let’s go I will kick their butt so that they cannot to do that again to you” Divina said angrily and she looked worried to him.
Cien only laughed and calmed down his sister. “Don’t belittle and compare your brother to that other kids in the alley as they can’t fight even if they come together. I have this bruise because i just tripped by my clumsiness when I was going home so don’t worry about it, it will heal over time and you should worry about yourself as you have fever” Cien said as he lied for his little sister not to be worried about him.
you should worry about yourself as you have fever” Cien said as he lied for his little sister not to be worried about him.
Divina knew that her brother was lying. She cried as she felt that this happened to her brother because of her being too weak.
“Hey, hey I’m okay. You don’t have to worry about me and take care yourself to recover because I will be fine. I will work to find money for us to eat so you don’t need to worry” Cien said calmly and gentle while patting his little sister head.
Cien lay down his sister again to the bed for her recover and he took the cold towel on the basket near him and put on the head of Divina.
He stood and said “I will cook the bread that I bring, you stay there and wait a little bit and the bread soup will be done”.
Divina nodded to her brother and said “okay”.
Cien went outside and created a bonfire for him to cook the bread soap. He took the old pot and hang it in the middle of bonfire. He took a small water and put it in the pot with the two breads and some seasoning to taste a little bit better.
While he was cooking, Cien noticed a kid from a far that was hiding in the garbage and drooling to what he was cooking. He knew this kid, as he was living in the slum and the same situation as them but Dreg was a mute person. He was 1 years younger than Cien and the same age of his little sister. His clothes tattered and torn with dirt over his face that looked he didn’t shower for a month. Cien knew that he was living alone in the slum as his parent both run away as they leave him here in the slum.
“Dreg, come here and eat with us as we have enough food for three” Cien said gentle and calmly. When he always looking to Dreg, he can see the shadow of him and his sister so he understood him how hard living in the slum. They are in the same situation and hoping in the next day for a better life. Every day many children was dying in the slum and they’re struggle to live like Cien, Divina, and Dreg. They eat anything than can be eaten for them to be alive even if they eat dirt.
Dreg shamelessly went to where Cien is when Cien said he will eat along with him. life here is harder that’s why they took every opportunity even if they looked shameless to the people. Cien didn’t find it problem and only smiled as he saw that Dreg hurriedly went to him and he heard the rumbling sound in his stomach as he was hungry. Cien laughed loudly. Dreg looked embarrassed when Cien laughed but he still looked to the food that was cooking drooling.
“Did you earn today, Dreg?” Cien asked Dreg.
When Dreg heard what Cien said, he cautiously distanced himself to Cien. Cien laughed loudly.
“You don’t have to worry as I will not take your money” Cien said and promised.
Dreg trusted Cien, he took his money in his pocket and showed a one copper coin that he earned today begging. Cien understand why it was only one copper he earned today.
“Did they take your money again?” Cien asked and felt sympathy as he experienced it many times. Dreg nodded to what Cien asked.
“How many they took at you?” Cien asked. Dreg showed four in his hand to Cien. Cien felt disgusted and angry to that hoodlum that take advantage the children to a mass money and sympathy to the people to earn money.
“That bastard shameless dog took 80% they earn at you?!” Cien said angrily. Dreg was only quieted and looked to the fire in front of him. Cien saw that Dreg was so down and he stopped talking. He focused cooking the food.
After few minutes of waiting, the food was done and Cien took three bowl and put it equally.
“Take that one bowl, were going to eat inside along with Divina” Cien said to Dreg gently. Dreg nodded to what Cien said and they went inside. Dreg say hi to Divina when he saw her. Divina found it normal as Dreg frequently going to their house to eat and his brother cannot endure looking at Dreg starving while they eating even though they are not the same blood, his brother looked at Dreg as his little brother.
“Oh, hello Dreg, how’s it going with you?” Divina said. Dreg hand sign that he was ‘okay’ and he asked if Divina felt okay as he knew that she had fever.
“No, I still had fever but it was slowly disappearing and it’s not bad as in the past” Divina asked and thankful as he asked her health condition. Cien smiled to this good atmosphere in this small house.
Cien helped his little sister sat at the table and arrange their food in the table. Dreg also sat as they beginning to eat, Divina wanted to pray for the food as a way to thanks the god they given today. Cien didn’t believe to the gods for some reason but he let sister pray and he didn’t want to force his little sister to what he believed. She has her own will and belief not a doll than dictated to his own will and belief.
Divina prayed while holding the hand of Cien and Dreg. After she done praying, they began eating the bread soup even though it tasted bland, they still happily eating it without complaint. In this dark night the three children were eating the food on the table as if it was their best meal they eaten in their whole life. Divina laughed when he saw Dreg was eating hurriedly like someone was taking his food soon even though the food was still warm.
“Slow down as no one taking your food. The food was still warm your tongue may burn because you eating it hurriedly while still warm” Cien said as he heard the laugh of Divina and looked to where she was laughing. He also laughed when he saw Dreg eating hurriedly. Dreg heard Cien said and nodded.
After they done eating, Cien helped her sister going to bed and lay down. Dreg helped washing the bowl. After he was done washing, he said goodbye to Cien and Divina by waving as it was already late and he left while Cien accompanied him outside. When Cien went back, he saw a one copper coin on the table. He thought Dreg when he saw the copper coin and said “That kid, he should worry about himself” he said and felt complicated. He took the coin and went outside to breath air. When he was already outside, he saw the two moons glowing in this dark night.
He turned around his head as he saw a book in this big garbage, it caught his attention as he went there slowly and his heart thumped faster. The appearance of the book he saw, it was a black book that covered design is color red flowers and roots with a weird letter in every side and a golden letter infront.
“What is this weird book?” Cien said curiously.
He took it slowly read the title of the book. “De Sins” he said mumbling, he was confused and curious as he never seen this book before when he was living here for long years.
He opened it slowly cautiously, when he opened the book, dark particles that so dark that you can see your reflection come to him so fast that shocked him unprepared at it went to his eyes like a wave and the book was glowing in the different color. For a while the book was vanishing slowly like ashes as it went along to that dark particle and went to his eyes.
He fainted and slept to the ground as it was done.
In the house of Cien and Divina.
Divina was worried as her brother was taking to long on the outside. She slowly getting up and went to outside to know why he taking to long as it was already late and very dark. He looked his surrounding as he saw a boy was sleeping soundly in the garbage. She was shocked and confused as to why he was sleeping in the garbage when he had a bed to the house to sleep and it was very cold outside. She went to her brother and waking him up but he didn’t budge as she waking him up many times.
“Why are you sleeping here? Brother wake up, it was cold here and not good for you, you should not sleep in this garbage as you have your own bed” she said but Cien didn’t woke up and budge even for many times she tried waking him up.
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She even slapped her brother but he still didn’t budge. She helped and picked up her brother to bring him to his bed and lay down him to his bed.
“This brother of mine! What are you thinking sleeping outside” she said. She was tired and felt breathless for bring him up Cien to his bed. She covered her brother a blanket and went again to her bed as she felt tired and it was already late as she felt sleepy.
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Next day, in the early morning.
The sun was so bright as it went through the window and to Cien eyes.
Cien was opening his eyes slowly and he began getting up as he felt dizzy and headache for some reason. He looked at his room and looked at the window as he covering his eyes because of the sun shining at him. He accidently touched his cheek as he felt pain.
“Why my cheek was so hurt when i touched it? What happened yesterday” Cien said as he felt pain in his cheek.
He went to the kitchen for him to drink water, he saw that Divina was cooking something.
“Good morning, Divina. Do you still have a fever? Why are you cooking so early, I should be the one cooking” he said.
“No, my fever already disappeared when I woke up this morning, it was already 11 am brother” Divina said.
“What?! Why you didn’t wake me up?” Cien said.
“You sleeping soundly and every time I wake you up, you didn’t budge even a bit” Divina said. Cien as he put his hand to his cheek, he remembered that he felt pain in his cheek earlier. He looked to his sister as she was just chuckling when he saw the reaction and face of Cien.
Cien smiled as he heard and saw the laugh of Divina. He noticed that Divina was cooking egg and there is bread on the table.
“Where did you get these two eggs?” Cien asked as they don’t have egg in their house and he didn’t buy any egg to what he remember.
“Ah these two eggs, I took it in the farm in another neighbour” Divina said calmly.
“You mean STOLE in the farm?!” Cien said as he felt headache to the things his sister done.
“What if you caught?! Do you know how fast the adult is compare to our body and I was sleeping when you stealing. What if something happened to you. I your big brother should be the one stealing not you” Cien said angrily and worried.
A silence and tense atmosphere were between Divina and Cien. But for a moment, they both laughed and smiled.
“You didn’t saw how that old man face when he came back to the barn as the two eggs vanish out of nowhere in the flick of second” Divina said and laughed. She told to Cien what happened to the bard and how she stole the eggs silently without being caught. Cien laughed as he heard Dvina story about stealing the eggs.
“Don’t do that again, it’s pretty dangerous for you as I the one should this work and that old man let her guard down today but next it will not be lucky as of now” Cien said strictly to Divina as he was worried that she will be caught by doing this dangerous work.
“Then did you get these three breads on the table?” Cien asked casually.
“Oh that, when that old man was going to the barn, I saw that he bought the three breads along with him. he put it on the side of door as he went inside to look his chicken and I took it silently, that’s when I saw his unsightly face when he noticed that the two eggs disappeared. I left after without him noticing” Divina said like he was just strolling.
When Cien heard what Divina said, he wanted to face palm his face as he cannot believe how his sister walking in the tight rope that any time can be dangerous. He thought if his sister was reckless or courageous. He disciplined her seriously that not to do it again. Divina just acted innocent like she didn’t do anything.
“I just doing this is for your own, please understand your brother as you doing is pretty reckless” Cien said gently. “Yes, I understood brother” Divina said felt guilt. “That’s good that you knew how reckless you did” Cien said worriedly as he thinking maybe she do it again and it was pretty extreme than now. he forgot this unnecessary thought, as he was just overthinking it.
Cien helped his sister cooking the eggs she cooking. After they done, they sat at the table and ate the egg with bread like a sandwich but only egg is inside of the bread. Divina was happily eating the food, Cien saw it and smiled that his sister was happy.
“Oh brother, why did you sleep on the garbage yesterday? Its look like you fainted or something?” Divina said casually and baffle why his brother slept in the garbage.
“What do you mean? I don’t remember that I slept in the garbage, I woke up today in the bed. What are you saying?” Cien was baffled also and confused to what Divina question and saying. He knew that his sister will not lie to him.
“You don’t remember? You are sleeping in the garbage late at night until I went outside to only found that you are laying in that garbage near our house. I wake you up many times but you didn’t budge, so I bring you up to your bed that’s why you woke up in your bed. If I didn’t go outside yesterday maybe you woke up today in the garbage.” Divina said and told what happened that night and what she saw.
Cien was surprised and confused when he heard Divina told to him. as he forcing himself to remember what happened he still cannot remember single things as to why he slept there. He only remembered that he went outside to breath air but his memory only stopped there.
“Did you faint or something?” Divina said as she saw the face of Cien that he really doesn’t remember anything happened that night.
“I don’t know, I can’t remember anything what happened that day” Cien said as he was baffled.
“It’s okay, you need to force something that cannot be forced maybe you will remember it later. Let’s eat as the food may cold” Divina said to his brother gently.
Cien sighed to weird happened to him yesterday that he can’t remember. He forgot it and focus to his food as that’s not important thought, he already slept many times in the garbage before so he didn’t feel problem or felt disgusted about it. He only baffled why he slept there when he had his own bed and cannot remember a single thing. He only took it as he fainted or something.
After they done eating, “Stay here and relax, as you still recovered to your fever and need more energy” Cien said worried. “Okay, but when can I come along with you?” Divina said annoyed, she felt reluctant as she didn’t come along to his brother. Cien sighed and said “Tomorrow you come along with me but you need to stay here and don’t go anywhere” Cien said strictly. Divina felt happy, she cheered and said “Okay, you said that don’t go back to your word”. “Okay, okay I promise” the reply of Cien. When Divina heard the answer of Cien, she cheered. “I’m going now to the market, remember close the door and don’t open the door to anyone until you heard my voice, okay?” Cien said strictly and serious face. “Okay, Okay I got it” Divina said.
As they said goodbye to each other, Cien went outside as he was going to earn money. He curiously wanted to see where he was fainted and maybe he remembered the detail why he fainted in that garbage. He looked at it and nothing unusual just the same trash he always saw every day but a tickling pain in his head that shock him, he remembered that the book became ashes and went through to his eyes. He kept throwing up that he ate today as he remembered what happened yesterday. After he done vomiting, he shivered and felt scared as this was his first time that happened to him. “What the f*ck is that?!” he said. as he was panicking that something weird happen to his body, he saw a broken mirror in the garbage. He took it and look every part of his face but nothing changed to face, it was the same average face he had with along some dirt that looked he didn’t shower for many months.
He sighed relief and thinking if it was just a nightmare and only his imagination when he was sleeping at that time. He found it surreal because it’s not plausible for him that something like that happened that beyond to his understanding and he find it strange also as to why it went through to his eyes.
He took it as his own nightmare dream and he stopped thinking about it because it was complex to his understanding but his instinct that helped him many times tell him that it was real and not his imagination. ‘Thinking about it, make me shiver in my spine and my hair stand” Cien truly scared as he felt something may happen to him.
He went to the central market in daze because it didn’t fade in his mind that what happened to him that night. He standing in the alley like a log and daze, when he saw by Dreg that also in the way to the market, Dreg shaken him up many and he woke up to his chaotic thought when Dreg shake his hand many times that startle him. “What happened to you?” Dreg hand sign to Cien asking his well-being because he was daze.
“Oh Dreg, sorry I’m just a bit not in my mind lately” Cien scratched his head awkwardly.
Dreg looked to Cien confused, he saw him okay just yesterday but today he looked less energy and his mind is floating somewhere that he didn’t even feel his presence. Dreg looked worriedly and hand sign to him “Can you work today? You looked didn’t feel good today” Dreg asked through hand sign. “Yes, I can work today. I’m Cien remember even if I was sick, I will work and beg for me to eat something” Cien said. Dreg only nodded because he trusted the will power of Cien as he was grown up in the slum.
They went to this like maze alley to go in the market for them to take their child support to the people in the market (stole) and beg in the street as a side income.
To Cien he will not call it stealing as they working for it and their profession, he will call it a child support to collect money for them to eat, it’s like a charity for the people who had better life than them as they were starving to death in the slum.
While they walking to go in the market, “Thank you for last night, for putting the one copper coin you earned yesterday. You don’t need to worry about it as we see you as our family also and next time buy your earned money for yourself” Cien said kindly and gently to Dreg. Dreg heard and thought, “That’s why i give to you because I saw you guys as my family the same as you and I need to contribute to the family because that’s what family are for. I may be shameless but I will not stab my family in the back for their gratefulness, care and hospitability” Dreg hand sign to Cien. The atmosphere silence when Cien saw the hand sign of Dreg and Cien felt touched when he saw dreg hand sign as he quieted and go to the market with him and only said “Thanks, Dreg” Cien said. Dreg nodded and smiled when he heard Cien thanks.
When they saw the market street, they saw many people dressed gorgeous and expensive clothes and accessories like they were come noble family and there were also average people that wore simple and plain clothes but to the eyes of both kid they are just the same to collect more money. But the noble is pretty bigger fat sheep to them that the only difference in their eyes.
The plan and techniques Dreg and Cien use to collect child support was Dreg will be a begging person to distract the people they designed to target and Cien is the one collecting the child support silently and thoroughly. This like their daily routine but they change their technique and plan every few days because many people will know if they do it repeating every day and there were higher chances they may caught.
As they choosing target to becoming distraction, they saw from a far an old man wore gorgeous and expensive clothes that was buying fruits in the store alone. They started taking action when they feel that it was not dangerous and that old man had a fiery temper that can became a distraction to the masses. Dreg slowly went to the stingy old man that buying fruit and negotiating to the store owner loudly for the price the fruit he wanted even though he looked rich, when he was already near to him. Dreg touched the clothes of the rich old man to feel his presence, the old man felt his presence when Dregs touched his clothes as his head set to Dreg, he felt disgusted and said “Don’t touch me you dirty peasant” he said angrily and disgusted. “Who let this dirty and smelly peasant wander in the market, where is that useless guard or patrol” he said another, he shouted loudly with disgust and said angry. Even though he wanted to slap or kick this peasant in front him, he didn’t do it because he didn’t want to dirty himself and he smell filthy to him that he wanted to distance himself.
The people in the surrounding heard the stingy old man shout as they curiously look at it and their inner self wanted to watch this show to entertain themselves.
As the people was distracted to this show, Cien began to take a move. He went and he wore a long black cape to hide himself and the people not distance themselves to him because to what he looked as dirty and filthy. While Dreg was distracting the people through the stingy old man that shouting to him and talking loudly like he was molested or something, Cien integrate to the masses like he was strolling and he silently taking the donation to what he can saw moving and easy to took. After a few minutes of ‘taking charity’, Cien give a sign to Dreg that they already done he need to retreat as the guard or patrol will in the few minutes. Dreg saw it and began to leave as he bowed and looked sad that he didn’t get anything begging to that stingy old man. The old man felt proud that the filthy peasant left and looked sad that didn’t get anything at him and he remember that he needed to negotiate the fruit that he wanted to buy. After a few minutes or so, the negotiation between buyer and seller concluded, when the stingy old man taking his wallet in his pocket. He didn’t feel his wallet, he panicked and hurriedly searched his body but he didn’t find his wallet that’s when he remembered that the mute kid touched his clothes as he realized he was a victim of child support. “THAT PUNY LITTLE RAT THIEF!! I WILL TORTURE YOU IF I CATCH YOU!!” as he shouted angrily that can be heard by the surrounding people and from a far.
Cien and Dreg was already in the corner of the alley and as they escaped to the masses silently without garnering their attention. A faint shout from a far that sound of angry man, “Did you hear something?” Cien asked as he didn’t hear it very well. Dreg only shrug it off as he also didn’t very well and find it not important.
They went back to the house of Cien to compute their gain and split it up between them. As they going back, someone was watching them from afar. It looked the same age as them, ‘This was a pretty good information to tell Rev that the two sh*t gain big today hehe maybe I will have a slice to this big cake for this information I will give’ he thought, he began to leave and went to Rev to give this piece of information.
Cien and Dreg didn’t know that they already caught. As they walking, they were happy that their gain today was so big that they estimated their gain will be enough for three of them one month worth of food.
They wanted to tell this to Divina the news of their gain and don’t have to worry for their food in this one month. When they already at the little house of Cien, Cien knocked three times and said “It’s me Divina”. A footstep can be heard inside and the door slowly opened as a young girl can be seen inside. “Why you so early and why Dreg with you?” Divina inquired. He remembered that his brother only left 3 hours ago. This was the first time he came home early, Divina understood that their only 2 options why they came home early, they gain something big or they do something dangerous that they need to come home early. Divina wanted to hear the former option than latter.
Cien didn’t play guess game and said directly what happened in the market. He told her about the plan and techniques they do. As Cien was story telling Divina what they did in the market, Divina was happy and excited when he heard Cien story telling. While they both busy each other, Dreg was focused counting and computing their gained.