Beyond Good and Evil

[Smuggler's Run]

(Closed to Kially Gaith. Minor bunnying for this thread has been discussed and approved.)



Anything done out of love is beyond good and evil.
~Friedrich Nietzsche

Reed sat on a plateau overlooking the massive walled city of Knife's Edge, with smoke rising from some of the stacks and chimneys from various abodes and structures. The sky was a deep blue today, obscured with ash gray clouds strewn and pillowed among various patches of air. The wind blew and the summer air felt nice against his skin - it was a paradoxical combination of cool and warm at the same time. Taking in a deep breath, the smuggler laid onto his back to allow him a moment to rest. In front of him, his maps and logs were scattered about, with a journal in his lap and a pen set in the middle of it.

Behind him, he could hear the giddy laughs of his daughter as she frolicked about the field, chasing after dragonflies and butterflies. Her silver voice rang out on the open air and it put his heart at ease, knowing that despite his criminal lifestyle and his inability to raise his child in a safe setting, they could atleast enjoy a day like this.

Rebecca, on the other hand, was somewhat oblivious to the true nature of her father's schedule and career. However, it mattered very little to her. Daddy was Daddy, and whatever he did was fine - it was all for her sake, and she could never blame him for anything he did out of sheer love for her. She laughed as she chased after a beautiful little butterfly with giant yellow and glittering blue wings, flapping as it tried to escape the trailing child behind it.

As Rebecca started to get close to it, she noticed it had slowed down and fluttered over a small patch of grass somewhat flattened. A large flower protruded from the clearing, and the insect landed on it. Something caught her leg as she took her first careless step into the patch, and she tripped, falling headfirst towards the ground, hitting it with a large thud. Bewildered by her inability to tolerate pain, she got up as best she could and looked through the tears welling up in her eyes to see the obstruction that had caused her sudden descent.

[Kially Gaith]

Travel had found Kially within Salvar, he honestly had no reason to be there, nor did he really have a reason to be anywhere, wandering the world was an interesting way to pass the days and these many days of travel had finally led him to a large field of long grass on the outskirts of a town that he could note within the locale.

Sat cross legged and silent within the long grass of the field, the small child was completely hidden to those who were not looking for him, his eyes transfixed to the top borderline growth of the grass where random insects caressed flowers and dew that happened to form upon the tips of thick blades of soft pale green grass, such was Kiallys’ attention held, that it simulated hypnosis, as innumerable species of insects fluttered around him in countless hues, every colour of the rainbow, perhaps even more if such were possible.

Ears fondled the sound of chirping crickets and buzzing dragonflies, all sucking the child into his own quiet dream world, so much so that the footsteps of the young girl approaching had not been noted until to late, in it came, running like a playful kitten, and albeit, even against his best efforts, Kially was unable to utilise his quick speed to save himself or the pre-schooler the pain of impact, a solid shoed foot impacting upon the boys thigh, resulting in him immediately pushing two hands to a leg that throbbed a dull numbing pain, hissing through his teeth in response to the pain, whilst the girl apparently continued, falling flat on her face. The crickets and cicadas grew silent, their chirping flailing away to sound only a soft breeze through grass and a crying little girl.

Still clutching his leg, Kially leant himself onto his right leg, putting more pressure onto that to ease the pain in his left leg, much to his discomfort, only increasing the pain as movement influenced the nerves and blood flow into action, the boy suddenly finding it hard to move his leg, heavy, as if a large stone had been placed upon it.

Finally, as the pain started numbing into a weaker throb, the boy took his attention away from his own pain and more to that of his curiosity, pointing it’s direction and will to that of the sweet little thing on the floor, his eyes now fixed upon her as he allowed her to gather both composure, dignity and stature, which would probably be difficult, given the tears and a solid impact with terra firma.

[Smuggler's Run]

Rebecca stifled her tears and sniffled, wiping away what had already slid down her cheeks. Although she had the urge to lose her temper and blame the little boy for tripping her, she composed herself and remained calm. She bowed, sniffling once more. She managed to utter an apology, saying, "I'm sorry to have been so clumsy. I didn't see you laying there... please forgive my intrusion."

She took a step forward, cautiously and held out her hand for the boy to grasp and shake it. She did her best in trying to muster a smile as the pain in her elbows and chest subsided and she recovered from her fall. "My name is Rebecca Lorian. Daddy takes me up here all the time to play... and I've never seen you before. What's your name? Do you live in Knife's Edge... or one of the villages around here?"

Meanwhile, Reed had his eyes closed, relaxing with his hands weaved behind his head as he laid down on the grassy hillside. He listened to the insects chirping their summer songs while far below him, he listened to the hustle and bustle of the city in the valley. Echoes of footsteps and carriages and shouts, pots banging and the bazaar haggling... all of these sounds reached him in one collective mass, ringing out between the valleyside hills and inching their way up over the hump and onto the grassy plateau.

He took a bit of relief in knowing that his daughter was safe, and close by. He knew that worrying was a bit useless - the only thing he truly had to worry about were any dangerous beasts... which, he knew, would come nowhere close to the metropolis below him. He took solace in the fact that he could allow himself a brief period of rest, in between caring for his daughter and catching up on the work that was on his plate. He let out a deep exhale and felt himself drifting into the light airiness of the beginning stages of sleep.

[Kially Gaith]

Silently, he watched the young one as she eased herself to her feet, surprised how soon after her finding her footing that her voice leaped out like an antelope, what more, was that she had a far better grasp upon the language than he, at an earlier age at that.

Her questions were both a miss mashed flurry of words, despite his understanding of them, he was unable to give her full answer as his eyes locked upon her for the short time his right hand outstretched to meet hers in a very dainty and weak friendly hold of inexperienced social interaction, Kially not knowing that shaking was required to finalise the result.

Eyes that had locked upon her moved away from glossy orbs to that of the sky, answering a question of his own as he looked into the distance, heavy black clouds slowly approaching.
Still maintaining this odd hold the girl seemingly required of him, the young Gaian spoke out loud for the first time to the girl, stating not his name nor words that matched with a question, but words that Kially found interesting to himself. “Ruh-becca, It’s gonna rain.”

An approaching summer shower, the sun still beaming down, glancing upon the quiet children, with contented beams, as one child asked questions, the older formed his own, though none were geared specifically to the girl who had presented herself.

His sudden philosophical thinking was interrupted by a flash of blue and gold flutter, the butterfly that Rebecca had been chasing now hovering idly behind her, causing Kially to once again look the way of the girl, just behind her right shoulder to the innocent creature that graced behind her.

“Butterfly!” Kially suddenly stated with renewed vigour, hopping up to his feet with a single bound, an ache suddenly reminding him of his sore leg, as his only free hand shot out to point at the winged insect, it’s beauty having caught much more attention in him than the bipedal could right now.

[Smuggler's Run]

After the long awkward pause with Kially just simply holding her hand and doing nothing, Rebecca giggled and tilted her head, looking over the older boy with a playful curiosity. "That doesn't answer my question, silly!" she said with a bubbly voice. She looked up at the clouds that were rolling forth, taking their time in getting towards their destination before letting loose their full fury. "Yeah, I guess you're right!" she said, almost in awe.

As the butterfly caught Kially's attention, Rebecca, too, looked at the insect and saw it start to fly away. "Hey, there's a stream on the other side of this valley! Do you want to go chase the dragonflies down there?" She jumped up and down, excitedly. Before even asking for an answer, she ran off in the direction she had come from. "Wait right there!" she called out to her new companion. "Let me go ask Daddy!"

As she approached the spot where Reed was sleeping quietly, with his journal opened up over his face, shielding him from the sun which was slowly being obscured by clouds, Rebecca slowed down. She noticed that he was breathing with a soft, drawn out rhythm. He's always so busy, she thought to herself. Father is always working or playing with me... He's still up after he puts me to bed... and he's awake long before I am in the mornings, doing work or making me breakfast...

She resolved to let her father take his much-needed nap, and figured that she would be alright only going over the one hillside with her new friend. She turned around and started skipping back towards the clearing where she'd met the young boy.

As she reached it, she jumped into the patch, careful not to trip again, and squealed. "It's okay for me to go! Come on!" she said.

[Kially Gaith]

His hand remained holding her for as long as the girl seemingly desired and still, he remained bewildered by her nature, surprisingly never having met many other children on their own in a situation like this.

Eyes still watching the butterfly as it flew away in all its’ majesty, though they still flickered from the girl to the large insect and back, more from curiosity and trying not to be to arrogant to her, he was listening after all, it’s just that butterflies held something within his heart.

Kiallys’ words came sweet and shrill, though would very possibly not be heard as the girl burst off, near removing his wrist from it’s socket as she did. “Stream? Dragon-flies?” The young angel knew what she was talking of, but being caught in the moment had him at a lack of thought and confusion.
All her energy was making him dizzy and lost within contemplation of just what he was to do.

In the short time she was gone, Kially stood like a statue, just blinking, trying to regain his composure and a clear train of thought, a pale hand snaking to his left leg where he carefully rubbed at the sore spot where he’d accidentally been kicked, allowing him to put his mind more to the very numb pain which took his thoughts away from that of the girl, until with that dizzying energy, she returned, proclaiming permission to her idea. It then clicked just what she was saying, that she was in fact with another person, perhaps called ‘Daddy’, Kially still unaware of what parents truly were.

“What is Daddy?” He questioned, his thoughts as usual, getting the better of him, his head tilting to try look over her shoulder in the distance of where she’d came from, unable to note any other humanoid life forms other than himself and the well dressed child before him.

[Smuggler's Run]

Rebecca looked at him for a long moment with confusion spreading over her face. Then she giggled and shook her head. "Daddies aren't a what! They're a who! Everyone's got a daddy who takes care of them and feeds them and stuff. If you wanna know who my daddy is... I'll tell you if you tell me your name," she said. She smiled and reached out to Kially. She grabbed his hand and began to run, dragging him along behind her, as they headed off towards the stream.

On the other side of the hill, a cloud passed overhead and obscured the sun from bearing its wrath down upon Reed. However, it didn't quite matter as he had his journal open over his face to block out the light. He mumbled in his sleep, calling out the name of his late wife, "Jasmine," to everyone that wasn't there.

In his dreams, he thought of the letter he'd received from Jasmine's father, Theo, a day after their house had burnt down and his wife had perished in the flames. It had read: My debts have caught up with me... I'm so sorry... meet me behind Travis's Tavern tomorrow night. I'll tell you what happened.

So, Reed had gone to that tavern, but when he arrived, he found Theodore Verona lying in a pool of his own blood with a gash in his neck from where it had been slit open with a dagger. With no known cause as to why now both his wife and father-in-law had been murdered, he stumbled into the tavern to take a seat, collecting his thoughts and emotions. He couldn't break down in public... he couldn't even break down at all. Thoughts rushed through his head of truth, vengeance, of the future and its uncertainty... how could he take care of his daughter, alone? How would he find out why his family was dying, one by one?

These thoughts ran through his head, only a few years ago, and again, they ran through his head as he dreamed of what had happened on those few nights that had led to the life he now lives.

And in that dream, an unseen voice whispered in his ear, "So you're the son in law..."

[Kially Gaith]

Kially listened intently to this human, she now had information that he desired, so her every word was hung upon, curious ears taking in this information, so this ‘Daddy’ was indeed a person, a person that fell under a name that was what came across as common. His response to her was somewhat robotic, perhaps cryptic in meaning. “I do not know ‘Daddy’.” The child hadn’t gone and outright stated he had no idea what a parent was nor that he had none himself, but what he insinuated was that if had a father, he did not know who he was, this, perhaps, for the young girl may have been to confusing for her to handle. Then her deal was pondered upon and being the naïve child he was, he went ahead and spat out his name in a single breath without any real sentence to define it as the word given to identify him.

“Kially.” The pronunciation was very clean and perfect, practised and without fault though did not sound like spoken common, more the tongue of a fluent language of old, more likely spoken by drow, high mages and other folk of high breed which Kially definitely did not display in person.

When the boy found himself being dragged along, the first few paces involved him stumbling to accommodate to the females pace of movement, but when footfall finally matched hers, he kept up rather well, not letting go of her hand as somewhere in the back of his mind, a little thing called Kiallys’ sub-concious secretly advised him it was best to do.

The pair would hop over several fallen branches and climb over even a collapsed tree or two, darting inbetween sycamores and oak where the beautiful leaves above them quietly swished in hues from emerald to ruby, soft veined gemstones quietly growing from branches up high.

Time flew by rather quickly as the two gallivanted in their childish playfulness and naivety to that of the clean stream and before them, as Rebecca had promised, was the meter wide lane of trickling water where the main attraction hovered up above, the ringed dragonflies, each one easily being larger than each child's hand.

“Here! Dragonflies!” Kially stated, leaving Rebecca's hand as he took initiative, rushing straight to the waters edge.

[Smuggler's Run]

"Is that her, Brog?" he asked. The speaker was a very thin man, tall with elongated limbs and thin eyes with slit-like pupils. He almost resembled a snake with arms and legs, for the way he was built. He rubbed his hands together, surveying the scene with the two children, running through the field and towards the stream.

"I think it is, Senim," replied Brog. Unlike his counterpart, this man was a mountain, with hulking shoulders and muscles that wrapped his body. He had a thick neck and big, meaty hands that were probably as large as the child that he would soon be carrying.

"Oh, this'll be so eaaasy... like taking candy from a baby, Brog," Senim said, cackling.

"Except we're not taking the candy. We're taking the baby."

~

Rebecca felt sad and slightly embarrassed as she realized she may have struck a nerve... She realized it might be the same thing as asking one about her mother, whom she had never known. But then, her bubbly demeanor returned when she convinced herself that maybe Kially had meant that he didn't know her daddy. Yes... that must be what he meant.

"Kially, then? Well, a promise is a promise, Kially! My daddy's name is Reed. Although he tells me to tell any grown-ups that talk to me that his name is Liam. But you're only a little older than me, aren't you? How old are you?"

As she asked her question, though, Kially's attention had been turned towards the dragonflies, and he ran towards the creek. Rebecca giggled and followed after him.

"Wait for me, Kially! Watch that you don't fall in!" she said, calling out to him.

~

The sound of a scream pierced the otherwise silent air, and Reed immediately shot awake before the whispering voice in his dream could say any more. "Rebecca!" he cried out, immediately realizing what had happened.

Shit, shit, shit, I'm so fucking stupid. I fell asleep, I wasn't ready, I wasn't watching her, I'm stupid, I'm a fucking idiot. Double gods DAMN IT! his mind screamed as he shoved his things into his messenger bag and began running, without any concern for his own body and the limits that is was being pushed to, over the hill and towards the direction of the scream. It had come from a thicket, and through it, a stream he knew was there, which came from out an underground cavern farther up the way.

~

Rebecca let loose a scream as, admist her playing and jolly time with Kially, a hand suddenly reached around her waist and picked her up. She was hoisted over a large, broad shoulder, and she began flailing and twisting. A deep, gruff voice simply said, "Stop moving and shut up."

A cackle came from another man, who was now inching towards Kially. Rebecca screamed out his name, and then screamed out for her father, before another large hand from the same body clamped her mouth shut.

"Take care of the other pip-squeak, Senim," Brog said as he began walking away with the child in hand. Senim laughed a hysterical, insane little giggle and withdrew several throwing daggers from belts that were laced across his chest. He began to approach Kially with a maniacal grin on his face.

"Hehe... don't... don't be afraid little boy... I just want to play a little," he said menacingly, as he took a step further.

[Kially Gaith]

The whole event had appeared much to fast for Kially to react, his mind now racing with confusion, a scream piercing his playful attitude and freezing him to the spot, powerless to help as he was overwhelmed by the moment, forced to do nothing but watch the girl carried away, a small ‘o’ of mouth and wide eyes following what few steps he could gather in before a scrawny fellow of dark demeanor presented himself before the child.

The male had the genuine advantage until he drew a knife, Kiallys naivety would of had the male in a position of power but the moment the knife was drawn from the strap climbing his torso, Kially tensed.
The skinny fellow opened his arms out wide after distributing a throw knife to each hand, making himself look bigger than he really was, aiming to intimidate and scare the child, though Kially, the emotionless vessel he, simply stared on, eyes flicking to each open spot on the approaching male and final decision was that of the open torso, framed by tall legs and spider like arms.

Kiallys’ right hand slowly ascended up to his left shoulder and a sound of a dull low volume explosion brought into existence a ball of air the size of a tennis ball, the fellow towering above suddenly grew a look of concern as the ball suddenly erupted in a flurry of blue and gold electricity, spiraling round the ball like dying parasites, a decision was made and a powerful lunge at the child came from the male that consisted mainly of skin and bone.

Thrusting forward with his left hand, the bandit opened himself up further though rapidly began to close the few meters distance between himself and the boy, when within half a meter of impact, the child swung his left leg behind his right, making himself a smaller target and then arched his hand out and flattened out his palm, causing the charged ball to fly immediately into the stomach of Senim, who immediately buckled under the pressure to his abdomen, making it difficult to breathe, the static shock from such ball immediately causing his muscles to tense up violently, resulting in both throwing daggers being dropped to the floor in front of Kially where as the bandit carried on past him, gasping for breath as he careful stood himself back up, and turned to face the boy who now looked rather panicked.

Kially had timed his offence well and now looked to see the result, having hoped for an easy incapacitation, which he was disappointed to find was not the case, the male a lot more hardy than he looked, coming from many years of thievery and down right evil thuggery.

Shaking off the pain like a rabid dog, the tall male cracked his neck from left to right and then stared down at the child who was quite possibly faltering in his plans. “Ah see the brat learned ‘im some parlor tricks.” Came a rough angered voice whilst eyes glared the child down with malicious intent, a hand snaking back up to his torso to once again take hold of one of several daggers into his left hand. With the two meter distance between him and the child, it would be quite difficult to accurately throw the dagger at the child and underestimating what the child could pull off would not be a good idea, so this time, he would give the young boy a chance to pull off his little trick, immediately lunging before the boy could even get his hand out.

Kially would then shift his right leg round to be in front of his left, once again making him a small target facing the male who came at him. This time how ever, Kially did not go to throw a compressed ball of energy, but instead flicked out his wrist as the tall one charged, tearing open his right thigh, like a matador, a wind blade edge formed across the bridge of ring, middle and index fingers, the male felt clothing and flesh tear open and quickly slammed into the ground.

However, Kially had over compensated in moment as he’d shifted his foot, only causing him to lose his balance and fall solidly onto the floor which was cussioned by moss and decaying wet leaves, both Kiallys’ legs going from underneath him, leading him to end up lay flat on his back, head pressed into a patch of soft mud, which although taking most of the blow, still ended with Kially being extremely dizzy and disorientated.
The bandit however was fueled with adrenaline and hormonal rage, immediately seeing through his own pain to get up, stumbling and slipping in wet leaves, crawling over to the child like a fool clamoring for dropped food, immediately sitting upon the boys legs, using the childs moment of distraction to finish the job. “You’ll pay for that, you brat.”

His dagger still in his left hand, he pinned down the boys right arm down with his own and lifted the dagger up, readying to plunge it down, stopping only for a moment to savor the boys feared look of defeat, awaiting the dagger to come down whilst he was completely defenseless.

This could well be the end Kially thought, instinctively lifting his left arm to protect not his torso, but his face, closing his eyes tight and covering his face from an attack, even though the on coming attack was in no way aimed for the boys dirty little head.

[Smuggler's Run]

Reed batted the low-hanging branches and such out of his way, heading through the small thicket until he heard the gently trickling water of a stream over the sound of his own boots thudding against the earth. As the clearing came into immediate view, he saw blood on the ground and a man sitting, hunched over a smaller body. Daggers lay strewn everywhere, and the tall, lanky man was getting ready to make the killing blow.

Without even stopping, Reed ran forward and tackled him to the ground, knocking him sideways. His hands balled into tight fists, and he began slugging the side of his victim's face. He asked a question, saying only a word in between every single punch he threw. "Where. Is. Rebecca?!" he bellowed, his voice echoing throughout the area. The man beneath him only groaned, and obviously, that was the wrong answer, because it brought him another hail of blows rained down onto his face.

"Look, fuckface, I'm going to only ask you one more time. Where is my daughter?!"

Through a spray of blood, Senim choked out a sentence. "I'll... I'll tell you. P-please. Please don't kill me," he said.

Reed lightened up his grasp on the assassin, although only very slightly. The bloodied pulp that barely resembled a person spat out between gasping, heaving breaths. "Brog took her... to the... under... the underground... cove. To the north."

The smuggler, unsatisfied, grabbed Senim's hair and pulled his head upwards. He leaned in, leering, "Are you sure?"

"YES! I'm fucking SURE!" he gasped out. With a quick motion, Reed withdrew a dagger from one of the belts on Senim's chest and drove it forward, splitting the man's adam's apple. A very short death rattle meandered on the air before quickly dying out. Getting up from the corpse, Reed turned around to take a good look at the young boy that the thug had been beating up on.

"You... are you okay? What's your name? Were you here with Rebecca? Did you see where they took Rebecca? Tell me! I have to know!" Reed asked, firing questions rapidly without waiting for an answer, taking only a moment to get his breath and allow the child to respond.

[Kially Gaith]

Kially remained laying with his left arm raised above his face, hiding his eyes, head pushed solidly into the soil as he quivered violently, not for his nonexistent fear, but with the will to live, he had escaped death yet again and now breathed heavily on the floor as adrenaline finally coursed through the boy, all to late however for him to really have the advantage he could of required moments ago.

Having witnessed none of the brutal assault of the larger male upon one of the two kidnappers, Kially found himself staring up at the trees, ice blue eyes flickering light off them that glittered through rare gaps within the leaves, all that came to the boy was countless cries of pain mixed in with raged requests ricocheting right round ragged rocks, rustling redwoods and rapid rough respiratory rounds of deep solid chesty breath and violent vicious coughing.

Feeling no urge to get up, aching more than he had expected, a voice broke into his adrenaline fuelled high, leaving him further disoriented, an feeling much like that of sickness taking over his chest as his muscles tightened further, making the boy tense, tight and confused. Was this other male out to kill him too? He’d try to defend could he fight back against the pain, his sudden readiness for death and an overwhelming urge to keep still, following a possum in its’ tricks. Act dead, live another day, his eyes drifted closed.

“That way.” Said the child in weak response all the same, answering only the last question as children often do, completely going against his plans to play dead, caught up all to much in his chemical heightened state. No hand signaled just which ‘that way’ was however, as Kially found it immensely difficult to lift any limb, rather stunned by all of this, not even a first gaze of his savior being grabbed.

[Smuggler's Run]

Reed, acting on paternal impulse, rushed over to the child, having regained himself from the frenzied bloodlust that he'd succumbed to while pommeling the assassin. "Okay, okay... Look, kid. You're safe. You're safe now... I took care of the one that was going to hurt you. Get up... I need you to get up and be strong, okay? Be a big boy. You're tough enough already to have gone through this... here, let me help you," Reed said, coaching the boy as he reached out his arms and tried to stand him on his feet, supporting him under his arms.

"Look at me... I need you to look me in the eye. Tell me your name, and what happened here, and take me to where they took my daughter."

~

Rebecca had stopped sobbing. I have to be strong... Daddy... Father will come for me. He will protect me... I can't cry... I have to be strong for him.

Over and over she chanted in her head, trying to calm herself down and assure her that the scary man whose shoulder she'd been hoisted over would soon be punished, and she would soon be free and rescued. Safe in the arms of her father, and safe back in their home, back behind doors with locks and windows with blinds and a life all to herself.

She realized why she was shielded and why she never was afforded opportunities to meet people, even children her own age. People were scary... there were so many of them that were evil, that were bad... they were mean and with ill intent... Perhaps, she thought to herself, this was her fault in some way... that maybe if she'd not gone off, she'd have been okay.

Realizing that she had caused her father trouble, convincing herself through her circular logic that only a child could have, that it was her fault... Rebecca began to cry again, much to the annoyance and frustration of her kidnapper.

[Kially Gaith]

Remaining with his eyes closed and colours spinning like a kaleidoscope in the black well of his mind, Kially lay silently in a euphoria as he found himself slipping into a gentle hormone and adrenaline induced high, the hand resting over his eyes dropping down to his side lifelessly as his whole body suddenly felt heavy and numb, each of his aching limbs suddenly becoming warm and floppy with light tingles coursing down their lengths, words were coming from somewhere but were blurred and slurred in his ears beyond comprehension, both eyes flicked open, gazing up only to see a more concerned face above him that was not the one of his attacker.
“Am I dead?” He’d question in a very mild meek mannered whisper, syllables caught by a tight throat as the words, so silently spoken, swished sweetly, taken to the sycamores and oaks, not to be heard by humanoid ears, keeping his pride with secret solidarity.

Then, the words broke his high, finding him around ‘big boy’ and continuing as the child’s torso found itself elevated into the air, his legs dangling lifelessly, then placed upon the floor, the feeling of blood rushing through his head and body giving him an immediate gentle headache and something he could not describe physically, a sensation that literates would know as ‘pins and needles’, the nerves responding to a more lifelike blood flow gushing through the lads veins.

Feet meeting floor was odd, he’d fumble with his legs the first few times due to the odd feeling before slowly the tingling would give way to what he knew best, gravity versus muscle strength, the light boy now upon his feet.

Followed came the gentle and slow questions, which although the boy found difficult to comprehend in sequence, he'd manage to formulate very gradual and carefully selected answers out of the common he could muster of his weak vocabulary.

“Kially…That way.” A mucky item lifted from the boys side, pointing out a single digit, the index finger, in the direction where the other kidnapper had taken off with the girl, confirming a northerly direction, as had unknowingly been told to the adult who was now assisting him

[Smuggler's Run]

Reed checked the child, examining him for wounds. Upon finding nothing, the smuggler drew himself back to his full height and grabbed the boy's wrist, attempting to remain gentle despite his frenzied state. "I need you to come with me, Kially. It's dangerous to stay here. My name is Liam, if you need to call out my name for anything," Reed explained, dropping his fisherman pseudonym out of sheer force of habit, despite the fact that there was nothing particularly threatening about this child, and nothing he could probably do against Reed if he knew his true name.

He started moving in the direction the child had indicated, taking him with him as he went. They entered a thicket, and soon, into a small patch of forest that hid the lair where Reed's daughter had been taken to. I knew this was familiar, he thought to himself. This leads to Invurnis Grotto!

A very old smuggler's cave, with an underground stream that lead and emptied out into the valley of Knife's Edge and onto its waterfront. As well, it also had a seperate path inside of it that led to the labyrinthine crypts and sewers beneath the sprawling metropolis. Hang on, Rebecca!

[Kially Gaith]

Kially, although not injured, still ached from head to toe, his frail fragile frame writhing inside whilst the outside only showed that of dirt, caked in mud from when he’d hit the floor. Standing, he once again closed his eyes, about that time, his wrist was grabbed and Kially once again tensed even further, causing him a further surge of pain through already strained muscles, he however, despite the moment of awkwardness that the light restraint brought, did not fight against it, Liam had already shown his well meaning attitude.

Allowing himself to be lead like a blind man, Kially followed in the footsteps of Liam, aching all the while with every step which much hindered his usual quick pace. Kially would hop where necessary, avoiding things that the adult had easily strode over and over the space of 5 minutes of movement, the lads muscles finally started to ease off though it was obvious to the boy that the pain wasn’t really over…All he wanted, through those moments of pain, was sleep, not the well-being of these humans, sleep that would allow him to rest off the pains that troubled the tiny lad.

Eventually, as it had seemed forever, came into view a small entrance and being that he had little choice but to follow, Kially found himself barely a step behind Liam with his wrist still in grasp, dragged along like a silent rag doll, save for weak whimpers as larger aches took him over. "I wanna go home..."

There was no home, no home at all, but the child had convinced himself that he was rather sure he could find a barn to rest in for the night...Oh, the hay! The soft soft piles of hay! How lovely it would be to curl up in them right now, but nooooo, he had to go and get himself into another lovely mess. These humans were truly no good to his health, no good at all!

[Smuggler's Run]

"Look, it's too dangerous to go home right now. You'll be safe with me - this will all be over very soon, Kially. Just be brave for a little bit longer, okay?" Reed said in a soft, gentle voice as soothing as he could muster. Already, anticipation gripped him before he even had sight of his enemy. He could feel his muscles grinding against his bones, tightening as they readied themselves for combat. He was forcing his mind to pierce through the haze of bloodlust and to keep his composure. Regardless of the danger, he knew that he could not make a single mistake - it was outside any possibility he could even consider.

The forest began to rise up as the ground climbed into a hill. A rather steep one, at that, and with this as a reference, an atlas played out in Reed's mind and he knew that they were very close to Invurnis Grotto.

At the beginning of the hill's decline after they'd scaled it, a large cavern opened up in the ground and led into what lay below the earth. The smuggler let go of the child he'd been leading here, and turned to him, kneeling down to look him in the eyes. "Kially... I will be back in several minutes. I need to you to wait here. Absolutely, and I mean absolutely do not move. Do not run away, and do not follow me. I'll be back with Rebecca and we'll go back to Knife's Edge together, okay?"

He reached out to ruffle the boy's hair and gave him a confident smile, before he ran off down the cave, descending into the darkness that welcomed him with the unspoken threats he'd grown accustomed to as a member of the criminal underworld.

~

It was a straight path, albeit one that lasted a bit longer than he'd anticipated. The cave opened up into a large pond that was fed by a stream, as well as feeding itself to another stream. It was here where a long time ago, one of the cartels used this as their headquarters, shipping their goods secretly through the underground river that led to the Knife's Edge waterfront.

On Reed's side of the pond, there was a small dock with a raft in bay. A pile of crates was ready to be loaded, and beside that stack was a large brazier which lit up the entire cavern with its illumination.

He heard soft whimpering, and immediately recognized it as a tone belonging to his daughter. From out the stack of crates, a hulking brute emerged and aimed a crossbow at Reed. A bolt whizzed past him, missing him by the space of a few inches. In return, the smuggler pulled out his own signature crossbows, Oks and Miir, and fired both of their arrows at the kidnapper, whom ducked beneath the safety of the crates which the bolts then promptly struck.

Dropping Oks, Reed pulled out a bolt with which to reload Miir. However, as he fumbled with it, having yet to truly master quickly reloading his bows, he gave up on the time it would take to properly use it again. So, he dropped both the bolt and Miir, and charged forth, crashing into the stack and having them fall over his opponent, whom had looked up in surprise as he was attempting to reload his weapon. Reed struck out with his fist, connecting his blow to the larger man's jaw. He went sprawling backwards a bit, and dropped his bow as well. "It's about time I meet you, Isaac Reed Jericho," he said.

"It's about time you say goodbye," was Reed's reply.

[Kially Gaith]

The boy knew exactly where he was as they moved through countless thickets, bushes and shrubbery, though as they left that of familiar ground, the entrance moved closer and his personal forest ready positioning system gifted to him by his mother deep inside his brain decided to shut down, a hill was not a forest and a cave does not have enough trees to constitute even a small wood of any variety.

Standing silently, Liam had let go of his wrist which he immediately began to rub as if it had in some way been violated, desecrated or in some other way painfully damaged, however, it was more the unfamiliarity of such event that lead to the boy examining the limb, finding no pain nor aches in such place, but instead, dirty red skin surrounded by mud cake pale white, the outline of a large hand about thin wrist and what was more, the lad was left confused as what to think of the whole interaction, he’d seen adults do something similar to children before, holding their hand whilst walking down the street, it had always looked so pleasant and peaceful, this however, was not, more forced and rushed, a mental note would be taken that perhaps that child/adult interaction he’d observed many times before was not as well meaning as he thought.

However, it was sooner than later within his musings that a hand swept into his unbrushed mane of tangled dirt filled hair in a very gentle and non-malicious manner, making the boy pull his head a little into his shirt, nervous and unsecure in the mish mash of the adults choices.

Before Kially could give response to the orders of Liam, listening intently to his words, awaiting a moment to intervene with his own opinions and thoughts, Liam had rushed off on ahead, leaving the child surprised and alone, which, in actual fact, suited Kially down to the ground.

Kially would examine the given situation set out before him, Reed had gained a 3 minute or so head start whilst Kially surveyed his options. Go ‘home’ and get some rest, or just see exactly how this event would turn out. Be it the curious nature of the boy, a naïve lack of fear or just a whole lack of emotion piled with a need to know, the latter option got the better of him, a soft face peeking into the cave entrance as he took a single curious and careful step, disobedience of Liams’ words immediately coming into play, thought the boy knew no better.

Left hand, resting gently by his side, gave a quick flick and into such came a ball of air with a mysterious and otherworldly quiet pop and as the boy continued, the ball began to gather light, illuminating his path which consisted primarily of very careful and eased steps, he was in actual fact still aching and quick movement, despite his knowledge otherwise, called itself out as a sure-fire way to make it hurt more, in the distance, shouts and bellowing came forth in eviscerated echoes, pained grunts and cliché words that the boy was all to familiar to, his many days with Luc Kraus seeing that the vocal efforts of humans were always of various tones, variety and almost always proceeded or acceded violence.

Stepping into the larger cavern, Kially noticed on the floor, two weapons and in the near distance, two familiar faces bustling out their problems with utmost vigor and currently found attention nor knowledge in either the child’s arrival or disobedience.
Kially recognized the structure of the weapon and thought of how Liam had saved the boys life, this perhaps, in his own strange way, could be his thanks.

Soft footfall eased tired steps to the crossbows where he’d kneel down and collect both, one would be flung up into the air, suddenly becoming blurry and slipping down into a hole that opened up in the air whilst the other was examined, sitting himself upon the floor as he gazed over the structure and just how to use it.
Near it, was what looked like a sharpened stick, small and made of steel, surely a part to this odd contraption and for a good while, whilst he had the distance, he’d fiddle and toy about with it, trying to find where this bolt would slot in, first trying it in the trigger hole with no luck, then spike point aiming at the ceiling resting atop the string and finally back of the circular item pressed against the string, such string feeding gently into a little notch grooved into the back of the bolt. Now, how to fire it?
Taking aim, Kially lifted up the crossbow, and gazed through the cross hair, his finger eased onto the trigger and with a sudden moment and tug of his finger, he gasped, suddenly expecting the bolt to take flight at the pair, but instead, the bolt, which had not actually been loaded took the momentum of the boys jerk upon attempt of firing and carried itself to the floor with a chink of metal upon rock.

Grabbing the bolt back up again with a frown, the lad gave consideration that he actually needed to move the string back as to load the item, so, setting the bolt down for a moment, he began trying to pull the string back with all his might, easing it back ever so slowly, his utmost lack of power making the task immensely difficult, nigh impossible, for the boy.

[Smuggler's Run]

The kidnapper charged forward, taking a swing at Reed. Ducking, and using his slimmer, more agile build, he moved to the side of the larger man and placed a well-aimed punch to the side of his jaw. The brute staggered to the side, recoiling and bringing his own massive arm crashing forward. Reed covered the side of his face with his forearm, absorbing most of the blow. Using the momentum from the punch he'd received, he moved more to the side again, sweeping low with a kick and bringing out his enemy's leg with a swift blow.

However, as the bastard hit the floor, Reed saw someone... he saw Kially at the entrance from which he himself had come from. The boy was tinkering with one of his crossbows, and immediately, he realized the gravity of the situation. "Damnit, Kially!" he shouted. "What are you doing?!"

However, in that single moment, Brog had gotten to his feet and had made for an attempt to tackle Reed. Taken by surprise, the smuggler fell to the ground and waves of pommeling fists started to barrage his face.

Elsewhere, tied up in the raft sitting idly by the small dock at the pond, Rebecca screamed out, "Daddy! Kially! I'm here! Over here!" She hoped to catch their attention, she hoped to alert them that she was okay. She was taken aback by the presence of Kially, or atleast, her father's mention of his name, which led to her assumption that he was, in fact, in attendance, which was a notion that calmed her a great deal, especially coupled with the valiance of her father, which she had been counting on this whole time.

[Kially Gaith]

Ever still, throughout the commotion, Kially continued his attempt to load the cross bow, the bolt in his right hand, his left trying with all his failing will to pull back the string, which so far, had shifted approximately two inches and became ever tighter and more difficult to pull when out from the distance came a voice shouting his name.

Small head lifted in immediate surprise causing the string to slip from his grip and rapidly twang back into rested straight position, cutting down the edge of his left hand middle finger as he did so, causing a thin 2cm long paper cut like gash to appear upon the tip of his finger, resulting in the boy bringing the dirty hand immediately up to his mouth with a loud audible hiss as he took a large breath of air through his teeth, obviously pained by the pathetic injury

Pale lips pulsated about the finger, suckling furiously as blood continued to pump out at a very slow controlled pace, his right hand still gripped tightly about the bolt, whilst, through his pain, he watched into the distance, Liam was taking a nasty beating and bouncing from the walls amongst the violence came yet another voice he recognized, though this one was both sweet and innocent, revealing to the boy the position of the little girl he had briefly met earlier.

Grabbing the crossbow in his left hand, Kially hopped up to his feet and made a run towards Rebecca, the run was strenuous and painful given his aching limbs from earlier and thus he was a lot slower than usual, but his balance was still good, the soil dirt in the cave was rather dry, giving him decent footing until getting closer to the waters edge where Rebecca sat in the middle of a raft, a near fall, resulting in him stumbling, though catching himself before he could fall, causing a more careful and slow pace towards the raft as he climbed aboard, a good 7 meters or so out of range, hopefully, the duo having not noticed the majority of his movement due to the cover of boxes and palettes.

Getting closer to Rebecca, Kially threw the second crossbow up into the air with his left hand, where the air quickly gobbled it up like it had the last, a small void catching it and devouring it from sight to later be recalled at the boys will.

“I’m here. Still please.” The lack of ‘stay’ was all to obvious though was a word which Kially did not completely know the meaning of such, as the boy moved over to the girl, kneeling down onto one knee as he passed the crossbow bolt from his right hand to his left, using his good hand to lower his little finger, charging the rest with an extremely sharp wind forged edge, tearing into the thin rope that bound the girl, sawing at it slowly with careful and dedicated movement until each rope that bound her failed in its’ job, giving way to the victory of freedom. Rebecca was now completely mobile again and Kially hopped back up to his feet, regretting the fast movement of such as an ache ran his whole frame, reminding him that very quick movements, regardless of how or why, were only going to pain him further.

[Smuggler's Run]

Rebecca's face brightened up as the worry melted away from her conscience. Kially flooded her field of vision, and with an awkwardly phrased command, he stilled her and cut her free from the bindings which constricted her. Rubbing her wrists to soothe the pain from rope digging into her, she slowly found her balance and stepped up out of the raft, screaming for a brief moment before covering her mouth. She saw her father pinned beneath the massive Neanderthal who had kidnapped her.

"Help him, Kially! Do something!!" she yelled as coherently as her fear would let her. She knew her daddy wouldn't lose - he couldn't! Yet a million thoughts, all negative, all weighing on the dim side of hopelessness, rushed through her and took hold of her mind.

However, Reed was not quite content to submit to Brog's abuse. For the brief moment that his daughter had let out her shrill cry, it had caught the kidnapper's attention for a split second - a fraction of time that the smuggler took advantage of. Curling his fists again, he started to fight back, hitting Brog a few times in the face, catching him by surprise once more. Despite his retaliation, it was not enough to knock the brute off his body, and aside from his arms being free, he was completely held down by the weight of his opponent.

Wrestling with him, trying to keep his arms from cocking back enough for more punches, and fighting a losing match of grappling, Reed attempted to sway his enemy from his position over him, but to no avail.

"Amen," said Brog, a bloodthirsty grin crossing his face. He pulled back his arm, like an executioner would lift up his axe, ready to aim a lights-out blow to Reed's temple.

[Kially Gaith]

A solitary groan crawled from the boy, dropping into silence where it gladly shrivelled up and died.
Hopping off the floating platform and to the inner-cave bank, he threw the bolt from hand to hand like one would a ball, before deciding the bolt should stay in his right hand.

This was going to hurt…A lot, and just why he was going to do it, he honestly didn’t know.

With a clench of teeth, Kially allowed his body to prepare itself for a great deal of pain, dashing, full pace, against aches and throbs of a rejecting body, directly towards the hulking Brog that was raining a world of hurt down upon poor Liam, it did not take the speedy little boy long to close the distance, his right hand charging the crossbow bolt with a sharp penetrating wind blade and his left charging with a solid ball of air which during mid-run erupted into a fiery ball of hell, no bigger than a tennis ball, and now, running at around 17 miles per hour, Kially made a leap of faith towards Brog, his right hand arching down, his left swinging across at head height and his right knee aiming for the small of the hunk of muscles back whilst he was distracted with attempting to kill the poor father below his giant fists.

Firstly, the small boys knee impacted the right hand side of the towers back, with gained momentum from the child’s speed plus the dive, resulting in the male arcing forward a little, thus as the crossbow bolt came down, it easily embedded itself in his right shoulder blade, grinding bone and tearing muscle and flesh, a loud boom giving away impact of the fireball solidly slammed into the upper back left crown of the fellow, who by now, was bawling in utmost pain, standing up from his offensive to deal with the small thing that had led such a surprising attack upon him.

Kially, at the sudden roar of pain by the huge bulk of strength, found himself latching onto the throat of the human with both arms, clinging on for dear life as he panicked.
In a pained rush, the brute began to swing his torso like an alligator gripping and attempting to sever an arm, slowly feeling his oxygen supply being cut off by the boy, making him swing even harder until success, the boy was pried loose, but much to his misfortune, the child had once again blade edged his fingers, sliding them across the fellows throat with his left hand whilst his right tore down his back as he was flung clean to the floor, scuffing his own back and elbows as he tumbled along the floor, scraped away skin, torn shirt and ripped pants giving way to dots of blood and blackened cuts.

The apparent death of Brog was only made clear as gasps for air were sounded through coughs and spluttering as he began to choke on his own blood, wrists tightly packed about his throat as blood seeped through the gaps, down his torso and into his clothing, dyeing them a deep crimson. Death was inevitable, yet still, he held on to his last moments of life, not risking a word lest he make his death quicker.

[Smuggler's Run]

Reed cried out in surprise as Brog was knocked from his advantageous point, hovering over him. The behemoth man gave way to the assault hailed upon him by the young boy whom the smuggler had rescued, and who had subsequently disobeyed his order to remain put outside of the Invurnis Grotto.

Slowly rising to his feet, Reed took a long moment to catch his breath, wiping the blood from his face with his sleeve. He looked down at Brog, gasping and choking on his own breath as he slowly gave way to the cold darkness that lay just over the steep hill of death. As an act of mercy, or maybe an act of vengeance, the smuggler lifted his boot and let it down with a harsh crunch, crushing the kidnapper's throat and ending his life before a final death rattle could escape his esophagus.

Rebecca slowly inched towards her father, standing beside Kially as she approached the scene. Reed turned around to look the children over, his eyes on the young boy in particular with a bit of disbelief. "By the Thanes," he muttered. "What was that?"

Shaking his head, he turned back to Brog and met the ground with his knees. He leaned over the corpse and began to go through the pockets, before finding a talah and an ankh.

I see... so he was a religious fanatic. Then... why would those two know me? What were their aims in all of this? What the fuck could they possibly hope to achieve? Reed thought to himself. Thumbing open to the back of the cover, he found, in pen a handwritten signature that said, 'Property of the St. Denebriel's Cathedral Library."

Stuffing both of these two pieces of evidence into the folds of his inner jacket pockets, Reed freed up his hands and turned to look at the children. "Okay. We'll need to get out of here, very, very quickly, but first... where did my crossbows go?"

[Kially Gaith]

Sitting with his bottom firmly framed by his ankle, Kially looked up at Liam with a blank expression, his face devoid of emotion as his heart beat continued to rush and his body proceeded to ache, throbbing with each heartbeat that pushed blood through the veins surrounding his tense muscles and as the brute finally fell silent, Kially began to pant from exhaustion, he was extremely tired to say the least, offensives on not one but two assailants that he had no knowledge of had truly worn the boy down.

With Liam standing above him, Kially nurses his wounds by licking his right hands index finger, pressing it to a bloody tear at his knee where the skin had scraped away and left a neat cut opened by small stones upon the ground, body meeting solid floor with the aid of gravity making good to see that the boy would not be running again for at least 4 days whilst the mild cut healed. An adult could shrug it off, but the pain reminded Kially all to well that he was not human, nor was he as aged or experienced in either body or mind.

Naively, Kially had not expected any question regarding the crossbows, but then again, he hadn’t expected any questions at all related to what had just happened. His mind was racing with all the possible outcomes and his body was protesting that the boy not do anything so stupid or reckless again.

Alas though, Kially gathered in a breath, which was difficult given his throat being tight and dry, accommodating the lad into the silence that was now existent, and then, with such breath and a tired mind, he spoke out in his native tongue, just where the crossbows were.
“Anpu erpugf uvre. Fpunhra Fvr.”

With such words came a slow raising of his right hand where all but his index and middle finger gathered into a gentle fist, the two remaining fingers tapping at first one, then a second spot above his person, soon, two hazy blurs much like mist forming, where, three seconds later, both crossbows dropped out of thin air, one landing in his spare left hand whilst the one on the right was missed, his reactions out of whack due to his exhaustion, the contraption clambering against the floor, bouncing a little before coming to a silent halt upon stone.

Translation: “Right here. Look.”

[Smuggler's Run]

Although he didn't understand the words which Kially spoke, nor even of the language from which they originiated, Reed found that he had no time to dwell on the oddity of the boy's native tongue and inability to speak proper Common. So, too, was he deeply curious of the amazing feat which the child has just accomplished - with no explanation or visible magic, he summoned the smuggler's weapons out of thin air, dropping them to the ground. Although he'd seen strange things, and he knew that queer things could happen beyond any expectation of a mundane, magic-less man, he couldn't find any reason that a child so young could have any sort of power.

Not taking the time to think about it, however, Reed scooped up his bows and slipped them in their holsters underneath his jacket. Looking around, he made sure that there was nobody else lurking in the shadows, waiting for their accomplice to hit the floor before deciding that it was easy enough to prey upon the victims like vultures. After his weapons were secure, the concerned, enraged father took both his child and her acquaintance by the hands and led them to them to the raft, where he urged both of them in.

As they were all settled into the small vessel, which accommodated all three of them adequately, Reed pushed off and they began to sail down the river. Behind them, the open cavern gave way and in front of them, the path became a narrow channel, surrounded by the walls of rock and stone.

Without warning, however, Reed gathered Rebecca into his arms, and the boat tilted a small bit before steadying out. Into her curls, he shed a few tears, which the young girl immediately recognized as her own cue that this moment of weakness would be allowed to be reciprocated. She, in turn, began to bawl into the darkness of her father's embrace. Whispering softly, the smuggler told his child, "I'll never let this happen, ever again. I'm so sorry, honey. I'm so very sorry... I failed already... It'll never happen again, I promise you."

She wanted to tell her father that it was okay, and that she was okay, and that everything was going to be fine, and Reed somehow knew that she was yearning to say those things. It seemed fantastically ironic, at that moment, to think that in both their minds, the child was the one who was comforting the parent.

I will never fail you again, he promised, inwardly. In a way, it was not an oath to only his daughter, but his wife, who he was sure was watching over them, even now.

[Kially Gaith]

Being helped up to his feet was not a comfortable experience, involving the child actually whimpering once or twice in response to sharp pains as they coursed through him. “Owwyyyy…”
The short walk to the raft consisted of the lad limping, his legs tired, dirty, bloodied, bruised, aching. cut and although bad, looked much worse than they actually were though that didn’t change a thing for the boy who had not actually seen the mess he was in just yet, more occupied with the pain that completely disabled him from any form of pure human effort.

Being dragged along wasn’t so bad, it made the pains that did attack him fast and sharp, though had he moved himself, his steps would have been much slower and much more drawn out, more the likely causing him more dull discomfort overall.

The raft seemed bigger than he remembered, but he honestly couldn’t say he’d put much thought into the raft during the time that he had rushed to the aid of Liam, only to mutilate his own limbs on impact with the floor, but now, with him finally on it, the item was rather expansive, at least 4 meters wide by a length he couldn’t quite determine visually, his senses impaired by the onset of a throbbing stress induced headache, his low resistance to pain getting the better of him, making his him collapse down once again onto his buttocks, legs splayed out in front of him as the emotional scene opened out before him.

What was it that made him charge to the aid of these humans? What was it that drove him to attack one to save the life of another? Was it what these people called love? Was it just an impulse based on a lust for excitement? His cascading thoughts did not help, making his headache all the worse, throbbing with each soft slow beat of the tiny child’s heart, suddenly making him both dizzy and nauseous. Eyes slipped closed and he’d just let his natural bodily processes take over and listen to the water moving quietly beneath him, intermittently broken by gentle sobs and sniffles from two very obviously shocked and distraught humans.
Best not say a word, he decided was best, letting his ears attempt to focus on the sound of one of few things he could relate to.

[Smuggler's Run]

The raft floated on without any inhibition, and the path was straight and narrow. The darkness of what was seeming to be an endless cave started to give way to a light at the very far end of the tunnel. "We'll be at the waterfront, soon," Reed noted. He took in a deep breath, attempting to clear his mind for anything that might be waiting for them. For all he knew, there may be more colleagues, patiently expecting the arrival of the two dead kidnappers and their query.

Looking over at the young boy whom he had rescued, and who in turn had rescued him, Reed began to speak. "Kially... I'm not going to talk about what happened back there, and ask for an explanation of any kind. I just want to thank you for your help... thank you, so very, very much. I hope I can return the favor to you and your parents," he explained, although as he was about to continue, Rebecca whispered in his ear.

"I don't think he's got a father. He didn't know what one was," she said, in a very hushed and serious manner.

"The least I can do," Reed said, trying to recover from his careless social blunder, "is take you to your home. Can you tell me where that is, Kially?"

[Kially Gaith]

A soft blink of ice blue eyes as they opened, piercing straight into Liams, head tilted softly on side as he spoke a response that held no sorrow or remorse as if the words he spoke came with no meaning. “Don’t have one.” The fact that the boy was mucky and in bad shape from head to toe may have given such away, but much had happened in the last few minutes that he could easily have been entered in such a condition by combat results alone.

Looking out into the water and the town beyond, Kially found himself watching the fluid intently as it slowly ripped in occasion with the raft that swayed softly in the pull of the water, drifting left to right slowly as currents pulled it along without difficulty.

“I know a barn. Corone” The exact terminology of his common sentences was weak, his word coupling awkward and his syllables forced, making the boy sound uneducated and thus were his words, speaking of his only place of solid residence, an abandoned and broken down barn 7 miles outside of Radasanth.

A small hand trailed down into the water, allowing it to flow between the gaps in his fingers, soothing the boy both in body and mind at the same time, draining away from his thoughts of pain and aches that troubled him to no end, slowly but surely, the boy finally began to relax.

[Smuggler's Run]

Immediately upon Kially finishing his statement, a pang of unease shot through every inch of Reed's core. His daughter gripped him tightly, and a million thoughts coursed through his head as he tried to think of a solution. Corone? He's a long, long way from home, he thought to himself. What would he do? He couldn't possibly leave this child alone, nor could he take him there any time soon... maybe not ever, he reflected. He had said he had no home... no father... maybe not a mother?

An orphan, then... met upon by chance, and caught up in this mess. It had occurred to Reed that perhaps this boy may have been some sort of spy, or something of that sort. After all, it was by absolute and suspicious coincidence, it seemed, that he had met Rebecca, and not moments after, the whole chain of events had in turn begun to play out. But that's bullshit, the smuggler said in his own head, scolding himself. He's not even ten. And even so, he helped both of us out back there... without his aid... That's an impossible thought.

With that conclusion reached, he made a vow to abolish such foolish suspicion. "Kially... I know you might be very frightened after what has happened today, but I assure you that you can trust me... I'd like for you to come to my home and stay a while with Rebecca and me until we figure out what we should do."

"You mean it Daddy?" Rebecca burst out, looking up into her father's solemn, worried eyes that were etched over with years of hardship, sleepless nights, and violence. She reprimanded herself internally for addressing her father so informally, but she knew that he didn't have the heart to command her manners. They were all tired and worn out from this afternoon, and this one moment of absolute, unguarded affection was allowed and... perhaps even welcome.

"Yes, honey... but it's up to Kially," he said, looking at the ragtag youth and spreading a smile across his face, holding out his hand to him.

[Kially Gaith]

“Home…? …Stay?” Kiallys’ brief solitude was quickly broken by Liam’s words, leaving him both baffled and confused as his brow furrowed, his face strangely contoured with very weak lines upon his face as he looked over the sincerity of this human who sat before him with an offer that he had never yet come upon. An offer that found the lad in both an awkward and devious position.
Before him sat an offer, a sincere male and a child clamouring for his company. This left the boy contemplating just what he should do.

“I…I…” Fighting with his mind, he argued with his vocabulary just what words fit next, ones that would convey indecisiveness, an unready body and mind, the very first words that came into the vocal possibilities slipped from his lips like a fish covered in soap. “…Would like that.” Came the mistake, immediately slapping himself mentally as the error could not be correct so easily nor did his vocabulary hold such words to fix the given error. He’d really gone an’ done it now.

Paling off, Kially sat, now aching all over again as he argued with himself internally in his own language, shouting and screaming at his brain which spoke nothing in return of the boys unwilling and accidental decision. He could of said a multitude of words from ‘Don’t know’ all the way to ‘Cannot’, but noooo, he had to speak with the first Gaia damned words that graced him, the simple complexities of being a child were annoying at best.

[Smuggler's Run]

Reed smiled and Rebecca let out a giggle of pleasant surprise, and she reached out to hug Kially. "We'll be there in no time. Just make sure to follow me close when we make it to the dock, and don't talk to anyone or stop for anything, alright, you two?" His daughter immediately nodded her approval, and the smuggler focused his attention into directing their way home.

As they entered into the waterways of the city of Knife's Edge, Reed attempted to steer the raft in the direction of Gellerwash's Fishery. Overhead, spires sprung up around them and the small vessel was engulfed in the cityscape. Everything was tall, sky-reaching and yawning buildings, all brick and stone and mortar. Smokestacks of factories were in the distance over the horizon of the tops of structures, and the sound of hustling, bustling people echoed through the walls. Overhead, the gray-cast sky calmly sat still, awaiting to reach fruition and rain its tears down upon the people living below, them being so negligent of its attitude.

Before long, the familiar walls of the fishery enveloped their vision, and the raft rested against a small dock at the very far left of the building. It was a large warehouse of sorts, with palettes and crates stacked high around. Rows of moving racks hung on wires, suspended from the ceiling and walls. Fish were hooked and hung everywhere, on display and ready to be dealt with in the gruesome manner that all those fated to be meat would eventually find.

The trio emerged from the boat, and Reed led the two children by hand as he helped them out. He led them up a ramp that led to the main floor of the warehouse, where some of the fishing crew still remained this evening, finishing out their work and completing the last of their haul. They looked at Reed, all half a dozen of them at once and they all, in unison, gave a slight nod.

In an accent that he'd yet to use in front of Kially, and one that Rebecca knew not to question, he addressed them, "Howdy, ya'll. Just back from takin' the lass and her li'l friend here on a trip o'er the river. We're headin' on home, now. Tell the Cap'n I'll be needin' ta speak with 'im tamarra."

One of them grunted in approval and they all returned to their work. In truth, this whole warehouse, and the business of Gellerwash's Fishery was simply a front for Reed's operations. Not a single one of those men weren't criminals, and the captain himself answered to the authority of Isaac Reed Jericho. Liam Lorian was simply a personality invented to stave off suspicion, and make an innocent persona for him to adopt when the time required one.

As far as anyone was concerned, Reed and Rebecca Jericho didn't exist. All that was left in the world of their existences were tombstones and the long-since scattered ashes of the house they lived in with Jasmine, Reed's wife and Rebecca's mother.

Taking their way to the streets, the group began to move through the winding blocks of Knife's Edge, making their way through the crowds as quickly, but inconspicuously as they could. However, the way to the apartment was not far, and soon, they were entering the building before much attention could be given to any of them, as ragged and worn out as they looked (which, somehow, was not out of place in this industrious city.)

As Reed led them to the floor in which their apartment lay, he fumbled around in his pockets for the keys. As he pulled them out, put them in the lock, turned the key, and opened the door, his eyes looked Kially over, taking in a complete analysis of everything that he seemed to be. "Welcome home," he announced, ushering them into the apartment.

[Kially Gaith]

The walls and smells of the city greeted Kially well as did the idea that maybe he could find a doorway to snuggle up in and get some rest, but wait…Nope, that wasn’t happening just yet, he’d got himself into a little mess that he could not yet find a way out of.
Slowly but surely, as the raft finally docked, Kially went even paler than he had ever before, immediately sick to the stomach as death panned out before him, almost froze to the spot as he observed more dead fish than he’d ever seen in his lifetime, never having been at such a morbid place.

A soft whisper etched out from the boys lips as he looked on in horror, not helping the situation at all, the whisper carrying to no one in particular. “Jrypure Tenhfnzxrvg...Vuer Yrhgr jvexyvpu xrvar Teramra xraara…”

But alas, soon enough, the boy found himself ushered away from both the smell and sight that broke him a little more deep inside, his solid resolve showing cracks as these humanoid races built up the beginnings of emotions in the boy, the first being hatred.

Kially was very much glad to be away from the fish mongers and their hateful job of murder, even if such brought him into polluted city air that did not hold the gentle and soft fragrance that nature originally intended.

Through countless streets that were unfamiliar to the boy, he limped with aching footsteps, following the lead of ‘Liam’, until the pacing slowed, presenting the trio before a door which Liam held open.
Kially immediately began to have second and even third thoughts, as one foot uneasily plodded down past the frame of the door, revealing to him the interior of the building.

No going back now…

Translation: “What cruelty…Your people truly know no bounds…”

[Smuggler's Run]

Reed swiftly moved into his abode and looked around, searching for traces of anyone who might have entered the home while he was away. His quest, however, yielded no results, and he was content to think that his secrecy was still protecting them. It still made little sense, however, that the 'holy' assassin had known his true name - had addressed him so casually, and so knowing. It wasn't anyone he'd wronged during his criminal career - he was sure of that. As far as anyone outside of the black market was concerned, Isaac Reed Jericho was long dead.

The parlor was the largest room in the house, second only to Rebecca's room. Reed had sacrificed space for himself, giving his daughter a more comfortable quarter of the house. The living room held a sofa and a chair, a table between them, with schoolbooks, tablets, and pens stacked neatly on it. In between that sofa and chair, built into the wall, was a small fireplace with some logs set in. It hadn't been used recently, as winter had since passed, although with the fall rapidly approaching, it might have to be fired up, with the understanding that the temperature would drop with the leaves.

To the side was a small alcove which served as a kitchen, holding a cupboard full of things and a smaller pantry-sized room. It was equipped with a stove and an indoor water spout. It also had one of the only windows in the entire apartment - a small little circular gateway that looked out into the city.

The other two windows were in Reed and Rebecca's rooms respectively. The father's quarters were a bit small, with only a bed, a nightstand with an oil lamp, and a desk with a chair, and a dresser. Scattered on the desk were documents and maps and papers of all sorts, with an ink well, some quills, and a case of pens sitting on top of them. The daughter's on the other hand, had a large window with colorful curtains draping over it, and a bed that was a bit larger than Reed's. She had a chest filled with some of her dolls, her personal books, of which she had yet to truly read, and other affiliated things. She also had two large dressers full of all sorts of clothes, as being dressed up and looking pretty was one of her more favorite things to do. She also had a desk of her own, although it only had a brush, hairpins, and a large mirror upon it.

Upon entering this cozy abode, Reed's paternal instincts kicked in and he found himself filling the pot with water and putting some wood in the stove. He took out his lighter and flicked it open, taking a bit of thin tinder-wood and lighting it ablaze. After he was satisfied with the beginnings of the cooking process, he took both of the children by the hand. "Okay, now. I'm going to go get the washtub ready. Kially, we'll need to especially clean you and your wounds... those look nasty, kid. Both of you, go get some buckets and fill them with water, okay?"

After giving his order, he went into the washroom and pulled out a large, oblong iron-alloy tub, some cloths, and some soap. Before he turned and made sure his daughter and guest were set to their tasks, he pulled out his crossbows and examined him. By the Sway, that boy is something extraordinary, he thought to himself. He noticed that the string on Miir was offset and had been tampered with, so he allowed himself a moment to prepare and reload his weapons before stuffing them back into their holsters.

Despite the relative peace of the moment, and the normality that the current events held, he would give himself no respite. He had to be on guard, in case anything happened this night, or the next, or any time soon... His mind was on fire with plans and contingencies and ideas, making sure no leaf was left unturned - someone, somewhere was making moves against him, and they should know soon that they would incur the wrath of not a criminal, a smuggler, or even a violent thug, but instead, they'd suffer the ire of a very pissed off father.

Rebecca, on the other hand, was smiling and giggling as she grabbed two buckets and handed them to Kially, and then getting two more for herself. "C'mon! We gotta take a bath. This'll be fun!" she said as she turned on the water spigot and filled up her buckets.

[Kially Gaith]

A whimper, clean and simple, of a child being told to do something he did not desire, in this account, filling buckets for a purpose he was unaware of. This ‘bath’ that was spoke of, honestly held no ground for the boy who was far to tired to really want to do any activity, let along lug buckets back and forth to fill up this odd over sized bowl.

Either way, finding himself in the position of a true and tested child, he gave in, his resolve was worn and arguing back seemed like a fruitless idea that could end in trouble and Kially was still unable to differentiate between paternal trouble and criminal trouble, where one was illegal, the other just immoral.

Taking two buckets, Kially slowly followed Rebecca’s lead, filling up the metal contraptions until they were full then moved as to replicate the actions of the young girl, pouring the lukewarm water into the bath with extremely uncomfortable heaves of tired little arms mixed in with grunts of strain.

It took quite a while for the two children boasting buckets backwards and forwards but with their puny strengths combined, the bath eventually came up half way. Kially returned into the bathroom as Rebecca emptied two of her own buckets in, then announcing that the chore was done. “That’s enough now Kially! I’ll get Daddy!” And with such said and done, she ran off to fetch Reed whilst Kially poured both of his buckets in for good measure, couldn’t harm to have more, he thought, emptying them with a heave, slowly letting each bucket drain of it's contents, Kially more than happy to watch such and it's resulting consequences on the liquid below.

Kially soon found himself leaning over the edge of the bath, dipping his hand in and spinning a single finger in little infinity symbols, enjoying both the warmth of the water and the effect he had upon it, completely mesmerized by its’ movement in the tub, ripples moving to solid steel and then dissipating almost immediately after having been created.

[Smuggler's Run]

Reed took out a small block of cheese and a sealed bowl of noodles, and set them aside on the counter. He looked over the pot of boiling water, and decided that it had grown hot enough, with bubbles forming as steam rose off of it. Carefully grasping it and picking it up, he set it on a steel plate that was on the counter and unsealed the bowl. He poured in the noodles and allowed the hot water to do its work. Then, he felt a tug at his leg, which he found to be his daughter.

"The bath is ready, then?" he inquired, to which she curtly nodded. He followed her to the washroom. He looked and saw the bath as full as it needed to be, and took the bar of soap. He put his hands into the water and began to scrub his arms off, cleaning himself up a slight bit. There'd be more time for him to take his own bath later tonight, when he'd put these two to bed. For now, he lathered up his arms and dipped them in the washing basin. In doing so, he also bubbled up the water and created a layer of thick bubbles and soapy discharge that floated carelessly on the surface.

"Alright, honey. The bath's all ready, then," he said, turning to his child. She squealed with joy at the bubbles, thinking it'd been a while since she had a bath like this. Reed turned her around and began to undo the laces on her red and brown dress, helping her slip out of it. He took off her leggings as well and picked her up under her arms and set her in the water. He reached out, instinctively, to begin helping Kially undress. "Alright, buck, it's your turn," he said. "Let's get you two scrubbed up, nice and clean, okay?"

[Kially Gaith]

Kially watched as bubbles began to fill the bath with their strange shape, this amount of bubbles being completely new to the boy, as usual the day filled with bright exciting experiences and for once, Kiallys’ childish nature shone through, a little pique of lips as eyes flashed over the bubbles that were soon disturbed by the young naked girl being placed within. Such happening brought the boy no embarrassment for you can not embarrass those who do not know humility, causing Kially to only watch in silence until Liam turned to him with his open arms.
One blink, then a second, both in innocence as he moved to Reed, looking him right in the eyes and for that very second, felt warm inside, something was just ‘right’, something that he could not place a finger upon. Maybe this day wouldn’t turn out so bad after all.

Standing before Liam, Kially silently lifted his arms, imitating the action of the child whom had been prepared before him, even if his shirt was button-up and not slip-off, it seemed the right thing to do, as per copying the one who knew best what baths were.

“Please, Mr. Liam…What is scrubbed?” He finally questioned, asking out loud what had been niggling at him the moment the word had come up, one of many verbs that had not yet entered the boys short vocabulary, sending him across as an uneducated street urchin, albeit, with manners.

If and when the shirt was finally removed, Liam would find the boys torso to be completely covered in tiny scratches and scars from living in the wild, a silver leaf pendant dangling from a leather chain, meeting at his scarred upper chest, yet somehow his face had kept perfectly unmarred, bones shone through skin which, despite looking worse for ware, was actually rather healthy. He was definitely underweight, but other than things like natural resistance’s, he hadn’t actually fared all that bad and he obviously wasn’t skinny to the point of bad health, he ate every now and then when he felt like it, eating from yet another amazing aspect of the boy he was still to introduce the parent/child combo to.

On his arms were probably the most surprising items, two steel alloy bracers that reached up just under his elbows, inlined with many scraps of fabric crudely sewn in, cloth wrapped strips of thin steel used as clasps to keep the items firmly against his arms with belt like buckles to reinforce their grip upon the boy.

[Smuggler's Run]

Reed chuckled as Kially posed an innocently ignorant question, and he shook his head. "Well, you're about to find out," he said cheerfully. However, as he helped the young boy out of his clothes, he was taken aback by the small scars and cuts that littered his body, as well as the bracers on his forearms. Just what manner of child are you? he asked the boy within the silence of his mind.

He reached out and began undoing the buckles on the clasps, being somewhat familiar with armor, although he rarely used any himself, despite the dangers of his profession. "Son, you may call me Reed, or address me as simply sir. Being so formal is out of place. And I'm sorry, but before, what I told you was not my real name. It's not Liam, it is, in fact, Reed. However, in public, or any time we are not in this home, you will refer to me as Liam, if you must call me by name," he said, lightly reprimanding the boy for his social awkwardness.

He picked Kially up in the same manner as he had Rebecca, and deposited him in the bath. He took out one of the wash-cloths and lathered it up with soap. I wonder what sort of child has magic... has scars... yet no family, and has very little grasp of common, or even social etiquette? he pondered while he prepared to wash the children.

Before long, he was scrubbing dirt off of his daughter, and checking over some of the wounds that Kially had received, lightly going over them with the soaped-up cloth. He cupped some what in his hands and poured it over their heads, wetting their hair. He took some of the lather from the surface and massaged each of their scalps with it, thoroughly washing the grit and the grease from their manes.

"This is scrubbing," he said, explaining with the gesture of rubbing the boy down with the cloth, not quite rough, but enough to scrape off the dirt and crust from his body, careful not to irritate or cause discomfort.

As he finished the actual process of washing the children, he washed his own hands once more, rinsing the suds away from his skin. He turned to Rebecca and smiled. "Okay, honey. Your father's going to go finish making dinner. You two can play in the bath until it's ready. But don't make a mess - if you do, clean it up, or you'll go to bed without any supper," he said, giving a light, but stern warning.

However, even as he said it, he didn't quite mean it. After today, he'd probably be willing to give anything to Rebecca, should she ask for it. Certainly, he would not take away her dinner, especially over something so trivial (although, before, he might have. Now, it truly DID seem trivial, especially when compared to the horrific fear that had been instilled in him during this day's events.)

As he left the room and returned to the kitchen, Rebecca giggled. "You heard him," she said, with a big smile crossing her face. With that, she cupped some water in her hands and splashed it towards Kially. "Let's play!" she exclaimed with a naive joy that was only surpassed by her innocence.

[Kially Gaith]

Removing the child’s’ very little amount of armour made him pale off as if removing such would cause his limbs to drop off, though he soon adapted to the idea when no pain formed, it was indeed very odd to be exposed like this, he was still rather unaware of the purpose of all this removal, not assisting the newly introduced Reed as he had no idea he really needed to, allowing Reed to slowly remove all his items from him, even down to the midnight blue bow tied into his hair and the pendant about his neck.

Suddenly hoisted from his feet, Kially squeaked like a frightened and surprised kitten, his pale form soon lowered into the water where he quickly calmed, obviously caught in a partial trance with the bubbles, remaining near statue still, glad for the water as it calmed his tired worn muscles and form, this had been the first time wearing nothing in approximately 4 months, the only reason him not smelling all that bad to him often soaked by the rain or morning dew.

Kially gave a gasp of surprise as water was poured over his head, this having not been something he had expected, Rebecca promptly laughing at the boys shock, revelling in his lack of knowledge as she quite thoroughly enjoyed the attention of her father.
Once the washing of his rather long fine hair was over, Kially once again found himself resting and allowing himself to soak.

The action of scrubbing was noted and was actually rather pleasant until Reed met with his left knee, where the child promptly winced and arched forward a little in pained surprise, completely numb until the dirt was removed from the cut, allowing both water and air to impact at all at once, plus on top of that, sterile soap cleaning the wound out.
Kially attempted to observe his knee and the pain which now stung in the depths below him though found that bubbles blocked out most of his vision. With water beginning to seep into all of his fresh cuts and nicks, Kially once again sank back into the water, allowing it providence over most else as it worked miracles for him, a sweet yawn passing his lips as Reed gave his orders regarding ‘mess’, another word he was not yet acquainted with, however, using Rebecca’s actions as a gage of just what to do, Kially chimed in with a soft and sweet ghostly tone. “Yes Sir.”

Another yawn showed how tired the boy really was as suddenly, upon closure of his little lips, he found a large wave of water climb up his torso and many droplets impacting his face, this caused Kially to tense up all over again until he was disarmed by gentle giggling, causing him a smile of his own, developing out of nowhere without a real trigger, returning his own offensive, splashing back with a careful flick of his right wrist, slapping the surface of the water.

[Smuggler's Run]

Rebecca enjoyed herself, having never been able to play in the tub with someone. It was rare, as well, to even have someone to play with in the simplest of senses. Her father only ever had so much time, and any of it that was spare was dedicated to her, but he couldn't give her the companionship that other children could, even if he could provide all other things for her. However, it seemed that he had now found a way to provide her with a friend - something she'd long since desired.

And while the two were playing in the tub, Reed was in the kitchen. He'd pulled out a saucepan and set it on the stove, although he'd let the fire dwindle a bit. He couldn't have it too hot, yet too cold. He put part of a stick of butter in the middle of the pan and waited for it to begin to melt, and then he added some of the cheese he'd retrieved from the cupboard. Then, he allowed the saucepan to sit as he opened the pantry and pulled out a small array of spices. He dashed their containers, sprinkling it into the mixture as he created a nice, creamy sauce. With a wooden spoon, he stirred it for a while and took in a deep whiff of air as the smell began to permeate through the apartment.

While it was cooking, he took out a strainer bowl and put it over the sink and drain that sat a bit below the water spout. He poured the contents of the pot he'd set down earlier into the bowl, the water spilling out of the holes in the bottom and leaving only the thick noodles. Then, he pulled out a ceramic bowl and turned the strainer over, dumping the noodles into it. Then, he quickly took the sauce off the stove and poured its contents over the noodles, using the wooden spoon to mix it up and make a nice, thick alfredo.

As it was done, he let it sit for a moment and put all of the things in the sink. He allowed himself a brief moment to look out the window and saw the sun's last traces of light thrown onto the sky in a desperate attempt to stave the night away disappear. Twilight turned to night, and he exhaled deeply. It had been a very long day, and the night was still ahead of him. He hadn't finished the paperwork, and he didn't go over the next job's routes thoroughly enough. On top of that, another child to take care of... not so much a burden, as it was just another facet that was added to his already million-aspect life.

Snapping back to attention, he walked back to the washroom and opened the door, peeking in to watch the kids play. He smiled to himself, seeing their innocence overtake them. In particular, he noted Kially, who had lost himself to the joys that normal children should experience - moreso, in that he'd seen a deeper, darker side to the boy much earlier today. "Hey, you two," he called out to them after a minute or two. "Supper's ready. Clean up your mess and dry off. Kially, I'll get you a change of clothes... Hmh. Atleast a shirt, or something. Rebecca, go get dressed. I'll empty out the washbasin after dinner, while you two do the dishes, okay?"

Rebecca nodded and affirmed him with a solid, "Yes, father."

[Kially Gaith]

Kially had also found something he very much needed too – Faith in these humanoids, proof that not all of them meant to destroy nature and that some could slip back into the idiosyncratic properties of what these strange beings called a bath.
Sure, it was a waste of Mothers resources, sure it was time idly wasted, but having experienced one for himself made him see these creatures in a new and eye-opening light.

Kially would yet again follow the actions of Rebecca, the more experienced child of the two, despite having several years over her. This also found him obeying Reed, climbing out of the bath and standing there completely naked, less so than when he had been brought into creation, because even then he had come into existence with a simple solid silver leaf pendant.

It did not take long for the smell of the spicy sauce to reach Kially and the boy found it tempting enough to go investigate, Rebecca giggled and watched as the boy began to follow his nose, moving straight into the kitchen, dripping a slow trail of water as he moved along, avoiding how cold he was quickly becoming in favour of his quest to find the interesting scent. “Smell…Is it where?” His words were badly pronounced, badly structured and out of order, but at least the basis of his question was obvious as he stood stark naked in the kitchen, trying to discover where the smell was coming from, even if such was in plain sight.

[Smuggler's Run]

Reed turned around to see Kially standing there, having followed his nose to find some food. "Where is it, you mean? Right here, kiddo. But you've got to great dressed before you sit down to it! Rebecca!" he explained, calling out to his daughter in punctuation. When she dutifully arrived, with her pajamas already put on, Reed commanded her, "Go to my room and get him a shirt. Help him get dressed."

It struck him as a funny thought that his daughter, rapidly approaching five years old, was lightyears ahead in terms of maturity than the boy who was a few years her senior. Then again, he'd always pressed her, and certainly spared no expense at always having a tutor ready the past year or so. She'd been learning to read and write, and proper grammar. He'd even been told she was somewhat of a prodigy - especially considering their ranking in society. It was always a skepticism of how he was able to afford their lifestyle as a measly fisherman, but it was something that nobody asked or inquired too deeply about. Their secrecy afforded them a great deal of security, and very few were willing to attempt to breach it.

Rebecca gleefully led Kially to Reed's room and picked out something for him to wear. Reed, meanwhile, set out some plates at the table, along with the silverware they'd need, and began to spoon a share of the meal onto each dish, and then sat the serving bowl back onto the counter. There was plenty enough left for seconds, should any of them want it, and he felt satisfied with himself and the knowledge that, this much, atleast, was able of no concern tonight. What a life we have, he mused to himself as he sat in his chair, folding his hands together, awaiting the return of the children.

[Kially Gaith]

Once again, having to follow around Rebecca, Kially made his way into Reeds bedroom where she immediately took a quick pace ahead of Kially, going straight to Reeds clothes as to pick him out a shirt, soon grabbing up a large flannel item that kept to the warm thick plain and basic design, nothing fancy or expensive, Rebecca knew better than to pick daddies better more exquisite shirts.

With the article of clothing chose, she quickly passed it to Kially whom promptly unfolded it and slipped it on over his head, where it immediately dropped down to his knees. Popping his arms into the sleeves, Kially found his hands a good distance away from the sleeve holes but he did not complain, preferring to have some clothing instead of none.

Now that he was at least partially clothed, he made his way back to Reed, staring up at him, looking a rather amusing sight being drowned in fabric.

[Smuggler's Run]

Reed took one look at Kially, submerged in the shirt several sizes too big for him, and began to chuckle. He gestured to a seat across the table from him. "Take a seat, buddy. Your food is already served," he said. Rebecca sat in the seat between her father and where the boy was designated to sit. She folded her hands, looking at Kially with a gaze that implied that he should do the same. She bowed her head and began to say a prayer.

"Of the Sway's bounty, we partake this evening. Bless us in our work, and bless my father, and bless our guest. Please, bless this meal as well. To your guidance, we pray, Amen," she said.

A sort of unconscious trigger found itself snapping to life in the depths of Reed's mind. He couldn't help but feel offended by the prayer that he'd taught his daughter, finding a sort of angry disposition arising in himself against the Sway and the Church. Today, he'd been assaulted... his daughter had been kidnapped... and the perpetrator was a holy man - a fanatic of something. Whether it was the main body of the church, or a sect, or even just a non-denominational zealot, none of that mattered. The fact that Reed was not a particularly religious man anyway, alongside the events that had transpired... he found himself doubting his decision to give his daughter some sort of moral guidance in something he didn't quite believe himself.

As the prayer concluded, Reed and Rebecca unbowed their heads and straightened themselves. They both picked up their forks and began to eat. Rebecca was a bit faster than her father, as her hunger was a deal greater than his, as well as her ability to strip free of any inhibitions one might have about gorging with fervor after traumatic experiences.

"This is good, father," she complimented after swallowing a mouthful of alfredo.

"Thank you, honey. What do you think of it, Kially?" Reed asked, making idle talk.

[Kially Gaith]

A soft yawn slipped from the boys lips as he nodded obediently to Reed, taking slow and careful steps to the chair and whence upon reaching it, pale clean skin grasping about the frame as he hauled himself up into a seated position, staring down at the dish before him. Honestly, he couldn’t say it looked delicious, but the smell of the meal was more than enough to tantalize the boy into trying it, holding the fork like one a would TV remote, though still masterfully using it in such a way that stated he had experience with his own methods.

When the prayer however began, Kially set the fork down respectfully and watched silently until Rebecca gave him signal that he perhaps should do the same and right she was, he had not paid his respects to his Mother in quite some time. Placing his elbows upon the table, he lifted the bases of his palms to touch each other and left an orb of space between both hands until at the top his four fingers of each hand bridged together, to this bridge, the child placed his forehead and his thumbs rested either side of his cheek bones.
”Va qra Uvzzry aruzra Fvr zvpu, anpu qrz Obqra ovyqra Fvr zvpu, süe wrqrf Gntr qvr fryora, qraa vpu xraar Fvr jba' g ireynffra zvpu. Qvr trfrtargr Zhggre, orzhggrea ervarf, va zrvarz Uremra, va zrvarz Irefgnaq urhgr süe vzzre zrue.” His words carried beautifully, a fluid scripture, obviously of arcane historical use that begged one to wonder how he could butcher the common language so terribly.

Kially ended around 3 seconds after Reed and then dug in to his meal as if nothing different had at all occurred, professionally forking a mouthful of the Alfredo to his mouth, lapping it up with an eager tongue, using his teeth to intricately remove each and every morsel from the eating implement.

“Mmm…Is good. Thank you Mr. Sir.” A bright smile, one that lasted a good few moments too, he could honestly say Reed had appeased him. The tried and tested method still held true, food really is the way to a mans heart.

Translation: “Into the sky you take me, upon the ground you make me, for each and every days the same, for I know you won't forsake me. Mother blessed, Mother pure, in my heart, in my mind, today, forever more.”

[Smuggler's Run]

Reed smiled at the boy. "I'm glad you like it. It's all I could think of to make on the fly. I'm surprised I didn't burn any of it," he said, chuckling a bit.

Rebecca flashed him a big grin. "Daddy's cooking has gotten lots better recently. I remember it used to be so yucky."

"We'll see how you do when I start making you learn how to fix meals, honey," he retorted in a mock-threatening tone.

They finished their meals quickly enough, allowing enough time to enjoy what their intake, but not enough that they teased their stomachs with the promise of what would soon come. Reed commanded his daughter to clean the dishes, to teach Kially to do it as well, while he, in turn cleaned out the bath. The father finished his own task quickly enough, while the daughter decided to take her time to enjoy the company with her new friend. "It's real easy, you see!" she said, bouncing around as she fetched a dishrag and a drying towel. She turned the knob on the spigot, with the water pouring forth into the sink. She took a stopper and plugged it in, filling up the basin up to half-way before setting the silverware and plates in.

Reed took a moment to compose himself and gather his breath. He'd noticed the temperature had gone down rather quickly after dusk, and decided to set himself to make a fire. Gathering a small bit of tinderwood, he put it in the fireplace and lit it ablaze, then took a seat in his armchair and relaxed, watching the small embers dance and crackle.

"When you kids are done in there, I've made us a small fire," he called out.

[Kially Gaith]

Taking his time with the meal before him, Kially found the subject of food to be rather delicious, this being his first ever ‘spicy’ dish of such variety, through out the meal, Kiallys’ facial expressions changed as each and every flavor exploded within his mouth, tingling upon the tip of his tongue, tantalizing the boy to taste more until all but a little of sauce remained, which, at a lack of manners, he mercilessly scooped up with an eager (And for once, clean!) finger.

The chore that was washing the dishes was not as difficult as the child had imagined, noting it much like the bath he had just taken, easing his hand in circles with a rag as little squeaks gave way to the remnants of dinner, slipping from each piece of cutlery and silverware with ease.
However, Kially did not stop when the dish was clean by the normal definition, he instead found himself doing a kings job of it, washing and washing until he could see the light gently reflecting off the metal used in the creation of such objects.

This, alas, meant that the cleaning took him longer than was really necessary, though the dishes would sparkle unlike they had ever before, looking as new as the day had been purchased, minus the wear and tear of everyday use that they had of course been fated to.

Finally, after an hour of obsessed compulsion, the boy followed in the abilities of Rebecca, safely putting the items away, though for once, Kially moved ahead of Rebecca, shifting his little torso into the living room, wet cuffs on the shirt that Rebecca had chose for him, such having dangled in the water, this bringing Kially to sit very close to the fire, as to dry out the shirt.

“Mmm…Is good.” Kially stated, closing his eyes peacefully, sat upon the bottom of the shirt and his own ankles, with such sitting position feeling all the less comfortable without his familiar ankle bracers pressing up against them with soft reassurance, but all the same, he did not fuss, it was only then, as the days memories began to drain away that he put thought into the last few happenings of the day and that he was currently one ribbon and necklace short of his endearing ensemble, A soft clap made his silk ribbon appear out of nowhere, falling down in front of him like a paper streamer, which made him giggle in delight, engrossed by the fluent movement as it fluttered down to the floor before him.

He then looked to Reed, speaking out quietly. “Mr. Sir?” He then gave a soft point to his neck with his only free hand, using his thumb and index finger to indicate that he wanted his necklace pendant, unlearned of the words required to state such, after all ‘pendant’ was quite advanced and not an every day term.

[Smuggler's Run]

Reed watched the fire flicker for a long while, reflecting on what had happened today. It was perhaps the first real chance he'd had to understand what had really transpired. In turn, this led him to a train of thought that entailed how he had gotten started in the business he was now in. It seemed like lifetimes ago, yet only a mere three years had passed.

"It wasn't a gambling debt," he said. He took a deep drag on his cigarette and tapped the ashes into the tray. Exhaling a large cloud of smog, he elaborated. "He was... a transporter. He moved very sensitive goods from place to place, without hassle or question. That was his job."

"A smuggler, you mean?" Reed inquired bluntly. His tone was dead, flat... void of emotion. His whole life was a single moment of suffering that was lasting an eternity, spanning these past few days. First his wife was immolated in a fire that had struck their house, and now his father-in-law was murdered before he could provide answers. Only this man before him, an enigma in a black cloak, was offering him any semblance of truth.

"Hey. A rose is a rose," he said, a cheap attempt at humor. "Anyways, he got in over his head. He double-crossed a client, and in this business, when you're as good as he was, you have really, really powerful buyers. So, he had it coming to him."

"And how the fuck do you know all of this?" Reed said, his fists curling.

"Hey, hey. I was his partner, for a long while. But this job, he ended up snubbing me out of, before I could even get any real details on it. He just contacted me for my help, and lo and behold, here we are. He's dead, and that's where the trail ends."

"Gren, you said your name was?" Reed asked, and the man nodded. "There's always a trail."

A grin spread across the cloaked figure's face, a wide and toothy smile of vile intent. The humble fisherman surmised that it may even be the source of his moniker. But, regardless of the wolfishness of his features, Reed had nowhere else to turn to. "You're in way over your head, kid," he said.

Reed merely shrugged. "I can swim."

He was snapped to attention by the awkward address of the child now standing beside him. With the gesture, the smuggler realized the object of Kially's desire was the return of his necklace. Promptly pulling it out of his pocket, he handed it to the boy and smiled. "Just keepin' it safe," he offered as an excuse for the mere case of forgetting to return it.

Rebecca, having sat on the sofa sometime while Reed had been daydreaming, had dozed off and was breathing lightly. Looking at Kially, he said, "Hold on a moment, alright, pal?" Getting up from his chair, he moved across the room and picked up his daughter, lightly hoisting her up and carrying her back to her room. Undisturbed by her father's embrace, she continued her sleep unabated. She let out a sigh of unconscious contentment as she was overwhelmed by the comfort of her bed. Reed closed the door to her room and sat down beside Kially in front of the fire.

"Hey, kid," he said quietly, reassuringly. "How are you holding up after all that's happened?"

[Kially Gaith]

Lightly snatching his necklace back with a general lack of manners, he quickly settled it back over his head and round his neck where it belonged. Then, with a tired sigh, he turned his gaze to the fire where he watched the flames dance before his eyes, crackling and warming the room with their desolate glow.

“I’m tired, hurt.” He spoke upon Reeds light inquisition, wondering where he had taken his play partner, with a soft yawn, he carefully began trying to feed the ribbon back into his hair and tie it back into a bow with no result, causing the boy to furrow his brow in mild frustration.

“Thank you Mr. Sir for Helping.” His gratitude finally arrived for his given savior earlier that day, he had not really had time in the moment, it was all a hazy rush which now, in retrospect, he could remember little of, other than the thug sat atop of him ready to end his tiny little coil of life.

Setting his ribbon back into his lap, he out stretched his hands to the fire, warming them up and continuing to dry out the sleeves of Reeds’ shirt which he’d ingeniutively managed to soak in his washing the dishes, granted however, without gravity’s aid, the sleeves fell just past the ends of his finger tips, thus made it to the water.

“You okay?” A mediocrity of care, fractional and perhaps aimed more at breaking the awkward silence that sat before the two males than it was spoken with emotion. There seemed an unwritten awkwardness between the pair, neither knowing what to really do or say, with the only link between them now sound asleep.

Looking down at his feet, he gave his little toes a wiggle just to confirm they were alive, and as expected, they were, wriggling in all their glory despite his feet and ankles being so numb from a long days journeying then not one but two instances of short combat.

[Smuggler's Run]

Reed nodded sagely as the boy explained his disposition with a short, blunt sentence. Watching him fidget with his ribbon, he smiled a bit. (Where had it come from anyway? He hadn't been paying attention... oh well. He was full of mysteries that many would be at a loss to explain.) A nerve, somewhere inside the father, was struck when the child expressed his gratitude. "There is no need to thank me. I should thank you, instead... because of you, my daughter's safe... This hospitality is the least I can offer you," Reed said, somewhat apologetically.

It struck him at an odd angle, the idea coming to him about how the boy seemed to be able to flicker between a naivety and ignorance that would befit a wildchild, and yet, at the same time, was able to express himself with a crystal clear maturity that was only hampered by his shallow grasp of the Common language.

That thought led him along a train, suddenly enmeshing himself in a hundred ideas per second. Reed forgot himself for a moment, thinking about this child, the things he'd done in their entirety, and the odd contradictions that became him. To be wise, yet naive, to be vicious, yet innocent. All such unfitting pieces of a puzzle that was completed in front of him - proof of the duality that can possess a person. Even one as innocent as a child.

Snapping back to attention with the boy's inquiry, Reed smiled and responded by first putting his hand on Kially's shoulder. "Yeah. I truly am," he said softly. Then, as an after-thought, "We'd better put you to bed. I imagine you're extremely tired."

With that, he got to his feet and led Kially by the hand to his own room. It was a thought that had just struck him, and he realized that there was very little room in the house to hold yet another person. But, a small sacrifice it was, to give the child Reed's bed for tonight. That was an easy compromise. "You can sleep in my bed. I'll be on the sofa if you need anything." He hoisted the boy up and pulled the covers up over him, tucking him in. "Sleep well, kid."

He closed the door to his own room and headed towards the bathroom, to take a much needed bath and address the cuts and bruises of his face that he'd been neglecting. Who knew a priest could punch so hard? he thought to himself.

[Kially Gaith]

Holding the ribbon in his hand as a comfort item, he suddenly found himself lead away from the warming fire where he yawned audibly, only confirming Reeds’ paternal instinct that Kially was tired, as if his aching body and bags under his eyes hadn’t gave it away.

Finding himself once again within Reeds’ room that he had earlier gained a temporary shirt from, Kially could not help but wonder his purpose in such room as Reed continued to lead him by the hand, sleepily with weak footing, until the boy was standing next to the bed.

“Why in here?” Kially would whisper, where the answer was given as he was lifted up off his feet and put into bed, causing a frown of confusion to brush over his gentle features, hazelnut locks falling about his face as he stared at Reed whom proceeded to tuck him in.

Amongst his confusion, he couldn’t help but notice how new and comfortable this item he’d been placed into actually was, his body almost immediately yielding to sleep, kept only awake by a mind awaiting answers that fought difficulty against slipping into a deep sleep.

‘Sleep well’ had been spoken, both words that he completely understood, answering all his questions without the mass many never having been spoken. So, this thing was for sleeping in? What curious beings these humanoids are.

Reed had now left the boy and amongst the flickering candle and his gathered thoughts, he slowly gave way to rest, warming up in the bed as he found himself sprawling out in a way he’d never had the gift to before.

Watching the flame of the small candle well out of reach, the soft flame massaged the boys eyes and his thoughts away, eyes dropping closed very gently without any further mental process, soon enough, the little boy passing to the land of very much needed slumber.

[Smuggler's Run]

Nothing could relax Reed. Not lying down upon the sofa, not the bath he'd taken, nor even closing his eyes and breathing in a regular, controlled pattern. All that ran through his head were thoughts of the past, and the sudden emergence of a threat that had long since submerged beneath the shadows of the Salvarian criminal underworld. He remembered the words he'd spoken to Gren, the partner-in-crime of his late father-in-law. "There's always a trail," he'd said. But since then, three years ago, the traces of who had murdered his wife and her father were erased. Or at the very least, hidden beyond any ability of his own to find.

But then, he thought he'd hid his own tracks so well. He'd gone through pain-staking steps to make Liam Lorian the only face that the public world could see of his - that any eyes looking upon the operations that Ahmir Brayker ran, in secret, would instead only find an honest to goodness fisherman. Isaac Reed Jericho was dead, so far as anyone who mattered was concerned. But, somehow, things were catching up to him. He couldn't, for the life of him, figure out who he'd wronged recently, in order to provoke the attack on him and his daughter. There was no way that any client could make a connection between Liam and Ahmir.

Before these trains of thought could even begin their voyage to find the truth, Reed's mind had drifted off into a world of uneasy sleep, with equally uneasy dreams.

When he awoke, the dawn had just cracked. He had trained himself to come to at the first sign of light, and he'd conditioned his body, just as much, to accept only several hours of sleep per day. He'd slept, on average, only five hours every night. On rare occasions could he sneak another one or two. He knew how unhealthy it was for him, but he had embraced the mantra of, "I'll sleep when I'm dead," wholeheartedly.

Immediately upon finding himself among the waking world once again, he bolted from the sofa and cracked open the door to his daughter's room. She was sleeping soundly in her bed, wrapped up in a cocoon of blankets. Her breath came out in regular patterns, soft and almost as a whisper. He closed her door as quietly as he could and went to check on Kially, who was more or less the same. Reed took a moment to wonder to himself how the boy must be reacting the immediate hospitality and comfort which he had been offered, and the solace he now had.

Heading into the washroom, he saw Kially's discarded clothes that would need to be cleaned. That was when it struck him - the boy had no other apparel. Deciding it would be pertinent of him to atleast get the child a couple of pairs of pants and some shirts, he combed his hair quickly and threw on his jacket, leaving his apartment after locking it. Going to have to make this a short trip, he told himself, inwardly. Already, he was planning the day ahead - breakfast, business, and... what was it? Monday, now? That meant the tutor would come over at noon, and stay until dusk...

The new day was ahead, and already, it looked like it was crammed full of events. However, Reed was fully ready to accept that burden... and to him, it wasn't a burden at all. To him, his daughter was his life, his everything... being consumed with vengeance and the avarice of hope for a better lifestyle for her... those were merely for her sake, only. All of his willpower and energy came from her smile, and her happiness. And now, this young boy had come into his life, and he'd already been drawn in by his innocence, which surpassed even his own child's. Ye gods, Reed... what are you going to do with yourself? Start an orphanage? he mused, quietly, shaking his head. With the way things were transpiring, he might as well.

[Kially Gaith]

Having found sleep well, Kially remained still the same, fast asleep, sucking his thumb silently whilst the other clutched his midnight blue silk ribbon to his chest. He was amazingly contented, having met with the bed in a friendship he could see lasting until the very day he died.

Currently, the boy was held within dreamless rest, settled and resting up as his body adapted to all these new changes, but the one he was enjoying most happened to be soft and supporting his entire frail frame.

Kially was not about to wake up just yet, contented as to just lay with a thumb in his mouth, warm and cosy beneath the blankets that sheltered him from cold for the first real time in his life.

A small smile held about his lips which softly clenched his thumb, unconsciously comforting himself whilst he remained resting, very much needing the slumber to ease off the day before.

[Smuggler's Run]

Reed hurried himself through the bazaar, the commotion of the early morning go-getters having already started. He went through a few stalls, picking out a few clothes, here and there on the tailors' lines, seeing what would look as though it would fit Kially. He didn't have the time to be picky, as he'd have to have the child presentable for the tutor later today. Well... I haven't even told him about this, yet. Regardless, even if he doesn't want to learn arithmetic, some grammar will do him good, Reed thought to himself. Any worry or doubt in his mind was erased by the self righteous dignity of his paternal instinct, and he resolved to help his new ward, regardless of the resistance he might put up, being as socially awkward as he was.

But, a stall caught his eye in a manner that was very off-beat for the smuggler. Often, he walked right past peddlers who sold gaudy jewelry and trinkets, but the vendor he stood before was selling rather tasteful, if simplistic, amulets and pendants. Immediately, he'd locked onto a small silver heart suspended on a thin chain, and Rebecca came to mind instantly. He beckoned the seller to him and made the exchange for only a couple gold. With the clothes and a present in hand, he made his way back to the apartment with as much haste as he could.

Meanwhile, Rebecca got out of bed. There were times where she would lay there for long periods of time, thinking to herself about things. And just as often, she'd wake up quickly, taking after the early-rising habits of her father, and go out to greet him while he read the newspaper or went over his accounts. She'd pour him coffee if he'd made it already, or hand him ingredients while he fixed their breakfast. Today was one of those days where she had the unshakable urge to be a helper.

Exiting her room, she found the living room empty, as well as the kitchen. The bathroom door was wide open, and nobody was inside. Checking her father's room, she found Kially asleep in his bed. He's not here, she thought, feeling slightly dejected. Then, inspiration struck her. "Kially!" she said, rushing over to him and shaking him in a vigorous attempt to wake him up. "Kially! Daddy's not home. You know what we should do? Make breakfast! It'll be really fun, I promise!"

[Kially Gaith]

When the door was opened, Rebecca would find Kially to be deep engrossed in sleep, looking as sweet and innocent as could be, his hazelnut locks framing his face that was ever gratefully pressed into the provided pillow.

Rebecca’s’ words woke him from his slumber and the groggy eyed boy awoke, though did not quite open his eyes, lay, almost paralytic as he found he was the most comfortable and content he’d ever been, a rare feeling of both warmth and safety combined. A groan of waking was all he offered in return

The young girl continued her attempts to wake the boy, shaking him a little more to try get him to be coherent and completely conscious and her efforts paid off, Kially with a sigh, sat himself up, blanket wrapped tight about him like a little cocoon as he blinked twice at Rebecca as he attempted to focus on what she was saying, of which a few words broke through. “Kitchen…” “Breakfast.” “Make.” “Fun!”

It took the boy a good while to really awaken, fuzzy headed and blurry eyed for a good 5 minutes before the effects of a real nights sleep wore off, allowing the child full comprehension of the day and the young girls words.

With a careful hand, Rebecca unfolded the blankets from round the boy and tug softly at his hand. “Come onnnnn! Daddy might be home soon!” – Giving in to her relentlessness, Kially clambered uneagerly out of bed and staggered with her hand as she led him to the kitchen where the cold of the day rang right through him, like ice had bee dropped down the back of the large shirt he’d been provided.

“Cold!” He announced to a girl who was not interested in the temperate, more moving to collect a large wooden bowl, eggs, flower and a variety of other things. “Daddy doesn’t let me near fire.” She stated haphazardly as she poured the flower in, passing two eggs to the boy whilst she sat on the floor, emptying half of the bag in without a single thought of just what she was making, the rest flying up into the air and pouring out onto the solid stone below..

Kially never thought to question her, naïve and innocent enough to play along, believing she had some idea of what she was doing, cracking the first egg carefully then dropping it in surprise as the sticky yolk and the majority of the fluid from inside drooped down onto the floor. Rebecca giggled at the lads’ surprise, correcting him with a smile. “In the bowl, silly!”

And just that he did, putting the whole second egg into the bowl, shell and all, which Rebecca did not correct, for perhaps she did not know either, or maybe this fantabulous recipe included the whole egg shell.

“Kially! Get me some pasta, please?” She asked, being the head chef of the project, where as the boy began scouring the kitchen for pasta, pulling out several pots and pants, leaving them upon the floor whilst in his search, it wasn’t until nearly every tin and wrapped parcel of dried goods was out that he realised he didn’t actually know what pasta was, but instead of admitting his mistake, he’d instead just announce he could not find it. “Can not find.”

Rebecca gave a frown, pointing at a small glass jar of pasta shells, shaped like half inwardly pressed ovals. “Those! That’s pasta! It’s there!” Kially simply stared at the pasta jar as if it would move itself and jump to her grasp. “Pick it up! Pick it up! Bring it over here!”

And just that he did, bringing the shells over where he removed the vacuum sealed lid with a soft tug and a pop, pouring them in until Rebecca told him to stop…Which she didn’t, resulting in a strange floury egg and pasta based mess.

“Now we need sugar…” Continued Rebecca.

[Smuggler's Run]

With Kially's sudden appearance in Rebecca's life, as well as the revelation of her mortality, it seemed that her reserved nature had quickly begun to unravel. For once, she had a true playmate and friend, she had another companion aside from the stoic guardian that was her father. She had learned to not cry, to not whine, to not beg, and she had learned patience and strength and fortitude throughout her short life. But with Kially, the child that she truly was, was allowed to flourish and grow. It was a healthy release for her, although the repression may have left too much of her immaturity stashed inside. That much was apparent, with the fervor with which she had quickly made a mess of the kitchen in her attempt to make a meal.

While those two were at home, intent on their mission, Reed thumbed through the mail that he'd picked up outside the apartment. He stopped dead in his tracks, however, upon flipping over one of the letters to see a red wax seal with the letter G with a sword through it, stamped and pressed into the seal itself.

Years before... he'd met a man through a very similar incident. Come to where you were supposed to meet your father-in-law. Reed had went to the tavern where he'd been murdered, expecting an attempt on his own life, but still unable to deny the appealing nature of answers being dangled before him. Gren... that's what the man introduced himself as. They sat at a table in the corner of the pub, keeping to themselves. There, it had all been explained to him; the jobs, the goods, the underworld that Reed had never attempted to look into. The betrayals and the treason, the vengeance... all of the dirty business of the black market, and the only way that Reed saw it to be that he could even gleam some semblance of hope for his own personal revenge...

"To fight monsters," he surmised, "I must become one."

That was an oath he'd made three years ago, that night, in that bar. He meant it then, and still did to this day. That was when Gren took him, made him a part of his crew, and taught him all the ropes, gave him all the connections, and helped him blur the lines between his legal life and his illegal one. And then, he'd suddenly disappeared. Despite his absence, Reed was able to easily sail along without any guidance, and he made his own reputation, operating outside of the boundaries that Gren's guidance had put him towards.

But now... it had been a long time... months? years, maybe? And here it was, proof that his old partner was still around, and still keeping an eye on Reed. How he'd been able to find his address, he couldn't think of it. But then again, it was Gren, and he was able to do a lot of things that were beyond the abilities of any normal criminal, even of Reed's tier. And now, things had come full circle once again. Inexplicable attacks with no source or reason, no trail to follow, and a vulnerability that could not be compensated.

Slipping the mail under his arm, Reed opened the door to his apartment and walked in, setting down the bag of clothing he'd bought, and setting the letters on the table. He heard a crash from the direction of the kitchen, and immediately sprung to life, racing to the threshold and seeing a horrifying mess, pots strewn about with ingredients everywhere. "By the Sway!" he cursed, mortified at the sight before him.

Reed set the mail, as well as all of the items he'd bought at the morning bazaar, down on the table in the living room. He rushed into the kitchen, ushering the children out. "You can't do these kinds of things without my supervision!" he scolded, holding himself back from raising his voice at them. "Both of you - you need to get another bath, now. Today's Monday... Rebecca, your tutor will be coming at noon!"

Setting out the pails for them to fill their own bath, the worried and stressed father set to task of cleaning up the mess that the children had made in their endeavor to make what was possibly the worst breakfast in the history of cuisine.

[Kially Gaith]

Rubbing his eyes out of sleepiness, Kially stopped frozen in his tracks, not because of the words of Reed, but the tone that they came with, because, although unable to recognize sarcasm in sentences, he sure as hell could recognize anger when it was presented before him.
Staring up at Reed, Kially found not anger, but sincerity and disappointment, leaving the child confused and reflecting upon both the person he was and the events that had unfolded over these few days, he’d now upset Reed, a man who’d took him in and introduced him to things he never knew existed and it was these very things that suddenly took over him and his young inattentive mind.

A bed, Reed’d called it, thoughts of this took over him and the word repeated in his mind over and over and with it came tingling sensations of warmth and contentment, lost within his own fantasies of blankets and a pillow, both encasing him in a warm cocoon, where he’d soon blossom into a beautiful child with divine gold and sky blue wings, a day dream some would call it.
He had so much to be thankful for, it was as his wings began to spread from his back that a loud clang shook him from his bemused state as Rebecca fumbled a pan she had picked up as to assist her father before he got even ‘angrier’ and she upset him further.

As Kially slumped out of his ecstasy, the lad found Reed to be in the middle of giving brief instructions and Rebecca suddenly darted off to abide by her fathers words and by the time Reed had reached the words ‘Another bath’, Kially soon knew just what to do and also rushed off to abide, assisting the little Rebecca in the chore/punishment at hand, where Kially suddenly found himself wanting to go back to bed.

The children had soon finished the task at hand with a strange rapid vigor, as if both knew there would be more trouble had the job not been completed timely.

[Smuggler's Run]

Reed wiped his brow as he stacked the last of the dishes onto a drying rack. Taking the wet cloth he'd been using, he began to scrub down everything that had flour, and yolk, and all other manners of condiments and ingredients spilled upon it. Kids will be kids, he told himself, chanting it in his mind like a mantra. So many things to do, today, so much business to take care of. Questions kept rising, one after another, as to why so many odd events were being chained together. Rebecca being kidnapped, meeting Kially, a letter from Gren after so long... All of these things, happening at once. It seemed like it was too much to handle.

Regardless, Reed steadied himself and called upon his constitution to endure. He was used to working without much rest, to be constantly under stress and pressure - it was how he lived... how he operated. If he was not beneath the oppressive thumb of a busy-body lifestyle, then he could not imagine how he'd ever get anything done.

With the task of cleaning up after the young ones finished, Reed went into Rebecca's room and picked out a set of clothes for her to wear today. Likewise, he also pulled out an outfit for Kially, from the pile of them that he'd bought in the bazaar. He walked into the bathroom and set them down on the counter. "Kially. I bought some clothes for you, this morning, while I was out. I hope they fit."

[Kially Gaith]

Kially in the mean time, was having fun with Rebecca, his thoughts upon the water all over again as they playfully splashed without the supervision of Reed to stop them. Rebecca used this time to reveal her hidden childhood, the bathroom amass with giggles as the two children played together with no care for the others nakedness, none were ashamed, none were embarrassed and humility was not an issue, for the two that bathed (Or made a soaked mess of the bathroom floor as was) held both innocence and naivety, not caring for skin and genitals, but instead, a contented playful combat consisting of hands slapping blindly at water, aiming to splash the opposing foe, whom in this case refused to wave a white flag, giving back as good as he got and more. However, Kially was cheating, he kept creating little gusts of wind to jump the water up, resulting in the water (and whole bathroom) cooling by a few more degrees than it normally would, with Rebecca feeling like she’d been fanned every now and then, this was overlooked though due to a disregard for Kiallys’ ability, only heightening her efforts to splash back. The giggles of the two promptly stopped when Reed made his tumultuous entrance to ‘spoil’ their fun, and although no words were given, it was an unwritten code between the parent and his child that she should stop and that law had been passed by Rebecca’s eyes alone that Kially should also follow, lest he face possible consequences, the damage, however, had already been done, the floor was coated in a thin layer of grey flour coloured water.

Reed had laid out clothes for the two children on a counter that the young ones in their playing had, through some miracle, not managed to soak and in amongst these, Kially saw clothes that he did not recognise. They surely were not his, they would not fit Reed and Rebecca had never been dressed in such garments and Kially, despite his naivety, could not fathom even the idea that she WOULD wear them, or that Reed would even allow such.

Announcement was made of just whom the clothes belonged to and the child fell completely still, beyond even washing himself or Rebecca, completely surprised and somewhat speechless. He’d have to remember his manners now, how did it go? “Th-Thank…Y-You?” His normal interpretation was an horrid combination of the two words with no gap in between, but this special occasion called for special efforts, kindness could not be met by a boy with little to give in return, though it seemed right he perhaps sacrifice something dear in exchange for the charity of Reed, so pale little digits slipped behind his neck, lifting up his solid silver leaf pendant on its’ suede necklace and with dignity and confirmed thoughts, held out the worn item towards the direction of Reed. “Thank…You.”

[Smuggler's Run]

Reed looked down at the child's hand for a moment, stupefied by the generosity that was being returned, in kind, for his own hospitality. It hadn't occurred to him that the boy was capable of a social gesture of this sort, and even then, his paternal instincts had taken over and everything that he'd done hadn't even happened with a second thought. He was completely absorbed in the over-riding desire to provide and take care of not only his daughter, but also her friend, who had now been placed into his care as a ward - a situation far more extraordinary than merely meeting an orphan... there was something hinting of fate, if one were to believe such things.

Accepting the necklace with a smile, Reed nodded. "Thank you, too, Kially." With that, he slid the pendant around his neck. "Please clean up all the water when you two are finished. Breakfast will be ready, soon," he ordered. He left the room, closing the door behind him.

Soon after, he found himself back in the kitchen, taking out a pan that he'd washed. Rubbing it down with cooking oil, he set to making scrambled eggs for breakfast. He shuddered to think of what all he would find missing from the pantry, and decided that it may be better to put that task off for a while. Reed glanced up at the clock, taking note of the time. Ten thirty... two hours left until the tutor arrived. He exhaled with relief, glad that he'd have a small amount of time to relax after breakfast.

[Kially Gaith]

Climbing from the bath, the children quickly assisted each other in the duty of drying one another, allowing no part other than their hair to remain damp longer than needed, this of course brought numerous amounts of giggles once again as the soft cotton towels tickled upon delicate untainted purity.

The smell of eggs carried through the air and this confused Kially somewhat, whilst it further excited Rebecca, bringing a squee of glee from the young little girl. “Eggs! Daddy is making eggs!” Despite her upper middle class lifestyle, Rebecca for some reason could not remember the last time she had had eggs, be it a childish lapse of memory or just a slip of the ages passing into time, it mattered not, for today they would dine upon eggs, fresh eggs none the less.

Kially sniffed daintily at the air, like a curious puppy, though this time, he need not investigate for he had learnt that this house hold offered no holds barred when it came to his learning, for the answers were often shown to him soon after the desire for knowledge had arose, quenching his thirst for information within moments of it’s creation.

With hair sucking to his upper shoulder, Kially followed Rebecca whom now began to dress herself in the clothes provided, Kially, on the other hand, was not so quick to grab up the choice items that had been put before him, a soft hand pushing gently down onto the fabrics, examining their feel and texture with a puzzled look upon his face, these were not his clothes, yet they were his size and for him. This gave the boy a situation that he had not found himself in before, put on these foreign clothes and remove himself from any normality he knew, or reject them and offend the one whom had made the effort to obtain them.

Of course, the choice was simple and it did not take the young lad all that long to place himself into the fashionable items, a white v-neck collared shirt and a well fitting pair of dress pants, coating over some white socks and soft underwear.

When all apparel were upon his form, Rebecca was delighted to carefully tie his ribbon back into his hair as a concerned frown slid upon the features of the now healthy looking face. ”Where is my armor?” he thought.

[Smuggler's Run]

Reed poured a bit of milk onto the pan, moving it around and mixing it with the scrambled eggs as he did so. When it was just about ready, he flipped the contents out onto a plate, and set the pan back onto the counter. Then, he cut the eggs into tiny pieces, and spread them out onto two separate dishes and sat them on the table. With the meal prepared, he retired himself to the living room while he waited for the children to be finished with their bath. When they were dressed, he pointed them in the direction of the kitchen. "It's ready, you two," he said to them.

At that moment, a knock resounded from the door. Jerking to attention, Reed made his way and looked through the eyehole, expectant of trouble. His nerves began to tingle, and his blood rushed to his head. He was ready for trouble, and had been on edge the entire night - despite his desperate hope that they were secure and safe in their obscurity. Standing on the other side of the threshold was a tall, skinny man with brown cropped hair and thick glasses and a fresh shaven face. He was squeezed into a pair of dress pants and shirt, along with a vest and tie.

Opening the door, Reed welcomed his guest in. "Well, hy-ello, there, Mister Brennan. Why're ya so early t'day?" In a complete instant, his accent had shifted from a very mid-Salvarian to an Underwood southern drawl, and his posture had shifted from straight and upwards to a bit slouched and obviously arthritic pose.

For a moment, the eyes that lay behind the thick lenses flickered with what seemed to be surprise as he looked at the man he knew as Liam Lorian, before settling into the same calm, educated apathy that they always held. "I'm sorry if I inconvenience you, Mr. Lorian. Did we not agree, before I left on Friday, that it would be in Miss Rebecca's interests if I were to make use of the morning hours, as well?"

"Oh, aye. We did decide that, didn't we?. Sorry 'bout that. My mistake. Had a bit of a busy weekend, y'know," he said, shaking his head. He ran a hand through his hair and ushered the tutor to sit down in a chair. "I gotta tell ya... ye'll be havin' another student. An' actually, ya might have to scale yer lessons back a bit. He's a... orphan, it seems. Foreign, too. Rebecca met him while she was playin' around yesterday, and it turns out he had no home to go to. Seems he ain't got parents, and he don't speak common all too well, so if ya don't mind... I'd like ya to go back to grammar and vocab'lary," explained Reed, trying to omit as many details of yesterday's events as possible.

"I see... Well, I still have the lesson plans from last month, so it will be of no trouble. However, I'm afraid that the fee for my services shall have to be increased to compensate for this," said Mr. Brennan, pushing his glasses up onto his nose. He seemed very unsurprised by Reed's generosity.

"Yeah, I'd already been considerin' it, an' I'm thinkin' that won't be no problem. I appreciate it a good deal, sir. I'll go fetch them, then, and let you all get on with it."

Reed left the living room and made his way to the small kitchen. "Hey, ya two. Rebecca, yer tutor is here a bit earlier today. Kially... yer goin' to take a lesson alongside her, today, alright? He's going to teach you some speech and such. How's that sound? He's out in the livin' room, waitin'. If you need me for anything, either of ya, I'll be in my room."

[Kially Gaith]

Following the scent, Kially announced himself into the kitchen in the clothes Reed had picked and sat himself at the table, looking over the meal prepared before him. It didn’t smell all that well, but he figured he’d give it a try all the same, dipping his fork with a little light pressure, scooping up the strangely coloured pale gloop, putting it to his lips with a tentative hand, opening his lips and then placing the eggs carefully upon his tongue, using his lips, sealed about the fork to removes the egg from its place upon metal utensil.

The mouthful was taken with no real opinion, Kially found he had no real like or dislike for the dish before him, eating it as if it had been devoured a thousand times before, quiet and surprisingly well mannered showing an oddly experienced side of the child that perhaps told of unknown knowledge shining through.

When the meal had been finished, Kially followed the actions of Rebecca, moving the dish to a place where it could be washed and then in utmost silence and a nod of appreciation to Reed, he sleepily moved behind Rebecca towards this strange new man whom Rebecca obviously did not deem as dangerous in any means whatsoever.

[Smuggler's Run]

Reed left the living area and made his way back to his room, leaving his door open slightly ajar. He sat down at his desk and sat the mail to one side, taking only the letter from Gren and opening it. Taking out its contents, he laid them in front of him, unfolding the letter that was folded inside. He was in a state of disbelief at how the events of the past two days had played out, and here he was, looking at something addressed to him, sent by someone he considered a ghost.


Your home is safe. You've been compromised, but very few know. I'm doing my best on my end. Just stay low. I'll contact you again when the time is right for you to learn some things. It's all starting to come full circle.

It was a very simply letter, and it gave Reed more questions than answers. But now, he knew that his situation was looking intense, and that he would have to be much more careful of his endeavors in the future. He had to start playing it safe again, stop taking chances... he had been cutting quite a few corners in his business, and he supposed that he had drawn the eyes of some particularly disdainful people. Even that wasn't answered, really... but atleast he could take solace in the knowledge that Gren was there, somewhere in the shadows, looking out for him. A true friend to the family, and someone he knew he could trust, which was saying quite a lot for Reed.

Then, the smuggler set to going over his ledger, totaling his balances and appointments and future shipments, knowing that the only way to push forward was to keep himself enmeshed in his work.

Erstwhile, in the other room, Mister Brennan had set down a picture book full of nouns and verbs. "Kially," he said, speaking in a slow, clear, and concise manner. He had yet to really gauge the boy's intelligence and potential for learning, so he figured it best to start off as basic as possible. "We are going to work on your voc-ab-ul-ar-y. You're going to learn words... as many as you can, okay?"

He pointed to a picture of a cat, and asked, "What is this?"

Rebecca eagerly piped up, "A cat!" She felt a bit of pride in being able to answer such a simple question so quickly, but she immediately realized her wrong in doing so.

The tutor shook his head and frowned. "Rebecca, this exercise is for Kially. Here, start with your alphabet again. I have a worksheet for you," he said, handing her a piece of paper and a pencil. She nodded and set to work immediately.

"Now, in this picture, what is the cat doing?" the teacher asked, pointing to a picture of drinking milk from a saucer. The book would go on, introducing a certain animal, and each creature then performing a series of actions with which could be described with a single word. At this pace, Mister Brennan knew, with a certain inkling, that there was a lot of work ahead in store for him.

[Kially Gaith]

Kially sat in silence, almost mesmerised by the pictures presented out before him. All of these pictures portrayed things he’d seen before and could name in his own language but much to a great deal of frustration, he was finding it more and more difficult to put even a single word to what each creature was doing, but then again, whom had said he’d had to speak common? Maybe this was a quiz of some sort? …But then again, Rebecca had answered with a common word he’d been familiar with. Just what did this man want with him and where was his vocabulary located, would working upon it hurt?

“Gevaxra” He announced proudly, towards the cat that was drinking, his voice carrying directly, strong and sweet. Mister Brennan would be right that he had a lot of work ahead of him and even so given the fact that Kially was a fast learner, Kially would only be able to cram 5 years worth of education into that of 3.

When Kially found himself told to be incorrect, he became further frustrated but gained an understanding of what was expected of him and in all honesty, it discomforted him a great deal, making him feel awkward and strangely enough, very small.

Fortunately for the Brennan fellow, Kially picked upon most pronunciations near perfectly, though it would take a good deal of reference to make Kially associate the word with the picture, and what seemed to work, the tutor found, was keeping his index finger upon certain segments of each picture as the word for such was spoken. “Dog” He would announce clearly at the picture of such. “Sitting”.

By the time the session was over and finished, Rebecca had finished many work sheets, some right, some wrong, and Kially had progressed through one quarter of the basic vocabulary book. His progression was very quick, but such would be expected with such simple materials given the lads age. …They hadn’t progressed onto multi-syllable words which would most likely have the boy stumped..