Chapter 3

Found

- And he saw, within the rough, a sparkling gem -

"He needs to fight his own battles, Miri. I will not fight them for him and neither shall you. He is a young man now and we will not always be there to defend him", explained Jesse.

He sounds tired, thought Thonavar, as he lay in bed, listening to the argument.

“He is a strong and wise boy”, said Mirya. “But how long will we do nothing when he is continuously hunted, chased and beaten by these gangs of boys?”

“He is strong and wise precisely because he has endured this hardship”, countered Jesse. “If what you have been telling me is true, then our son is wonderfully gifted. He is able to scale buildings with ease, run all day without pausing for breath, leap onto ledges and jump across bridges.”

Thonavar felt a surge of pride well up within him at hearing his father’s praise.

“Gifted? He should be excelling at college!” thundered Mirya. “But he does not attend on some days for fear of this roving band of bullies! And there are days where he does not manage to escape but is cornered and beaten by Alexis and his cruel gang.”

Mirya was defiant and continued to argue with her husband. Thonavar knew she wanted to go to the college headmaster to lodge a compliant. His mother spoke the truth. Though he usually lied to her about what had truly taken place so as not to worry her, she saw right through him.

Thonavar thought about his mother's words. The world is a cruel place. It will not reward you according to your works. It will only tear you down.

He had to break his family out from poverty. He would become rich and buy his parents a bigger house. A house in city above. Father would not have to work again. Mother would not need to worry about food. There would be plentiful and they would be happy. They would be free.

The next morning, Thonavar decided to climb atop the roof of the tallest building in the street sector, just above the market place.

“HavenGuarde, the first and last city!” blared a nearby broadcast. “Remembering our forefathers, those great pioneers of the past, as they laid its first foundations, and paid for it in blood! Honour them, HavenGuardeans, as you celebrate today! And what a glorious day it is!”

It was day of the Jubilee. A Havenguardean holiday. To celebrate the day the Unity first completed the construction of HavenGuarde's high outer walls, sealing its parameter, shutting its citizens within and closing its gates to the outside world. Despite its significance, it was still a holiday where all labour came to a standstill. And so, throughout city below, there was a sense of peace and rest. Families were out enjoying the day before the work week commenced again. He had left while both of his parents slept deeply, exhausted from their labours of the past week. The market was busy today. The streets below teemed with people buying food and items. But Thonavar's thoughts did not dwell on them but on the massive structures in the distance above.

Father built some of them, he thought proudly.

Some of the buildings above seemed to stretch into the eternity of distance and he could barely see the end. There were even some that seemed to go on forever, almost reaching the sky.

But that cannot be, thought Thonavar, as he lounged back, with one hand behind cupping his head. Surely those great buildings above are not so tall enough to penetrate the curtain? Perhaps the sky was just beyond the curtain above.

One day, he and his parents would be in city above, and perhaps he would get a chance to see the sky up close.

With thoughts and dreams of happiness blooming rapidly in his mind, Thonavar did not notice the gang of boys creeping up on him from behind. They had seen him climb atop the roof of the marketplace and had followed him cautiously. On another day, Thonavar would have had the sense to know that he was being followed. It was like a sixth sense that something did not feel right. However, he was distracted and had let his guard down.

A sudden movement from behind him! Thonavar's eyes lit up in a flash. He half-turned only to dodge a blistering attack aimed for his head. He rose to his feet swiftly, spun around, and saw, to his dismay, that he was hopelessly outnumbered. A powerful punch cracked against his jaw, leaving him half-stunned. He had his back against a wall and was completely surrounded. With no escape route or plan, Thonavar decided that he had no choice but to fight.

With a fierce roar, he ran at the first three boys, kicking the first in the groin area, and punching the second with a thundering right that dropped him onto a knee. The third, however, dodged an attack from Thonavar and slammed a fist straight into Thonavar's face. Dizzy and momentarily blinded with pain, Thonavar reached out, found his attacker's neck and squeezed as hard as he could. But another boy pushed Thonavar away from his friend, who was left clutching his throat, coughing and gasping for breath. Through a blurry vision, Thonavar made out the rest of the gang advancing on him.

Something slick dropped past his eye and he tasted the metallic taste of blood.

"We have got him now. There is no way he can escape. His dear mother and father are not here to save him. No one can save him", taunted the cruel voice of Alexis from within the gang of advancing boys. To his left he noticed a boy sprawled out upon the ground. Good, he thought through gritted teeth. One less to worry about.

As the gang advanced, Thonavar's eyes darted everywhere, desperately searching for an escape, his mind working hard to come up with an idea or a plan. Only this time, he could think of none. They had got him.

Just then, he noticed to his right, something shiny, that caught his eye, upon the floor. It was a small blade, barely three inches long. He picked it up swiftly, brandishing it in front of his foes. "Come any nearer and I will kill you", he shouted fiercely.

The gang hesitated, staring at the small blade in Thonavar's hand, afraid. They looked to their leader for the next command.

"Kill him!" screamed Alexis violently. "Kill him!"

The gang had brought weapons, wooden cubs and bats. No one had brought anything sharp. But Alexis had brought a barbed bat.

Still, the gang was hesitant, taking small steps and edging closer to where Thonavar was standing. No one wanted to be the first to get stabbed by the blade in Thonavar's hand.

"Come on you fools! Get him! Hit him with the bat", urged Alexis. But the gang did not move. Seeing that he was about to lose control of the situation, Alexis gripped his barbed bat tightly and swung it maliciously, eager to impress his gang.

"You cowards! I will hit him then", he declared savagely, voice shaking. “I will rake that cursed bastard and tear his deformed hair into pieces!”

This was a serious mistake, for Alexis had never stepped into the frontline of a real fight, always hiding behind the other members of his gang. As a result, he had not much experience and swung his bat wildly. Thonavar felt a surge of power and strength well up from deep within him as he prepared himself for the fight. Alexis stepped in and swung his barbed bat at Thonavar recklessly, leaving himself exposed. Thonavar dropped to a knee, dodging the attack, before sending a powerful uppercut into Alexis's exposed belly, completely winding him.

His pride on the line, and with his gang watching, Alexis attacked, though this time, with the barbed club hitting home on Thonavar's shoulder, drawing a spray of blood as it cut through the skin. Thonavar cried out in pain.

"Alexis! Stop! This has gone too far", someone shouted. But Alexis, emboldened by the sight of Thonavar's blood, screamed his defiance, and swung his barbed bat for another attack, consumed by bloodlust.

Pain erupted across Thonavar's shoulder. A rage engulfed him, and seized with a sudden desire to end Alexis' life and all the misery he had suffered at his hands, Thonavar stabbed upwards, again at the exposed belly of Alexis. The whole gang saw the strike and shouted repeated warnings. Alexis saw the blade moving upwards toward his belly and tried desperately to move and block the attack.

Too late, thought Thonavar. I will destroy you and end all this, he thought savagely.

Suddenly, the knife disappeared from his hand. And a hushed silence fell on the group. Alexis, took several steps back, staring in disbelief. A robed figure, heavily enveloped in black swirling cloaks, stood before them. Thonavar stood his ground. What is this, he thought. Another one of Alexis' tricks?

Whispers and muted mutterings were exchanged as the gang stood stock-still, gaping in awe.

"Tis' a watcher...", someone whispered.

The figure raised a hand from within his robes and held up the small blade that had previous been in Thonavar's hands. He then took the blade and hurled it at a nearby wooden crate. The force and speed of the throw shattered the crate which splintered and cracked, bursting open into smaller wooden fragments. The figure then turned a hooded head at Alexis, who whimpered in fear.

"Begone", it whispered and took a step toward Alexis.

Alexis spluttered, and took several steps back before breaking into a run. And his gang followed suit, still whispering and muttering amongst themselves, turning back here and then to look at the imposing robed figure.

The figure slowly walked a circle around the still-panting form of Thonavar, looking him up and down. Then finally coming to stand before him, the figure spoke, robes billowing in the wind. A deep booming voice of a man sounded from the depths of a black hood.

"You would have killed the boy, had I not intercepted the blow", the deep voice observed.

Trying to peer into the darkness of his black hood, Thonavar tried to make out a face. But he could not.

"He deserved it and I would have killed him", growled Thonavar, his anger once more bubbling to the surface.

"Calm yourself boy. Pray tell, what happened here?" asked the stranger.

Thonavar, his thoughts a blur, his mind reeling from the string of events that happened too fast to be adequately processed, tried to recall what had happened.

"I acted to defend myself", he explained. "I saw the knife upon the ground and saw fit to wield it."

The cloaked figure then fell silent, looking away before speaking again.

"You move well," the figure noted, "but had I not found you, you would have been dead."

"I think that Alexis would have been the one dead", retorted Thonavar, his brown eyes glittering angrily.

"Yes", agreed the cloaked stranger. "And you would have murdered the son of a noble in city above. He would not, of course, hear about the gang his son commanded or of the fact that he had brought weapons to hunt and beat you with. He would never consider the possibility of his son being a bully. All he would hear is about how some boy from city below murdered his only son", said the stranger quietly.

The fires within Thonavar smouldered down with a dawning comprehension. What a reckless fool he had been! His parents and his family name would have been dishonoured, and worse, tainted forever, and they would never escape poverty.

"So yes, you would have died. And so it would appear that I am indeed your saviour", said the figure, almost conversationally, with an air of amusement. "I am afraid you are indebted to me boy", said the cloaked figure with mock graveness.

"How so", asked Thonavar, his shoulders slumped. The hostility was gone, replaced by a sense of vulnerability. He was afraid now, for he was thinking about mother and father and how they would react to this news.

“What is your name boy?”

Do not give him anything.

“Why should I give it to you? Have I done something wrong?”

“Your name, boy.”

“I do not wish to give it to you.”

The man raised an eyebrow. He appeared slightly amused.

"Come, young Ironhand. There is something we must discuss.”

Thonavar’s heart sank. “So, you know my name then.”

“Do not be afraid boy. I bring you and your family no harm. I only ask that you bring me to your home, for I must speak with your folk. Bring me to them", he commanded.

But Thonavar remained unmoving.

"Now", the black-robed figure commanded again, this time with a sternness.

I could try to run, thought Thonavar. And leave him near the depots.

"It would be unwise of you to think about escaping from me", warned the figure suddenly, as if reading Thonavar's mind. "Most unwise."

Thonavar swallowed hard. There was little choice then. He shivered inwardly.

What had he done?