“How could this possibly be here?” Magnus asked. “Millions and millions of miles away from where I left it at?” He was down at the dining hall for breakfast, early in the morning on the second day of his so-called break.

He held the pendant out in his hand, looking for something, anything that would indicate that this was not the one he got from his mother. He looked at it for hours on end last night, and Codex scanned it countless times, over and over.

Yet it was the one, his mother’s family heirloom!

“I have no clue,” Codex simply uttered, she was as unbelieving as he was.

“Well, that is the story of my life!” Magnus said as he put the pendant back underneath his tunic. What else was there he could do, look a gift horse in the mouth? Somehow, he was able to get his hands on the one thing he could remember his mother by, so he would take it, and ask questions later.

“Magnus, are you off today as well?” somebody asked.

Magnus turned around to face the speaker who turned out to be Mother Selin, who was carrying a pot in her hands and giving out breakfast.

“Yes,” Magnus replied, then to hide his discomfort, he held out his bowl for some porridge. “I have three days to myself,” he then added, telling part of the story, but still wanting the Mother to remain at ease.

This was the hardest part of the decision making, what to tell them if he went with the second option, if he quit?

He remembered how proud Mother Selin was once she saw how much he would be earning. There was hope in her eyes for the first time, and now he might destroy it.

“That is good,” Mother Selin said as the worry lifted from her face, and the tension in her shoulders lightened. “What do you plan on doing today?” she asked, trying to make light conversation with him as she poured him ladles of porridge.

“Ahh...” Magnus said, unsure how he should answer since he had no idea how to spend his free time. He really is sad, he finally has some days off, and here he is, without even got a clue what to do.

From the corner of his eye, he saw his old groupie, then before he could think, words spilled out of his mouth, “I plan on helping out in the streets,” wording begging the best way he could.

“There is no need for that,” the Mother stated as she waved him off. “Today is your day off, so take it easy and go have some fun.”

“It is alright, Mother,” Magnus insisted, not stated the obvious, that he had nothing else to do. “I would love to help them, if for nothing else but for nostalgia.”

“Okay, if you want to,” Mother Selin replied, seeing that he wouldn't be taking no for an answer.

“Thanks,” Magnus said as he got up from his seat.

The Mother set her hand on his shoulder and lightly pushed him back into his seat, then said. “First of all, you have to finish your breakfast, if you want to be running about in the streets.”

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“So, have you guys been keeping your hands clean?” Magnus asked, as he and his old groupie walked down the streets of Exastrand. He already knew the answer to that; they have been bringing the same amount they used to before they started stealing with him.

Be that as it may, positive reinforcement never really hurts since incorrect behavior would be strengthened by the removal of a hand.

“Yea,” one kid replied.

Then another one added, “but we are earning less than we used to.”

“I know,” Magnus said as he raised his hands in passive gesture. “I never wanted it to come to this. However, like I told you guys, I learned that our streak of liberating personal artifact and coin from others have been gaining attention from folks we do not want to look our way. Hence we had to call it quits before we got into big trouble.”

There was grumbling all around, but they knew Magnus was speaking the truth. Lately, they even noticed that the guards have been on high alert, hauling away every single troublemaker that they could get their hands on, and even doing their jobs correctly and properly.

“Alright, that is enough moping around, we knew that this day would come, eventually. So let’s get back to our jobs, iron shims and copper thumbs will not be raining down from the sky, even if we wished for it.”

That got a bit of levity out of the crowd, and Magnus gave a complimentary smile, then with a wave of his hand, he shooed them off. They all dispersed at his signal, still keeping with the disciple he taught them, and each went off to their own little spot to scrap for coin.

He wondered if his old spot was still open, but he just wasn’t feeling up for it. It was like he was back at square one, the day he came to this world, too headstrong to beg since he saw it as beneath him.

He wasn’t at that level, to be honest, he could beg for all he was worth if the situation called for it, but there was now a sense of importance in him. He was a practitioner, an infamous menace, though that was tentative at best, still he sort of did move up in the world.

He wasn’t the bottom feeding street rat he used to be, he now had a bit of worth, you could say. So making a bit of an excuse for himself, saying he would go check on the other and see how they are doing.

He didn’t turn to head off to his old begging perch but went into the opposite direction.

--------------------------------------------

Magnus got each of the kids some sort of snack, he knew that would be an awful waste of money, but a part of him wanted to make up for being too selfish and self conceited to participate.

After that, with nothing else to do, he walked the streets, seeing whatever sights the city had to offer.

As he was looking over some tickets a vendor had to offer, he felt a prickle at the back of his neck. Somebody was spying at him!

Ever since his stat-- especially Perception went over the normal range, he noticed the difference, there was a fundamental change in him. Like right now for example, he was able to notice somebody what, just staring at him? That was freaking crazy.

Still, Magnus turned his head around to look at who was watching him, and when he did his eyes narrowed into slits.

It was those Liontooth gang boys!

This time there were five of them, two he could identify since he ran into them before; the stout one, Bertan, and the lanky one, Tansel. However the other three he didn’t know who they were, but for the handsome red-headed one there was a small tickle in the back of his mind that they have met before.

Etkin did try to find those who were responsible for his memory loss, well the memory loss of Edger. Yet this city is massive, it is more like a metropolis than anything with millions of people living here, so it is an impossible thing, even for a kid with a lead.

Now impound that with his low rank in his gang, and becomes clear why he hasn’t been able to find those responsible. Though he does try every day and it really eats at him, so that is why Magnus told him to drop it.

Unless he had somebody that was skill in tracking down people, he wouldn’t get this done. Hence there was no point in dropping it at another’s feet when they are not a detective.

Tansel, who Magnus always thought needed a more direct hand, turned to face the redhead older boy-- though when he said older boy that meant by Earth standards. However here on Pandora, he was a young man.

Anyways Tansel said a few words to him, then he turned to look at Bertan, said something to him which he vehemently shook his head to. The young man playfully smacked Bertan on the back while mockery played on his lips.

All this Magnus watched from a mirror on the vendor’s cart while his back was turned to them. Slowly they headed towards his direction with one clear goal in mind, Magnus knew he had to come up with something, or else he would be in a sticky situation.

If he was his old self, he could easily handle a few brats, but right now he, himself, is a brat, and a skinny, weak one at that. Therefore he had to play it smart if he wanted to come out on top, his eyes landed on a squad of grey turbans heading towards his direction, and then an idea formed inside his mind.

Playing it smoothly, he pretended that he was preoccupied with the trinkets before him, and from the mirror, he saw that they took this as their opening chance and closed in on him. Once they were in spitting distance of him, he turned around to face them, and pretending like he just noticed them.

“So, you must be the brat I roughed up a bit, huh?” the pretty boy said. “Well, I have been hearing things…”

Magnus couldn’t care less about what he was ranting on about, though this beat up he was talking about caught his attention. Nevertheless, they already stepped into his trap, now to tie the noose around them.

Without giving them any warning, Magnus started to shout, “THIEF, THIEF, THIEF!”

The five of them stopped in their tracks like a deer caught in the headlights, they stood frozen there like pufferfishes was their mouths opening and closing, unable to utter a single word.

Then with a snap of a finger, the world turned back to normal, the shop owner who was sitting there bored out of his mind, got up from his stool with unknown vigor and cried out. “Stop them, stop those little fucking thieves!”

People who were passing by started to whisper to each other and stood clear away from the so-called discovered thieves. The guards who were nearby and patrolling this section, run up while shouting, “Stop, in the name of the Starry Union and the DuskGear Guild!”

The small merry little band must have seen that as their moment to flee since they turned around and ran away with all the might they had.

A guard came up to him and asked, “Are you alright?”

Magnus turned to face the guard as he plastered a fake smile on his face and answered, “Yes, I am alright, thanks for aski-... Erhan?!”

“Magnus?!” the guard who turned out to be Erhan shouted. Immediately though, his eyes narrowed into slits and he asked, “What are you up, Magnus, huh? Don’t tell me you are back at it.”

“Nothing, I am up to nothing,” Magnus said quickly, too quickly in fact for it to be genuine at all.

However before Erhan could grill Magnus for answers, one of the older guards shouted, “Private, let’s go, we will try to cut them off.”

Erhan got up, gave Magnus I am watching gesture, then run off into the distance.

“You know that guard?” the shop owner asked, curiously.

“Yea, you could say so,” Magnus replied as he smoothly passed a coin purse into the peddler's waiting hands.

“Well, it was good doing business with you!” the cart owner said with a grin as Magnus gave him a nod and walked away.

“Oh, and please do come again,” he shouted after Magnus.

--------------------------------------------

Magnus tracked down the older boys, they might have done a good job losing the guards but he knew this city like the back of his hand, and cutting into some corners would not do the trick for him.

Even though he won this round, they will come back after him with a vengeance, so it is best to taper it right now when he is in control and ahead. Anyways misbehave little boys like them need a good spanking to get them into line since they have no mother to do it, he will have to take up the duty.

Magnus lamented to himself, if only there were more Mothers to go around, there would be no evil in the world.

“Society’s youth, huh?” Magnus asked, squatting in the alley and smoking some substance was his prey.

“It is YOU!” redhead bellowed.

“A AA AAA, I wouldn’t want to do that if I were you,” Magnus said as he brought out his slingshot and aimed at them. Bertan and Tansel immediately went belly flop on to the floor, old fear rising up. Though Tansel went down reluctantly, and Magnus amended that he would need a tougher guiding hand.

Having your men surrender that easily and quickly is never a good sign, that is why the pretty boy asked in an unsure voice.“Wh- what are you doing.”

“They are doing the smart thing,” Magnus replied. “Now be a good little boy and get down on to the floor!”

That remark seemed to have the opposite effect because the redhead raised his head in defiance, and from the look in his eyes, Magnus could tell he would not go down without a fight.

“All of you get up,” he growled, “let’s teach this brat a lesson he will never for-...”

Before he could complete his sentence, Magnus struck him, and he went down clutching his forehead which was now turning a bright dark shade of tomato. “Get him,” he wailed on the floor. “I am talking to all of you,” he added as he turned to the two on the floor.

With little choice in the matter, they all charged him, though in a matter of seconds two were down for the count. “Use the trash heaps, YOU IDIOTS!” the redhead ordered, which was good advice in fact.

Magnus couldn’t have that be happening so when he was able to get a shot in, he hit the downed and the stone stuck the only spot that was available, in the ass.

“OW!”

‘That should shut him up for a while,’ Magnus thought.

“Must we really do this, gentlemen,” Magnus asked as he held back on his shot. The only two remaining standing where his two old buddies, who looked hesitant and unsure what to do as he held his slingshot aimed down at them.

“We would have loved to stay several miles away from you, but duty calls and we need to answer,” Bertan replied.

“Haven’t I told you I wouldn’t hold back on my shots if we meet under these circumstances?” Magnus asked as his tone lost all joviality.

Bertan audible gulp, though Tansel, on the other hand, saw this as his opening and rushed Magnus closing the rest of the distance.

With a smooth gesture, Magnus parted ways for the older boy and also brought out his foot. Tansel was unable to stop himself since this was a disparate charge, and from his expression, it was obvious he did not expect it, so just like the dunce he was he went on ahead and tripped and fell.

It was perfect, too perfect in fact that he started to doubt that the older boy was letting him win. It almost made him feel bad about what he was doing, almost, this kid needed some reinforcement or else like the idiot he was, he wouldn’t learn and in a few days he would be back at it again.

So as he laid there on the ground moaning, Magnus pulled back on the string all the way and shot at the young man. The echoing sound made everyone in the alley wince back in a grimace, though the intended target did not have the luxury of flinch back since he was feeling the brunt of the attack.

Magnus turned away from him and stood to face the reminding four, “Now what should we do to the rest of you.”

At his remark, Bertan had a look of resignation and the three older boys had different degrees of unease and fear on their faces.

--------------------------------------------

“Man, that was a lot of work, huh?” Magnus asked with a grin.

Bertan said nothing but Magnus could still tell what he was thinking, ‘must be cursing me for my shamelessness!’

Magnus gazed up at his handy work, Bertan did do all the leg work, but it was his idea, and nobody could take that from him. He got inspired by those cliche tropes of bullying, getting yourself stuck up a flag pole.

Though there weren’t any flag pole to be found, he was still able to innovate! Now he nodded to himself while he appreciated his master plan coming together so well, though his patrons did not seem to like it one bit.

From high on above, the four older boys were fastened to a vertical beam, butt naked, on top of the central guard post, the citadel. It was kind of tricky getting in since the place was so well guarded, but it seemed like acting out the role of a waste collector did the trick, then the rest was history.

“Why didn’t you penalize me when I broke our accords?” Bertan asked.

“Do you want me to discipline,” Magnus replied.

Bertan hastily shook his head in a negative, regretting he even asked that question.

“Well, to answer your question,” Magnus said as he put aside all joviality. “Tansel needed to be reeducation, while you, on the other hand, learned something from our previews encounter. So inflicting pain on you will be pointless and meaningless; thus, it would only be cruelty on my part if I harmed you.”

Bertan nodded his head, though honestly not understanding the young kid’s logic, nevertheless it was what saved his hide, and he would appreciate it for what it was worth.

“Alright, you can go ahead now and strip down to your last article and tie yourself up there!”

“WHAT!” Bertan shouted, not seeing this coming at all.

“What do you mean, what?!” Magnus replied back. “Did you think I will let you off scot-free?!”

-----------------------

As Magnus walked away from the scene, which was now gathering quite the crowd of onlookers, he whistled a happy tune to himself and took out the money he collected from the older boys.

This time the boys donated three times what they previously did. Now that is what he calls a hard day's work deserves a fair pay.

"You know you are a scoundrel, right!" Codex stated, as she saw through the underlying meaning of Magnus's grin.

Magnus just laughed wickedly as he looked back at his good Samaritans who were now in the difficult process of choosing if they rather hold tight on for dear life to the beam, or cover their private bits.

Magnus put them in his back mirror view and headed back to the orphanage. If they knew what was good for them, they would leave him be and forget this ever happened. If they didn't, well, we will cross that bridge when we get to it.

As Magnus cut the corner into a side street, somebody grabbed him and spun him around.

"YOU!" the person who ambushed him shouted in a hate filled voice.