I once had a friend part 1 ( Not really part of the chapters but a bit of a back story. Enjoy! )

I remember. I had a friend once. What was his name? dieter? Peter? No, it was Pietro. We were both street urchins, both abandoned by our parent's. Shunned by the public. lowest of the scum. bottom of the food chain.

I used to live in a town called Halberta. Orphaned, well I have no idea if they died or something, all I can say is that I was found on the porch of the temple, where unwanted children are left. I was abandoned, unloved.

I stayed there until I reached my 10th birthday. Then I ran off, I could not handle the strict policy they enforced on us. Reciting 10 verses of the holy scripture every night before going to bed, spending 6 hours of your day praying, when I could have been playing, and not to mention all those times I was beaten for speaking up to the head priest.

So, I left. decided to take my chances on the streets.

I first met Pietro when I was begging for scraps in the market. The old baker was chasing a boy holding pieces of bread in his arms and another piece with his mouth. It was quite amusing how he ran for his life or you could say as he ran for his dinner.

As the boy passed by me I kicked the wooden crates by my side, tumbling down as the baker passed through, thus making him loose his footing and fall face first on the muddy ground. I saw the boy looking back saluting me with his right hand.

That day I was not able to get any alms, my stomach growling in hunger. I was sitting on one of the porches near the center of the commercial district of town. Then a piece of bread dropped and landed on my lap, as I look up, there he was with a grin on his face, the boy from earlier. A couple of his front teeth were missing, his face full of freckles and his black hair was all messy. I can barely see his eyes. He was a year older than me, I learned that when he told me a few days after we met.

The boy then jump down from the roof he was standing on. "Thanks a lot mate for earlier, old man Zakiel would have beaten the crap out of me again." The boy said.

"I'm Pietro!" The boy handing out his right hand towards me.

I shook his greasy palm. "I'm Garren." I said in a low voice.

"Nice to meet you ren! You can call me Pie! hehehe! Eat up! That one has a bit of meat in it." Pietro smirked.

I devoured the bread Pietro had given me in an instant.

I guess he noticed how hungry I am.

"Sorry mate, that's all I can give you for now. Had to give some to my younger sisters" He said that with a smiling face, but somehow I can sense the sadness he felt.

"How about it? You and me? Together no one can stop us! The dynamic duo!" Raising his fist to the sky.

I almost laughed at his gesture, but I saw how serious he was.

"So we good? You and me? Were friends now, right ren?" Pietro smiling at me. How could I resist, all I could say was.

"Sure.. Friends."

Later he did introduce me to his younger siblings. Twins, Anya and Kiara both were 8 years of age. They lived in a small broken down hovel in the slum district. I was graciously welcomed to live with them though reluctant and shy at first, I came to love those two as my own.

We spent our days in the commercial district, haggling, swindling, and sometimes if worse comes to worse, stealing from travellers who were new to town.

Pietro was right. We were the dynamic duo. We spent our youth on the streets, surviving. Trying our best to get by.

Two years after teaming up with Pietro, the authorities could no longer tolerate us and decided to act.

A guard disguised himself as a wealthy merchant from a distant place, acting naive and stupid was an easy prey for us, as we soon started to con the merchant, a squad of guard's encircled us. Pointing sharpened swords on our necks.

The dungeon was not a foreign place for us. We had been in here for more than I can count. We'll be out of here in no time. That's what we thought, while me and Pietro were discussing what the guards will be feeding us for dinner.

We were not given dinner that night. It was almost midnight as i recalled.

Then the door leading down the dungeons opened. We thought we were finally gonna be fed.

But we were wrong, it wasn't a guard bringing us food.

It was a hooded man. Wearing gray robes. Only his mouth can be seen. I remembered his yellow teeth glistening as he smirked and pointed at the two of us.

Then the guards entered. shackled our hands and feet.

Pietro and me could do nothing but scream as we were dragged out of our cell in the dead of night.