The pungent stench of faeces and urine smacked Amir in the face. The only traces left of the horses was their decomposing excrement inside the stable. It seemed both capable and incapable horses were conscripted, neither the foals nor pregnant mares were spared. 

"There don't appear to be any horses, Your Highness," the guard commented. 

"I can see that Goldilocks," Amir turned towards the guard. 

Long limbs... Wide Back... Handsome...

"Come here," Amir beckoned the guard.

"Spin around." The guard slowly spun in a circle while his cheeks flushed a light red. 

He was fitted in a flexible chainmail vest and wore leather leggings to maximise both mobility and defence. The Kingdom's insignia, a threatening bear, was threaded into his leggings. Amir himself wore a royal gown that kissed the dirt floor. If he travelled in this outfit, he would be dragging the whole city's dirt back to the palace. Unacceptable. 

"Would you like to swap clothes, Your Highness?" the guard took the initiative to disrobe in front of the Prince. The faster he finished, the faster he would see his mother. Quickly and efficiently, the guard was now completely naked except for a few furs covering his privates. He kneeled on the shit smeared stable floor and offered his clothes to the Prince. 

"Put your clothes back on Goldilocks. I didn't want your mother; you think I would want you?" his gaze locked onto the guard's privates as a small gust revealed Goldilock's golden gun. If Amir was an arm then the guard was a leg. A very long leg. A very, very long leg.

The heavens truly weren't fair! 

"Listen Goldilocks, the generous I will overlook this incident. I will even reward you! Now... just do as I say," Amir patted the guard on the shoulder. 

Soft yet sturdy...

*** 

A winding cobblestone road connected Veruca to the palace. The road was barely trodden as only nobility and palace workers were allowed access. If an intruder was caught by a patrolling soldier, he would be charged with treason. And the punishment for treason...

Clop! Clop! Ahh! Clop! Clop! Clop! Ahhhhhh! 

A boy cruised along the road, absorbing the greenery and revelling in the scarce fresh air still present in the city. Trees as tall as ten giants watched the pedestrians on their journey. The Sol was still low in the sky casting long, distorted shadows of the Prince and his new mount. Blood dripped from the paws of the mount which created a ruby trail between Veruca and the palace. In years to come, this path would be renamed to the Sanguine Trail. 

"How you faring Goldilocks, you seemed to have slowed down?" Amir pulled on his luscious mane. Despite being naturally bipedal, the guard was ridiculously fast on all fours. The wind licked Amir's cheeks and he loved it.

Soft, oh so soft! 

"I'm fi--- AHH! --ne Your Highness," the guard lied through his gaping wounds. Although his tears had dried long ago, his snot swung back and forth as they traversed towards the city. 

The master and mount duo were heading towards the Commercial District, more specifically towards the Thieves' Market. According to Goldilocks, Veruca's hoodlums and perverts had a home base in this region. The Thieves' Market offered everything criminal from stolen goods to assassins for hire. Rumour was, the Anti-Royalist Party were managing all these businesses from the shadows. 

Amir wasn't confident in Goldilocks but fortunately, they reached the district within three hours and he didn't pass out from the blood loss. 

I wonder how high his VIT and AGI stats are... Surely not as high as mine. 

As they neared Veruca, Amir hopped off Goldilocks to detract attention from his person. 

"Hands in pockets Goldilocks," Amir advised. 

"Your Highness!" the town guards bowed so low they could lick the floor when they saw a boy's figure emerge over the grassy knoll. The only children that took this path were the nobility after all. It only made sense to pay your respects unless you desired to become a enuch. 

Veruca's guards were a tier lower than the palace guards in regards to equipment, training and talent. All the guards that didn't meet the palace's requirements were here in Veruca. 

"Open the gates," Amir ordered with the flick of the wrist. 

"Yes, your Highness!" 

Veruca was located at the heart of the Ursus Kingdom. This meant that nearly all major trade routes passed through Veruca before they reached their destination. Hence, Veruca was known as "Tax City" by merchants. Roughly 70% of the goods were collected at the gates and accumulated in large warehouses all over Veruca. The Kingdom would resell these products at a reasonable rate, essentially setting the market price. 

The city was bustling with activity. Young masters of rich merchant families paraded from vendor to vendor, purchasing anything and everything they desired. 

Children were begging their parents for sweets from food stands. 

Young girls demanded the latest designer pets from the Breeder Store.

An old disabled merchant was surrounded by women half his age. His hands rotated fondling each woman's thighs, a true [Pervert]. 

Unfortunately, he was half a foot into the grave. No, it was more accurate to say that the only part of his body that wasn't buried was his manhood. 

Sigh... A respectable man. Enjoying himself to the very end.

Only the affluent could afford to live comfortably in this capitalist society. 

As they approached the Thieves' Market, Amir noticed that the roads became narrower and bumpy. The beautiful stone structures at the heart of Veruca were nowhere to be seen. Instead, what greeted Amir were tents and wooden shacks manned by hook nosed dealers. A permanent structure was detrimental as the Market was periodically raided by officials. 

The Market was severely crowded. The items openly on sale were comparable to legal goods, but they were significantly cheaper. By smuggling their product in through tunnels and by bribing the guards, merchants could avoid the national tax and sell their items at the Thieves' Market. Despite the shockingly low price, they still made a killing. 

When Veruca was built, this region was designed to be a recreational park. Hence when the pipelines were constructed, no line passed through this region. There were no toilets. Criminals and the like relieved themselves in the refuge of dark alleys. 

In one such alley, Amir spotted a middle-aged beggar crouching against the wall. A family of flies made nest in the food scraps of a nearby tipped over rubbish bin. 

"You there," Amir pointed towards the beggar in question. 

Realising he was being watched, the man quickly emptied his bowels and pulled up his pants. The flies feasted on his faeces.

He didn't bother to wipe. True scum. 

Now THIS is what I've been looking for. 

"What's your class?" 

The beggar looked Amir up and down, "Boy, I'm a member of the Pink Claw Gang." The beggar revealed a ferocious expression and approached Amir. 

"I think he's a Thug, Your Highness," Goldilocks whispered. 

The thug was within arm's reach. Goldilocks was stopped midstep by Amir. 

"I'd like to arrange a meeting with your esteemed Leader," Amir held out his hand. 

The thug hesitated. His greasy beard glistened under the Sol's rays. A caterpillar crawled above his brow, wavering with uncertainty. 

In a flash, his ferocious expression was replaced by a cordial guise. "Yes, come this way Young Master," he reached to shake Amir's hands. 

PAAAAAAA!

The reverb of the alleyway was magnificent!!

"Scum, don't even think to touch this great one. I raise my hand indicating for you to keep your distance, yet what do you do? I wouldn't touch your leader, lest your shit stained hands!" 

The thug's growing rage wasn't detected by Amir as he continued to blast the fellow. 

PA! PA! PA!

"Looks like I got my hands dirty. I should probably cleanse myself with that piece of shit. Even that is cleaner than you."

The thug only suppressed his anger as he sensed a powerful aura emanating from the handsome guard. Even the Leader didn't have such a presence. Releasing a grunt, he motioned for Amir to follow him. When his face was not visible, a sadistic grin was carved into his face. The gang would surely teach this boy a lesson he would never forget. 

His horizontal tower was now vertical.