-He saved me, my lady! I'm sure that you won't believe it, but he did! H-he stood up for me. That was the first time in a long while ever since anyone had done that for me. I was... surprised. I didn't know what to say because it was all so overwhelming.

-Interesting. Even I am surprised to hear that.

A sly grin appeared on her face which she immediately masked with her smooth and delicate hand. She was trying to hold in the laugh, but the amusement in hearing such an idiotic act compelled her. Not in her wildest desires did she think that something entertaining would appear so quickly.

-Interesting. It seems that I may still have use for you yet. I was afraid that I had to do something to you since I was getting quite bored.

-My lady, did you say something? Forgive me, but I did not hear you very clearly.

-Oh, no. I was simply talking to myself. Do mind me.

-But the eyes of those around him were still the same. I was terrified that they might do something to him since he stood up for a demon like me. But instead, he fought for my sake, knowing full well of who I am!

-Yes, yes, that's good for you, now arrange yourself and tell me more of something worth talking about. This man whom defied the heinous eyes and opinions of the people, tell me, what was he like?

-What was he like?

She thought about it again, just like it was unfolding right in front of her. Those events that led up to her uncontrollable inspiration and admiration for him, a man whom ignored the mortal providences and followed what he thought was right.

-He was tall, wearing a coat that just suited him. When he stood in front of me, I felt secure behind his back even before I knew that I was going to be protected. He had a very reassuring smile that made me feel safe, and he was rather skilled with how he fought the ones who tried to harm me. It was as if he were toying with them. And... his hand was warm. He looked at me as if I were a normal human being.

-Hmm, he had quite the mouth on him, doesn't he? It is either he is a trained con man whom wanted to take advantage of you, or an oblivious idiot. Cliché as it may be, I cannot agree with most of what he said.

She blinked a few times and lowered her head.

-Why do you say so, my lady?

The young woman stood up with her haughty demeanor and strode down a small flight of carpeted stairs. Her head was held up high and the paleness of her skin and the sharp look in her eyes stood up. The high and mighty eerie atmosphere about her fluttered like a dark mist protecting its master.

She remained oblivious to the secrets and the true nature of her master, yet she followed and heeded every word and every command she was given. Not a single one was to be disobeyed, that was the promise she had made on that fateful night.

The night called by two names, one of which being the night of the cowards, and the other being the full moon of vengeance.

On a night where blood was spilt was the night she thought her own life would have ended, yet here she stood in front of her savior. The one she deemed the immaculate master whom saved her from the savage nature of the humans.

-Remind me of the promise you had made to me.

She commanded with her backs turned.

Lowering her head, she spoke in respect.

-I promised to you, my lady, to devote my life to serving you to the best of my abilities no matter what. I owe you my life for having saved me.

-Very good. Then I shall tell you this. The world is perceived by truths and lies. Both, move the world in ways that we can't conceive easily. But men and women alike are driven by that notion. Listen, and listen close. You are to never forget who you are and why you are to be scorned. You will draw strength from hate, and from that you will breed a strength unlike any given by truth or lies. You are to etch unto your mind the careless words of scorn uttered by these rabble turned vermin. You are treated as scum; therefore you are. But revel in that until you are impervious to it.

To her surprise, she raised her head. Many words she had considered harsh, including the punishments to her flaws, had been like lashes to her. But this request was unlike anything else she had been given.

-But why, my lady?

The woman crept up to her and took her chin with her delicate fingers, peering into her eyes.

-You cannot erase who you are, so why not embrace it and turn it against those who use it against you? Life is unfair even from the start. The moment you are born, living in this hell of a world is already a death sentence. We are made to suffer and feel inferior until the time that your inevitable death comes. But how we chose to spend it varies. For I, love amusement more than anything in the world. I have many whom would do my bidding, but that would be rather plain and boring. I need something to ignite my passions for what I do best.

-What is that passion of yours, my lady?

-That, is a secret that I must keep only to myself. But let us not get sidetracked. From what I have heard so far, you have not thanked the kind man for his actions. Search for him and bring him to me. I wish to... thank him personally for keeping my lovely servant safe from harm.

At that request, she felt a surge of unknown optimism. At was as if her own emotions had been ignited, and that her feelings were starting to kindle into a light flame. The constant reminder of him and his heroism gave her that push. Not just the fact that the only two people had been this forgiving and kind to someone like herself, save for the one who took her in.

She nodded her head with delight.

But how one saw as an innocent smile, she saw an opportunity to sate her desire.

"Good girl, good girl. That is how things should be. You should simply follow my words and act upon them."

The night was at its peak. The air was cold but bearable. Most of the people have abandoned the streets and have left for their warm and comfortable homes. The only people that were present were guards and the local troublemakers, including those from the slums who wreak havoc upon the city.

"Let's go for a little walk, Von."

I had stepped out after the others resigned themselves to sleep. Somehow, I couldn't feel as comfortable as I wanted to be. Staring at the ceiling won't do anything, so I decided to instead look around and further know the capital of this kingdom.

The gas lamps were lit up and lined up along the sidewalk, illuminating a portion of the path I traversed. It'd be safer if I travelled where I could be seen in case something like what happened earlier would occur once more.

The various shops and stalls that bustled with people and attention were now closed and bereft of light.

My restless feet led me to a wide plaza where statues, a fountain, and some greenery adorned the sight. It was obvious that the city took meticulous care of this area since it looked untouched by impurity compared to the other places around here. As if it were kept clean at all times made that way.

The fountain was a man holding an open book in one hand and a sword in the other. His stance was gallant, and his expression victorious and stern. He wore armor fit for a king, and that's we the statue felt like as I stared at it.

A stone pedestal where a golden plate was nailed on it stood in front of me. It read, King Halycn Luvierre. May he live in eternal peace, and may his will of peace watch over us, his people.

So this is your father, Daphne. The ones who made this statue immortalized him well. There should be no worry.

But just as I was getting complacent, a movement came from behind the bush just a few meters away from me. The feeling of eyes on you where you can't see them gave me a slight chill.

With a fresh breath, I had calmed myself down and prepared for the worst. Should it come to that, I will be prepared. I'm not as inexperienced as I once was. I have a reputation to uphold as a Thalisean. Losing a simple brawl will only disgrace that name. But when did I exactly become careful about something like reputation?

"Who's there?" I said, standing up. I approached the bush slowly and cautiously. "I'll say this now, I'm not much of a novice when it comes to this anymore. I'd advise that you turn away if you dare try and face me."

Von snarled viciously at the figures behind, further threatening them.

"Wait, wait! Don't worry we're not here to harm you or anything. Can't manage that anyway. Not that I can't take you myself."

To my surprise, a child with brown messy hair popped up with his hands in the air. He wore tattered and dirtied clothing to match with his messy hair and face. But he had earnest, fierce eyes as he stepped from the bush and into the open where I could see him clearly.

"Who are you?" I asked, not lowering my guard still.

"You can call me Caden. This here is a buddy of mine, Dante...?" as if he were missing something, he looked around and sighed. "C'mon already, Dante. I thought we agreed that we're going to ask him? Don't let your dad scare you even in your mind! We already talked about this."

He dragged another child from the bush, a timid one who was fond of looking down at the ground and glancing up at me every now and then. He hid behind his friend, terrified of me.

There was a clear difference in the two, not just their personalities. The golden haired child named Dante wore an extravagant set of clothes that made him stand out as one of the nobility. Gold finishes, a clean red coat, and shined shoes.

He nodded his head, murmuring a Hello.

"Where was I? Oh, yeah! So the name's Caden, and this is Dante. I'm from the slums, and he's from the rich people's district. His dad's pretty scary. Tall strict guy with a scary face! Man, I get shivers anytime I look at him, pretty brutal too."

"I don't quite get where this is heading. Mind explaining what this man has to do with what you want from me?"

"Wait, wait, wait. You gotta let me build up the story, otherwise you won't know everything. So, yeah, his old man never lets him do anything on his own. But the thing is, Dante and I want to become knights of the kingdom!"

"I don't mean to demoralize you or anything, but I think that's a long shot. I don't know how they do things here, but don't you need to be an... adult?"

"Well that'll come sooner or later. I'm drinking lots of milk, so don't worry about that. We want to know how to fend for ourselves so that we don't get pushed around so much. Then we'll become knights when we grow up. I'll give you a gold coin! This is pretty hard to come by where I come from. But I just found it lying on the ground. Lucky, right?" he shows an open palm where a lone golden coin sat. He had a smug look of confidence at this bargain, but I don't quite understand why he has to pay me.

"Why me exactly? I don't think we've met other than now. I don't think I'm suited either. I mean, knights. I know very little of those and how you become one, but it sounds challenging."

"Here's the thing. We saw you fighting them people from the slums, I know those people, but not know, know them. I just 'know' them. So, we wanted to ask you to help us learn! We want to learn how to fight!" he pumped his fist into the air, triumphantly declaring his intent.

Dumbfounded, I don't know what to think of this. Sudden, yet I can teach them harmlessly. I've been taught by Daphne, but most of that would be too much for children to learn. They don't even look that old, maybe twelve to fourteen years of age.

The eagerness in their eyes disturbed my choice whether I should go along with this or not. After all, there seems to be a prejudice with the people of the slums and the ones who have the money.

"Is there an even deeper reason as to why you want to learn? It's dangerous, that should be obvious, and it'll take a lot more than eagerness to come through. Tell me, what's pushing you to do this?"

"I don't like how this city is. It's always full of people trying to hurt each other, and it's confusing. I mean, shouldn't we just get along and fight the same enemy? But not the nice demons here. They're not scary, even when they're twice your size," said Caden.

"Y-yes, I am the same with him," added Dante.

"What he meant by that was, he doesn't like how people look at demons who do nothing wrong get punished. And that he wants to somehow help other people too, so that's why a knight is the next best thing! I for one don't want my mom to get hurt by this eventually. She's the only family I got, so I'll do anything to protect her!"

"So is she a great reason for you, Caden?"

"Yeah! You bet! She's super cool! She cooks great food and always works whenever she can. When she gets angry, she gets REALLY angry. It's like she's a man, really strong. But don't let her know I told you that. My ear might fall off."

"Alright, before anything else, let me ask, but it's alright if you don't understand. I just want to know something right now. What do the people of the slums think of the people from their boundary, and what does the other think of the other?"

"Ha! No problem! I can tell you, no problem," he pounded at his chest with his eyes closed. But his eyes remained close for the longest time that the silence took him in.

"Don't know anything, huh? It's- "

"Wait! I know that they don't like each other. That counts, right?"

Just before I could say anything, Dante spoke from behind his friend.

"T-There are three classes here that aren't that much enforced, but built upon years of discrimination. aside from royalty, It's the Nobility, the middle class, and the lower stratum. The middle class and the nobility are despised by the lower stratum while the nobility discriminate from the lower stratum and want to get rid of the slums and the people living there. The middle class are the ones being swayed, and the percent of people for the destruction of the slums and the lower stratum are higher than that of the ones who are against it."

... I could have not expected this, but I was surprised, clearly enough. I was left speechless trying to find what to say in reply, but I simply blinked my eyes at them.

"Oh yeah, Dante knows a lot since he's the son of a noble. He's not the bad one, of course. It's his dad. He punishes him if he doesn't learn well or get things right, it's pretty brutal. But I think my explanation was better. You know, simple and not confusing, don't you think?"

"That's not the point. Don't your parents know where you two are? It's too late to be out without anyone you know to keep you safe."

"Well, I snuck out, and so did Dante. But we'll get back by morning, so there's nothing to worry about."

"Still, it's dangerous. Haven't you two known what could happen if you're not careful? - "

As I spoke, they turned their attention to Von, whom warmed up to them almost instantly. He now sat comfortably on the stone pavement while Caden scratched his head with Dante watching from the sidelines.

"Woah! Cool, a wolf. Its fur is so soft. You really are a strong man, aren't you? I mean, you trained a wolf to be your pet!"

At the mention of the word 'pet' Von whimpered and looked at me for some reason.

"I'd say he's more of a companion rather than a pet. But wait, you're not listening. You two need to go back. I'm not good with taking care of other people, but that's besides the point. I'm not good enough to train you, more so if it's a knight that you're aiming for. Tell me, where do you live?" I asked Caden.

"Eh? Over there, near the entrance to the slums. It's dangerous near the center, so we're pretty fortunate."

"How about you, Dante?"

He nervously pointed towards a path leading to the inner district near the residential district and the palace grounds.

"Alright, come with me."

I started walking towards the slums entrance, whistling for Von to follow me.

"So you're finally going to train us?" he asked.

"No. I'll escort you two home before your parents find out. I'm not the best judge as to whether you're ready or not, but I just don't think I'm up for it, sorry."

"... Fine! If you don't want to, then we'll leave! I hate people who can do something but choose not to. You're just as worse as those nobles over there! Let's go, Dante. Let's go to my place and think of what to do next," he angrily pulled his friend towards the area to the slums in hurry, disappearing from my sight after a few seconds.

I was then left alone with the silence and the night to keep me company.

Releasing a sigh, I looked at my canine companion and asked, "Did you think I did the right thing by declining them?"

But he responded by tilting his head in confusion.

There was a reason for that. I hadn't said it properly since I thought that it didn't need to be said.

I don't want them to grow up with that kind of dream having learned something that won't help them the way they want it to. I'm not cut out for teaching others how to fight since they might end up in a bad place because of me. It's degrading who I am, but I can't find any other fault other than my distrust in myself. I'm still growing, but I'm not in the place of where I want to be right now.

I waited for a while more and looked around me, taking in the lay of the land. It's bigger than what I've seen from the outside that it feels like I've only seen a small part of it when it felt like I've walked a great deal of it.

This is going to take some getting used to.

... Thinking about it a bit more, I could only worry about sending them by themselves. After all, I hadn't apologized for not explaining things clearly.

"Right, I need to set things straight then head back without any regrets and worries."

So I headed towards the direction of the slums to where they headed off to.

Suddenly, a strong cold wind blew my way, sending a chill down my spine.

I rubber my shoulders and breathed into my cupped hands, making as much warmth as possible.

I need to get this done quick or I'll freeze to death.

As I made my way to an unfamiliar street devoid of people nor light, I began to feel an eerie chill.

I started walking lightly, looking around every nook and cranny I could. There were people here, and their presence didn't do any good in soothing my senses.

"Ah, let off me!"

I heard a loud cry further down the street that I stared at.

The familiar voice made my heart race, and so I began running in that direction with being careful in mind.

... Caden

I just don't get it. I mean, it's not that hard. I just want to protect mom and everyone else here. I want to get rid of the hatred in this city, the hatred that's split us all in two. We're all the same, but why do we have to be divided?

It's my fault. I placed too much of my trust in him. I thought he'd be the one to finally take us seriously and teach us, but no. He's just like everyone else here. Not even the soldiers who laze around at the local bars take notice of us, but once they do, they throw us away like trash.

Is it really that difficult to make a change?

"Don't worry, Caden. I'm sure he has his reasons for turning us away."

"What kind of reason would that be? He's lying. You saw it too. He said that he's not cut out for it, but he took down those goons like nothing. I want to be able to do that so I can't protect people. Don't you feel the same?"

"I-I do, but there's nothing we can do anymore but keep trying something else. It's not forever that this will happen. Soon we'll be all grown up, then we'll be able to make a change."

"But I want to start now. I've only been around the slums most of the time, but I've heard how bad things are outside the city. Demons are starting to attack innocent people, and there's a large chance that they'll attack here. I don't want that to happen... I've already lost someone because of them."

I felt my eyes tearing up at the remembrance of him. The way I wanted to imitate his heroism and courage. He was someone that I aspired for. Just another reason as to why I need to become a knight so that I can protect everyone.

No, I can't cry here. That's the same thing as giving up.

"Don't worry, Caden. It's alright. We'll be knights sooner or later. You'll make your dad proud when you become like him, brave and selfless."

"Easy for you to say. You can ask your father for a tutor."

"But he won't allow me. I've tried asking, but he scolded me and told me to focus on my studies."

He pulled on his sleeves, hiding something.

"If this keeps up, you'll be a boring statesman. We've got to do something to change that! Wait. not again! You got bruises again? That's smarts."

"Eh, ah! Let's move on about that. It's not important. How about we try my idea. We go back to my place and read some books about how to fight. It's going to be tedious, but it's the only option I can think of."

Looking at Dante, there wasn't anything wrong with him. He was more calm than I am, and here I thought I was the one who needed to himself together not just to look cool.

"If there's nothing else left, then let's do it. I don't care if it's boring anymore."

"Not scared of being caught whe we're there?"

"As if! I'll even take them all down and show 'em who's boss."

It was dark where we were heading. There were not gas lamps on every street. People here had to struggle to get a candle and at least light their houses. If they were fortunate enough to have houses in the first place, that is.

It wasn't odd that there weren't any people sleeping around here. The local church by the center of the slums offered the people a place to stay for the night since it would get especially cold tonight, which it already was.

I rubbed my hands together and breathed into it, warming myself a bit.

My clothes weren't exactly the best in this cold, but that didn't matter. A man can bear the harsh cold by himself using will alone. That's what I've been told... But what Dante wore was a bit warmer looking than mine.

"Wait, are you sure we're going in the right direction? This doesn't look that familiar at all."

Now that he says it, this place sure does seem different.

"No problem. We can just turn back. It's not like it's my first time around these parts."

"But isn't it dangerous to be somewhere you don't know?"

"Well, it is. Yeah, you're right. Let's just get out of here as fast as we can."

But just before I could leave, a group of people appeared, blocking the alleyways and the exits. They also appeared from behind us, at the very least, five people.

"Well, well, well. You seem lost. I don't suppose you just waltzed in here for some fun, didn't you? I'm sure that you remember me, don't you?"

A man with a dirty face and a slimy expression showed himself. He was someone I vaguely recognized.

"Hold him down."

At his words, I was forced down without me realizing it. Two of them pushed my head down to the ground hard enough to make me black out. But luckily I held on. I just feel a bit lightheaded after that.

"Caden!" Dante shouted.

From the corner of my eye, I saw him being held back by one other of the man's friends. He seemed unharmed, so that's fine.

"Don't worry, Dante. I've got this. Who are you and what do you want from me?" I asked.

"So you don't remember, don't you? Figures. You're just a stupid kid. Let me remind you, Caden. You knocked me out that one time and stole my money. Ring any bells?"

It did, surprisingly enough. A time back then when Dante and I walked around the slums, looking around for our own amusement. We just chanced upon him that time.

He's a slimy man known around the slums. He runs a small group that preys upon the helpless of the slums and takes all their possessions, not to mention ganging up on them unfairly. They're the worst types of people you could come by.

"So what? Stole something that you stole? You deserved it. That old lady was just walking by, and you tried to steal from her, worse, you tried to hit her when she wouldn't give you the money!"

I felt a weight pressed on my head, deepening the pain on my forehead. Maybe it's bleeding, I don't know.

"That's just how we live here. The unfortunate are made to be preyed upon. And it's the lady's fault for being there. Now, what I want to happen are two things. One, you give me back what you stole, and everything else that you have. Second, I return you the favor."

The second part of what he said had his face making a sly grin, almost as if he were thirsting for something.

Damn, if I only knew how to fight, then I'd be able to beat these kinds of people senseless so that no one else is harmed.

"Let's try the second point out then. I'm getting quite eager."

He started kicking me while laughing loudly in enjoyment.

The pain around every part of my body was unbearable, but I tried my best to protect myself, covering my head.

"Caden!"

I couldn't do anything. But is this really how things are going to end up for me?

"Hold him up. I'm getting even more irritated by looking at his face. Let's ruin it for a bit."

I was pulled up, my arms taken tightly by two people. I was pinned by a wooden wall of a house just behind me.

He repeatedly smashed his fists in my face. From there I was sure that it was pure rage which was fueling him.

I started losing my consciousness as my face felt awfully numb. I couldn't even see anything but the light of the moon I weakly looked up to.

But just before I could start losing myself, I saw a shadow move quickly, descending upon one of the men guarding the exits, just away from everyone else's sights.

He disappeared, dragged into the dark.

"Von, strike!"

There appeared a wolf, charging at the man holding Dante, biting on his leg and dragging him as best he could. That distraction allowed Dante to get free of the man's grip, also taking everyone else's attention away from me.

As if he possessed an inhuman ability of speed, he quickly rushed at the man to my left, ignoring the instigator, and struck him with his right fist, making a satisfying crunching noise. The man instantly fell to the ground with a thud. Connecting, he also took a quick, light jab at the other, knocking him out the moment his fist collided with his nose; head hitting the wooden wall, cracking it.

They fell in seconds, leaving only one left.

He didn't speak, but I saw his face. And at that moment I saw just how terrifying he looked. There was a sharp glare in his eyes, one that screamed death. The way the silence enveloped him and consumed his target was something that shook me on the inside.

The aura around him was overwhelming, almost as if waves were crashing into me and forcing me away. And like the boundless blue sky and the shining splendor of the stars up above, there was a strange glow on the back of his hand. I could not explain it, but as I stared into it, I swore that I heard voices calling out, speaking a language that I have never heard of before. Repeatedly, it whispered, and I found myself drawn to its allure.

The man backed away, reacting late to what had just happened.

"What?! W-Who the hell are you?" he yelled out.

But he didn't say anything. He simply took steps towards the man.

"S-Stay away from me! Don't you know that I run this territory?! I'll have you hunted down like an animal!"

He brandished a dagger and pointed it at him. But his steps just continued towards the man whom backed away in fear.

"I warned you!"

In a fit of rage, he charged at him with his dagger.

In a fluid motion, he evaded with his body and took his wrist holding the dagger, then punching the man repeatedly with his right.

He disarmed him and took the dagger, throwing it away at a wall, sticking there as if it were intentionally thrown that way.

"Weigh your hand on any of these innocent people and you will face a fate worse than eternal damnation. I will bloody my own hands for their sake, and in the end, you will find me more terrifying than a demon or death himself!"

"I-I'll remember this! Don't think you're off the hook, kid. You just made more trouble than what you started with!"

He quickly ran off with his tail between his legs and disappeared within seconds.

He fell to his knees and clutched his hand tightly, as if he were trying to bear the pain of something. The fear I felt from him disappeared, and everything seemed to return to normal. His companion came up to him and had his head petted.

"How the heck am I going to explain this to your mom?" he said, glancing at me.

He stood up and helped Dante to his feet. Running towards me, he had a face of terror.

"How does it look?" I asked.

"Uh, it's not... that bad."

The way he fumbled with his words meant that it was bad. True enough that it pained me, but the numbness was welcoming since it helped me not feel the pain from the beating. I've been through worse, after all.

"Why did you come back?" I turned my attention to him.

"I didn't get to explain why I can't teach you, but seeing as how things went down here, I've changed my mind. IF you really think that I can help you, then I will to the best of my abilities. But first, I think we need to get you back home. Point the way."

Along with Dante, he carried me back. It was beyond late at that time, so my body had nearly not enough energy to keep up. But eventually we had made it back.

"This is the place. Go through the window as quietly as possible. The doors are already locked, so this is the only place you'll get in from."

For some reason, that little squeaking noise that they had made on the wooden floor as they stepped in gave me a terrible premonition. Once inside, there was a terrifying beast waiting for us, fuming with her hands at her sides. She produced a terrible glare that was seen from the light of the candle she held near her face.

"I don't suppose you would mind telling me all this, now would you, Caden?"

"I-I can explain!"