2 Chapter-2 Max

It was morning, and Alex was inside a hotel room which he had booked after stealing some money from some people who passed by him. They were praising the Church, so that was the reason Alex used to justify his actions from his own self.

Looking out from the window, he saw that some officials from the Church of Light walking outside, directly parallel to his room' window. By their looks, they seemed to be Deacons.

The hierarchy of the Church of Light was- Pope, Bishops, Arch-Bishops, Priests, Deacons and finally servants. The two men he could see were deacons, and by the way they were moving, Alex sensed that something was up, or they must be doing some really important business of the Church.

No matter which of those two cases it was, both would be benificial to Alex.

'I would spy on and ruin the plans of the Church of Light and kill them anyway, so why not start now' thought Alex, as he put on his cloak and quickly stormed out of the hotel he was staying in.

Alex started secretly following the Deacons, who themselves were trying to be discreet. After some time, they seemed to stop near a house. Alex was a few houses behind them, on the opposite side of the lane; trying to eavesdrop on their conversation.

***

One of the deacons knocked on the door angrily, and in a couple of seconds, the door opened; a timid lady there to welcome them.

"Oh, honorable sirs, come in, come in," said the woman, trying to look welcoming. As the two Deacons got inside the house, Alex quickly walked over to the other side of the street, and started searching for entrances to the house, and soon, he found a window and entered the house.

Alex was glad that he hadn't missed anything, as the Deacons were just having snacks and drinks while the lady and her husband, a man who seemed like he had lost all his wealth sat parallel to them quietly.

Alex was pretty good at being stealthy, as he had mastered the art of hiding since he was 12. He needed to hunt for food, and for that, agility and stealth were the utmost necessities.

The Deacons finished their snacks and were now ready for talk.

"So, what are your thoughts on giving your son, Max to the Church of Light?" asked one of them, the one who had knocked on the door; as the other one seemed to be mostly silent.

"Well, we have a lot of respect for the Church of Light, and if they weren't there to help us, we wouldn't have a house; but giving our son away is quite a big thing. Could you two be so generous as to give us more time to consider?" pleaded the man, with a hopeless expression on his face.

After a short pause, the Deacon replied," We won't coerce you to give your son to us, but look at the advantages. Max has the element of Light, which is considered to be quite a rarity, and we will train him to be strong. If he turns out to be good, he will be a Deacon of the Church. If that isn't enough to persuade you, we still have other ways."

As he said this, the pair of Deacons got up and walked out of the house. Alex decided that he would reveal himself in some time. He could help here, and if he didn't, another kid's life would be ruined by the Church. He could also get this kid, Max, to help him achieve his goal.

"That crappy Church of Light! How feat they demand our son? What do they think they are, they're just a couple of measly Deacons, yet they act as if they had authority over the entire city. I now regret the decision of letting the Church give us the money we needed," said the man, who sat there, frustrated.

A of a sudden, a kid came running out of the room behind. He was 10 or 11 years old and was fit for his age. Alex hid carefully, trying not to be seen by Max. Max didn't find Alex as he rushed straight to his parents.

"Mom, dad, why do we have to listen to the officials of the Church. They are not doing the right thing. We should tell this to everyone in the town and then we could get the Church banished from the town. There would be at least someone who could help us, right," he said, trying to give his parents hope.

"Max, listen, the Church isn't something that only a couple of people like us could defeat. It runs on a way larger scale than just this town. We will try our best to find a way to repay them, but won't give you away. You are our only hope. If they come and take us, you run away and come back stronger, strong enough to face the Church.

These words reminded Alex of his goals and aspirations, and he was now sure that he would help this family, and surely kill the Deacons for causing these innocent people such trouble.

Alex moved towards the family, who were shocked to see him.

"Who are you? Are you with the Church? What are you doing in my house?" asked the man, looking tense.

"Relax, I am not with the Church. I loathe the Church and will skin ever single member of the Chrcuh alive. I could help you get revenge on the Church, but as the Deacons said, Max here, is has the Light element. He will also have to help me in my journey, or else I won't help you. I won't be taking him away like the Church, though. He can visit you whenever he likes," said Alex, waiting for a reply.

The parents looked unsure, but Mac looked excited, and before his parents could say anything Max agreed to accompanying Alex. Max also harbored hate for the Church, but since he was young and naive, he wouldn't be able to kill without any remorse. If Alex taught him that, he would have an extraordinary companion.

"Let's go," said Alex, "I'll get revenge on those Deacons for you!"