His City

As both children entered the forbidden city heads turned their way, and the stares that were given were as cold as ice. The little boy's breath hitched as the steps he made became heavier. It was obvious to the girl that he was getting uncomfortable with the unwanted attention so she grabbed onto his shirt and dashed away from the crowd.

Soon, she took a turn that lead to an alleyway that was deserted.

The boy heaved a sigh as both of them continued to pant from running too much. After a few minutes they both decided to sit down since they were both tired from the long journey. They both exchanged glances but no words were spoken.

The little boy then started to write on the ground, the dirt and sand moved as he continued to write. In a cursive form were the words that said "I'm tired," he used his dirtied fingers to resume the unfinished writing and soon he came to a halt.

Unbeknownst to him the girl read the whole message that said "I'm tired, are you?"

The little girl could only reply with a quiet whisper of "Obviously." Before adjusting her figure to a more comfortable position.

Determined to break the tension between the both of them the little boy decided to talk to the girl once more.

"Could you tell me your name?"

"Isn't it only right to introduce yourself before asking another's name?"

"Why is it that you answer my question with a question?"

"Why is it that you do that same?"

"I just find it fun!" Said the boy while grinning at nobody in particular.

"I see. . ."

"You're such an idiot." Muttered the jet black haired girl.

"My father said 'idiot' is a bad word!"    'Oh no, I just said it!' Thought the boy while mentallly face palming.

"Well aren't you one." Replied the girl whilst rolling her eyes.

"But aren't you also one for quarreling, talking, and associating yourself with me?" Questioned the boy in an eager manner.

The little girl went silent, as if she was slapped with the stupid truth. The boy, obviously ignorant of how he unintentionally hurt the girl continued to kick the sand under his feet.

"Oh shut it." The girl snapped

"Shut what?"

"Nevermind." Whispered the girl while heaving a heavy sigh.

"Anyway, the name's Amphery Luden Devereux."

"What a complicated name, I think it gave me a headache." Commented the boy while massaging his head, implying that he has a 'headache'.

"What did you just say?" The girl said, annoyed with the boy's reaction.

"I was just joking," said the boy while trying to brush off his stupid remark, "it's aninteresting name."

"Really now?"

And he replied with a "yup" popping the p over and over again.

"Would you mind to stop doing that and tell me your name?" The girl said, irritated with him.

"I'm Zade de Saint-Exupéry, and the robe you're wearing right now is my father's, and I hope you would gladly return it 'cause if not he's gonna be angry at me— not that he never is."

"What a long introduction, and no, I have no intention of giving this back to you. Also, you're name's no better than mine, it's just as complicated, if not, more mind boggling than mine."

"Okay."

"Is that all you have to say?"

"What else? I thought you wanted me to 'shut it'."

"Stop acting like you're a smart āss, you idiot."

GROWL

"I'm hungry Amphery. . ."

"What do you want me to do? Fetch you food?"

"Exactly what I thought! Luden are you a clairvoyant?" Asked the boy giddily

"I'm clearly not capable of clairvoyance so shut it and go find yourself food."

"But I'm too tired and hungry to move. . ."

"Then die of hunger here, I'm going to fetch me some food."

"Do you have any idea on how to get food without money?"

"Simple, I'm a thief. I stole a robe, I can steal some bread."

"But that's bad! Are you a kleptomaniac?"

"It's for survival you idiot, besides, this is the city of thieves."

And once again the two was engulfed in silence, only the rolling of the pebbles under their feet are heard whilst their breathing broke the quiet atmosphere from time to time.

"Shall we?" The boy mouthed, and the little girl nodded in agreement.

"Hey Zade, aren't you worried that you're away from home?"

"Not really," he answered "I think being there for a long time suffocated me, seeing this new environment made me realize there's more to this world than sitting and studying." He continued

"Seems like we differ in opinion," and then Zade looked at her, baffled with her comment.

"You're given all the comforts in the world, yet you threw it away."

"Well, you're given all the freedom in the world, why trade it away?" Zade remarked while he continued walking through the dusty road.

"Say, you don't say my name often, Amphery."

"I don't think I need to."

"I guess. . ."

They both stopped when they saw a store, and with a beaming smile the little boy entered.

"Oi! You shouldn't enter—" but before she can even continue the boy gripped her wrist and immediately ran to the only person inside the store.

"My, my, what do we have here?" Exclaimed the woman with a smile, her yellow teeth gleaming from the light the lightbulb provided.

"Hello there Miss! I'm kinda hungry and I'm afraid I don't have any money at all, could you be so kind and share some leftovers for us?" The little boy chirped while his companion looked at the woman warily.

"Who do you think gives out free food these days?" Hissed Amphery, obviously angered with the boy's hasty action.

"What an interesting boy, Luden my dear who have you invited this time?" The plump woman smirked at the girl, who scoffed in return.

"None of your business." She grumbled

"The boss wouldn't be happy with your behavior but I guess I can let it slide for now." Chuckled the woman while preparing some food.

"Here, I'm going to be kind and give you this, your highness." Spat the woman while giving the little boy some bread.

"Your highness? I believe your mistaken ma'am. . ." Insisted the perplexed boy, "I'm just an ordinary boy.""Oh, is that so?" Sneered the middle aged woman while eyeing the girl.

"Yes, now we have to go." Interrupted Luden while grabbing Zade by the collar.

"But I haven't finished my bread yet!" He retorted, "We can get you more soon but we have to go."

"Go to where?" He hollered, still puzzled by her attitude.

"Just shut up!" She growled while pulling him out of the shop by his collar.

"So we're back to hiding?" He pouted, and Amphery silenced him with a glare.

Zade sighed and pulled out something from his pocket, "Here, I managed to get some extra bread before you pulled me out of the shop, you must be hungry from running all the way here."

"No, I've been doing this for years now, it's already normal to me." Stated Amphery. "What's normal to you? Skipping meals? That's not healthy. . ." he barked, and quickly, he took a piece of the bread and stuffed it into Amphery's mouth.

She started to go red from rage and embarrassment, she immediately removed the bread from her mouth and yelled at Zade.

"What in the world are you doing? Are you out of your mind?" She snarled

"You seemed hungry so. . ." The boy started to mumble excuses but Amphery didn't bother listening to them.

"I guess, I'm sorry. . ." He apologized, while Amphery continued to blush, a red hue spreading across her face.

"Alright then. . ."

"So you forgive me?" He asked, slowly raising his head.

An eerie silence crept from the awkward tension between them. They both continued to look from the opposite direction, but the little boy decided to steal a glance, and he saw the girl, but this time that girl was smiling. The little boy forgot for a split second that he was looking at the very same girl. Who knew that her smile could light up the small world the little boy had.

The boy looked away, a light blush evident on his face.

"Hey Amphery. . ."

"I just realized that you have a beautiful name."

And again, there was no response...

"Amphery?"

And just like that, the girl disappeared. Her figure was nowhere to be seen. Then, the boy was hit with the realization that the girl went away just as fast as she came into his dull and lifeless world.

The boy felt a sharp pang of pain in his heart as he realized that he was alone once more.



Years have passed and the little boy is not so little anymore. One can say he's already started his life as a young adult in the age of 18. Even though time has passed, his dread of missing the girl was still present, and once again shall their fates intertwine.

"Ah, Mr. Zade, what brings you back here in the library?" Asked the old man who has been working at the library for decades.

"Nothing much sir," smiled the young man, "but if you may permit, may I borrow this book for the sixth time this week?" He asked, the same beaming smile was seen on his face.

"Of course! The best book for the new young man of the town." Replied the old man followed with a wink that made the young man cringe.

"You flatter me too much sir, thank you for letting me borrow the book." Thanked the young man, known as Zade. He walked out of the library and opened his book, a grin plastered on his face, obviously overjoyed to be able to read the book once more.

"Mr. Zade, good mornin', how's life as a new man?" Asked a passerby, "I have always been one." Answered Zade, humming out a tune he remembered from when he was a kid.

"I see, see ya around, sport!" Zade, in a span of a couple years, have become a quite knowledgeable boy, knowledgeable enough for the whole city to know his name.

He was called "the thief that never stole"— many found it comedic but they never questioned it.

He has always been cheerful and optimistic, and that's what he was known for. He was the boy that brought light to the world of thieves though his own world was shrouded with darkness.

"Always on a book I see," said a familliar voice, "even though you don't seem to be the bookworm type you're always with a book." It was the same yellow teethed woman who gave him bread when he was just a child.

"Why don't ya go after those gals fawning over ya? I think ya might get a penny or two." She joked, "Very funny ma'am. . ." Replied Zade while inspecting the cover of his book. In all honesty he wasn't very fond of remembering names, the last time someone told him their name, that 'someone' left.

"Aaww come on you're already eighteen! Besides, you're quite the looker, amiright?" Snickered the woman, but Zade continued to ignore her as he continued reading his book.

"Is it because there's someone that has already stolen your heart that you don't want any other woman?" Smirked the woman, obviously enjoying teasing the young brunette. The woman remembered that it was Luden that brought him here, and she enjoyed teasing him about her.

"Nope, and I don't care. I'm gonna go now." Zade mutters, walking away from the mischievous woman, "Suit yourself, good luck!" Zade ignores her continues reading the book.

Zade has already made it back to his house. It wasn't really his house, it was just abandoned and he decided to move in, he didn't really worry about his food since many of the people that lives there shared their food with him.

He always wondered why this city was called the city of thieves, nobody really stole anything from him, and they were all good to him, so why? He thought, still befuddled with his own question.

"Ouch!" He shrieked, he then realized that a wood plank that fell from the ceiling hit him on the head. Grumbling a bit he sat down on the wooden floor and looked around him, he knew that the house was bound to fall apart sooner or later but he didn't care, as long as his favorite book was with him, he felt at home.

He put down his book and picked up the pieces of the wood that fell, bringing them to a room he used as storage. "I think I'll use them to repair the house, soon, that is, but not now." He mentallly noted. He knew that when he meant soon, it meant when the house is about to crumble— it was probably too late anyway.

When he came back to the living room, he saw no trace of his beloved book.

"Where could it be?" He thought.

He immediately went out of the house only to hear a voice above him.

"Say, were you always a bookworm?" It was a familiar voice that filled him with nostalgia, making him shudder a bit.

"Could it really be?" He looked up, and he saw a familiar figure from years ago sitting on his rooftop.

"Amphery?"

And with that, a ghostly smile was seen on the girl's face.

A young man in the age of 18 caught sight of this and with nostalgia he ran, knowing that this person will change his life once again.

"Hey Zade, don't tell me this city has become your latibule."

And the two crossed paths in order to fulfill their destiny.

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Into The City of Thieves

Part ii

His City, His Latibule

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