Beaten

The blazing morning sun had no effect of preventing fishermen from catching some fishes.

Merchants as well had their part to play and almost everyone moved with speed to their destination.

With all these movements, a little boy of six years sat in a dark corner, hungry and weak. His knee raised to his chest, with soft sobs being heard.

His mother had left to look for food in a society where the poor were stepped on and given crumbs to eat from rich men's plates.

Wiping every last trace of his tears which has long dried up, he got up with the worst idea ringing in his head.

To steal.

Although his mother warned him continuously regarding this, the hunger he felt was no match to the warning of his mother.

Carefully walking away from the dark corner, his young eyes roamed around the busty and crowded environment, looking for a victim.

From a young woman who had kept some change in her purse, to an old man buying cold beer. All were his low status and none enough to steal from without his heart beating in guilt.

He again looked around to find a victim, one rich and foolish.

As he searched around, he spotted a man stepping out from a carriage.

He smiled when he realized how rich this victim is.

The man stepped out with pride and looked at the beggars by the Street with disgust. He held in his hand a cane adorned at the top with a gem.

His bushy eyebrows and a wide grin formed on his lips were enough to make a soul annoyed.

As the man spoke, his protruding stomach rose and fell signifying how much he drank and ate with the money which needed to be shared to the community. The Clothes he wore were worth fifty bags of coins, more to be precise.

The little boy watched as he stepped out from the carriage, painting with every step, for his obesity was another concern.

He watched as the man kicked away another lean begging man into the puddle and whipped his back with the cane.

"Pathetic! How dare you touch me with those filthy hands of yours" The rich man screamed out, whipping the begging soul mercilessly.

"Stop that you!" A woman hanging some washed laundry said in anger. "Why so wicked and tough when you have nothing in your brain?"

"Shut up woman, you speak gibberish to the-"

"Who?" A man sitting on a rocking chair angrily asked. "A fat pig?"

"I'll make you pay for that filthy animal!" As the rich man launched a punch, the little boy came in front, receiving the beating while falling on the man's protruding stomach.

"Get off!" He pushed the boy into the water, spitting on his face.

"One day," The little boy said, "I'll be the one spitting on your face!"

"Ahhhhhhhhhhh!" Screamed the rich man, already provoked, then turned to his subordinates. "Why am I the only one dealing with this ? Discipline this trash!"

The words left the little boy in wounds and bruises as the men flogged the living hell out of his life.

The rich man spat again on him, "Now, who's the one spitting?"

"Me!" The little boy said with courage.

"Damn you!" Angry and mad, the rich man kicked the boy in his gut and walked away, leaving him to the mercy of who cares.

As the carriage rode away, those around ran towards the little boy with worry in their eyes and words of concern leaving their lips.

"Why save me?" The man with a pipe in his mouth asked.

"Don't talk like that Marcus! He was a warrior today!" A woman said.

"Don't talk to him that way Marcus!" An old woman who happened to be there was scolded. "You would be have been hundred percent dead by now if you must know"

As the people shared their worry, a woman shouted in a large voice.

"My Son! My Son!! Where is my little boy?"

"There!" The immediate answer from a man was enough to make the woman rush in a supersonic speed.

Running to the direction he pointed, she pushed through the crowd only to see her son on the ground with a woman bandaging his wounds.

"Delon!" The woman called out, rushing towards her child before asking those around, "What happened to my son?"

"He stood in front of a fight to save 'the town' against those arrogant wealthy bastards," a man said from the crowd.

"He's brave yet foolish at the same time" another cried.

"Stop talking, we all know it was a free will. Delon is supposed to be praised for standing up for us, to tell that good for nothing rich man that even though we are in a low status, one has the right to speak out and fight against oppression!" A girl wearing a patched gown spoke up, seizing the crowd's cries and the noises.

"Maybe she's right" the crowd finally got into one voice, none speaking out of order.

Slowly, one left, then another, another as well, before long the entire crowd.

"Delon, can you walk?" His mother asked.

"I can mother" he answered getting up, then collapsed to the ground.

"DELON!!!" The girl screamed out.

"I'm alright Lila" he assured the little girl.

"Whether alright or not alright I'm carrying you!" His mother said, dropping a basket of fresh fruits and vegetables she brought for food.

"Mother stop! I'm a Man!" Delon protested.

"Man or boy, I'll carry you." After lots of debates, Delon lost and ended up carried by his mother.

"Mother," he called out slowly from his mother's back.

"Yes, Delon?"

"I promise to carry you in wealth and provide the happiness you always showed me and Lila, even as a single mother you care alot for us. I promise to sit you on a throne of riches!"

"Keep your mouth shut you boy" his mother shook her head. "I hope that won't come from stolen money?"

"Mother no! I will join the knights and from there I'll make enough money a-"

"Miraculously become an emperor? SHUT UP!."

____

The day went by a bit smoothly. Upon coming home, during the mid-afternoon, Delon helped his mother in picking the vegetables, slicing and cutting their still fresh leaves.

Within thirty minutes, a soup was ready, with bread beside.

"First time we are tasting food this good. Thanks a lot" Lila gratefully appreciated the lunch.

"It's no big de-"

"Okay, I'll go and relax now" Delon hurriedly sipped his bowl of soup, filling his mouth with the bread and swallowing it in one go.

This eating habit left his mother and childhood friend, Lila surprised. His mother was about to say a word of scolding when he ran into his room and shut the door.

"What an attitude!."

Meanwhile,

Delon fell on the bed tucked in neatly by his mother. Tossing to the other side, he brought out a small tied bag of coins he stole from the rich man when he fell on him.

"Time to save and join the Knight training and help my mother!."