34: A Child's Dolor

(Haris)

King Xavier reminded recently about this cane. I'm such a negligent being. And of course that will never happened if I didn't accept Davih's challenge. He simply told me that the greater the ales drunken, the better man for Ashti. And he fooled me easily. The bar was ruined, full of spiders, I kick everything randomly, predicting that my cane was buried somewhere.

"Ashti, you said I used the cane to turn you into that. Still remember where was the last time I held it?" she's thinking.

"Ah! You dropped it when Davih plays swords with you." That guy! Involving me with his futile games! I can't sense my cane here neither.

"Haris, spider!! Spider!!" There's a palm-size spider on my thigh, near the pocket where Ashti is. I snicker. But I still removed it and go outside the bar but actually the bar doesn't have a roof so I considered it outside already. Where did Davih go? Even Jexica.

"So you're awake!" The one I'm looking for is behind me.

"Princess Jexica, I'm really sorry-"

"Save the apology later. Repair these damages now."

"Yes, but not now..."

"What? Then when?!"

"I mean... I can't... I still need some... ah..."

"Rest?"

"No..."

"He still needs his cane," Ashti said. How could she reveal it like that?! Princess Jexica is tapping his feet, arms-folded and glare.

"I still need to look for my cane," I said politely. Ashti titters. When Princess whistles, a puppy appeared. It's Mac. He can smell the same scent even if it's miles away.

"Go help him search for his cane," she said to Mac. He came closer to me, Ashti told me I held the cane by my right hand, I made him smell it. He twitch to move and look at north, then he run. I follow him. I know my cane is here, I can still feel it.

"This could be the 2nd time you lost that cane!" Ashti said.

"No. Countless times."

"Tch, you're so stubborn."

"Ashti, I'm sorry. I'll bring you back to normal when I retrieved my cane."

"Well you must!"

"Also, I can be better than Almidoron."

"Hmm? Really huh...?" I expect that stammering response.

This city, surrounded by wicked atmosphere. Only the people with high possessions and career receive a humanly respect. A completely opposite to the one who made this city. When I was a child, I was treated a prince. And now, I'm just a total stranger.

The vicinity are rotten. A public home for pests. Still there are illegal vendors here, selling even a deadly weapon, a certain alchemist sells some poisons, there are people addicted to smoke, ales and money lovers. This is a total opposite of the past city I knew before.

I can easily observe it while following Mac. And he's leading the way to a narrow path. A winding lane. It smells nasty here. And we're going deeper, an underground. After that path, there are houses, ugly and decayed. An inferior location for the most vagrant people. The stench that spread throughout the area cause by the forlorn ditch.

"A squatter area? I thought this is a total peculiar city. Yet it doesn't have any differences," Ashti utter. I keep on following Mac. I feel like vomiting with this sickening ambience. People here are beggars. They have tattered cloth, a messy layout, those garbage scattered around are like planted garden for them.

They're simply loitering. Doesn't have a little conscience to clean their surroundings. And at last, we're here. Mac is sitting in front of a house, a wooden house of termites. Mac disappeared since his calling is done. I walk carefully on the house's deck, standing in front of the door. I can feel two humans inside.

My cane is here. One of them is a girl, younger than lass, a child. And a man, an old man sick in bed. Fascinating! My sensitivity improves! I guess I need to drink more if that was the cause. I knock twice. As expected the one who opened the door is the girl. She was frighten after seeing me. She tried to close the door again but I hinder my feet.

"Who are you?! What are you doing here?!"

"My name is Haris. I'm here for my cane," she muted.

"O-okay... but p-please stay there! I'll get it for you!" Then she close the door immediately. She's so aloof. I'll try something, passing through the walls. I often failed doing it during my training and ended up stuck inside the wall. More like my broken necklace's capacity. As a result, my intention succeed.

I pass through their door and walls until I enter the old man's room. He's hovering between life and death. And the girl, she's here too, searching for my cane inside their drawer. She fell down with surprise when she saw me. Trembling. She could be traumatized by humans.

"What happened to your father?"

"He's not my father. He's just the one who nurtured us."

"And that stands for a father."

"Please don't mind, here! Take it and leave please!!" she beg while giving me the cane.

"How did my cane ended up here?"

"M-my brother... he said th-that stick has magics! He took it here and tried to heal my... our father..."

"I see-"

"Could you please leave now?!"

"Why so frighten?" she didn't replied and I sigh. "Fine. But first give this to your father." I hide the cane in my palm when I close it together and I open it with a pouch of cookies. She took it anxiously. His father is conscious and she gave it to him.

"Alright, I'm leaving." I certified first that he ate it before I leave. I already cross the door when the girl called me aloud.

"Sir Hallice! Please wait!!"

I came inside her house without her noticing. She's still looking for me outside. I prepare a lots of meals for them on their table. Sitting on the chair beside it. And when she came back, she's almost dropping saliva from hunger.

"I know your starvation."

She attack the foods, devour everything with her barehands. I pity everyone's famine here.

"Hey little gir-" I cover Ashti's mouth. Still she's humming.

"What is it Sir Hallice?"

"Hallice ah? Such a nice name. Actually my name is Haris. And I'm just trying to calm my pet here..."

"Really?! What kind of pet?!" And now she's too excited and comfortable with me. And a sudden embarrassment with that.

"Would you really like to see her?" then I put her on the table.

"Why do you have to cover me like that?!"

"Because you're a talking doll, you'll freak her out, idiot."

"Hmph! Hi! I'm Ashti!" She grab her like her own doll.

"Whoooaa!! A talking doll!! But why is she chained?"

"He chained me."

"Don't get the wrong idea. We're both victims of this chain."

"Oohh. Sir Haris, thank you for everything." Her smile makes me wanna adapt her.

"Hoho. You're lucky he likes children." I sigh.

"Sir Haris, you can do magics, right?"

"Yes." She face down.

"I may sound shameless, I'm sorry from the way I talked to you earlier. And also, please, bring my brother home. He came here yesterday and fled right away. He's always stealing and bashed, he never comes home often for he doesn't want to see father like that!" She's crying, used Ashti to wipe her tears.

"Okay! We'll take him home!" said Ashti.

"Oh come on Goyal don't ask such a favor to a stranger," a voice of an old man. Her father. She hug her tight, weeping. I doubted.

"It's fine, I also need to talk to him as the thief of my cane. What is his name?"

"Gerhard," the old man answered.

"How did this happened?! You're severely sick...! How...?!"

"Well, I feel better with that cookie," then he grin.

"Sir Haris, thank you... thank you..."

"Thank you for healing me, she meant." I nod. I put Ashti back to my pocket and left.

"Alright so how can we find him? We don't even have his poster."

"He's well described by his sister, I guess."

"Haris, is there something wrong with Goyal?" I shut my mouth for a second.

"Goyal is the name of the god that made this city."

"What?! Really?!"

"But she's missing. And that kid, they have the same name. It reminds me of that god's charity."

I'm running here again on the maze-like lane. This facilities is perfect for a free run for criminals. I can smell the wet market from here. And easier than expected, fate plays along with me. I think I found Gerhard. On the left lane there is a boy being beaten by five men.

"Haris it's him!! The one I saw in the bar!!"

"You saw him stole my cane?"

"No. Same situation. He's being beaten too! Haris you have to help him!"

"I know." I whistle to steal their attention. And it made me shiver.

"Now what?! A super hero?!" one of them said with a follow up laugh. I hide then appeared on the opposite side of the alley. They keep their eyes on me. And that was a wrong move.

"Over here newbies!" I said behind the guy with mustache. And without hesitation he blow a punch with his turn and hit his comrade.

"Will you get out of my way?!"

"You're kidding me I was standing here all the time!!"

"What?!"

I bash the mustache boy's nape with my cane. Knock out. One down. I hit the tip of the cane on another guy's stomach and punch him while agonizing. Two down. The other one attack me from behind, I dodge him and kick backward. He bump to the wall, I grab his head and bump him again. Three down.

Again, an ambush. I dodge it. He's holding a knife. And he's a better fighter than anyone from his peers. The other one ran away. And that's what I thought. I just keep my evasion and blocking. And he still have the guts to laugh at me. The guy behind me covered my head by metal bucket. I felt the knife slid on my chest.

I nudge the guy behind, and pull the one in front of me to kneed him and punch his nose. Back to the guy behind, I kick his groin, transfer the bucket to his head and hit it with my cane like drums. All down. the boy is sitting on the corner between two wooden boxes, wounded. I offer him a cookie but he slap my hand. It turned to waste.

"Don't treat me like a kid stupid!!"

"Oh come on Haris you can't just give anyone a cookie..."

I smile at him.

"You're hungry, right?" he felt the cookie on his hand. In the end he ate it, and cry. Elimination failed. The guy who can fight with knife stabbed me to my waist. I groan.

"And you really think you can beat me like that-? Wait... what?" he saw me smirking.

"Just kidding," I said.

I pull his collar and punch him, this time, harder. The bent blade of the knife fell on my feet.

"Your name is Gerhard, isn't it?"

"How did you know?!"

"Your sister told me to take you home." He glare at me.

"She's not my sister!!" then he run away.

"How ingrate..." Ashti mumbled.

I appeared in front of the boy and he break from running.

"Don't follow me you witch!!"

"Whatever you call me it doesn't matter, as long as you come home I'm fine with that."

"No! I'm not going home anymore!! I don't want to see that dying geezer again!!"

"You're so mean... so how long do you plan on doing this?"

"Until I stop breathing...!"

"You know, you could enjoy your life at home..."

"Shut up!!! You don't know a thing about me! You're just a stranger trying to take me home according a kid..." I sit in front of him matching his height. He's still crying. "How am I suppose to enjoy life?! Life is so mean! You can live only through stealing, if you don't then you die! It's better to be beaten up than die in famine!"

"Gerhard-"

"Don't ask me to go home again! Only my mother will take me home. And where is she? She's dead! Life is so unfair! I lost my mother because of those monsters who attacked our village, the people took us here and treat us like rats!! What's the purpose of home without hearing the voice of my mother ah?! No one... no one will... love me... like she does... so just keep your attention away from me! You don't even know how it hurts..."

"...Gerhard... what does your mother look like?"

"Mmm... long and curly brunette... fair skin like you... brown eyes... her chubby cheek bone shows whenever she smiles... her voice is like a sweet humming bird... she's... she's so... beautiful..."

I don't know the exactness, but he described his mother well. I use the power of the cane to simulate his mother, and I totally changed to another person. My hair changed color and became longer, curl. My face changed it's shape. And of course I have to remove my masquerade mask. I transformed while he's speaking and rubbing his teary eyes.

"Gerhard, let's go home," I said with a sweet voice that only a mother has, I guess. And I smile at him, again. He hug me tight for thinking that I am really his mother. He's weeping. I hug him back, gave him enough time to feel the ease then made him asleep. I'm slowly turning back to normal, I wear my mask right away, chasing my breath.

"Haris! Are you alright?!"

I got the control of it even for a short while. Good thing I didn't killed anyone.

"Lets take him home."