Chapter 4: Outside the Jian Palace Walls

The two boys had successfully made their way to the main gate of the Jian palace walls. However, they were met by two soldiers who were guarding the gates, forcing them on a stop to hide and think on how to sneak out.

"Tsk, we'll have to stop here, we'll wait for an opportunity to pass the soldiers." Whispered the thief to the cloaked Prince whom nodded obediently and kept watch at their surroundings.

They were hiding inside a wooden carriage, along with it's heavy load of wooden, and well polished barrels stamped with the Jian Palace official emblem containing the said miraculous water.

"These soldiers must've switched guarding posts just now, we came a bit late, we missed the right timing to cross the gates where no gatekeepers are guarding over it." Frustratingly said the Prince, which he anxiously sighed over.

A moment had passed, the two were still waiting for the time the palace soldiers come to switch guards, but they don't know how long that would take, they might as well get stuck at this unmoving carriage and get caught in the morning.

'This is very risky.' Thought Jian Li. The boy grinned at him, reading the words written on his face: "You asked for this remember?" The Prince's face crumpled like paper and let out a quiet, "hmph".

Tak

Tak

Tak

Tak

As they heard the incoming footsteps, their eyes sought each other in the darkness of the carriage.

With the unaudible conversation that were being exchanged outside by two men, the both of them locked their eyes in alert at the door of the carriage, scared for it to open and reveal them being together.

"Hide behind the barrels. Quick." Whispered the boy. The Prince crawled quietly and hid at the darkest corners of the compartment. After a moment, they felt a sudden shake and thuds, as though a person had mounted the carriage as well.

The boy went to Jian Li's side and they both sat silently inside the carriage which suddenly shook and moved as the horsewhip of the coachman made the horses neigh loudly. Thudding and bumping around, the carriage advances out of the palace walls.

It would appear that both their lucks doubled when they reckoned that the carriage they were boarding were heading straight towards the Jian capital to deliver stocks of the miraculous water to another branch of its trading house.

The enormous iron gate with touches of beautiful formed glasses of the Royal Palace now closed. The carriage steadily moves away from the Jian palace that went a little smaller as their distance from it widens.

Peeking from the little gaps of the carriage, they both sighed when they successfully escaped out of the palace border.

Jian Li's eyes widened. 'Im out.'

The boy who was sitting quietly at the dark cornee watched him with a proud grin, both his arms crossed above his chest, looking at Jian Li's face which was filled with excitement and also anxiety at the same time.

The galloping of the horses and the soft shaking of the water inside barrels were all they heard as they rode the carriage. The Prince's eyes were shining and shifting around, trying to look everywhere and anywhere his eyes lands in between the gap of the carriage and its curtain.

"Hey. Sit down, chill." The boy said in a calm, quiet voice when the Prince's focus changed, his ears twitching at an uncomfortable sound of someone calling him.

"You.. Why do you adress your Prince so carelessly?" Jian Li crawled back and sat across the boy, both his knees was folded neatly and rests with a poise of someone so graceful.

He twisted his lip in a stupid grin, showing a small fang. "Do forgive me for my discourtesy, my Prince."

Along the life of Jian Li, one of the royals, no one had ever dared to even show him a careless, sly smiles. Except this rotten boy in front of his blue eyes.

In all honesty, he was deeply interested.

Yet still, he cannot avoid his eyes twitching in annoyance whenever the thief would not address him correctly.

Jian Li replies back quietly in a manner of utter calmness in his voice. "You don't look like asking for forgiveness, boy."

Seeing the other boy loosen the fold of both his arms, Jian Li jolts as he sees the red eyes of the boy glowing wildly in the dark. He would feel his gaze subjecting towards something on Jian Li's neck.

The boy glared dangerously at the ruby treasure around his neck. 'You are not free as well?'

Swiftly pulling out his black dagger out of his waist, he extended his arm that were holding the blade, its sharp end pointing right at Jian Li's neck.

"That.." he growled softly.

Jian Li gulped. 'Is he talking about the family treasure?" He gasps: " Does he want to get this as well?!'

"It makes me want to rip that off your neck." He took the blade away back to himself, playing with it on his other hand. Jian Li felt his heart stop and blow up.

"Prepare to go down My Majesty. I'd like to show you the whole capital." Smiled him and tucked away the dagger away from Jian Li's eyes. Burying the memory of the second death threat like it didn't just happen.

As they were both insanely strange and stupid kids, the danger gets both of them high. Whatever troubles this Prince encounters on the way, he will not let this golden opportunity pass even though he knows there will be consequences for his actions later.

To see what lies beyond the palace walls and experience what it is like, he will keep playing with fire with his ignorant, untainted eyes.

Played in a good timing, a melody from a simple hum were heard inside the carriage. Outside were partially dark, but there still were open lanterns on each posts which light passes through the gaps of the carriage as they pass by.

With the calm pace of the black and brown horses, the two men driving the horses in front hummed and started to sing a quiet song. A song filled with nothing but the serenity and solemness, their voices mixed with verileness and rough manliness.

Jian Li and the boy looked to each other in puzzlement when they heard the man singing the lyrics;

"The blue night comes.."

"Your joys were gentle,"

"Here comes the god,"

"This body dipped, drowning, in blue crystals,"

"Forever, to protect-"

"Anything, not known. "

"Just like this life,"

"Is over when the sun rises,"

"Up till now,"

"Your everything,"

"Is surely to be met again,"

"In the night place."

"Now you'll remember the voices, "

"In your heart,"

"No one will hurt,"

"From sadness, nothing-"

"Now your everything,"

"Will be saved by miracles."

"Surely, you'll remember,"

"The nostalgic place. "

"What an odd song." The thief said.

"What a beautiful song." The Prince said.

With knitted brows, Jian Li opens his mouth to defend and lecture about his knowledge music. Yet the boy had already cut him just before he can started speaking. "—Yes, yes. Save the talkings, were getting off Prince."

Both crawling towards the carriage door, Jian Li mumbled: "Arrogant kid." A 'hmp.' sound left his mouth.

The boy crawling after him replied, "Ignorant Prince."

Veins popped on the Prince's forehead, "You!!" He looked back at the thief who had his tongue out to annoy the Prince more. The taller one looked so happy to see the fully composed Prince lose his temper around him.

The boy slowly opened the door and peeked cautiously outside, he confirmed that they were indeed rolling on one of the broad broads of the Jian capital. Only the path lanterns were present to give life at the streets. The running wind pressing on their little faces.

Looking for an opportunity to leave the carriage unnoticed, the boy looks at his left and right, wanting to find a dark, narrow passage between the lodging houses, or the stores around the capital.

Fixing his alerted position, he sits ready to jump. "We'll jump now. " Jian Li's eyes panicked, deep in shock. 'Jump? right now?'

"Hah? Wait i—" He quickly fixed his cloak and get on his position to jump. The thief grabbed his wrist tightly in case the Prince doesn't jump away in time.

"One!" The boy sprang and leaped, automatically dragging the unprepared Prince to the ground with him. His cloak flapped as they both rolled over the hard brick road unnoticed. They laid still and quiet.

"See? Easy." Proudly looked over the boy to the close-eyed Prince, the thief had his palm under Jian Li's head for protection against rocks that may hit his head on the fall.

The huffing Jian Li opened his eyes and saw the other boy getting up on top of him. Jian Li followed to stand up after seeing himself well and uninjured.

"Where's the two and three?!" He whisper-yelled to the other.

"Two and three jumped first." He snickers, another frustrated fit grows inside Jian Li's chest.

"Hurry Prince, We gotta get out of plain sights." Said the thief and dragged him away.

While still running on the road on the hand of the thief, he watches the shadows of the capital and its bright lit red lanterns on a cold blue night.

On an empty dark way between two stores, Jian Li shifts his wondering eyes around, while still trailing the boy from behind.

They stopped on their tracks and rested shortly. Then the thief extends his arm then glanced at his arm's shadow. "Near at the highest peak huh?" He mutters.

This practice used by travellers is an alternate way where you can predict the time if you watch where your shadow stands under the light of the moon or sun. But this method is very complicated that you have to use it frequently to accurately know what the current time is.

'I have to hurry if I'll bring him back by dawn.' Noted the thief inside his head.

Standing still and waiting for the boy to finish what he was doing, the Prince looks back at the lighted streets "Wait, how do i go back to the palace?"

"Easily that way back." Pointed the boy where the carriage has gone. He kept rotating his left and right to watch the streets.

Jian Li raised his right brow at what he was doing and followed where this boy was looking. "How can you be so sure?"

"I kept track of the road while you were fascinating your big eyes outside the carriage." The boy replied back, Jian Li reacted at the mention of his big eyes.

"As I expected from a thief." He folded his arms under the cloak.

"As I expected from a homesick Prince." The boy tucked both his hands behind his head and walked comfortably at the dark alleyway.

"Hah?!" Flushing pink in anger, Jian Li was beaten by this rude thief.

"Come come," called out the boy to the Prince like he was his pet, absolutely not having a single hint of respect for the Jian Kingdom's Crown Prince, his future King.

Despite being angry, he sighs and can only bring himself to ask: "Where to?"

The boy chuckles and proudly laughs. "Where else? Up! Im going to show you everything that you'll rule. Thats what this deal is right?"

He nods.

Hand in hand, they exited the alleyway and ran under the street lanterns. The Prince Jian Li with the black hood on top of his head, and a commoner boy with a mysterious identity trained along the Jian capital where the blue moon shone the brightest.

Watching the back of the head of the boy, Jian Li stared at his nape, thinking:

'It's a huge common sense for a well educated Prince to not to trust and be around a thief who stole from him.

Ah not really because i permitted him to?

And yet i even got closer to this boy. However, this is the only chance i have to be out of the palace. I have to learn and observe what the outside world is for the sake of my people. If i do not learn, i will not serve my people well, if i fail to, i will fail as their King and will disappoint father as well.

Even though I have to gamble so much, I'll give this adventure my best to learn, so i can identify what needs to be solved and so i can provide and create a solution for it when I am King. In that way, they will live in peace. There is nothing i desire more than wanting my people to live in a warm, and open country.'

''To give more headaches, I don't even have an idea on what person you're like.." He mutters.

"Oi. Speed up a little won't you?" Bickered the other boy who were walking ahead of him.

His face expressed an inscrutable, emotionless, blank face. 'Or maybe i do now.'

Jian Li caught along his side and equalled his running pace to the boy, understanding that they need to move quickly to fit the time and to quickly get out of the road.

"Where are you taking me?" Jian Li looked at the boy with his sharp eyes and cool expression.

"Follow me Prince." He said as they took another passageway that was dark and narrow.

The boy looked up the wall. The Prince was confused and looked up as well.

Jian Li blinked and raised his brows. "Uh?"

Placing his limbs on the wall, the boy informs him: "We're going up here. To the roof of this building."

Jian Li's face was dumbfounded. His jaw dropped.

"H-have you lost your sanity?!"

"Maybe. Haven't you also?"

Sigh. "Why am i doing this.."

"That's right ask yourself." The thief nods as he climbs higher. "Now get it all together and follow my lead. Step on where i step, grab on anything i grab. With my guide, you'll be fine." Said he, Jian Li gulped.

The boy started moving up, gripping here and there.

The other kept yelling to Jian Li to start climbing, which he bravely did, only copying how the boy moved to climb halfway the tall wall.

"Ho? You're a fast learner eh?" The thief was surprised to see Jian Li on his feet, perfectly mimicking his movements while his cloak dances with the wind.

The unamused Jian Li replies, "I get that quite a lot."

The boy laughs in fascination and climbed faster, which the Prince followed on flawlessly. After the laborious climb, he finally reached the top and offered the other boy a hand.

"Grab on." He extends his arm. Jian Li who was sweating looked up to grab his hand. And when they connected, he felt shivers to see the big blue moon behind the boy, seeing the whole thing as a piece of art. Snapping away from his thoughts, he takes the boy's hand tighter and let himself be pulled up by the other.

When they both were finally on the roof, the boy puffs a breath and smiles proudly. "I told you, you'll definitely reach and succeed with me around. Ha! Be thankful to this handsome boy!"

Panting, he replies, "I got here because of my skills."

Finally breathing the air, Jian Li let out the exhaustion to the wind, the coldness around him making his breaths visible like a fleeting, cloudy mists. He was kind of feeling a bit guilty that he took the other's cloak.

The vast, and well lit city met his with his eyes, his vision was filled with tall roofs and uniquely built houses and stores. Colors from the city's black shadows, the lantern's red lights, and soft hues of orange light floating around the city like it was on fire. Being able to see the wide horizons brought pleasure to both of them.

"Come and look Prince, this is your Capital."

"In the morning, they bustle with hundreds of busy people riding their carriages, and bringing them horses to journey around the kingdom. Foreign people from other countries visit your land in fascination of its beauty and wealth. The capital becomes packed with people along with their loud voices and multiple chattering of the people. The children laughing, running and playing. The beautiful colored street busting with the joys of peace.

"And that there, is where the festivals happen." The boy points at a certain direction, where a huge open plaza can be seen from the roof they were both standing on. He continues,

"Yet at night, it is as quiet as the driest deserts." Jian Li fixed his eyes across the prosperous royal capital, speechless of the kind of world he does not know he lives on. His sharp cold eyes turned soft, and a gentle light of the blue moon reflected in his sapphire eyes.

The thief observed his face. "My Majesty, you really do remind me of the moon." Sat the boy on red roof, removing the crimson scarf around his waist and putting it above his head as a hood. Jian Li stared down and decided to sit beside the boy.

"If so, you remind me of the sun, thief." The young Prince said. The boy raised his brows, wondering. "Why so?"

"You simply feel warm like the morning sun." said the Prince in a plain tone. Confirming his words as he really feels as if he's sitting next to a fireplace because the boy was beside him.

The boy's face looked solemn as he thinks: 'One person. Even just one, i want to show it to him.' Shrugging his deep thoughts, he scooted closer to the Prince to warm him more.

"Look here, My Majesty." Said he, then carefully opened his right palm. The moment his palm opened, sparks of orange and red embers spun at the very center of his palm, the energy later started compressing at the size of a marble and then turned into a floating sphere of red fire.

"Ah?! What?!" Jian Li exclaimed before the bright light, he jolted in surprise and sought some space between the red floating fire and him, instinctly cautious by its suddenness.

The small red glow of it were painting a red light on their faces.

"What is that?!" Jian Li yelled once more, pointing at the orb.

When the clouds left the moon as its cover, they both suddenly groaned in pain, and a high pitched ringing entered inside their heads.

Yet it stopped after a moment their eyes accidentally looked at each other.

They both find it unusual, the two saw the tone of their eyes brightened a bit more than its usual color, their eyes were glowing.

"Your eyes, they weirdly sparkle." They spoke and pointed at each other in sync.

Laughs and amazement flooded after. Both their blue and red eyes getting in contact with each other.

The thief closed his palm, the fire dissolving. "I wonder if the people here are just like you." breathed Jian Li out.

The other let out a small chuckle. "Why not see it for yourself?" Then he stood up, "Ah? No, i almost forgot. There's also a carnival today My Majesty."

The atmosphere around Jian Li instantly became glum. "Its a shame i didn't get to see it." He mumbles.

"What are you saying? Lets go see it!"

His brows raised: "What?"

"It is a part of the kingdom that is hidden from the eye of the public. Well, I'd say its completely legal since nobles do spend their time gambling there and wasting their moneys on beauty houses. You can probably call it the Jian's dark side."

"Dark side?"

"The ocean has beautiful waves and sparkly waters, but they are no ocean without their sea floor's darkness. Indeed this country is like the sea as your father mentioned." His expression darkened. "Beautiful yet has its secrets hidden deep underground."

"The Jian Kingdom has their own underground city, where it is used mainly at night with the world's brightest lanterns to ever to be lit. Like the kingdom being the sea, it will be forever running, night and day, the people continuously lives."

The boy disregarded the gloomy thing that the thief just said and focused on the new place his imagination just built. His eyes sparkled, shining more than ever that it was enough to blind the red eyed boy with his twinkling blue eyes.

"Underground cities?!" The thrilled voice sounded loudly within the roof, the boy quickly placed his hand on the Prince's mouth to keep them sealed shut.

"Don't be so loud idiot Prince" The boy quickly looked around for patrolling platoons around the royal capital's alleys. Fortunately, there's none.

In relief, he sighed and quickly went back to where Jian Li was sitting. "Up up, lets go." Remarked the boy which Jian Li with no other choice complied with and stood up to follow the boy down the roof again.

Once down the roof, Jian Li panted at the ground. Huffing and barely saying: "Just how much stamina do you have...."

Holding hands and running again for so long, the boy led him to a very suspicious and creepy passageway. The boy explained this to Jian Li as his personal route to get inside the Underground City, as he obviously can't go there in the normal way because he's always in danger's hand everytime he sets foot inside, in the risk of exposing his crimes if he ever get caught.

"Okay, from now, we'll climb down this ladder. This leads down straight to one of the huts which someone i know owns. But you really have to be quiet. Don't fall down. If you do, your neck would definitely be bent in the afterlife." Warned the boy with a joking smile and quickly went to the hole and started descending the wooden ladder towards the bottomless dark pit.

Jian Li gulped and removed the hood above his head. Nervously trying not to tremble too much the moment he climbed down and one by one felt the ladder through his palms as it was so dark.

Halfway down with his eyes wide open, he calls out to the boy. "Still far?" His voice echoes within the hole, then the boy replied after a second. "Im already at the ground floor!" Then a soft tone of orange light accompanied the Prince in his way down. He looked to the boy which is now holding another ball of fire at his palm. "Let my fire be your help here." Jian Li picked up is pace on going down with the help of the magical fire. "This Prince is grateful to you."

At last when his foot reached the finish line, the orange light died down when the boy closed his palm. The Prince was still amazed at this supernatural ability this boy has. He wonders if he is an enchanter or maybe sorcerer, but then he laughs and continues to ignore it, wanting to just savor this moment and think later.

"What are you doing there slow Prince? Lets go."

Exiting the empty small and dark building, what happened next blinded Jian Li with the sudden contrast of brightness.

Fat and red lanterns as well as the loud cheering and shouting voices surprised his entire being. There are people here! Hundreds of them swarming at the streets where Jian Li himself stood. The young Prince took his time standing and observing, roaming his eyes here and there and fascinating himself over the different kind of stalls there is; the salivating smell of grilled meat, the escaping scents of the dishes' appetizing aroma, the loud drunken laughs of booze-drinking men, and the joyous city alley stretching all the way up to the point that the young Prince couldn't see its end anymore. It was a whole new world. A world entirely different on what he, a dignified royal world lives on.

"I-its so... Foreign and... New..." Mumbled the Prince to the red hooded boy beside him.

"Heh. Is it?" He replied and started walking in a slowed pace. Jian Li unconsciously follows beside him. They both walked and passed through the loud food stalls with lots of people around it. Next thing he knew the boy was handing him something.

"What's that?" Jian Li smelled it from the boy's hold, it smelled a bit sour and nose itching spicy. "Its a delicacy. Try it out." Said the boy, the Prince wore a concerned face. "How did you get this?"

"I bought it."

"Liar."

"Why be surprised? This is my job isn't it?" (Referring on stealing)Two stupid kids who went on an adventure penniless, one who's clueless about the handling of money, and then one who is thirsty of it.

Defeated, the Prince said inside his head. 'Sorry mister! I'll make sure to remember your delightful shop and reward you when im King!'

"Come, eat." This time, Jian Li was annoyed to the core about this boy having no shred of respect to the Prince. Still, in order to avoid a mess, Jian Li sucks all his anger and munches on the weird brown looking thing that was poked with a stick.

He chews and chews, tasting the thing a bit salty and hot.

"What is this?" Asked him as the other boy was already finishing the whole stick.

"Cow intestine." He replied sounding normally fine. Jian Li's mouth froze midair from munching. He pulls a white handkerchief out of god knows where he got it and covered his mouth with it. He fastly spitted the entire intestine in his mouth to the white fabric and threw it to the nearest bin he could spot.

"Please do tell me next time before giving things to me." Jian Li wiped his cherry lips with his sleeves. The thief only laughed himself to death.

Then a clapping and cheering suddenly got both of their attention from a certain direction.

"That's the carnival's area. Lets go and take a look." Elbowing the excited Prince, Jian Li tags along and only becomes conscious of his surroundings the moment his shoulders bumps with others. He thought that this is the first time he'd been in a group of strangers and to top it all, common folks. He felt extremely happy with the skinship he shared with them for a split second.

"There, look. There are people who are busking." The boy pointed and Jian Li followed it with his eyes. Indeed there were a group of boys who we're standing within the crowd which was maybe around their age as well.

"Busking?" Jian Li asks, they both went to the direction of the piled people then blended within the crowd to watch. "They are people who performs their talents in front of the public for entertainment in exchange for donations." Explained the boy that Jian Li quickly picks up. "It seems that they are magicians." Whispered the boy to the Prince

After a few words of greeting of a small, high pitched voice of a boy, the show started with cheers and indeed entertained the people.

"Abura sabura!" A cat disappeared inside the box after the performer shouted his chant, the crowd in awe but left Jian Li in utter confusion.

"How did he?—" Jian Li blinked his eyes, he had never seen this type of entertainment before in the palace. "The question is not how, but when." Commented the boy beside him. "Every type of magic he does has a trick behind it."

After moments of clapping and cheering, a hooded black cloaked boy entered and walked at the center.

The high pitched boy spoke again: "Now! Its the audience's turn to shine! This boy here, can make anything you own disappear! To prove that our magic has no tricks!" Both the thief and the Prince had their arms crossed and glared on the next trick carefully.

One of the audience had volunteered to offer an object; his house keys.

The moment the mysterious hooded boy received the keys, it instantly went afloat above his palm. The crowd gasped and looked really closely. Jian Li who gawked his eyes at what was happening has gotten confused as well. How?

Then to make it disappear, the hooded boy mumbles a soft chant: "Vanish." Then with a swift spun of a wind, the key dropped out of sight completely.

The crowd around the buskers cheered even louder for the hooded boy and the sound of silvers clanged their donation box. Jian Li was very much amazed and wanted to donate as well but he had nothing to be donated of.

Then he comes to think of anything valuable that he wears.. besides the royal necklace, he was pretty sure that he was wearing his sapphire earrings.

Reaching for his right ear, he pulls the lock and takes the earring off, tossing that other pair of his earring inside the box filled with money.

"He was great wasn't he?" Asked Jian Li to the boy. "Although i figured out the trick with the boy's magic earlier, this one, i cannot figure out how. The object just seemed to completely cease when he spun it." It left them in a heavy thought.

Then suddenly, "Where's my key? Can you give me back my key now?" It was from the volunteer from earlier who asked the hooded boy. Then black hooded boy said quietly, "We did mention about getting an object, but we did not say that we can turn it back from being vanished." He says calmly, yet the man was near tearing down the show and exploding, he yells: "THIEVES! GIVE ME BACK WHAT YOU JUST STOLE!" Jian Li and the boy was alarmed about the sudden roar of anger, the original thief beside Jian Li suddenly was put in alert, cautious of the guards that may come.

The high pitched boy quickly grabbed the box full of money and shouted to the calm, black hooded boy, "Shu! Lets run now!!"

"Noooooo!!! My house keys!!!"