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Chapter 8

: In Which Pedro Hears News About His Friends, His Father, The King, and a Few More Things."Hurry, run, get out of here!"

There was no time to waste.The man grabbed the young boy's arm, pulling him along as fast as he could.The poor boy tried to pull his arm free, trying desperately to get free, but the man just tightened his grip on the boy and pushed him forward until they reached the edge of the roof.Before he could react, his body hit hard against the icy surface below him.A cry escaped his lips as pain shot through his body as his stomach twisted painfully."Ow!"The little boy let out a loud shriek.He was lying on the cold hard ground, his entire body aching terribly as if it was on fire.The man stared down at him as he watched the boy clutch his stomach, trying unsuccessfully to stop the flow of blood from his stomach.The man smirked and lifted his hand to his mouth, licking the tip of his index finger before flicking it towards the boy.The boy screamed loudly, covering his face with his hands as he lay in the snow, curled up in a small ball.As he laid there trembling, the man started to walk away."Father... Father..."the boy whimpered.'Father,'the little boy thought. 'That's not right. It isn't my father.'The boy continued to look down at the ground, afraid to move his eyes, which were still wet with salty tears.After a few minutes, the little boy lifted his head.His gaze landed on his father.The man stood next to the edge of the rooftop, watching as the boy struggled to push himself up.'Is he alive?'the little boy wondered.'Yes. He's alive.'The voice sounded calm, almost emotionless.'Who are you?'the boy asked."I'm your father."The voice remained calm as the little boy continued looking at the man in silence."You're going to love me from now on,"the voice promised."And what happens after that?"the little boy asked softly.'Nothing matters anymore,'the voice replied.'You don't understand. There is nothing you can say that will make me change. Nothing.You've already betrayed my trust.'With those words, the dark cloaked figure disappeared into thin air.The boy stared at the sky for a while longer.The sun was setting as the last rays of sunshine touched the little boy's skin.Suddenly, he heard a familiar sound.A gentle breeze blew the hair away from his face.He lifted his head quickly, staring in the direction where the wind had come from.A single golden feather, floating gently towards the ground, landing right beside him.The boy frowned, reaching out to pick up the golden feather carefully.'Why did the bird leave you alone?'he whispered quietly as he wrapped both the golden feather and the piece of leather containing his brother's name into the inside of his coat."I'm hungry."The boy jumped up abruptly as he spotted an old woman sitting on the edge of the roof with a basket of food."Excuse me,"the child exclaimed in surprise."Can you give me some bread and cheese?"the old woman spoke calmly as she stared directly into the child's hazelnut coloured eyes."I have nothing to give you,"he answered truthfully, shaking his head and turning around."Then who can I give these to?"the old woman questioned, motioning towards the basket with her hand."I'm really, really hungry,"he stated firmly as he walked away from her, leaving the old woman confused."So that means you can't help me then?"she mumbled as the little boy ran away.When he returned home, he found his siblings waiting anxiously for his return."I brought some bread and cheese!"he exclaimed proudly as he held out the basket of food."Thank God,"they cried simultaneously."Why are you crying?" he asked."You left us forever, remember?"Nicoleta told him sadly."I'm not a bird, Nicoleta,"the little boy insisted."That is why everyone called you a bird, even though you couldn't fly and didn't have wings to take you away."The little boy shook his head, refusing to accept such ridiculous statements.He sat on the floor and started eating his lunch as he listened to the stories of his family.By the end of the meal, a sudden idea appeared in the little boy's mind.The image of a beautiful maiden made his heart race and he hurriedly finished the rest of his meal before rushing out the door.On his way back, he stopped at a tavern just before crossing the bridge over the River Piscis.He went straight into the bar."Good evening, friend. Would you mind telling me where I can find a handsome fellow like yourself?"the bartender asked flirtatiously.The little boy smiled and replied:"I'm looking for someone. Do you know how to get to his house? I need to talk to him."Well, then,"the bartender laughed, "you must be either a prince or a king. Either way, you should be aware that we don't allow strangers inside the inns. How about you drink my beer and buy a round for us?"He nodded eagerly and took a seat in front of the bar, picking up a cup and starting to fill it with the dark liquid."If you're thirsty, please go ahead and ask,"the bartender encouraged."Thanks, sir."The little boy picked up the cup and took a long gulp.A few minutes later, he put the glass down, placing it firmly on the countertop."My thanks,"the little boy said sincerely."It is always my pleasure to provide good service to guests. Why are you looking for someone? Maybe you could tell me the identity of your mystery guest?"the bartender said, smiling."You could say that,"the little boy replied casually."Is it someone important?"the bartender inquired, raising his eyebrows curiously."Yeah."The little boy took a deep breath."Okay then. What is this person's name?"the bartender asked."His name is Pedro,"the little boy said.The bartender smiled, putting the empty mug down next to the little boy."Oh, I see! Well then, Pedro, do you know the meaning of my family motto 'Be Prepared'? It means: Be prepared to fight for what you want in life."The little boy nodded.

"Well, Pedro, I hope you succeed because I can't guarantee that I will be here to support you."With one last smile, the young man walked back to his office."Sir, I think this job is a huge mistake!"A tall, burly man wearing a white uniform with gold buttons shouted at the top of his lungs as he marched into the big room."What do you mean, Lieutenant?"the tall man demanded angrily, stopping dead in his tracks."Look at this place! This office looks more like a barracks than anything else."Lieutenant Colonel Francisco Díaz was furious.Ever since he got promoted to colonel, his office had started to look more like a barracks every day. The man's colleagues were always giving him dirty looks whenever they passed by him."This is the office of the colonel of the Army of New York,"the Lieutenant said, pointing a thumb towards the window."I am a general, not a colonel," the tall man protested."You might as well start acting like a general instead of an office owner," Díaz snapped."How could you say something like that, sir?!""I could say that again,"the lieutenant snarled, glaring fiercely at the officer standing right next to him.

"Stop it. Both of you,"Colonel Juan Carlos Diaz, General of the City of New York and General of all the armies of America