Jim sat down looking at his now passed out drunk father, the moonlight beamed into their home even without windows due to the size of the cracks in the walls. Jim sighed as he grabbed one of the empty bottles and his bag of money. Jim now finally realized what had happened earlier, maybe the adrenaline was too much for his brain but Jim could finally see that in his hands was life changing money, and he had to hide it.

 

Jim walked towards his bed or more accurately the pile of clothes he called his bed. Jim took every single pound out of the bag and meticulously hid one pound inside each piece of clothing, it wasn’t the best hiding place but that wasn’t the purpose. Jim thought that if someone found one pound they would walk away happy not knowing the treasure trove they left behind.

 

Jim then took the rest of the money remaining in the bag and sighed as he started using his hands to dig a small hole directly beside the bed where he then emptied his money into the hole before burying it. Jim then took a bottle of alcohol that still had some remaining before pouring it over the pile before patting it down. Jim wanted the pile to look seamless even if it costed his dad’s sweet alcohol. 

 

Jim then sighed before finally walking outside with his bottle in hand. In his shoes he hid his pouch so that he could use it without a moments noticed. Jim then sighed as he smashed the alcohol bottle against the wall. There was a saying that walking in the slums at midnight was like walking into the palace with a bloody sword and that saying couldn’t be more true.

 

Jim walked towards his normal meetup spot with Jake, even if Jake wanted to run the only safe location he knew was in the alley. Jim though about how much Jake despised going home so decided this was were he would most likely be. Jim then sighed and walked the corner of the alley only to see.

 

Blood, blood filled the air. Jim’s nostrils felt pungent with the smell of iron and rot, instantly Jim panicked and ran without seeing the source of the smell. Jim knew full well that Jake had debtors after him and a murder after making that much money wouldn’t surprise Jim.

 

Jim hid across the street in another alley, Jim knew that the body was long dead due to the smell of rot but that didn’t matter, Jim felt heartbroken. Tears streamed from his eyes as he cried, he remembered clearly the last word he told Jake, “what the hell did you do?” Jim couldn’t help but cry, he was only sixteen. 

 

Jim then took a deep breath as he grabbed his broken bottle, Jim slowly exited the alley as he crossed the street almost spinning due to how fast he was looking around, Jim responded excessively to the slightest step on dirt or crack of a tree branch despite him causing the noises. Jim then looked at the alley, it was a small walk away diagonally from his causing Jim to clench his bottle tightly as he turned the corner once more and not to his surprise.

 

The smell of blood filled his nose once again, Jim had his eyes closed in fear as he turned the corner only for him to open his eyes to see a bloody body on the ground, Jim would’ve ran over crying but he stopped dead in his tracks as directly above the body was an elegant horse head on a spike directly over the body dripping blood onto it. Jim puked immediately at the disgusting sight. Jim knew that the horse head wasn’t just to scare but to also show just how rich those men were as they killed a beautiful horse for just an intimidation technique. Jim knew that horses were considered one of the most important animals a man could own. A horse was transport, could be a large meal or most importantly help greatly when working. Jim swallowed causing his throat to contract he he slowly turned over the body on the ground. Jim felt something drip on his head as he was doing so but he refused to acknowledge it out of fear.

 

Jim looked down on the now flipped body, it was obviously Jake’s but there was no blood on the front and neither side had any major wounds except a single shallow cut across his throat and a large hole in his foot, but at the time Jim didn’t notice a single one of these facts due to his fear but he did notice that Jake was groaning in pain. Jim immediately tried picking up Jake but sadly a malnourished sixteen year old struggles to carry anything at all. Jim then dropped Jake carefully onto his back.

 

Jim then tore a long strip of cloth from his cloths as he covered the long neck wound, Jim then stood up and ran to the streets, his hand tightly grasped the broken bottle in his hand as he ran, he only knew one person that would ever be able to help him in this situation. Jim then screamed out

 

“Mama Betty!”

 

It was a desperate and pathetic yell in the middle of the night, Jim knew it was stupid but he could only pray as he ran and ran, Jim knew that Mama Betty could be anywhere in the slums or most likely home at her house but it was his only chance. Jim ran for what seemed like hours as the buildings he ran past became even more ragged than his own till eventually. He reached the end of town. No more slums, no more people, and no more chances.

 

Jim fell on his knees as he looked toward the forest in front of him, it was the same forest he used to cut wood. Jim cried and cried before suddenly like a shock of inspiration, he ran into the forest.

 

Jim ran into the woods and to a single tree, Jim then quickly dug up the soil from beneath the tree only to spot his trusty axe. Jim smiled before quickly undoing the cloth and sap tie from the axe, as soon as he did so the axe fell to the ground into two large pieces. Jim didn’t have time to hide it, he had to run back to Jake.

 

And so Jim ran. He ran to Jake so fast with nothing but a single loose bandage in his hand, Jim knew it could hopefully postpone the bleeding long enough to bring Jim to a doctor. Jim would even pay for it himself if he could save Jake.

 

Jim finally after hours turned the rotten smelling corner again, Jim quickly ran over to jake a tied the sap bandage around Jake’s neck, Jim then quickly and desperately pushed his hand into the decapitated horses head, his hand instantly started dripping blood. Jim then ran his hand over Jake’s neck hoping that the moisture would somehow help the wound. Jim then breathed out as he finally finished the bandage, he smiled as he pulled Jake close to a wall and out of view, Jim then looked the horses head on the pike while saying

 

“Hey Jake this will be a good dinner when you get better.”

 

Jim then slumped to the ground, utterly exhausted.

---

 

The king of Britain had his army for attacking and defending his nation but for himself he had the royal guard but if the royal guard somehow betrayed the king he had what was called "The two hands." the top two warriors of the entire nation. These warriors retired after they became thirty due to the ever increasing opposition that the title held. The warriors remained loyal for either the large sum of money they receive or a single wish that the king would always oblige.

A old man in clean brown leather cloths, obviously a richer gentleman but very humble in his attire sat inside of a humble cottage on the very outskirts of the slums. The walls of the cottage was filled with swords both dull, broken and new each obviously telling a story of it's own. The man was drinking a small cup of clean water, a luxury for many. The man then sighed as he looked at a window in his cottage to see the beautiful moonlight shine in his home only for the man to hear a young boy's voice ring out

"Mama Betty!"

The old man didn't know the owner of the voice or the name but he couldn't sit by as a child screamed in the middle of the night. The man stood up before calmly placing his water down on a sturdy wood table. The man then walked straight forward from his chair towards the wall before cleanly grabbing a beautiful broadsword, the basket hilt encrusted with silver, the blade etched and gilt, signed with the date 1611. 

The old man then put the broadsword into its sheath and tied it to his waist before grabbing two small throwing knifes on the table and hiding them in a leather pouch on his waist. The man then gave a brisk jog to help the boy yelling who's voice was getting louder and more desperate

---

Jim breathed out a heavy sigh as he sat beside Jake in the middle of the night, all he could do is wait for the morning and hope that Jake survived until then. Jim paced around Jake in panic, his shoes have been torn open revealing holes to his bare feet which were now bleeding from running down the slums street with glass and stones everywhere. Jim felt that he was only moving from panic at this point.

Suddenly Jim heard a soft step coming from around the corner, Jim couldn't tell the distance but he could tell that the person was running. Jim instantly became alert as he yanked a shard of bloody glass from his foot, his hand got a quick bloody cut from his tight grip. Jim then hid behind the wall and breathed in to be as silent as he could.

Suddenly as the footsteps got closer Jim's legs started to tremble in fair but he didn't step away from the corner. Jim took one final breath as he seen a foot pass the corner. He them immediately jumped and stabbed at the man.

Almost instantly Jim's glass shard was blocked by a large beautiful broadsword, Jim stumbled back as he gripped the glass harder causing blood to drip from his hand. Jim felt dizzy but that didn't stop him as he ran towards the man with his glass shard in his hand, he had to protect Jake! But sadly it was useless as the man slashed one time with his blade. Jim was awestruck as the blade was so clean and shiny it reflected the moonlight.

Jim braced for impact only for him to noticed that the slash has missed but had instead knocked his glass blade out his hand. Before Jim could even register this the man had tossed his blade into the air before kicking Jim in the stomach causing Jim to tumble to the ground. The man then elegantly dogged the cutting edge of the blade before grabbing the hilt and effortlessly pointed it at Jim. The man then said

"You should be more careful swinging that shard of glass around, it could hurt someone." 

The man then started walking over to Jake's unconscious body as Jim has passed out already from blood loss and the harsh impact on the ground. The man inspected the body of Jake to see a small thin cut on the neck, the man assumed it was either a threat or a scare tactic gone wrong. The man inspected Jake's chest to find nothing but a single small boot imprint probably made from stomping on the stomach after being knocked on the ground or a kick. Finally the man saw a large thin hole going through the foot that was made from an obvious sword stab. 

The man stood up after fully inspecting the body and said 

"What type of sick... no there are kids here"

The man then  looked to his right to see the large decapitated horse head, he immediately assumed that the person who attack Jake was part of a gang, the man sighed before quickly cutting the pike holding the horse's head in the air causing it to fall out of view. He then easily picked up Jake with one arm before walking over and picking up Jim, a quick look to his left and he seen a man with a large bottle of alcohol and a terrible slacking posture, the new man then said

"What are you doing to my son?"

The knight gently put the two boys down and said

"My name is William Marshall, I live my life to continue his legacy and act as a knight of the people. Now who are you"

William quickly stabbed his blade in the ground, maybe as a threat or a symbol of resilience but the alcoholic didn't care as he said

"My name is Levi, I never seriously practiced the sword but I'll be damned if I let a stranger take my son in front of my eyes."

William then calmly responded

"This second kid right here was attacked by someone a few hours ago as the blood has been dried out, secondly I heard the first kid screaming for someone named mama Betty earlier so I obviously came to help."

Levi sighed before whispering something to himself that William could not hear. William then said

"There are three options, you could follow me to my cottage if you don't trust me. You can have your son as I grab the injured one and heal him or finally you can go back to sleep and I will bring both of these kids back here in the morning."

Levi sighed as he said 

"You don't need to worry about that injured kid, his parents won't even be home to notice him gone but you can't take my son."

William appreciated how firm Levi was being, most people in the slums resolved conflicts by either running or fighting due to this William honestly said

"You are a fallen noble aren't you?"

Levi chuckled as he drunk the rest of his alcohol before saying

"Close but nope, I was a good merchant but heartbreak makes a man lose his mind you know?"

William smiled, he knew Levi was just making small talk to distract him as that was the only reason William could reason for the sudden mood shift. William then grabbed Jake and held him in a princess carry before saying

"My cottage is out of town, I act as a scout still so don't make to much noise if you do visit."

Levi nodded as he said

"My son will try finding Jake as soon as he wakes up, those two kids are bloody stupid."

Levi chuckled as he walked towards William, he cracked his bottle on the wall as he bent down. He jokingly said

"Sorry about that, after so long in this hell you pick up some habits."

William nodded as he carefully put down Jake and sheathed is sword before walking away as he said.

"Make sure they both get a good rest, if you need something come find me in my cottage. Have a good one sir"

Levi then looked down at his son and cried a single tear as soon as William was out of view, Levi then touched his son's pale face as he said.

"I'm sorry"