Forbidden

Chapter 7: The Beginning - Part 1: Birth

Quinn's POV. - Minoan civilization (Present day Crete) - 2700 B.C

Quinn had always been a street kid. He wasn't anybody special. But orphaned at the age of 6, he had no one else to call his own. His parents had made the long trip from somewhere in the north when he was just a baby, but he was far too young to remember where. They tried to build a life on a little Greek island and were successful for a while. However, tragedy struck, and both of them succumbed to illness.

So with no one to call family, Quinn would roam the streets for food or a shady place to rest his head in the Mediterranean heat. Other kids didn't like him either, and he found himself with a black eye more often than not. Adults didn't really pay attention to him either, and why would they? Times were tough, and no one wanted another mouth to feed. He was also some strange pale boy from some foreign, faraway land. It was easier to ignore him than to deal with the complications he would bring. So Quinn had always thought it was strange that Alar had approached him in the first place.

Alar was not a scoundrel by any means, but he was an outcast. People in town would look at him in fear simply because he was unpredictable and rough around the edges. No one knew what he did all day or even how he made money, but most people left him well enough alone. Yet, despite his crassness, he had what most people would call a heart and sometimes cared more than he should have, especially for people who were also outcasts. So, while Quinn was always surprised Alar had picked him, it was no surprise to Alar. He had seen a little bit of himself in the lonely, skinny boy and didn't have the heart to abandon him.

Quinn was only 13 when they first met. He had finally caught fish with a makeshift fishing rod for the first time and was incredibly pleased with his newfound fishing abilities. The sun was almost setting, so Quinn was glad to have something to eat before it got too dark. Carefully, he made his way back to the beach, excited about the prospect of food. It had been days since he last ate, and the fish was a good size. Though he wasn't very good at it, he knew he needed to cook his fish. How did the merchants do it again? Oh yes. They made fire with sticks. He could do that; he had seen them do it many times. With a little effort, Quinn built a small fire to cook his dinner, careful not to burn his hands.

Alar had been sitting nearby on the beach when he noticed the boy struggling to cook the fish. He had seen Quinn around town begging for food and knew he was an orphan but never bothered to know more. However, that day, he watched, amused, for a while as Quinn failed to cook it evenly, charring parts of it. Finally, having had enough of that nonsense, Alar approached him, grabbed the fish out of his hands and skewered it with a stick before handing it back to Quinn to cook. Quinn was surprised. He was not used to adults helping him. He looked up at the man for a second. Maybe he should help in return. Then, without any hesitation, Quinn silently offered his fish to the man as an unspoken thank you.

Alar was stunned momentarily, staring hard at the pale, dark-haired boy who had kindly offered him the last morsel of food when he had been so hungry. His heart stirred for the boy, and he sat beside him and took a bite of the fish before returning it to Quinn, who continued to munch happily. And as the two watched the sunset in the distance, they bonded over being alone. After that, they were inseparable, and the townspeople collectively sighed in relief since the two rejects had found a home with each other.

Yet, neither the town folks nor Quinn knew that Alar wasn't just a rejection of society. He was an assassin, a good one, and he wasn't alone. The appearance of solitude was all just a facade because, in reality, Alar was part of something bigger, and Quinn was about to join. Alar didn't recruit people almost at all; there were rules against that where he came from, but there were exceptions to every rule, and he felt Quinn was an exception. With that one decision, Quinn's entire life changed.