Saving the Paragon Villain

Chapter 10: That kid Bow

So how did we survive then? With the hatred burning in our minds against this awful unforgiving society, my brothers and I, fuelled by spite and hunger, eventually grew up as bandits. I was their leader since I was the strongest (I have earth magic) and I can read. (because I used to have noble parents of a ruined house... That's a story for another time.)

Our brotherhood wasn't much but it was home to all of us, street rats. We lived in makeshift huts by the outskirts of downtown. As youngsters, I often get into fights that gave me the monicker as the "Phantom Beast"... Sort of like the head of this gang. I teach them how and who to rob.. Which are those high and mighty nobles who always like to pretend we, beggars (before), didn't exist at all. Well, f*ck them. We'll take your money, let's see who you can still look down on! I was so young and naive back then so I believed it will be smooth-sailing from there on. Well, not for us.

Never for us streetrats.

Of course soon after we were living stably, an imperial edict signed by the emperor himself decreed the eradication of bandits and beggars just because a certain crown princess (Ava) saw some of us on her way to the palace.. The thievery, the gangs, that's the only things she saw. Because it upset her, the Emperor issued this edict and the hunting of our kind increased. That dumb vicious b*tch!

How can we even fight back? At that time I was only sixteen. I was muscular, strong and a bit more strategic than most but I can't stand up to well-fed and well-educated imperial gaurds.. And there's more of 'em while my brothers only had me. We were forced into hiding. We can't move as freely so we can't even hunt. One night, after several weeks of seclusion in a dangerous magical forest, I'm certain I'm about to witness my brothers breathe their last breath due to extreme starvation. That's when even a sinner like me prayed to the gods.. Although I'm sure whoever they are, they despise us.

I looked at them... At Rocky, a five year-old boy who only ever had me and Torrence to teach him the ways of the world. A pure child. Torrence who was the same age as me, we grew up as partners.. We planned together. Gus, that guy is 14 now and although we were bandits, he always prayed asking for forgiveness... Such a soft, gentle-looking boy depite his circumstances. Harrold, Ogie, Hera, Jeremiah, Mandy, Jose, Noel..

If there's a God...please. They are all I have. Save them and in turn I'll give you my life. I remember looking at the night sky, for the first time in a long time, tears spilling, my eyes refusing to see my brothers die in vain.

Not a single angel fell in the sky. Nobody heard us.. This is not new. Nobody will hear us because nobody wants to...

Or at least that's what I thought..

After a while, I heard a rustling, messy footsteps not far away from where we are.

Perhaps the guards finally found us.

I took my sword and used up all my remaining strength as I swung it to the direction where I sure heard someone moving. I have to intimidate whoever it is, to bluff him into thinking I can defend all of us here so that he'll f*ckin' leave together with his lackeys.

The big bush, sliced into two, revealed a young boy with red hair and purple eyes. (Royalty, huh.. Interesting.) He carried two big sacs twice his size, his eyes showing shock and fear.

"I-I'm sorry. I... Here." The trembling boy stuttered out as he looked up at me and put the two silk sacs in front of us. He opened it and instantly the smell of food wafted in the air.