Chapter 5

Thaddeus let Zephyr sleep in today since he had been working him to the bone the past month, and they wouldn't leave until a while after sunrise anyway, since it'd be cold otherwise.

They had a light breakfast and started on their way to town. They didn't speak to each other at all on the way, and Thaddeus was slowly lost in thought.

Thaddeus was going to town this time for two reasons: to send a message to his family, and to buy supplies to last them for the next month.

It had been years since he had last been in contact with his family, and it probably would have been a few more years before he did, but that decision had changed because of Zephyr.

Thaddeus believed he could train Zephyr better in a better environment; after all, a barren snowfield is not the best place for the development of a young child.

He had left the family using isolated training as an excuse after his wife had died and his children had grown enough to take care of themselves.

His wife was overcome with a sudden illness when he was out fighting a war, he was ashamed of himself for not being able to be near her during her final moments.

He had ultimately chosen to leave the family and wander around because the feeling of guilt and grief was crippling when he was near his family, and as such, he only kept a portrait of his wife for remembrance.

He had two children, one daughter and one son, the latter the elder of the two. By the time he had left the family, his son was twenty, old enough to take over the helm. His daughter was sixteen; he left her in the care of his son.

He had served as the head of the family for twenty years after taking over the family at twenty-five because of the unfortunate passing of his father.

His family was an influential military-minded family in the empire; their forces played a huge role in the war that the empire fought against the surrounding kingdoms, and it was a place that would allow talent like Zephyr's to bloom.

Thaddeus had a great fondness for Zephyr, their relationship being akin to that of a grandparent to a child, and he always wondered whether it would have felt the same if he had stayed with his family, watching his grandchildren grow.

...….

The snow was still deep, even though there was only one month till spring started. Walking through it made one feel as if one were sinking into water with each step, and each step required effort.

Zephyr reminisced about all the things that had happened after he had met Thaddeus. He had fought a terrifying beast that he defeated only through sheer luck. Thinking back, he shuddered. Had he made even a single mistake, it would've spelled the end for him.

The only reason he survived that encounter was because of that sword path he had visualized at the end of that fight. When he had spoken about it to Thaddeus, he learned that it was something possible due to extreme concentration in a dangerous situation.

Then he thought of all the learning he had done; at times, all the knowledge he absorbed made him feel that his head was going to explode.

Training under Thaddeus reminded him of the stories the older children in the orphanage used to tell about demons in hell… but he couldn't deny the effectiveness.

Thaddeus had told him that the peacock was stronger than the tiger he had fought earlier, which astonished him, since he had dispatched it more easily than he had slain the tiger.

Zephyr looked down at the ground he was walking on. Just a month ago, he had been walking in the opposite direction, away from the town, feeling weak, hungry, and abandoned.

But now here he was walking back to town feeling stronger, well-fed, and most importantly, like he belonged somewhere.

...…

Zephyr's legs were aching as they walked into town. He hadn't realized how far he had gone when he was running away from the orphanage.

Thaddeus walked over to an inn and booked a room for the night since they wouldn't be leaving until tomorrow morning.

They sat down at one of the tables and ordered some food since it was already past afternoon and they were hungry from walking for so long.

The food was nowhere near as good as what Thaddeus cooked, but it was edible.

They went upstairs to the room to get some rest. Thaddeus had only booked one room since it was dangerous for a boy of Zephyr's age to be alone in a place like this.

...…

They came downstairs after a short rest. It was about three hours into the afternoon, and evening was fast approaching.

Thaddeus set out to look for the necessary supplies they'd need during the following month to live in the harsh snowfields.

Normally, people would have to buy supplies every week or so, as food spoils fast. However, Thaddeus had something to keep the ingredients cold, so he only had to do so once a month.

Walking down the street towards the shops he frequented for supplies, Zephyr tagged along, taking in the sights that he had seen a thousand times before yet even so felt indescribably new today.

As Zephyr was looking curiously around one of the shops as he did in all of the earlier ones they had visited, he heard some curious whispering from the shop entrance.

"Hey, who's that kid that's getting beaten up right now?" asked one of the figures.

"Seems to be one of those wretched brats from the orphanage," replied someone next to him.

"Oh, those brats are such a bother now that the director of that place is dead. I'd bet one of them did it," said the first person who spoke.

Zephyr looked out the entrance, surprised upon seeing a familiar face, a fellow child at the orphanage. They quickly dimmed as he noticed them getting beaten black and blue by an adult.

He turned around to look for Thaddeus when he realized there was a familiar hand on his shoulder. He looked up to see an unfamiliar face, one contorted by anger.

Thaddeus walked out of the shop and headed to where the poor child was getting beaten. The place was surrounded by curious onlookers who didn't seem like they planned to intervene.

He pushed the onlookers out of the way and walked into the middle, grabbing the hand of the man who was about to land another hit on the child with a firm grip.

The man looked at Thaddeus, furious at the interruption, but forcing himself to calm down as he asked in a clipped tone, "What do you want?" 

Thaddeus ignored his inquiry. "Why are you hitting that child?"

The man scoffed as though the answer was obvious. "He stole the wares I was trying to sell, that's why".

The child who had stayed silent until then spoke up with a sniffle.

"He's lying. I haven't stolen anything from him." He coughed, then sniffled.

"First you steal my wares, and now you're accusing me of lying!" roared the man as he raised the stick to strike the child.

Thaddeus promptly responded by punching the man in the face.

The man, face registering brief surprise, and then rage, turned to Thaddeus and was about to take a swing when Thaddeus suddenly produced an insignia from somewhere inside the folds of his shirt.

"It's the symbol of the Arcanes," someone gasped from inside the crowd.

"What's someone from that family doing in a backwater town like this?" questioned another voice, shocked at the appearance of the symbol of such a powerful family.

The onlookers started muttering, eager to gossip.

"I'll make sure you are punished for the transgressions you have committed by hurting this child," said Thaddeus, ignoring the curious whispers.

"Also, I'll make sure any such transgressions committed in the future are looked into severely." The crowd went silent as they heard this, and the man with anger written all over his face just a while ago now looked as pale as a ghost.

Thaddeus walked away from the middle of the crowd and went back to Zephyr.

Zephyr had seen what had happened, but understood only a gist. He questioned Thaddeus, but he didn't further explain.

Thaddeus decided to write this in his letter to the family as well, as the region was under their domain, and it was their responsibility to take care of their citizens.

The rest of the shopping trip passed without incident except for the hushed whispers they heard every time they passed.

They retired to the inn after they had finished buying everything they needed.

They had a light dinner before proceeding to bed.

Zephyr looked up at the shingles as he lay down to sleep. He remembered what the people at the shop had said and realized that the director of the orphanage was dead.

Surprisingly, he wasn't happy at the news of her passing, even though she had mistreated him a lot during the time he used to live in the orphanage.

Of course, there was definitely no sadness at the thought. Just a feeling of emptiness that follows when one learns that someone you used to loathe has passed.

He dozed off to sleep feeling somewhat confused over his feelings.

...…

A month earlier,

A shadow appears behind a grand throne in a heavily decorated room.

"My liege, the target has gone missing," spoke the shadow.

"Hmm."

A silence.

"Keep searching."

"My liege?" 

"Keep searching. He should be quite easy to find with his distinctive features." 

"Yes, my liege, as you wish," replied the shadow, which promptly vanished, retreating into the shadows once more.

The figure on the throne let out an exhausted sigh, then returned to whatever they were doing before the shadow's interruption.