Making a Network

Well....now what?

He was in a tough situation. He had to make a semi reliable network as a five year old.

It had been years since he did that kind of grunt work....and that was in his world!

He was also an adult back then!

"Well I can't make a proper one. So I'll have to start something with what I have."

He held the silver coin in his palm as he contemplated on who to recruit.

If he approached an established group, they'd just rob him at best.

At worst he'd join his brothers and sisters.

"No honor among thieves. No honor at all." He said as he remembered the bullet piercing his skull, putting his hand to his head, which was concidentally where it hit.

"A pickpocket ring is a good start". He said, scratching his hair.

"I'll hire the desperate. Kids with nothing to lose, but no concept of the good they will gain if they betray."

He thought about where he would find such children as he walked through the streets. They smelled of faeces and other wastes, but lack of plumbing tends to do that. Its just a shame that some of that waste is food the nobility throw away.

Food?

"The orphanage...." he thought. "I'd have to get those that aren't already in a group. Newer members."

People died a lot during these times, and sone just abandoned children outright. The middle ages were not known for kindness.

"I wonder if any nobles have been slighted recently...other that her." he said quietly. "Might as well check."

He began making his way to the orphanage, but was quickly blocked by another obstacle.

His body was too weak to walk that far.

"Curses...." he said as he dragged himself home for the day. "4 distrincts away shouldn't be this far..."

The next day he revised his plan. He charged towards his destination!

On the back of his mother for half the trip.

Having convinced her that he wanted to give the poor children something, she smiled and willfully accepted to take him along with some goodies.

Arriving at the stone building, a large contrast from his wooden apartment, he stood on his own legs once more.

"Now to get my hands dirty."

"I'll have you do no such thing!"

"Wha-...Ill keep them clean." He said, dying inside.

After cringing for a bit, he made his way inside. The immediate sight suprised him. The children weren't completely despairing. They were lean, but not dying.

The atmosphere wasnt filled with gloom like he expected. It was filled with wariness

Of him.

He manuevered his way through the hall while being weighed down by the steers of children.

How the mighty have fallen.

But he had to stay focused!

He had to find the most miserable child here and convince them to go on a lifelong crime spree.

What could go wrong? Its not like they had other plans.

He figured that those with the strength of will to glare had probably found salvation. Those who avoided his gaze weren't worth it, because they were probably cowards. He looked for those who looked at him without any emotion.

Until he saw him.

Intense, unbridled rage.

The lashes on his pale flesh.

The patches in his white hair.

He wasn't broken, but he sure as hell looked like he was. But his eyes betrayed that. The immense rage his brown eyes emitted made it seem like he wanted revenge and not salvation.

The kids here could only offer the latter.

"New guy! Don't talk to him! He's dangerous!" shouted an older kid.

Nonsense

"Hello there!" He said in a peppy voice, ignoring the advice given to him.

What followed was unexpected to say the least.

The boy grabbed a wooden table spoon and tried to jam it into Kayne's left eye. Fortunately, he was no trained killer.

Grabbing his arm, Kayne pulled him forward and headbutted him. As they both recoiled in pain, he grabbed the spoon and pointed it at the boy.

"Name's Kayne. Yours?" he said, swinging the spoon like a knife. Reminded him of his younger days.

"None of your business!" the boy exclaimed.

"That's one less eye then."

"Wha-"

Rei was already bringing the spoon towards his eyeball with real intent to puncture.

"Wait! Rei! My name is Rei!" the boy said after moving away from the inpending threat.

"That's good to know. I just wanted to know what all this was about. Care to share?" Kayne said nonchalantly.

'This kid is crazy.' thought Rei. Most kids ran away screaming when he pulled that. The older ones dodged but kept their distance. Not many threathened him back directly.

And none till now used his own weapon against him. Even if it was a spoon.

He was...a little bit impressed.

"What do you want to know kid?" He said warily.

"A few things. First would be your age. Second would be your reason for being here. And third...well answer the first two." Kayne said, awaiting a response.

"7. The other is none of your business." Said Rei, still wary of the tact this kid showed.

"How about a little incentive?" Said Kayne as he brought out a purse. Thirty bronze coins, taken from the one silver he had received. He shook it in front of Rei, who seemed a lot more interested.

'Son of a noble or something....he might want to get me a job guarding him. Guess it wouldn't hurt.' reasoned the white haired lad.

"I'm from another city. Fled here after mine was destroyed and its people enslaved. By our allies...." he said, restraining some anger. "They took my mother from me. They did things to her. I was almost a slave but I escaped using everything at my disposal.

"Was it the demon lord that conquered your city?" Asked Kayne, watching his reaction.

"What's a demon lord?" Asked Rei "Whatever that is, no, it wasn't it. It was the Dustano Empire. They are nothing but pigs...Ill never forgive them."

While Rei went through his emotions, Kayne was trying to process the information he just heard.

He didn't know what a demon lord was!

Come to think of it, in the past 5 years, no one ever talked about the demon lord.

What was happening right now?

This was the right world, right?