Chapter 1 - The Friendly? Neighborhood Thief?

The Okami clan. The once famous clan known for their cold, sharp stares, and even sharper fangs were patronized, revered, and respected throughout the world.

The clan had given birth to kings, queens, assassins, mercenaries, and even heroes. However, that only came to be because of their sheer hard work in attaining those titles.

But, because of rising superstition, fear, and envy their allies towards the east, west, north, and the south of the globe betrayed them.

Then from the ashes of betrayal came a newfound power. The World Alliance and through sheer might, they became the center of the world governing everyone and everything.

Leaving the Okami clan lost to the pages of history and a century later they have become, but a myth.

---

Under a snowstorm, moonlit night in the backwaters of the slums. There, a small family gathered to witness the birth of a newborn child.

The yelling and blood-curdling screams were louder than even the roaring thunder. However, through the agonizing pain a fair skin son came.

The grandma caressed the child,

"What a beautiful boy." She cried.

She then handed him over to his eager mother who immediately snatched him from her arms.

"Ah, my son! My beautiful son." Her voice was desperate, gentle, but also weary.

Suddenly, the sound of someone running through dirt, snow, and mud could be heard through the thin walls of the small house.

And because of the mighty wind, it pushed the drapes aside revealing the father rushing in through the door.

"Mary!" He yelled while entering the room.

When he saw his wife lying on the floor holding his son the father fell to his knees and then crawled towards them.

"Oh my god! Oh my god!"

He tried to hold back his tears, but he struggled to do so and along with his wife they cried for their new son.

"Honey…" The mother's voice was waning.

"I'm sorry… the doctors, they…" The father was shaking and then the mother grabbed his hand.

"Our son…" She could hardly breathe.

"What… should we call him?" And she struggled to speak.

"I… I…" And the father couldn't think.

Mary chuckled, "Indecisive… as… always…"

Then it clicked within her mind.

"Shiro… Yes, Shiro... Our… Little… White Wolf…"

---

Thirteen years later...

"What does the world run on?" The white-haired child had asked himself.

"Heh… it's money." And among the crowded streets of the kingdom, there he was, the child wearing torn robes, pickpocketing young and old folk alike. Plus, the nobles as well.

No-one was safe from his grubby little hands.

He was slick, smooth, and sly and was sneaky from the way he twisted and twirled his feet and hands to steal wallets, coins, and cash alike.

It was practically a dance.

After a satisfying afternoon. His small bag hidden within his robes became filled to the brim. It was almost poking out, no it was aching to come out.

However, he waited until he got home.

There in the outskirts of the slums was his home. It was a small shed, rather than a house.

The walls were old and creaky all the time. There were weeds controlling the front of the yard.

The inside wasn't much better. There was a single couch, it was near the window and the door.

There was the rug on the floor which he usually slept on.

And then there was a circular kitchen table and it's sole chair.

Shiro defined it as, "Absolutely miserable."

The child stepped towards the front door and slowly cracked it open.

It made the loudest creek imaginable.

"I'm back…" He softly whispered.

Then the door suddenly got pulled wide open.

"Ah! You're back, Shiro." It was his scruffy looking father standing at the front.

Shiro walked inside and pulled out the chair. He placed his small bag on the table and shook out the contents.

Three loaves of bread came popping out.

"It was a struggle, shoving it into my bag… haaah…" Shiro sighed.

His father grabbed a loaf and stared. Then he turned his head over to his son.

"You didn't steal this did you?"

"Nope." Shiro innocently smiled.

Then the grandma who sat on the couch yelled, "what is that? Is that bread? Oh, be a dear and pass me one."

Shiro grabbed one and passed it over.

"Well, I guess if it wasn't stolen then it's alright." The father who, afterwards, gobbled up his share of bread.

However, the bread might as well have been stolen.

Everyday, from dawn to dusk, Shiro spent his time obtaining money and bread to feed his family, under the guise of, "I have a job."

Eventually the news of the little rascal would reach even the ears of the king.

With each passing day it became harder to steal even a single copper coin, let alone food.

Wanted posters then started being nailed onto poles and even doors.

They were all titled as the "Hooded Thief." With a bounty of one hundred silver coins on Shiro's head.

It was a new morning. Shiro, who had been sleeping on the rug, steadily woke up. His father slept on the kitchen chair and his grandmother slept on the couch.

They were still dead asleep. Snoozing and snoring to their heart's content.

"Another peaceful morning!" Shiro proclaimed. Then he got himself dressed.

He went out the door, his robes flapped against the gentle wind. He threw on his hood, checked if he had his bag and then left towards the kingdom's center.

It was still slightly dark, but with the sun slowly rising, everything was slowly getting illuminated.

Using the rooftops, shadows, and the dark alleyways to conceal himself, he darted around the kingdom.

But the biggest target in the kingdom was The Marketplace.

Filled with an assortment of merchants who sold jewelry, food, slaves, and other merchandise flocked the area.

It was always bustling with crowds of people. It was a perfect place to pickpocket unsuspecting victims.

Shiro descended from the rooftops and into the alley connected towards the streets of the market.

He took a peek of the crowd once more, then he rushed out, crouching, and slouched.

He ran across the street digging his hands through pockets, purses, and bags.

"Hehehe…" He giggled to himself. It felt like another typical afternoon.

However, unbeknownst to him. There were multiple parties of knights patrolling the area.

They were all searching for the thief.

"This should do." Shiro's bag became full so he crept back towards the alleyway.

"Maybe, I'll buy some other food besides bread….!" Shiro then heard the sound of marching footsteps.

"The knights?!" Shiro saw the party of knights scanning the street. They were looking behind stalls, inside boxes, and nearby alleyways trying to find him.

"Damn it! Where is he?!" At the front and center was the captain. He was monstrously tall and his helm carried a red feather.

He led his pack of knights deeper and deeper into the marketplace, gradually inching closer towards Shiro.

Shiro has never fought once in his life. He's only ever ran away from things and today was no different.

"I gotta escape…" He muttered to himself.

So he bounced off the walls and rose up towards the rooftops, overlooking the knights.

Glancing at them one more time and then running away.

"It's an awfully bright day…" Shiro placed his hand above his eyes.

"There!"

Shiro looked back and saw a knight directly pointing at him. The captain then gazed in the same direction.

"What the?! Catch him!" The captain roared.

And with that the party of knights came running full sprint on the ground trying to catch up with the runaway thief.

"Shit! It was probably a bad idea to jump up here…" However, that became the least of his worries.

Amidst the rooftops a knight came climbing up from the building in front of him.

"Damn it!" Shiro changed direction and ran left, but eventually, even that became a dead end.

He was nearing the edge of the roof. Below was the party of knights and the front was starting to be similar.

Either drop down or run straight through, those became his two options.

"The amount of guards up here isn't as much down there…" He tightened his grip on his bag.

"I'll just run straight through!"

Shiro ran straight ahead at the knight and for the first time in his life he saw a blade above him coming straight down.

"Woah!" He dodged it.

He ran around him, but was then greeted by another knight.

This knight's blade was swinging in from the side, whether to jump or duck, Shiro had to think fast.

He slid underneath the blade then hopped up, using the knight as a platform to gain more height, he flew across from one side of the rooftop to the other.

"WOAH!" He raised his arms up high.

"I can't believe I just did that!" He laughed while he ran.

Then, unfortunately, he was faced with his final hurdle.

Shiro heavily placed the brakes and stopped himself.

He stood still as he met eye to eye with the captain.

"Oi, boy." Intimidating and towering. It was a mountain that the young boy could not hope to climb or hop over and worst of all it was glaring at him.

Even Shiro could tell... that underneath that helm was a monster.

The captain lowered his head and raised his fists. He showed no signs of arrogance and was preparing to fight equally with the boy.

Shiro was shaking within his shoes. He stepped back.

The captain, seeing the fear within the boy's eyes, lunged forward.

His punch flew through the air as if it was being carried by the wind.

"Dodge…"

"I need to dodge!"

Shiro flung himself in the air avoiding the punch.

"Oh? Nice reaction, but…" The captain retracted his right punch, stomped his feet down and switched up with a left hook.

Shiro instinctively raised both arms to guard his right.

"Wow… You do have reflexes, kid." The punch then connected with Shiro's guard.

The power of the punch sent shockwaves within Shiro's arm then to his entire body and sent him flying down onto the ground.

The impact of Shiro hitting the pavement made a tiny crater.

The captain jumped down to meet with the child.

"Tough and durable too."

Shiro's world slowly faded away from his sight as he closed his eyes.

---

The infirmary of the kingdom was a large hospital inside the castle.

It housed ninety-percent of the kingdom's ill patients. The ten-percent were looked over by local pharmacies scattered around in the kingdom.

Inside a room in the hospital was where Shiro woke up.

He lifted himself upright.

"You're awake…" His father was sitting at the right side of the bed.

To say he was angry was an understatement, but he showed no signs of yelling.

However, instead of yelling, he gave a slight flick to Shiro's forehead instead.

"Why you…" The father could only give a tired sigh afterwards.

Then the door to Shiro's room was slammed open.

"Haha! The boy is awake!" The captain of the knights stood tall underneath the door frame.

"Captain…" The knight next to him whispered. "It's bad luck to stand underneath the door frame like that."

"Oh? is it?" The captain walked over to the bed.

"Solomon? How's the boy feeling?" The captain put his hand over on the father's shoulder.

The father, Solomon, looked up, "He's fine…"

[Solomon?] Shiro questioned in his head. He's never heard of his father's name before.

"Well then… Solomon, I want him to join my ranks." The captain smiled, but no-one could see it underneath his helm.

"What? No, I could never…"

"Your son here is a skilled one and underneath my ranks he won't have to earn money the way he does…"

The father grabbed the captain's hand, "This isn't about the money…" The father turned his head forward, "I just… I don't want him living like that."

Shiro was confused with the situation. He'd assume he would be placed in prison, but besides that,

"Money?!" Shiro exclaimed, "Did someone say money!" It was as if his eyes were filled with dollar signs.

The father facepalmed, "My god… you… you reckless child…"

Solomon, on the surface may have believed his son had worked, but deep to his core he knew his son was a thief.

He couldn't bring himself to say it back home. His son brought home bread everyday and his son was proud about that fact.

His son would happily smile at him and say to his grandma, "here gran, I've brought you some bread hehe…"

The situation now almost felt inevitable and he knew, Solomon knew.

Still, "I don't want him to be a knight. I don't want him to work in any type of military position at all." Solomon was adamant on not letting Shiro join under the ranks of the Captain.

"Ah… well let's just have the boy decide." The Captain looked over to the boy, but no-one could tell because he had his helmet on.

"Huh? What?" Shiro stared at them both.

"Decide?" He questioned his choices.

[If I join the Captain I would earn the wage of a knight and if I don't I could possibly be put into jail…]

Multiple light bulbs were firing up within Shiro's head.

[But what if I don't get put in jail? These two seem familiar with each other… I might be left off the hook…]

And even more lightbulbs were appearing.

[Then I would be back at home… Living in that old creaky, miserable house…]

Then the last light bulb clicked.

[Wait… if I earn money, then I could get out! Wait… if I get money I could get everyone out! If I had money, I could even buy grandma a house and dad a house! We could all sleep in beds, eat good food, and…]

"Oi!" The captain interrupted the boy's thought bubbles. "Don't think so hard. Just choose."

"Then…" Shiro's eyes had a sparkling glow to them.

Solomon and the Captain were anxious.

"I'll go towards the path of money!"

Solomon grunted, but the look on his face seemed like he already knew. "I knew you'd say that."

Solomon lifted his face up, smiled, and said, "if that is what you want so be it…"

Then he hugged Shiro, "But, just promise me… you'll be safe."

Shiro didn't expect it, "Oh… uh, yeah, dad okay…"

---

Shiro didn't realize it himself, but from that day forth his path became filled with thorns and at the end was a rose.

His tough journey awaits!

And the goal…

Money!