Little Scarred Boy

"The south district huh?" Raiden glances over the picture as Emelda looks about.

"Looks like poverty." She muses.

"Yeah. Chances are that the thieves we are after will be children." He breathes. They share a glance at that.

"... Troublesome..." She mutters as they head through the marketplace. It was busy, the vendors calling and raving about their products. It wasn't a surprise when a small shape suddenly darted from beside a fruit stall, holding a red fruit.

"Hey! Thief!" The merchant shouts after the child. Exchanging a glance the pair swiftly catch up to the child, rushing into an alleyway after him. Emelda feels her foot catch something and as she looks down at the rope something lands on her from above.

"Garbage!?" Raiden huffs smacking something away as it falls toward Emelda's head. She straightens and dusts herself off before looking at Raiden as he meets her gaze.

"Got away." She smiles slightly.

"Damn clever." He chuckles. "Too bad we can't afford the lot."

"Right? we'll need to figure out another solution." She agrees as they head back to the marketplace.

It was basically a game of tag, except with boobytraps that kept the kids just out of reach. Every time the pair thought a path was already triggered they would trigger another.

"No wonder they asked for help." Raiden huffs, tossing a basket from his head.

"They have to have a hideout..." Emelda huffs.

"True... I'm going above." He decides.

"Good luck." She says as he leaps onto a rooftop.

"Gah! Why is it boobytrapped!" He cries out as things fly at him.

"They're good," Emelda mutters before looking about again. A red-haired boy catches her eye then, he was seemed smaller compared to the children they've been chasing around. In fact, the poor thing seemed more like a skeleton. She watches him stealthily take a piece of bread before trying to hurry away, but the merchant spots him, suddenly shouting and cursing the boy, drawing attention.

The boy startles and trips, landing heavily as the merchant looms over him, raising a fist as he shouts. Emelda moves forward, her tattooed arm buzzing slightly before she ceases the merchant's face and lifts him off the ground. Her arm had changed, resembling the long lanky arm of the werewolf she had faced not long ago.

Cries of surprise and shock make the customers hastily move away as the merchant fails in her grasp.

"Hey! What are you doing!? You're supposed to be helping us!" A merchant shouts.

"Helping you today will never solve your problems." She responds coldly. "Just like beating a half-dead child isn't going to stop the rest." She tosses the merchant down. He coughs, looking up at her in shock and unease.

"You really think this will stop these starving kids? You'd be doing the same in their shoes. Instead of wasting your money on trying to stop this, how about you take the products that are about to go bad and feed them? No one is going to buy those anyway." She tells the merchants. "Or are you fools really that delusional about somehow getting rich off of mediocre products?"

Of course, there was no response, she wasn't even sure they were listening. Raiden lands nearby, giving an approving nod.

"This job's a bust. Let's go home." He tells her.

"Yeah. It's about lunchtime anyway." She agrees turning to the boy. He shakily looks up at her with a visible purple eye. His right eye was hidden behind his hair. The scrapes he had gotten from tripping are bleeding already.

"He's coming with us." She tells Raiden, arm returning to normal as she scoops up the boy.

"I had a feeling that would be the case." Raiden nodes. The boy felt frail in her arms, far too light. Raiden catches the worry on her face and carefully picks her up, heading off swiftly for the guild.

Upon their arrival, Caster takes one look at the boy before taking them to the infirmary to tend to the boy. While they're waiting, the pair update Caster.

"I see. Wish I had known the extent of it before accepting the job..." He sighs looking at the infirmary door. "Too often do the weak get labeled as pests when they're just trying to survive like everyone else. How sad." Caster sighs. "We will take some food to them... You will take in the boy?"

"Yeah. I got a glimpse of his right eye, he's half-blind with a scar... He's probably outcasted by the others." She comments.

"Understood... But will you be able to afford this?" Caster asks.

"Yeah. We're figuring it out." Emelda assures.

"We're more capable than a little kid after all." Raiden agrees.

"Very well. Let us know if it gets too much. You're a part of the guild now. We help each other." He breathes.

"Yessir." They respond.

Before much longer, they're able to go in and see the boy. Emelda and Raiden frown as they sit down.

"He's resting. We gave him a small meal. Patched him up. To get him to a normal weight he'll need frequent small meals." The doctor tells them.

"Alright." Emelda nods as Raiden feels their coin pouch in thought before sending her a nod.

Once the boy wakes up, he peers around and looks at them nervously. "Why...."

"Why did I help you?" Emelda guesses, rubbing his head gently. "Because no one else was trying to..."

".... Now what?" The boy peers at Raiden warily.

"Now you come home with us." Raiden smiles lightly. "Though we don't have much, we can give you more than you have now."

"More... You're sure?" The boy asks, his voice letting out a hoarseness.

"Absolutely." They smile together, Emelda grabbing a glass of water for him. The boy sips, good eye looking between them, but not hopeful, rather than that it's like he was trying to see into their minds.

"We're being honest... Now come on." Emelda stands and offers her hand. The boy carefully takes her hand. Raiden nods and leads the way out carefully.

Then begins the longest walk home yet. "I'm Emelda by the way, Emelda Night. And this is Raiden, he's the Grand Duke."

"Oh... So they called him a demon because he really was one..." The boy blinks.

"Yeah, I was surprised too... What's your name," Emelda peers down at him.

"My name?" For a moment fear crosses his skinny face, making Emelda stop and drop to a knee in front of the boy.

"It's okay. You don't need to tell us... I'll pick one for you. Okay?" She touches his shoulders.

"Okay..." He breathes, relaxing a bit.

"How about... Rainer?" She looks to Raiden for input.

"I like it. Sounds strong." He nods. "What do you think?" They both look at the boy.

"Rainer... My name's Rainer." He breathes, lips pulling back in a smile.

"It's a good name. Let's go." She nods continuing with him.

"Varen is going to scold us." Raiden remarks.

"Definitely." Emelda chuckles lightly. "He's going to ask how we went out on a job and came back with a kid instead of money."

"Jinx will ask if we stole him," Raiden predicts.

"And Bane will find this all highly amusing." Emelda nods. Rainer stumbles slightly but thanks to his grip on Emelda's hand he doesn't fall.

Raiden scoops up the boy, putting him on his shoulders. "You can hold onto my horns but not too tightly, you might get zapped." He tells Rainer. The boy's eye shines slightly carefully grabbing Raiden's horns.

"They're warm." He squeaks.

"That's because they conduct electricity," Emelda tells him. "Raiden's horns are very useful."

"Amazing..." Rainer whispers making Raiden grin at the praise.

"Raiden is pretty amazing. He can do things we could only dream of." Emelda agrees.

"You can too." Rainer looks at her tattooed arm.

"Oh yeah. Forgot about that..." Emelda looks at her hand. "Did you see it Raiden?"

"Only at the end there. I guess that is the mark's power... How did it feel?" He inquires.

"Felt weird before it happened, then like it was normal... So strong though..." Emelda breathes, flexing her arm and making it change as her mind went over the events again.

"Fluffy..." Raiden pets her arm. "And it's soft!"

"Hehe stop, that just feels weird." Emelda giggles. Rainer reaches wanting to touch it too. Emelda offers her hand to the boy. Rainer carefully feels it.

"That's... Od-... Cr-... That's wild." He finally settles on that word.

"Heh. It really is." She feels her arm change back as she relaxes again.

They reach the manor, Emelda helping Rainer off the Demon's neck before they enter. "We're back," Raiden calls.

"Coming!" Jinx's call sounds and she soon rushes in to greet them, pausing at the sight of Rainer.

"How did it go..." Bane joins them and does the same.

"... Did you steal someone's kid?" Jinx whispers to them. The pair knuckle bump at that. "What's that?! Please tell me you stole him!" Jinx gasps.

"I uh... Did we?" Emelda blinks looking at Rainer.

"No. I was alone." He assures.

"Oh, you poor thing! Are you hungry? I'm making soup and biscuits come have some." She takes the boy past Varen who watches the boy pass by with big eyes.

".... How did you go on a job and come back with a child?" Varen inquires. The pair knuckle bumps again, making Bane sputter a laugh and turn away. "This isn't funny Bane." He sends the knight a frown.

"Of course not.." Bane chuckles, peering at the pair as they glance at him and knuckle bump a third time.

"Stop that." Varen scolds them. "How do you intend to afford a kid?" He questions.

"Well if it gets real bad I can go claim what's mine with force." Raiden decides.

"Or we can go convince him first that he should pay you." Emelda advices.

"Raiden could, but if you try Emelda, he'll try to have you beheaded for speaking out of turn." Bane points out.

"He can try." Emelda and Raiden say together, the demon looking far more intimidating as lightning flickers over him.

Varen groans putting a hand over his face. "You two..."

"Hey. It's the King's fault for not recognizing Raiden's value." Emelda defends. "If he didn't treat Raiden like a nuisance this kingdom could get a lot more done. So if we gotta open his eyes, that's just what we'll do."

"Damn right. We won't be struggling to feed that kid. That I promise you." Raiden vows. Varen looks between them and sighs heavily.

"Very well, we'll do our best to make sure he's comfortable." He assures.

"Glad you're seeing things our way." Raiden smirks.

"I'm not, I just would prefer you take a safer route... Go see the Mine Client tomorrow. I'll go get the gear for Emelda while you're away." He decides.

"He's so dependable." Raiden grins at Emelda.

"Let us give them all a raise." She grins back.

"You stop that. You can't even afford to." Varen scolds. The pair chuckle in response to that. "... We'll get you both a bath ready so you can rest for tomorrow." He says before dragging Bane along to do so. Once they're alone, their smiles fall.

"We really need to do something about this..." Raiden murmurs.

"Besides getting a sponsor, the king will be our only hope at a regular income..." Emelda puts a knuckle to her chin. "Let's go to the castle after we meet with the client. We'll straighten this all out tomorrow." She tells him. Raiden nods and pops his knuckles, lightning flickering over his hands.

"And we won't be taking 'no' for an answer."