"Brother Spark?... When are we there?"
A snotty-faced brat anxiously asked, clinging onto his arm.
Spark calmly responded with confidence.
"Very soon."
'I really don't know.'
A 15 year old, brown-haired girl with pitch-black eyes nervously doubled down.
"Are you really taking us to the pub?"
"Where else would we go?"
Spark reassured them once again.
'Maybe... maybe we'll end up in the next city at this pace.'
The snotty kid looked up at him with big, round eyes.
"Are you sure you know the way?"
Spark twitched, hesitated but still nodded in the end.
"Of course I know the way!"
'How could I? It's my second day here!'
'...Ugh, so embarassing. In hindsight, Joey should have just left with us!'
The oldest, and coincidentally the first girl that was rescued observed astutely:
"I think we have been at this crossroad 20 minutes ago,"
"You must be seeing things."
'Ah yep, that rock seems familliar ...'
...
After setting off from the gangster hideout with a bountiful harvest, an hour had already passed.
Joey went ahead with the loot in order to deliver the good news of a successful operation, and to prepare the tavern to host a dozen kids.
And Spark... Spark stayed behind with the freed slum kids and the two gangster brothers, planning to meet up with Joey and Jessie in the pub.
So far so good!
But the way back... the way back was a fuzzy mystery, not ready to be solved by the navigator.
He was completely clueless!
Earlier, when they traced Celas' bloody footsteps, Joey had miraculously met with him in an alleyway.
At that time, Spark was in too much of a compendious state, so clearly remembering the structure of the streets was not a priority.
He just tagged along!
As nightfall broke, the messy and uncoordinated structure of the slums turned even more confusing.
'Should I just ask if someone knows? Ah, no ... that ... that would be a bit...'
He grimaced and gave a heavy, self-deprecating sigh.
'I found the way to the pub twice already! Just how could I get lost?' Spark lampooned inwardly.
Marching ahead, he hoped to remember a benchmark and quickly find the right way.
Dilapidated buildings blotched at every corner didn't help at all in choosing the right turn, whereas the compiled makeshift-houses of rusted laths, weathered stone and rotten wood looked the same everywhere.
Well, not the same, but far too similar.
Many slum rats either plastered simple leather tents in the middle of the streets, or placed them in dark and hidden corners, cordoning off branches of the main roads.
The slums felt like an immutable maze.
Spark also noticed the overwhelming difference between the slum inhabitants and residents of the Outskirts.
Here, everything was messier, more unrefined and undeveloped.
He saw people grouped around black, grimy braziers, enjoying the short-lived comfortability of relaxing heat waves to ward off the freshness of the spring night.
Some shared bottles of nearly emptied booze and loud banter and laughter ringed around the area.
Walking by, his group received a lot of attention, being a combination of a dozen kids, a golden-furred Ape and two grown men.
Gazes of deep suspicion and indifferent curiosity landed on them... Specifically the golden monkey drew more attention than everyone else in the group.
It was a mystery to Spark as to why the monkey didn't decice to leave on his own. He expected him to dart into freedom the moment they set foot on the surface, but to his surprise, the brown-golden Ape followed them quietly, furtively sizing up Spark with curious, but cautious stares.
It was a bit unnerving.
After a while, they arrived at the beginning of the Outskirts. From here on out, the houses and streets seemed more orderly and developed.
No more booze-drinking groupings around fireplaces laughed in the cold night. Instead there was only the hauling of the night winds, with occasional stragglers still wandering the streets.
Arriving at another crossroad, the caravan came to an unavoidable halt.
It was then, that the young brown-haired woman suddenly spoke up:
"I know this place! I live not far away. Big Brother Spark, I can go the rest of the way on my own... Thank you, I will definitely not forget what you did for me..."
Spark lifted his eyebrow, but nodded calmly before assuring himself:
"Are you sure?... Well, then. Be careful on the way."
The young woman hurried off with a respectful bow. A big smile hung on her lips, beneath a pair of endlessly exhausted brown eyes...
Turning his head into both directions, Spark tried to assess which side would be the correct choice.
Noticing Sparks helplessness, Milo coughed awkwardly and pointed out:
"Ahh, its truly a long way to the pub. Luckily we are only a right, a left and another right away by now hahaha!"
Sparks sharp gaze landed on Milo with an intrigued smile.
'The fellow is quite perceptive. Not bad.'
Spark opened his mouth to speak in deliberate agreement. He was more than willing accept Milo's obfuscated, but pride-saving thread, when he suddenly caught something move in the corner of his eyes.
A man, moving with impeccable speed, closed in on the group. He had short brown hair, a scruffy, and patchy beard, coupled with fierce eyebrows and fiery eyes.
Also, he ran straight towards them with a relieved, wide smile on his lips.
'NO! ... I almost made it! ...Joey– please ... STAY AWAY!'
Spark made an ugly face when he recognized who the incoming figure was.
"Heeey! Spark, did you get lost on the way or wh..."
Before Joey could end his sentence, his voice was drowned by a much louder, more energetic exclamation.
"OHHH JOEY! How nice of you to meet us halfway! Ah– you really can't sit still, huh? What a nice guy you are! Truly admirable!"
The whole entourage threw strange glances at Spark, who appeared to not notice them. He hurried towards Joey with the most amicable face he had ever worn, and gave the Bartender a couple light claps on the shoulder.
'Halfway? I thought there were only two more streets to cross?'
Was written on several faces, and even the golden monkey shot an incredulous expression at Spark.
Joey started laughing in an embarrassed tone, the kind you wouldn't expect from a rough, broad man like him.
"Oh~ You think so? Well, I guess you do have a point. I was worried about you getting lost, so I came to take a look!"
Spark replied the bartender in a convincing and serious tone:
"You see, Joey... We just wanted enjoy the fresh air of the night. After all, it has been quite some time since the kids had the chance to do so."
Spark couldn't care about the stabbing gazes on his back. While his answer wasn't fully truthful, it had some notion of truth in it. It was better than ruining his image.
'Curses. I almost got there, too.'
"We should head to the pub quickly. I bet everyone can't wait to get some grub, and a well-deserved shower, right guys?"
With that being said, Spark turned around to show an angelic smile. If some kids didn't know any better, they would think of him as a Saint.
The older, more mature children chuckled when they faintly understood the reason for the long duration of the walk.
The navigator seemed to have a very poor sense of direction!
The younger kids, a bit more naive, were awash with fuzzy feelings. Spark, a youth not much older then them, made such kind and careful considerations for everyone...
It was truly the act of a big heart...
Moonlight sparkled dimly on the group, and suddenly wet membranes formed on many eyes.
Flashbacks of sickly stale air, coupled with the disgusting stench of decaying negligence drilled its way to the front of their minds.
They remembered the rattle of the turning keyhole
... the entry of uncaring shadows of figures... the rotting sustenance, totally unfit for consumption... the wordless exit... the unbearable cold...
Sobs echoed through the street.
Breaking the whimpering silence, their saviour spoke up once again. His voice was tinged with trace of reliable levity.
"You're free now. It's time to think about what the future holds for you. Forget everything that happened."
"Remember my words..."
"I promise to be your Shielding Umbrella until you are able to confidently tell me what exactly the future has planned for you."
The mob raised their gaze to scrutinize Spark's young face, and there, they found not a single trace of a lie.
Spark was serious. He had already decided this an hour ago.
Some mouths opened and closed, before turning agape again.
Shaking eyes widened and quivered in their sockets, as if they had finally heard the words that were predestined to break them from the cruel spell of reality.
No one could test the veracity of this promise. It was made by a 15 year old boy, as naive and young as they were...
But their hearts pumped and raced. They pumped not blood, but a heavy dullness which submerged the clobbering organ ravenously.
Yes, it pumped not blood, but something different. Something perhaps only sufficiently described, as a single emotion.
A single emotion, that Spark knew oh too well.
A fickle, sometimes rich, and sometimes hollow emotion, interchanging and intertwining with each other a million times.
An emotion, which had once been his trade to trade.
Their hearts pumped the abysmal emotion of Desire...
"Let us go now kids, before the food runs cold."
Stumped gazes of desire and expectation landed on Spark. All fear and sorrow locked away in their hearts slowly began to dwindle.
* * *
"That was quite a speech. A kid taking care of kids, now that's news-worthy," Joey scoffed into Sparks ear, making sure the volume of his voice stayed low as they made the last turns to the pub.
Spark arched his eyebrows in offence, just to dismiss it with a defeated sigh.
"What's the big issue? It's just taking care of some kids. We made a fortune anyways. They should be reimbursed for their bad fate don't you think? That's why we will help them, you and I!"
Joey, once again surprised, ruminated in pensive thought before speaking up with a meaningful smile.
"You're right. What's the big deal anyways? They are our responsibility, since we saved them!"
Joey seemingly liked the thought of taking care of the kids. He spoke as if it was no big deal, but his eyes betrayed his real thoughts.
The situation of the kids before the kidnapping wasn't entirely clear, but since everyone followed them up until this point it was evident that there was no warm home waiting for them.
Spark mocked inwardly.
'What a pushover... He's a soft-boiled egg behind the shell, isn't he?'
On the outside, though, he agreed with a grin.
"My thoughts, exactly."
Despite lampooning, Spark felt that Joey's character was admirable. He was soft to friends and utterly ruthless to the enemy.
Very fitting for a Cultivator!
Finally they reached the entrance of Joey's pub. A signboard depicted its name on a wooden board.
"The Shelter"
Written in capital letters, the font was edged by a red and a blue bottle, tilting towards the font in an incline.
The letters themselves were colored in black lacquer, accurate and symmetrical. But however fine the design was, it couldn't escape the exposure to the elements... Cracks coursed through the mottled wood and many letters had spots of fallen-off lacquer pieces.
"The Shelter!" Spark exclaiming with a laugh, "How awfully fitting it is, don't you think?"
Joey saw the irony in the situation and joined in on the laughter. How coincidental for his pub to end up as a shelter for a dozen slum kids today. Well... a dozen children and a strange golden-furred Ape.
"It usually shelters a bunch of drunkards, but now I can add another meaning to the name, it seems!" Joey lampooned in high spirits.
The group looked at the signboard with hopeful eyes.
The young man from before, who also stepped forward and announced his intention to leave, decided it to be best to part ways from here on out.
"Joey, Spark... thank you for your grace. My home is not far from here, and... as I said, I will definitely repay your kindness in the future," he said with an exaggerated bow.
Absolute resolve inscribed itself on the pair of purple eyes.
Spark waved indifferently once again, "Forget about it. Take care on your way home."
Joey also chuckled and repeated, "No need for any repayment, just make sure you stay safe from now on."
When the young man had left, Joey opened the door, letting the bar-entrance be illuminated in dim light, which in turn showered the faces of the onlookers in a flickering golden shine.
An exquisite scent escaped the inside, making a few bellies rumble in the process.
Then, a delicate face suddenly leaned into the entrance with a warm smile.
"You're finally here. Come on in, no need to be shy."
Jessie giggled when she saw the dozen salivating mouths, and pulled the kids into the room.
Candle light brightened up the tavern and a bigger table, constructed out of four smaller ones, stood in the middle, surrounded by a dozen chairs.
The table was set with plates and cutlery for every spot and in the midst of the table stood a big and charred metalpot with a ladle leaning against its walls. It was the origin of the delicious scent.
Lily, Tali and even the injured Terry were present. They were on the right side of the entrance, seated on the bar stools that leaned against the bar counter and weren't too surprised about the group of kids entering, of whom all were in a rather poor state.
It seemed that Joey had filled them in on the most important parts, back when Spark was desperately trying to make sense of directions.
Everbody entered the tavern and they were received sincerelly.
"Big Bro Spark!"
Both of the young girls exclaimed when they saw that Spark had finally returned. They knew that he was safe, but seeing him made them happy nevertheless.
Knowing him for no more than a day, he somehow already felt like a reliable older brother.
Terry also beamed, as soon as he noticed Spark.
"Spark, thank you very much! Joey told me what you did for me. I don't know how I could ever repay you... "
Terry wanted to stand up to express his gratitude, but the terrible wound on his legs ached when he tried to move rashly.
"Terry! Why aren't you resting? You shouldn't even be moving about with your injuries!"
Spark scolded him with worry. Terry's injuries were quite severe. He had lost a lot of blood and his thighs were in a bad state.
It seemed that Jessie had carefully bandaged them, but he was in no condition to nonchalantly walk around.
Terry shook his head and tried to stand up, but Spark rushed over and press him down on the chair, before he could.
"How can I sit and rest when I haven't even thanked my saviour yet?"
"Don't be a fool. You can always thank us later," Spark retorted in an angry voice.
How can a man be this reckless? He didn't know if Terry was sincere or if he was simply foolish.
"Lie down for now and rest, let's discuss further when we have the kids settled in."
With a last scolding gaze, he turned around to face the two young girls with a gentle smile.
"Hello Lily, hello Tali. Good job for putting your trust in us."
The kids giggled and curtly replied in unison:
"You're welcomee!"
It seemed that they got along with each other very well already.
Distracted by the delicious fragrance of the food still streaming into every corner of the bar, made it hard for the rescuees to silence their gulps.
The massive steel container was filled to the brim with a meat stew. A hearty gravy-broth shimmered on glazed onions, potatoes and carots with fatty pieces of meat trunked in unrelenting umami.
Wooden baskets with neatly cut pieces of bread decorated the table in-between smaller bowls of various nuts and candlesticks.
It was a sight for sore eyes!
The golden Ape carefully neared the table on all fours, with sparkles coruscating in his golden-yellow eyes.
And so did the other ten kids, except that they were on their legs of course...
It felt like an eternity had passed since they smelled something so fragrant. They had to repress tears from falling.
"Can we really eat this?" a gaunt girl asked, her short black hair quivering alongside her face. She was at most ten years old and her question produced a heartbreaking, shivering undertone.
Jessie's eyes stinged when she heard the poor girl. She kneeled down to embrace the young girl, uncaring of the dirt and the stench that days or even weeks of negligence caused. She felt deeply empathetic for the pitiful kids.
"Of course you can! Kids ! Come here! Let auntie give you a hug..." Jessie felt overwhelmed with profound emotions. She opened up her arms for an embrace that could seemingly hug every lost and wronged child in the world.
Seeing Jessie open her arms, the young kids broke out in sobs and whines as they ran into her embrace. Honestly speaking, Spark was a bit overwhelmed too, seeing how quiet most of the kids were on the way here, in contrast to how the same kids cried out every tear in their body right now.
It was apparent that they just put on a brave mask, which finally shattered with Jessie's little gesture.
It seems that nothing beats a mother's warmth.
While the younger kids let go of their decorum, the older ones still seemed awkward, as they stood on their spot, wet-eyed with runny noses, trying to supress their sobs.
Spark glanced at them and spoke softly:
"Go ahead. You need this right now ..."
After he said this, they also stopped holding back and joined in on the group hug. The dozen people hugging each other looked funny in a way, but at the same time, it had a heart-breaking underlying cause.
The warmth and love offered by the person opposite of them was something they desperately craved, that they would gladly accept it from a stranger and it was nothing they would let go of.
This much became very evident by the sound of soul-tearing cries that resounded in the tavern right after.
The heavy mood also gripped the heart of little Lily and Tali.
At some point, it became too much to restrain and they couldn't help but run towards the human hugball, in hopes that their love and comfort would rub off onto the recipients.
While the mood was heavy, it was also wholesome. A neccessary step to heal from the terrible horrors they had gone through.
Spark and Joey looked at each other and nodded. They both noticed a certain individual, too reserved to join the fray, somewhat out of the picture.
They ambled next to the golden Ape, who stood still, with his eyes glued on the occurence before him.
Spark initiated the conversation once again as his left hand gripped the right shoulder of the monkey, while his right hand rested behind his back. His gaze was also focussed on the hugging children in front:
"Since you can understand, I'll be as frank as possible. You see... for you to heal, you need to first accept what has happened. We do not understand your situation, but it seems you haven't lost all trust in humans, seeing how you decided to follow us, instead of running away."
Joey also gently put his hand on the left shoulder of the monkey, as he looked him into his beautiful , yet fierce eyes.
"Even though we are complete strangers to each other, I... I assure you with my name, Joey Zeal, on the line, that you need not experience such a thing again while you are under my protection."
He smiled at the hirtuse guest and softly added, "Tonight you can eat, shower and rest in my humble abode without worrying about anything."
"You heard him! There's no need to hold back anymore. It's not healthy ..." Spark preached considerately, trying to tear down the barriers around the monkey's heart.
He adopted persistent vigilance, on edge all the time, but perceptive Théo understood that he too, was just a traumatized kid after a grueling experience.
Overwhelmed by the approach of the two men, the monkey stared at them with big eyes. Still scrutinizing, still vigilant, but with a hint of softness expanding within.
A thin membrane of water rested ontop of his eyes and the weight on his eyelid grew heavily with each passing second.
Trying to hide his saddened countenance, the golden monkey cast his gaze onto the floor before giving voice to a couple quivering words.
"I know ... not all humans .... bad. Some good... some friend."
The floor beneath him showed wet spots, which he tried to stop from appearing by incessantly wiping his eyes with the golden fur on his arm, but to no avail.
Joey and Spark smiled gently when they came to know the monkey didn't hate all humans, even after everything that has happened. He seemed to hide a deeper past, but at this point, neither Joey nor Spark wished to dig any of it up.
The furry guest didn't look like he was ready to join the hugs, but at least he opened up a little. That was enough for the day. Spark petted the golden hair on the Ape's head with a rough, but caressing touch.
"That's good to hear."
Spark then asked curiously:
"Do you, perhaps, have a name?"
Borza raised his head, as he confidently announced his name in a rough human accent.
"I- ... am ... Borza!"
It seemed his name held ineffable pride and deep-rooted meaning for him.
"A wonderful name... Borza, what do you say, shall we eat?"
Spark grinned brightly as he prodded Borza forward slightly, into the direction of the table.
Suddenly remembering the delicious food on the table, his wet eyes dried up to turn into luminous sparkles once again, as rivers of saliva threatened to break free from behind his lips.
Joey stood a step behind, overlooking the situation with a wide, satisfied expression resting on his face.
As soon as he closed his eyes to blink, a wet and warm feeling ran down his cheek.
He really... was a soft-boiled egg... a true softie.