The soft cries of a newborn are foreign where the baby was discarded. By all means, the newborn should already be dead. The underground world of Halo has many creatures of voracious appetite.
Sewers, caverns, sinkholes, and even an undercity were all apart of the underground world of Halo. The baby is in the sewer areas of the underground. Where rats, reptiles, insects, arachnids, diseased dogs and other rodents reside. Perhaps, even some types of monster. The city above often treats the sewers like a monster den. As it is swept periodically and culled. All these creatures should be tearing into the easy meal. Yet they stay their claws, paws and fangs.
For the baby has been blessed. The darkness slinks around the baby like an uncanny caress. The rancid water hold the baby above itself gently. The surrounding stone emits warmth rather than biting cold.
Only divine blessings would keep the creatures away so effectively. What deities blessed the child can only be speculated. Under such care, the baby stopped crying. However, it's hunger remains. Food for a newborn can only be milk from a mother. Which can no longer be acquired. How will the baby eat?
The creatures are either diseased or poisonous. Their milk is deadly for a human baby.
Normally...
Under higher guidance, a large rat mother shambled over. The baby took to the grayed teat easily enough. Coughing soon followed after the first few sips. The milk is acidic, carrying disease and a bit of poison. Yet the baby kept drinking despite the difficulty and immense discomfort. For the pain faded with the nerves quickly enough.
This would continue as the baby squirmed in pain for days. As the blessing allowed for adaptation to these ailments. The newborn's will to live had him persevere. In a month, the baby could drink the milk as easily water. Resistant to the disease, poison and acidic properties.
The baby grew like this. The water would wash and clean the baby, washing away the waste. The stone would keep the baby warm. The darkness would provide the loving touch to keep up the baby's will.
A year passed quickly and the baby was now walking on two feet, has been since his 8th month. The baby was different looking than normal. Due to diet and environment. The skin was a ghostly white, no hair anywhere, and white pupils with black eyeballs. Teeth were sharper than normal, nails harder.
The creatures still made way for the child. As he would take small walks.
For another 4 years, the rat mother taught him how to hunt. He ran along with other rats to bring down crabs, dogs, and large centipedes to eat. All added to his resistance of ailments.
Now 5 years old, he was strong. His saliva, full of deadly bacteria and poison. His nails had poison under them. Even his sweat was poisonous. The boy could climbs walls and ceilings like a spider with his strength and agility.
Clothes were not known to him at this time either, truly a wild boy. Despite the comfort of stone, water and darkness. He found himself wondering, and feeling explorative.
His senses are keener than normal. Sounds that should be distant or nonexistent are received as if he was next to the source. In pure darkness, his eyes can see beyond clear. His smell can pick apart the smallest distinctions far across the maze-like sewers with ease. He can taste every ingredient. He can feel the smallest pump on smooth stone. His 6th sense, instinct, borderlines on precognition.
These senses allow him to perceive the world above him. The sounds, and the smells. He had never looked through the exits or grates of the sewers. For he is not used to light and avoids it for the discomfort it brings him. His curiosity has never stopped growing though. Soon, it will drive him to take a peek, maybe step out.
By the time he was 6 years old, he had dabbled in the powers that the blessing granted him. Darkness, stone, and water all answer to his commands with ease. As if they are eager to carry out any command.
He experimented with the creatures. By 7 years old, even the rare monsters of the sewers were easy for him to deal with through his powers. Monsters such as slimes and flesh amalgams were no longer a chore to deal with.
By 8 years old, he started to peak out from the sewer grates at night. There were little to no people, save for guards or the unsavory. This was enough to flood him with information. After this, he made clothes from skin and chitin for himself. He even made shoes.
By 9 years old, he was looking out during the day too. Not for too long as it stresses his eyes though. He saw more and learned more. Including on how to speak the local language. Once language was learned, his thoughts began to evolve.
His wild ways of using his powers were tempered with reason and improved. By 10 years old, he was the undisputed power in the sewers. Nothing could harm him.
Despite his capability to speak and clothing. He never spoke out to the culling squads and cleaning crews that came through the sewers. He continued to hide himself in darkness to avoid detection until they've left.
When he was 10, something historic happened. The city of Halo, ruled by a two thousand year old empire was breached by enemy forces for the second time in history. The first time was 160 years after its founding. It has been over 1,840 years since then.
The boy knew there was talk of an ongoing war all year. Then victory celebrations right before Winter. From his understanding, these invaders must be from the defeated nation. A final desperate blow meant to do as much damage as possible. As the enemy surely had no illusion about winning. They had forgone all rules of war. He could hear common people being cut down and fires breaking out everywhere on the surface. It was night, so the element of surprise will allow the invaders to wreak havoc a little longer.
The boy stayed in the sewer, even moving towards the central basin that is in the center of the city. As it is the safest place in the sewers. He waited there while hiding within the dark shadows. Although he trusts his strength, caution is wise. A lesson living wildly has taught him.
After an hour of hiding. He heard the running feet of people from one of the connection tunnels. He remained hidden, unworried about being detected at all.
To his fortune, the people behind the sounds ran into the central basin. He vaguely recognized them. From observation, he knew the colors of the imperial family. Yet had never seen any guards where such colors. He was mostly certain these people were guardsmen related to the imperial family. They were more heavily equipped then regular guardsmen he had seen patrol the city. Their equipment was much nicer too.
Another peculiar thing was that there was a small girl being carried by one of them. From her clothes, she was not a common person. He could hear them speak.
"Sir, the remnants really won't be able to follow us here?"
"Don't doubt McKinnis, the sewers are a crazy maze. Even I barely have enough memorized to be able to navigate without a map. Maps that aren't even complete at that. Those vengeful fools have no way of finding their way here. This basin is deep and the paths to it are almost more confusing than women."
The other guards chuckled lightly at the small joke. They all remained on guard though. They trusted the older sounding guard it seems. Yet they remained vigilant. Certainly more disciplined than any guard I've ever seen. The girl in the older guard's arms was calm, but not at complete ease. Worry was etched on her face.
Then I heard more running footsteps. Long before these guards heard them. When they did, they all tensed up some more. The older guard said with grit, "Impossible, there is no way they could find us here."
The approaching footsteps slowed to a walk. Then a single sleekly armored man came from the shadows of one of the tunnels. Red armor and carrying twin curved swords. Blood stained his armor.
The older guard sighed with determination, "Kestral of the Setting Sun, fallen prince. I didn't think it would be you following us. No wonder we were found."
The now know Kestral laughed darkly, "This empire destroyed everything I loved and annihilated my family. It is only fitting I take something from that damn emperor. I know he loves the 2nd princess the most. I also knew that the royal guard would prioritize the crown prince and the older children. The youngest would receive the least amount of protection. How ironic, that the emperor isn't able to properly safeguard who he loves the most because of politics. This will make him cry."
"Not if I have anything to say about it.", the older guard says.
He then set down the little girl and pushed her behind him. The other guards stepped up to be in front of the girl too, forming a wall of armor and blades.
Kestral cracked his neck and rotated his swords casually, "Time to kill a little girl, hehe." He seemed a bit disturbed in the head to the boy.
Kestral attacked with speed and ruthless prescision. The guards fell after only a few exchanges with him. Only the older guard managed to last a bit longer.
Surprisingly, Kestral didn't kill any of them. He only maimed them or injured them to where they can't fight anymore.
The older guard grudgingly said with anger, "Why spare us Kestral?"
Kestral chuckled, "Why? So you all can watch. So you all will have to live with this failure and have this moment haunt you. So you stand before that bastard in disgrace."
The girl was thoroughly frightened now, whimpering silently. Thinking that being quiet will make the bad man go away.
The boy felt a tug within him. He could even feel the darkness eager to be ordered to action. The boy thought about briefly as Kestral was creepily walked to the girl.
Then made up his mind, "Secure her..."
The darkness leapt from the surroundings, wrapping around the little princess. She was brought to where the boy was in the dark. She was scared at first, but the boys black eyes and white pupils held only reassurance in them.
"Calm, you are safe here in the dark with me.", he said confidently. The princess nodded with wide teary eyes.
The boy turned his attention back to Kestral, "Rend, churn and crush."
The water in the basin erupted, the darkness pounced sharply, the stone took flight. Kestral was enveloped in it all. An master warrior and swordsmen he was. Before the attack, he could not defend. He was stripped of armor, and weapons. Then stripped of flesh all the way to the bone. Finally, the bones was crushed to dust and washed away.
He was gone by the boy's command with supernatural ease.
The guards were stunned, but happy. Then looked to where their charge was hidden away.
The boy said to the princess, "Leave the dark now, the danger is gone. Goodbye."
The darkness coiled around her and uncoiled as she appeared in front to of the guards. The princess, was saved and the enemy was dead. The invaders were defeated shortly after this, to the last soldier.
However, there were still questions.