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The old building looked completely abandoned when Ballister found it, but just to be sure, he carefully inspected it for any signs of life or use before nestling into it. He chose a small nook that was hidden under the roof on the upper level – it was probably some sort of maintenance area when the building was in use. It was dirty and tricky to climb up there, but it has its advantages. It was out of sight, the roof didn’t leak too much, and the wind couldn’t get in.

It was the best shelter he could hope for while he battled his fever.

So, of course, his peace didn’t last long. He was never lucky in these things.

But at least he was aware of his rotten luck and smart enough to be careful, so when he suddenly awoke in the late afternoon, sluggish from his lingering fever and disoriented by various unfamiliar voices, at least he wasn’t in immediate danger.

He carefully sat up to peek out from his hiding place. There were five men in the room beneath him, all scruffy and way too big to be able to get in his nook. Which was a huge relief because they were all suspiciously well-built. In the outer city it usually meant that they were thugs, people who made a living by hurting others. Sadly, in their neighborhood, it was the only way for someone to be able to eat enough to grow that much muscle, so Ballister didn’t need to see their tattoos to know their kind. But he tried to take a peek anyway, as it was always good to know exactly what gang people belonged to. That could be life-saving information for lonely street urchins like Ballister.

Unfortunately (or fortunately?) he was too far from them to see any details without risking detection. Quietly, like a little mouse, Ballister pulled back from the opening and sat down to stay out of sight. He took out his water bottle to sip some of his remaining water. His fever wasn’t as bad as it was before he fell asleep, his headache was gone, and his limbs didn’t feel like useless noodles. But for the past one and a half day he had hardly eaten (he was too weak to go and look for anything, so he tried to stretch out what little he had) or drank enough (although rainwater was a huge help in that part at least). He was used to being hungry and still work around the weakness in his limb or the faint pain in his stomach. But right now, he didn’t feel up to any kind of fight or running for his life. Besides, it was clear that his best chance was to stay put until nightfall and try to sneak out when most of the men would sleep.

The dark bottles passing between them were promising signs of a less strict night watch: a lucky thing, even if Ballister didn’t like drunks. They were always unpredictable and sometimes even dangerous. Angry and bitter.

He wrapped his arms around his pulled-up legs and pressed his forehead to his knees. Sleep was out of the question, but he needed as much rest as he could get, while he waited and listened to see if anyone would discover his nook.

Thank Gloreth, the gang wasn’t too concerned with exploring their surroundings. They talked among themselves, joking, laughing and bickering so crudely, that Ballister’s face turned red just from hearing it.

“Galdric, my man, finally! These jerks are all ganged up on me, where the hell were you, bro?!”

“That idiot Tumbs went to fuck some whore instead of taking his place as we agreed.” A new voice growled very unsatisfied. Ballister winched from the sharp edge of the words.

There was some laughing as an answer.

“Man, I needed it, where you get this shit?”

“Fuck if I know, Mattias got it.”

“From Sargon. Don’t hog it, man, pass it forward!”

“Sure, sure, hell! I was on double duty, and you whine like a little bitch?! Selfish jerk! Go, spent some quality time with the brat without beating him up, and we’ll see how you manage it without beer, asshole!”

Ballister peeked up a little, listening more intently as the newcomer sat down with his friends, complaining about some kid he had to guard. Ballister’s heart dropped, his throat tightened the more he listened.

“I swear if those pricks didn’t pay, I’ll personally wring that little shit’s neck! Fucking noble jerks! They think they are better than anyone up in their damn mansions with their dogs always licking their ass!”

“Oh, don’t whine! Look at it this way, we will be filthy rich when they pay!”

“If they pay. If they don’t…”

“Hey, take it easy, man! The kid is a fucking saint for them, course they will pay, you’ll see!” The man laughed, but it sounded more cruel than nice. “It’s fool proof plan!”

Ballister shivered, his stomach clenched in dread. Was there another kid here?! Someone who was even less lucky than him? Those men didn’t sound nice before, but now that they started talking about what they were doing with the money they were getting from that other kid’s parents and what they were going to do if those parents didn’t decide soon and pay. Ballister felt sick and angry.

How dare they?! There were gangs Ballister never wanted to cross because they were ruthless, but even those guys won’t maim kids just to terrorize their parents!

…Probably.

To be fair, he wasn’t so sure about gangs like the Redskull or the Night Brotherhood, but those men were so far above him on the food chain that they were almost imaginary. Horror stories that adults told children to scare them into obedience. What people whisper about them… It was just so cruel and hard to believe that people could actually do things like… Things that only monsters would do. Those things had to be myths.

But these guys were very real down there and they talked about hurting a kid without any reason, with the same eagerness as they had talked about whores, alcohol, or drugs.

Ballister gritted his teeth and swallowed hard, his blood felt both ice-cold from fear and too hot from rage. He wanted to get down there and gave them a piece of his mind, but he knew he couldn’t. It would have been suicidal.

He had to hide and sneak out as soon as he could – he reminded himself as he relaxed his fingers, blankly staring at the opposite wall in the semi-darkness.

The men beneath talked about money. Lots of money. And noble parents who will pay because they value the kid, who was held hostage. Ballister was a nobody, a mere street kid with rotten luck and no one who would give a shit about his wellbeing or back him up.

He couldn’t do a thing to help.

That other kid will be fine, his parents will probably pay soon anyway, right?

Noble parents cared for their children just like commoners, and they had money, unlike commoners. They could pay whatever those men wanted.

Or Knights will come and save him, they probably already looked for him if he was important, or maybe… Maybe Ballister could find them and lead them here after he was out of the danger himself? That could help, right?

Or not. It was probably already managed by someone else, someone more fitting to the role than him.

Ballister slowly let out the breath he had been holding.

Yes, that kid will be okay, one way or another. He might have been beaten up a bit, but if those men really thought he was valuable, they couldn’t hurt him too badly. It would have been stupid not to sneak out, but to snoop around instead in the hope that Ballister would find him and… And what? Save him? How the hell would he even do that?!

It was ridiculous. Anything he could have done would have only gotten them into more trouble. The kid would probably be much more seriously injured and Ballister would get himself killed. Better to wait for his parents to pay.

Ballister was no hero.

It was all very logical, an easy choice. The only not-stupid choice, really.

Ballister knew it, but he still felt incredibly bad as he sat curled up in his (relatively safe) hiding place, wishing he could cover his ears, but he didn’t dare to do so, because he had to hear if someone came closer or start looking around.

He tried not to think about how much more scared that other boy must be.

He didn’t know how long it was before the men began to quiet down. They didn’t fall asleep all at once and they had lamps, so it wasn’t as dark as Ballister hoped. But they went further back into the huge open office where they were more protected from the damp wind that rose outside during nightfall and get in though the broken and missing windows. A bit of luck that Ballister really needed.

He risked a glance now and then to see how many stayed in sight. His fever was back, but it wasn’t too bad: his face felt hot and clammy, but he wasn’t dizzy. He would like nothing more than curl up and sleep through the night, but he wanted to go as soon as he could. He had to.

By the time it got completely dark outside, only two men remained in the main hall, and they both seemed quite drunk. Too drunk to go back with the others and their peers didn’t seem to bother with them. Ballister was almost sure that at least one of them was unconscious or fast asleep.

It was as good of a time to go as he could get. He carefully folded his ragged blanket into his small backpack and slipped out of his nook. His small feet made no sound as he crawled along the old steel beams that he had used to climb up to his hiding place. He was extra cautious when he got down to ground level, glancing around and in the men’s direction periodically to see if he should run.

Everything was quiet as he crouched down between the shadows.

He took a deep breath as he slipped out into the much darker corridor. The wind blew cold rain through the broken windows, the old linoleum was slippery and muddy as he sneaked toward the stairs leading down.

He cautiously peered through every door he had to pass (most of those were just bare hinges around the dark hole in the wall), his heart pounded in his throat. He felt dazed when he realized that there was a faint light coming out of the third one, near to the stairs. There! They had to keep that other boy there.

His hands were shaking. He rubbed them against his thighs as he wondered if he should try to sneak through the door hoping that he could stay unnoticed, or should he find another way down, maybe try to climb out one of the windows…

“I’m hungry! Please, even you should know that beer is not sustainable food for a growing…”

“Shut up, or I’ll make you shut up! Man, what a pain in the ass! I don’t know how your old farts can handle you talking all the time! Fuck, Galdric didn’t joked!”

“I just…”

“I said shut up!”

There was the unmistakable sound of a slap. Ballister flinched, he knew all too well how that must feel. But there was no whimper, no sobs. The kid became silent, only a satisfied grunt could be heard. Ballister gripped his backpack’s strap and gritted his teeth. He involuntarily crept closer, his ears were ringing from fever and anger and all the dread he felt. The man stood with his back faced at the door when he risked a peek.

Ballister couldn’t see the boy, but he saw the way the man’s hand rose and his whole body tensed immediately. He had been in the hands of men bigger than him more than enough time to know instinctively and all too well what’s happening inside of the room. A beating. Cruel and totally unfair. The man grabbed the other child and probably held him on his toes, or even in the air as he raised his hand to hit him again.

Ballister heart raced. The man was distracted, and the stairs were so tantalizingly close…! This was his perfect chance, but he couldn’t get his body to move.

“You whiny little simp! You think you’re better than us, don’t you, you fucking piece of shit?! You highborn fucks are all the same, you look down on us, our homes, our food, our… our everything! Fuck you all!”

His voice was slightly slurred and rough, each slap echoed in Ballister’s ears pulling up memories. He flinched as they burst to the surface. The other kid’s breathing hitched, he yelped in pain, but almost too quietly for Ballister to hear. He had to be small and probably even younger than him, really only a child. But he tried his best to be quite and endure the beating with pride. Without begging for this trash to let him go.

He must be smart enough to knew that would be pointless. Smart enough to knew no one would come to save him, not in time, if he angers the drunken bastard even more. But he couldn’t be smart or experienced enough to realize that it was way too late, and the man would hurt him either way, because he just wanted to hurt someone. Let out his anger and bitterness.

Something hot and protective flared inside Ballister, as the man threw the kid on the floor and kicked him, hard. His eyes were misty as his body moved, long before his thoughts could catch up with his decision. There wasn’t much he could use as a weapon between the debris but there was the bottle the man left on the side. It seemed quite solid, with some fluid left in it, which gave it more strength when Ballister grabbed its neck and swung it.

The man didn’t see him coming, but the other kid must have because he picked the perfect moment to kick the thug in the nuts. The whole “fight” lasted only a few moments, Ballister barely had time to comprehend what had happened. The man cursed and bent over as the kid kicked him, causing his head to drop just enough for Ballister to use his own momentum to hit him with full force in the back of the head. The bottle cracked… or was it the man’s skull? Ballister wasn’t sure, but he felt the impact resonate in his arm as the man fell face first to the floor, half on top of the kid who tried to roll out of the way but wasn’t fast enough. They both groaned, the man twitched as Ballister fell on his knee beside them, raising the bottle once more.

There was blood when the man stopped moving and Ballister finally dropped his makeshift weapon. Not much though, it didn’t flood everything, and the bottle wasn’t broken, but the wet spot was visible and the faint smell horrified Ballister.

He felt nausea and bile raising in his mouth and his ears buzzing. He tried really hard not to throw up as he swayed slightly on his knees. His body felt hot and numb. He stared at the man with wide eyes, looking for any small movements. He couldn’t tell if he was alive or not.

Ballister sobbed and closed his eyes for a moment to hold himself together, wrapping his arms around himself. His gasps seemed too loud, but there were no running steps or shouting. Only a soft, pained moan.

“Good Gloreth…! Auch… could you… help me? Please?”

Ballister blinked. Reality snapping back into place around him as the soft voice reached him. He quickly turned his head towards it and stared at the kid in dazed shock. Dark, almond-shaped eyes looked at him from a tear-stained face as the other boy tried to get out from under the thug.

Ballister was right. The kid had to be at least a few years younger than him.

Ballister took a shaky breath and crawled closer, grabbing him under his arms to pull him free. They both yelped when the thug groaned.

Ballister gulped and quickly dragged the kid a few steps further. His ankles and wrists were bound with ropes and zip ties: the gang clearly didn’t want him to get away or move around too much. Ballister closed his eyes as the fear and his lingering sickness overwhelmed him for a moment. There was nothing he could use to get rid of the zip ties, and they had no time to untie the knots that had been tightened by hours of thrashing around. Maybe the thug had a knife or something… But Ballister really didn’t want to get close to him, touch him and linger in the room long enough to find it.

They had no time, period and besides… It was a totally hopeless situation anyway, even if he could free the kid what after that? He was clearly an idiot to get involved in the first place, he should have just…

“Go.” His head snapped up so quick that it made him dizzy. The kid gritted his teeth and put on a brave face, nodding toward the door. His face was alarmingly pale beneath all the dirt and the already forming bruises. “You look bad. You should get away before someone comes, or he wakes up.” He smiled faintly but it seemed more like a grimace. “I’ll be fine so don’t worry, okay?”

Ballister blinked in surprise, but he couldn’t move. This kid…! He was unbelievably brave. Or naive. Or both. And his face became more and more disappointed the longer Ballister didn’t move.

“Go!” He hissed again demandingly, almost as a command, and nudged Ballister with his bound legs. “Thanks everything, but you can’t really… What are you doing? I told you to go away! You’ll get into trouble!”

“I’m already in trouble. We both are.” The kid shut up immediately blinking at Ballister in shock as the older boy knelt before him and slipped his arms under his knees and behind his back. “Keep quiet! We need to get out of here as stealthily and quickly as we can.”

Surprisingly, the kid shut up and only grabbed Ballister’s ratty pullover. He was small and skinny, but he was a lot heavier than he seemed. Or perhaps Ballister was weaker because his sickness than he should be. He felt dizzy, cold sweat trickled down his neck and his back as he stood up with the kid.

After two steps, his knees buckled, but he stayed on his feet gritting his teeth.

“Wow, you are super stupid.” The kid muttered but his voice was full of awe instead of disdain. “They will hurt you, you know?”

“Only if they caught me. Keep quiet and watch out for them! Tell me if you hear someone coming!”

“Oh, right, okay.”

It was a painfully long journey to the stairs then down to the streets. Ballister’s heart pounded in his ears, his face was clammy and hot, he felt like he couldn’t breathe. His knees buckled again and again. He was sure as hell that only his stubbornness was keeping him on his feet as he dragged himself forward step by step.

The kid was completely still in his arms. He was sweaty and dirty, but under all of that, he smelled nice. Ballister couldn’t tell what the flowery, sweet scent was, but it calmed him and helped him focus, so he breathed it in and let his attention focus on that instead of his aching muscles. He really hoped that the kid would warn him if anyone came after them, although he had no idea what he would do if… But it wasn’t important in the end as no one came.

The cold rain almost felt nice on Ballister’s sweaty, hot face when they finally reached the streets. It felt like a dream. He used the wall of the building to lean against for a moment and catch his breath before he hurried down the street to reach the nearest alley and get out of sight as fast as he could. The kid must be the luckiest person in the entire kingdom, and his good luck must have rubbed off on Ballister as well, because no one yelled in alarm or came after them running.

But just to be sure, Ballister didn’t stop until they were two streets away from the warehouse. He placed (okay, maybe better say that he dropped…) the kid on the ground between two huge, overflowing dumpsters and crawled in next to him, panting heavily. He was dead on his feet. His whole body was shaking from exhaustion and nausea.

The kid reached for his face when he heaved dryly.

His small palms cupped Ballister’s cheeks, his palm was surprisingly calloused but gentle. He caressed his cheek with one thumb.

“You look bad.” He muttered, obviously worried about Ballister. “How in the name of…?! I can’t believe you did all this so sick! You are… You are amazing!”

Ballister blinked in surprise. The kid’s face was blurred before his eyes, but he seemed completely sincere. He grinned at Ballister like he was the best thing in the world since Kwispy. The little dimples on his face and the gap between his teeth suddenly looked like the cutest thing Ballister could imagine.

“I’m a stubborn idiot, or so most people told me.”

“Yeah, you are!” The kid laughed.

Ballister smiled softly, his nausea subsided as he instinctively leaned forward and pressed his hot forehead against the kid’s shoulder.

“We should take those ties off of you and keep going.” He muttered under his breath. “We are still too close to be safe. And we have to find some Knights to get you home.” The child only hummed and squirmed a little as Ballister unconsciously leaned more on him. He didn’t try to get away, he just tried to support his weight more. Ballister swallowed and for some reason, smiled. “What’s your name?”

The kid tensed under him for a fleeting moment, his breath hitched. Ballister almost regretted asking and opened his mouth to tell him he didn’t have to answer, but the boy beat him to it.

“Ambrosius.”

He sounded cautious and a little reluctant as if he was waiting for something bad to happen. Ballister pulled away and sat on his heels.

“Ambrosius?” He repeated the name slowly. “It’s…” It was a strange name, it felt almost too pompous and not very fitting for the rain soaked, skinny little boy before him. “…a nice name.”

The kid snorted, but Ballister couldn’t tell if the sound was an offended grunt or a stifled laugh. Ballister didn’t watch much TV, but even he noticed right away that it was the name of Gloreth’s youngest descendant. It was a unique name and after what he overheard earlier… It was hard to miss the clues. There wasn’t much Ambrosius running around in the city. Probably. He really didn’t know much about noble naming traditions.

“Well, thank you.” The kid said in a very not-childlike manner, but with mischief in his eyes, so Ballister just grinned and playfully rolled his eyes. “And what’s your name? Or should I just call you ‘My Hero’?”

“Please don’t.” Ballister snorted. “Ballister will be enough, thanks.”

Ballister had a bunch of questions and probably should have asked at least a few, but the kid looked so anxious when he introduced himself and he didn’t give his full name, even though he was a noble. So Ballister decided not to say anything. At least for now.

“Ballister?” Ambrosius’ voice was soft and wondering as he repeated his name, saying it more gracefully than anyone else had ever done. “It sounds strange. But it’s nice too. Oh, and it’s nice to meet you. I’m so glad you were there and… Hey! Why were you there? Are you injured? Did they hurt you too?”

Ballister chucked in surprise.

“No, they didn’t catch me. They didn’t even know I was there.” He reassured Ambrosius, carefully shaking his head. “I was already hiding in the building when they came it was my…. Umm… That was the place I stayed for a while to be safe. But it’s not safe anymore, obviously.”

He felt strangely ashamed as the little kid gasped and stared at him with wide eyes. Ah, yeah. Noble kid. Ballister felt his face heat up. To hide it, he quickly stood up and began searching through the trash around them for something useful to free Ambrosius.

“You… do you stay in places like that?!” Ambrosius asked in a high-pitched voice. “Where are your parents?! How could they let you…”

“I don’t have parents.” Ballister cut in sharply.

Ambrosius fell silent and blinked at him in horror when Ballister shot him an annoyed look. The older boy closed his eyes and took a deep breath to calm down. Good Gloreth, the dumpsters smelled bad! And he started shivering from the rain again, he needed to find a place where they could be at least a little sheltered from the weather and safe for the night. It wasn’t smart to walk around the outer city at this time with (probably pissed off) thugs looking for them.

Damn, he felt awful and tired, and all he wanted to do was crawl back into a safe enough nook, if Gloreth would actually help him then maybe find something to eat as well. But it wasn’t Ambrosius’ fault that he felt that way or that the reminder of his mother put him in the edge and made his heart ache. The kid had been through a lot and put on a brave face through most of the crap. He didn’t mean to hurt Ballister, he just… He was a noble child, in the wrong place, at the wrong time.

They were both quiet as Ballister began to search for something sharp again. In the end, a broken piece of rusty iron was the best he could find. It has probably been a pair of garden shears in its better days.

“Try to stay still!” He warned Ambrosius as he crouched in front of him. “I’ll do my best not to cut you, but you need to help, okay?”

“Uhm, I’ll try.”

Getting rid of the ropes was surprisingly easy. The zip ties provided much more challenge as they were pulled much tighter, biting into Ambrosius’ skin. At the end, Ballister cut the other’s arm twice, but the kid didn’t complain only flinched wordlessly and bit his bottom lip.

“Done!” Ballister dropped the last tie and ruffled Ambrosius’ wet hair with a small smile. The locks felt strangely brittle between his fingers. “Come on! Let’s get out of this rain!”

Ambrosius stared at him for a long moment, his face vulnerable and surprised. He opened his mouth as if to ask something, perhaps thinking that Ballister was annoyed and would leave him in the alley to fend for himself. But in the end, he didn’t say a word, just shyly looked away. Ballister pretended not to notice.

He stood up and held out his hand, which Ambrosius took without any hesitation.

Ballister felt strangely protective as the kid’s smaller hand slipped into his palm and he wrapped his fingers around it. It was time to find somewhere safer and more comfortable than a hideout between two horribly smelly dumpsters.

They ended up in a relatively dry hiding place between two buildings.

It was in a narrow alleyway where a few broken aluminum plate and wet cardboard sheets were propped against the wall so the wind couldn’t splash much rain inside. This created a little nook, occupied only by a rough looking alley cat. Ambrosius froze and squeezed his hand when he saw the meanly glowing red eyes, but the place was really perfect and Ballister was tired and wobbly on his feet. He wanted to sit down and rest, so even if the cat looked unfriendly, he decided to try their luck.

The cat watched with its head cocked as he dragged Ambrosius to the far corner with him. It looked cautious but didn’t hiss or growl at them, so Ballister slowly took out his blanket from his backpack and wrapped it around himself. They huddled together, as Ballister pulled Ambrosius onto his lap, wrapping himself and the blanket around the kid as much as he could. Ambrosius was warm and it was the most convenient way to protect him from the wind that sneaked into the little hiding place through the cracks.

He looked at the cat, who still eyed them suspiciously. Their eyes met in the dark. Ballister held his breath.

Then the cat finally yawned and rested its head back on its feet.

“That cat is strange.” Ambrosius muttered, glancing up at Ballister. His hair tickled Ballister’s chin, filling his nose with that flowery, strange smell. “Right?”

“It’s definitely unique.” Ballister cautiously agreed. The cat yawned again showing of its sharp teeth then licked its paw. Ballister could have sworn he saw it smile. “But it’s nice of them that they let us use their hiding place.”

“Um-hm.” Ambrosius nestled into his arms, wriggling closer. He rested his head on Ballister’s chest. “You are so warm.” He stated unsurely. “It feels nice, but… It’s not good, right? You are sick, aren’t you?”

Bal hummed and closed his eyes, drifting off a bit.

“Yeah.” He said tiredly. “Don’t worry. I promise I’m not going to die before I got you home, okay?”

He tried to joke to get the subject off, but Ambrosius tensed and let out a startled yelp instead of relaxing.

“Die?! You could die from fever?!” He wriggled so desperately in Ballister’s arms that Ballister had to release him with an unhappy grunt. The kid knelt in front of him and cupped his face with both hands. “Don’t die, Bal! I’ll take you with me and you’ll get better, and you won’t have to stay in horrible places like that building or run away from bad people anymore! I promise, okay? If you promise not to die I will… I will make my dad to take care of you! I can do that! I promise.”

Bal blinked at Ambrosius, who looked awfully serious and alarmed. In a way, it was almost funny. Well, actually… Ballister burst out laughing, even the cat snorted behind Ambrosius, as if even they found the kid’s naivety amusing.

Ambrosius’ lips quivered and he looked at Ballister with an adorable pout. It didn’t help Ballister to stop laughing. He coughed between giggles as he grabbed Ambrosius’ hands and pulled them away from his face, squeezing them gently.

“I didn’t plan to die, I promise, it was just a joke, okay? I survived worse than a cold and a little fever.”

Which technically didn’t mean he couldn’t die from one, but Ambrosius didn’t need to know it. Somehow, Ballister felt responsible to calm the kid down. He seemed the sheltered type and it just… It felt wrong to introduce him to the cruelty of the outer city in its full glory.

“You’re nice, but I don’t think your father would be too happy if you tried to bully him into taking care of a street kid.”

Ambrosius wrinkled his nose.

“He is a hero of the realm. He should do it anyway, it is his duty to protect the people!”

“I’m sure he is very good at his work.” Ballister agreed with a smile. “But taking care of a kid is different than protecting it from monsters.”

It was a harsh truth that Ballister had learned to accept years ago. He came to terms with it, the moment he realized he had to run away from his father to stay alive. The system simply couldn’t take care of all the kids in need.

He ruffled Ambrosius’ hair as he pulled him back into his lap. Ambrosius let him do it without protest.

“But… you weren’t protected from those men. And they behaved like monsters.” He muttered under his breath as he snuggled up to Ballister’s chest. The older boy’s breath hitched. He didn’t know what he should say. His stomach churned in uneasiness as Ambrosius rested his head on his shoulder and hugged his waist. “Knights should protect people from those kinds of monsters too. I will tell dad.”

“Sure, kid.” Ballister’s throat tightened. He placed his arms around the child with a tender smile. “That would be nice of you.”

They stayed quiet for a little while. Ballister felt someone’s eyes on himself as he tried to drift back in his slumber. The cat was watching them thoughtfully when Ballister looked up, it almost looked human. The boy was sure it was just some kind of hallucination that his exhausted, feverish mind had concocted in the dark… but the cat honestly seemed to be smiling at them when its attention drifted at Ambrosius.

Strange.

His stomach clenched painfully from hunger when Ambrosius’ stomach growled. Oh, right. The boy had complained earlier that his captors hadn’t fed him. He waited for the kid to say something, but Ambrosius only pulled his shoulders up and huddled closer to Ballister’s chest. Bal sighed silently. Maybe this was the best: he had nothing to share anyway.

He closed his eyes and hugged Ambrosius tightly, listening to the rain. He highly doubted that the child’s parents would be too generous with him, but he hoped that they would be kind enough to feed him. And maybe give him some medicine? Ambrosius had been a cute and kind child so far, not as arrogant as Ballister unconsciously feared. He had to learn from someone, so his parents must have been also kind, right?

Ballister felt a small, fluffy weight crawling up on his leg and pushing its way under his blanket beside Ambrosius. The soft purr pulled a sleepy smile on his face. Ambrosius didn’t flinch, not even his breath hitched. He probably fell asleep from all the struggles and hardships of the day.

Ballister petted the cat absentmindedly without opening his eyes when it tucked its head under his elbow. The purring grew stronger, the little body was warm and soft against his aching belly.

He stifled a yawn as his mind drifted off into fever dreams. A hot meal. Yeah, that would be nice. But even if Sir Goldenloin won’t be so kind… At least Ambrosius will be home by tomorrow. All they had to do was find a patrolling Knight who could send a message to his dad.

Tomorrow.

Tomorrow will be a new day, probably better for all of them than the last one. Ballister had learned long ago not to hope for more than that.

The next day Ballister woke up to the smell of food (which was making his mouth water and his empty stomach clench painfully) and Ambrosius’ urgent whisper.

“Bal! Bal! Wake up, the cat got us pizza!”

He grunted in confusion, his head was dizzy from sleep and his eyes throbbed because of his lingering fever. Ambrosius shook his arm persistently, trying to get his attention.

“Cats don’t bring pizza, Ambrosius, only half a mouse if they really love you.” He muttered sleepily as he tried to shake off the kid’s hand in the hope that he could slip back into sleep for a few more minutes.

A slice of pizza for breakfast sounded heavenly. And of course, too good to be true.

“But this cat did, look!”

Ballister growled in annoyance.  It was way too early to play along and be polite, but the kid was adamant. He sighed heavily and pushing through the pain in his head, he opened his eyes.

Then rubbed his face and blinked in startled awe.

Because Ambrosius told the true: there was a box of pizza right in front of his feet.

The cat licked its fur peacefully and sat where it had been the previous night.

Ambrosius looked at him expectantly.

“See? I told you it’s a strange cat!”

“Yeah, kid. It is.” The cat lifted its head to look at them. At the daylight, its scarlet fur looked almost pink, a very strange color indeed. A small, cold shiver ran down Ballister’s spine as the cat looked at him with its strangely human eyes. “Are you sure it brought the pizza?”

Ambrosius looked at him in amazement.

“Who else would have brought it?” He asked seriously. “She is the only one who knows that we are here and need breakfast, right?”

Ballister wanted to bury his face in his hands and growl because this logic was so flawed that it was beyond ridiculous. But he was still groggy and didn’t want to argue, so he just shook his head. It was a bad idea, he felt nausea taking over him immediately. The smell of pizza reminded his body of how long it had been since his last meal, and it made him sick.

Ambrosius watched him worriedly.

“You have to eat!” He told him surprisingly stern as he reached for the box, pulling it closer. “Here! Your stomach grumbled all morning, and your hands are cold as ice. You need something warm, take one!”

“Ambrosius, we didn’t know if…”

“It’s safe, dummy, she won’t harm us.” Ambrosius rolled his eyes and take out a slice of pizza to bit into it, ignoring Ballister’s yelp of alarm and protest. The cat purred in satisfaction. “See?” The kid told him with a pointed look after he swallowed. “It’s safe. And delicious, good Gloreth! You must try it, Bal!”

Ballister gave the cat a wary look, but his stomach was awfully empty, and the food smelled too good. He cautiously took a slice out of the box to bite into. The rich, cheesy taste washed over him, and he moaned in pleasure. His eyes filled with tears as he swallowed the first lukewarm bite. He couldn’t remember the last time he had eaten something so filling and tasty.

He needed all his self-control not to wolf down the entire slice and make himself even more sick.

The cat hopped off its place and came over, rubbing its head against Ambrosius’ back and taking a slice of pizza when the kid offered the box to it with a grin. Ballister had the urge to tell him that he was probably making the cat sick, but the animal took its slice and pulled it aside to happily munch on the greasy toppings.

It looked okay. It certainly wasn’t the strangest thing that morning.

The breakfast was surprisingly nice. Ballister took out his leftover water to share it with Ambrosius while they enjoyed their meal. Halfway through the second slice of pizza, Ballister’s stomach was full, but he wanted to eat a few more bites. He knew that it would be a bad idea to force down as much food as he could and upset his stomach, but he couldn’t be sure when will be the next time that he could eat something this hearty. He wanted to savor the rare opportunity, so he slowed down and chewed each bite thoroughly while listening to Ambrosius.

Ambrosius had already eaten his third slice and he looked perfectly content as he combed his fingers through the purring cat’s fur, grinning from ear to ear.

“You are the sweetest cat I have ever seen! My aunt’s cat always tries to scratch me, and she hisses at me whenever I want to play with her. It’s not nice at all! And she is fat as a… I don’t know, but she is really fat! And she always looks grumpy and never purrs, not even to Aunt Murriel! You can’t even imagine how much of a bully she is, there was one time when she got me into trouble!”

Ballister grinned involuntarily as Ambrosius explained at length some accident that included a priceless vase and a bunch of Knights coming over to Ambrosius’ aunt’s house for afternoon tea. It was relaxing, he let his mind wander as he listened absentmindedly to the kid’s voice. He didn’t even realize that as Ambrosius’ voice got angrier with his story he started stroking his back the same way the kid petted the cat. Not until he ran his fingers through Ambrosius’ hair and the boy suddenly stopped talking and looked at him questioningly.

Ballister blushed in confusion, his mind raced to find something not stupid to say.

“Why are you bleach your hair?” Stuttered out the first thing that came in mind. “Aren’t you too young to need to do something so drastic?”

Ambrosius blinked in shock, his pale face turning bright red.

“I… I… Kind of needed it? People don’t like that my hair got darker last year, so Mom thought it’d be better that way.” He muttered casting his eyes down. “It helped dad too…”

Ballister felt like an ass for bringing up something that was clearly unsettling for Ambrosius, even if he had no way to know that the subject was sensitive.

“It looks good on you.” He said hastily and sincerely. “I’m sure you looked good with dark hair too though… but… I mean… I’m sure your mother wanted to do what was best for you? Whatever the reason was, I’m sure it was a good one. Right? I mean… khm… Mothers do what’s best for their kids, so… It must be the best decision, right? And you look cute with it, I swear!”

Ambrosius stared at him intensely which made Ballister blush even more.

“Sorry, I… I don’t even know why I said it!” He buried his face in his hands, seemingly unable to stop talking nonsense as he became more and more embarrassed. “Please just forget what I said? Pretty please?”

To his complete surprise, Ambrosius burst out laughing. He quickly clapped his hands over his mouth to hide it, but it was too late. Ballister blinked, then started laughing as well, prompting Ambrosius to lower his hand and chuckle along with him.

It was such a surreal, silly morning! Ballister was half sure that this was all just some fever dream created by his mind and that he would wake up soon, perhaps in his hiding place in that warehouse, and find that Ambrosius was just a figment of his mind.

As the kid leaned against his shoulder and shook with giggles, Ballister realized he would hate if that was the case. Unfortunately, the cat still sitting at his feet looking at them awfully amused was a pretty good sign that he was hallucinating, even though Ambrosius felt warm and solid next to him.

He beamed at Ballister when their laughter finally calmed down. His smile could light up an entire room and made Ballister’s heart flutter. Gloreth the kid was cute with his dimples and teeth gap and mischievously glinting eyes and fluffy silver blond hair and…

Ballister blushed and cleared his throat as he ruffled the younger boy’s hair awkwardly.

“We should go and find some Knights to take you home.” He muttered with a frown as he thought of how to begin their search. “It would probably be best to go to the main market, there are always someone patrolling the crowd.” He looked at Ambrosius before rubbing his chin. “How are your bruises? It’s quite a long walk from here.”

“I’m fine, I can walk.” Ambrosius shrugged with all the conviction of a small child. He wrinkled his nose in concern as he looked at Ballister. “But how are you? You are still sick, aren’t you? Your face is very red.”

Ballister couldn’t help but smile. It wasn’t every day that someone worried about him, and Ambrosius seemed so sincere! He wanted to comfort the kid.

“Yeah, yeah, I’m still sick and wonky, but don’t worry! It takes a lot more to take me down than a little cold when I have a mission. I’ll be okay.”

“You have a mission?” Ambrosius’ eyes widened in awe. “Like knights?”

Ballister nodded very seriously.

“Of course, I have! I must get you home safe and sound. I promised, didn’t I?”

“Oh, I remember!” Ambrosius nodded quickly, his eyes lit up as he grabbed Ballister’s hand and squeezed it. “And I’ll tell dad that you should stay with us. Like I promised, right?”

Ballister’s smile faded a little. He looked away uneasily.

“Yeah, sure, you promised that, I guess…”

The cat at their feet snorted and dragged another slice of pizza out of the open box, attracting Ambrosius’ attention.

“Don’t worry, I remember you too, Lady Cat! You want to come with us too, don’t you?”

Bal stifled a grin as the cat looked up, watching Ambrosius curiously with a tilted head. Gloreth, this kid! His parents were probably used to him bringing home every living thing he found and begging to be allowed to keep them.

Not for the first time that day, Ballister wondered if all noble kids were like this boy, or if this was a unique Ambrosius thing. His non-existing money was on the latter.

The cat’s ears twitched as the red eyes drifted from the boy to Ballister as if she could see into his head and understand his thoughts. She looked cautious but allowed Ambrosius to lift her into his lap. It even purred when the boy rubbed behind his left ear.

“I think it means that she wants to come. Right, Bal?”

“Right.” Ballister looked at the cat before he sighed. “I guess it will follow us if it wanna come. We should go anyway. Are you finished eating?”

“Aham.”

Ballister nodded and took out a relatively clean plastic bag from his backpack to pack the leftover pizza away. Just to be sure.

The cat trotted before them when they stood up to get out of their hiding place. Ballister took a good look around as they left the alley, carefully noting the location on his mental map. It looked like a safe spot for a few days, so he hoped he will find it again after taking Ambrosius home.

The younger boy eagerly grabbed his hand and grinned at him. His face was dirty, the collar of his sweater was torn, and there was a long, dark bruise on his chin that made even Ballister cringe. His blonde hair was tangled, and he already smelled faintly like garbage and sweat. He looked more like a street kid (just like Ballister himself), than a noble child.

As he grinned, the dimples reappeared and Ballister involuntarily grinned back, gently wiping the kid’s face with the sleeve of his sweater. Ambrosius crinkled his nose comically, but didn’t whine or protest, even when Ballister pulled the hoodie of his sweater on his head. With the hoodie on, Ambrosius blend in their surroundings much more. His ice-blond hair made him way too striking in the outer city, Ballister wasn’t sure if anyone from the gang was looking for them, but he wanted to avoid drawing attention to themselves as much as possible.

Although, he didn’t know why he felt the urge to fuss over the kid instead of just telling him to cover his hair. But it made him feel contented when he was done.

“Let’s get you home!”

The city was relatively empty and quiet around them as Ballister led them through the maze of narrow streets and alleyways. They followed the strange cat that seemed to know exactly where they are going. It even stopped at some corners to wait for them and mewl in annoyance if they didn’t hurry to catch up.

“You are a brat!” Ballister grumbled when the cat gave them a dirty look after running off and having to wait for them across a busy street, loudly complaining the whole time they get beside her. The cat only grinned at him and trotted away again.

“I like her.” Ambrosius said beside Ballister, squeezing his hand. “She is an individuality.”

“Tell me about it!”

Ballister shook his head, his eyes searching more and more for the patrolling knights as they left the outer city behind and ventured into the crowded lower city. People avoided them: a few turned up their noses, but most just hurriedly looked the other way so they could ignore the two street kids. Ballister was used to it, it was nothing new, but it still hurt. The pink cat stayed closer to them as they headed towards the markets, apparently unwilling to part with them. It slapped its ears back, watching the adults critically and suspiciously, hissing at anyone who dared to give their little group the stink eye.

Strangely, Ambrosius seemed the happiest to be ignored by the people. Clinging to Ballister’s hand, his steps got lighter as he looked around eagerly, occasionally pointing out buildings or anything that caught his eye.

“Did you see that Bal?! That car was like super-fast!”

“Oh! That girl had feathers in her hair!”

Ballister smiled as Ambrosius chatted enthusiastically beside him. The kid was like a breeze of fresh air or a rare ray of sunshine. He was probably going through two of the worst days of his life, but he took everything that happened with an optimism that completely amazed Ballister, finding even the smallest things that brought him joy with a persistent smile. His rambling should be annoying, but somehow, it wasn’t. Maybe because he was holding Ballister’s hand as if he never wanted to let him go ever again.

It was a pleasant feeling, stirring something in Ballister’s heart that he hadn’t felt since his mother’s death. He smiled when Ambrosius pointed at yet another old building.

“Hey, look! That building looks like the tower form the Kwispy cartoons! Did you see that episode? The one where Kwispy took the princess, and the knights have to go and… Oh. Sorry, I mean… You didn’t see it yet, right? Sorry… But I will show you! Okay? We will watch it together, I’m sure Mom will let us do it! She didn’t really like when I watch much television, but this is a special case, right?”

“Sure, Sunshine.”

Ambrosius blinked up at him in surprise.

“You… called me sunshine just now? Why?”

“Well, since you call me Bal…” Ballister shrugged to hide his uneasiness at the silly nickname that somehow slipped out of his mouth, even though he hadn’t planned on saying it out loud. “I thought we were already on nicknames.”

“Really?” Ambrosius’ face lit up. “It’s so cool! I never had a nickname, I mean Mom calls me Rose sometimes but it’s not the same, right? She is my Mom, I mean… Sunshine.” The kid repeated thoughtfully, relishing the silly name as it was something special. Ballister’s face heat up when he grinned in approval. “I like it, it sounds so good! So it means that I can continue to call you Bal, right?”

“Yeah,” Ballister muttered, a little ashamed of the heat throbbing in his chest, “you can if you want to.”

The cat was watching them. It even rolled its eyes with a very-not-catlike way when Ballister hastily looked away. The boy frowned and blinked. What the hell? He was sure cats didn’t do things like that. He rubbed the bridge of his nose and looked again. This time the cat peacefully studied their surroundings trotting before them, so… Maybe it was just his imagination. It had to be… right?

Or it was the strangest cat he had ever met.

The cat’s ears perked up as it suddenly stopped and meowed. Ballister instinctively looked at the same direction the cat did, and his stomach immediately clenched. There were three Knights making their rounds, chatting among themselves. Ambrosius must spot them too because he squeezed Ballister’s hand excitedly.

“Bal, look!”

“Yes, I see.” Ballister’s smile was a little forced as he squeezed back Ambrosius’ hand. He sighed bracing himself then nodded to himself. “Come on, Sunshine. Let’s talk to them!”

As they walked up to the Knights, people turned towards them, but no one tried to stop them, they only get a few curious looks. Ballister swallowed as he stopped looking at the shining heroes. He always loved knights: his mother told him many stories about them when he was younger, and sometimes when he was really low or missed her too much, he would try to retell those stories to himself. Or he imagined what it would be if he could join the Institute and become a hero to protect the Kingdom and its people. It was a nice dream to have.

“Excuse me, Sir? Could you help us, please?”

The closest Knight looked up in surprise when Ballister called out. She looked shocked when she noticed them, her eyes swept through them critically and Ballister felt himself blushing in shame. They had to look really bad, especially him. He didn’t wash up properly since… well, since sometime last week. Luckily, she got her expression under control pretty quickly, and instead of immediately shooing them away, she gave them a little smile.

“Yes, little one? What can I do for you?”

Ballister cleared his throat, suddenly shy and unsure of how to speak to the three adults. He’d never been this close to any knights, they didn’t usually come to the outer city, and he rarely ventured out of his neighborhood.

“Good morning, Sir Whiteshield.” Ambrosius spoke up next to him, giving the woman his bright smile. “Would you please help me and Bal to contact father? It would be very urgent, please.”

The woman’s breath hitched.

“Good Gloreth! Captain!” She whispered, staring at Ambrosius like she saw a ghost.

“My goodness, Goldenloin?!”

Instinctively, Ballister pulled the younger boy close to him and narrowed his eyes, looking around in alarm as the three Knights’ reactions drew all the attention to them at once.

“Goldenloin?”

“Look it’s little Ambrosius!”

“Where?”

“Oh, look, it’s him!”

“My goodness, how cute!”

“Oh my…! What happened to him?”

“Who is the other kid?”

Ballister grunted and hugged Ambrosius tightly the moment the kid grabbed his arm and pressed himself to his side, looking around frantically. The cat hissed and ruffled its fur aggressively, causing at least a few people to stop hesitantly a few feet away.

“Shit!” The elder man who involuntarily said Ambrosius name out loud cursed under his breath and hastily grabbed Ballister’s arm to usher both kid between the Knights. “Please, calm down everyone, there is nothing to see! Please, put your phone away! No pictures! Kate, herd them back, please! Lorenz, get the kids out of here, now!”

“Everyone calm down! Please!”

Ballister gasped for breath as two adults tried to keep the loud crowd under control while the third one grabbed his shoulder and led them as far away from the prying eyes and flashing phones as he could, shielding them from view. Ambrosius smiled shyly, even waved a few times awkwardly, but his earlier cheerfulness and sincerity were gone. His face was sickly pale, and Ballister could feel him tremble and wince whenever someone shouted a question at him over the noise. He tightened his grip on Ballister’s hand, squeezing almost painfully.

Ballister gritted his teeth and pulled the younger boy close to help the Knight hide him from view, glaring angrily at the crowd. The cat arched its back and growled.

“AMBROSIUS! How was you kidnaped? Is someone really died?!”

Ambrosius flinched and quickly looked away in shame, but Bal caught the pain and the tears in his eyes. He hugged him protectively. Ambrosius buried his face into his chest, his shoulders shaking gently. Bal’s blood roared in his ears.

“ENOUGH!” The Knight beside them flinched as Ballister hoarsely roared at the crowd. “WHAT’S WRONG WITH YOU ALL?!” The noise died down a little, it didn’t go away completely, but people shut up at least a little bit to blink at him in shock. “Are you all lost your mind?! He’s having the worst day of his life, he’s tired, he wants to go to his parents, and you all act like he is an attraction or an animal at the zoo, taking picture of him and all?! Couldn’t you leave him alone, just for once?”

Ballister glared as some of the phones flashed again, blinding him, but most people calmed down and retreated, giving the Knights and the two children some breathing room. The captain of the patrolling unit cleared his throat and gave Ballister an uneasy look.

Ballister barely saw it as he turned back to Ambrosius, huffing and shaking his head in annoyed disbelief. Good Gloreth, adults were so strange sometimes!

“Are you okay?”

Ambrosius swallowed, his eyes wide as he stared at him, still clinging to his side. He still looked too pale, but his cheeks turned red.

“Ah… Aha.” He muttered in awe. Ballister’s face grew hot as he finally beamed at him, his smile regaining its former glow, though his eyes were still too bright from unshed tears. “Yes, I’m good. Thanks, Bal!”

“Alright children, come on. Let’s get you two to the car.”

Sir Lorenz led them to a hovercar parked a little further down the street. Some people tried to catch up to them, but most of the crowd just curiously watched them parting before them. Ambrosius held Ballister’s hand until they reached the car, and when the older boy stopped suddenly, he gently nudged him to get inside. He even held the door open for the cat to hop in.

It jumped up beside Ballister looking around with a satisfied purr. Neither Ambrosius nor the cat seemed concerned by Sir Lorenz’s grunts of protest.

Ballister eyed it warily as he sat uncomfortably on the very edge of the pristine white leather seat. He felt completely out of place, unlike Ambrosius, who opened the built-in cooling unit to take out two bottles of juice with a satisfied grin as soon as he got in beside Ballister.

Ballister gingerly took the bottle he offered him, but he didn’t open it.

“If you don’t like peach there are also apple juice and water.” Ambrosius told him when he saw that Ballister didn’t open the bottle.

“No, no, I… Umm… Peach is fine, thanks.”

Ballister smiled back gratefully and tentatively opened the bottle to take a little sip. The juice was full of flavor. He almost moaned from the sweetness of it, he had to remind himself not to be too greedy. The juice was uncomfortably cold against his slightly sore throat.

The door of the car opened again. Two adults – Sir Lorenz and the woman Ambrosius had previously called Sir Whiteshield – get in and took the seat across from them. They both gave Ballister a thoughtful, curious look that made him shift uneasily in his seat.

The car started as Sir Whiteshield smiled at Ambrosius.

“The captain already informed your father, he and Lady Goldenloin will be waiting for us at the hospital.”

Ambrosius sighed and leaned against Ballister’s shoulder. The cat took a seat on Ballister’s lap and looked at the two adults with a wary gaze. Its tail flicked back and forth as a sign of its attention, but she didn’t hiss or growl like before.

Sir Whiteshield gave their strange little group a curious once over, which Ballister ignored as best as he could. His face felt too hot.

“Do you, and I mean, any of you, have any injuries that we need to tell the waiting medics in advance?”

“I accidentally cut him with a piece of rusty iron when we freed him. It’s on his arms, you should check that first!”

“Bal has a cold and a bad fever.”

Sir Whiteshield tried to disguise her amused chuckle as a small cough when the two children began to talk at the same time, interrupting each other. Ballister turned his head towards Ambrosius frowning a little.

“My cold is fine, I told you, it’s not a big deal.”

“But people can die of fever!” Ambrosius insisted anxiously. “I don’t want you to die! So they must check you first, I insist, please Sir Whiteshield tell father that he needs to…”

“Don’t fuss, silly, I told you I won’t die.” Ballister rolled his eyes to hide his embarrassment. It was… nice to have someone worry about him, even if it was unnecessary. “I promised, remember?”

Ambrosius glared at him with a sullen pout, but Ballister only raised an eyebrow in response. He was too used to dealing with angry looks to give in to Ambrosius’ fussing, just to avoid some sulking.

“I’m sure the doctors will check you both out as soon as possible, you don’t need to worry about each other, okay?” Sir Whiteshield chuckled and gave her partner an amused sideways glance, before turning curiously to Ballister. “So your name is Bal? How old…”

“It’s Ballister.” Ambrosius chimed in quickly. “Only I can call him Bal!”

The woman looked at Ambrosius and nodded seriously which made Ballister squirm uneasily.

“Right, pardon me.”

There was something about her smile when she turned back to Ballister, that made the boy feel very much like the cat on his lap: a shabby stray who was at least cute enough to keep around for a while. Just until the kids get bored with it.

He bit the inside of his cheek. At least she tried to be nice, if only for Ambrosius’ sake.

“So, Ballister. How old are you?”

“I’m twelve, Ma’am.”

“And how did you meet with Ambrosius?”

“I…” Ballister stopped and cleared his throat.

He didn’t know how to start the story or what to say. He didn’t want to set himself up as some kind of ‘heroic savior’ because he really wasn’t, but he was too ashamed to tell the knights that he was just around and acted without thinking, causing him to accidentally save the kid. He didn’t want to admit that he planned to leave the kid there in the first place either, especially not in front of Ambrosius.

Fortunately (or maybe not so much?) Ambrosius was ready to jump in and answer for him as soon as Ballister got stuck for words.

“He saved me!” He declared with a huge grin, bouncing in his seat. “It was super cool! He appeared and whoosh! He knocked out that man and then he helped me get out, but I was all tied up and he was like ‘It’s okay, I’ll handle it’ and he did just that, although he was sick and not well at all. And then he found us this place where Lady Cat was hiding and she shared it with us, because it was cold and rainy and…”

“Okay, okay, that’s enough!” Ballister cut in hurriedly with burning cheeks. “You made it sound like it was some big adventure, geez!”

“But it was!” insisted Ambrosius stubbornly, turning back to the two knights to tell them all about how Ballister ‘fought’ his kidnapper all by himself.

It was really ridiculous and exaggerated, but at least he forgot to mention the pizza as his attention was turned to elsewhere. The cat on Ballister’s lap retracted its claws, its tension slowly easing. Bal ran his fingers tentatively over its pinkish fur, to comfort her. He didn’t know why, but the cat seemed to be cautious around adults, and Ballister felt it best not to draw attention to its oddity, at least for now. Ambrosius’ rambling was embarrassing, but Ballister could put up with it.

Even if the two Knights were watching him more and more curiously.

And maybe a little suspiciously, but probably because of the way Ambrosius told his story. Ballister seemed almost inhumanly ‘cool’ from his excited rambling, which was endearing and damn awkward at the same time.

By the time the hovercar landed in the private roof parking spot of the Hospital, Ballister’s face and neck were awkwardly hot and not from the fever.

His anxiousness only grew when he saw at least a dozen knights and two very concerned parents waiting for them. He wanted nothing more than stay hidden, but Ambrosius grabbed his hand and excitedly dragged him out of the car as soon as Sir Whiteshield opened the door for them.

“Ambrosius!”

They barely got out of the car when Ambrosius was whisked up into the arms of a blond woman. His small hand slipped from Ballister’s grasp as the older boy awkwardly stepped aside to stay out of the way. Sir Goldenloins’ gaze swept over him as he joined his wife, he even nodded a little towards Bal, before turning his full attention to his son. The small acknowledgement made the boy’s heart skip a beat.

Ballister awkwardly pulled up his shoulders and lowered his eyes.

He rarely felt as uncomfortable as now when the eyes of so many Knights were at least partly on him. He flinched as Sir Whiteshield got out of the car and stood behind him, one hand firmly placed on his shoulder. The cat that had jumped out after them crawled behind his legs and glared at the Knights, pressing its small, warm body against Ballister’s leg.

“…and then Bal came in and he saved me! He was super cool, Dad, you should see him!”

Good Gloreth, he wished Ambrosius had a different wording of what happened last night! He felt agitated as he watched his shoes and felt a lot of doubting looks on himself. He should have told the kid ahead of time not to tell everyone that Ballister had ‘saved’ him, but he didn’t have time to really think things through. To be honest, he didn’t think the patrolling knights would take him with them, though he probably should have expected it, given how eager Ambrosius was to stay close to him.

He almost jumped when a small hand grabbed his hand and suddenly dragged him back from his spiraling thoughts. Ambrosius stared at him with worry as he gulped and looked up.

“Bal? Are you not feeling well again?” He asked with a frown. Ballister opened his mouth to reply, but he didn’t get the chance because Ambrosius had already turned back to his father. “Dad! Bal is really sick, would you tell Dr. Morano to take a look at him, please?” He asked in a strangely serious voice as he squeezed Ballister’s hand.

Bal blinked in surprise, then he involuntarily giggled. He tried to hide it behind his palm as fast as he could but to no avail. He bit his lips to stop himself from laughing as he gave Ambrosius a tender smile, gently squeezing his hand back.

“Didn’t I tell you at least twice that it’s just a cold?” He chided teasingly. “They should check you, not me, silly.”

“But you said people can die from a fever!” Ambrosius protested anxiously, his lips trembling. “You have to take it more seriously!”

“Yeah, yeah. I’ll, I promise, alright?” Ballister rolled his eyes with a smile, and tried to nudge Ambrosius towards his parents who watched them curiously. It made Ballister blush. “Now go, take care of yourself, ‘kay?”

“Actually, I think it would be best if you both get checked out by the doctors.” Sir Goldenloin injected sternly, but not unkindly. “Bal,” he turned to Ballister with a kind smile which made the boy blush and gasp in awe, “have you also been injured recently?”

“N-no, Sir, I… um… I’m not injured.” He mumbled.

“Very well. Come with me, boys!”

Ballister dazedly let Ambrosius lead him after his father. They only stopped when Sir Goldenloin gave the cat (which also trotted confidently after them) a disapproving frown and tried to stop it with his foot from following them into the building. Ambrosius immediately let Ballister’s hand go and hastily picked up the grumpily hissing animal. Once in Ambrosius’ arms, the cat quickly calmed down, but continued to glare at the elder Goldenloin with hostility. Ambrosius gave his father the best puppy-eyed plea that Ballister had ever seen, but to no avail. Sir Goldenloin was apparently very used to his son’s pleading look.

“No, Ambrosius, put that cat down.” He sternly pointed to the ground. “It’s a hospital, you couldn’t take an animal inside. If you really want to keep it, it can wait for us here. I’m sure someone can look after it until Doctor Morano finishes examining and treating you two.”

Lady Goldenloin shook her head with a fond smile and stroked her son’s tangled hair.

“Your cat will be okay, sweetie.”

As far as ultimatums go, this was one of the best that Ballister had ever heard. Neither of the Goldenloins seemed too surprised by Ambrosius’ newfound love for strays (Was it even new for them?), or bothered by Ballister’s presence too much, which was both a relief for the boy and a little bit unnerving. In his experience, parents rarely liked street kids like him around their child.

Ambrosius’ mouth quivered as he hugged the cat tightly: he clearly didn’t want to argue with his father, but he wanted to keep the cat with him as well. The strange stray surprised Ballister once again though. It met Sir Goldenloin’s gaze for a long moment before tucking his head under Ambrosius’ chin to comfort the child. Then it easily squirmed out of his grip to jump to the ground.

They all watched as it trotted back to the car and jumped onto the hood to lazily lie down and stretch. Its oddly human eyes found Ballister’s for a moment before it began to lick at its paw.

Ballister had no doubt at all that the cat would be waiting for them when they return, or that Ambrosius could successfully convince his father to let him keep it. With a silent sigh, he let Ambrosius grab his arm again (now that his hands were free) and drag him along as the Goldenloin parents ushered them inside.

At least half a dozen knights followed them, their hands on the hilts of their swords and keeping a watchful eye on their surroundings.

In the hours that followed, Ballister was incredibly confused (and a little bit grateful) that Ambrosius was clinging to him like he was a favorite stuffed toy, and the Goldenloins simply let it. Thanks to this, no one tried to throw him out of the building, even if he could feel many people giving him the stink eye.

Lady Goldenloin was fussing over not only Ambrosius, but also Ballister which was almost even more embarrassing and strange than his son’s clinginess. She gave quick, stern orders to bring them plenty of water to drink and a healthy snack, arranged a place where they could shower and brought fresh clothes (which Ballister only accepted after a brief, embarrassed protest) before they were ushered into a clean and tidy examination room.

Ballister felt terribly out of place as he sat next to Ambrosius. The boy was already examined and treated by the stern, older man who turned out to be Doctor Morano and now it was Ballister’s turn. A nurse took his blood pressure and his fever while Ballister shyly answered the different questions that the doctor asked, then the man examined his throat, eyes and his fingernails. He was kind and even explained that he was looking for clues about his vitamin levels when he saw how perplexed Ballister was about that last one.

Ambrosius watched him the entire time sitting next to his mother and grinned reassuringly whenever their eyes met or Ballister started to squirm uncomfortably. He even offered to hold Ballister’s hand when he went pale as soon as Doctor Morano told the nurse to take his blood as well.

Ballister gulped and graciously accepted the offer. He closed his eyes and squeezed Ambrosius’ hand, but strange enough, he barely noticed the tiny prick of the needle and the whole thing was already over.

“He’ll be okay, right?”

“Of course, sweetheart.”

The nurse gave Ambrosius a reassuring smile which made the boy’s face lit up and instantly began to chat about something. Ballister hummed absentmindedly but he didn’t miss the questioning sideway glance that the nurse gave the Goldenloins. He pretended not to notice, of course, because he wanted to enjoy Ambrosius’ company and brightness just a little bit more, but… Well, it wasn’t like he had any illusions about how it was all going to end for him.

He wasn’t ungrateful and he definitely didn’t want to be a burden who they had to send away. Ambrosius’ parents were extra nice to him already, he got a hot lunch and some really nice, soft and warm clothes and was examined by a real doctor. It was so much more than anything he could have asked for.

And it was bitterly sweet to be at the center of the attention of a mother for a little while. Ballister’s heart clenched in a very nice, warm way when Lady Goldenloin walked up to them. Sir Goldenloin was talking with the doctor in a hushed voice as she handed Ballister a huge mug filled with something warm.

“Here you go, dear. I know it doesn’t taste good, but please drink it all. It will help with your fever and cold.” She told him, giving Ambrosius a chiding look when the little boy wrinkled his nose. “I know you don’t like it’s taste, Rose, but please behave yourself.”

“Yes, mother, sorry.”

Ballister smiled at the quick, muttered apology as he took the mug.

“Thank you, Milady.”

“Please, Ballister, I asked you to call me Eloise, didn’t I?” She sighed as she sat beside Ambrosius and pulled the little boy into her lap to cuddle him again. Ambrosius whined (“Moo~om!”) and rolled his eyes but instead of trying to get away, he leaned against his mother. “I feel really old when you call me Milady.”

“Sorry, Lady Eloise. And thank you. You are very kind.” Ballister said softly with a shy smile before taking a quick sip of the hot drink. It tasted a little bitter and tangy, but not too bad, and it warmed him from head to toe.

He drank half of it by the time Ambrosius turned to his mother to ask: “Mom, can we watch some Kwispy dragon cartoon when we get home?”

Ballister almost choked on his drink.

“Ambrosius, you shouldn’t…”

“But just this one time, Rose. Doctor Moreno said you two need lots of rest, but we will not make daytime TV watching a regular thing, alright?”

“Yes, mother!”

Ballister stared at the pair in surprise. Ambrosius grinned at him and even Lady Goldenloin gave him a small smile. He blinked and squeezed the warm mug that he still held between his palms.

“Lady Goldenloin you are really kind but… I don’t… Umm…” Ballister licked his lips and looked down at his drink. “I’m confused. I mean, I know Ambrosius want me to stay, and I understand if you want to make him happy because he was through a lot yesterday… I guess? I… I don’t mean to imply anything! I just… Umm, I mean… I don’t want to be a burden, and you’ve already done so much for me anyway, I really wouldn’t…”

“Ballister.” The boy flinched as a soft hand touched his knee. “Look at me, please?”

Ballister swallowed down his pride and looked up, his face incredibly red.

He felt tears sting his eyes as he reluctantly met Lady Goldenloin’s eyes. He didn’t dare look at Ambrosius, who was still sitting in his mother’s lap and watched him with an adorable expression that was halfway between pleading and confused concern.

“Yes, Milady?”

Lady Goldenloin sighed but didn’t correct him. Instead, she reached out to tuck a long, messy lock of hair behind Ballister’s ear, leaving the young boy even more flustered. He didn’t really like the feeling, but he only bit his lower lip and endured it.

“I understand why you would think that you are a burden for us, but please accept when I say that you are not, and not just because of Ambrosius’ clinginess.”

“Mooom!”

“Hush, darling!” Lady Goldenloin petted his son’s head and kissed his hair to calm the sulking child. When she turned her attention back to Ballister, she was still smiling. “I will admit, when Aaron called us to tell us what happened, I was skeptical and frantic. I had no idea what to make of the street kid who brought my son back, but by now I know you’re a nice kid and I’m sure you never intended to take advantage of Ambrosius.”

“How?” Ballister asked involuntarily. “You only know me since what? Two hours?” He skeptically scoffed at his mug. “I really don’t want to be rude, Milady, but it’s not a long time at all.”

Lady Goldenloin’s smile was like a ray of sunlight. Ballister took a sharp breath and bit the inside of his cheek. He could see clearly now, who Ambrosius’ inherit his smile from.

“No, it’s really not, you are absolutely right. But a mother can feel these kinds of things. You might not know it yet, dear, but I’m a very protective parent and I really don’t like gold diggers.” Her perfectly white teeth looked like small pearls as her smile widened and got a sharp edge. “Neither does my husband, and he is very good in spotting them. He has a very impressive amount of experience in it.”

“Mom?”

“Just a moment, darling.” Lady Eloise hugged the wriggling Ambrosius tighter. “Mommy is in the middle of a very important talking with your friend. Who should drink his medicine while we talk before it gets cold.”

Ballister’s face heat up. He quickly took another small sip from his mug. He was completely baffled and confused, but his stomach fluttered when Lady Goldenloin gave him an approving smile.

“As I was saying Ballister, you are not a burden for us. Of course, we will understand if you didn’t want to stay with us, but as I understand it, you don’t have your own home or anyone to look after you at the moment.” Lady Eloise continued with surprising bluntness.

“But you will stay with us from now on, right Bal?” Ambrosius interrupted excitedly. “You heard it! Mom don’t mind and Dad always do what she tells him!”

Ballister paled in horror as suddenly all attention in the room was drawn to them thanks to Ambrosius’ exited shrieking.

“Ss! Quiet down, you dummy!” He hissed in a mortified whisper. “You can’t say something like that about your father!”

He waited some kind of chiding, arguing or maybe even shouting from the adults. But instead of that, Lady Goldenloin busted into giggles and even the two men on the other side of the room laughed in a reserved manner. Ambrosius blinked at him in surprise.

“I see your son knows you both very well, Magnus.” Doctor Moreno squinted at Sir Goldenloin with some good-natured teasing.

“Yes, fortunately for his age he reads people’s behavior quite well.” The man put his hands behind his back as he straightened his back before giving Ballister a once over. “And he’s just as good at finding the interesting ones, as he is at getting into trouble.”

Ballister blushed in embarrassment.

“But he is right, Ballister. If you wish to stay with us, you’re more than welcome to do so.” He gave his wife a quick smile. “Of course, as Eloise already said, we will understand if you’d be more comfortable with an other agreement. I’m sure Ambrosius means well, but dealing with our family on a daily base can be very tiring and stressful, especially for someone who isn’t used to it.”

Ballister looked away in confusion, his throat and stomach clenched with a strange mixture of want, hope, and dread. It sounded so much like something out of a fever dream and if it was indeed a fever dream… He wasn’t sure he wanted to wake up from it.

“We will not force you to stay, dear.” Lady Goldenloin touched his knee softly again, and Ballister focused on that to ground himself: the warm and very real touch of her hand calmed his anxious mind. “But if you didn’t want to stay with us…”

“But you want, right Bal?!”

“…I insist that at least you let us find and arrange some other solution so that you can stay safe and cared for, alright?”

Ballister swallowed with great effort. To his utter shame, the tears that had only stung his eyes until now rolled down his cheeks as he clutched his mug and lowered his head. His tangled, dark hair hung around his face, and his fingers felt warm from the porcelain between his palms.

He tried to swallow back the tears and find his voice, but he failed, only a small sobbed came out of his mouth when he tried to say anything. He heard the shuffling of clothes and Ambrosius’ squirming, but he still flinched when the little boy suddenly knelt before him on the floor and cupped his face with both hands. He looked at Ballister very, very seriously.

“Please stay with me, Bal!” He asked so, so seriously that it was almost heartbreaking. His dark eyes were pleading. “I promise I will be the best brother ever, okay? And I will give you all the best parts of the pizza, or the nachos or the… all the fruits from the top of any cake! Just stay. Please?”

Ballister laughed without thinking and shook his head in disbelief as he closed his eyes. Tears were still streaming down his cheeks as he swallowed back giggles and small sobs. This kid…! He was just too sweet to be real, yet too sheltered and naive to really understand what a big deal it is for Ballister. Or for his parents.

“Ambrosius, darling, I know you want to help, but please let Ballister think it through without forcing it.”

“No, no, it’s okay, I just…” Ballister took a shaky breath as he looked up. Ambrosius’ palms dropped from his face as he looked first at Lady Eloise and then with an even more timid look at Sir Goldenloin. He wiped away his tears with the back of his hand. “Would it really be okay if I wanted to stay?”

Sir Goldenloin nodded seriously, but Lady Eloise was the one who answered to him.

“Of course, dear. Believe it or not, I think it will be much easier for you to stay with us than for that stray cat.” She giggled cheerfully. “You are much blunter and more vocal when you have to be as I see it.” Ballister blushed. “But I’m afraid we’ll end up having to find another home for that little guy. Cats usually can’t stand Ambrosius’ liveliness for long.”

Ballister chuckled in surprise, while Ambrosius’ pout at his mother.

“Most cats are grumpy and unfriendly! But Lady Cat is unique and cute and loves me!”

“She is a weirdo for sure.” Ballister muttered under his breath in agreement.

Lady Eloise smiled at them.

“And that’s why we will try to keep her if she wants to stay, alright?” Ambrosius nodded enthusiastically, still crouching in front of Ballister. “Very well. Ballister please finish your medicine. Ambrosius, darling, I think Miss Anja is ready with your tetanus, do you want to sit on my lap?”

“Or I can hold his hand.” Ballister offered without thinking, blushing at his own words as he realized what he said. “Sorry, I mean…”

“Yes!” Ambrosius cut into his word eagerly holding out his hand. “Please! Sitting in Mom’s lap is such a little kid thing! Sorry, Mom.”

“It’s okay, darling.” Lady Eloise giggled as she stood up and dragged her chair closer to Ballister’s. “Come, sit down!”

Ambrosius complied eagerly, grabbing Ballister’s hand with a huge grin. Ballister smiled back as the boy’s hand slipped into his palm.

It still felt very much like a fever dream, although he could feel the warmth and dizziness of his fever slowly fading away. He gently squeezed Ambrosius’ little hand when the nurse sat on the boy’s other side, and enjoyed the strange, warm happiness that blossomed in his chest.

It was fine for now, and even if he felt like his rotten luck would never allow him to have something this nice for long, he wanted to hold on to this just for a little.

Who knows? Ambrosius seemed like a very lucky child and for some irrational reason loved to be around Ballister. Maybe his luck was enough for both of them.