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The harbor district didn't go quiet even after the sunset. Hundreds of nameless workers employed at probably the most lucrative branch of the city's economy kept working all night for pennies just to keep the main route running, the window to the world, the center of trade and transportation, the primary breadwinner of thousands of citizens.
The seaside embankment was one of the few streets in the harbor that got to be lit abundantly with gas lanterns placed at neat intervals, however their glow reflected picturesquely on the bay waters was not sufficient to encourage pedestrians to follow that path. The culprit behind that were the factories located upstream the river that lead to the bay, dropping their waste and sewage straight into it, causing as a consequence an unbearable stench of waters all over the area, efficiently scaring away most of passersby.
Most of, but not all of. A certain burly gentleman carrying a seabag has just appeared from between the side alleys and strolled slowly along the wharf, attentively watching the ships docked there. He only passed a few of them when he sped up, eyes fixed on an alley right in front of him. There, two citizens were shoving a third one left and right, pushing him against the wall and announcing demands that couldn't be heard from such a distance.
The marching man watched closely the aggressive duo. Both were young, neatly dressed, probably locals, strong. They seemed to enjoy the whining protests of the thin young man in working clothes who couldn't find a way to escape them.
The approaching man started running when he saw clearly the raised fists of the attackers. They punched their victim mercilessly, demanding money, and the poor man didn't even try to fight back. At first opportunity he tried to flee past the bigger guy, the latter however with one swift kick threw him onto a nearby crate. The young man fell on it hardly, groaning in pain.
The bandits were so arrogant that they attacked the poor man right under a streetlight, in plain sight. They were so confident that they didn't even bother to turn around hearing the intervention approach.
The gentleman's anger could barely be contained, he only threw away his bag and squared up. He called towards the aggressors:
“Whoa! Does mommy know you're still awake?”
They looked back, intrigued by his accent. After judging the intruder's long solid coat and noticing his new, fairly elegant tophat they exchanged a quick look and with an evil smile decided to swap the target of their assault, clearly expecting to find a thickly stuffed wallet in his pocket.
The gentleman however knew exactly what he's doing. With deep calmness he took an attack from both aggressors at once. Without much fuss he countered blows from both attackers, trying to push back the smaller guy and mostly attack the bigger one. The latter up close turned out to be even bigger than himself, however in fight he relied on his strength only and completely couldn't defend himself. Meanwhile the foreigner precisely landed every hit, wasting no time on wide swings or tussling.
The bandits' confidence quickly turned into fury once they realized the newcomer wasn't afraid of them in the least. Blinded by anger they pushed him out of the alley, where the smaller one started mercilessly attacking from the behind, while the bigger stayed close and held the opponent in place.
Then the gentleman, who so far relied mainly on skill, unexpectedly showcased his strength as well. He waited a moment without movement to make them drop their guard and then quickly freed himself from the bigger attacker's hold, grabbed the smaller one by the waist, lifted him effortlessly and threw like a sack of potatoes onto his partner. Before they realized what happened, with one swift kick he threw them both onto the pavement.
They had no time to collect themselves before they saw him standing above them, watching with a stern face. At that point the bandits noticed three things. Firstly, their opponent was leagues above them: after the fierce fight he didn't seem tired at all and was ready to continue, while they struggled to catch a breath. Secondly, the pavement ended right behind them and one moment of inattention would be enough to make them end in the bay's stinking waters. Lastly, it's been a while since they paid mommy a visit and it would be nice to quickly fix that mistake.
Without a word they jumped on their feet and quickly left the wharf.
The gentleman took a deep breath. After grabbing his bag he returned to the alley. He hoped that the attacked man has had enough strength to leave the scene during the confusion. As it turned out however, he stayed curled next to the crate. Upon hearing approaching footsteps the young man tensed as if expecting a hit.
”You won't see them anymore, don't worry,” announced the gentleman, staying in a distance. A streetlight was glowing brightly above them, but his eyes were shaded by his tophat's brim so he could take a look at the battered man. He seemed to be an office worker, perhaps a courier. His posture revealed strong fear, his face however stayed calm and his eyes - attentive.
Finally the attacked man came back to his senses and loosened up a bit. “Did you chase them away? Gee, you didn't even lose your hat!”
His cheerful tone surprised the foreigner. Without a doubt, he was in shock. Maybe it will be better for him to stay in place until he calms down.
“What did they want?” asked the gentleman, although he suspected he could figure out the answer on his own.
The young man closed his eyes and sighed quitely. “They demanded money, but even if I had any... I guess they just wanted to beat someone up to prove some idea they have made up.”
His companion shook his head angrily at the cruelty. He tried to continue the conversation in a neutral tone:
“What are you even doing on the bank at this time? Don't you know it's dangerous?”
The young man laughed nervously.
“I had to deliver a package for the harbor management. Then I thought I will walk along the sea, since, you see... I'm afraid of the dark. After the fact I have to admit this wasn't the wisest idea. And what are you doing here, if one may ask?”
“Hmm... You see, tomorrow I'm leaving this city, I wanted to see the bay at night for the last time...”
The battered man looked at him with surprisingly sharp eyes and laughed quietly: “You're a romantic, right?”
The gentleman nodded and smiled slightly. “Can you get up?” he asked worried and reached his hand towards him. The younger man grabbed it and tried to lift himself up, but his legs immediately gave out and he landed on the pavement again. He smiled apologetically.
The foreigner took off his hat and scratched his head. Finally the other man could see his face lit by the streetlight. He turned out to have surprisingly kind eyes for someone with the physiognomy of a killer.
It was clear that the battered needed some more time to calm down - the gentleman felt him shiver strongly when he held his hand. He himself wasn't really in a hurry so he decided to keep him company. Without a word he sat down on the street.
“What are you doing?” wondered his companion.
The traveler looked melancholically at the sky.
“What a beautiful evening. Warm, dry. The youth get various stupid ideas. They wander around the streets aimlessly. I don't want to imagine what will they do to you when they find you.”
The battered man watched him curiously. “Thank you,” he said finally with genuine gratitude. His defender only frowned in disgust.
After a moment of silence the breathing of both of them finally slowed down. The young man got talkative.
“Actually, why did you help me?”
“Hmm. Let's say I don't like injustice.”
“Then what are you even doing in this city?” laughed the younger loudly only to get interrupted by pain in his ribs. After the adrenaline has worn off he started to painfully feel every blow he took. The damage however wasn't too serious and it should all end in just some bruises.
The gentleman looked at him puzzled. “How can you be so cheerful? Even after they mugged you?”
“When I get better, in some time I will laugh about it anyway, so I can just as well start now. And if I don't get better... Well, at least I'll die happy.”
The foreigner whistled in surprise.
“You're quite an original!” he shouted. Inside he was already convinced that this incorrigible optimist actually had a fairly sensible approach towards life.
The young man kept feeling more and more comfortable. “Are you a soldier?” he asked curiously.
“No, not at all. Just a regular sailor.”
“You're good at fighting.”
The sailor scratched his head nervously.
“There was a time, long ago, when I was a professional boxer. I guess I still got it.”
“Ain't it good that you no longer have to beat people up?”
“Good?” The foreigner snorted angrily. “Sir, simple human decency is not something good, it's a basic requirement that is perfectly possible to fulfill by any person!”
“Not everyone would agree with that,” pointed out the younger man, stroking a bruise on his side.
“Ufortunately,” sighed the gentleman sadly, “the longer I sail the world, the more malice I see. The scale is frightening, but if you start to think about it, you can worry forever, and this won't lead anywhere. Nobody is influential enough to fix the whole world, especially not some simpleton like me. But as long as I see what's happening around me I get a chance to sometimes help someone right next to me.”
“Like a mugged messenger, for example”, smiled the young man.
The sailor nodded in agreement.
The courier thought for a moment and asked: “But how did you know you will win against the two of them? Wasn't that too risky?”
“Not at all,” the other man shook his head. “I could tell from afar that none of them can fight. Otherwise they wouldn't need to walk around together.”
For a longer while they sat in silence, each of them sunk in thought. Then the sailor asked, “Can you get up yet?”
“I think yes, but I doubt I will make it far. I don't want to stop you any longer, I'll just wait a bit and go home.”
“Sure, so that someone beats you up again! Please get up, we're going on a walk. You have to eat something.”
The offer seemingly baffled the messenger.
“That's really nice, but... I don't want to waste your time... And I don't have any money.”
“It's on me. I insist! There is a tavern nearby, you almost can't smell the sewer there. I can't just leave you now that I've started to rescue you. And I have nothing to do this evening. It would be nice to talk for a while with someone reasonable, before I get locked for a few months on the ship with a bunch of ignorants.”
The younger man kept hesitating, so the sailor continued:
“You're a courier, right? I just happen to have this one parcel, I planned to send it in the morning. If you could deliver it for me then we would be even. How about that?”
“Deal,” agreed the messenger relieved, glad that he could somehow repay his benefactor.
“Let's go then.” The sailor got up and held out his hand towards his companion. The latter was still wobbling on his feet so he clung tightly to the arm of his defender and so they slowly walked away from under the wretched streetlight deep into the harbor.