text: Tyler Lace Thief In The Shadows I would like to dedicate this to my Uncle, who passed in early 2014, and my Aunty, who is still going strong. 
   
   
   Tell A Story 
   The hall was large and every word echoed. Outside birds circled in the air and waves crashed against the port. Chatter filled the air as the crowds gathered in front of the stage. A man stood on the platform. He talked with his hands and his robe scraped the ground as he walked back and forth. Everyone in the crowd was paying close attention as he pulled off a large red fabric. 
   They all froze, standing silently. The man stopped and looked at the empty easel, standing next to him. He yelled in frustration and murmurs swept through the entire crowd as two guards, holding swords, looked up at the swinging chandelier. 
   The boy gathered himself and stood on top of the chandelier, holding the picture of swirls and splashes. He looked over at the door, then back at the guards. 
   "The teenager! On the light," called one, more guards flooding into the halls. The crowds ran, screaming and calling to one and another. 
   The sound of a crystal shattering caused his glance to move to his footing. He pulled himself up, him getting higher. The boy gripped the chain, holding the chandelier, as he heard more shots. "Pathetic," he whispered. 
   His head snapped to the side and an idea sparked. The swinging light began to move faster. They all watched as he swung himself from one side to the other. He took a deep breath and strapped the painting to his back. For most people they would feel nervous or scared. He never understood why. If you have to do something, do it and don't bother worrying. The thought made him chuckle to himself. Tonnes of things, that people did, made him confused. He pulled up his hood, his black cloak touching his ankles. The boots he wore were leather and were no weight. This made it easier to do stuff like this, which he loved. He jumped, crossing his arms, and smashed through the window. 
   The glass shattered and fell, breaking again on impact. For a few seconds, all he could hear was the glass and all he was weary of was himself flying through the air, landing on top of a tent. He lay for a second, staring at the blue sky. The sound of guards yelling caused him to jump up and slide off, landing on his feet. 
   His swords clang together as he bolted through the alleys. 
   He finally reached an open space, people scattering around with hunched backs. His dark eyes skimmed the area. He brushed off the glass and adjusted his hood once more, using his cloak to conceal the painting, before he walked in to the large crowd. 
   He smiled lightly as the sound of burning filled his ears and the hall he escaped from was now engulfed in clouds of ash and smoke. 
   It was handy being able to look distant, no one would question your doings then. That is why the boy was so good with blending in. It was more like hiding away in the shadows and staying silent. Of course, there were times when everyone had their eyes on him. Usually that was because he was running, jumping off buildings or being attacked. He didn't mind fighting but it did get annoying when one person saw your face. Sometimes the person wouldn't dob and just watched in fascination as he fought or jumped. But, sometimes the person would tell. And that was mainly annoying because of how people would describe him. Once he was walking in the woods and found a flyer, with a sketch of his face. It was humiliating yet amusing. Especially when someone asked if he had seen the guy from the picture and he casually walked away, not questioning his answer. 
   He had found himself lost in thought, because next thing he knew was that he was surrounded by guards. They ordered him to put his arms up. He did so with a clear smirk on his face. His cloak hid his blue eyes from view as they barked orders to one and another, all now pointing their guns at him. 
   A man, wearing a long brown cloak and black boots, caught the boys attention as he pushed past the armed crowd, holding a piece of paper. He spoke with sternness in his voice. "You are Azad Blackwood, are you not?" 
   "If I say no, can I leave?" he inquired. The man ignored him. 
   "Azad, for constant crimes revolving around thievery and public displays against the kingdom, you are under arrest. Come quietly or we will be forced to-" 
   "Run around and chase me for ages till I disappear, I believe is the end you were looking for." Azad's hand reached for his belt, pulling off an item. "Let's begin now." 
   Smoke filled the air as he threw the item on the ground. It made a loud noise on impact and caused all of them, but him, to have an obscured view. 
   "Get him," demanded the head of the guards as the others coughed and shielded their mouths. 
   Azad took a sharp turn and ran faster. His cloak was flying behind him as he ran. 
   He grabbed the edge of a roof, for a little shop, and jumped up. He could see them on the streets, running at him and shouting. 
   Azad jumped on to the next roof, holding on to a lamp post to swing across. He landed on his feet and continued running and leaping. 
   "Come down from there, Azad!" demanded a guard. 
   "Shut up, idiot," Azad called back, losing his patience. He was starting to become frustrated and he was close to cracking it. 
   The boy turned his head at the sound of a few people falling. Two guards had collapsed and, as another hit the floor, he saw the cause. A smile appeared on his face as he caught the figures glance. 
   "Took your time, Vafa," spat Azad. 
   Vafa just laughed and continued to run. "Got the painting?" He turned and pulled out a sword, swiping at the guard. The man fell, staring at the blue sky. He turned back and continued to run. 
   "Depends," he replied, sliding under a high hung sign and jumping back up, bolting. "Got my money?" 
   "Not exactly." Vafa dodged another attack and ran up the side of a wall, flipped off, and kicked his head. "Better." He turned to see the guard on the cold, stone floor, lifeless. The boy looked back up to see Azad standing with his crimson covered sword. He had a look of discontent clear on his face, making Vafa feel uneasy. 
   "Better?! Vafa, I need this money," Azad snapped. He threw his arms in the air. "Did you just see what I had to do to get you this stupid painting?" 
   Vafa slid his sword back in it's case. "Yes, and good on you. You do that all the time-" 
   "Yes, but this time I am in a large kingdom and the center point of the kingdom, I must add! And it's daylight," he spat. 
   Vafa rolled his eyes, making Azad feel angry. He always thought Vafa to be a stubborn teenager. But, that day when he had stolen Gems and Vafa had been watching, he was confused. He was even more confused when Vafa offered him a large sum for the Gems. Vafa had turned out to be connected largely to the black market, which explained why he spotted him constantly wearing black cloaks with hoods, carrying weapons, walking to nowhere it had looked like. Azad had thought maybe he was just a paranoid fourteen year old with short, scruffy blonde hair, but now he had shown to be a deceiving sixteen year old boy. He did wonder if Vafa was as loyal to the king as other people were, despite his occupation in the black market. Azad did fear, that if he was, he would report his whereabouts. So far he seemed safe, so dwelling on these thoughts weren't the best pass time. 
   "Well excuse me  thief in the shadows , but I am your main source for money and I have never wronged you." 
   Azad gave him a look, with a raised eyebrow. 
   "Okay, not too much anyway." He leaned against the wall, folding his arms. "Just trust me, please?" he begged. "Plus, I need the painting. If I don't deliver it then I am in huge trouble," squealed Vafa. 
   That was the other thing. If Vafa didn't hand in anything then the shops would refuse him anything. It was worse when he had a customer. If he didn't deliver then, then he would get a knock at his door, unless he had fled, in that case they would track him down. Azad still remembered when he had organized to meet Vafa, to only see him not show up. The next day he had gone to his home and had found him with blood running from his mouth and a broken wrist. That was not the worst he had seen done, but he cancelled out the thought and gave Vafa an exasperated sigh. 
   "What is better than money in this world?" Vafa looked to the left, grabbed Azad's arm, and held the bars that crossed over each other above him. From there, he pulled both of them up and lay, concealing the two in between the curved, tin roof and the bars as the two guards ran past. 
   Vafa turned his head to the side, seeing out of the corner of his eye. The guards were long gone. 
   He moved and jumped down, watching as Azad follow. "This, trust me, is worth way more." 
   "Really?" asked Azad, not believing his friend. 
   Vafa crossed his arms. "Well, for you anyway." 
   The warehouse smelt of dirt and sweat, and people were whispering and shouting. This was one of the main markets that both Azad and Vafa were connected to. Looking around, Azad could see stalls consisting of clothes, powders, meat and much more. His eyes found the one he was looking for and he approached. 
   The woman at the bench was young, a few scars staining her face and neck. Her eye was stitched closed and the scent of alcohol wafted off of her. Anyone else probably would of walked away, but Azad didn't seem to care. In front of her lay prices and different types of crystals. 
   Azad couldn't help but dwell on what Vafa had told him as he waited for her to be done with her customer. Frankly, it had shaken him up a bit. 
   "How so?" Azad had asked. 
   Vafa had sighed, shaking his head. "You hear things in the, uhh, work place. Sometimes whispers on people cheating on each other and what not. But, sometimes, more extreme." He had looked up from the ground. He had pulled out a rare silver coin and had started moving it between his fingers, fast, as he had spoken. "I was at the warehouse when I overheard talk. I pieced the puzzle together and, I have made a breakthrough." 
   Azad had arched an eyebrow. "What is it?" 
   "Your parents, Azad-" 
   "My parents burnt in a house fire," he had snapped. 
   Vafa had shaken his head again, waving his hand. "Aha, okay. Let me tell you a story. In this story, a boy turned up to his house to only find it burning. Upon entering, he found his parents, lying still on the ground. And your-his Gem, he had received for his eighth birthday, was gone." He had taken a deep breath. 
   "I know all this," he had scowled. Vafa had a habit of making Azad lose his patience. 
   "That is the part of the story you do know. So, let me tell you about the hidden page in this book." Vafa had looked Azad straight in the eye, a serious look on his face. "The fire was not accidental." 
   "What do you mean?" 
   "Think it was a coincidence that your parents were dead and your Gem was gone?" 
   "The Gem always got moved," he had replied. Azad had known he sounded naive, but, the truth was, he just hoped that it was an accident. If anyone were to kill his parents for the Gem, what was stopping them killing him? So he had decided to believe what the guards told him. 
   "Who ever killed your parents wanted the Gem. It was a rare one, at that. I tried to look in papers for the market to see who sold the Gem, but it only showed who bought it-" 
   "Then let's go," Azad had snapped. 
   Vafa had raised his hand up, to stop Azad. "I went to find them. When I got there, the guy was dead and the Gem was gone." 
   Azad had looked at the ground, his hands slightly trembling. "So, who ever stole it in the first place, wanted it back?" 
   Vafa had nodded. "They sold it, not knowing how much it was worth. Once they found out, they must have gotten mad and went to retrieve it. Either that, or they were planning to get it back in the first place and just wanted, or needed, the money." Vafa had taken a deep breath, leaning his head against the wall and closed his eyes. 
   "What happens at the end?" Azad had looked back up. 
   Vafa had opened one eye. "What do you mean?" 
   "In the story, what happens at the end?" 
   The other boy had stood up straight and looked up, the now evening sun glaring at him. The coin was thrown in the air. He caught it and placed it in his pocket. "That part, I'm afraid, is entirely up to you, thief in the shadows." 
   It was all a bit strange. From there, Vafa had patted his shoulder and took the painting. The boy climbed the roof and ran along it, jumping off and disappearing into the underground piping, after giving his friend a quick glance and a nod. 
   It had been a week from that day, and, as the young women started yelling and cussing at the other customer, he couldn't help but wave the thought away. 
   "If that is all the money ya got then step aside for the other customers," barked the young woman. She had a thick Jamaican accent and her hair hung past her shoulders, covered in colorful beads. Azad could see that, inside the beads, were cut crystals. The woman was well known in this business and was usually kind. But, when she was angry, she was very spiteful. She was also clever. 
   The woman's name was Cleo. Her story was a sad one and was, like her, well known. Her family had been killed due to a misunderstanding with some bandits. From there, she had nowhere else to go and her mother told her of the town and the job opportunity. She had no choice but to agree and found passage to her home, leaving it all behind. 
   Bandits did that. They were found in between towns and would jump you. Some bandits offered protection from others, taking families to different towns. They used fear and manipulation to get you to help them with their little games, and, to some people, they reminded them highly of the kingdom and guards. 
   The elderly woman, in front, stepped to the side, as told. 
   Cleo gestured for Azad to come forward. He did so and lay the crystals, he had taken from the mansion, on the table. The elderly woman stared at the Gems in fascination. Azad could see she had never seen anything like it. 
   The stall owner gave him the money and he froze for a second. A sigh escaped him and he pulled out many coins, placing them in front of the elderly woman. 
   She looked shocked and looked up, but Azad was already walking away, his hood now pulled up and hands in his cloak pocket. 
   
   
   
   A Nod Will Do 
     
   "Here." Azad took the piece of paper. He looked closely at it and found scribbles of information. Vafa was lucky Azad could read his fast-writing. "That's the next item I need you to get. You think you can?" 
   "Pfft, of course," he replied. He shoved the note in his pocket as the two walked further into the underground tunnel. The smell of sewerage and death wafted into their noses, as the two trudged their way through the low light. Water touched their boots at the bottom, never going higher than half way up their feet. 
   "Any thought yet?" 
   "About what?" 
   "About what you are going to do, regarding your parents and the Gem," he stated, glancing at Azad, who walked alongside him. 
   "I don't know what to do. Judging on what you told me, there is no specific leads to anyone." Azad stared up at the brick. He could barely see and it was only due to Vafa's torch that he didn't trip over rubble. The thief could see well in the dark but he was out of it today. He wouldn't even had left his shelter if it weren't for Vafa sending one of his fellow black marketers to give Azad a message. Vafa never gave his own messages. It would put him in danger if he were seen talking to a criminal. So, he had met Vafa to discuss his next job. 
   Vafa felt sorry for Azad as he saw his friend close off. Azad was known for putting on a distant face when ever he didn't want to be disturbed. "That is odd," he stated, pulling out the silver coin and moving it between his fingers. 
   "What?" 
   Vafa, with a smirk on his face, continued to move the coin. "Just that . . . revenge is usually in your system." He shrugged, playing with a piece of paper in his cloak pocket, while his right hand still moved the coin. Azad always knew that Vafa was cunning and manipulative, that is how he made his money anyway. He usually could get when Vafa was trying to trick him and would pull him up on it. But, now, he just guessed that it was second nature to Vafa, so he ignored it. 
   "Not when there is no point. My parents are already dead and we know nothing-" he stopped when he saw Vafa trembling with anger. He was trying to restrain himself, which he could usually do. 
   "They're dead. So, don't you want to do something?" he asked, his voice shaky and, again, it was easy to tell he was trying to stop himself from an outburst. Vafa was never entirely open about his family life and even Azad knew nothing. No one knew anything. 
   "Sorry, Vafa," he stated. 
   Vafa stared at him in shock for a moment, before staring back at the ground. He flicked the coin in the air, caught it, and placed it in his pocket. His blonde hair concealed his eyes as he continued to stare at the ground. He spoke quietly. "Yeah, well, I don't know what you are apologizing for . . ." He looked up ahead again. 
   "Well-" he was stopped by Vafa putting his arm up, stopping and staring up. 
   He kneeled on the ground and pulled out his grapple hook, chucking it at Azad. "We're here." 
   Azad took out his gun from his belt and loaded it, then put it back. He stared up as well. There was a cylinder plate, light shining from the edges. Now the area was a bit lighter. They could now see clearly the intertwining vines up the side of the tunnel. 
   "You have a plan?" 
   "Sort of." 
   "Well," Azad pushed. 
   Vafa laughed slightly, a smirk on his face. "The plan is to let you wing it." He got back up, his hands in his pockets. 
   Azad sighed, aimed the grapple hook and released. It flew up and connected in the gap of the plate. His gear was fully black and now visible as he started to go up. Just before he got to the top, he looked down. "Where are you going to be?" 
   Vafa stopped from walking, looking over his shoulder as he spoke. "I have some business. I'll meet you at the port in an hour." 
   Azad nodded, getting ready to go up higher. He put his fingers in the plate, and, just before he could move it, Vafa spoke again. "Azad?" 
   "Yeah?" 
   Vafa looked back ahead, away from his friend as he kept walking. "Be careful?" 
   Azad froze for a second and watched as Vafa disappeared into darkness, his hood now pulled up and hands in pockets. Him and Vafa knew that wishing for someone to be careful was not the good thing to do. If the person did not return then they had broken their promise to do the opposite. So, they never wished each other to be safe out loud. A nod would indicate the thought. On occasion, though, Vafa would say it. Azad had yet to figure out why his friend did it at those times. His first thought was that it was only when it was a dangerous mission, but he still was unsure. 
   Azad looked up, staring at his passage into the mansion. He took a deep breath and moved the plate. 
   He stood up, the plate now closed. The room he stood in was huge, filled with boxes of tools and unused expensive accessories. Azad was disgusted by this, and tempted. 
   He locked his grapple gun and headed for the stairs. He was going to kill Vafa if the floor plans were wrong and he ended up somewhere else. It wouldn't be the first time. One time Vafa got it wrong and Azad ended up finding himself in the bathroom instead of the chamber. To make it worse, he couldn't get out from the bathroom. From there he had to locate it by himself. After all of it he yelled at Vafa but he had just simply waved it off and apologized. Azad had no clue why Vafa was his main person to see about stealing. 
   He snuck through the halls of the mansion, the lights all off. If Vafa was correct, then the secret room was located in the large library. The shelves were filled with hundreds of different books. He had never seen anything like it. 
   Azad traced his gloved hands along the books, muttering to himself constantly. He froze. The book his finger landed on had a rigged spine. 
   He pulled out the book and opened it, smiling at the sight of the hidden key. So far, Vafa had done him no wrong. 
   Azad slipped the key into his belt and looked up, the rip in the wallpaper on the ceiling catching his eye. He pulled out a dagger, aimed, and threw it up. The weapon skimmed the ceiling and ripped the paper more. This revealed a hatch with a handle, and a smirk on his face. 
   He moved fast and caught the dagger. When he stood back up, he had his grapple gun in his hand, and the hook had attached to the handle of the hatch. Azad pulled at it and it opened, stairs falling out in front of him. They creaked slightly as he carefully crawled up, the gun now away. 
   "I hate you so much," Azad sighed as he lay on the port, the moon reflecting on the water and the nights air hitting his bare arms. All he was wearing at that moment was black sleeveless gear with his weapons still in place, and his cloak with his hood pulled up. Another sigh escaped his lips as he thought about the job he had just done. The dagger he stole was absolutely priceless and he had found it among many more silver objects. It was like a room of reflected light and it had nearly blinded him.   
   Footsteps broke his thoughts but he continued to lie with his head rested on his palms. 
   "Took your time." 
   "What, no ' hi' ." 
   Azad rolled his eyes as the blonde-haired boy sat next to him, staring out at the water. There was no more commotion among the dirty streets, but they could hear people chatting away, walking along the side of the cemented land and cooing at each other. 
   The thief looked to his left to see Vafa looking at the couples. His face held no emotion but his eyes captured silent despair. Azad, once more, realised he really did not know a thing about his quiet friend. It unnerved him a little bit (that and the faraway look the blonde had on his face). He would mask his concern of course. 
   "How'd you go?" asked Vafa, his eyes slowly moving back to the water and his voice sounding more cracked then he would of liked. 
   "Fine. Nearly lost my eyes," he replied with no emotion. He pulled out the little sleeve and handed it to Vafa, who took it carefully and pulled out the weapon, but after close examination he passed it back. "Well?" 
   "It's a weapon," he stated calmly. 
   "Idiot, who's the customer?" 
   "You." 
   Azad blinked. Did he hear right? Vafa knew he had no money and this was supposed to be his breakthrough. But there was always a catch with this boy. "Excuse me?" 
   Vafa rolled his silver coin over his fingers. "The dagger was for you-" 
   Azad was furious. "Why did you get me to steal it if it was for me?!" 
   Vafa shot him a glare, the coin stopping abruptly. "Would you have gotten it if I said it was for you?" 
   The dark-haired boy was speechless, which caused a grin to form on Vafa's lips, the coin continuing its movement. "But why would I need it?" 
   "To find your parents, of course." 
   Azad scoffed and shook his head. The torches around the courtyard were now lit, causing shadows to dance and figures to flicker. One by one curtains were being drawn and the secret couples sat, smiling and whispering. Two girls were talking as they looked out, one moving her hands dramatically in explanation, causing a laugh, light running along their face. 
   "Vafa-" 
   A screeching bell roared over the area, causing the couples to jump and look over. 
   "Bandits," Vafa stated. 
   Azad squinted, seeing past the posts, and spotting a group of people. This bell was rung when a situation was about to play out and no one was to interfere. It was just a warning that guards were getting prisoners or something like that, but, lately, it had been for bandits coming into the towns. Everyone had started to have their obvious suspicions that the guards were up to something, using bandits to cover up. But it was just the bandits taking advantage. 
   They weren't hired just to take people across land. 
   The bandits ran up to the couple, the others standing up and running, and grabbed them as they kicked and screamed, prying them off each other and away from the edge. 
   "It would seem so." 
   Azad and Vafa stayed quiet, watching the scene play out. Azad wanted to help, but the bandits might of known who he was and captured him too. 
   "Can't we do anything?" Vafa whispered, reading Azad's thoughts as his coin disappeared into his pocket. 
   Azad sighed. "Too risky," he replied in a whisper. 
   "Do you forget who you are?" 
   If Vafa was expecting a response in words, he was kidding himself, because all he received was a glint of puzzlement in the other young man's eyes and a raised eyebrow. The blonde sighed dramatically. 
   "Thief in the shadows." 
   "Technically only you call me that." 
   "Yes, but there are other variations of your name. I chose to use this one for a reason." Vafa grinned before pointing to a post that flickered at the other side of the dock, near the land. "The best option would be to take that out then fight the bandits in the shadows, thief." 
   Azad rolled his eyes but mentally agreed that that was a clever plan. Sure, the risk was high, but at least it was down a bit. Even if he got caught in light it would only be for a mere moment before he slid back into the darkness. 
   Yes, Vafa was a schemer. 
   "There's two holding the girl," - He pointed at the struggling brunette, who was only not fighting back because her wrists were restrained - "one holding the other," - he pointed at the girl who had curly, short black hair as she was kicking at the one bandit as he tried to tie her wrists - "and a final one keeping watch. It would be good training for you." A grin graced his lips as his eyes gleamed. "Plus, you can use that new dagger." 
   Azad's eyes followed his friends toward the dagger, which he quickly grabbed. "Take out the lamp post for me?" 
   Vafa, with the grin still on his face, nodded. "What are friends for?" 
   Before Azad could blink Vafa had pulled out one of his own daggers and slipped into the darkness, before rolling off the dock, holding on to underneath and pulling himself till he got to the very end. From there the boy went to the right side (opposite of the post) then emerged for a split second to see Azad had moved closer to it. 
   
   Smash 
   
   The one holding the black-haired girl's wrists head whipped around as glass littered the area around the now broken post. The girl saw it as an opportunity and turned around, kicking the man to the ground. He pounced back up and punched the girl, only to miss, before she kicked his sides, punched his gut, then tripped him over with another kick. The two other bandits looked up at the sound of their fallen comrade grunting, holding his bloodied head. 
   "Restrain Tess! I've got this one," said one with shaggy brown hair, giving Tess's wrist a tug as the light-haired one grabbed the other from behind, picking her up as she screamed. 
   "Shut up!" he hissed. 
   "You're no better then-" before he could finish his sentence, Tess swung around and kicked, aiming for his head. 
   A figure emerged from the shadows, knocking down the bandit on watch and dragging him into the alley, before sliding back into darkness and toward the two girls tied- 
   Azad watched as the one known as 'Tess' knocked one bandit into the water, her hands still restrained by ropes, before the other kicked at her bandits knee as she was being lifted. He dropped and she spun around, just in time to see a fist flying toward her- 
   The bandit stared wide eyed as he was grabbed by the feet and pulled into shadows, before being punched in the gut, then stabbed in the arm. Azad looked up from his victim to see the girls had escaped. The thief held the knife to his throat, making one last slash. 
   He stood up and looked around the dock. Coming to the conclusion Vafa had left, he decided to just go back to his shelter, that was, of course, before throwing the other alive bandit into the water. 
   
   
   
   Payment 
     
   The air smelt of fresh fruit and baked goods, as food was laid out on a long table, a red cloth covering the wood. The sound of footsteps caused the hooded figure at the table to look up at the accused. “What?” asked a deep voice. 
   The person who had walked in looked up at the man. “We want our payment,” said a husky voice. 
   Another man popped up from behind him. “We did wha’ ye asked, ae? Ye can’t just let me boys go empty handed. They’re-” 
   “Shut up!” intervened the first man. “Seriously.” His attention focused back on the hooded man. “Sir, the bandits did what was asked of them.” 
   There was the sound of a faint chuckle, than  the  silence returned, until, “Do you not class yourself as one of them?” 
   “No, sir.” 
   Another chuckle. “Interesting. Well” -he stood up- “I can’t have one of my  employee  getting upset, now can I?” 
   “Yes, sir. Exactly wha’ I was thinking.” 
   The hooded man got closer until he was standing directly in front of the bandit. “What did I say I would pay you in the first place?” 
   “Eh, protection, sir.” 
   He nodded. “Yes, I see. So, why was that not good enough?” 
   “Ye see, me boys won’t like this if I appear empty ‘anded-”  The man forced the other’s mouth open, before cutting his tongue clean off. 
   “Well, you tell them-wait, you won’t be able to.” He watched as the man fell to the ground, the crimson touching the floor. His mouth was wide, as were his eyes, and he was screaming. It was almost unnatural. 
   Suddenly, he was next to the other man, his breath fanning his ear. “Tell the boys that this is what happens when he messes with me.” He looked back down. “Oh, and he'll live, it’s just a mouth wound." 
   And he left, walking down the hall, whistling to himself. 
   
   
   
   Worthless Ties 
     
   “Hey, thief.” 
   Azad rolled his eyes as he sat next to his friend on the hill, trees littered around them. “I have a name, Vafa.” 
   Vafa just hummed in reply, continuing to stare up at the sky, arms folded under his head.  “Do you know why I want you to find your parents’ killers?” 
   “Because you’re a bastard and won’t let anything go?” 
   A crooked smile formed on the boy’s lips. “It’s because you have a chance to get revenge. I didn’t. I don’t.” 
   Azad blinked. “Vafa?” 
   Said boy smiled as he closed his eyes. “I had a sister. I never talk about her, but i greatly respected her. She was five years older. I wished I could say our relationship was great,  but she despised me. But I always saw siblings loving each other, you know? No favourite child. But she was the favourite. I didn’t mind really. I still respected her. 
   "She didn’t get the respect until one day, when mother and father were out, she was too. I heard a window open during the night so I went to investigate. Upon doing so, I found her climbing in to her room with a sack of things I had never seen before. Her eyes landed on me and she brought her fingers to her lips. I didn’t understand until I saw they were stolen items. We could never afford that stuff. She went on to tell me that she sold the stuff to the markets. And, I said I would only not tell if she let me help. I was fascinated. So, she taught me the ropes. Everything I need to know about stealing and markets. That was the day I gained respect for that girl. I was nine. " 
   There was a pause 
   "A few years later, we got good. Too good actually. So, our parents were destined to find out. And, one night, they found out. 
   “My sister was supposed to do a really difficult house, so she went without me. When she returned, my parents were there. From my room I heard screaming and crying, than someone else’s voice. 
   “You see, there was a group we would sometimes work with. And this was one of my favourites. He was known as ‘skull’, on the count of his first stolen item. Anyway, there was more screaming, a thump, than silence. 
   “I got out of bed and crouched at the top of the stairs. There, I saw my parents, covered in blood on the floor. Above them...above them stood skull and my sister, both holding blades. They were grinning. Until I stared wide-eyed and fell back. 
   “Both their heads snapped up and the next thing I know I was grabbed by Skull and was gone. 
   “We ended up in a forest, Skull threw me on the ground, my vision blurred, and chucked my sister a knife. She nodded and he left. Staring at me with a look I couldn’t read, she grabbed my hand and made a cut, causing me to scream, shaking the area. She then went to cover her arms in my blood, before she made cuts in my right leg. 
   “The blood, it...it made me feel sick. When I opened my eyes, she was gone. 
   “I stumbled through those forests for days. When scratching in the dirt, I found my coin. 
   “After that, I was found by a group of travellers, after being healed, I left without a goodbye. 
   “You see, Azad, ties are not good. They’re like labels, they don’t matter. Truth is I saw my sister again in the markets one day but I...I couldn’t bring it in my heart to kill her.” 
   He sighed. “I don’t want you to do what I did. Be weak-” 
   “You’re not weak.” He touched his arm, and all Vafa did was look at it, before sitting up. 
   “It doesn’t matter what others think. I’m too weak to do what I want to do.” He turned to Azad, a look in his eyes-darker than ever before. “Please, Azad? I know I ask a lot, but please?” His eyes burned and he looked as if he were shaking, knuckles white from clenching the coin unconsciously. 
   The wind began to pick up as the sun's light hit the fields below them, the cloud's shadows dancing on the green and gray. 
   Without another word, Azad did something he never did. He pulled Vafa into a hug, letting him bury his head in his shoulder. No more words were spoken. Just two words that only mattered when Vafa’s friend said them. If anyone else were to, it wouldn’t count. It never counts. 
   “I’m sorry.” 
   Yes, ties were certainly worthless. 
   
   
   Publication Date: November 29th 2014 https://www.bookrix.com/-yg5cf8c78db9745