Dawn of a Thousand Suns, Book I: Arch De Angels

Chapter VII

Everyone stared at the blond boy and the baby, confused. Brunet and his companions eyed each other and followed him. The first acted leader, who screamed something and tried to hit him. The blond turned around quickly and grasped his right hand, moved a step backward and without even putting the kid down, swung the boy's hand and threw him down on the ground.

Everything happened so quickly and unexpectedly that not only Michael but the brunet and his friends were dumbfounded as well. The stranger put down Laili and moved towards one of the gang member if he was going to attack him, but suddenly he hit the other one, who did not expect it at all. Next, he got hold of the first boy and it took him only a couple of seconds to throw him on the ground like a piece of rug. Meanwhile, the brunet came round and tried to hit the blond, but it took only one leg kick to bring him back to the ground unconscious.

Michael was still dumbfounded because of this unexpected end of the fight when he saw the blond help Lucius up and whispered to Michael that he had fought well.

Lucius was holding Laili, calming her down.

"Is she your sister?" asked the blond boy.

"Yes, she is our sister," answered Michael, before Lucius would.

Michael was bleeding from the nose. His lip was swollen, and his nose was bruised again. "It's nothing I'm used to it," he mumbled.

"The fountain is near follow me," said the blond. The stranger walked proudly, holding his shoulders upright. He was well-dressed simply and cleanly, except for the bloody trousers, of course. He radiated such self-confidence in everything that it was enough for Michael to feel respect towards him.

"What did they want?" asked the stranger when they left the alley.

"To take the money," answered Lucius.

"Did you have any?" smirked the blond boy.

"Three copper coins." Michael could hear the anger in his voice.

"Sorry, I meant nothing bad," said the blond boy. The smile lifted the corner of his lip. But eyes...

Michael had never seen eyes like that before... Melted gold...

"Do you have parents?" asked the blond.

"No".

"Do you have a home?"

"No".

"I see," mumbled the blond after some time.

Alleys, dead ends, wide streets alternated... and the fountain was getting closer. There were few people in the square. The doves moved in groups; they were hungry just like quite a big fraction of the Mondelay citizens.

"I don't know why you helped, but thank you anyway," said Lucius to the blond boy.

"I have done little, they provoked me to beat their asses."

"Still, thank you," said Lucius, and introduced himself and Michael to the boy.

"My name is Uriel, but you can call me Blondy," was the answer.

They cleaned themselves and the bloody clothes with the freezing cold water. Lucius and Michael were already talking when Michael dried his wet hands on the clothes and soon joined them.

Uriel asked lots of questions, he was interested in where they spent nights, how they found food, etc. Lucius and Michael talked about sleeping under the bridge and finding food, they also mentioned stealing the pan and exchanging it for money, which was followed by the pursuit in the streets and the fight in the alley. Next, it was Blondy's turn to tell the boys his story, and he also told the boys a little about him. He did not have a home either and spent nights anywhere available. His mother had died a long time ago; as for his father, he had not seen him for a year. Blondy claimed living under the bridge would be difficult because of the spring rain, which would raise the level of the water and the river would overflow. He suggested finding a hut, or a collapsed building, whose owners were dead and find shelter there. He was also in search of such a place and offered to live together. The boys agreed happily to that. When he heard they needed these three coppers to buy a coat and some food for, he offered to accompany them to the clothing market.