Walking alone through the bustling streets, hands tucked into the sleeves of his light travel cloak, Damian strolled through the city with a little spring in his step.
"It's been a while Edelgard" Damian muttered.
His present location was Edelgard, the capital city of Aureon. The most renowned city in the entire kingdom. he had come here a while after his meeting with his father.
But he wasn't like his other siblings with their personal entourages and wagons. No guards shadowed his every step. No servants to carry his bags. Just him, the cobbled roads, and the smell of streetbread frying on open grills.
To him, it felt nostalgic, in a weird way.
In hs past life after being cast out, although he and his mother still lived in the capital, due to their... Financial status, they resided in the slum area, the lawless and wretched part of the city.
"Let's see..."
He passed vendor after vendor, peering at trinkets, spices, monster parts, and even a shady-looking auction with beast cages on display.
But then he heard a commotion nearby. He rushed over to the crowd to see what was going on, and lo and behold, before him stood a terrifying looking monster.
"Whoa" he exclaimed. "Thats a.."
Inside a reinforced cage, a hulking beast snarled at its handler. Thick snow-white fur. It looked just like a bear, but it's massive frame said otherwise.–Massive paws with like crescent blades. and crimson-rimmed eyes that seemed to lock onto Damian for a second.
"A tier 2 monster."
"Isnt that thing dangerous?" he whispered as he glanced to side where the supposed owner, the man who captured it stood. The aura he leaked was enough to prove his prowess to any passerby.
"Better to leave now." Damian thought.
And so with that, he moved on to continue his nostalgic tour round the city.
"Onward." He declared.
• • •
"Gosh am beat" Damian shrugged.
After a long day of walking, It was already noon now and while pretending not to feel the ache in his legs, Damian finally turned toward the main street leading back to the estate.
And that's when he saw it.
From the corner of his eye.
Hair.
Flawless snow-white hair. But as he turned to Inspect, it vanished as if it were never even ther to begin with.
He shook his head. "Maybe I'm just tired..." He shrugged.
But then on reaching the next alley, he stopped again.
An abandoned carriage rested across the sidewalk. It looked as if it had been left in a hurry, even horses looked as if they had just been abandoned.
Out of curiosity, he peered into the alley. It was dark and quiet. The kind of sketchy place you just wouldn't want to come across.
As he squinted his eyes, somwhere in the darkness, he saw something. It was that snow white hair again.
It belonged to a girl that looked to be around his age. She was cornered by two men in ragged cloaks.
"She... Looks familiar..." Damian muttered.
They were saying something in low voics. Their hands reached towards the girl who on the other hand looked scared to the bone.
Damian's heart jumped. 'She's in danger!' He thought, taking a step forward, then back.
His instincts screamed danger as it was clear the girl was being kidnapped.
He wasn't a hero.
He wasn't even strong enough to take on two grown men.
But...
He couldn't bear to see the girl get kidnapped. The part of him that spent it's entire life as trash screamed out to his heart to HELP the girl before him.
And so, he clenched his fists and ran as fast as he could.
He didn't have a plan, but he didn't hesitate either.
"HEY!" he shouted as he ran, putting everything into his voice in an attempt to startle the trio. "GET.... READY.... TO—!!"
By now, he had already reached the girl, so In a flash, He just grabbed her wrist and yanked her into motion, yelling on top of his lungs. "RUN!"
This startled the girl, but somehow, she was still running. She stumbled a few times, but followed persistently. To her, this was a glimmer of hope, and she wasn't about to miss it.
In a moment, they shot through the alley.
"Who—?!" she gasped, almost falling. "Who are you—?!"
"Later!" he barked. "Just run!"
'Come on, come on... Don't caught Damian!' he warned internally.
They turned corner after corner. The shadows of the city closed in around them. Damian looked back, and they're pursuers we're gaining on them.
"They're too fast!"
"Whoosh!"
Damian shrieked as one of them launched a fireball that he barely dodged.
"Magic?"
"Hey!" one of the men shouted. "Don't damage the merchandise!"
Damian clenched his teeth as the word 'Merchandise' hit him hard. So much that he felt his blood boil instantly.
'You bastards!'
He grabbed her hand tighter. "Hold on!" he yelled.
'Were almost there.'
All this while they had been running, Damian finally found it—The street he has been searching for.
"Please still be there…" he muttered.
They turned hard, and as luck would have it, The monster was still out on display. The crowd was gone. Just the beast.
But apparently, the owner was inside the store behind it.
"Bingo" he spoke out, a little out of breath.
As they ran past, Damian didn't stop.
He reached out, grabbing the release pin on the cage—
—and yanked.
Pulling the girl harder, they bolted past, even faster than before and ducked into another corner as their run continued.
"Let's go" Damian whispered.
Behind them, the metal gate shrieked and banged open, covering the route the thugs were coming from just in time for them to bang on it with a loud crash, drawing the beast's attention.
"Arrrgh damn it! Where did this thing come from?"
"I- u-um boss..."
A low menacing growl from the large bear-like monster broke the men from their trance.
"WHA- What's a monster like that doing here?!" Asked one of the thugs as the bear approached them.
"NO.. NO.... STAY BACK!!" panicked the other one as the bear pounced on him, painting the street in a scarlet red.
"S-screw this..." The other thug attempted to run, but in a flash, his upper body got torn off instantly as the bear's blade like claws cleaved through him, adding more scarlet to the already gloomy alley they resided in.
But unfortunately for the bear, it's assault came to an abrupt end as its owner came out. From his looks one could tell that he was confident in bringing down this monstrosity.
"Alright big guy..." He sneered. "It's time to sleep."
• • •
*Huff*... *Huff*... *Huff*
Back in the main street, Damian and the white haired girl had come to a halt as they finally made their way to the main street.
Breathing heavily with his signature grin, "It... It worked." He whispered.
"Umm... E-excuse me..." The girl spoke up. Although she was also exhausted, she still wanted to talk to him. "W-who are you? And why did you help me?" She asked calmly.
Damian took a few more breaths and finally stood up, taking a good look at the girl he rescued. Even in ragged clothing, her messy long white wasn't the only thing peculiar about her. In short, the only word that could describe perfectly her was simple...
'A goddess' thought Damian as in reality, she was just simply too beautiful to be described with words.
Finally steadying his breathing, he crouched down on one knee, facing the girl sitting on the ground before him, his sweaty but clean noble attire was in stark contrast with the rags she wore.
Smiling, "My name is Damian Blackthorne, it's a pleasure to meet you." He stretched out his hand as if he was asking for a dance.
"Also," he stared into her bright blue eyes. "I don't need a reason to help someone, do I?" He asked genuinely.
"You..." She thinned her lips as if she wanted to cry, then tried reaching for his hands, but instead, pulling him into a hug as she finally let out all the tears she'd been holding back.
"It's alright... Cry all you want" he spoke up in a soft tone. "I'm not going anywhere..."
'Yeah...' he thought. 'I'm never leaving you again... Lyra'