Lord of Ascension: The Birth of Chaos-Chapter 46 A thief

"Kaelith... I think he is heading towards us," Scarlet said, his eyes wide with confusion.

"He is," Kaelith muttered but didn’t move.

The boy’s feet thudded against the dusty road as he stumbled forward; his face pale with panic, his ribs showed through his torn shirt, and dried blood stained his shoulder. People stepped back, some shouting, others just staring.

Then the boy reached them.

Without hesitation, he collapsed at Kaelith’s feet, his arms wrapping tightly around his waist like a child clinging to the last thread of safety.

"Please... please don’t let them take me," the boy cried, his voice hoarse and trembling. "I didn’t steal anything...I swear it. I just wanted food. That’s all...please save me."

Kaelith looked down at him. The boy’s eyes were wide, brown, and filled with tears. He looked exhausted, terrified, and desperate.

Scarlet looked around nervously. "Kaelith... the guards are coming."

Indeed, the sound of armored footsteps echoed behind them. The four soldiers, dressed in red and gold, pushed through the crowd, panting.

"There!" one shouted, pointing at the boy. "Hand him over, my prince. He’s a thief."

The lead guard stepped forward. "With all due respect, my Prince, that boy stole bread from the eastern market. He’s a repeat offender. The punishment is clear."

Kaelith didn’t answer. He could feel the boy shaking against him. His small hands clutched at his tunic like a lifeline.

’Having an underling I can train from a young age will be of good use to me and after I am done training him, he will be as loyal as a good dog.’ Kaelith stepped forward.

"He’s very young," Kaelith said finally, his tone calm. "You want to punish a starving child for a piece of bread?"

"It’s the law, my prince," the guard replied stiffly. "We don’t make exceptions."

Kaelith’s eyes slowly lifted to meet the guard’s. "Then the law is broken."

The guard stiffened. "Sir?"

Kaelith placed a hand on the boy’s head. "He’s under my protection now." he brought out a gold coin. "That is for what he had stolen."

There was a silence. The guards glanced at each other with uncertainty, before one of them collected it because it would be rude to leave his hand hanging in the air.

"You mean to take him in?" one asked.

"Yes," Kaelith said, his voice cool. "He’s mine now."

Scarlet blinked. "You’re... adopting a thief?" he had never thought he would live long enough to see his brother act like a proper human being... and one with a conscience. ’Is the world coming to an end?’

Kaelith didn’t answer.

The guard hesitated, clearly unsure of what to do but disobeying a prince was not something they were allowed to do, not unless they wanted to face consequences worse than failure.

"Yes, my prince." The guard bowed stiffly. "We’ll report it as resolved."

With that, the four soldiers backed off, disappearing into the crowd.

The street noise slowly returned, though people still stared at Kaelith and the boy. Some looked confused and a few others curious.

Scarlet raised a brow. "Well. That was dramatic, and totally unlike you."

Kaelith looked down at the boy, who was still clinging to him tightly. "What’s your name?"

The boy didn’t answer right away, his head was still buried in Kaelith’s side.

"I asked you a question."

"...River," the boy whispered.

Kaelith nodded. "Get up, River."

"What kind of name is that? Why River of all names?" Scarlet asked with a furrowed brow.

"...Because I was born inside a river. It is not a very nice story to talk about." River muttered, his head low.

Scarlet was stunned but didn’t bother to ask any further, who knows what he might say next?

Slowly, River loosened his grip and stood. His legs wobbled beneath him. Kaelith noticed the bruises on his arms and the cut above his brow.

"You’ll follow me from now on," Kaelith said, turning away. "You’ll eat, sleep, and work under me. If you steal again, I’ll know, and you won’t like what happens next."

Riven nodded quickly, wiping his nose with the back of his hand. "Yes, my prince."

Scarlet crossed his arms, watching the exchange. "This is new. You usually hate people."

Kaelith gave him a sideways glance. "Maybe I still do."

Scarlet sighed. "I wonder if this would be a good thing for him...maybe the jail would have been better." he shook his head in pretense of sorrow.

River looked between them with wide eyes, unsure if they were serious or not.

Kaelith didn’t say anything. He just kept walking with his hand behind his back.

The streets slowly gave way to the palace gates, where guards stepped aside the moment they saw him. They entered the courtyard, passing gardens and tiled walkways.

River’s eyes darted everywhere. His dirty feet padded softly on the smooth floor. He looked out of place, like a stray animal that had wandered into a noble’s house.

"Do I... do I really get to stay here?" he asked, his voice small.

"You do now," Kaelith replied without turning back.

Scarlet leaned closer and whispered, "You’re going to get in trouble, you know. Bringing a street rat into the palace?"

Kaelith glanced at him. "Who would dare punish me?"

Scarlet sighed, wondering what had gotten into his brother’s head.

When they reached Kaelith’s quarters, he pushed open the door and gestured inside. River hesitated before stepping in.

He stared at the polished floor, the soft rug, and the wooden shelves filled with books. He had never seen so much in one place... so much warmth, so much comfort. It felt like a dream.

Kaelith walked to his table and poured a cup of water, then handed it to River.

The boy took it with shaking hands, drinking fast like he hadn’t tasted water in days.

Kaelith watched him, silent.

Scarlet, meanwhile, sat with a stunned look, as if Kaelith had grown two heads.

He shook his head, trying to unsee it. "So what now? He’s not exactly trained for court service." He said, pretending he didn’t see anything.

Kaelith shrugged. "He’ll learn."

"And if he doesn’t?"

"He will."

Scarlet stared at him for a moment, he stood up walking closer to him, and then he whispered, "You saw something in him, didn’t you?"

Kaelith didn’t answer. But yes... he had. When River had looked up at him with those terrified eyes, he knew he had some potential.

Visit freewe𝑏n(o)v𝒆l.𝑐𝘰𝑚 for the best novel reading experience