Chapter 4: The Friend Who Visits
Austin woke up to the gentle rays of morning sunlight streaming through his window, the small boy's eyes fluttered open as a mysterious aroma tickled his senses. Confusion clouded his groggy mind at first, as he wiped the saliva from his cheeks.
Unsure of the origin of the scent that danced around him, he wondered about it, as well as the sense of loss he was currently feeling.
But recognition struck like a bolt of lightning. His eyes widened in realization as he identified the aroma of his favorite breakfast: sizzling bacon and freshly baked pastries. With a sudden surge of excitement, he sat up in bed, a wide grin spreading across his face as he followed the trail of scent to the kitchen.
Austin entered the kitchen with a wide grin on his face, his mother turned from the pan, a warm smile lighting up her face at the sight of her son.
"Good morning, sleepyhead," she greeted him. "How's your sleep?"
"Good morning, Mama. It was good!" he replied with a smile. His mother's eyes fell upon his disheveled appearance and the sparkle in his eyes. Her smile widened into a knowing grin.
"I see someone couldn't resist the smell of breakfast," she teased, ruffling his hair.
"Hehehe," he eagerly approached the table.
With a fond shake of her head, she began to plate up the delicious spread she had prepared, knowing that her son's appetite would do justice to her efforts. "By the way, someone is waiting for you in the living room."
Just as the boy was about to respond, his gaze shifted to the doorway to the living room, where he spotted his friend standing with a sheepish grin. Surprise flickered across his face, momentarily replacing his eagerness with confusion. "Wait, what are you doing here?" he asked, curiosity filling his voice.
His friend shrugged nonchalantly. "Thought I'd drop by and see if you wanted some company for breakfast," he replied with a grin, his eyes with mischief.
A delighted smile spread across the boy's face as he realized the surprise. "Really? That's awesome!" he exclaimed, his excitement returning tenfold.
With a quick nod from his mother, he gestured for his friend to join them at the table, eager to share the delicious meal and the joy of their impromptu reunion.
She watched the interaction with a mix of amusement and warmth. Seeing her son's face light up at the unexpected arrival of his friend filled her with a sense of joy and contentment.
She welcomed the guest with open arms and a smile. For the first time after giving hirth to Austin, laughter of friendship filled their home. She hid her guilt behind her smile, apologizing for deceiving her son for the sake of safety.
As they all sat down to breakfast, the atmosphere was filled with the clinking of utensils and the sound of contented munching.
"Mama, aren't you curious about Fai?" Austin eagerly suggested.
"Ah yes, so, it's lovely to have you join us for breakfast," she began with a tone of welcoming. "I don't think we've had the pleasure of meeting before. I heard that your name is Fai, I'm Neve, Austin's mother."
Fai returned her smile, his eyes narrowed, close to closed with warmth. "Yes, I'm Fai," he replied, reaching for a piece of toast. "Nice to meet you, Neve."
"Nice to meet you too, Fai," she responded. "So, how do you know our little troublemaker here?" she added, nodding toward her son with a grin.
"Mama! I am not a troublemaker," Austin retorted.
Fai chuckled, a fond glint in his eyes. "I met Austin outside yesterday," he answered. "We've been friends since then."
"Oh? That's wonderful. It's always nice to have friends," Neve remarked. "Tell me, Fai, where are you from? What do your parents do?"
"I am from the far eastern continent. My parents are Leaders there. I recently moved here with my uncle. I always wanted to seek wonderful things around the world so I decided to accompany him on his travels." As Fai launched into an animated description of his background, Neve and Austin listened attentively.
Austin's genuine interest is evident in the way he leaned forward slightly, hanging on his every word. The conversation flowed effortlessly.
After breakfast, with plates cleared and bellies satisfied, Neve began to gather the dishes, preparing to tackle the post-meal cleanup. As she reached for the stack of plates, Fai jumped up from his seat with a big grin across his face.
"Hey, Neve, let me help with that," he offered, already moving to gather the dishes from the table.
Neve looked pleasantly surprised but waved him off politely. "Oh, Fai, you don't have to. It's okay. You're our guest," she replied with a warm smile, trying to be considerate.
But Fai insisted, his enthusiasm unwavering. "Nonsense, Neve! I'd be happy to help. Besides, it'll get done faster with all of us pitching in," he insisted, giving Austin a playful wink.
Austin, catching on to the exchange. "Yeah, Mama, let us help. It'll be fun!" he chimed in, his eyes shining with excitement.
Neve could not help but chuckle at their persistence, realizing she didn't have much of a choice. "Alright, alright," she relented with a laugh, handing Fai a stack of plates. "But only if you promise not to let me do all the work," she teased.
Laughter and chatter filled the kitchen atmosphere as they worked together, tackling the chore with enthusiasm and efficiency. They scrubbed, wiped, and polished, turning the mundane task into a shared adventure.
After the kitchen chores were completed, Neve realized that it was time to tackle the laundry.
"Thank you for the help boy, you can rest up for now." She proceeded and started sorting the clothes. Fai and Austin exchanged a glance.
Neve began the laundry process when Fai popped out behind Ber. "I'll take care of sorting the whites from the colors, Neve. You can start by preparing the water" he suggested, already sorting through the pile with efficiency.
"Thank you, Fai. That would be a big help," she replied. Neve thought that it could have been more efficient if she used arcana arts to clean the laundry, but seeing Austin extending his help as well. Time flies, and sometimes, it's good to slow down and spend time with your loved ones.
Neve began loading a few buckets with water using arcana arts, Fai and Austin worked together to finish sorting the clothes and the three of them started the manual laundry. They chatted as they washed the clothes together, sharing stories and jokes.
With each load of laundry completed, the sense of accomplishment grew, and Neve couldn't help but feel grateful to the boys. They hung the last load of laundry to dry.
As she watched the clothes under the warm sun, Neve glanced around the house and decided it was time for the next task on the list: cleaning.
"Alright, boys, time to tidy up the house," she announced, rolling up her sleeves with determination.
Fai and Austin nodded. With Neve singing in the background, they set to work, dusting shelves, sweeping floors, and wiping down surfaces with energy and enthusiasm.
As they moved from room to room, they teased each other about who could sweep the fastest and raced to see who could finish their assigned tasks first.
Before they knew it, the house was sparkling clean, every corner gleaming with neatness.
"That's unfair!" Austin addressed her mom who won their race after using arcana arts to clean. Fai and Neve laughed at the upset Austin.
They gathered in the kitchen to prepare lunch, their appetites whetted by the morning's activities.
With preparations done, they sat down to enjoy the meal they had prepared together. With happy hearts, they savored the simple pleasures of food with each other's company.
After a satisfying lunch, Neve stretched and stifled a yawn, reminded of her night shift. "Alright, boys," she said, addressing Fai and her son, "I need to catch some sleep before work. Why don't you go out and play for a bit? Just make sure to come back before sunset."
Austin glanced at Fai with an excited grin. "Okay, Mama!"
"We'll be careful," Fai assured her, already moving towards the door. "Let's go, Austin."
"Take care of each other, and stay away from crowded places."
"Okay, Mama." Neve watched them go with fondness and relief, grateful for their understanding and independence.
She headed to her room and felt a sense of peace knowing that her son was being protected by someone like Fai. That afternoon, a loud snore echoed in Neve's room.
Fai and Austin stepped outside and noticed a commotion at the end of the street.
A small group of people had gathered, their voices blending of accusation as they pointed fingers at a lone boy, who appeared bewildered and frightened amidst the confrontation.
Fai and Austin approached cautiously. They overheard snippets of conversation accusing the boy of theft.
"What's going on?" Austin whispered to Fai.
"They said it was theft."
"Are you the one who killed our livestock last night as well, you criminal?" Austin heard a familiar voice, it was the voice of the woman who slapped him yesterday.
Austin felt a pang of empathy for the boy, as he recalled the same thing happening to him yesterday. He recognized the fear and confusion in his eyes.
Determination etched on his face. "We have to do something," he whispered urgently. "Can we do something?"
Fai nodded, but his reaction was more nonchalant compared to the determination that is in Austin's eyes. "I'll go talk to him," he replied, "you stay here, and don't do anything."
"But..." Austin wanted to refuse but Fai was already walking away.
The boy looked at Fai who is approaching, cautiously. Before he could say anything, Austin spoke up from behind Fai, his voice gentle.
"Hello, are you okay?" he asked with eyes full of empathy. "It's okay, we don't believe you're a thief." Fai expressed a defeated look as he rolled his eyes.
The accused boy looked at them. "Thank you but.." he whispered, his voice trembling with emotion.
Fai stepped forward, offering a reassuring smile. "Do not worry, we'll help you sort this out," his voice is filled with conviction.
Together, Fai, Austin, and the accused boy faced the crowd, ready to stand up for what they believed was right.
"What's this, the son of a sinner is teaming up with a criminal? Stone them to death!" The crowd agreed.
"He is not a thief!" Austin yelled. "And my mother is not a sinner, you are the sinner for bullying, are you not ashamed as adults, ganging up against one kid?" Fai's eyes widened for a moment, he never saw this expression from Austin. He thought that Austin was just a timid child.
"This impudent little rascal!" The woman rushed closer to slap Austin again but the boy who was accused of stealing stood in the middle of the angry woman and Austin.
"No! I'm sorry." Without waiting for them to speak another word, the accused boy blurted out, "I'm sorry, I did steal, but I didn't have a choice. My younger sister is sick, and we don't have money for food or medicine. My father is missing. Please help me."
"You see? He admitted that he was a thief. Stone them to death!" She yelled as everyone started to pick up stones from the ground but before they could, the ground began to shake, causing panic.
Fai seized this opportunity to pull Austin and the thief away from the crowd. They found a secluded place in one of the alleyways.
"What was that?"
"It must be an earthquake." Fai calmly replied Austin's question.
"I'm so sorry that I dragged you two into this. I just need food to feed my sick little sister. My father said that he was just going to fetch wood and fruits from the Todesfall Forest three days ago but he never came back."
Austin watched the boy with a heart going out for him. He could see the sincerity in his eyes and knew that he was telling the truth.
"We understand," Austin said gently, "But stealing isn't the answer. Let's find a way to help you and your sister. I am Austin, and this is Fai, my friend."
"My name is Xander."
Fai nodded in agreement. "Yeah, Austin is right. "
They brainstormed ideas, determined to find a solution to help the boy and his sister. Austin's knew that they had to help, but they weren't sure where to turn.
Suddenly, Austin remembered something. "I've heard that the Baron in town is known for his generosity," he said, his eyes lighting up with an idea. "Maybe he can help."
"It's worth a try," Fai agreed.
Together, they led Xander towards the Baron's chateau. They approached the grand estate, where they were met by the imposing figure of the guards.
"We need to speak to the Baron," Austin said, his voice steady despite his nerves. "It's urgent," he added, but he did not hear any reply from them.
"Are you listening to me?" The guards just looked at Austin and then looked away again, staring into the distance.
Seeing that the guards were unresponsive Austin made his way to the gate when the guards stopped him. "You are not allowed to enter the Baron's chateau. Wait here until the Butler arrives."
CREATORS' THOUGHTS 
SuensQuill
SuensQuill Hello Everyone!
I divided this chapter into three parts as per the advice of my fellow writers since it went up to 4k+ words without realizing it when I was writing. I asked them if it was too long and their reactions were priceless. haha
So yeah I divided the chapter into three parts but, each part has its hints of who is this noble that I am referring to. Please take note that 'noble' can mean a lot of things.
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Words to Ponder (WtP):
"Time flies, and sometimes, it's good to slow down and spend time with you loved ones."
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