‘Drip drop drip drop’

The rain that hit the ground was erratic and unsynchronized. The sky above was dark, lightning might appear soon. A young boy was walking around, an umbrella above him, keeping his navy blue attire dry and pristine.

His black boots make a ‘thud’ noise every time he walks slowly. His long black hair swayed around with the wind, some even being flown out into the unforgiving rain, a few cms away.

His sapphire eyes darted around, searching for the source of crying, quiet enough that the rain could have taken it away. The sight looked scarily enchanting, although no one was there to watch him.

The teen in blue turned right, into an alley. He didn’t care if it was a trap, if it was, he could gain some experience from it, and begin to practice escaping from the situation in his own time. Hopefully he wouldn’t need to.

The alley way had a slight coverage, enough so that he didn’t need his umbrella, and could stretch out his surprisingly long arms without rain reaching him. As he continued walking along the path, he realised that it was dirtier than most places he had seen. The path was covered with many things, puke, mud, even some blood. He tried to avoid stepping on most of them, but some were inevitable. He would make sure to clean them when he got back to his home.

Was his home, really a home? A home had a family, had laughter and joy, and enough food. It was better to call it a house.

His family was gone, gone the day that warlord marched into his village, saying that he could, because the imperial household allowed it. He carried a verdict proudly, as groups of people starts protesting the new changes.

His family was already falling apart, his siblings had all died from malnutrition. After that, he vowed to hunt enough food so he won’t see his family die from starvation.

When he saw his mother and fathers’ heads being decapitated, he gasped, tears falling on the dirt below, enough to suddenly make mud. The warlord looked over at him, a smirk on his face.

Only his parent died, their deaths was made to deter any more rebellion.

He knew that he let all his family die, he could’ve stopped it, he could’ve learnt to gather food, he could’ve learnt to save people.

After the many deaths, he trained everyday, and soon, became a prodigy. He mastered the sword, and becoming a mercenary for hire. He became rich, and used his money to help his village, and orphans on the road.

When he heard that cry, he knew it was a child, it was probably a girl, for the squeaking was high pitched, but nowadays, there are many boys who had a girl’s speaky voice.

He then turned left, and looked down. A boy was sitting down, covered in wounds, and ripped clothes. He heard a giggling, and a handful of boys looked from around the corner.

It was the same boys who he had given money and refuge to.

He was mad, really mad, but he didn’t express it. If they didn’t appreciate and used the money for evil, he might as well not give it to them anymore. It was his money anyway.

He had never brought someone straight to his home, even the orphans he had sheltered, stayed at his previous house in the village. There was something about the boy that made the preteen want to protect and love the boy. He wanted to spoil and cherish the boy, even though he couldn’t see his whole face because it was covered in mud and scars.

He carried the tattered boy on his left shoulder, not minding the dirt that was soiling his clothes, and used his right hand to hold the umbrella. He then jumped up, to the roof, and leaped across the buildings, till he reached the entrance to the mountain he resided in. He didn’t stay in the place where he made precious memories with his family, but decided to build a humble home in a mountain. He tried to run away from the guilt, even though he knew it wouldn’t work.

He had to hurry back, because the boy might wake up soon, and it would be weird to wake up with wind in their face. It would be weirder if they were being carried like a sack of rice too.

He placed him down on a wooden chair, not bothering enough to put him on the bed, he didn’t want to wash that, too. He began to start taking out ingredients from who knows where. He was supposed to go shop for supplies but he accidentally took up another mouth to feed instead. He didn’t know what to think about that.

A plate with fragrant meat woke up the child. As the younger rubbed his eyes, the cook’s eyes widened.

Green eyes

A sign of royal prestige.

The long haired boy didn’t know what to do, but he can’t abandon him now.

Totally not because he was the cutest boy he has ever seen… but, he didn’t want to leave him alone, alone in the cruel world that despises the imperial household more than him.

He felt a need to protect. And if he wanted to protect, he would.

The child looked up, and smiled at him.

“Thank you for saving me.”

He felt his heart burst.

“I’m not going to leave someone as scrawny as you in that alley! It’s not what you think!”

He turned around, a pout evident. The child was confused and then shrunk back into the chair. The now-brother turned around, and hugged the child. He had to clean his clothes anyway.

He placed the plate on the table, inviting the child to eat.

The child waited for the teen to eat first, and when he ate, it wasn’t very much.

This confused the older.

Oi! If I cook for you, you have to finish it!”

“But why.. would you cook for me?”

“Because I want to! Now eat up, if you don’t finish it, I’ll throw it away.”

The child choked on the meat, and the teen gave him some tea. Unfortunately, the tea was still really hot. The long haired boy then panicked, and pulled back his hand, but then his hand made contact with the teapot.

“Ow!”

He wondered why the tea was still hot. It had been out for a long time, but it was still scalding hot. He looked at the child who turned away in shame.

“You know… if you go have a bath, when you come back, it will be all better.”

Although the teen couldn’t stand the painful feeling on his hand, the boy being dirty to the point of being mistaken as a garbage can, really wounded him. How could he let someone be that dirty even in his care?

Pain was something everyone experiences. He wasn’t an exception. He thinks that he was being used as a model, where the living embodiment of pain will point out how much someone should experience in a lifetime. Maybe pain couldn’t find someone who had lived a whole life, because they were all dead, so he pinned it on a 12 year old child… he hopes that is how much pain someone should go through in a lifetime, maybe even less.

Pain is a learning experience, he should get used to it too. But, he really doesn’t want to.

“Why should he get used to pain, if he was such a prodigy on the battlefield? He wasn’t even going to be touched by the enemy”

He used to think, when he just started becoming a swordsman. He was so good that he commanded his own troop of men at the age of 11. In the present day, he will be 12 now. The thing is, no matter how many victories you lead your troops in, they still have their pride. Being led by a boy 2-3 decades younger really hurt their ego. And because they were involved in so many wars and battles without dying, they thought they could lead themselves.

They forgot to mention the fact that the teen was the one who planned out the strategies, rescued them in their time of need, and the one who provided them all with good quality armor and weapons, and edible food.

Being prideful and ignorant was really a deadly duo. They staged a rebellion against him, and when the teen came back, his second in lead stashed in his stomach, and dumped him into a lake nearby. They should’ve thought about their water supply before they threw an injured body into the only place with water in their area.

After they thought the prodigy was gone for good, they celebrated, eating all their rations for a feast. They drank all their rice wine, and couldn’t get up in the morning. During their feast, the teen got out of the lake, clenching his stomach in agony. Despite his hard life before, he was never hurt. They never had a reason to hurt him before.

Thankfully, they were camped near a forest, his stupid troops relied on him for everything, how they would survive, he really didn’t care anymore. He stumbled and collapsed near a bamboo tree, the leaves drooping, almost wanting to be used for his needs. He took apart some leaves, and made a bandage. He washed it before he placed it over and wrapped it over his torso. If leaves could be used as toilet paper, who’s stopping him from using it as bandages?

He took from the forest, eating berries, and hunting slow animals. His wounds slowly started getting better, and not before long, it closed completely. Was he also a prodigy in healing without medicine? He really was amazing.. those troops didn’t deserve him anyway.

Although he was mocking his soldiers in his head, he felt sad. He got abandoned again. First by his family, they died and left him behind in this cruel world. Then by his soldiers, who thought they were too good for him. Was it his fate to be abandoned over and over again? He wishes that it’s not true, but who really knows?

He stared at his wound and went into a depressive state. Will this boy also leave him? will he use, then betray him? The mob of boys also betrayed his words and started to hurt people. His wound started to heal, the red faded back into his pale skin colour. As he started to touch his hand, for conformation, the boy called out.

“Excuse me… are there any clothes I can use?”

“Yes, I’ll bring them to you, stay there.”

The teen went through his closet, bringing out a set of clothes that was supposed to be donated to the orphans below the mountain. Would he even want to give them away again, they all used him for evil. They seem to forget how they gained their power.

When he walked into the bathroom, he was disgusted. The water turned a murky brown, and some of the dirt still remained on the little boy.

“Get out of the tub, I’ll toss out the water and wash you myself.”

The boy nodded and did as he was told, the boy really liked the teen, he was like a big brother.. he was more of a big brother than his biological ones…

His now big brother used superhuman strength to lift the tub, and dump the water out of the window, and into the grass below.

He then placed the tub down, and filled it with water. Making a bath was second nature to him. He used to spoil and was the only one who could convince his younger brother to bathe. Sadly he was gone. Died because he couldn’t get food before.

But now was different, he had another person who relied on him. He will make sure that the little boy will never regret it.

“Umm.. excuse me.. but what is your name?”

“... Wei Liu Wei.”

“Ok. But can I call you big brother?”

“Fine.. I don't really care anyway!”

Liu Wei couldn’t help but turn away and pout, he didn’t know why. Maybe he thinks he is undeserving of a younger sibling, but he knows he will treat them well. Maybe it’s because he still feels guilt.

The young boy looked at his face and giggled a bit, before covering his mouth. Could he laugh here? He didn’t know, but hopefully he can.

“Oi! S-stop laughing at me!”

The young boy can’t help but giggle more. Liu Wei huffed, and turned around.

“Laugh all you want, I’m not going to laugh with you though.”

The young boy smiled.

“Also, my name is Zhang Li, and I’m now going to be known as Wei Zhang Li!”

The young boy leaned on the tub, a smile on his face. Even his mother refused to call him her son, but a stranger helps and allows him to be their little brother. The commoner world really was different from that cold place.

Liu Wei blushed, and scrubbed his head harder. His little brother was too cute!

Was he developing a brother complex?

“No one will take him away from me.. he will never abandon me!”

Liu Wei grinned at his new found determination. Zhang Li smiled at the sight, and closed his eyes, relaxing in the tub, as Liu Wei bathed him. He will never go back.. he had found a new home.

Liu Wei frowned, despite becoming close enough to use family terms on each other, Zhang Li is still very cautious around him. How bad was his past? Did he really come from the imperial palace? Why did he escape… if his younger brother was really from the imperial household, how much did he really know?

Questions swarmed around his head.

Zhang Li frowned. His bigger brother looked scary, eyes fixed on the table below him, and a black mist came from him. Zhang Li thought about what could have happened to make him like this.

A poke on his cheek was enough to make Liu Wei lookup. Zhang Li looked very concerned, and started to swoop to hug him.

“No matter what happens, I’ll be here with you.”

Zhang Li didn’t know why he said that, and why Liu Wei looked so much happier after. Despite being 9, he thinks quite a lot. He used to think about where his next meal will be, but now he has time to think deeply about life, and expand his knowledge, with the books that Liu Wei has.

It was probably looted from somewhere, since it was in a different language. Was his older brother a soldier, a warrior, a mercenary? He often goes and watches Liu Wei practice with a sword. That inspired him to practice archery. He usually goes and hunts animals so that his older brother will have more time to train and become more awesome.

Archery is also the only sport that Zhang Li does, because he spends so much time expanding his knowledge, so maybe one day he could become a scholar. He didn’t know where that thought came from, but he really liked learning about the different philosophies and how they were formed, from the writer's past. Maybe one day, he can figure out Liu Wei’s one.

Zhang Li leaned backwards.

“If I was in the cold palace, could I even live till today? If I could have, I would probably be begging to die right now…”

Liu Wei was standing outside the door when he murmured the sentence. Although Zhang Li spoke softly, and was at the furthest point from the door, Liu Wei has really good senses. A reason why he was so successful with wars, was that he was a good spy. Liu Wei didn’t want to spy on his little brother, but it was an accident. Who knew that he would have told him indirectly.

Zhang Li yawned and leaned on his desk, clearing the space before he placed his head on his arms and slept. Liu Wei sighed. He thought Zhang Li might have been a spy, sent with his adorable charms to try to kill him. If he was to die by his hands. He would be happy. Dying with Zhang Li as the last thing he saw would be nice..

But he wasn't ready to die, and his younger brother confirming the reason why he was so cautious made him happy.

Liu Wei started to prepare lunch, using the rabbit meat that his brother had hunted. He would have preferred to go down to the village to buy pork, but no one right now was really bothered enough to walk 30 minutes to buy meat which you could get in five minutes.

Liu Wei made noodle soup, also using vegetables that he harvested in the morning, and some spices that he got from the village. The smell woke Zhang Ali up, and he started sprinting to the kitchen.

“ Food is nice, Food is Yummy, Food is awesome with some spice\~”

Liu Wei walked proudly to the table as he carried the pot of noodle soup. He looked like a proud mum, he was a proud mum.

Liu Wei poured soup into Zhang Li’s bowl first before into his own. Before they were about to eat, a knock came.

“Please! I smelt food and now I want!”

Zhang Li stood up to open the door, but then slammed it shut.

Liu Wei came over, and stood in front of Zhang Li, before cautiously opening the door again.

The first thing he noticed from the person standing right in front of the door, was that the person was stupid. He swung the door open, and a screech came from the person.

“What was that for???”

The second thing he noticed was that he was a boy, standing at the same height as him. He then looked at Zhang Li, and made him stand next to the mysterious boy.

The boy was more than a head taller, and when the brothers realised, Zhang Li looked down, and his face and ears were a scarlet red.

“I’m a growing kid! He’s probably already reached his growth spurt.”

The third thing he noticed was green eyes. He then lifted Zhang Li up, back inside the house, and slammed the door on the mysterious boy.

A knock was in the door again.

“Oi! I want food!”

Liu Wei then facepalmed.

“Why am I always meeting royals?”

Zhang Li crawled up on Liu Wei, and patted his head.

At Least the tiny green eyed one could be trustworthy...