PRESENT DAY

The sun was barely dominating over the cerulean, cloudless horizon, but the marketplace in the capital was already bustling with various activities. 

Merchants flaunted open their tents, offering their fresh products with affordable—or as they often claimed—prices at passersby on top of their lungs. Nobles meticulously observed each and every detail of items they were willing to throw their money at. The groans and arguments of customers as they tried haggling with shopkeepers filled in the atmosphere. Screams of scurrying children were also not uncommon, their little legs propelled them through the sea of crowd, playing tag of some sort. 

Just another mundane day, with people living their different lives to the fullest. 

Nothing so extraordinary. 

"BANDITS! THERE ARE BANDITS!"

"Call the knights, quickly!!!"

"They just robbed our shop!!!"

Okay, maybe not so mundane today. 

Shouts of prices morphed into screams of desperation as people all scrambled all of their valuables within their arms reach. Fathers and mothers quickly embraced their children as they blended in within all the commotion. Others frantically darted all over the place, nearly bumping against each other while not knowing where those thieves were.

Well, the commoners were the least of their interests so not that they were chasing after them, but their starving eyes ogled the nobles—specifically their possessions, as priceless as the Ezèrian gold. Come to think of it, their uneven teeth as they grinned like they were some demons shared the same color. Why do all crooks look like that? 

At least if they wanted to display their raids ostentatiously, they should trim their hairy beards and brush their unkempt oily hair!

"Stay back!" cried one of the trembling nobles, brandishing a dagger from his scabbard, its sharp blade pointing towards the bandit's leader. Alas for him, the bandit's grin never faded, in fact he burst out guffawing, his chest heaving up and down as he mockingly raised both of his arms up. 

"Do you think a mere flimsy weapon would scare us?" The bandit jeered and clapped his hands. "Got to give you credit though, for being such a brave little man." 

"I... I'm a Curse Creator!" The noble proclaimed, his voice was rather shaky, his other arm protecting his goods. "Take one step closer and I'll place a curse you'll never be able to cure!" 

"Oh, frightening. How have you been practicing your powerful Curse possession?" 

The noble swallowed his breath as his dagger quavered, to which the bandit loudly scoffed. 

"Renèi Possessors always act like they're so tough and mock everyone else, but they could not even handle controlling their own gifts. Some even transferred them away," said the bandit as he laughed. "That's why those Ezerians were able to infiltrate and wipe you all out back then."

He paid no heed to such a derogatory comment which had the bystanders gasping and bursting into deafening whispers. Surely that bandit leader might have some clever retorts, but his pride was far up his rear that he was completely, utterly oblivious of the two moving figures compelling their way through the crowd.

Understandable, I guess it's safe for them to wait for the knights. 

"These are my mother's, I'll preserve them with all of my life, I would rather die than leave them in your befouled hands."

"Then perish."

The bandit lunged forward before the noble could register anything. Effortlessly snatching the dagger, it had the poor man yelp as his delicate body lost its balance. And before that blade was delivered straight into the noble's chest, the bandit's wrist was clutched by an iron grip of a hand; a grasp that had him flinching and glancing over his shoulder. 

Lo and behold, the furrowed blond brows, narrowed brown eyes and a deep frown of Aspen Whitlock greeted the bandit in return. 

He blinked before kissing his teeth and grunting, "Here we go again with these kinds of cheeky brats who think he's the hero of the day." 

"Excuse me, who are you calling brat? I turned 21 a few days ago!" Aspen huffed, clenching his fingers further as he dragged the recoiling bandit towards him. What was it with almost everyone mistaking him for some random boy just because he had a round face, smooth complexion and large eyes? "Besides, how can a child have the body of an adult?"

"Ah, my apologies. Wishing you a happy belated birthday, kid. What should Uncle get for you as your present? Ask and you shall receive," mocked the bandit, his pitch lifted up a notch. It was so blatant he was trying to pluck Aspen's nerves, however as his childhood best friend always advised...

"Play their games."

"Wow, I can choose my own?! How thoughtful of you, I could not be more grateful!" Aspen exclaimed, now smiling like a dolt. "How about... leave that noble alone and start, you know, buying things with your own money?" 

"Ah, yes, of course. As you wish, My Lord, but that means... I'll start from you!" 

The bandit abruptly swung around with his other hand—equipped with another dagger he unsheathed from his leg—aiming for Aspen's throat. Unfortunately for him, all he did was slashing empty air as his opponent dodged all of his attacks, under the watchful eyes of the gathering crowd. However, a sudden swerve nearly had Aspen's right ear sliced off, though at the cost of a few strands of his fairly blond hair and the subsequent release of the bandit's hand. 

Aspen stepped back as people parted to give him space, wiping off his sweat and gritting his jaw to avoid biting his tongue. The scarlet robes Father had passed down gyrated in rhythm with every abrupt movement as the bandit continued plunging both of those daggers toward his direction. As a result, the bandit massacred countless crates of bread, potatoes and vegetables. They rolled through their feet in a desperate attempt to escape the scene, only to be crushed by his heavy boots.

"Whoa, whoa, let's not destroy people's property, shall we?" Aspen asked between his teeth as he almost stepped on a tomato. "By the gods, look at all these foods!"

"Some movements you got there. I'm impressed, but it's such a shame that your sword is collecting dust. Are you from the royal court?" The bandit smirked, dismissing Aspen's concerns of all that wasted goodness. Rather, he was more interested in the scabbard resting in his waist, hidden underneath the confines of his royal cloak.

He has good observation skills.

"But fighting daggers with a sword is unfair, isn't it?" Aspen cocked his head, ignoring his question. "I'm not going to chop your hands off!"

It seemed that his words ruffle some feathers. "You got such a potty mouth for someone from the royalty, would you like for me to—"

And before his own clever mouth could mutter any more nonsense, the blond man kept his mischievous smile intact as the bandit squawk—yes, he did really squawk like some dying bird—when a swift movement of a hand bashed forcefully against the back of his neck. Dramatically collapsing into his knees, his cross-eyed face slumped right into pulverized vegetables.

Well... at least he got to eat some of that food.

"Well, well, Aspen, even this miscreant is more into vegetables than you. He knows how nutritious they can be," remarked the good ol' silly Reynard Rodamar; it looked as though he manifested behind the bandit as he rubbed his hands, before placing them in his hips. As usual, his green eyes impishly danced as he kicked his rear. "Such a very good boy, isn't he? Just look at how my man goes..."

Aspen chuckled and shook his head. "Leave this man's dignity alone, Rey... he already has enough of being disrespected."

"Not my fault he sacrificed his honor for some noble's heirloom and raiding businesses." His best friend snorted. 

And before Aspen alerted him of a bandit's looming presence behind him with his dagger brought in the air, Rey's hand—balled into a fist—promptly hurled up, making contact with the poor bandit's jaw, and making him squeal in pain. He sighed profusely before he turned around, his brow hoisted at the cringing bandit as he clenched on his to-be swollen chin. 

"Oh, I apologize for that one, but such a stalker you are, sneaking up behind me like that. I'm intrigued," Rey chirped, as he buttoned up his black vest, embroidered with golden streaks gleaming underneath the sun. "Now we have to call the physicians on you." 

The other bandits were all in their positions, ready to pounce at both men at any given time, but they were all standing still, as though they needed some command from their leader who was busy... uh, devouring his beloved vegetables. 

"What are you waiting for? Come here, ya bastards!" Rey taunted, gesticulating his fingers. "You want to have some fun, I'll show you fun!"

And as if they were paying heed to his orders, they simultaneously lunged towards him with all of their daggers  unsheathed. Breaking into a grin, he quickly stepped aside one of the crook's onslaught as he aimed for his stomach—to which Aspen had to sidestep, but he grabbed the bandit's arm, twisting it on upon his back and shoving him down, kicking the dagger out of his reach. 

Meanwhile, Rey veered through a myriad of attacks, managing to throw a couple of blows against their stomachs, chest and shoulders. He then whirled around and knocked the dagger out of one bandit's arm, grabbing the hilt while he was distracted. And to another bandit... well, Rey sent his foot flying against his groin.

"Oof!" Aspen shriveled; he could already feel that excruciating pain traveling across his spine while all of his muscles retracted altogether; the pain that could actually be felt by all of his future ancestors. He watched as the groaning bandit stumbled backwards and crumbled into a crate of eggs, causing a discharge of yolks everywhere.

"Ah, another wasted food... got to add that to their tab," he instructed as he averted his attention towards the bandit who really tried his darn best to break free of his grasp, but to no avail. You tried, and that's all it matters.

On the other side, Rey snickered as he brushed his red capelet off any dirt, before he lent the dagger into one of the still-standing thieves, who was grasping his abdomen. "Come, get it. It's your friend's, right? I'm not stealing any of your stuff."

While the thief stared for a few seconds at the free weapon, he did not hesitate to snatch it out of Rey's grasp and slashed the blade across his eyes, only to cut through Rey's forelocks and be met with a gentle—yes, Rey was surprisingly gentle on that one—kick to the already-incapacitated stomach. 

And Aspen, on the other hand, scoured through all the shambles of once a buzzing marketplace; the glares of merchants as they helplessly watched their precious products ripped apart, scattered all over the floor and splattered all over the crook's bodies. He could not even bear looking at all the ruptured food and wrecked eggs. 

"The royal court is not responsible for this. You all brought this upon yourselves; you break, you pay," Aspen announced as he breathed out loudly. "Don't worry, we'll calculate these costs for you."

"HIIIIII-YAAAA!!!" screamed Rey after he rubbed his nose, his voice cracked as he prepared a stance, his hands as though they were ready to chop bandits and their self-esteem to oblivion. It worked, as one of the thieves cowered in response and ended up on his knees and groveled on the floor.

And as soon as common folks erupted into cheers and applause to the two men as they held their chests high, the palace knights—that took them a while—gradually swooped into the scene, and Aspen instantly surrendered the thief he had subdued. However, the leader has gained back his senses; his legs shook with might as he struggled to even be on his feet.

Those vegetables finally gave him his energy back. 

"You... you smartass, you think you can defeat me..." he moaned as he staggered towards Aspen and only him, because his best friend had slipped off elsewhere, vanishing into the crowd. However, such a disappearance could only mean one thing, and Aspen merely beamed at the idea.

And here we go... 

While one of the knights was about to stampede at the vegetable man—yes, that's his nickname now—Aspen quickly raised his hand, blocking the knight from reaching him. His red cloak rippled in waves as he quietly approached the bandit leader with crossed arms but a small simper. 

"All you did..." he paused. "...was dodging all of my attacks, you foolish—"

The vegetable man abruptly cut off mid-sentence as he went completely limp, falling once again. His eyes were wide in circles, before out of nowhere, the man bowed repeatedly and dramatically, his hands grasping the ground as he marveled at the sight of Aspen. Well, it was not so surprising as he was already aware of Rey's slumped body, his head hanging low just behind a stack of fruits.

And there it was... Rey's mind-manipulating powers at play.

"Ah, please forgive me for my derogatory comments, Your Excellency, the glory and star of Elysia, Sir Aspen Whitlock!" he yelled, feigning some tears as he clasped his hands so tightly. "I have acknowledged my incompetence and how you have humbled my pride. I am thus willing to surrender my life for you!" 

Now Rey had always been more than extra, but honestly, his creative and successful— as per his own words—strategies sometimes had Aspen questioning himself, why and how did he manage to befriend such an idiosyncratic and impulsive man. Like, it was the greatest mystery he could not solve.

"Now tell me my lord, what should I do for you to pardon my mistakes?" He pleaded.

Even hidden underneath the helmet, Aspen noted the knight's squinted eyes as he gawked quizzically at him. Really, there was no answer to those shenanigans other than him shrugging. I wish I knew. 

Well, it was not like Aspen wanted to solve it too, though. 

Without Rey, the sword attached to his belt would surely be collecting dust, and he would not be stopping bandits and nuisances so easily. If not for him, registering for the official trials for the knights would be a distant dream he would never reach. 

And even then, the court's still processing my request and I have to wait. Just by passing those three-day worth of tests, I could finally get what I wanted for years. 

And all those times of practice would not go to waste.

Moreover, his life was filled with evocative memories he could not count with his own fingers, and also those he could no longer recall, having lost into the void.

Might as well... have some fun.

"You can start by standing up with a proper posture to the royalty." Aspen instructed, and instantly the bandit's—or rather Rey—back straightened up in response. "And then walk to this gentleman, the knight, right here and turn yourself in, yes? Don't forget to pay for all the wasted food too, alright?"

"Sir, yes sir! I'll make sure I'm accountable for my own actions," shouted the man as he ambled towards the knight who understandably looked as though he required paragraphs of explanation to completely clear his cluelessness. 

Aspen watched with glee as the knights tied up all the bandits and shoved them into carriages. While the crowd dispersed back to their daily lives with some poor grieving merchants, Rey casually emerged from all the ruined crates with a smug expression, his hands placed behind his head before he yawned.

"How was that, Aspen?" Rey batted his brow. "I humiliated the living daylights out of that dude. I know I told you this so many times, but I loved my powers." 

"You absolutely destroyed every last of his dignity." Aspen chuckled, before he picked up their groceries they had hidden out from the cacophony. "Now let's go before my beef gets spoiled."

"But did you see that?! Never once did I break any of the merchant's food or valuables, isn't that amazing?" He smacked his chest as the sun rays shone upon him. "You too, you didn't even have to release your Wings! Remember that time when you did and knocked out so much booze? Albert was ready to send both of us to the gods when he saw our expenses."

"Y-yes, yes, we did, good job!" He sheepishly laughed while he scratched his head. What a wonderful moment to remember when most of their court costs were directed to all that food and drinks they both broke and spoiled. 

And as for their fellow colleague Albert... well... he seriously was about to chuck his knives right at them; let alone the fact his darkening eyes could stab their bodies. If looks can kill, we both wouldn't be alive anymore.

"Hopefully we don't get in trouble on this one..." Aspen breathed. 

"Nah, nah, of course not." Rey dismissed with the back of his hand, leaving their ultimate fates to the unknown.

***

A/N: And finally, A NEW UPDATE after soo long! Thank you so much for your support! Hope you enjoyed more of Aspen and Rey's interactions hehe ^^

Also this is my first time writing action scenes (as more action will be coming soon), I hope I nailed that well :"D