Chapter Two

I woke with a start, squinting from the sun shining in my eyes. It was sunset and it was time to wake up and get ready for what was in store for me tonight. I threw my backpack with all of my spell books over my shoulder and walked to the shelter of the shadows. I felt most comfortable surrounded by complete darkness, which is when I would do all of my work at night.

I began walking through the dark ally ways and made my way to the pawnshop. I climbed the building on the opposite side of the shop to look down and scope out the area. My cat-like eyes zoned in on the sword sitting in the window to find Landon reading a newspaper while sitting on a stool, paying no attention to the outside world. Perfect. It will be an easy operation for me today.

I wasn't a thief by choice, but I realized that it was what I was good at when I was much younger. It was how I made my living. People would give me money to go on jobs and I would accept them if I chose to do so. My mother always thought I was extremely mischievous and if she was still alive, I know that she may be a little ashamed in me. I made a reputation for myself here as a crook, but if the villagers knew me, they would know that I'm not that bad of a person. I don't have the heart to leave this village. Ever since my parents died, I can't seem to find a way to say goodbye to this place. I wish I could abandon those emotions to go to a new town and start over, but I can't.

My vision was still locked on the sword but the more I thought, the more I talked myself out of stealing it. Landon helped me when I was in a rough patch and although it is a valuable item and could be sold at a high price, I don't think I can do that to him. I shook my head at myself and slid off the rooftop, landing gracefully on the street on my two feet silently.

"Damn it…"

I bit the inside of my mouth and I knew that there was something more important for me to get. I walked up to Landon and threw the money that he had given to me yesterday. "I need this potion." I said as I pointed at the folded up piece of paper that I kept in my back pocket.

"Someone injured?" Landon inquired.

I snatched the bottle out of his hands, my eyes narrowing. "I fully intend to keep my plans to myself. For the sake of your health, I suggest you do the same."

I turned and walked back in the direction I came from, blanketed by the shadows as I walked to Charlotte's. Her shop was a little run down and the sign out front was swinging on only one hinge. There was a candle lit in the window, meaning that she was still open. This was a bakery that was attached to the owner's home. I often came around here, since I was well acquainted with the owners.

"Charlotte?" I shouted as I strolled in and sat at the table near the window.

A short thin woman walked through the doorway, her green eyes lighting up as she smiled. Her hair curly blood red hair bounced as she walked to give me a hug. "Merlin, it's been so long since I've seen you! How have you been?"

I gave her a rugged smile. She was always so clean and polished, whereas I was so rough around the edges. "I've been hanging in there. I thought I would come check up on you."

She opened some cabinets to find me something to eat, but I raised my hand in protest. "No, that's not why I'm here."

I pulled the bottle out of my bag and set it on the table and watched as Charlotte's eyes lit up with joy. She lunged for the bottle and mauled it over in her hands as though it was the most precious thing in the world. "Where on earth did you get this?" She suddenly looked at me skeptically. "You didn't steal it, did you?"

I chuckled as I made a face. "Now what makes you think I would do something like that? I don't know if you knew, but I'm well known for being a prestigious citizen."

Her eyes narrowed in on my face, clearly making her point.

"No, I did not steal it. I paid for it." With the money I got for selling a stolen item, but hey, what she didn't know wouldn't hurt her.

Tears began flowing down her face and she used the back of her sleeve to catch the tears before they fell to the floor. "You don't realize what kind of miracle you have just given us. I was so worried that James wasn't going to get paid in time for us to get Jacob the potion."

I smiled faintly and stood, taking Charlotte's hand so we could walk to Jacob's room. A young boy lay in the bed with a wet towel on his forehead to calm his fever that has been taking over his little body. Jacob was only four years old and he was James and Charlotte's only son. Sadly, the couple lived in poverty, much like many people in this town, and they didn't have enough money to pay to seek medical attention for Jacob.

When my parents died, Charlotte and James would feed me any left overs that they would have from the bakery that they wouldn't sell that day. They were the kindest family I've met but I never had a chance to meet their son since the last time I have seen Charlotte was when she was pregnant with Jacob.

Rumors began spreading like wildfire through the town, talking of a sick child of a baker. I couldn't just sit back and let their child die.

I knelt beside the bed and stroked his hair back to whisper in Jacob's ear. "Hang in there, kid. You're gonna get better soon, I promise."

"Are you able to do anything?" Charlotte asked, eyeing my open backpack full of spellbooks.

"I'm not a doctor. I certainly don't want to try anything on your son and make things worse." I stood and faced her, digging my hand in my pocket. Two hundred dollars of crumpled money was placed in her hand. "That should cover any expenses that the doctor charges."

Charlotte's eyes nearly bulged out of her head. "Where did you get all of this money?"

I wrapped her open hand around the cash so she gripped it tightly. "It's unimportant. Jacob needs you and James. Make sure he gets better. Having that potion should leave less work for the doctor, but I would still recommend getting a doctor to make sure he is well taken care of."

I began to leave the room and called out behind me. "Make sure James knows that I said hello and that I hope he's doing well."

"A doctor is not going to cost this much, Merlin! Take some of it back at least!"

"I don't need it back. Get Jacob something nice when he wakes up. Put it to good use. Consider it a gift." I knew what it felt like to feel hopeless while your loved ones were suffering. No one in the village helped my family when they were left on their deathbeds. Money is something that can be the difference between life and death sometimes. I don't need the money as much as that family does.

I heard Charlotte's footsteps following me out of the house and into the bakery. "You know… I've always known you were a good person, but I never expected you to do something like this. I wish the town knew you the way that I do."

"I don't want others to know. Their opinions on me do not matter to me. Take care of yourselves, Charlotte." I smiled at her over my shoulder and went into the night in seek of shelter for the night.

Charlotte begged me to stay at her house, which she always did whenever I would come around. I ignored her and kept on my journey. I hated charity and I was perfectly capable of finding shelter for the night. I'd be terrified to be treated properly and have to go back out on the streets when I was no longer welcomed. Besides, they had a sick son and couldn't afford letting any food go to waste and I don't want to be another mouth to feed.

I found a lamppost with perfect lighting for reading my spellbooks. I sat and cracked one of them open and began absorbing all the information from the pages, committing them to memory. It was always nice having a photographic memory. I could remember any spell that I read; my brain worked as a organized storage unit with the ability to pull any spell that I could possibly need.

The sun was beginning to rise at this point, causing me to drift in and out of sleep while I was reading. I closed my book and decided to lie down to fall asleep for the time being.

For a second, everything seemed perfect.

Until I was suddenly shaken awake by a man in a soldier's uniform. He was yelling at me but I was in such a daze, that I had no idea what he was saying to me. The front of my shirt was wrapped in his fist. He appeared to be extremely furious out of something I was doing, but I couldn't figure out what.

I was handcuffed and shoved into the ground harder. "Merlin! You are under arrest for the Sin of Gluttony."