Youngjae was bored. He had to rest and he couldn't move that much because his leg was still hurting him, he wished he could do something to help his family, but he was completely useless for now. So he had nothing else to do than to go watch the new arrival. The siren of the city rang out and he walked as fast as he could to reach the city's doors. It was always the same thing, this arrival counted almost fifty people spread in twelve caravans. They were all dressed in black and dark green to go unnoticed through the country. Bloodstain all over it and their caravans, people were all crying silently for ones, loudly for others. They were all sad and scared. Except for that boy.

Youngjae wasn't the only one to notice that boy smiling hugely, watching amazed around him. All the city's kids were following that caravan with that boy sitting on the top of it, until it stopped in front the Church. So the new man was a priest, finally they would have a new priest, the last one had been really old and had died a year ago ; leaving the city without priest and without any way to release their stress out, without anyone to who they could go confess their fears and their desires. While the whole ride, the kids kept watching the boy's hair which was gold, and they wondered why the color was like this. They weren't sure if the boy was a mage too, because there were no way for a human to have such hair color. Each time the boy would looked at them, the kids froze and stopped pretending to do something else, and it amused the boy who kept turning from time to time just to see the kids urging themselves in panic to find something to do like arranging the streets' pebbles in alphabetical order.

The caravan stopped at the Church and the boy climb down, as soon as his feet reached the ground a kid ran to him.

“Why do you have gold on your hair ? You're rich ?” The little boy asked innocently.

“HA HA!! No, from where I am all people have this color, I was shocked too the first time I saw people with black hair like yours. My father had gold hair too before his hair became white with age.” The gold hair boy said with a strong accent, telling the others that, effectively, he must came from far, maybe from the limit between the country and the nothingness outside the country.

A priest came out the caravan and ruffled the little boy's hair smiling. Then he put a hand on his son's shoulder and they walked toward the Church, to take a look at their new home. When the boy had laughed it had turned upside down all kids here, and as Youngjae they wished to hear again that laugh. It was a laugh as they never heard before, a devil-may-care and cheerful one ; type that made you laugh along without knowing the reason why you would, but just because the laugh was contagious.

“Hi, My name's Daehyun, I'm the city's new priest's son. Please take good care of me,” the boy said bowing after he left the Church. All the kids approached him telling their names out loud. All, except Youngjae who knew the boy wouldn't be able to learn everyone's name this way, that he will need time. The gold hair boy smiled to each one of the kid in front of him screaming their names, they started walking in the city, the little boy from earlier dragging him by his hand to the fountain place where there was only the young mage who watched the newcomer. Youngjae had so many question to ask the priest's son, all the question he hadn't dare to ask other people. He felt like he could ask everything to that boy who seemed open-minded ; and the more important, he felt like what the boy would tell him about his journey wouldn't be so scary as the boy himself didn't seem to be scare the out of him. As if the travel he had just done was a little tramp.

When he saw the new boy arriving at the fountain place, the young mage had stood up from his barrel and tried to see him better, he had gold hair which could mean only one thing. Daehyun met his eyes him and he started walking toward him, wondering why that boy was standing alone in the darkest corner of the place.

“Hi~ I'm Daehyun,” the golden hair boy said to the pink hair boy, reaching out his hand. The mage didn't answered and took a step back, seeing the hand approaching him dangerously.

“You better not talk to him,” a deep voice warned the newcomer and Daehyun turned surprised toward him.

“Why that ?” He met a boy taller and surely older than him.

“Because he's dangerous.

– Dangerous ?” Daehyun watch back the young boy who had his back glued to the wall and was watching the older of them afraid. The priest's son frowned and wondered why that boy seemed to be bullied, besides his pink hair he seemed normal.

“He's a mage.”

Junhong look after the newcomer's reaction which wasn't a normal one. Daehyun didn't seemed surprised to learn there was a mage here and he didn't seem to be afraid of him. Youngjae thought it was because he must had see things ten times worst than him. The gold hair boy let out only an understanding “ah” and turned to the older boy. “Between I'm the blacksmith's son, name is Yongguk.”

“Oh, seems like you're the leader.

– We can say that.”

Then Himchan and Jongup introduced themselves and as they were important kid in the city, Daehyun was fast to remember their names. Youngjae was a mere peasant so he didn't thought he needed the boy to learn his name, he's stayed setback and watched them from afar with the other city's kids. Priest was a situation above Doctor, they could meet the Royals as they were the one who passed 'personal' messages from the King to his people. When it wasn't an official announce but just something the King wanted to tell his people, to give them hope and faith.

Through the afternoon Daehyun learned the City's rules. Of course robbing was prohibited and if someone caught you in action, your hand was cut. To lie was prohibited too, if it came out in light that you were lying at any time, your tongue was cut. To cheat on your wife or girlfriend and on and on, all the religion rules were applied to the City. To do your courses you had to go to the market, at the Grand Place, it started since 6 in the morning, until 6 in the night. You could buy fresh products as fish only just before the market closed, because fishermen and hunters only came back in the afternoon, sell their booty and then everything closed so the women could cook it as soon as possible, for it to not rot. In winter they used salt to preserve food.

The kids helped the adults when they opened their shop and when they closed it. The rest of the day, they wandered in the city and liked to gather at the same place, which was where they were at the moment. Curfew started after eight in the night until five in the morning. To exit the city was forbidden but there weren't really a punishment for that as it was rare that people came home alive if they crossed the city walls alone. Well, never someone who exited the city came back alive as no one ever tried to except for a man long long time ago. He didn't agreed with Royals and he had the choice between being enclosed for ten years or leaving the city. He had chosen to leave but had been found dead in the fields the day after.

When Yongguk told him that story Daehyun exploded in laugh.

“There's no way I would exit the city ! I had enough trouble to enter it HAHA.”

The three who hadn't hear his laugh earlier were surprised to have a boy as easy-go-lucky. His laugh was light and they felt like everything was alright in the world, that sadness and worries didn't existed any more, and this soothed their heart. It soothed Youngjae's heart.

After they talked a bit longer, Daehyun noticed all the kids had the same wristband and he wanted one too.

“What's that ?” He asked pointing toward the amulet which looked like a jewel to his eyes.

“It's an amulet one of the kid built-

– I want one too!” Daehyun burst childishly eyeing the crowd of kid, searching for the person in charge to fulfill his desire. “Who did it ?

– Youngjae, come.” Yongguk called the peasant boy who walked slowly toward the group of four who where shining among the city dull colors. They always shined by their self-assurance, but now more with the new self-confident boy and his gold hair. He watched Youngjae walking slowly, shyly and he smiled to him. Daehyun knew at that instant he would get along with him. Get along very well. That boy will become his best friend and they would never be able to break apart. If the boy walking toward him was a girl, Daehyun may have confound his feelings with love at first sight. He had finally found him...

Without a word Youngjae reached out a wristband he had done the night just before, because he had lost his own so he had built five more, in case. “Thanks.” Daehyun said never leaving the boy's eyes and not even looking at the jewel he was hanging on his wrist. Youngjae felt a bit disturbed as he didn't understand why that boy was smiling like this to him.

“Does it have any meaning ?

– Huh?

– It's to protect ourselves against magic.” Jongup let out, his favorite moment coming soon. He would finally know if he will get along with the new kid too. If the new kid believed in magic too or not. And finally he decided he liked the new kid when that one laughed when he said that. Youngjae frowned and made understand well with his behavior that he was vexed.

“You're a priest's son ! You shouldn't laugh at matter like this!

– I believe this, isn't working. Just watching you right now.

– Why that ?

– Because if it was working, there's nothing to be afraid of that kid over there.” Daehyun pointed toward the mage in his back as he had understood well the whole situation with the simple sentence Yongguk had told him about him. 'He's a mage' his sentence had been followed by the dead silence of the kid crowd as if what he had said was forbidden to be said. No one wanted to talk to the mage. No one wanted to talk about magic.

“What ?

– Are your amulet protecting you against magic ?” Youngjae nodded. “Then he can't do anything to you. Did he already used his magic against you ?

– ...no...

– Then...maybe your amulet is well protecting you. You shall be proud of it.

– I am proud of my work!

– Good..good..now you shall believe in your work.

– What ?” Daehyun came behind Youngjae and started to push him toward the mage.

“Go fight with him and I'm sure you will win as your amulet is protecting you, he wouldn't be able to use of his magic. You seems stronger than him too..”

They kept fought childishly, but never they talked about what Jongup really wanted to know so he decided to ask himself.

“Do you believe in magic ?

– Huh ?

– Ah, that's right, while others were crying because they were sad and scared, you were all smiling when you arrived this morning.” Youngjae remembered he had question he wanted to ask too.

“I prefer to not think about the past. Past is the past, and I was so happy we finally reached our goal. To be here in Mato.” Moved by his speak, Yongguk put a hand on his shoulder. “Everybody should rejoice instead of crying for what they left behind.”

“What did you see during your road ?”

All the kids started leaving as they didn't want to listen the rest of their conversation, so only was left on the fountain place Yongguk, Himchan, Jongup and Youngjae who wanted to leave with the others but was much too curious. If he could learn more about magic and creature, he would find better way to protect people against it. Daehyun watched amazed all the kids leaving, he thought they really had a problem with magic things. They were withdrawn in their little world, no wanted to learn about the real world outside their walls ; but he understood them and waited that the little band was the only one remaining.

“What I see ? ...country?

– No. I mean magic.

– What about magic ?

– Did you witnessed any magic...thing ?

– I just walk across the country ! Of course I witnessed it! We all!” Daehyun answered in his amazing laugh, but this time it didn't reassured the peasant boy.

“So...magic really exist?” Youngjae spoke to himself in a whisper, but the others heard him well.

“You're scared of something you didn't even believed in ? Are you dumb ?

– Shut up!

– ...and you have a mage here !!” Daehyun turned to the mage who frowned to him, but the gold hair boy didn't care and turned back to the others.

“He never used magic, and we never saw any magic thing...

– Why didn't you believe in magic ? You believe there's a country outside this walls and yet you never saw it.

– But you're here, so it's a proof there's something outside, but magic...

– ...but magic, you have a mage here, so it's a proof that magic exists. You never saw him using magic, but I can understand well that he better not or he would be beheaded or burned alive...

– That's...

– ...” Daehyun waited for an answer, and Jongup watched them amused. For Yongguk and Himchan it was just the same dispute as with Jongup, but in the other way. That was proving them, they were right about the fact Jongup's words reassured the peasant boy, but now that newcomer's words were funking him.

“I'm tired ! I'm going home !” And Youngjae left pissed.

“I wish he wasn't so afraid of magic...” Yongguk sighed watching him leaving.

“Why is he so scared of magic ? Did something happened ?

– No...he's just scared. He was scared of the mage even before his own parents knew he was one. Like...like he could have felt it.

– Hmm...he's interesting. Weird...but sounds funny.

– Very funny!” Jongup slapped friendly the back of Daehyun.

“Let him alone, he already have too much problem...” As always Himchan tried to take Youngjae's defensive.

“He has nothing...” Jongup sighed before leaving clearly annoyed, he jostled Himchan on his way.

“You get well along...” Daehyun commented after Jongup had left.

“Are you blind ? He's bashing me all the time.” The gold hair boy was taken aback by his older, sure he did sounds and look girlish but he never expected him to burst in tears.

“I mean...you look good together...” He tried to make it up.

“Wh-wh-what are you talking about ?!” Himchan's cheeks became a crimson red.

“Eh, you're blushing ! Don't you have some crush on him ?

– WH-WHAT ? I'M NOT GAY!

– No?

– NO!

– Really ?” Daehyun glanced at Yongguk and watch back Himchan. “...seems like your best friend wouldn't be surprised you were.”

Yongguk was caught off guard, he was just listening not really interested in their conversation but thinking about how he could remove Youngjae's fear.

“Wh...I...no. I mean. Not...I'm sure Chan isn't...he's not what you think !

– Oh, I know what he is, but you would be surprised the day you will discover it...maybe you have a crush on him and you don't know about it...

– NO ONE IS GAY HERE !” It wasn't often that Yongguk lost his coolness and he was glad no one had witnessed it except for that troublemaker and Himchan who already know how he was in reality. There was also the mage but he didn't gave a about what the mage would think about him. He left as the three previous ones.

“huh huh, love triangle ?” Daehyun chuckled but Himchan didn't answered. Instead he watched his best friend's back walking away with a serious look on his face.

“Hum...back to the scaredy cat...what's his name already ?

– Youngjae ?” Himchan slowly snapped out his thoughts.

“Young...Jae...He's really...interesting...

– He's just a normal peasant boy...leave him alone.” The older scoffed.

“Normal ? You call him normal ? No...he's really amazing. He sounds so lost in his vortex of thoughts, he's literally drowning in !

– I said leave him alone. If you put only one finger on him-

– Are you his mum ? Do I need your permission to hang out with your son ?

– Exactly !” Himchan burst blushing.

“Mother in law,” Daehyun called the other mocking. “Don't you wish the same thing as your husband ?

– Which one ?” Himchan was confused about who from Jongup or Yongguk, the other was talking about.

“HA ! HA ! You don't deny you do have a husband !!

– It's not what I...meant...I...AH!! YOU'RE ANNOYING !!” Like this Himchan left the same way his friends previously.

Daehyun smiled and laughed alone, he watched the deserted area around him. Then his eyes lend on the mage and he approached him. He stopped right in front him, smirking to him. The mage watch the boy as he understood perfectly what he had tried to do with the others but didn't approved it. What Daehyun wanted to do was bad and the gold hair boy knew the mage have it taped well, so he kept smirking to the younger boy and sat on the ground next the barrel.

“Looks like you're the only one left I can bother...Ah, …I'm so bored.”

3151 words