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myblueskiesRomeo was sat on an open cart, opposite the blond haired boy, their bags at their sides and a white weasel sat between them. The day was warm and they passed stalls, stall keepers shouting their wares and other carts trundling past, full of goods.
Romeo grinned to see so much activity around them. "Looks like things are finally getting lively!"
The other boy smiled back, "We're finally getting near Milano."
Romeo moved over to his side of the cart, leaning over to look ahead of them as they crested a hill...
And there! There was a huge, shining city. "Look at it Romeo!"
It was so pretty and quite overwhelming for the two boys. There were more stalls and carts and carriages with covers and ladies in dresses and men in top hats! It was the hugest and most fancy place Romeo had ever been!
"This is really something!" The blonde haired boy seems amazed too.
"It's like we're in dreamland!" Romeo's mouth drops open as he sees something even more wonderful! A glorious church, it's steeples reaching all the way to the sky! Like they were trying to reach heaven itself!
"So that's the great famous cathedral!" The other boy breathed, as awestruck as Romeo.
"They look like icicles!" The cart moved past and onwards. Until they finally rounded a corner, outside an in a young boy with red hair was sweeping the step and on seeing the cart and the man with the scar he dropped the brush and ran into the inn shouting.
"Everyone! They god of death has come back! He's come back from hell!" Romeo and the blonde haired boy looked worriedly at each other but the god of death just barked at them to get off the cart. They followed him inside where he was greeting by the innkeeper who poured him some wine.
"God you startled me! We were just praying for your departed sole. Look... The newspaper says that everybody drowned." The man with the scar said nothing, just drank his wine and the inkeeper looked over to where Romeo and his friend stood in the corner.
Romeo felt scared, he only knew the god of death in the whole of this big city and now it seemed he had forgotten they even existed, content to just drink his wine.
There was a sound as the young boy from before came down the stairs carrying a barrel almost as big as he was. He slipped and crashed to the floor, Romeo looked at him, moving to try and help but he glared up at Romeo.
"What are you looking at, soon to be sold?" Romeo pulled a face and the other boy stood up making him flinch backwards slightly. "Listen up oaf!"
"Oaf?!"
"The bosses who're gonna buy you are on their way over right now."
"Bosses?" Romeo tried to sound much braver than he felt.
"Chimney sweeping bosses, oaf!" The red haired boy yelled at him.
Romeo exchanged another worried look with his friend. The inkeeper was still watching them.
"But only two for sale?" He was asking the god of death. "Not much to chose from." Still the man with the scar was silent.
The door swung open and a handful of men walked in. The angry boy smiled and stepped out the way so Romeo could see. "There, see. Here come the bosses."
"Hey Luini, I hear you really put your foot in it this time." One of the men spoke first as they all gathered around the god of death.
"Well he is very shrewd."
"And here I was thinking I wouldn't get my hands on a kid this year."
One man entered a little later than the others and did not join the group, or speak at all. He turned to look at the three children, his gaze was cruel and his face unkind. Romeo felt scared, more scared than he had been before and the red haired boy scarpered, to hide behind one of the tables.
"So where are they?" The god of death nodded behind him, to where Romeo and the blond haired boy stood. The men turned to look at them. "And the rest?"
"That's all there is." Luini finally spoke.
"That's all?!"
"So there's only two of them?" One of the men turned fully round now, looking at them worriedly.
"What the hell? Neither of them look like they'll be productive!" A man with a cap slammed his fist against the table as he spoke.
The terrifying creepy man began to walk towards the two children, they both stepped backwards, looking up at him with fear in their eyes. The man reached out and grabbed Romeo by the front of his shirt, pulling him towards him. Romeo struggled, "What are you doing?"
He struggled but couldn't get free, then the other boy bashed into the man, startling him enough that he let go of him. Romeo grabbed hold of his friends arm, hiding behind him slightly.
"Why you!" The man and the blond boy stared at each other, for a long moment. His friend was bigger and braver than Romeo and Romeo was glad to have him there. All of a sudden the man smiled. It was not a friendly smile.
He stepped closer and took the boys chin, turning it one way and then another. His smile grew, but did not reach his eyes. "I've fallen for ya." He looked over to the god of death. "Why not? I'll buy this one. How much?"
"Eighty Lira." The god of death did not even turn around.
"Eighty Lira?" The cruel looking man was not the only adult to look shocked at that.
"What's he thinking?"
"I've never heard of such a price!"
"Not for one kid!"
The cruel man slammed his fist against the table, Romeo winced and he could see the red haired boy, still hiding wince as well.
"Cut the jokes!" He marched over to the man with the scar, who was still drinking his wine. "Luini you bastard!"
The door opened again and more men walked in.
"I heard you're selling off kids." One of them called.
"We were waiting for you Luini, how much per kid?"
"Eighty two lira."
The cruel man made a strangled sound. "Why you... You just said eighty lira!"
"When the demand goes up, the price goes up." The new men gathered round. "If you're planning on buying now is the time."
The innkeeper shook his head. "God of death, you amaze me."
One man, one of the earlier ones stepped away from the crowd. Muttering about choosing under his breath. "Alright!" He reached out and grabbed Romeo's hand, yanking him towards Luini. "I'm buying this one!"
"Romeo!" Romeo could hear his friend call, he sounded as scared as Romeo felt!
The men all grumbled about how it wasn't fair, there weren't enough and how it was first come first served. The man who had grabbed Romeo had a coin purse and was counting out money.
"So eighty and two lira was it?"
"Eighty five lira." Everyone looked horrified again.
"Eighty five lira?!"
"If you don't like it, you won't have to pay."
The man was quiet for a moment, before deciding. "Can't be helped."
Romeo stood by the table next to Luini watching the man drop coins into a pile. Each coin clinking as it hit the others. Eighty five was a big number, more money than Romeo had ever ever seen before and he lost count long before the man had finished.
As the coins dropped he looked back, meeting eyes with his friend who looked back, sadly.
One of the other men grabbed his friends arm, holding him painfully. "Okay I'll buy this one!"
The cruel eyed man moved quickly, a knife in his hand, holding it to the other mans neck.
"Citron... Put that away." The man stammered.
"This kid is mine" Citron hissed, "You're not getting your hands on him."
"Alright! Alright!" The man had let go of the boy now. The innkeeper approached and grabbed Citron's hand.
"Citron stop that! Pull something again and you're headed for jail you know!" Citron just glared at him and folded away the knife.
The innkeeper sighed. "Kid, come over here." The boy moved over to where Romeo stood and they exchanged scared smiles.
Citron marched up to the table, throwing down a bag of coin. "There, eighty six lira and you better not have a problem with that!" He turned to point at the blond boy. "Now this one is mine!" The boy drew himself up and then sighed and smiled at Romeo again, putting on a brave face.
The innkeeper slapped his hands together. "That settles it!"
"Don't give us that!"
"What are we supposed to do!"
"Only two kids! Why that's..."
"Pipe down all of you!" The innkeeper was in control. "Winners and losers all let's be nice to each other! Nikita pass out the drinks!"
The red haired boy jumped up from his hiding spot and grinned. "I was waiting for that!" He dashed off to serve.
The men laughed and drank and Luini stood up and went to the door. Romeo and his friend stood and watched as the god of death half turned back to them, giving them the tiniest of smiles. His final salutation before he stepped through out onto the street, leaving the boys alone.
They returned to their corner, whilst the men laughed and drank and bantered with each other.
The boy leaned close to Romeo, "So it looks like it's finally goodbye."
Romeo nodded sadly, staring down at his feet.
"Even though I just met you a week ago," Romeo looked up as the boy continued speaking, "It feels like I've known you forever."
Romeo smiled, "You're the first close friend I've ever had."
"You're the first real friend I ever met too." The boy held out his hand and Romeo clasped it, holding it tight for a long moment before they let go.
"Romeo! Let's make an oath!"
"An oath?"
The boy nodded and raised his fist to his heart. "Even when our troubles are like a river, our eternal friendship is like a safe shore."
Romeo raised his first to his heart too and nodded once. The boy leaned forward. "Even if we're separated, remember that oath..." He gasped as his new boss grabbed his coat and yanked him to his feet.
"C'mon, let's go. And don't dawdle!"
"Wait! Just give me a moment more!" His boss didn't listen, Romeo had risen to his feet too and he called out.
"Alfredo!" Before he could even think of moving or going after Alfredo his own boss grabbed him with both hands around his middle, yanking him backwards.
"Where do you think you're going?"
Romeo struggled, trying to pull himself away. He had to get to Alfredo! To finish their oath! It wasn't done yet!"
"Let me go! Let me go!"
"He's already gone!"
"We haven't finished our oath yet!"
"Oath?" His boss sounded confused and the men at the table laughed cruelly.
The man with the cap spoke, "Neither of you will ever see the other again." Romeo looked at them in horror as they laughed harder, their laughter filling the room. One of them leaned forwards, a glass toppled from the table and shattered on the ground.
Romeo grinned to see so much activity around them. "Looks like things are finally getting lively!"
The other boy smiled back, "We're finally getting near Milano."
Romeo moved over to his side of the cart, leaning over to look ahead of them as they crested a hill...
And there! There was a huge, shining city. "Look at it Romeo!"
It was so pretty and quite overwhelming for the two boys. There were more stalls and carts and carriages with covers and ladies in dresses and men in top hats! It was the hugest and most fancy place Romeo had ever been!
"This is really something!" The blonde haired boy seems amazed too.
"It's like we're in dreamland!" Romeo's mouth drops open as he sees something even more wonderful! A glorious church, it's steeples reaching all the way to the sky! Like they were trying to reach heaven itself!
"So that's the great famous cathedral!" The other boy breathed, as awestruck as Romeo.
"They look like icicles!" The cart moved past and onwards. Until they finally rounded a corner, outside an in a young boy with red hair was sweeping the step and on seeing the cart and the man with the scar he dropped the brush and ran into the inn shouting.
"Everyone! They god of death has come back! He's come back from hell!" Romeo and the blonde haired boy looked worriedly at each other but the god of death just barked at them to get off the cart. They followed him inside where he was greeting by the innkeeper who poured him some wine.
"God you startled me! We were just praying for your departed sole. Look... The newspaper says that everybody drowned." The man with the scar said nothing, just drank his wine and the inkeeper looked over to where Romeo and his friend stood in the corner.
Romeo felt scared, he only knew the god of death in the whole of this big city and now it seemed he had forgotten they even existed, content to just drink his wine.
There was a sound as the young boy from before came down the stairs carrying a barrel almost as big as he was. He slipped and crashed to the floor, Romeo looked at him, moving to try and help but he glared up at Romeo.
"What are you looking at, soon to be sold?" Romeo pulled a face and the other boy stood up making him flinch backwards slightly. "Listen up oaf!"
"Oaf?!"
"The bosses who're gonna buy you are on their way over right now."
"Bosses?" Romeo tried to sound much braver than he felt.
"Chimney sweeping bosses, oaf!" The red haired boy yelled at him.
Romeo exchanged another worried look with his friend. The inkeeper was still watching them.
"But only two for sale?" He was asking the god of death. "Not much to chose from." Still the man with the scar was silent.
The door swung open and a handful of men walked in. The angry boy smiled and stepped out the way so Romeo could see. "There, see. Here come the bosses."
"Hey Luini, I hear you really put your foot in it this time." One of the men spoke first as they all gathered around the god of death.
"Well he is very shrewd."
"And here I was thinking I wouldn't get my hands on a kid this year."
One man entered a little later than the others and did not join the group, or speak at all. He turned to look at the three children, his gaze was cruel and his face unkind. Romeo felt scared, more scared than he had been before and the red haired boy scarpered, to hide behind one of the tables.
"So where are they?" The god of death nodded behind him, to where Romeo and the blond haired boy stood. The men turned to look at them. "And the rest?"
"That's all there is." Luini finally spoke.
"That's all?!"
"So there's only two of them?" One of the men turned fully round now, looking at them worriedly.
"What the hell? Neither of them look like they'll be productive!" A man with a cap slammed his fist against the table as he spoke.
The terrifying creepy man began to walk towards the two children, they both stepped backwards, looking up at him with fear in their eyes. The man reached out and grabbed Romeo by the front of his shirt, pulling him towards him. Romeo struggled, "What are you doing?"
He struggled but couldn't get free, then the other boy bashed into the man, startling him enough that he let go of him. Romeo grabbed hold of his friends arm, hiding behind him slightly.
"Why you!" The man and the blond boy stared at each other, for a long moment. His friend was bigger and braver than Romeo and Romeo was glad to have him there. All of a sudden the man smiled. It was not a friendly smile.
He stepped closer and took the boys chin, turning it one way and then another. His smile grew, but did not reach his eyes. "I've fallen for ya." He looked over to the god of death. "Why not? I'll buy this one. How much?"
"Eighty Lira." The god of death did not even turn around.
"Eighty Lira?" The cruel looking man was not the only adult to look shocked at that.
"What's he thinking?"
"I've never heard of such a price!"
"Not for one kid!"
The cruel man slammed his fist against the table, Romeo winced and he could see the red haired boy, still hiding wince as well.
"Cut the jokes!" He marched over to the man with the scar, who was still drinking his wine. "Luini you bastard!"
The door opened again and more men walked in.
"I heard you're selling off kids." One of them called.
"We were waiting for you Luini, how much per kid?"
"Eighty two lira."
The cruel man made a strangled sound. "Why you... You just said eighty lira!"
"When the demand goes up, the price goes up." The new men gathered round. "If you're planning on buying now is the time."
The innkeeper shook his head. "God of death, you amaze me."
One man, one of the earlier ones stepped away from the crowd. Muttering about choosing under his breath. "Alright!" He reached out and grabbed Romeo's hand, yanking him towards Luini. "I'm buying this one!"
"Romeo!" Romeo could hear his friend call, he sounded as scared as Romeo felt!
The men all grumbled about how it wasn't fair, there weren't enough and how it was first come first served. The man who had grabbed Romeo had a coin purse and was counting out money.
"So eighty and two lira was it?"
"Eighty five lira." Everyone looked horrified again.
"Eighty five lira?!"
"If you don't like it, you won't have to pay."
The man was quiet for a moment, before deciding. "Can't be helped."
Romeo stood by the table next to Luini watching the man drop coins into a pile. Each coin clinking as it hit the others. Eighty five was a big number, more money than Romeo had ever ever seen before and he lost count long before the man had finished.
As the coins dropped he looked back, meeting eyes with his friend who looked back, sadly.
One of the other men grabbed his friends arm, holding him painfully. "Okay I'll buy this one!"
The cruel eyed man moved quickly, a knife in his hand, holding it to the other mans neck.
"Citron... Put that away." The man stammered.
"This kid is mine" Citron hissed, "You're not getting your hands on him."
"Alright! Alright!" The man had let go of the boy now. The innkeeper approached and grabbed Citron's hand.
"Citron stop that! Pull something again and you're headed for jail you know!" Citron just glared at him and folded away the knife.
The innkeeper sighed. "Kid, come over here." The boy moved over to where Romeo stood and they exchanged scared smiles.
Citron marched up to the table, throwing down a bag of coin. "There, eighty six lira and you better not have a problem with that!" He turned to point at the blond boy. "Now this one is mine!" The boy drew himself up and then sighed and smiled at Romeo again, putting on a brave face.
The innkeeper slapped his hands together. "That settles it!"
"Don't give us that!"
"What are we supposed to do!"
"Only two kids! Why that's..."
"Pipe down all of you!" The innkeeper was in control. "Winners and losers all let's be nice to each other! Nikita pass out the drinks!"
The red haired boy jumped up from his hiding spot and grinned. "I was waiting for that!" He dashed off to serve.
The men laughed and drank and Luini stood up and went to the door. Romeo and his friend stood and watched as the god of death half turned back to them, giving them the tiniest of smiles. His final salutation before he stepped through out onto the street, leaving the boys alone.
They returned to their corner, whilst the men laughed and drank and bantered with each other.
The boy leaned close to Romeo, "So it looks like it's finally goodbye."
Romeo nodded sadly, staring down at his feet.
"Even though I just met you a week ago," Romeo looked up as the boy continued speaking, "It feels like I've known you forever."
Romeo smiled, "You're the first close friend I've ever had."
"You're the first real friend I ever met too." The boy held out his hand and Romeo clasped it, holding it tight for a long moment before they let go.
"Romeo! Let's make an oath!"
"An oath?"
The boy nodded and raised his fist to his heart. "Even when our troubles are like a river, our eternal friendship is like a safe shore."
Romeo raised his first to his heart too and nodded once. The boy leaned forward. "Even if we're separated, remember that oath..." He gasped as his new boss grabbed his coat and yanked him to his feet.
"C'mon, let's go. And don't dawdle!"
"Wait! Just give me a moment more!" His boss didn't listen, Romeo had risen to his feet too and he called out.
"Alfredo!" Before he could even think of moving or going after Alfredo his own boss grabbed him with both hands around his middle, yanking him backwards.
"Where do you think you're going?"
Romeo struggled, trying to pull himself away. He had to get to Alfredo! To finish their oath! It wasn't done yet!"
"Let me go! Let me go!"
"He's already gone!"
"We haven't finished our oath yet!"
"Oath?" His boss sounded confused and the men at the table laughed cruelly.
The man with the cap spoke, "Neither of you will ever see the other again." Romeo looked at them in horror as they laughed harder, their laughter filling the room. One of them leaned forwards, a glass toppled from the table and shattered on the ground.
