Бесплатный фрагмент - Hero, Raven, Rougue

Hero, Raven, Rouge

Original is (in rus) «Герой ворон изгой» Hero, Raven, Rouge by Zargerion Subter. Author’s own translation.

«Forgive me but I am not a professional translator, so there may be spelling, punctuation and logical errors of mild degree» by Author.

This story revolves around a man destined to be a spawn of hell from birth but chooses a path divergent from his preordained fate. The dynamic shift in events starts with the ordinary tale of a guy who struggles to find happiness. Gradually, the plot becomes infused with mysticism, and the protagonist encounters things beyond his comprehension. The narrative intertwines fate, divine design, and elements of an old-school criminal thriller, crafting a gripping tale.

CHAPTER 1 «BEDTIME STORY»

— One evening, I was walking down a dark street, and I heard crying: «Waaah, waaah.» You were crying so loudly. I thought, «Well, this is unfortunate, but what can I, a homeless wanderer, do for this little one? I could use some help myself…» So, I continued walking, leaving you there, hoping that someone in this poor neighborhood would take you in as their own son. Sure, I could have taken you to the police, but then you would have ended up in a local orphanage, and finding a place worse than that is extremely difficult these days. I know from experience. With these thoughts, I walked until I realized that a young couple seemed to be walking behind me. You were crying so pitifully and loudly. I was sure that these people would somehow help you, but they just laughed and walked past, much like me. That’s when I realized that if I didn’t help you, no one else in this neighborhood would, so I decided to wait a bit longer for someone, anyone. I hid nearby and began to wait. After a while, a man passed by. He seemed fairly well-off, by the way, but this scoundrel pretended not to hear your cries and acted as if you weren’t there. «Alright!» I thought. «Sometimes you just need to wait a little longer.» And, as it turned out, I didn’t have to wait long. I heard the sound of a car approaching, and I realized it was time for me to take initiative. I ran onto the road and stood in its path. Honestly, the car’s headlights blinded me a bit, and I thought the car might not stop, but I was lucky. The car stopped right in front of me, barely touching me with its bumper, while you continued wailing loudly on the right side of the car. I heard a lot of swearing from the driver. He was heading somewhere with a girl or his wife, and he was quite well-dressed, and his car was very decent. Then I thought, «Here’s the jackpot.» «Honey, look, someone left this adorable creature here,» the girl in the car said. «Dear, stop it! Who knows if he’s sick or something. We have enough of our own problems, trust me,» the man-driver replied. «But we don’t have any,» argued the girl. «Then we need to fix that urgently!» the man laughed, and they drove off as if they hadn’t been there. Honestly, at that moment, I was once again deeply disappointed in people. If even well-off people behave like this, what can be said about the poor or the homeless, like me? Next came a group of young guys. At first, I thought about trying my luck again and hinting to them about the need to help you, but soon I realized that they were not just ordinary guys but a gang of local thugs. At that moment, I was really scared for you, Alex. I quickly ran out of hiding, picked you up, and hurried away from there, holding you in my arms. Who knows what they would have done to you if they had come across you on their way… Interestingly, when I picked you up, you immediately stopped crying and even smiled. Smiled at me… At that moment, I understood that I might be the only one who cares about you. I could have tried to move you to another place and wait again, hoping that someone would care for a crying baby, but I decided to abandon that idea after seeing what could await you, even if fate had something else in store for you. So, I brought you here! Honestly, the next day, when I realized I had nothing to blame myself for, I thought about taking you somewhere again, but soon I remembered my savings. In the end, I had to spend them all. But I don’t regret it at all, Alex, because I managed to raise an incredibly good boy,» said the old man, whom the boy considered his father, patting him on the head in a fatherly way.

— Why didn’t they want to take me? — little Alex asked, sitting on the floor.

— I’m afraid that some of them might have wanted to — at least some — but couldn’t. And some might have been able to but didn’t want to burden their lives. In general, I’ve lived quite a long time, but I still haven’t learned to fully understand people, — said the old man, appearing to be in his sixties, sitting on his mattress and sipping hot tea. He was entirely wrapped in an old, slightly frayed blanket, and only a worn-out white undershirt was visible, but this old faded shirt suited this smiling elderly man.

— Well, I’m glad you took me, or even homeless dogs could have eaten me.

— Oh, come on, they are kind! People are much scarier than dogs, believe me…

— I saw dogs gnawing on a dead cat, — the boy shuddered.

— That wasn’t a cat, — intentionally fibbing, the old man declared. — It just seemed that way to you. Someone threw them a big piece of meat — that’s what they were having for lunch.

— No, Grandpa Remy, I saw it, it was a cat!

— You’re just a daydreamer! — Remy replied. — The main thing with dogs is not to anger them, and they’ll never bother you. It’s especially important not to disturb them while they’re eating — that really irritates them… Otherwise, they’re harmless. Treat them well, and they’ll treat you well!

The boy felt a bit uneasy that old man Remy didn’t believe him. He turned away, picked up a stick, and began to either play with it or just examine it.

— Alright, if you ever want more stories, just ask, — Remy said with a smile. — I have plenty… And some are funny too! Like the time I went looking for breast milk for you — that’s a real laugh. But for now, go for a little walk; something doesn’t feel right for me today. I need some rest…

Remy lay down on the mattress, covered himself with the blanket, and curled up into a ball underneath it.

— Alright, if anything, I put the tea on that stand right next to your head, — said Alex and ran outside.

— Alright, thank you! — replied old man Remy as the boy headed out.

The boy was already dressed in what is commonly referred to as rags. What else could be expected from a boy living in the basement, abandoned by everyone except the elderly homeless wanderer? He wore an old brown leather jacket over a slightly torn dark-blue sweatshirt, and old, slightly oversized jeans with worn-out dirty sneakers.

Alex approached the exit from the basement, where he and old man Remy had comfortably settled, enduring the cold seasons. He looked at the drizzling rain outside and then at Remy, seemingly wrapped in a warm blanket, lying on a mattress near the old boiler room that heated the basement. Next to the old man on the mattress was an iron mug emitting steam. This steam illuminated a small portable lantern with a dim flame in its core.

«Get well soon, Remy,» whispered the boy, then pulled on his hood and stepped into the rain to witness the last glimmers of the setting sun breaking through the cloudy sky.

The boy walked into the streets of the ghetto where he grew up. Here, he didn’t feel like a stranger. Not many people living here had lives significantly better. Before his eyes appeared those crimson sunbeams piercing through the gloomy sky. He took a deep breath, facing his face towards the sky. Feeling the drops swiftly falling on his cheeks, caressing his skin like a gift from the heavens. Yet, as he briefly savored these moments, the rain instantly intensified, and the clouds completely covered the celestial expanse.

The boy sighed, adjusted his hood, and headed straight into the downpour. He walked through the impoverished neighborhood of the quite sizable city known as Detroit. It was already dark — in the autumn, the day plunges into night earlier than in summer. The boy observed what poverty and need could turn people into. To his left, young guys were buying drugs of unknown origin from some local dealer, while at the same time, on the right, a corrupt policeman, waving his badge, was beating a young girl. A man dressed inappropriately for the weather sat on the asphalt road near the steam vents of the city’s heating system, looking up at the sky. Raindrops hit his face, and from the nearby apartment with its illuminated window, the shouts of drunken men and women could be heard. All this darkened the already gloomy atmosphere prevailing in the area.

At some point, the boy, moving forward along this street, caught a strange smell of delicious food from a house right next to him and stopped. This smell didn’t match his surroundings at all. It made the boy walk up to the porch of a three-story apartment building, from which the wonderful aroma emanated. The boy couldn’t pinpoint which apartment the pleasant smell was coming from, but he firmly decided that this was the place where he wanted to stay a little longer.

The boy sat on the porch step under the awning, shielding himself from the rain, and began to watch the downpour. It felt warm here. Nevertheless, the edges of his sweatshirt sleeves, not covered by the leather jacket, and the hood got wet. This prompted him to start squeezing them diligently to dry them as quickly as possible.

Suddenly, behind him, he heard:

— Hi!

It was the voice of a little girl who wasn’t much older than him.

— Hi… — Alex responded with a murmur.

— What are you doing here? — the girl asked.

— Just sitting… — the boy replied.

— Are you hiding from the rain?

— You could say that, — Alex answered with a smile. — Although there’s also a delicious smell here. Can’t figure out where it’s coming from…

— Oh, that’s probably from me… Something special happened with Dad at work, and Mom made a big and tasty dinner for the whole family to celebrate.

The scent made little Alex’s mouth water. He wanted to ask her to share some with him, but all he managed to say was:

— Mm…

— By the way, I’m Anne, and you?

— I’ll tell you if you share something with me!

— Sure, no problem! — surprisingly, the girl said and went home.

When she came out and brought Alex a huge piece of cherry pie, he was completely speechless. Not only did he not expect such kindness from a stranger girl, but he had also only seen cherry pie on display or in pictures before.

— What are you looking at? Take it! — Anne said, offering him a piece of the pie right to his mouth.

Unable to believe the unexpected happiness that had fallen into his lap, he stood motionless like a statue.

— If you don’t want it, I’ll eat it! — the girl then said.

Suddenly, Alex snapped out of it, exclaiming, «No, no, I’ll have it!» He quickly regained his composure and, drooling, snatched the enormous piece from her hands.

As Alex greedily devoured the unexpected gift, the girl suddenly remembered something and decided to ask:

— What’s your name?

— Al-ex! — the boy managed to say with a mouthful of pie.

As soon as Alex got the pie, it disappeared in no time, and little Alex, with a stuffed stomach, exclaimed:

— That was so delicious…

Then a thought crossed Alex’s mind to ask the girl for something more for Remy, but after a brief reflection, he realized it would be too presumptuous and dropped the idea. The girl, on the other hand, exclaimed suddenly:

— The rain stopped!

— Indeed, — Alex said, looking around. — Do you want to go for a walk? There’s a playground nearby with swings and slides…

— My family just moved here, and my dad doesn’t allow me to go out alone yet. Although, judging by what he said about this place, he probably won’t allow it later either.

— Why? — Alex asked.

— He says it’s a dangerous neighborhood. He hopes to move away from here soon.

— Well, then we can sit on this porch a little longer, if you don’t mind, of course, — Alex said with a smile.

— I’m all for it! — the girl replied with a smile.

So Alex and Anne talked for a few more hours until the girl’s father finally called her home. It turned out that the girl, like Alex, had no friends. Due to constant moving, she had to study at home. She spent whole days locked in, occasionally allowing herself to go out on the porch or go somewhere with her parents. It didn’t matter to her how Alex was dressed. It didn’t even matter that sometimes a not-so-pleasant smell emanated from little Alex, as he didn’t have the opportunity to bathe often. What mattered to her was how he behaved and that she could chat with him tirelessly. At least, that’s how Alex saw her.

In the following days, their meetings continued day after day. Out of boredom, they could talk for hours about anything. It was the same on this day. Alex, once again, joyfully returned to his familiar basement after meeting with the sweet girl he considered his friend.

«Remi, how are you?» Alex cheerfully asked, entering the basement.

However, Old Remi didn’t respond. As he lay wrapped in his blanket on the mattress, Alex thought he might be sleeping. At that moment, the boy decided to warm up the porridge, which was stored in the coldest part of the basement and was periodically reheated to remain edible. Alex took a large pot of porridge, added water, and placed it on the hot metal pipe, from which steam was rising. Then Alex decided to rinse Remi’s cup, but when he approached, he saw that the cup was full of cold tea that Alex had poured for Remi earlier that morning. Suddenly, Alex became deeply concerned because Remi had never left the cup untouched until the evening.

«Grandpa Remi…» murmured little Alex. «Grandpa Remi!» he exclaimed loudly.

However, Remi did not respond to the boy’s call.

Then Alex grabbed and began to shake the old man, shouting, «Grandpa! Grandpa Remi!» The boy shook him harder and harder, yelling his name louder over time, but the old man remained silent and motionless. At some point, Alex stopped and, with fear deep in his soul, lifted the edge of Remi’s blanket, covering half of the old man’s head. Feeling his heart filled with horror, he saw Remi’s pale and lifeless face. In that moment, Alex placed his hand on Remi’s shoulder and tried to shake him a few more times, but without shouting. Still, there was no sign of life. Removing his hand from Remi’s cold shoulder, Alex quietly said, «Dad…» and then turned around slowly. He walked towards the exit of the basement, equally slow and silent, completely lost.

When he stepped outside, he simply walked wherever his eyes led him. He didn’t care about anything happening around him. He just walked and walked, trying with all his might not to think about anything. Until, by chance or as a result of unconscious muscle memory, he arrived at Anne’s house. Though the sunset was approaching, he knew she shouldn’t be asleep by this time, and he also knew which window emitted light from her personal room. Then Alex realized that an intense desire to talk to someone, to distract himself from horrifying thoughts, had overcome him. So, he decided to somehow reach out to his only friend, this girl, no matter what. The window of her room was quite high, so without much thought, Alex turned over a half-empty metal garbage bin near the building where the girl lived and climbed on it to barely reach the window. However, when he did this, to his surprise, he couldn’t find her or any of her relatives she often told him about. Instead, he saw an elderly woman in the room, surrounded by many cats and several dogs. Then he thought he might have confused something and decided to check two adjacent windows. Moving the garbage bin again, he climbed on it, and in the room, he saw only a few more of the woman’s pets, which likely also belonged to the old lady. Then he checked another adjacent window, but, looking into it, he found nothing but an empty room in semi-darkness. This greatly alarmed the boy, so he decided to check even more adjacent windows. However, everything he could see there bore no resemblance to what Anne had described, not to mention the fact that Anne herself was nowhere to be found. Then, in a hurry, he checked the house number, but it fully matched the house where the girl should live, which made Alex even more confused. After a little thought, he realized he had no choice but to knock directly on the door, hoping someone inside would open it and clarify what was happening. Alex approached the door, and just before knocking, he suddenly remembered that Anne had told him about frequently moving and that her father had long wanted to leave this rather criminal neighborhood. «Could they have moved?» he thought, and then, gathering courage, he knocked on the door. Of course, after the first knock, no one thought to respond, so the little Alex knocked again and again. He persistently banged on the door harder and harder until, at one moment, the door suddenly opened, revealing the elderly woman with a large number of pets.

«Are you crazy, little boy?» the woman shouted with obvious displeasure.

«Anne should live here,» Alex mumbled, slightly frightened by her.

«There’s no girl here!» she yelled. «Get out of here!»

«She has to be here!» he insisted. «Did her family move?»

«What family?» the woman asked in surprise. «There were no families here! Just junkies and drunks! God didn’t send a single decent person to this wretched building…»

«How can there be none?» Alex asked in amazement. «I’ve been talking to her here almost every day for about two weeks! Her mom always cooked deliciously, which made this place smell so good! And she lived right there!» he said, pointing to the windows.

«You’re pointing at my windows, kid!» the woman said warily. «It never smelled good here… It always stinks because of the local drunks! And don’t you dare come here again and knock either, or next time, I won’t be so kind — I’ll call the police!»

Then the boy looked around again to make sure he was where he should be and said to the old woman:

«I know she lives here! Or at least she used to…»

Enraged, the woman grabbed a broom and began to swing it while screeching:

«Get out of here, kid! Go away!»

This frightened little Alex even more, and he quickly ran away from her.

«And don’t you dare come back!» the old woman shouted after him.

Alex ran and was on the verge of tears. In an instant, he lost all the people he considered family. Emotions overwhelmed him. He ran headlong until he was completely out of breath and fell right on the asphalt. Suddenly, it seemed like all his strength was drained, and he couldn’t even cry. He stood up and, seeing a nearby playground, walked slowly towards it. Eventually, reaching a rusty carousel seat, he, completely morally crushed and broken, sat down. By that time, the sun had set, and everything around slowly began to darken. Besides, it was rapidly getting colder. However, Alex had no desire to go home, as there lay the pale and cold body of the person who raised him. Sitting on the rusty carousel, looking down, Alex could only continue to exist in these moments, sighing heavily.

Suddenly, as Alex was in a state somewhere between senseless self-flagellation and prostration, a pack of stray dogs appeared from around the corner of a house in the dimly lit street. There were so many dogs compared to the small Alex that when he saw them, he quickly forgot about all his incredibly burdensome problems and started thinking about how to escape from there as soon as possible without being noticed. Unfortunately, the pack of stray dogs noticed him as quickly as he noticed them, and they immediately rushed towards him. Seeing the rapidly approaching pack, Alex first thought of quickly fleeing, but then suddenly remembered that Remi, during their time together, had taught him many things. One of these teachings was that it’s pointless to run from a dog unless you’re the world champion in running. Running usually stimulates them even more to chase, as they often see their prey in a fleeing object based on their natural instincts. The best way out of such a situation is to do absolutely nothing — just freeze like a statue or pretend to be already dead. That’s exactly what little Alex, listening to his own reasoning, did. The dogs, surprisingly to Alex, just settled down or lay around him as if they were at home.

— And what? You won’t eat me? — Alex mumbled in confusion.

Suddenly, he heard a distinctly human voice say:

— Eat? Oh please… There’s only enough skin and bones here to play with.

— Who said that? — the boy exclaimed sharply.

Alex looked around, but no one who could have said such a thing was detected.

— Who is he talking to? — suddenly came again.

— Who said that? — Alex exclaimed again, causing some of the dogs to stand up abruptly.

— He’s not talking about us, is he? — came again from somewhere else.

— Why would humans understand us? — another voice came from yet another source.

— You didn’t say that, did you? — Alex asked in amazement.

— It seems like he does understand us.

— No, no way. That can’t be!

— I hear you! — Alex exclaimed.

Then even more dogs abruptly jumped up, and a few even approached him, standing right in front of him.

— What am I saying, little human? Do you really understand me?

— Yes, I understand… — Alex said in amazement, looking into the eyes of the dog that was staring directly at him. — But how do you speak when your mouth doesn’t move at all?

— Does he understand us?

— How?

— Unbelievable…

— Quiet, everyone! — suddenly declared the dog standing right in front of Alex, growling threateningly towards the others, and then asked the boy: — Who are you, little human, and why do you understand us?

— I guess I’ve completely lost it… — Alex said, suddenly bursting into tears. — Grandpa Remy left me. My only friend just disappeared… Or maybe she was never there?.. What’s happening to me!

— It seems he has some problems… — came from one of the dogs.

— Are you okay, little human? — asked the dog standing right in front of Alex.

— Today my father died while I was walking with, I guess, an imaginary friend. So — no, not everything is okay! — exclaimed Alex, crying.

— Can we help you with anything, little human? — asked the dog.

— Why should we help him, Nay? — suddenly said another dog, addressing the dog that was talking to Alex. — We have enough problems of our own. We still need to get a bunch of food, for example!

— You’re right, Boll… but when was the last time you saw a human capable of talking to us?

— Um… Never! — answered Boll.

— Same here! What if he can be useful to us? We’ll help him, and he’ll help us! — declared Nay.

Meanwhile, Alex, listening to the dogs’ conversation, was just trying to come to his senses, thinking that he was going crazy.

— So, how can we help you, little human?

— Are you with me on this? — asked a bewildered Alex.

— I don’t see any other little humans around…

Alex burst into tears again, saying:

— I must be going crazy!

The dogs looked at each other, and Nay, the dog standing right in front of Alex, suddenly growled menacingly several times in the direction of the crying Alex, who abruptly stopped crying.

— Stop doing that, little human, and answer whether you need help! — Nay declared.

— Help? — asked Alex, wiping his tears. — You can hardly help me resurrect Grandpa Remy. Or at least bury him… Although… He always wanted to be cremated…

— We can’t resurrect people, but we can help you cremate your Grandpa Remy, if you mean burning his dead body, of course, — Nay said.

— But you’ll help us get food in return! — added Boll a little discontentedly — and all the dogs around supported him with their barks.

— Can you really help? — asked the boy.

— It seems only if you help us get food for my pack afterwards, but yes, we will help you!

— It seems that even madness has its advantages… — suddenly, with a sad and uncertain voice, Alex said and finally managed to get up from the carousel seat with difficulty. — Let’s go; I’ll show you where he is! Otherwise, I’m freezing here… — rubbing his shoulders, the boy added.

And off they went down the dark and deserted streets of Detroit. Along the way, Alex continued to listen to the dogs’ conversations, which gave him some insight into their lives. For example, about their nomadic lifestyle because they are constantly chased by some evil humans, or about the fact that finding food becomes worse and worse as winter approaches, and also about how Nay has been the leader of their small pack for three years already.

When they finally arrived at the place, Alex initially had no desire to go back into the basement, where the lifeless body of Remy awaited him. The dogs, almost all of them, entered inside after Nay. One of the dogs that stayed outside suddenly said to him in a female voice:

— Go! What are you waiting for?

After that, Alex looked at the dogs left outside and, finding strength in himself, still went inside.

Inside, the dogs had already settled around the mattress on which the deceased Remy lay. Alex, seeing this, slowly approached them, standing right next to the corpse.

— Wrap him in this mattress and blankets, and tie everything up! — Nay said. — It’s dark and deserted outside now. A perfect time to drag a human corpse through the streets without attracting unnecessary attention!

Alex sighed and nodded his head, slowly starting to fulfill Nay’s request. It was hard for the boy to look into the eyes of the lifeless body, which he had once seen alive. So, first, he wrapped the head in a blanket, and then the rest of the body. After that, Alex took the scissors and the oldest sheet he could find around. He made several ropes out of it. Then he approached the body wrapped from head to toe again and started wrapping it in the mattress on which it lay, simultaneously tying it up. A little later, he finished all the preparations for transporting the corpse.

— Now it’s our turn! — Nay said to Alex. — Let’s go! — he then said to the others and grabbed the mattress with his teeth, starting to drag the wrapped corpse. The rest immediately came to their leader’s aid.

Slowly but surely, and not without Alex’s help, they managed to pull the dead man out of the basement onto the street. However, there was still a quite long way ahead, and dragging the corpse in this way would not be very practical. This prompted little Alex to put another sheet on ropes, with which he tied some of the dogs and also attached them to the mattress at its bindings. This was supposed to significantly speed up the transportation of the corpse to its destination.

In the end, Alex, throwing one of these ropes over his shoulder too, wearily said:

— Well, let’s go towards the forest…

After that, some dogs barked, and the load started moving. So, they moved along the semi-deserted streets of the night city towards its wooded outskirts.

There were very few people on their way, and those who happened to see this strange scene with the dogs and the boy dragging something in a mattress through the streets had long been accustomed to the fact that they sometimes see strange things. Although the dogs could move this load faster, they unanimously decided not to hurry because of the slow little human who initiated all this. Therefore, they spent half the night on the road to the forest, and upon arriving near the cemetery, they spent just as much time gathering and arranging large logs and sticks for kindling. When all the preparations were finally complete, the dawn sun was slowly appearing on the horizon.

— Do you have something to ignite it with? — asked Boll.

Alex looked at the dog and took out a metal lighter from his pocket. He lit it and brought the flame to some papers at the base of the pile made of sticks and large logs, which was literally piled with the mattress-wrapped Remy’s body. As a result, a large bonfire ignited and, a little later, truly flared up.

— Forgive me, Remy… — Alex said, shedding a tear. — I hope you’ll be better in the other world…

For a little while, the pack and the boy watched the blazing bonfire. However, when the sun had fully risen above the horizon, and the fire had almost died out, young Alex, taking a piece of cloth, gathered some ash from the edge of the bonfire. He carried it to a tree and sprinkled it directly underneath, placing a few stones on top. Only after this, already yawning in unison with some dogs, Alex finally headed back to his familiar basement.

After a silent journey, Alex eventually reached his home. Upon entering, extremely tired, he almost instantly flopped onto his mattress — and this time, he shared his resting place and warmth with his new furry friends.

...Alex woke up the next morning at dawn. By that time, the dogs had already created some commotion around, as if preparing for something important. Alex, seeing this, was quite surprised.

— I thought it was a dream, — he said, rubbing his eyes. — What are you doing here? — he asked.

— Getting ready for a hunt! — Nay declared in response. — We’re heading to the forest… Maybe we’ll find something along the way!

— So you get your food by hunting? — Alex asked.

— Mostly, — Nay replied. — But we have special members of the pack, like Max. He’s better at begging because people really like his cute appearance.

— Hm, — Alex uttered, looking around. — I don’t see any… Probably, you mean the one with perfectly clean fur?

— Yes, — Nay answered. — Exactly. He’s already gone to perform his duty for the pack! And we’re about to… and you too, if you haven’t forgotten our agreement!

Hearing this, Alex stretched, reluctantly got up, and said:

— Yes, I remember, I remember…

While the dogs discussed where, how, and for whom they would hunt, Alex casually made his way to the nearest bag containing various grains for porridge.

— Here! — said Alex, throwing the bag next to Nay. — You can cook this in that big pot! It should be enough for all of you! I won’t be able to eat all of this in a year. And you can get more on the way…

The dogs looked at this, and Nay, as their leader, decided to express their collective point of view:

— Porridge is good, of course, but it wouldn’t hurt to have some meat with it…

— Well, you really need hunting for that, probably, — replied Alex. — Or you can steal something…

— Where to steal? — suddenly asked Boll.

— Maybe in some meat store, eatery, or restaurant, probably.

— Can you do that? — Nay asked.

— I can try if you want… But we definitely need someone to distract people because stealing something at night is too difficult due to everything being closed.

— We have Max! — Boll declared, seemingly smiling.

— Yes… Max will handle this very well, — Nay supported him.

— So, we’re robbing a meat shop? — another dog asked.

— The little human says he’s ready, — Boll answered.

While Alex was innocently nodding, one of the dogs asked in a menacing voice:

— So, does it mean that the hunt is canceled today?

— No, Spike! — Nay replied. — This plan may fail miserably, but if we need something, not trying to make it happen given such an opportunity would be stupid. So, some of us will go hunting, and some will go with me and the little human on this adventure! I was just about to appoint you in charge of our hunt today.

To which Spike responded with an angry bark and then went to gather those who were supposed to go hunting with him. Nay decided to ask the boy:

— Do you know any places where we can snatch a couple of pieces of meat?

— Quite a few! — licking his lips, Boll added to Nay’s words.

— There’s one place a few blocks away in that direction! — pointing to his right, Alex said.

— Great! — Nay declared. — While we’re getting ready and planning, Boll, go find Max!

— Okay! — said Boll and quickly ran off.

— Well, are you ready, little human? — Nay asked.

To which Alex, once again, nodded without hesitation.

After some time, Alex, Nay, Boll, Max, and several other dogs gathered near a solitary meat shop located on the ground floor of a four-story building.

«Well… As we agreed… We go in through the service entrance, and you and Max teach these simpletons lessons in acting!» Nay said.

After that, Alex and Nay headed towards an alley between two buildings, while the rest of the dogs went towards the main entrance. Meanwhile, one of the dogs stood guard, and another, holding a broken piece of a mop, ran around the smoking employee in the alley.

«What about him?» Nay asked the dog on guard.

«He’s almost finished smoking,» the dog replied.

«He’s leaving, he’s leaving!» Alex suddenly said.

At the same time, the dog next to the smoking employee leisurely followed him with the stick in its mouth.

«Oh no! No! Yuck! You can’t!» the man said to the dog, thinking it wanted to enter the shop with him. As the service entrance door usually closed by itself, he didn’t manually close it, allowing the dog to cleverly wedge the stick into the gap between the door frame and the door itself, preventing it from fully closing.

«Well done, Tucker!» the dog on guard muttered to himself, standing next to Alex and Nay.

«Excellent, forward!» Nay commanded.

After this command, Nay went towards Max, and then Nay and Alex approached the service entrance.

When they reached the dog named Tucker, Alex immediately grabbed the door and opened it so that he and Nay could enter smoothly.

«Good job, Tucker!» Nay praised the agile dog, to which Tucker nodded as if acknowledging the leader’s words.

«No one’s here!» Alex declared, peeking into the service area of the shop.

After that, Alex and Nay went inside.

«Watch the door!» Nay told Tucker after they entered.

Meanwhile, a real circus was happening at the main entrance. Max, being a rather affable dog, pretended to be the victim of a gang of evil stray dogs, which were cornered. Well, not exactly cornered… Max himself rushed inside the shop, and the other dogs began to bark furiously at him through the shop window. One of the shop employees immediately closed the door, thinking that by doing so, he prevented other dogs from entering the shop after their prey, Max. Soon, the entire shop staff gathered to witness this show.

«Poor little dog,» said one of the workers, stroking Max behind the ear.

«They cornered the poor thing,» remarked another.

The rest watched the hostile pack of dogs on the other side of the window. Someone even called the police. Meanwhile, Alex, in the office, struggled to open the refrigerator door, pulling on its handle without success.

«It seems you lack the strength!» Nei teased him.

«I know!» Alex replied, frustrated.

«We need to hurry! Max won’t last long!»

After a few futile attempts, Alex reluctantly accepted that he, being like he is, lacked the strength. After a brief moment of thought, he remembered something Remi once told him.

«A lever!» Alex exclaimed. «Fetch that stick!»

Nei brought the broken piece of a mop in his teeth, and Alex used it as a lever on the handle. With a little pressure, the door finally opened. Within seconds, a real treasure appeared before Alex and Nei, judging by their expressions.

«Look how big it is!» Nei exclaimed, seeing a massive piece of ham right in the middle of the refrigerated room.

Saying this, Nei immediately rushed towards the ham, biting onto the huge salty pork leg and pulling it out of the fridge. Meanwhile, Alex had the idea to roll a metal cart to the heavy piece of meat.

«Yes, you’re right! This will work better,» Nei said, surprised to see Alex with the cart.

«I knew you’d like it!» Alex replied.

After managing to load the meat onto the cart, they swiftly rolled it out of the office.

«Are you serious?» Tucker asked, seeing this.

«Inform the others quickly!» Nei told Tucker.

«Well, as you say!» Tucker said and ran to the main entrance of the store.

«Can you handle this cart?» Nei asked Alex.

As usual, Alex remained unperturbed and replied, «Of course!»

«Then let’s go!» Nei added. «We’ll amuse them a bit more here and catch up with you later!»

Alex naively nodded his head, grabbing the cart with both hands and ran away from the store, rolling the cart in front of him. Nei headed towards his companions.

Alex’s joy knew no bounds. Although Remi taught him that stealing is wrong, he managed to complete an extremely challenging task and even helped others like him — the homeless dogs. To his surprise, it warmed his heart. So, he joyfully rolled the cart with ham through the street, surprising passersby. Soon, his furry friends caught up with him.

«You did great!» Boll said, running up to the boy.

«What a huge piece…» Max commented. «And this little guy is not bad at all!»

«That’s true!» Nei added.

«Have you started drooling, Max?» Boll teased. «I remember you’ve already had your meal, so don’t think you’ll get an extra portion for your special talents.»

«Has Max had lunch?» Alex asked.

«Yeah!» Boll confirmed.

«Anyway, if we cook this together with porridge, it’ll be enough for all of us,» Alex suggested. «Let’s celebrate our victory today and feast to our heart’s content.»

«Well, okay…» Boll agreed. «Your plan is not bad either!»

«What’s your name, little guy?» Nei asked.

«Grandpa Remi named me Alex!»

«Alex!» one of the dogs said.

«Alex!» another one repeated.

«Alex, Alex, Alex…» echoed every dog around him.

«What’s going on with them?» the boy asked.

«Initiation into our pack…» Nei replied. «Now you’re a member!»

«And are you my leader?» Alex asked with a grin.

«Exactly!» replied Nei.

After that, Alex burst into laughter. The sight of a boy rolling a cart with a massive piece of ham through the streets of a poor, crime-ridden neighborhood surrounded by a pack of stray dogs was quite an amusing picture for the people they encountered on their way. Among these people were those who could be called real bandits, but even they dared not say a word to the boy, as no one wanted to deal with a pack of stray dogs. When they returned to the basement, it turned out that Spike and his team of hunters also managed to catch a whole beaver, which made the pack members even happier. However, Spike was a bit disappointed as the ham obtained by Nei’s team turned out to be larger than his catch. However, all grievances and troubles were forgotten when Alex, as promised, organized a feast for his furry friends.

From that point on, the life of little Alex slowly but surely began to improve. Occasionally, he and his pack embarked on similar adventures to procure various meat products, which improved over time. They sometimes even managed to get grains for free — the key was knowing where and when. And, of course, the pack never forgot about hunting. All this eventually allowed the dog pack to no longer feel the need for food and live a relatively happy and satisfied life. Alex decided not only to be content with what he had but also to give something to those who, in his opinion, might still need it. Often, the entire pack couldn’t finish all the food they acquired before it spoiled, considering that each pack member typically consumed the meat along with porridge. However, Alex tried to engage in such charity exclusively in the morning, when all the wandering people and animals were still asleep. This was necessary to avoid attracting unnecessary attention and potential problems. For all those whom little Alex helped in this way, the mysterious benefactor remained unknown. For a long time, Alex and his pack lived free from any hardships, but one day everything changed.

After another hunt organized by Nei, Alex arranged a real feast not just for friends but for his family, and the whole pack gathered in their warm basement for this grand dinner in the evening.

«And Alex isn’t that bad at hunting for a human!» Boll said with a smile.

«He’d make a good dog out of him,» another dog added, munching on something.

«I don’t know about you, but I think his hunting achievements today still can’t compare to what our Alex did a couple of weeks ago. Imagine biting that human on the hand so he drops the gun, allowing those weak people to escape. I just can’t forget that…» said the dog sitting next to the leader.

«I just did what you guys taught me…» Alex replied, after which some dogs burst into laughter together.

«Little guy has a real passion for good deeds,» Spike said as the dogs laughed. «One moment, he’s sharing his food with everyone, and the next, he’s saving people from other people…»

«I still can’t believe that such things are still happening on the streets of our city,» Nei said. «I remember being told that in five years, the police would completely eradicate such manifestations of crime in the city. And there was a time when I believed it…»

«Are you reminiscing about your police stories again, Nei?» Boll asked with a smile.

«Well, how can I not remember?..» Nei replied.

«I didn’t know that Max is also good at hunting,» Alex remarked.

«I’ve had this talent since childhood,» Max replied with a smile. «I just happen to be even better at begging for food from people!» he added and burst into laughter.

Suddenly, their evening meal was interrupted by a dog that rushed into the basement, barking loudly to get the attention of the entire pack.

«They’re here! The dog catchers! They’ve got a whole van!» he shouted, barking between words. «I overheard them saying something about ’putting to sleep’! They’ll put to sleep those they catch!»

At that moment, all the dogs panicked.

«What should we do?» Alex asked.

«Run!» Nei shouted loudly and dashed out of the basement.

Following Nei, every member of the dog pack moved in the same direction, and Alex was no exception.

When Alex ran out of the basement, a horrifying scene unfolded before him. Some members of his pack were already caught in nets. Among them were Nei, Boll, and even Max. Some dogs lay unconscious near the dog catchers for some reason.

The sight infuriated little Alex, and he rushed to the aid of his canine family members. He fiercely attacked one of the dog catchers, hitting him as hard as he could, shouting, «Let them go! Let them go!»

«What’s this little brat…» the dog catcher muttered, trying to push the enraged boy away.

However, in response to the catcher’s attempts, Alex began to bite like a dog.

«Help me get him off, Ray!» one catcher shouted to the other, and then both catchers tried to restrain the unruly Alex.

Meanwhile, the other two catchers loaded the captured dogs into the van. «No! Let go!» Alex screamed, still trying to break free. However, against two grown men, his attempts were entirely futile.

«He got you good!» one of the catchers, the most bitten by Alex, remarked to his companion. When all the dogs were loaded into the van, the bitten catcher, now angry, exclaimed, «Thought you were a dog, kid, huh? Fine! Then you’re riding with them!» He threw Alex into the van with Nei, Boll, Max, and the other dogs, slamming the van door in front of him. Meanwhile, outside the van, they could hear, «Did you go too far with the kid?» «No! A brat needs to learn some manners! Let him learn a lesson!»

Soon, the catchers got into the front cabin, closed the doors, and the van started moving. «How are you guys in there?» Alex asked. «I can’t see anything!»

«No better place to be!» Boll sarcastically replied.

«How did you manage to get caught?» Alex asked.

«How did you end up here?» Max countered.

«I tried to save you, and they caught me…»

«We tried to save others!» Max replied.

«Sorry!» a whimpering dog apologized.

«No point apologizing,» another dog said. «Can’t change anything now!»

«What about you, Nei?» Alex asked. «Why are you silent?»

However, Nei didn’t rush to respond, at least not initially.

«What’s there to say?» Nei said with seriousness. «The main thing is that most of the pack managed to escape. I fulfilled my duty, and that’s what matters. I’ve been running from catchers for too long… And fate finally caught up with me.»

«Why are you all so sad? We can still escape!» Alex exclaimed.

«Alex,» Max said, «don’t! You’re still too young, and you don’t understand much yet. There’s no escaping them. Everyone in this city knows it. No one has succeeded over the years. Getting caught here means the end for any dog. There are only rumors around the city about those who managed to escape. It’s impossible. This is the end for us…»

«No!» Alex suddenly burst into tears. «If I lose you all, then… I don’t know how I’ll go on living!»

«It’s okay, Alex!» Nei said. «You’ll find the strength. I know it!»

After those words, Boll even managed to smile for some reason. «And what?» Alex asked. «You’ll just give up?»

«Well…» Boll began, but suddenly the van jolted forward, as if it had collided with something while still in motion. Alex hit his head slightly and felt disoriented. Most of the dogs in the van were also recovering after the impact.

«What happened?» one of the dogs asked.

«Don’t know,» another replied.

«We clearly hit something!» Boll said.

Suddenly, footsteps of a lone person could be heard on the other side of the van, approaching from the front to the back. Inside the dark cargo space, nothing could be heard. Then, after a few more moments, the van door was forcefully opened by a huge and intimidating figure dressed entirely in black. The surroundings were too dark to see the face of this strange stranger. The dogs started barking loudly at the frightening person in black. However, in just a couple of moments, they all fell silent simultaneously. This terrified Alex, but it didn’t end there. A few seconds later, blood started to flow from the eyes of all the dogs, and one by one, they began to drop lifelessly around Alex. Witnessing this horror, a frightened Alex recoiled from the menacing stranger and pressed against the wall, afraid to utter a word. However, that wasn’t the end of it. A few seconds later, blood started flowing from the eyes of all the dogs, and one by one, they began to drop lifelessly around Alex. Witnessing this horror, a frightened Alex recoiled from the menacing stranger and pressed against the wall, afraid to utter a word.

As if by magic, all the dogs around Alex suddenly stopped barking. This unnerved Alex, but it didn’t end there. A few seconds later, blood started flowing from the eyes of all the dogs, and one by one, they began to drop lifelessly around Alex. Seeing this horror, a frightened Alex recoiled from the menacing stranger and pressed against the wall, afraid to utter a word.

«What’s happening?» one of the dogs asked.

«I don’t know,» another replied.

«We definitely crashed into something!» Boll said.

Suddenly, on the other side of the van, there were quite loud footsteps of a solitary person approaching from the front to the back of the van. In the pitch-dark cargo space, nothing could be heard. Then, after a few more moments, the van’s door was forcefully opened by a huge and intimidating figure dressed entirely in black. The surroundings were too dark to see the face of this strange stranger. The dogs started barking loudly at the frightening person in black. However, in just a couple of moments, they all fell silent simultaneously. This terrified Alex, but it didn’t end there. A few seconds later, blood started flowing from the eyes of all the dogs, and one by one, they began to drop lifelessly around Alex. Witnessing this horror, a frightened Alex recoiled from the menacing stranger and pressed against the wall, afraid to utter a word.

As if by magic, all the dogs around Alex suddenly stopped barking. This unnerved Alex, but it didn’t end there. A few seconds later, blood started flowing from the eyes of all the dogs, and one by one, they began to drop lifelessly around Alex. Seeing this horror, a frightened Alex recoiled from the menacing stranger and pressed against the wall, afraid to utter a word.

Then, through the van’s opened door, a mysterious and menacing figure dressed in black entered. The dogs, initially barking aggressively, suddenly fell silent in his presence. This figure approached Alex, reached out his hand, and, seemingly by sheer force of will, pulled him towards him. Alex, now unable to resist, was abruptly pulled towards the stranger, who grabbed him by the clothing. The stranger then silently dragged Alex away from the van.

«No! Let go! Please! No!» Crying and struggling in an attempt to break free from the stranger’s grip, Alex pleaded, but his cries and attempts to move in the opposite direction were entirely futile. Inevitably, the stranger continued to pull Alex away.

At that moment, a real panic attack overwhelmed little Alex. The stranger continued to move forward, dragging the terrified boy with him.

In those moments of despair, little Alex, overwhelmed by his own helplessness, didn’t know what to do. However, miraculously, he managed to find a spark of anger within himself, which he used to deliver a powerful blow to the stranger’s hand.

The chance that this would help him in any way after everything that had happened was minuscule, but at that moment, something truly incredible occurred. Upon contact with the stranger, Alex’s hand suddenly glowed brightly, and something remotely resembling a small explosion took place. Alex was thrown away, and the silent stranger was slightly staggered. Falling onto the asphalt, the boy, breathing heavily, tried to regain his composure as quickly as possible and ran away from the stranger as fast as he could.

Alex ran with all his might, wiping away his tears. However, suddenly, streetlights around him began to shatter one after another. No matter how much Alex tried to suppress his fear due to what was happening, it was impossible. It was horrifying.

Then, he realized that he was being magically drawn towards the stranger again. At this moment, little Alex started breathing as fast and deeply as possible. Indeed, the boy was slowly approaching the stranger against his will. He didn’t know what to do.

Suddenly, he noticed an old metal pipe fragment with a sharpened end in a pile of garbage nearby. Without much thought, Alex grabbed the fragment, hoping to defend himself somehow. Realizing that he couldn’t resist, the boy somehow found the courage to grip the piece of pipe, as if it were a sword. He understood that he had no other choice, so, against his will, little Alex took it upon himself to charge towards the stranger, who seemed completely unprepared.

As the boy rushed towards the stranger, something seemed to empower him. He didn’t understand why this was happening, but it didn’t matter. In the end, the boy collided with the one who, for some inexplicable reason, came for his soul and thrust the sharp end of the pipe fragment into him.

Alex closed his eyes when it happened. He could only hear the sound and feel how his imaginary sword plunged into the stranger. When Alex opened his eyes, much to his surprise, he saw a real sword with a golden hilt in his hands, not a piece of pipe. The little Alex, incredibly surprised that he had succeeded, first looked at the sword, then slowly raised his gaze, and finally looked at the face of the stranger he had struck. It seemed like everything was fine, but a moment later, someone with a disfigured face suddenly screamed, frightening Alex again. Then, from the wound of the stranger, a bright glow began to emanate. With each passing second, this someone seemed to be burning, and something radiant appeared in the place of what had burned. It illuminated the dark street around Alex more and more. Soon, instead of the dark silent stranger, someone radiant appeared in front of the boy. At that moment, the boy silently froze with fear and amazement. The radiant someone extended a hand to Alex, touched his forehead, said, «Thank you!» and then, seemingly faster than lightning, rushed towards the night sky, towards the stars, in the blink of an eye. After that, the light went out again, and silence fell. Alex, barely understanding whether he was in reality or in a dream, found himself alone in the middle of a dark street. He looked at the bloodied sword, fearfully threw it aside, and then fell to his knees, unable to believe what had happened to him.

CHAPTER 2 «DARK MANDATE»

Evening. The dark outskirts of the city were only slightly illuminated by the advertising signs of local establishments and a few street lamps. A light and wet snowfall covered the streets with snow. Few passersby silently and gloomily hurried somewhere. A seemingly seventeen-year-old guy in fairly formal attire and a wool coat walked along the sidewalk. His hair could have fluttered in the wind as it was not covered by a headgear, and they clearly reached his shoulders, but they were tightly tied in a small ponytail, preventing them from doing so.

Suddenly, out of the blue, the guy abruptly stopped and reluctantly entered a local bar. It wasn’t exactly bustling with life on this sultry evening, but there were some scantily dressed girls of easy virtue, a man desperately trying to explain something to them, and a bartender serving them. It was evident that the man’s speech didn’t appeal to the girls. As soon as the guy entered, he relieved the girls from the man’s talk, as he abruptly closed his mouth and turned towards the guy. At that moment, it seemed like the man, upon seeing this guy, was simply petrified.

«Aleks,» the man said with a smile. «Long time no see… Or should I call you „Stray Dog,“ as they’ve been calling you lately?»

Aleks looked around, and instead of answering the question, he asked his own:

«Do you know why I’m here, Nix?»

«Why be so direct about business, Aleks?» Nix replied. «Let’s sit down, have a drink, discuss everything like men… Come on,» he added, waving his hand towards himself, and then calmly walked towards the boy.

To which Aleks suddenly reached for something under his coat. In the same moment, as if possessing extremely quick reflexes, Nix did exactly the same. If before, the girls were chatting among themselves about various topics, including discussing the guest, from this second everything abruptly fell silent. The atmosphere in the bar seemed to freeze.

«Ladies, please, step aside!» Nix said, transitioning to a more serious tone.

After this, the girls timidly and slowly moved aside from the bar counter where the bartender stood, attempting to feign composure.

«You too, let’s go!» Alex said, looking at the bartender.

«Okay, okay!» the bartender exclaimed and moved in the direction of the girls.

After that, Alex and Nix seemed to lock eyes with each other.

«I had no choice, Alex, and you know it!» Nix exclaimed.

Afterward, Alex looked down for a moment and let out a heavy sigh, as if expressing regret.

«What was I supposed to do, let them do it to my sister?» Nix asked again.

«Forgive me, Nix, but you know the rules! Out of respect for you and your merits, the boss agreed only to take away a couple of your fingers, not to kill you. After all, who, if not you, knows what happens when you’re removed from the organization’s lists.»

«Well, you can try…» Nix retorted. «Come on!» he added. «I also know that the stories about you single-handedly defeating three gangs are nothing more than an exaggeration. You’re not immortal!»

To which Alex said, «I’ll give you a choice… You can deprive yourself of your fingers on your own, or I’ll be forced to do it!»

Nix smiled and said, «Damn son of a bitch…» Then, in a fraction of a second, he pulled a gun from under his jacket and aimed the pistol at Alex.

…However, as soon as he almost aimed the gun at the target, a shot rang out from the opposite side. It was Alex.

«A-a-a…» Nix exclaimed. «Fingers! You shot off my damn fingers!»

«I don’t even know if I helped you or if it’s your own fault since you did everything to get me to take them away from you,» Alex said. «But now you know who’s the better shooter between us, as you once desperately wanted to know.»

«How many fingers do you need?» Nix asked, breathing heavily.

«Two more…» Alex reluctantly replied.

«I’d better be killed… Bastards!»

After these words, Alex slowly moved towards the bar counter and then sat down. At the same time, the bartender nervously twitched, standing next to the frightened girls.

«Are you going to continue on your own?» Alex asked, sighing.