In a small village which seemed to be unhabited, one could think so, due the delabrated state of the houses, and rugged state of the roads and street. Live didn't seem to be pinky here but rather dark, despairful and hopeless. The habitants of the village, clad in clothing which could be considered as rags from the gutters or bins from the other prestigious Villages and Kingdoms. Atleast that was all they could afford for themselves. They were quite few in the village, and they seemed abandoned to themselves. Merchants on the streets early had fruits, vegetables and foodstuffs on their display table.
Even those who were in possession of fruits and foodstuffs on their display tables, hardly had the fresh fruits, rayoning and sparkling of their colors, with their full sufficient amount of nutrients they could offer to maintain a human life properly. It was hard for them, and nothing seemed to show sign of ever changing to the best. The level of theft from the Great Kingdom's army was unorthodox and rising. They careless about the survival the inhabitants, imposing high taxes, killing those who decide to oppose them, raping and abducting women, even the 15 years old girls suffer this mattyr. Farmland were burnt to ashes, inhibiting the growth of crops and hence the source of foodstuffs and livestocks.
The merchands tried to travel to other villages but this villages was rather far away from the other villages, the routes full with beasts, monsters and other vile entities. Passing true dense forests, bloodred swamps and cool caves habouring entities you wouldn't want to face. It was a suicide to travel across these features habouring a whole lot of pestilence, calamities and beasts at all corners.
Even with the level of dangerousity of the journey, some brave merchands tried but they never came back. Poverty, famine, thirst, dispair reigned in the vicinity of the village. The villagers all malnourished, had literally dark bags under their eyes which were all sunken, their skin has all flakky, flaccid and dehydrated, some barely had balance when walking, others were laid on the streets not moving, no mouthing a word, expressionless, moving closer to the world of the death.
In an alley, full of dirt, crumbs, flies and an unbearable smell, two individuals were lying on a trashbag and some littered sewage. A 15years old boy, with a sharp Silver-white spike hair almost metallic in its sheen, sticking up in tousled angles with eyes narrow and foxlike, with piercing crimson-red irises that gleam with mischief, pain and deadly intent, but still calm, unreadable but stormy, with a rather rugged body, full of scars here and there, evidence of beatings or maybe Fights.
Clad in seemingly same outfit as all the villages same as the individual with him. He was hugging his sister from the rain that started to fall, removing his t-shirt which he placed above her head. She had Silver hairs that lashed down to her waist, compared to him, she had no scars, but her skin was more flakkier and more flaccid than his. Dark bags under her eyes which were already sunken.
"Don't worry sis, I will protect with my life, I will never leave anything hurt you" said the boy as tightly hugged his sister to provide her more heat so she won't catch a cold.
They were both malnourished and thirsty but she was suffering more from it. She was more younger and she need an adequate amount of nutrients constantly to maintain her body in state. He seemed fine, he had bags under his eyes but they weren't that dark comparing to his sister's, and his eyes weren't sunken. For some reason, one could say his body has adapted to this new mode of life, doing the strict to consume stored carbohydrates and fats. True his skin was flaccid and flakky, but he was alot healthier than the other villagers. On his back, marks and scars from beating and torturing with lashes was seen all over his back. At his age he has already undergone alot. Life wasn't really pinky here.
"E..E..Ethan, when will this end...when will this torment end...when will we be able to feed properly...when will we have a better life...when will we...cough...cough...cough"
The little girl mumbled to his earing, her voice sounded dead, devoid of life, full or pain and sorrow, weeping river of tears. Hearing this Ethan hugged his sister more tightly, trying to comfort her as much as he could "Hey, Licia you don't have to cry, I will fix things up trust. I will do everything possible to feed you properly, we will live the life we have been longing for so long, abundant foods and drinks, I will provide everything that you need sister. I promise you that"
Ethan said those words out calmly to his sister. His voice was calm but yet it was full of hope and determination. His sister was the only one he had left and he was ready to do everything possible just to give her a better life. His loves for her was so much that his own life matters less to him, he will dedicate it fully to his sister, for her wellbeing and nothing else, even if he was to lost his life, as long as it is for Licia, he will be glad to do it.
"I will take you far away from her kiddo, far from this scum of a place. You will eat to your satisfaction everyday of your life. I will also take to see Ponies and Unicorns, you like those right? " Ehan said with a smile on his face. His sister smiled and said "Yes brother, they are my favorite, I love them so much" "Hahaha, then I will take you to see them far form this place" Ethan laughed, seeing his sister smile after do long. Though she was pale, she still had the same radiant smile she had back in the days when their parents were still alive.
"Brother you promise me to take me far from here and also to see Unicorns and ponies" Licia said with a glimmer of hope in her eyes, as if Ethan sparked her essence back, giving her a reason to stick tight to life.
Ethan separated the hug, he held his sister's cheeks and smiled looking directly in her eyes and said "I promise, it's a vowed I take"
Hearing those, Licia jumped on her brother, smiling and hugging him tight, tears of joy rolling down her cheeks "Thank you brother, I trust you"
Ethan knew it was impossible to do all that he promised, but he had hope and determination burning inside him. A burning flame that wasn't ready to wear off and loose intensity. He was determined he would surely find a solution to this, no matter what it cost him, Licia's happiness, survival and welfare was his priority.
The rain stopped, and his sister was sleeping. He decided to lay her on the bag, covering her with some other trash bag and his t-shirt so she won't catch a cold. Walking out of the alley where they were, Ethan was walking on the streets now, not caring about the villagers. He had only one location in his head right now and one objective, which was to find food for Licia when she wakes up. She hasn't eaten for 4days now and her deteriorating state was already alarming.
Ethan reached his location, a display counter with fruits, vegetables, buns, breads and other stuffs. It was a Merchand stand, this one was more prestigious that the other Merchands, he had brighter fruits and veggies, buns, and the bread wasn't that unattractive, enough to make mouths salivate, enough to attract the villagers to get some for their homes. But due to the scarcity, the price was abit high, too good to be real. And due to the high taxes by the Great Kingdom army for protection and other policies, the income wasn't at the top.
Ethan, already close to host target, he hid behind a stack of five barrels, moving cautiously, slowly but surely towards the stand. Reaching close enough, with the number of individuals in front of the Merchand, he didn't notice Ethan creeping down the ground as he passed through the merchand's legs, and under the display table of fruits, veggies and foodstuffs.
He was used to this, he was already a professional thief, it was an attitude deeply ingrained in him for 4years now. Though he was caught some times and beaten up, lashed on his back, it didn't stop him from stealing over and over and over. He careless of the wound and pains he got when he was caught, all that mattered was Licia. Nothing else but her, she was the center of his life. Even dead was no match to make him flee. He had seen alot already, even dead and so it meant nothing.
Preparing the bag he brought along with him, he opened it and creeped to side of the table where there were buns and he took five, same for the little loaves of bread. Till yet he was unnoticed by the Merchand and the customers fighting to be served first. A grin was formed on his face, he looked at his bag with the ten items in it, he was very happy "Wow so much in an instant, this would feed Licia for days. I can go back to her now, another day I will get more for her"
Ethan thought to himself, as he was about creeping to leave and flee as fast as possible. But something in him urged him to take more, he fought and fought but ended up succumbing to this gluttony voice sounding in his head.