232 Set Ablaze (1/2)

Ryuu was in deep thought as such he did not pay attention only to be awakened by a small touch he was awakened from his dead dream as he found himself staring at the face of the small child as he spoke, ”Are you alright Mister?”

Ryuu was flabbergasted at that as a word came from his mouth, ”ah Yes I am, my child.”, it was a deep voice of a much older voice, he gave a small smile at the small kid in front of him as he moved on through the road.

As he was moving on he came across a pair of children being whipped by a man as they were hung from a pole with their hands tied upwards, while the other passerby did not even bothered looking, a few did but from what he saw it was like some form of amusement to them as such he could not take it as he made his way to the kids, he was alarmed to see how malnourished the children were, he quickly stopped in front of them as he spoke, ”What are you doing to this poor kids. Please stop can't you see they are so young and not well if you do so they will die.”

The man who was whipping and his fellow colleagues from their uniform Ryuu judged them to be some form of guards stood there as one of them spoke, ”You beat it, they are filthy thieves as such they are being punished.”

One of the child spoke in a meek voice as he spoke, ”Please Sir, My sister is hungry please have mercy it was a single apple I took from that person.”

The Guard growled in anger as he spat on the child's face as he spoke, ”Shut up rascal, I do not care you have stolen as such your punishment is a thousand lashes for each of you.”

Ryuu's eyes widen at that as he spoke, ”How could you, they are but a child, do you have no mercy.”

As he spoke the guards surrounded him as one of the spoke with a smile, ”I see since you are such a merciful humanitarian why don't you take their place.”

Then the man's scowled as he spoke, ”Beat it if you cannot shoulder their punishment than get lost from here.”

Ryuu gritted his teeth as he spoke, ”I am ready to take as much punishment as you can give on their behalf.”

The man looked stunned for a few minutes as he spoke with a grin, ”Boys switch them release those rats, and hang him he is willing to shoulder their combined 2000 lashes from 5 of us each.”

Ryuu's eyes widen at that but he did not say anything least that person harm those children, he was promptly tied up as the man spoke once again with a grin, ”A single grunt from you and I would switch you with them.”., Ryuu did not utter a single word as he tooklashes after lashes that rained on him, after a few moments one of the man spoke with a tired sigh, ”This is getting boring”, as such he spoke with the two children, ”You two rats if you can throw stone at him hard and make him bleed with each throw I will pay you a copper coin and the same goes for any of your friends.”

The two children who were witnessing this event with teary eyes suddenly had their eyes widen as they promptly ran away, Ryuu thought the scene was too much for them but boy he was wrong a few minutes later the duo along with a few dozen children arrived carrying with them as many stones from all shapes and sizes they could carry with their tiny arm, the guards moved from their way as they started throwing stones at him while the guards laughed hard but Ryuu did not even make a sound, but it came to an abrupt halt here as voice came to their ears, ”What is going on here?”

The others turned as they gulped upon seeing the newcomer sitting on top a horse with some heavily armored guards along with them, as he glared at everyone present the guards gulped as he spoke again, ”I am waiting for an explanation what is going on here?”

One of the guards explained the situation to the man who looked at Ryuu as he snorted at him as he spoke, ”So fool, why did you try to save these street rats.”

Ryuu spoke in between grunts of pain coursing to his body, ”Your lordship, they are children no older than 5 years old, how can I have the heart to see them getting harmed for what because someone tried to fee his younger sibling, for stealing a single apple, no I cannot do such.”

The person on horseback looked amused as he spoke, ”Ho to thing such a kind hearted hero alive in this day and age, and well I think I should reward you. Guards capture those ruffians and burn them alive.”