The next morning alongside the raising sun, Richard woke up ready, taking out the little paper cuts he spent the night own, his footsteps rushed through the stairs snatching some bread leaving its payment behind
Reaching the small market of the capital, Richard went to the same place he sat in yesterday, he laid the books down on the carpet he brought, he spread the paper cuts evenly across his spot
Big drawings with beautiful colours luring the eyes seated beside each of the books
Time passed, and so did the people, some kids glanced his way, but the moment they opened the books they were disappointed by the lack of colour inside
A small eye kept peeking at him from the dark alley, but he was more concerned with what he stood upon
Same like last day the sun rose to the top, her light shined on unsold goods, Richard's face crumbled alongside all of his hopes
"I am I, the problem?" he asked himself, at the corner of his vision he caught, glimpse of the child's eyes that have been watching him since yesterday
Richard opened his backpack taking the piece of bread, those wide eyes followed where ever it went,
Richard cut his meal in half and wanted to get closer, but as soon as he faced the child's direction he ran away, "Wouldn't you like to munch munch with me?" said Richard to the dark alley, the winds whispered in reply
Trying to push the kid out he said "I guess I will be eating it all, by myself, not leaving anything!", silence once more, only the sound of the crowded street came forth
Richard went back towards his carpet; with hesitation he took one paper cut and placed the bread upon it
The young reader went back in front of the darkness, placing half the meal he said "You can have it, whenever you feel like it"
Richard sat back down, bored and disappointed in himself, his attention was caught by the small skinny hand that pulled the food sprinting into the depths once more
He ate, packed his stuff, and went back under the moon light
He climbed up the bakery's stairs, the baker's eyes followed after him
"With each passing day, defeat munches on him more" said Marya "You will lose the bet anyways just give up"
"I never lost a bet little bird" relied Brian to his daughter going inside the baking part
Richard woke up once more, he was not defeated yet, he ran downstairs taking his meal alongside him
Placing his books in place, Richard put a sign
"Free samples, two for one deal"
"This shall do the work, breaking the market price shall bring crowds upon crowds onto my table," said Richard
Once more he sat there, staring the full carpet, the sound of footsteps passing by ringed inside his skull
He sighed watching the sun tower the sky, taking his food out little glows caught his attentions, it came from the dark alleyway, and they were the young child's
He came forth, placed the bread, and started to walk back; the moment he was out of sight he ran to the side with haste
By his right the food was placed, his back was shielded by one of the two tall buildings that created that pitch black space
And in no time a hand moved out, trying to snatch the goods into the comfortable space it had, but the young reader was ready for it, he gripped the boy's hand and pulled him fast
To his horror, it felt as if griping to a pen, his armes couldn't be thinner, his clothes are nothing but a dirty rug hanging from the shoulders, tied around the waist with a little rope. Bare foot, blackened by the dirt, eyes as hallow as his stomach,
Seeing him asleep you'd mistake him for a corpse
All of that was noticed by Richard in less than a brief moment, the scared young boy scratched him in fear across the shoulder, those long nails left their mark
The young reader stunned from what he just witnessed moved back letting go, as his fingers left a mark on the sticks the little kid had for hands
It went into the dark, snatched the food and disappeared
"Don't expect any thanks from that little thing" a voice said from behind Richard, it was a man in his 30s, a merchant, and right beside the readers carpet, his tent of goods was placed, selling vegetables and fruits
"I have been taking care of his food way before you came here," said the man
"An orphan?" asked Richard
"I think I saw someone with him, I don't remember when though"
"Do they, live there?" said Richard pointing at the black path
"I don't know, but he was there for a while, I remember seeing him since the day I placed my tent" replied the merchant
"And you have been taking care of them since then?" said Richard as he stood up, trying to cover the scratch he had
"The girl that is with him used to stare at me from that same spot, but she stopped, and then he started coming out" said the merchant packing some apples for a lady that came to him
"And no one even thought about checking on them? What if she got injured, or worse, sick," said Richard
The merchant sighed closing his eyes, before he opened them and pointed at the two large buildings on the side stretching towards the sky,
"You see those two? They are military barracks and weaponry storages, they have grown larger as more were built, beyond them a complex street so dark you won't see your hands, prison escapees, law breakers, and large crime corporation use that place," said the merchant
"For strangers, you either get lost in there, or killed, if you survive hunger will get you in no time"
Richard did not have anything to say back, any reply is a meaningless heroic attempt, but he did have a question "What made those barracks and storages that large anyway?" asked Richard
"The increasing taxes led to them funding this as a best choice, and with each passing year, they built more"
"You're kidding me, A capital this large won't lack the fundings, and on top of that they choose not to fix it?!" replied Richard
"The king wasn't always like this" said the merchant "He did aid us in his first years, funding whatever came in favour for our needs, but in the last 5 years, he started to change"
"Adding new laws, Hiring dirty scumbags to enforcer them, who come, take, and go as if it belonged to them" he said right before the breaking point where all of his anger came back in double as he continued
"Doubling taxes, Taxe this and Taxe that, that is the only thing coming out of his high walls, I guess it is true, the rumour about his crown falling earlier then the past kings"
"What do you mean exactly? Could you tell me more," said Richard
"Such things are told inside closed walls kid, talking about it brings death closer to your neck," said the merchant "Isn't it about time you go anyways?"
"Huh?!" said Richard shocked as if he met a stalker
"I noticed you for the past couple of days, doing the same routine, I guess you live in the renting streets, if you want to not spend the night out, begown," said the merchant
Richard packing his stuff, he headed away saying "Thank you for the information"
"Just don't talk about it" replied the merchant
Just like that Richard reached home, this time defeated he sat beside the counter, the baker's daughter looked at her father as if saying "Told you", while he walked to the young reader
"No luck today huh," said Brian
"Nope, nothing" said Richard looking at the unsold goods with his face down on the table
"Did you perhaps think of the problem? maybe you are selling them in the wrong place," said the baker
"I asked about such, there is no place designated for books, shops are the only place for such," said the young reader "I did everything I could come up with, nothing worked, I think the books are just not that interesting,"
Brian looked at him, he handed him a piece of bread, as the empty eyes of Richard stared at it laying over the table
"Not hungry, but thanks for your kindness," said Richard
Brian said to him "It's on the house, just take it"
"No really, it is not about the money I am just full" replied Richard
Brian silently took a fancier one, painted in all kinds of fruits, he slowly pushed with one hand towards Richard as he stood far, moving his eyes from Richard to the ceiling, as if just placing it there
Richard was both disgusted and annoyed as he lifted the bread and sat straight, staring at the baker who refused to keep eye contact, only giving a glance once in a while as he whistled, staring the bread he started to relies something
Brian noticed his realisation and spoke saying
"I know this is not my place to talk as a baker, but I don't walk around the streets trying to force my bread on to people,"
"If the break burns, it is not always the flour's fault"
Brian leaned forward and continued "Maybe it's the furnaces, maybe it's the time spent on it"
Taking a bite of his normal bread he said "Don't force bread onto full mouths and blame who baked it" Brian went inside leaving Richard with that piece of bread
Laying his back on the bed Richard held whatever was left from that bread in hand, the candle's light shining on his eyes, he ate whatever was left putting the fire off for the night