K the Wise was a roaming dark elf in search of a home. He had been to many lands and seen many places—oceans and mountains, deserts and forests. But one place was to his liking: the forest in the kingdom of Greenway. The forest was peaceful and overflowing with magic.
Despite its proximity to a human capital city, the forest had not been tainted. Magical creatures still inhabited the forest, and the magical plants were all untouched. This was the perfect place to settle. He could live in the forest comfortably and still visit a human city easily.
A few months after he moved into the forest, K visited the city. He looked around the shops for things to buy and sold the medicinal tonics that he made. A dark elf in the city sent it abuzz as everyone was sharing the news. People stopped their daily activities to gawk at him.
The townspeople watched his every move. Soon, a crowd had gathered and followed him to every shop he visited. The onlookers were curious about everything he touched, looked at, or bought. Children too were curious and afraid, but their curiosity surpassed the fear, and they were soon tugging at K's clothes and talking to him.
This was one reason he disliked human cities; dark elves were rare, making it difficult for people to ignore him. Human children were the worst; the little imps. Unlike the adults, who stared and left him alone, they had to interact with him.
The group of children following him were an interesting bunch. At first glance, they looked like genuinely curious, innocent children. But K knew better; the rascals weren't just tugging at his clothes; they were rifling through his pockets. Every shop he bought or sold at, they'd desperately tug at the pocket he'd withdrawn from or deposited into.
Gutter rats, the humans called them. They were children without parents, living wild on the streets, stealing everything they needed. They lived in groups and looked after each other.
This group of scraggly children was among the most organised K had seen. Each child had a role, and they filled it well. Though two boys stood out from the group. They seemed to be the leaders; they were well coordinated without having to speak.
Lost in his admiration for the boys as he secured his change from the shopkeeper, K was a moment too late in stopping the younger boy from snatching his pouch. They had figured out his trick and now made off into the crowd with their prize.
The children tried several times unsuccessfully to open the pouch. Just as they had given up, K appeared, snatching up the two leaders by their collars.
"If you're going to steal something, you better know how to use it."
The boys fought in vain to escape K's grip while their group scattered away.
"I'll take you both as students." K said with a mischievous smile.
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