Jonas stopped, kneeling by the boy. The boy’s sad eyes widened slightly as he looked upon the magnificent cavalier.
“Hello, son, what is your name?” Jonas asked softly.
The boy hesitated for a few moments before answering. His voice was shaky. “My name is Piton, sir. Are you a cavalier?”
“I am. What happened to your foot?”
“I was born like this,” the boy hesitated. “Is it true that cavaliers can heal?”
“Yes, some of us can,” Jonas responded.
“Can you? Can you heal my foot, sir?” the young boy asked bluntly.
Jonas looked back at Taleen and Kiln who stood behind them, their faces reflecting concern. Jonas knew they could not heal an inherited deformity, but it pained him to admit it to the boy. “I’m sorry, Piton, but we cannot heal the type of injury that you have. Your bones in your foot have a certain shape to them and I cannot change that. Do you understand?”
Piton lowered his head in dejection and nodded his understanding.
It was heart breaking to Jonas, but he could do nothing. Perhaps that was the hardest part. Despite his power and strength, he could not help this little boy. “Where do you sleep, Piton?” Jonas asked.
The boy used his hands to gesture into the alley. “I usually sleep in the streets. Sometimes I can find a bed in one of the temples. It’s not too bad, except for the winter. It can get pretty cold.”
“Where are your parents?” asked Jonas.
“I never knew my dad, my mom died of some sickness a year ago.”
Jonas reached into the leather pouch at his side, fingering the gold coin that was there. It was the coin that was given to him by Airos, and he had kept it to remember his mother by, but this boy needed it more than he did. Besides, it felt right to Jonas. The coin had been passed to him by a cavalier who recognized his need, and now it was being passed from another cavalier to another cripple. The boy was in desperate need and this was the only thing Jonas could do to help him.
Jonas lifted out the gold coin and handed it to the young boy. Piton held the heavy coin in his hand and his eyes lit up with astonishment as he realized what it was.
“Is that gold?”
“It is, Piton, given to me years ago by a cavalier,” Jonas said.
“Thank you, sir. I have never had gold before.” The boy dropped his cup, reached for his crutch and struggled to stand up.
Jonas reached down, lifting him to his feet. That simple act brought a flash of an image to Jonas’s mind, an image of Airos lifting him from the ground when he had slipped on the ice four years ago. Jonas smiled as he looked at the boy's beaming face. Piton smiled broadly. No amount of dirt on his face, or lack of food in his stomach, could crush the boy’s joy. It wasn’t so long ago where the simple act of another had given Jonas a similar feeling of happiness. It warmed Jonas’s heart to see the young boy smile so.
“Promise me you will buy food and warm clothes for the winter. I am a cavalier and I will know if you don’t.”
Piton smiled and his body shook with excitement. “Oh, don’t worry, sir. I will not waste it. I will do as you ask. Thank you.”
Jonas squeezed the boy’s shoulders before standing up. “You’re welcome, young Piton.” Then he turned and rejoined his friends on the sidewalk.
Taleen smiled at him warmly but she said nothing about the boy. She knew that there was nothing else they could do. There were likely hundreds of boys like Piton in Annure and many more living in less prosperous cities.
They continued to explore the lively city. At first, Jonas liked the attention, but it began to wear on him as the day progressed. People were continuously greeting them, diverting his attention from the many wondrous things that the city had to offer.
Kiln led them into a small shop that sold various weapons, knives, and armor. Two armed guards stood at attention inside the store keeping a watchful eye over the store’s products. The room was small but immaculate. The walls were lined with glittering weapons of all sorts. Glass cases were filled with small jeweled knives and silver and gold jewelry made with precious gems.
Kiln approached one of the guards who looked at him curiously. “Excuse me, soldier, might you answer a few questions for a