Well, I hope he didn't kick any buckets on his way to the ground. Nicely written chapter.
P.S. - In case you're wondering why I haven't commented on the Langobard story in a long time, It's because I missed two days of it and you kept updating so quickly that, now, I am many pages behind.
Thanks! Basileo just knocked himself out from that fall. He'll live, as we learned earlier.
Okay, that makes sense since I've done crazy number of updates at one point each day. I just thought you got bored from it since it's dragging on so long.
From beggars to explorers. That certainly is a step up in the world. Here's to them finding many wondrous things on their travels.
Yup, it's amazing what could happen in one's lifetime. We won't be getting to the goodies just yet. Still have some background story to cover.
Chapter 10
Basileo slowly opened his eyes and studied his new surroundings. He was in a warm bed with a roof over his head. The room was fairly small but it was a huge improvement over the shelters he stayed in since he was orphaned. The bed was the only furniture in the room while the room was dry and warm. A small window indicated that it was still raining outside. To be inside dry and warm was an all too unfamiliar experience. This all reminded him of the better days when his parents were still alive. The thoughts of his parents brought tears to his eyes despite him forcing himself to not shed tears since his relatives stole everything from him. Just then, someone entered the room in time to see him in tears.
The stranger, an elderly man, knelt down Basileo offering a smile. He comforted Basileo and asked him about his family. Basileo didn't know why but he trusted this man. If there was anything he learned on the streets, it was that he couldn't trust anyone as they only had their own interests. Yet, this elderly man was different because he had an aura of something his mother would once call an angel. Unable to control himself, Basileo started telling his story starting from the death of his parents. While he shared his story, Basileo couldn't control his emotions either and burst into tears. He didn't stop telling his story and, by the time he finished, he noticed that his clothes were wet from his tears.
The elderly man listened quietly and didn't interrupt once. He also had a sympathetic look the entire time and was weeping by the time Basileo finished his story. Then, the man made an offer that surprised Basileo. He was willing to let Basileo work for room and board under him. The man explained that he was a merchant who operated in the city but had to go abroad at times to purchase rare exotic goods. However, his age was making the trips abroad more and more difficult. The man claimed he needed a successor and hadn't been successful thus far. Yet, he saw potential in Basileo and wanted to at least offer him a chance to work under him. He promised Basileo promotions if he worked hard enough.
This offer was far better than any other alternatives Basileo had. Before he agreed, Basileo asked why he was in the room since he didn't remember what happened after he blacked out. Apparently, young Basileo collided with a thief who carried a large sum of ducats on him. The thief was being pursued and happened to collide into Basileo. The collision knocked him off balance resulting in his capture. The man retrieved his ducats and, seeing the poor state of Basileo, had him carried to his home where Basileo found himself. Previously, he wanted to thank the boy with some ducats. After hearing the story, he saw it better if he offered Basileo work so the young boy could escape poverty with his own two hands.