Life wasn't easy for street urchins in the kingdom. Danger lurked in every corner, every narrow alley, every pair of eyes that lingered on them a little too long. With no family, no home, and nothing to their name, all they had was each other, and so they stuck together. Begged, stole, huddled up together. In a world that had given them nothing at all, they were one another's greatest treasure. And there was nothing he wouldn't have done to keep his treasure safe.

And so, when a monster found its way into the slums and cornered the two, poised to strike, he knew what he had to do. The boy held out an arm protectively, using himself as a shield. "I-I'm gonna distract it," he said, a slight quiver in his voice. "You run. Okay? You have to run."

He knew he stood no chance. He was eight and unarmed against a creature twice his size. But he had to be brave. He had to.