Telling the Tale

"Stop right there!"

The booming shout rang out.

A burly man vaulted out from the market street and blocked the child's path.

Built like an iron tower, the man carried an imposing air even without anger. He wore old but clean robes, with a long saber hanging at his waist.

He removed his hand from the saber's hilt, folded his arms, and looked down at the little child before him.

Then he opened his palm and said rather helplessly, "Hand it over."

How could the little child have ever seen such a scene?

He swallowed hard, but shook his little head like a rattle-drum.

"Oh no, Stone's been caught!"

Another burst of pandemonium followed.

Several children huddled in the alley had been about to go rescue him, but cowed by the stern majesty of the city constables, they could only scatter like birds and beasts, scrambling deeper into the alley.

In all that frantic bustle, they finally returned to a dilapidated little courtyard.

There were only a few broken-tile houses within. It was difficult to imagine such a run-down place still existed in Heavenly Mechanism City, and it appeared that people had lived here for a long time. Looking up, one could see several large words written overhead.

'Orphanage'

The courtyard gate stood wide open.

A plainly dressed woman stepped out.

The instant the children saw her, it was as though they had found their backbone. They chattered away about how Stone had been caught. As the sound of footsteps drew closer and a tall figure entered their sight, the children hurried behind the woman, secretly poked their heads out, then quickly shrank back again.

As the figure approached, those familiar brocade robes embroidered with bright patterns came into view.

The man set down the 'Stone' in his hand and