“Ajax, could you break their chains please?” Nathaniel asked, “I want to take them back with us.”

“Yeah I think I can.” replied Ajax, “But won’t you get in trouble?”

“Its fine I can…handle it, I think.” he replied in a low voice and looked away from him, “They shouldn’t need to endure those kinds of beatings, not like I had to.”

“Hmm, did you say something after I think?” Ajax asked as he didn’t hear the last statement made by Nathaniel but he was answered when Nathaniel shook his head, “Time to be free, show me your chains.”

The children nervously nodded and lined themselves up before Ajax, he went to the boy first and held his hand over the chains connecting his shackles. He took a deep breath and the palm of his hand glowed a light blue and started to emit a pale blue mist.

“Let’s try this, Freeze Delta.” Ajax said.

The mist wrapped itself around the chains and the light within his palm released itself in a small burst and then a beam like glow, as if it was being shun from a flashlight. A white substance fell from the edges of the beam and lightly froze the ground which they touched, the same substance formed around the chains, at which only then did Ajax realize that the substance was snow. Small icicles formed on the chains and they took on a slightly paler shade of black. When Ajax closed his palm the light faded, he grabbed onto the chains and when he pulled, they shattered as if turned into brittle ice.

The children stared at the boy’s now freed hands and they saw their faces lit up with bright and excited smiles. Ajax replicated his actions on the chains holding the boy’s feet and then he moved onto the other two children. When they were all free they ambushed Ajax and forced him to the ground with hugs that took him by surprise. Nathaniel stepped over to them and he gave Ajax a soft smile and nodded his head, knowing full well now that the children had taken a liking to him unlike before.

“Come on you four, we should leave before that guy comes back with guards.” Nathaniel said.

Immediately after finishing his sentence, they heard the distinct sound of metal boots coming in their direction and Ajax wasted no time in grabbing everyone and flying up onto the roof of a nearby building. Peeking down, they saw the same man return with an armed escort of guards exactly as Nathaniel predicted. They quietly and mischievously chuckled, Ajax snapped his fingers to release the two men trapped in his barrier and flew them all back to the inn, immediately collapsing after arrival.

Nathaniel took Ajax under his shoulder and lead the way into the inn and up to their room. After he opened the door the three children playful ran into the room as he carried Ajax over to the bed, dropping him there, and then sat next to him. They both just watched the children be off in their own world, running about the room and enjoying their new found freedom.

“It’s wonderful isn’t it, it makes me happy to see that they can act like children despite what they must have gone through.” Nathaniel said and unknowingly rested his head on Ajax’s shoulder.

“Yeah, it truly is.” Ajax replied and jumped a little when he felt Nathaniel lean against him, “What do we do now?”

“Honestly, I don’t know, I didn’t think that far ahead.” Nathaniel said, “You think we could keep them?”

“I don’t think we are ready to have a kid yet much less three.” Ajax said, “I’m basically freeloading in the place you’ve rented and can’t offer financial support to ease the burden it would cause you to house, feed and raise three kids.”

“You have a point, it’s not like I had my own place we could take them.” he said, “But we can’t just leave them on their own after freeing them.”

“Are demi-human orphanages a thing here?” Ajax asked.

“During my time in the capital, I once heard from some demi-humans that there is an orphanage that takes in orphan demi-humans and humans alike.” he said, “I sought it out and found it, even volunteering there many times before, we can take them there, they will be safe.”

“Alright then, we can take them there in the morning.” Ajax said, “Now about that unusual strength you displayed, how did I not see that when we fought?”

“Oh don’t worry on the why of that!” he exclaimed and jolted up from Ajax’s shoulder with a light blush, waving him off, “Anyways, I recall you told me earlier you don’t know who summoned you here, maybe we could find out!”

“Quick to change the topic I see!” Ajax lightly laughed, “About that, I don’t think I was actually summoned here, rather more like reincarnated, all I remember before waking up was a voice and then bam, here.”

“Reincarnated, well there have been rare starlings that were reincarnated rather than summoned, but only those summoned have claimed to hear a voice.” he said, “Your case sounds like a bit of both, as strange as it sounds.”

“Sounds like I am an oddity even here.” Ajax sighed.

“Yeah, wait, wouldn’t that mean you died in your old world?!” he exclaimed.

“It is an unsettling thought but yeah, I guess that would make the most sense.” Ajax replied and stared down at his hands with a sad half-smile, “I guess I did die in my old world, though I can take some comfort in the fact I can’t recall how.”

“Hey now, you’re here now safe and sound so don’t lose that smile, you look more handsome when you’re smiling….no I mean…geez Nathaniel.” he said and slapped his forehead, “If you didn’t come here, we wouldn’t have met nor could these kids be here now, so I am glad you got reincarnated here.”

Hearing Nathaniel’s words made Ajax perk up a little, Nathaniel was right, regardless of how it happened, whether by chance or by reason, he was here now and got to meet him and Angil. The encounters he’s had since waking were some he couldn’t regret, not after coming this far, not after losing Angil and saving these three kids. He gave Nathaniel a sudden hug, causing Nathaniel to uncontrollably blush, and thanked him for putting his mind at ease.

The children took their time to pause their playing and watched the two of them on the bed, at which time he truly saw how dirty they were. He decided on his own that it was bath for the three of them but he couldn’t recall ever passing a bathroom to know if the inn had one.

“They need a bath, is there any?” Ajax asked.

“Well there is a bath house but this room does have a small bathroom with a tub.” Nathaniel replied and pointed to the second room.

“Alright I will go prep it, you keep an eye on them.” Ajax said, he jumped off the bed and went into the second room.

The bathroom was rather simple, a decent sized tub on one side, and a mirror rested on the wall above a counter on the other. He wanted the children to have a comfortable experience though when he turned on the shower, the cold water that dripped out made his skin shiver, it simply wouldn’t do to bathe the children in. An idea came to his mind and he quickly checked his skill list.

“Scolding Burst will do nicely.” Ajax said and held his hand over the tub, a blue magical circle appeared in his palm and fired a jet of hot water.

When the tub was almost filled, he stopped his skill and allowed the rest to filled with the cold water from the shower. He did a quick temperature check by dipping his arm into the water and nodded, its warmth was perfect. Ajax shook his hand dry and then stepped outside and called the children into the bathroom. They stripped off their rags and he instructed them into the bathtub after which they were lathered and scrubbed with an available bath rag and soap. He washed their hairs as they played with the bubbles and water and when they were done he took them out one by one and used his wings to dry them. The children giggled and when the last one was dry, they playfully bolted out of the bathroom and ran around the bedroom, causing Nathaniel to laugh. Since he had no new clothes to change them into, he decided to let them sleep naked, like he did when he first arrived, and he whistled to get their attention. When the children came to him, he placed them onto the bed and tucked them under the sheets. The children hugged each other and slowly drifted off to sleep.

“The bed is going to be cramped tonight with five people, seems we can’t sleep apart.” said Nathaniel.

“You have a point, we will need to sandwich them between us.” said Ajax, “So that none of them fall off the bed.”

“It is extremely sweet how you’re treating these kids despite just meeting them.” Nathaniel said, “You’re good with kids.”

“I am just treating them how Angil treated me.” Ajax said with an embarrassed blush on his face, “They remind me of my situation when I was taken in, but they’ve been through worse than waking up in a forest.”

Ajax spread his shirt and jacket onto the dresser drawer, and seeing his topless body made Nathaniel cover his flushed face. When Ajax started to remove his pants, Nathaniel squeaked and covered his eyes, looking away from Ajax. Only when Nathaniel squeaked did Ajax turn to look at him and notice him blushing and covering his eyes.

“Why the hell are you blushing?!” Ajax exclaimed, quickly covering his mouth since he didn’t want to wake the kids and then pulled his pants back up.

“Sor...sorry I am just not used to seeing a person completely naked...especially someone so....” Nathaniel whispered.

“Someone so what?” Ajax whispered and raised a brow.