“So I thought your father was named Robert, not Morgan?” Zach said.

Robert Halvin is my biological father, Morgan is my stepfather,” Nick said. “My mother divorced Robert and married Morgan, but when she died there was a massive dispute on who the family name goes to. That was until Robert and Morgan came up with a compromise.” Nick said.

“What was the compromise?” Zach asked.

“The compromise was that Robert would take the head of the house until I came of age, when that happens I would “adopt” Morgan’s family in a sense and they would be the head family.” Nick said.

“Oh, how long until that happens?” Zach asked.

“Until my 18th birthday, which is in 3 months.” Nick said.

“Oh, well good for you!” Zach said.

“Not really, I’m a bit nervous. I don’t think I can become the head of the royal family.” Nick said.

“That’s hogwash, I think you would do great as a leader. Considering the way you treated me, a commoner. You bailed me out of prison because of a misunderstanding and invited me into your home,” Zach said, “that’s the characteristics of a good leader.”

“Thanks, but I have a long way to go until I’m ready to lead.” Nick said.

Just then a group of people jumped out of the neighboring alleys and surrounded Nick and Zach.

“Halt, this is a stick up, empty your pockets and hand over your money and jewelry.” The lead mugger said.

Nick’s horse reared up and promptly deposited Nick onto the cobblestones running down the street afterwards.

“You alright Nick?” Zach called out, completely ignoring the mugger.

“Yea, I’m alright.” Nick answered.

“I said empty your pockets, now!” The mugger said. One of his henchmen used the hilt of his sword to knock Nick down to the ground.

“Son, you picked a bad day for mugging.” Zach said calmly, dismounting Gilder which took off behind Nick’s horse

“Oh is that right? You’re only a chap, what can a single boy do to 16 men?” The leader said in a mock tone.

Zach with incredible speed, drew his dagger and threw, it hit one of the muggers to the leader’s right hilt first, knocking him out. Three other of the muggers ran towards Zach but he stepped close and used his elbow to jam it right into the chest of the first mugger which caused him to fly back into the second assailant. The third one drew his sword and swung it right for Zach’s midsection. With astounding agility Zach used his knee to knock the flat side of the sword up and out of the mugger’s hand and flipped the blade and shoved it through the sleeve of the mugger and jammed it into a crack in the cobblestone, pinning him there.

Zach pivoted to save Nick but he had gotten up and was in the middle of fighting two muggers without a weapon, “Nick catch.” Zach called as he tossed his sword to Nick. He caught it and in one fluid Motion, Nick cut both of the muggers' swords in half. Without any weapon to fight they ran.

Just as Zach turned around to fight on his end a mugger latched onto his shoulder with his hand. Without missing a beat Zach grabbed the hand that had latched on with his opposite hand twisted it over and using his other elbow, he broke the mugger's arm, then as the mugger was falling to his knees, Zach used his to knee the mugger in the face, knocking him back. Zach looked at the group with a unnerving calm face and out of sheer terror two of the henchmen deserted the group.

The four remaining henchmen on Zach’s end charged towards him, and with ease he whipped out his Bo staff and clicked the button. The side Zach pointed at one of the henchmen sprung out and knocked him out cold. The three remaining came at him on all sides but Zach true to his word knew how to use that Bo Staff. He swung it around in lightning fast circles, not only stopping the weapons that wanted his blood but jarring them back. Suddenly Zach took his Bo staff and struck the ground, it reverberated and started to glow, Zach did it again and it glowed brighter a third time and the Bo Staff looked like it had just come out of the forge. Zach swung it and the resulting blow made all three henchmen fly back in a pile.

Zach turned around to see Nick in the arms of the leader with a knife to his throat, captured. 

“Now let’s not be foolish boys. I said empty your pockets now!” The leader said.

“Ok.” Zach said casually. He did so, emptying his pockets and satchel.

“Put it in the sack,” the leader said, throwing the sack out in front of Zach. Zach calmly did as he said.

“Let Nick go, you have what you wanted. There’s enough money in that sack to last you months.” Zach said. 

That leader threw Nick aside and snatched the sack up and ran.

“Zach, what about your money?” Nick cried out.

“Oh it’s alright, watch.” Zach said, pulling Nick up from the ground.

About 100 yards away the leader was running down the road when he was hit by something that moved too fast to see. Catching air the leader crashed into a couple of trash cans across the street.

“What was that?” Nick asked worriedly.

“Just watch,” Zach said. 

Gilder trotted out from the corner of an alley and bit, lifted, and shoved the leader away, the sack that was underneath the leader was then opened by the nosy nose of Gilder and he pulled out a carrot,  munching down blissfully.