The dirty cobblestone street was lined with

  cheaply made food carts on either side. Every fruit, breadstick, and vegetable on display was noticeably spotted with black moldy holes. Each wobbly step Erzo took, made his stomach growl for even the most questionable items.

  Rows of decaying, multicolored cheeses he spotted from the cheese stand at the corner of his eye were still considered. A constant and unfortunate reminder that he had not eaten for a couple of days.

  Despite all temptation to eat the moldy inn leftovers, a glorious scent caught the attention of his wandering nose. Something so succulent that it made him continue to walk feverishly through the crowd. Straight to the source.

  Fresh meat from the butcher’s display cart in front of the shop. The fragrance consumed the very air around him. Erzo placed a hand on his small belly through the

  stained, hooded brown vest. He couldn’t calm the restless rumbling it continued to make. The scent was too intoxicating.

  Erzo wiped the drool from his mouth

  and sank his hood further over his head.

  Anyone with a broken nose and blind could tell that both the raw and grilled sausages and flanks were handled from a recent catch. An attraction that

  gripped the attention of all who walked by and for good reason.

  Erzo needed to have some. Just a taste.

  Something to fill the void in his stomach. It had been over a year of providing for himself since his mother’s

  passing and it showed in his frail, skinny body.

  Sometimes his small ribs would poke through his vest on occasion. Delirious he clumsily bumped along the

  wandering patrons and hagglers along the street.

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  Upon reaching the colorfully fresh display, his mouth began to salivate like a begging dog. All he needed to do now was reach out his hand. It was so close he could taste the spices.

  No one was around. The butcher had probably gone inside his shop just behind the cart for some extra things. The chance was now. Erzo looked around further but no one paid attention to him. A small child like himself tended to be invisible in the

  district slums of the city. It usually made simple pickpocketing very easy. Or this.

  He looked away once more to survey his

  surroundings and cautiously reached out his hand.

  The meat was so tender his fingers sank into the flank. It was a large piece. Certainly enough to last a while as his hand struggled to grasp the entire thing.

  Glee washed over his face when he finally yanked the juicy, cooked flank off the cart.

  Suddenly, something large grabbed his

  retracting arm in a flash. Something strong.

  "No!"

  Stripped from his grasp, the flank flew back

  onto the display cart. Erzo flinched backward but the force was too

  much for him. His heart sank and his smile faded. He couldn't move. Slowly he followed the thing that arrested him.

  A behemoth of a man towered over him with a thick, and bulky frame. The more Erzo examined the figure, the more the hope of escape faded from his

  eyes. He knew exactly who it was. The man’s signature greying blonde hair made it look white in the sunlight accompanied by his matching bushy beard.

  The apron that the butcher wore used to be

  white but was now more easily recognized as pink due to how few times it had been washed of the animal blood in its lifetime. Erzo began to wonder in fear if it was also mixed with human blood or something else.

  The butcher ripped the hood off of Erzo’s head, revealing his pointed ears and knotty, shaggy, brown hair. This made a few bystanders watch in horror as they knew what was to come next.

  The butcher was a known racist toward demi-humans. Their eyes were filled with anxiety and pity. Erzo couldn’t help but notice with wide eyes and begin to sweat with anticipation.