The Deathly Nothing

Chapter 2

The thrill of the hunt was something Rafferty had always endulged in unlike me, as simply running in my world was challenging enough. Great cliffs and floating islands were the mighty foundations of the city, some towering high enough that the clouds appeared as a fluffy carpet. I streaked up the rocky pathways of the town like a panic-stricken hare. A very accurate comparison I will admit, as I dared a look over my shoulder to see Rafferty and his icy temper not too far behind. Rows of houses and shops barricaded me into a never ending maze of chaos as people twisted and turned between eachother. Despite running for my life I attempted to uphold my manners, apologising to every person I swiftly darted past but Rafferty was a bull in a china shop. Grunting and yelling as he crashed his way through the swarm of people, leaving behind a trail of destruction in his wake- the amount of fresh produce that was spilt across the path that day...

My battered green cloak swayed behind me as I heaved my legs onwards desperatley with the sack on my shoulder emitting various clanging noises of the inventions inside. Music roared in my ears as I passed the local pub, it's customers laughing joyously as they toasted their drinks to one another, liquid spilling onto the floor. Each beat of a drum propelled my heart faster as I turned the next corner, only to greet disaster.
I tumbled to the floor, along with some food and a very enraged shop owner.
Immediatley I began reaching for the apples and bread rolls, scooping them up into their baskets.

"Sorry-sorry, I'm ever so sorry madam,"I conceded, continuing to clear the pathway.

"Get your dirty, thieving hands off my produce boy," she hissed, shooting a glare down to me before snatching the baskets from my now grazed hands. My cheeks quickly bled with a bright red as I watched her charge into her shop before turning away to pick up my belongings. My belongings that were now in the hands of the enemy.

"Stealing my kill just wasn't enough for you Gallio, now your targetting innocent women?" he snapped before drawing his attention to the sack in his hands. My face hardened as I reached forward to snatch it away but Rafferty only lifted it from desperate grasp.

"Give it back," I demanded, but weakness strained in my voice- and he knew it.

"I'm only curious to see what you hide in here Fabien and now is your chance to show us," he taunted with a grin plastered to his pale face. Once more I dared a lunge forward, inhaling sharply as one of his men gripped the front of my shirt holding me in place.
Gradually Rafferty loosened the draw-string of the sack,

"I must admit I'm ever so excited, look I have goosebumps!" he teased as he plunged his hand into the sack. At that point my shoulders slumped in defeat as I only watched quietly as he emptied out various items- my items. Some would not cause me to shed a tear such as the string, stones, paper and ink but then he found what really mattered. That caused my chest to rise and my head to burn with boiling anger. He pulled out a crystal, examined it for a moment, before treating it as nothing more than one of the stones, as he threw it to the ground. It shattered into a million fragments, a colorful glaze now varnished the ground.

"You must tell me Fabien how you manage to find such crystals. Did your father teach you a trick or two? I hear all the other searchers can never seem to get their pennyless hands on them." That part was true. The magic our world uses is powered from crystals, some more effective than others. Those less fortunate are delegated the role of a searcher- sniffer dogs of the Upper World. I've always mastered the job with unusual ease when other workers struggle to retreive enough crystals to bring food to their tables each night. My father had been a crystal finder, working down underground for hours on end in search for the most valuable crystals. He sacrificed everything for us, maybe a little too much.

"I work for it. Not everyone is sheltered by who they know in society and comforted with their daddy's money." That hit a nerve, just as i wanted it to. Rafferty only smirked but I saw the fury that nestled beneath- he knew i was right. Finally he revealed my invention from the forest. Now it was his turn to hit me back.

"Shame you waste whatever spare change your pathetic family have on such useless projects," he laughed holding up the invention to meet his eyes before dropping it to the ground. My lip trembled as I stared down at the splintered invention, it's many parts sprawled across the stone path. My fists clenched, faster when I saw that gleaming smile. I whirled at him yelling furiously but Rafferty used my weakness as his strength. I was far from a great warrior, as my body only swayed clumsily in attempt to land a fist to his face. Before I knew it I was slammed against the nearest wall with a dagger to my throat.

"I will end you Gallio as easily as I will end that stag. You are nothing in this world, nothing to anyone. Not even your own mother cares for you, I doubt she'd even waste a tear on your dimise. The woman must live in such sadness without that sister of yours she was the only one of value, pity the Underneath stole her away," he hissed, slowly pressing the dagger deeper onto the surface of my skin, "just like your father aren't you? Yes, his hands were always dirty. At least he can lay to rest down in the filth, he must feel right at home," I closed my eyes as my whole body tensed. Those words stung as he spat them at my face but I knew it was over when I heard that voice,

"Get your hands off him or this spear will be through your chest."