Eye In The Sky

Chapter One

 My heartbeat intensely as snow piled up in heaps. It coated my clothes with every step I take. It wets my curls and flushes my cheeks. The wind howls terribly, blending in with human cries. No matter how many years I've lived in this godforsaken town I still find myself sighing at the sight of drunk guards and rude travelers.

My stomach grumbles and I bite the inside of my cheek. It becomes easier to ignore over the years blended with the pain of my untreated wounds. As I trudge along the path, I remind myself of my motivation, my reason for why I do all of this. Their shining smiles bless my mind, cheerful laughter ringing like church bells. The children were my everything, Everything I did was for them and for the sake of their bright futures. I would not let them end up like me, a poor tailor with only a few julens to his name. I wanted them to become rich. So rich that julens poured down like sweet spring rain.

Across the way, I could spy our tavern, the one my sister, Irene, ran while I was out. It wasn't popular by any means but it kept food on the table for the children so we could hardly complain. It was a quaint place with creaky wooden floorboards and stone brick walls that moss thrived upon. I could already taste the sweet twinge of honeyed tea filling my stomach, warming up my whole body. I pushed the door open, welcoming in the familiar scent of alcohol and cologne. It was already so late yet men and women alike were still chugging down drinks like fresh milk. This was what I had grown to love in this town. I had found home in its people.

Lost in my daydreams, I failed to notice a firm hand slamming itself down on my back with a burst of hearty laughter following. I stumbled slightly, turning my head to face an old friend of mine, his bearded face pinked with too many drinks.

"God, what a joy it is to see your ugly mug,"

He shrugged, "Well, the job leads me through this town and I thought "why not see my favorite person in the whole wide world?"

I rolled my eyes, leading us back towards the bar counter, "Oh, please, I know that you've only come to see Irene. The path to Mondam doesn't come through Helm at all."

Weylin's blush deepened, and he let out a sigh, "You caught me red-handed."

I punched him in the arm, grinning, "Come on, just ask her out! You've got my permission and everything. I'll even get you a shovel talk if that's what you need."

"Oh? Who are giving a shovel talk to?"

Irene gave us a bright smile as she placed another beer in front of Weylin, "I'd be glad to help." Weylin shook his head with a nervous chuckle, "No one's getting a shovel talk. Ameer is just joking around."

"Sounds like him," Irene snorted before throwing the daily paper down, "In other news, the crops are dying more than ever. I don't know how long our rations are gonna hold up." To any outsider, this would look like a simple famine with winter being so harsh this year. Most natives wanted to believe it was. But the blackened roots beneath revealed the usage of dark magic by those who could not control it. I pursed my lips, "I could go steal more?"

"No way, it's too dangerous," She frowned, biting her knuckle, "There's a lot of people who've got the same idea as you. The rich are probably preparing for intruders as we speak."

"I've got some juleps to get you guys a bit more," Weylin offers, pulling out his money pouch, "It's enough to get a few more loaves and fruit."

"You help us enough, Lin," Irene sighs, running her fingers through her hair, "We can't take anymore from you. You need to worry about yourself right now."

The customers filter out of the buildings, leaving their coins on the table. Irene moves to pick it all up and I can't help but sigh once more. There weren't many options left if stealing was out of the question. In this case, money wasn't the problem.

"What if I go to the temple?"

Irene stops in her tracks, furrowing her brow, "Well, I suppose you could but I don't see how that will help us."

I pulled my cloak a little closer, walking over and kissing Irene's cheek, "I'll be back in no time. Weylin, take care of Irene while I'm gone!"

Ignoring Weylin's flustered sputters, I left the tavern, heading towards the edge of town. The further out you went, the dirtier the building got. The nice cobblestone road soon plunged into uneven dirt. The barren trees loomed over my head while I left town.

The temple belongs to the god of chaos who hasn't been seen in years. Most wanted to believe that he was the cause of the famine. That this was his curse on us for not praying to him. While I knew this was absolute shit, I couldn't remember the last time I had prayed to him.

Soon enough, the trees dispersed revealing the worn-away temple, moss growing across the walls, grass peaking up from the stairs. Chills ran down my spine as I walked up to the pillars. What if he smote me the moment I walked inside? I couldn't defend myself from the wrath of a god. I could barely wield magic to begin with.

I stepped past the pillars and into the temple, staring at the rather large stone throne in front of me. In the center of the room like a long table where offerings would be placed.

Begrudgingly, I place down my mother's necklace, a silver chain with a small black locket. It wasn't much but it was an offering nonetheless. The protection seal on it should make it a bit more valuable than a regular necklace.

I knelt down in front of the table, clasping my hands together, "Accept this offering as a sign of faithfulness onto you. I pray that you will find enough sympathy in your heart to save my family. I don't have much to offer but I hope you'll accept it."

Silence greeted me, my breath clouding my vision. I shouldn't have expected anything. There was a part of me that wished the god would appear. I stood up, turning away from the table, leaving the necklace there for good luck. Perhaps, the god would change their mind later on.

"It's quite rude to leave in the middle of a conversation."