Soul Fire

Soul Fire - Chapter 20

Life without adults quickly became boring. Life with too many adults was worse. Somewhere, there existed a happy medium, with the boys entertained yet still distanced from trouble. The markets had been too crowded, but loitering within the tavern made them restless.

The innkeeper remained conscientious, providing them with lunch and snacks, however, twice Jerodai had struck Dathion's hand when the prince had started to carve knots from their table with his lunch knife. As afternoon bridged the short gap to evening, Malithas and Salidon remained absent and Davidor had not returned from his library.

Cartographers always performed the most exciting duties.

The one bright moment of the day had been reintroducing themselves to the horses. Dathion was overjoyed by the return of Asheron. He whispered words of comfort before throwing his arms around his horse's neck. He then spent long moments inhaling Asheron's leathery scent, before closing his eyes to better experience the sensation of the stallion's powerful heart beating against his ear and neck. Dathion did not know how Davidor had managed to guide the group of horses to Cretia, suspecting it more likely the horses had led him. As soothing as the company of their mounts was, their reunion had barely filled the gap between returning from the markets and the serving of lunch.

The afternoon limped toward late evening, until night finally painted the city in blacks and grays. The eyes of the boys lifted to the sky. Nighttime held a magic of its own. The swollen moon was almost full tonight, hanging heavy and fat in the sky, casting silvery pools of light against racing clouds. With the sting of the day's heat vanishing from the cooling air, and crowds having returned to families, the boys would be almost alone if they ventured out - free to explore the sprawl of Cretia. With the exception of Ellishan, who always abstained from voting by default, Jerodai and Dathion decided to explore. Malithas had given no curfew, nor indication of when he would return.

They wrapped themselves in cloaks to ward against the night chill, and strapped swords to their belts to guard against their fear of the dark. Lanterns washed the streets in a warm, orange glow, hiding the true shades of other colors and making skin appear too bright. The people of Cretia valued the evenings as a time for family, or to prepare shops for the coming day. The boys had already walked the main street to the markets earlier in the day, so they decided to find another route.

They detoured down one of the wider roads which ambled along the left side of the tavern. Along this path, houses were more plentiful than shops, although the road would still be considered quite wide in Asillia City. They felt safe in Cretia. Almost forever in view, patrols of guardsmen searched for trouble they would never find. Their uniforms bore sets of silver scales embossed on the shoulders, to identify them as the elite Merchant Police of Cretia.

As the excitement of their small adventure took hold, the boys reveled in their freedom, engaging in as much mischief as their good natures would allow. They peered in shop windows to see what was for sale, blowing fog on the windows to write their names with their fingers. They knocked on a handful of doors, then slipped quietly away, hiding around corners to watch residents light lanterns and hunt for their mysterious visitors.

Around them, patiently, the shadows watched and waited.

They would never remember who felt it first. It manifested as an uneasiness - a general sense of foreboding. Hair prickled on the backs of their necks, so the boys turned up the collars of their cloaks. Dathion rubbed his arms, confused, as he shivered within the warmth of his clothes. The boys hurried their steps, monitoring their safety with furtive glances.

Nothing caught their eyes.

They decided to intercept the next patrol they met to request an escort back to their tavern. Thankfully, it wasn't long before a pair of guards wandered into view. The boys wasted no time approaching them, relieved for the encounter with authority they had previously feared when engaged in their pranks.