Bloodright

Chapter 6

Even before the first rooster's crow, Raiah slipped out of her quarters, her steps as silent as a whisper. She'd wrapped herself in a plain cloak, hoping to blend in with the lower sector's morning bustle. The palace was still bathed in the soft hues of pre-dawn, the silence only broken by the occasional rustle of a servant preparing for the day.

Stepping out into the brisk morning air, Raiah pulled her hood closer. The world was still half-asleep, the sky still speckled with the last of the night's stars, shining like diamonds on a vast blue canvas. The moon was fading in the west, giving way to the soft blush of dawn painting the eastern horizon.

She unfolded the paper tucked into her belt. The address was written in a hurried script, but the words were clear. She set off, her boots crunching on the gravelly path that led away from the castle and towards the lower sector.

The lower sector was a stark contrast to the opulence of the castle, its narrow streets barely wide enough for two to walk side by side. But there was a peace to it in the early morning, the stillness punctuated only by the occasional bark of a stray dog or the distant clang of a blacksmith's hammer.

Yet the tranquility was marred by the sight of poverty and despair etched on the faces of the lower sector's residents. Ragged figures huddled in doorways and alleyways, trying to ward off the morning chill. Raiah's heart ached at the sight, her hands tightening around the sack she'd brought with her from the castle.

She stopped by a small alcove, where two children lay sleeping, their bodies curled up against each other for warmth. The boy couldn't have been more than ten, his arms protectively around a little girl, her face streaked with grime but peaceful in sleep.

Raiah gently placed a loaf of bread under the boy's thin blanket, making sure not to wake them. She paused for a moment, watching as the boy instinctively pulled the blanket closer. She placed an apple into the girl's open palm, her heart heavy as she took in the sight of their worn clothes and hollow cheeks. It was a harsh reality she was reminded of every time she ventured into this part of the city.

She stood up and turned away, the children's sleeping faces etched in her memory. She continued her journey towards the address, the weight of her decision and the sights she'd seen pressing on her heart.

Raiah navigated the labyrinthine alleyways, her mind preoccupied with thoughts and her heart heavy with feelings she didn't dare speak aloud. She clutched the paper with the address, and her eyes constantly scanned the buildings, searching for the one described.

The pale moon was just beginning to travel down to the horizon when she turned into a narrow alley, following the paper's directions. It was a tight, cramped space, wedged between two weathered stone buildings. The alley stretched out, shadows dancing as morning light struggled to penetrate the tall buildings surrounding it. The end of the alley was a cul-de-sac, a dead end marked by a high stone wall, and Raiah's heart dropped a beat. Had she taken a wrong turn?

But something about the wall drew her attention, her soldier's instincts alerting her to an anomaly. Upon closer inspection, she noticed that the stones forming the wall seemed misplaced. They were uneven, some jutting out, others embedded too deeply. It was as if they were arranged in a specific pattern, waiting for a key to unlock them.

Remembering the symbolic phrase, "Twir Saxa va Xyta, Gra Raxata," she recited it, her voice echoing slightly off the cold stone. The ancient words felt strange and powerful on her tongue, a long-forgotten language that brought a strange sense of longing and familiarity.

At her words, a shiver ran through the stones. They shivered, then began to peel back like petals of a blooming flower. With a low rumble, the stones moved apart, creating a gaping maw in the previously impassable wall. What revealed itself was a rusty, spiral staircase, leading downwards into the bowels of the earth.