Alvina

Chapter Three

"Kenna!" I shake her awake.

"What? What is it?" she asks groggily, rubbing her eyes.

"Listen," I hold a finger to her lips and pause.

Outside the window, we can hear the sound of bells and trumpets as they announce their presence. The sound of the horse's hooves is unmistakable.

Her eyebrows furrow in confusion and she walks to the window looking outside.

"It's the royal guard," I tell her.

"Come on," Kenna holds a hand out to me which I take "We should see what the deal is"

Outside, we both stand on the porch watching as others also gather, coming outside.

A whole group of royal guards are on horses, long swords at their hips, the shine of the metal glints in the sun. Their armor is pristine and clean like it has yet to see the stain of dirt. They wear the crest of Varasia on their armor in the center of their chests. The horses are decorated with the royal colors and the reigns have jewels placed along them. No doubt those will be at high risk for theft.

The whole group pauses in the middle of the street, like they needed to be the very center of attention. With all the riches they're dressed in, they're like a centerpiece on a table.

"Attention residence!" The man in the lead of the group, an older man with dark eyes like a bird and short sandy hair calls out. His chest is puffed out, his way of looking down on us. He looks at every part of the village with disdain. Like we're nothing but ants on an anthill.

"We are here on behalf of the King of Varasia with a message regarding yesterday's incident" I roll my eyes at him and his holy-than-thou voice.

Kenna leans over close to me to whisper in my ear "It's about the shaking"

This makes me lean in a little closer with interest. No matter who is speaking, the shaking of yesterday was strange. And it wasn't just that, but both the howling of a hundred wolves and the wilting flowers that accompanied it was nothing I've ever seen.

"We are here to assure you that it was nothing more than a slight quake in the earth. It is nothing to worry about and it is best to continue with your everyday lives"

Is this man insane?

The crowd breaks out into mummers as he says this. How stupid does he think we are? Some people may believe this, but I know what I saw. I saw flowers die in front of my eyes. I heard hundreds of wolves.

How can he just dismiss this? This was a message from the king? How could he dismiss this?

I guess he'll dismiss it just like he does with us when we're dying of sickness and hunger. I guess to him it won't matter because if it really was some beast from the forest, this village will be the first to burn, being closest.

"How do you know?" I shout out to him. Kenna, along with everyone else in the village, gasp at my words. People speaking out against the elite class is unheard of. We follow without question because if they pull their swords from their sides, we can do nothing.

Our words are just dirt against their image.

"Excuse me?" The man looks at me. His lip curls showing his teeth and something in me challenges it. I remember the pointed teeth of the darkness, and it's only a flash, but my teeth flash back.

He sees this. His eyes narrow on me and he practically spits as he commands me, "Come here"

The command shoots through my body. Everything in me wants to tear him down to nothing and I know I won't back down, not to him, stupid as it may be.