Beyond the Rabbit Hole

Fanning Flames

Benard struggled to trace the blood through the winding streets. There was no clear trail, so he had to decide which corners to turn based on instinct alone. "Which way would I go?" he thought. He kept a hand on his sword's hilt as he tread softly through the dark alleys. He happened upon the pieces of a broken down wagon covering layers of dusty blankets. There wasn't a soul around, and the small amount of sunlight still lingering in the sky barely touched the street.

Benard sighed and glanced behind himself. He turned his attention toward the pile of blankets and spoke in a low voice, "You shouldn't hide in such a dirty place. Believe me, you don't want those wounds to get infected."

There was no response.

Benard reached in his back pocket and pulled out a bag of finely mashed herbs and set the bag on the ground in one of the small spots of sunlight. "I'm setting these Aspharitus leaves for you. Clean your wounds with them. I'll bring more, water, and something else to treat your burns with. I know it'll be hard to trust me, but it may very well be your best chance at survival."

There was no response.

"Was I wrong?" Benard thought. He shook his head and turned around. "It's unlikely that anyone else will come looking for you back here, so keep your wound as clean as you can until I get back."

There was no response.

"My name is Benard by the way." He sighed and traced the winding alley back to the bustling hub of the city.

Alyss yawned as she flipped through the pages in front of her. "Who knew the history of an empire that spans a quarter of the globe could be so damn boring."

"I can't help but agree." Morgyn set another book back on the shelf. "Meliades certainly lacks the same charm that Kahth had."

"Right?" Alyss chuckled. "All these texts do nothing but sing the emperor's praises. It's getting hard for me distinguish between them all. Did they really win every war over the last six hundred years, though? I have to admit that's kind of impressive."

"I've yet to come across anything that says differently." Morgyn walked over and closed the book Alyss was reading.

Her head jolted back, and she looked up at Morgyn in confusion.

Morgyn directed Alyss's gaze toward the end of the corridor where Dulana stood, staring sharply at the two reapers.

"Ah, is it that time again?" Alyss gave a nervous smile.

Morgyn nodded. "Let's go back."

Alyss and Morgyn walked down the dark streets. They heard the murmurs and footsteps of a crowd up ahead in the market. As the crowd came into view, a torch-lit podium became visible at the center of them. On the podium stood Isaaik and several Talonguards. Beside them was a half-naked man in chains who was blindfolded and gagged.

"Good citizens of Herongrand!" Isaaik rose his voice so it echoed through the moonlit streets. "I'm sure you have heard of the tragedy that occurred earlier today when a few rough fellows confronted an envoy of His Imperial Majesty. One of those fellows was assassinated in cold blood!"

The crowd booed and jeered.

"Many assumed this to be an assassin sent by the crown. In my frustration, I, too came to that conclusion. Let it be made clear that I can make mistakes like anyone else. I am no different than you. I allowed my grief to cloud my judgment. The emperor may have his own failures, yet this was not a job of the political sort, but that of envy and malice." Isaaik gestured to the man in chains. "Rest assured, that you can feel safe in this beautiful city once again, for we have caught the perpetrator of this atrocity. An escaped prisoner - a warrior of Eer who meant to sow chaos within Herongrand in an attempt to turn us against the empire without careful preparation. He hoped he might save his comrades if battle ever took over the streets of Herongrand again."