𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐜𝐮𝐫𝐬𝐞𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐫𝐨𝐧𝐞 | ✎

iii.

The roads were oddly silent.

I looked outside the carriage window again, my leg bouncing. I knew there was no human presence on the roads leading up to Haran, but this quiet felt strange. Where were the birds?

I took extra caution as I got out of the carriage, being sure my mask covered my entire face before I handed the driver some extra coins.

"Keep this discreet," I said lowly as I slipped them into his palm.

"Yes, of course. Thank you." His dialect was almost hard to understand, and completely different from the Star Clime's. It was clear he had grown up in the Night Clime.

All of the Climes spoke the same language -- however, different dialects were present within the different Climes. Just by how someone spoke, you could tell where they were from. That was precisely why I took great care in perfecting my accent in every Clime, to ensure that no one thought I was out of place.

I waited until the carriage was gone and out of sight before I made my way further North, to the southeast part of Haran, where the Palace lay.

As I got closer to the Castle, the town grew louder. The streets turned from dust to cobblestone, and dark houses stood in rows encircling the city. Despite it being the middle of the night, there were lots of people on the streets, dancing and chattering and purchasing items from street vendors.

I didn't want to draw much attention to myself, and despite the fact that my dark leathers would blend right in with the attire of the rest of the townsfolk -- as I had luckily discovered on one of my first escapades -- I didn't want to be seen. I made my way to an alleyway with a dead end on one side and an entrance to a pub on the other.

I set down my bag on the ground next to the wall and pushed a few small, wooden crates in front of it. I winced at the creaking sound they made, checking over my shoulder and the pub door multiple times before continuing. With them finally in place, I knew that if I sat down against the wall, someone walking out of the pub wouldn't be able to see me.

Unless they got closer.

I shrugged off the thought, then sat on my bag and pulled my dagger out, setting it next to me. In case of an emergency.

Then, I rested my head against the brick wall behind me, suddenly feeling enticing tendrils of sleep pulling at my eyelids, despite the continued bustling in the streets.

Only in the Night Clime are many townsfolk awake while the moon is still risen, I thought to myself with annoyance.

I reviewed my plan in my head. I would sit here until the sun was about to rise, then I would make my trek to the Palace while the guards were rotating.

My eyes pulled shut, but I pinched myself to stay awake. The pub door opened a few times, and I was careful to stay perfectly still while the person would leave to the streets, despite how my heart pounded each time I heard a sound.