The four remains

Chapter 1

I woke to the sound of carriages. Instantly alert, I grabbed my sword and looked toward the hidden hole, the only entrance and exit to the cave. The carriage passed, and I breathed a sigh of relief. Why would carriages come here? I live among peasants, and according to the king's selfish rule, the only person who ever had the privilege of riding in a carriage is the king himself. He would never go near peasant land.

Ever since he found the power crystal—the reality crystal—life here has been hell. His selfish rule is a burden everyone feels but fears to speak of. The punishment for such a crime is gruesome. I regret everything I've done, everything I didn't do. I no longer follow my instincts or thoughts, only those of others.

My stomach growled, and I sighed in frustration. It was time to eat, and I couldn't push it off any longer. I went to the corner of the cave, picked up the bag, and opened it. To my anger and shock, I found it infested with insects and rats. The rice was inedible. This could only mean one thing—I must scavenge. I am officially done for. If I must go out, I'll take my sword. Calm down, I told myself.

I looked at the hole I gazed upon every day, curious about what was out there. It has been ten years since I was out, free, without a price on my head. I was six then, running around stores, begging shopkeepers to let me help. I was with my friend Meredith. We would help the store owners, and in return, they'd give us the tastiest sweets. We'd brag about the food in front of the other children we didn't like, and if I was feeling generous, I'd share a nibble with my other friends. It was a laugh.

I remember it clearly, as if it were yesterday—Kingsley, a boy I hated, would tease me and Meredith. I'd show off the sweet in his face, watching him long for it, then snatch it away and eat it slowly, relishing his rising temper. One day, he got so angry that he threw a stone at my face. It wasn't my favorite day, but I miss it. I miss my childhood, the one I never fully lived.

It was time. Time to go back. I took a deep breath, wrapped my arms around the edges of the cave, and climbed out, hauling my sword with me. I was finally out.

I looked around. It was a particularly sunny day. I felt the warm rays on my skin and saw the shadow that followed me. I tucked my braid in, hid my face with my cloak, and quickly attached my rusty sword to my belt, concealing the rest of my body with the cloak.

"Oi, watch where you're going!" yelled a dirty man with filthy trousers and an almost completely destroyed shirt. A cart nearly ran him over, but the coachman didn't seem to care. It was noisy, the sound of the crowd overwhelming. There was talking, murmuring, gossiping—I wasn't aware of any of it. Time to get what I came for, I told myself, heading toward a man selling rice.

As I approached him, I realized I didn't have any money. Maybe the man would show mercy to a young, hungry woman who would surely starve if he gave her nothing. But I didn't get what I expected.

"Are you trying to steal from me?" he shouted, and the crowd gasped.

"I think you misunderstood me. I'm starving, and I need some rice! I'll pay later, I promise!" I pleaded.

"Lies!" he cried, and the crowd gasped again.

"Oh, hush!" I snapped at the crowd as they looked affronted. "This has nothing to do with you, so move along." A grave mistake. Two exceptionally large soldiers began to approach me.

"Give us a moment," one of the knights demanded of the storekeeper, his raspy voice carrying the authority of a man accustomed to command. The other knight stared at me for a while, making me uncomfortable, but I stood my ground.

"Are you a woman?" the other knight asked. He sounded more superior, as if he were the king's son. He removed his helmet, revealing a carefully groomed mustache and slicked-back hair—a mere attempt to appear superior.