Daughter of Water

Chapter 28

"Aden, I heard from the doctor's wife that there had been another maiden taken to the square again. More guards and a bigger crowd since they are expecting the Blue Cyclone again." Arlo whispered all of this to me behind Sylvia's back, our masks already in hand and ready to decorate our faces if the need arises.

I felt like superman who was ready for a phone booth to appear so I could change.

No phones in this time period though...

"If they attempt to take the girl's life, then we will intervene but otherwise, we will let it go. If we cause a problem with the girls too often then the king will double the search and more girls will be in trouble." The little boy nodded and motioned towards Sylvia before us, still as oblivious as ever.

"I will distract her for a moment. Go ahead and make the moment to get away as I do." I tapped the boy and he decorated his face with his mask before disappearing behind me. I hurried up to Sylvia's side and motioned towards a produce stand.

"Could we have some of those tonight? They look really delicious." She smiled and nodded, scurrying off to the stand to look at the produce. In her moment of distraction, I turned, planted my mask on my face and disappeared into a nearby alley. As I ran, I flipped my cloak, the outside now a bluish color as the inside was a dark black, and put the cloak securely around my shoulders again. My sword tapped against my side like a deadly jewelry that was bittersweet in bite and surface. Curtis had done the sharpening that my little sword needed.

It may not be my family sword but the lives of the people I could harm and the people of Arina were already laid upon the shining blade.

"Aden." My little companion appeared at my side with his cloak flipped as well, the idea for these multicolored decorations a mixture between Stephen and I.

"Arlo, we must help whoever is being oppressed. The Blue Cyclone is going to change this land, starting with its people." We finally came upon the crowd that was looking at something just in the square.

"Be my eyes from the ground. I'm going from an angle to get them." Arlo blended into the crowd well as I moved around them, quietly walking like any other civilian.

"Please! Not my husband!" A woman shouted in agony. I froze and looked into the square. Eight city guards stood around a man who was blonde and poor looking. His body was on the ground, two similar looking men near him, spears and swords at their backs or throats. Fear struck me only then, the realization that they weren't maidens but instead men who looked poor but managed to have enough to keep the clothes on their backs.

I looked around hurriedly for any flaw in their ranks. The men standing guard were watching the men and crowd like filthy animals who needed to be herded away. But one soldier off to the side looked young and new, his facial features giving away that he was nervous with a crowd this big.

He will be my way through.

With not a moment to lose, I floated up to him, careful not to spook him yet. When he noticed me getting closer and closer, he began backing away, fear written on his face. Without any warning to him, I pulled my sword and jabbed him on the back of the head with the hilt, knocking him unconscious. The other guards, noticing a disruption, fanned out around me and began to build ranks. In a man's voice, I spoke.

"Let the men go. They have nothing to do with this." The general from before, his wound now bandaged, came forward.

"Can I presume that you be the Blue Cyclone? If that be the case, then the men we hold in our custody will be released under false pretences. It is you we have come to collect." They were looking for me? Then this was all a set up.