Shadow Whispers

Chapter 5 ☀ Sold

Chapter 5 - Magic for Sale

The shadows of the buildings of Aevirun were lengthening once more, but this time, Khoeli was with Felix. They'd been on the run for a while, darting in alleyways and backtracking in some cases, all to make sure Cassi or the other guards couldn't easily trace their steps.

After they had left the Boar's Tavern, Felix had pulled her aside and explained that they were going to another town, and would try to find a boat to slip into. This town was safe, he promised, and he had another friend there who might be swayed to help them out.

"You mean like how Cassi was a 'friend'?" she had retorted.

"Cassi wasn't a real friend. I'd trust my life with this friend," had been his response, before pulling her back up and whisper-yelling at her to follow him.

As they continued to run, Khoeli admired the workmanship of the buildings around her. But she started to notice that the people here seemed to be dressed much less well than those in the town center, where she'd been the night prior, and that there seemed to be more beggars around here.

Were they magic-less, too?

She felt sad that there were so many people suffering just because they didn't have magic. She didn't know her own magic ability yet, but she knew she had one as the Brothers had told her they'd reveal it when she turned sixteen.

The monastery had been her home as long as she could remember. The buildings there were sprinkled amongst the mountain and blended perfectly into their surroundings. To an outsider, it would appear as if the monastery barely even existed, so excellent was the work of the Brother who'd supervised the construction of such a monastery.

There were other monasteries around the world, of course. The kingdom she lived in had been a spiritual one, and while the daily lives of the younger ones were filled with strife and unjustness, the older folk still highly revered both the Brothers and the gods.

Khoeli's thoughts turned towards the state of her kingdom. The teenage girl was fairly unfamiliar with the current king who sat on the throne, but the deaths of the previous ruling family in some kind of mysterious event was well known amongst even the Brothers. It had been a tragic event. The rumors spoke about demons or even the mythical revengeful Fey, but no one could really know for sure.

The citizens still mourned the deaths of the royal family today. King Edgar and Queen Esmeralda had been highly regarded for their gentle and kind personalities. They ruled justly and fairly, and although they weren't perfect, the citizens of their kingdom had been content under their reign. The fact that the whole family could have been slaughtered brutally, not even sparing the youngest, was horrific and appalling.

The regent, Edgar's younger brother Oliver and the last of the royal bloodline, was a reclusive and shy man who struggled under the burden of both the throne and the deaths of his brother's family. He left most of the decision making to the Council of Elders, but they had been difficult to reign in even under Edgar and thus the kingdom had rapidly started to fall apart. Lords, like vultures, were no longer the honorable people they once were, and the quality of life deteriorated.

Khoeli couldn't quite understand why, but she felt a sense of guilty responsibility whenever she thought about the royal family's demise and the state of the kingdom today.

Khoeli's breath began to come out in shorter bursts. While she'd had extensive training under the Brothers, she was also guilty of slacking off quite a bit, and it usually consisted of short-endurance exercises and practice with her bow. They'd been running for a few hours.

How was Aevirun so large?

"Felix!" Khoeli gasped, feeling a sudden pain in her side. "I-" she panted. "Need to stop for a little bit."