Past the Edge (An Item for Greed Book 1)

chapter 22- Reliculim

Chapter 22- Reliculim

A few people screamed in both fright and fear, when the door broke off of its hinges, and fell inward. Castor stepped through the egress, and stood on the damaged door, and waited while everyone around him scampered back in utter fear. He took another step inside of the room, and once again the people rushed backward, tripping over each other in a desperate attempt to get as far away from the newcomers as possible.

The building that they had entered looked to be a small bar, and possibly an inn. Castor approached the small bar that ran along the north wall of the building. Cowering behind it was a stout man, with dark, beady eyes, and sandy hair. He let out a few whimpers when Castor said, “Do you know of anyone that can, let alone is willing to help me?” Castor spoke with an air of authority, had sent the man shrinking even further back into his little corner. When the man gave no response, Castor ordered, “What say you?”

Shaking slightly, the man raised a stubby finger, and pointed toward the back of the bar. Castor nodded in recognition, and headed to the back of the room. A hooded figure sat wrapped in a dark cloak in the far corner, sitting on a small chair that was tilted back on its rear legs, and leaning against the wall. The persons head was bowed, and they didn’t move, not once, for they were waiting for Castor to say something. Every set of eyes was trained on Castor when he said, “So, can you help me or not?” the person stood up, and walked from the bar, but not before discreetly slipping a small, neatly folded note into Castor’s hand. It said,

Meet me in the alley behind the library at dawn. Speak nothing of this, and come alone.

Refolding the note, and slipping it into his pocket, Castor nodded toward Sam, who turned on his heel, and walked out of the bar.

Meeting him by the bench that they had recently sat on, Castor said, “Well I’m not going alone if that what he means,” Castor said confidently while giving the note to Sam to read. Sam nodded in agreement, before giving the note back.

Castor rose from his spot on the bench, a walked to the centre of the square. Upon reaching its middle, the few wispy clouds that had recently floated about in the vast sky, had now congregated and formed large thunder heads that loomed over head. A loud clap of thunder sounded from above, followed by flashes of lightning scouring across the sky. Castor then dropped to the ground, and lay spread eagled on the ground in the dirt. When his head made contact with the ground, the rain began to slip from the feeble grasp of the clouds above. The thin droplets rained down upon him in momentous amounts, soaking his clothes, and chilling his bones to their very core. As he lay there in the dirt- which was quickly turning to mud, he did nothing. Castor didn't think, nor move. He simply enjoyed the peace and serenity that was brought with the rain.

Another crack of thunder sounded, and all of the towns folk that had been hiding in the bar, now stood in a large clump, gathered around their broken door, watching Castor. Some people had pushed open the shudders, and were also watching him through the windows. All around the square, doors and windows began to open as the people of Reliculim gathered to watch the strange newcomers.

Castor laid in the mud and rain, the the towns people watching him until the lazy sun began to creep its way over the horizon. Sensing the coming dawn, Castor rolled onto his stomach, and got to his feet. A downpour of rain was still falling when Castor and Sam reached the alley in which they were meant to meet the stranger.

The stranger stood near the back door of the library, and he lifted his gaze when Castor and Sam approached, but still, he didn’t move. “So, you’re going to help us?” Sam asked tentatively.