The Heart of a Nightingale

Chapter 2.2

I had left the castle an hour ago when I had encountered May in my working room. But for now, I was in Ellesmere's marketplace and seashore, Atalanta where all the people bought clothes and food except the king. And to be honest he was spoiled and a reach brat who would've never needed to come here anyway due to his sacks of gold stuck inside a cabinet in his bedroom.

The Rooftops were coated with a thin layer of snow as well as the streets that hid ice beneath it. There were kids skating on the frozen sea that was iced due to the mysterious magic that lurked beyond these lands.

This place was filled with magic and not always everybody knew why or how it had ended up in Torren instead of other continents.

  During early spring in Atalanta, it was freezing cold because of the gusts of wind that surrounded the place. And that meant putting on a hefty cloak was necessary. The cloak I had was black and worn out from the years of using it. Although the fabric of the cloak had gotten decrepit the cold wind didn't bother me that much.

  I had gone use to the cold gusts of wind that Atalanta and Ellesmere held. My hometown and places where I had lived and stayed at had been ten times worse. Remembering the experience of being stuck inside a cave during fierce winters had been a nightmare for me these past weeks. Not just because the coldness that those caves held but also the fright of having to go there again.

If the king would find out about me lurking around these streets and selling first-rate fabrics of his people to merchants for money he would either feed me to the monsters that hid in these lands or throw me onto the streets to rotten by my own.

  Die in my own filthy mistakes.

  I walked on a marketing street that sold delicious food and beautiful clothing.

  Including tailors' gowns that I was looking for

  I walked into a small shop and looked at the different beautiful gowns that they sold. They were all high quality and beautiful from the colours to the little details. I found a gown that was grey in colour and had black ruffles on its sleeves that made the gown look pretty. I looked at its price tag.

It was only five golden coins.

  So I walked to the cashier and took out five golden coins from my sack that I had dragged and carried them all the way to Atalanta.
The cashier looked at my sack of gold with surprise and probably remembered me lurking on the streets begging for a sale out of a dress that had cost two coins.

"The king pitied you didn't he?" the old cashier man asked glancing at the dress I picked.
"I can't blame him, or can I?" I answered as I put the five coins on the table. The cashier gave me a pair of worker shoes and I rose my brows.

"The people who pay a shocking amount of money get something free, and you'll get new working shoes since yours look...well...used."
"Thank you," I said and gave a small smirk which he responded with a small smile. So I walked out of the shop with my new dress and shoes.

The blustery wind brushed my cheeks as I walked out of the shop. Although the cold wind didn't bother me there were still shivers going down my spine.
The streets were quiet and I was practically the only one here if you didn't count the merchants who waited for customers.

My freezing feet wobbled under me as I took fast steps along the street. If I had family left I would've probably gone and visited them.

But unfortunately, my relatives were dead and I was the heir to our name.

I walked along the street until I stopped and listened carefully to the sounds that came nearby.
The sounds came from an alleyway that was now in front of me without me noticing. Although the alleyway looked doubtful something in me said otherwise, that I should go and find out.

I turned to walk in the alleyway that still looked way too doubtful inside and out. Whatever that creature was it definitely wasn't something small.

But big.

The old and tall wooden buildings looked haunted from the alleyway. I heard the crows' caw in the sky. My heartbeat drummed against my chest making me anxious. I wanted to run away from the alleyway and return to the damned castle.

I walked along the alley as I put my hands into fists. My body stiffened as I heard sounds from the end of the alley where there was only an open field of snow.

There Was something me to face and I should go find out.

Not run back and return to the douche bag.

The urge to run to the regular streets rose in my mind.

But I fought it.

I would find out every bit of the mystery.

  Although there was no snow in the alleyway I still walked slowly. I wasn't sure what was yet to come and I should be careful.

  As I finally reached the end of the alleyway I rose my eyebrows.

There was nothing there.

Absolutely nothing.

  So I ran to the open field of snow and gasped out a hopeless laugh. I had been a fool and came here to find absolutely nothing.

Not even a single soul.

  I suddenly stumbled and fell to the ground. The snow felt cold against my legs and hands. My hand touched something that felt like leather.

Sharper than leather.

  I stood up and ran a few steps backwards. My legs fell under me as I saw the creature that had blended onto the ground

  It had hidden its self in the snowy background and closed its eyes so nobody could see it.

  It opened its eyes.

  It was a wyvern.