“Oui! There she is!”
I risked a glance over my shoulder and saw four Palace Guards chasing after me with swords in the air. Crap. Those nardles are at it again. When wi-
Crash!
Where did that crate come from?! Uh-oh, they’re catching up. I ducked my head down and scrambled to get on my feet again. I took the alley way that connects to this street and made for the pipe. If I can get up in time, they will pass right below me.
Who would have thought they would go to all this fuss over a moldy loaf of bread? I know the King’s been pretty tough lately, with all the slavery and banning magic and such, but seriously. It’s just bread.
Finally I made it onto the roof and climbed up the slant. It was just another condo but when I stood up, I could see the whole of Tryndamere's capital, Sejuani. It was beautiful to see my prosperous home gleaming with it’s latest technology but the sight...was so sad at the same time. To know how many Others had died because of one man. And to know that not a single person agrees with him, yet where were we now?
Man, if I could just get my hands on that bastard King Rengar I’d-
“Woah-ho! Aye, what do we have here?”
I whipped around to an old man in a wicker rocking chair, smoking a pipe. On a roof.
“How did you get up here?! You could fall!” I said rushing over to him.
His hands grasped the arms of the rocker and hoisted himself up. I went to help him only to see small bumblebee wings sprouting from his back. They were of a silver gossamer material that phased in and out of the chair yet supported him enough to hover above the ground.
“You nearly gave me a heartattack! You should really be more careful, sir. There are four Palace Guards on my trail and if they catch you...” I trailed off trying not to relive the horrors I had seen before.
“Beheaded or sold, aye. But they’re not here, aye?” He flashed me a toothy grin and put the pipe back between his lips. “Aye, what’s your name little lady?”
Ah, he was from the Ionia forest by his speech pattern. “Vieve.”
“Krath.” He waved his pipe in the direction of the palace and chuckled horsely. “Aye, let them come. I already escaped them once, aye.”
Well that doesn’t sound right. “How did you escape them? No one does.”
“Aye, no one alone. Sold off to the territories, aye. Aye, told ‘em I’d make a fine garden slave. Heh, heh, heh.” Krath winked at me with a milky eye and went back to his chair.
I stood there waiting for him to continue as he rocked away on the roof. Several moments passed. It would be rude to rush him. Eh, I’m not going anywhere. I sat down next to his chair and pulled out the loaf of bread that had caused so much trouble. There was only one heal painted blue green with mold, but after I tore it off the bread was fine. Dutifully I offered some to Krath.
Suddenly he snatched my left hand and ran his knobby fingers over my glove. There was something different in his eyes than before as he tore off the homemade leather glove and inspected my skin. Instantly I recoiled and clutched it to my chest protectively, though I had no idea why.
“Aye, aye. Want to know my story, aye?” He leaned back and puffed out a ring of smoke. “Aye, a goner I was for sure. Saying my prayers, aye. Then there she came, aye! Aye, salvation and mercy. Aye, pirates they were.”
“Pirates! But I thought they were just a rumor.” Surely there can’t be people out there actually working against Rengar.
“Aye! Came and saved us, aye.” He put his pipe back into his mouth and closed his eyes.
YOU ARE READING
The Cursed Ones
FantasyThis fast pace adventure story is set in a fantasy world where magical beings called Others are issued into slavery by a tyrannical king. Vieve set out to fight for magic equality by joining a group of pirates that roam the Trader's Sea. Too bad her...