Freelands

I. BAD NEWS

Harper walked in rush outside the orphanage keeping a big leather-bend book on his arms. He passes through the overgrown streets of Hierydor on a fast walking pace.

Hierydor, City of the waterfalls as they call it, is inhabited by people for thousands of years. Built upon the many branch rivers of Everflow one of the biggest river of the Kingdom.

The Northern part of the Kingdom are called the Freelands. The cities of the Freelands are the only states that have denied to be ruled by the Seven Tyrrants, and so freedom and advance apply in all those cities.

And so does in Hierydor. The rich soils, because of the many rivers and ponds, make the lands around Hierydor very fertile, farmers' favourite land.
The city was firstly built by monks who tribute their life to God of water (or Father Ice as called by the Iceborn). It was only when Lance Hail ,the first, protected the city from vicious barbarians when the city had its first governance.

So Harper Hail, grandson of Lance Hail, kept rushing to the Sacred Palace, passing bridges over small lakes and passing the small white dome houses that are built all around the city. 

Sweat started running over his pale white forehead and run all the way down to his brown, thick eyebrowns. But Harper kept going.At this moment he didn't know how to feel, It is the first time something so serious happens in his life, all he is feeling right now is just the rush to get to the palace.

The bright sun and the warmth of the day made Harper's sweating much worse. Despite the distance between the orphanage ,where he teaches, and the palace is actually pretty short, right now feels to him like ages.

Right behind him, one monk tries to follow him. He is priest Gere who informed Harper of the bad news. He tries to follow his way but still keeps his head low and his hand on the back as obliged in those situations.

After a while Harper and the priest finally reach the palace. The royal guards are all in garrison, in defense position and are ordered not to speak to anyone due to the situation.

Harper after reaching the big first hall of the palace starts to slow down and rubs the sweat from his forehead. While doing so, he accidentaly rubs the scar on his left eyebrown. An ugly small sealed cut where it used to be a thick layer of hair. Now it only has very scarce hair around, despite it was done a long time ago It still brings him pain when he applies force on it.

Harper moves on to a small open room filled with grass and plants on the walls, and a small crystal clear pond in the centre. It is the sacred pond, a pond that it's waters are said to be a remedy for diseases. The pond althought its small size actually is extremely deep. A lot say it actually leads to the centre of the earth. There all baby children of the royal family are diven into, the time they are born. This is said to bring blessings to the child and good luck for the rest of it's life.

Harper passes the pond and goes through a small corridor which was sealed for ages. But it is the time to be opened. After that, he steps down a long stone staircase and suddenly the warmth of Hierydor is fading and a dense cold pierces through Harpers thin cotton robe. When Harper reaches the underground of the palace he is introduced by one of the monks who points him to enter the cold room. Gere steps back and doesn't follow Harper into the room, neither him nor the other monk are allowed to enter.

Harper enters a big open hall enterily covered in crystal blue ice. The entire room is carved with beautiful carvings of animals,shapes and on the opposite wall of the entrance a big carving of the Royal palace.

In center of the room a big open ice tomb stands ,with a huge piece of ice leaning on the upper side of the square tomb. There, Harper's brother, Lance the third, stands and gently pours water ,through a golden grail, into the tomb.

Harper's tall blonde brother, Lance Hail the III, takes an angry glare at him when he realises him arriving, but quickly regrets his reaction and switches on the serious and sad face he had before and with a light swing of his arm he noded him to stand on the other side of the tomb.

"Did it happen?" Harper says nervously, to his brother, not wanting  to believe what he is witnessing

"Yes"

Lance said.

"Father is dead, brother."

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