MALAKAI (The 'Mala Series' book 1)

ct-1 Arocelli

After spending three weeks on a ship, it was a relief when Kai reached land. The ship docked at port Hava, which was apparently the most reliable port in all of Arocelli.

It was a bustling place with many stalls and shops on several corners. Beggars lined up in a corner and a busker settled at a far area in the pier.

Kai had only a few coins with him and was in need of a serious bath, food and a horse to further his journey. Sleep was not on the agenda, there was no point when he'd wake every twenty minutes from a nightmare, the nightmare he was running from now. He decided to get all three things.

First he bought bread and cheese with the few coins he had, then he stole a horse from a distracted stables master on the other side of the port. It was easy to scale the fence and cut the rope holding the horse, then he led the muscular horse out of the stables with full speed. Before the stables master understood what was going on he had already been on the other side of the port.

After two days of riding and resting he located a stream of running water. He had a bath and put some in a water pouch for the road. A week later he arrived at Queens capital, where the Queens palace was located.

It was no wonder the place was beautiful and orderly even with the mass of people going about with their day. The houses were nicely lined up and differed in colors while shops lined up selling various items like jewelry and clothes and occasionally pastries.

A bakery was nearby and it brought the aroma of freshly baked bread. It made Kai remember he ate nothing yesterday and this morning. He traded the black muscular horse for a good sum and bought fresh bread and other pastries from a young shop girl who kept smiling shyly at him.

Then he spotted a flat roof top with a chimney and a shade created on it by the height of the opposite building, at least that's what anyone else would see. What he saw was a perfect resting place and he needed sleep whether he had nightmares or not. 

He went into the alley created by the building he wanted to rest on and an opposite building looking worn out by time but no less inhabited than others. Then he began climbing and reached the rooftop easily.

No one would spot him because of how dark the alley was. He unhooked the sheath of his sword, 'Heros', it's blade gleaming in the sunlight and it's hilt furnished perfectly, and laid it beside the chimney. He ate his meal and relaxed against the chimney and then eventually shut his eyes.

Fifteen minutes later he was soaked with sweat as he woke up vehemently. As expected, he thought glumly. He then lay awake taking a view of the vast city. For some reason it seemed to differ from most places...and he had been to most places.

In the other six kingdoms, mostly Baros and Mohja, the castle was far from its people. It's citizens mostly took care of themselves while its Kings lavished it's taxes on themselves and whoever pleased them, in which case the kingdom had no organization or regal beauty whereas it was well off in finance.

Arocelli on the other hand was well built and well cared of. It could be because it was ruled by a Queen, Queen Esther who was also known to be the first Queen in recent years.

Soon he began to hear a stir below him like there was a gathering. He got up from his lazy position and tucked a thick dread lock of his dark hair behind his ear as he looked below and ahead to see a crowd forming on two sides of the road.