The Blessed and the Pure┃🖋

Chapter Α

Hallie was dying.

All this time, she thought starvation would be the death of her, but no. Of course, she would succumb to something far worse than that. Something far more terrifying. Something far more deadly.

Stage fright.

Sure, she was currently hunkered down in the corner of a wooden wagon, but she could still feel the eyes of hundreds upon her as she sang, said her lines, or danced across a stage. She could feel their gaze, judging her for her performance, for her looks, for her voice, for her moves. For her everything.

That's how Hallie knew she was dying. No healthy person had stage fright when they weren't on a stage or in front of a crowd. And, as far as she knew, no one was even looking at her.

"Alright, Hallie, we're here!"

Hallie jumped from where she was sitting, contemplating death. Was that Ermís ready to take her to the underworld? She didn't believe in any of the old gods, but after somehow dying of stage fright, she'd believe anything.

However, it wasn't Ermís who greeted her, rather a person with a mop of dark brown hair. Not Ermís. Syagros. Right.

"You alright there, Hallie?" Syagros turned around to give her a concerned look. "You don't look all that great."

"N-No, I'm okay." She shook her head. She needed to get ahold of herself. "You just startled me, that's all." At least that wasn't a lie. She didn't need him to worry about her more than he already was.

He smiled, relieved. "That's good! I wouldn't want to explain to your parents why their daughter suddenly dropped dead."

Hallie shuddered. Syagros could read minds, she was sure of it. She'd been traveling with him for three days now, and he already knew something was up. She didn't blame him. Helping an anxious seventeen-year-old girl move to a far-away city without seeing her parents so much as explain why raised many questions. Questions Hallie didn't want to answer. And to be honest, she didn't believe the answers, anyway.

"Well," Syagros hopped off the wagon. "I guess this is where we part ways. If you ever need anything, my trade route comes by Kardiá every month or so."

Hallie gingerly stepped off the wagon, clutching a bag that now felt too small to her chest.

"Th-Thank you, Syagros." Was it just her, or was her bag a lot emptier than when she packed it? "I don't know what I would have done without you."

Syagros eyed her suspiciously. "I'm sure your parents would have found someone else to take you. If not, I'm sure they could have done so themselves if they were truly in such a hurry to get you here." Hallie wilted under his gaze, but - to be honest - she'd rather deter Syagros's suspicions than start making her way into Kardiá.

Syagros stood there for a solid minute, staring at her, before reaching out and hugging her. Hallie stiffened.

He figured it out. It wasn't surprising, her situation was too common for its own good, and it's not like she was in any way discrete about it. The trader knew he couldn't do anything, so he let her know he cared. It was odd, a stranger caring that much. Maybe he had his own experience with it. Still, the sentiment was appreciated. Hallie needed someone to hug.

As she hugged him, she felt tears prick her eyes. Blinking rapidly, she forced herself to pull away from Syagros and give him a meek smile. "G-Goodbye. And thanks again. I-I really hope I get to see you again."

"Me too." Why was Syagros crying? Did he feel that strongly about this? About a girl six years younger than him? "Hopefully it'll be under happier circumstances." He gave a weak laugh. Hallie returned it, hers a lot more pathetic.