It has been 3 years… The kings taxing of the south has just tripled in size, no news of any wars going on, no news of the children gone to the capital. The south was already stirring restless all over. The nights were pitch bck now, there was no money to make torches or power magic light. Beggars filled the streets, clean water became a luxury, starvation became the norm. Crime was all over the nd, so much so women was prohibited from getting out of houses all together, little Raia couldn’t remember when was the st time she felt the sun on her skin. Poverty was a monster one that wrecks all.
“I can’t, Silvia. I am leaving tonight” said Roderick, in front of the now dark firepce. It used to be lit every night 3 years ago to keep the house warm at night. However, it has been weeks since it saw any fire; resources became so expensive that even firewood was not found in the markets anymore. Roderick himself was nothing like he was 3 years ago. His beard was already growing uncontrolbly, the bck circles under his eyes, the look of regret he holds all the time. Even his eyes don’t retain their old shine anymore.
“Roderick dear, you can’t! I can’t afford to lose you!” Said Silvia, looking at her husband with bleeding eyes. The children were already sleeping at the moment, mostly to wash away their hunger. Fredrick and David, who were now 19 and 16 respectively, have already left Ferdalis to look for better lives out of the south, and hopefully be able to secure some future for their family back home. Only Shawn and Raia were left home. Silvia’s past beauty has been worn out by the stress of those past years. Supporting her children, and husband had her tired all day long. Her hair getting whiter by the day and her eyes getting wrinkly.
“AND LIVE TO SEE MY KID GONE?” shouted Roderick, he would never shout at his wife, he was shouting at the pain of acknowledgement of his weakness. He might have been able to stall long enough to get both Fredrick and David out, but with the increasing taxes every month, his efforts became meaningless. They didn’t have enough money for the payment in 10 days. He will lose Shawn, who was only 13 at the time, to the king soon, it derived him crazy. He thought of sending him away so many times, but then the thought of what would happen to Raia if that happened terrified him. It was not just boys taken away recently, even girls were not safe. Just what was the king thinking. Unlike boys who can be used as workers, what does he pn to do with weak girl who can’t even use magic. The ck of knowledge did nothing but terrify him even more, and his wife just stared at him, concerned, yet unable to reply to him.
“I am leaving now, Silvia. Pack my bags and don’t add any food to them. I will fend for myself” said Roderick, he already made his mind. He is heading to the capital. Rumors have been going around in Ferdalis recently, a rebel force has been formed in the capital. His only hope is to join them and do something to stop the next payment before the 10 days pass. He needed 5 to reach the capital, he couldn’t dey it any longer.
“understood” said Silvia, her voice shaken from holding back her tears, leaving her husband in front of the firepce to go pack what he needed.
Raia has not seen her father for 8 days now, the kid was restless all the time. Unlike her old self, her smile was now gone. Her frame got thinner and lighter; she was worrying about how much she eats recently, and how it might just increase her parents’ worries. She was constantly restless for the st couple of days, the ck of news from her father and brothers made her so. Her mother always said he was gone on a small journey and would be back soon with lots of food and money. Shawn would usually be out of the house until midnight recently, now with both his brothers gone he had to do extra work to get any more coins in the bag. Not to mention, no one in the city could afford any services except some nobles, and with hordes of people flocking to them, the wages were nothing compared to the monthly tax. However, never once had Shawn spoken up, he had to do this work in order to distract him from the future that id ahead. He knew he would most likely be taken to the capital next and the thought of the unknown just scared him to the bones.
However, that was not the case for today. Shawn wouldn’t be able to return home today; the city was in an uproar, the streets drowning in shouts and screams. The news arrived from the capital yesterday, the king is dead, and the culprits were the Ferdalis rebel party. Normally it was just pushed aside as another rumor but today was not short from terrifying. The sky gone bck, clouds so thick that it blocked all the sunlight. If not for the rosters no one would have known, it was morning. The callers at the city walls had already left their posts in fear, screaming in the streets.
“IT’S THE KING’S VENGEANCE”
“THEY ARE HERE, THE WHITE ROSE”
“WE ARE DEAD! WE ARE ALL DEAD!”
It might seem strange, why would anyone go around screaming like that instead of escaping in silence, but the answer was in their words. The white rose unit, known all over the empire as the most brutal elite forces serving directly under the king. They are the only knight unit the prioritizes the king’s wellbeing above the empire. However, it was never the case, ever since the start of the recent king’s reign they have done all kinds of gruesome acts. Massacre of whole vilges, oppression of other races and even killing many of the nobles, all because the king didn’t like it. Their reputation was absolutely the worest, and they will always leave a patch of children alive to live and tell the story before they eventually die in the slums of some other cities with no guardians or food. Knowing all that, the citizens of Ferdalis couldn’t help but shudder and scream in fear while those knights broke down the city gates. What will be of them, those whose kin had killed the king. It was obvious no one would survive.
“Raia!” said the mother shaking Raia of her petrified state next to the house window. She was holding a heavy bag in one hand and grabbing at Raia arm firmly in the other. “WE ARE LEAVING NOW!” she was equally terrified as everyone else, if they didn’t leave the city soon, they will all burn together.
“MAMA!.. WHAT ABOUT SHAWN AND PAPA” Raia was already shaking crying all over. The reality was too much for her, yet she couldn’t stop thinking of her brother and father. They can’t leave without them. Soon Silvia knelt down next to Raia to pick her up.
“Raia, you must listen to mama. We need to leave” said Silvia barely suppressing her voice. She was shaken, yet she knew what had to be done for Raia to live. Ferdalis was a huge city, it was the center of the south and the center of trade with the kingdom of the southern isles. The city was stacked full of alleys and old houses. It would be impossible to find Shawn before the white rose knight unit make it here. They had to leave, as much as it hurts to leave him to fend for himself, she had to at least make sure her daughter lives and all she could do is to hug her for the moment. Soon Raia nodded.
Raia could not remember what happened next, a lot of fire and chaos everywhere, and them joining the groups of women and children that tried to flee the city through the sewers, while the men would distract the knights from thier trails. All she could remember was how wet, dark and cold those tunnels were. How thin their roof was, and how she would hear everything, the knights’ metallic footsteps upon the stoney ground of the streets, the breaking of doors, walls and houses, and the final words of all of those who died. Soon enough they exited the tunnels to the riverside outside of Ferdalis, light did not greet them because the sun was already absent all day. That day Raia had finally lost all of them, her father, and her brothers. She had lost all of them, she had lost all her treasure, the wolves was finally here to cim thier lives.
“Raia dear, we have to move please stay close” said Silvia.
“Yes mama” said Raia.
abu_nur
