***

Chapter 13:

In Plain Sight

***

The fishing community was alive with speculation. People gathered in the road and outside of their homes chattering about the event that lit up the night. Was it a comet? An explosion? Something from the sea? Everyone had an opinion. Rajul stood outside the house listening to the talk while keeping the truth to himself.

He couldn’t believe what he saw. No one else would either. Even if they did there would be too many questions he could answer.

Aiden harbored Rebirths, powerful runes that nations destroyed nations over. Never in his lifetime had he heard of anything good befalling smaller countries that had one. Despite their incredible abilities, bigger countries always found a way to take it, usually by force.

As he watched the path leading into town, Rajul hoped that no one up the mountain witnessed Aiden’s light show.

“How are you feeling, young man? Raima asked, handing Aiden a bowl of hot liquid.

“My head hurts a little,” Aiden said, taking the bowl. “Thank you, ma’am.”

“You’re welcome. Call me Raima. Everyone calls me Raima.” She returned to the woodstove and scooped some of the liquid out of a pot into another bowl. “Do you remember how you ended up in the waters?”

“No, ma’am. I mean, Raima. The last thing I remember was..I was..” Aiden paused, his thoughts flooded with the Ahrman and the ophidia, then the shocking pain he felt, then falling. Did Farah use her Rebirth on me?

“Tsk.” Raima slurped from her bowl. “Sure it’ll come back to you in a little while.”

“Where did you say I was again?”

“No name. Just a spot here from there.”

“Are we near Nabiil?”

“Not sure exactly. Rajul knows.”

Rajul rushed into the house and slammed the door. “They’re coming! They’re coming!” he exclaimed.

“Who’s coming?” asked Raima.

“Those Ahrman from the mountain! The taxmen!”

“What? We paid taxes yesterday.”

Rajul hurried over to the window curtain and parted it. His frail hands struggled to lift the window up. “Son, quick! You must get out!”

“What’s the matter?” Aiden asked, lifting the window up for the old man. “Why do I have to leave?”

“If they find you we’ll have much to answer for! Now quick, outside!”

“Okay, okay,” Aiden grumbled, climbing out of the window. He didn’t agree with hiding from the Ahrman, or anyone else. But this was their home, their life. They shouldn’t have to lose it because of him.

The story has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.

Rajul threw Aiden’s boots to him. “Scooch down over there behind those big rocks. They won’t see you from here. I’ll let you know when it’s safe to come back in.”

As the old man quietly lowered the window, there was a bang on the door. “Open up in there!”

“Yes, one minute,” Raima responded, grabbing her cane.

Rajul closed the curtain over the window. “Raima, let me talk to them.”

Exhaling deeply, Rajul made his way to the door. As soon as he opened it the two tax collectors barged inside. This time they were wearing loaded sword belts.

“Is there a problem?” Rajul asked. “We already paid our dues for the month.”

The taller Ahrman shoved the old man to the floor and walked over to Aiden’s bed. “This wasn’t set up before,” he observed, throwing the blankets to the floor. “Who else is here?”

“N-No one,” Rajul said. “I-I’ve been sleeping there.”

“I thought you two shared a bed,” the red-headed Ahrman noted, pulling the curtain to the old couple’s room down. He flipped the bed over as if someone was hiding beneath it.

“He threw his back out again,” Raima insisted. “Needed a place to rest to get well.”

“Get out of the way!” the taller one ordered, grabbing Raima’s arm and slinging her over to the old man.

“Hey!” Rajul protested as Raima stumbled to her hands and knees.

“Pipe down!” the taller Ahrman said, snatching the curtain over the window down. He lifted the window up and poked his head out of it. It wasn’t long before he pulled it back inside.

“Which one of you are going to tell us what happened here last night?”

“What happened?” Rajul asked.

“The light we saw down here. What were you doing?”

“Oh, that. I heard it was just lightning, is what I heard.”

“Lightning,” the taller one scoffed. He rested his hand on the hilt of his sword but left it sheathed. “When we find out what’s going on around here you’re going to regret lying to us.”

The red-headed Ahrman kicked the old couple’s table over before following his colleague out of the house.

Rajul helped the old woman off the floor. “You okay, Raima?”

“Fine, fine,” she replied, looking over the room. “They made a mess of things.”

“Those two were real upset this time,” Rajul said, sticking his head outside. He watched the two taxmen until they left the area, then closed the door. “They’re gone now. We’re ok.”

The old man strained to raise the window. “Aiden?” he called, looking around. “Son, are you still out here? You can come inside now.”

“Were those Ahrman looking for me?” Aiden asked, appearing suddenly.

“Come inside. Come inside.”

Aiden scurried through the window. “I probably should go if they’re looking for me.”

“You can’t stay with us, that’s for sure. Those two might pop in anytime after what you did last night.”

“Wh-what did I do last night?”

“Crazy stuff was floating all around you, and you exploded with light and runes.”

“Runes?”

“Those tax men saw it, too. That’s why they came here.”

“I don’t remember any of that.”

“You’re still not well,” Raima said, setting the table upright. “Rajul, take him to that place around the bend. No one lives there anymore.”

“Good thought, Raima. A medicine man should be coming by. You should stay put, son. Have him look you over.”

Aiden stared down at his hands and sighed. “There’s nothing he can do for me.”

Lieutenant Alba stood on the edge of his balcony peering through the lens of a long, slender optical instrument. He watched the old man and Aiden as they left the house. He kept Aiden in his sights, taking a closer look at the young man’s appearance.

“Silver-haired Midaharian,” he observed as the pair entered another house.

Alba left the balcony and stepped into a narrow hall. He traversed the hallway until he reached a library. It was a huge space with each of its four walls nearly field to the ceiling with books and other reading material. In such a docile, isolated territory reading was how he passed much of his time.

“Silver hair,” he reminded himself, skimming over dozens of titles. His search ended at a thin book titled, ‘The Khalina Prophecy’.