Chapter 1 – The Hearth of a Child
A small kingdom South of the Oru Mountains and East of the Widowed Valley prided in itself, the safety of the people. Walls that seemed to reach the heavens, was fortified with ballista spaced between three yards. The brick was joined by molten metal, that was cooled nearly instantly like steel rods for bones. Holes within the walls to allowed the pouring of seething hot tar on top of any invader fool-hardy enough to attack. Such a haven was called Taguan.
Within its walls were five districts. The Merchant District was located to the east of the center and was the nearest district to the gates, separating the inner kingdom and the outside world. The area was filled with merchants coming and going, selling their various wares and, chasing the occasional thief. The Red-Light District was found south of the heart of the kingdom brimming with sex businesses where a variety of adults ranging from mercenaries to young nobles slithering past their guards to engorge themselves with the pleasures found in such a place. In addition, the Void Market could be accessed from such a place. Varied objects of immoral capacity were sold to those that could pay the appropriate price. From illegal substances synthesized from ingredients found in the Widowed Valley to child slaves, the selection of products were extensive and intimidated those of weak will.
The Holy District was built to the north farthest from the vulgar district to the south. Within its borders were the constructed libraries, holy sites, magical buildings littered the sides of the district with a large mana fountain based in the middle as the main attraction for the plaza. Mages of diversified professions and calibers were strewn about performing their duties for the day. Only for those that love a high risk with high reward, The Familia could be joined after a rigorous test to prove one's own worth. Found farthest to the north a massive mansion rivaling the central castle provided the accommodations to those that were accepted.
The majority of the population was comprised of commoners of low birth and the occasional thief. Such people of low stature was found to the west in the Suburbs. Poverty and disease ran rampant throughout the area claiming innocent lives each day while the heart of Taguan, the Capital, remained blissfully ignorant of suffering beneath them. The medicine to cure diseases were found in every other district but, the Suburbs. Even the Red-Light District had the ability to purchase medicine from the Void Market.
The nobles considered the Suburbs as their own personal slums to dispose of trash. Damaged clothes, scraps of food, illegitimate children and, anything considered trash was thrown into the district. The repugnant smell filled broad chunks of the area. Yet the tiny souls of children paid no mind. They focused on enjoying what they could from tiny little puddles made from the accumulation of garbage to playing King of the Hill. The children played while their parents poured the soul into making enough kilo to by scraps of food left by the other districts. The desperate ones were found clawing through trash and marrow-less bones. The sound permeating throughout the district.
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A single boy was isolated from such actions. With little grunts he climbed the stone walls of a tiny house. Straining his arm he reached out, grabbing the next crevice that allowed his small hands a place to grip onto. Another grunt signified the child pulling himself up. Shifting his gaze he scanned the eroded wall for another foothold; one final chink in the wall just beyond his grasp was found. If he jumped, his goal would be within his reach. A faint sound of metal colliding with the stone pavement alerted the boy; the increasing volume of noise gave away the position of a guard making their rounds.
The boy's heart was beating faster knowing the punishment for what he is committing. His final stretch was his haven. The rooftop would hide the boy from the guard's detection. Taking his chances the boy emptied his strength into his legs and leaped with all his might. The child could feel the small craggy opening in which to grip onto slip from his grasp. Feeling his stomach in his throat and the breath of authority behind him, the boy closed his eyes and crashed against the cold stone below.
“Ya know brat? If it were anyone else but meself ya would have had yer hands chopped off,” the guard sighed. He was too late to catch the boy but, he was not too late to witness what the boy had attempted. It was not the action of climbing that would have been the reason for the boy's punishment. It was what the boy could access. A highway of rooftops that could let anyone into the vulnerable homes of the common people. The rooftops were often used by thieves for their nefarious purposes.
The boy had barely understood the soldier, so he simply apologized and pushed himself off the bloody pavement. “If only ye could see yerself, brat,” the guard said gruffly as he pulled out a cloth to clean the child's left shoulder and back. The scrapes and massive bruise evident of the amount of pain the child was in. Taking out a rounded container of water, the soldier moistened the cloth and dabbed the scrapes the child had sustained; blood stained the cloth. “Ya need t' stop trying to reach something you never will reach ye hear me brat?” He then moved to cleaning the tiny jagged rocks that found a way to ingrain itself into the cuts.
“Yes sir, sorry sir,” was the only reply from the child. Flinching from the stinging cloth, he tried scrambling away. Hoping to get away from the adult.
The soldier quickly grabbed the child’s arm and expressed his annoyance, “Sit still brat. Those wounds are just askin' t' be infected ye hear? Kids these days don' know what’s good fer them.” A breath later the soldier continued, “Just play with the other brats out there. No good can come from ascend'n ter a place you ain't gonna und'rstand ye hear?”
Doing anything to get the guard off him, the child nodded. Loosening his grip the soldier stood up and said one final piece of supposed advice, “Wait till ya grow a bit then try again.” The child widened his eyes upon hearing those words. Noticing, the guard flashed a smile and tilted his head.
With quick steps, the guard made his way back to his rounds while grumbling incoherently. “He's grow'n a bit fast don'tcha think my Lady?”
A whisper in his right ear answered his question, “It’s the only way,”