CHAPTER TWO

Chapter Two

Caelia yawned. After being woken by Mendor, she had gotten next to no sleep, and the two of them had been on the road to Willowdale before sunrise. They had reached the town with ease, and were nearing the station at Aiton, the stop where the two of them would go their separate ways.

            ‘I’m not going to lie,’ she said to her brother, ‘I’m worried.’

            ‘About me?’ Mendor replied. ‘Don’t be stupid. I’m no brat.’

            ‘I don’t care. You’re going headfirst into danger- brat or not, I’m allowed to be worried.’

            ‘I’m twenty-seven, not seventeen,’ Mendor said indignantly. ‘I can take care of myself.’

            ‘Sorry,’ Caelia said quickly. ‘Just… be careful.’

            ‘Ok,’ Mendor said, sighing. ‘I’ll be fine, have some faith in me for once.’

‘Stay safe,’ Caelia reiterated. ‘I mean it,’ she added fiercely.

            ‘Yes, yes, whatever.’

            The train pulled up at Aiton Station.

‘Get going before the train leaves,’ Mendor said. ‘And you stay safe,’ he added.

‘I’m not a reckless idiot,’ Caelia said, double-checking that she had all of her belongings. ‘I don’t need to be told to stay safe.’ She jumped off of the train and onto the platform, leaving Mendor to wonder whether or not he’d been insulted or not.

Steam covered much of the area, but she could make out a grubby white sign with the customary blue letters reading: AITON TOWN. She looked over her shoulder at her brother’s window, but he was disinterested and deep in thought, so didn’t see or return her gaze. More steam billowed around the station as the locomotive started up again, and the high-pitched whistle scratched at her eardrum, causing her to wince. Grumbling, she tied her hair into ponytail with a blue ribbon and pulled up her belt.

‘Hotter than on the train,’ she mumbled, causing her to remove her grey jacket and tie it around her waist. She adjusted her backpack and waved excess steam away with her hand. The train chugged out of sight and she jogged from the platform, through the barrier and out onto the dusty path leading to the town.

Aiton’s grey-bricked houses and the tall trees beyond could be seen from the station, and it took only a few minutes before Caelia was on the edge of town. She could hear music and a multitude of voices as she made her way through the streets and to the town centre. Walking cautiously onto Main Street, and towards the hub of the noise, she could see that the whole area had been blocked off in order to make way for a humble festival market. The sight of the street performers and small business selling unique contraptions and souvenirs made her smile slightly, and the hearty serenade from a small folk orchestra warmed her heart. Even with the troubles at the shrine, they can live a normal, happy life, she thought. The shrine she had to exorcise was on the northern outskirts, beside the edge of the Carrow Forest, and coming from the west meant she would have to navigate the market. Not that that was a bad thing. The citizens seemed cheerful enough, and the atmosphere was friendly. She could pick up some supplies, and perhaps even a present for Mendor. She sought out a fruit stall with her eyes, and noticed a small, seemingly struggling stand. She followed her eyes and paid for a few apples.

‘Thanks, Miss,’ said the young boy running the stall. ‘Can I tempt you with an orange- fresh from the south?’

Caelia looked at the wooden crate. The oranges were out of date and lying in their own juices, but the boy’s toothy grin and sad eyes compelled her to purchase one. She handed the kid the triangular coins and told him to keep the change.

Almost as she paid for her fruit, she heard a massive crash from the opposite side of the road. The music stopped abruptly and the crowd parted to reveal a small, bony man being kicked to the floor by a burly figure with rippling muscles and a sword at his waist. Dust began to rise and man drew his weapon to reveal magical markings etched on the blade. Before Caelia could move, he brought his sword down, and an almighty boom sounded, and the rising dust shot up and outwards in a massive, unnatural cloud.

Thinking that the man had killed an innocent citizen in broad daylight, Caelia pushed her way to the front of the crowd, only to stop as the dust cloud thinned. Another figure stood before the man with the blade, blocking the sword with a single arm. The person was cloaked and hooded, but was obviously magical and potentially dangerous.

‘You draw your sword on an unarmed innocent?’ the person said angrily. The voice was on the high end of the scale- a young woman or an adolescent perhaps? It was fierce and full of conviction, and resonated with magic. ‘He said he could pay you by sunset,’ the defender continued, ‘and yet you attacked him- one of your own?’ Caelia knew the accent; this person was from the Carillion Capital. Their vowel pronunciation was hard and on point. An outsider protecting a townsperson?

The sword-wielder was over a head taller than and twice as wide as his challenger, but they showed no fear or sign of relenting. ‘Who the f**k are you?’ he said, sneering. ‘That b*****d owes me money, by law I can take it from his flesh. Although if you want to cover his bill, I’ll gladly cut you up in his place.’

‘Amendment fifteen of the Timerdian Constitution states that all debts have a twenty-four hour leeway from the date of collection. He doesn’t have to pay you until dawn tomorrow. You have no right to harm him, or anyone in his stead.’

Caelia stayed herself. This person could obviously handle themselves. No need to get involved.

‘I’ll take my money when it pleases me,’ the man said loudly and firmly. ‘Now get out of the way.’

‘I won’t allow you to conduct injustice. Unless this man has committed another offence, I ask that you leave. No. I command that you leave.’

‘I don’t have to answer to you, you little f**k!’ The man sheathed his sword and hit the hooded defender in the face. They didn’t waver or retaliate as the man hit them twice more.

Why don’t you fight back? Caelia thought. She wanted to intervene, but knew she would probably make everything worse and more complicated.

Crowd members helped the thin man to his feet and pushed him behind them in a solid defence.

‘Let’s see that smug face!’ the man yelled, trying to grab at the person’s cloak, but they dodged, obviously hiding something about their appearance. The crowd motioned to defend the protester, until they were caught by the scruff of their neck and the hood and cloak ripped from their body. The man laughed and thrust the person against a grey-brick wall. Everyone froze when their face was made clear for everyone to see.

Obviously female, the defender had bright red eyes and a bruised smile on her naturally pretty face. Her hair was short and was the colour of snow. She wore simple clothes- a tattered shirt and quarter-length shorts.

‘An albino runt,’ the man said, grinning. He threw her to the floor and kicked her in the stomach. He looked around at the crowd, almost all of them tanned with brown or straw-coloured hair. ‘A second ago they were going to help you, now they see what filth you are they do nothing.’

Caelia’s gaze followed his around the marketplace. He was right. Those who had been on the verge of movement were now backing off, shielding the eyes of any children present. The silence was almost insulting. The man kept beating the albino until she was battered and bleeding, but she refused to fight back. Caelia tried to step in, but the crowd fought her back.

A woman tugged at her sleeve. ‘Please don’t,’ she said. ‘He’ll take it out on us instead.’ Caelia could see the fear in the lady’s eyes and noticed the children circling her legs.

            The albino struggled to her feet. ‘By the Constitution of Timerdias, and the bylaws of this region, you have no right to threaten this community, or anyone who hasn’t harmed you.’

            The man folded his arms. ‘The law extends only to humans.’ He punched her across the face. ‘Albino scum are nothing to us.’ He thrust her body against the wall, choking her. ‘No one will care if you disappear from here, filthy animal.’ He finished his insult and paused, feeling cold metal press against his neck.

            ‘Let her go,’ Caelia said, holding her spear against the man’s throat. ‘As a member of the Paladin Order of Jayson, I command you release her. I have come to exorcise your shrine, and should you disobey me, I will condemn you to this haunting.’

            ‘There are other Orders,’ the man said. ‘Another Paladin will come.’

            ‘I’ll rephrase that: disobey me and I’ll cut your f*****g head off.’ Caelia glared angrily and felt a timid hand on her shoulder.

            ‘Please, Miss,’ a man said to her, ‘please let him go.’ His tone changed. ‘Please, Hugo. Please stop. Akir will pay you by dawn. We need our shrine exorcised. Both of you, please stop this.’

            The man named Hugo released the albino, who dropped to her knees, gasping for breath. ‘Fine,’ he spat. He loomed over the woman, who proceeded to ignore him. ‘Red-eyed filth.’ He walked away, pushing through the crowd like an irate teenager being sent to his room.

            The crowd dispersed and the band played again as Caelia helped the woman up.

            ‘Thanks,’ she said, wiping blood from her mouth. ‘I’m sorry you got involved.’ She turned her back on Caelia and picked up her torn cloak. Hiding her hair and face again, she wandered towards the forest, limping slightly.

            Caelia muttered a spell and her spear dissolved and reformed as a tiny white jewel on the band of a silver ring. ‘Wait!’ she shouted at the concealed albino, who stopped and did as she said. Caelia jogged up beside her. ‘The shrine is that way.’

            ‘Why does that matter to me?’ the woman said.

            ‘I’ll walk with you.’ Caelia couldn’t explain it- some instinct made her want to follow the young woman, and as a Paladin she’d learnt to trust her instincts. ‘I’m Caelia,’ she said, holding out her hand to be shaken.

            The woman took her hand reluctantly. ‘Pippa,’ she said. They walked in an awkward silence for a moment. ‘Why did you do that?’ Pippa asked, her expression a mixture of curiosity and anger.

            ‘Do what?’

            ‘Help me back there.’

            ‘Probably the same reason why you helped that man. It was the right thing to do.’

            Pippa shook her head. ‘Bloody Paladins.’

They were quiet until they reached the base of the mountain and the small shrine at its base. The two of them were greeted by an unprecedented barrage of small rocks. A few teenagers surrounded the shrine, all holding stones and sticks.

            ‘I’ve a good mind not to help these a******s,’ Caelia said angrily. She shouted obscenities at the adolescents, but they only shouted worse words back and remained at their post.

            ‘You shouldn’t have helped me,’ Pippa said sadly.

            ‘I’ll just do it tonight,’ Caelia replied. ‘I’ll stay in town until then and I’ll head off in the morning.’

            ‘And where will you stay?’ Pippa said realistically. ‘I’ll do it now. Just keep them off me.’

            ‘Seriously?’                     

            Pippa didn’t respond verbally, she merely stepped forward, ignoring the pelting stones and beating sticks, and kneeling before the shrine. She removed a small piece of paper with magical runes on and slapped it onto the shrine door. ‘Stitch Sutra Thirteen,’ she muttered. ‘Cleansing Fire, Evil Spirit Be Gone.’ She touched the door and closed her eyes, while Caelia slapped away the rocks and sticks. ‘Finished,’ she said, getting to her feet after a few minutes.

            ‘You use pre-prepared sutras?’ Caelia asked as their abusers ran away.

            ‘Yeah. Now sorry, but I have to get to the Temple of Kheo.’ Pippa went to walk closer towards the forest, only to have Caelia stop her.

            ‘You’re still hurt,’ she said, concerned. ‘I’m sorry, I don’t know you but-’

            ‘I don’t need a Paladin’s pity,’ Pippa said bitterly. ‘I’m sure you’re a nice person, but I have to go. People saw my face, I can’t stick around any longer than I need to.’

            Caelia went to answer, but she could tell that the woman had no intention of changing her mind. She disappeared into the forest, heading north. Caelia stood there for a moment. A part of her felt inclined to follow Pippa to the Temple, but another part felt that it would be best to leave her be. We’ve just met, she thought, what right do I have to tag along? None. Still- why do I want to follow her? A complete stranger. But her face…

            ‘No,’ Caelia said quickly, shaking her face. ‘I should get the train to Blacksky.’ She walked along the edge of the forest, intending to follow the outskirts of town in order to minimise the possibility of meeting any of the townspeople. She made it to the train station without being seen, and purchased a ticket as fast as she could. She stood on the platform, but everything about Pippa wouldn’t leave her mind. The way she spoke, the way she looked, the way she fought; all that and more kept haunting her.

            ‘Why is this happening?’ Caelia said to herself, loud enough to disturb the thoughts of the only other person waiting for a train. The elderly man shuffled away and sat on a bench as far away as possible. I’ll never see her again, why won’t she go away?

            The sound of the train approaching the station made Caelia jump, but she composed herself and waited for the locomotive to pull up. Once the train was ready to board, she jumped on and slumped into a carriage. She tried to shake Pippa from her thoughts and wonder about her youngest brother, but the girl with scarlet eyes and snowy hair was all Caelia saw each time she closed her eyes. Damn all of this. It was a six hour ride followed by a few miles walk to Blacksky, and she quickly fell asleep, only to find herself falling through a warm fantasy, where everything was coloured white and red.