Chapter One: Run!!!

This is the first real chapter, Hope you like it.

 

Rain was falling down with a vengeance. The sky light up as a figure rain through the streets making no attempt at being quiet, clomping through the increasingly large puddles almost as if trying to draw attention. As the light faded angry voices filled the air before being silenced with the following rumble from the attacking storm. He could hear the oncoming mob gaining on him fast, they were the predators, no doubt about that, and he was their prey. Turning a corner, his cloak trailed behind him into the alley where he soon found himself at a dead end.

 

Looking behind him he found that the mob was already at the mouth of the alley, he was trapped.

 

“Where are they!” the leader demanded, they called him The Slasher for the way he always killed his victims.

 

The man just smiled up at The Slasher, he wasn’t scared, no matter what he said now, his death was inevitable, from the start, he knew he would die. Above him The Slasher glared venomously, this man was supposed to be begging for mercy, quivering at his feet like the toad he was, instead, he smiled.

 

The Slasher had been born into a poor family of farmers, but unlike the rest he had been different, always treated as if he was nothing just of his eyes. With white eyes, he had always been an outcaste, now, just one glance from those some white eyes that he had been mocked for so long ago, caused those so unlucky to meet his glaze blood run cold, now in front of him, a man charged with the highest of crimes, sat a so dared to smile up at him.

 

Raising up his sword as another flash of light revealed the all ready bloody blade, The Slasher struck as the storm hide the mans yells of pain from the world. As the thunder faded the world was left in silence as the mans lifeless green eyes stared up at the sky above.

 

 

 

I woke up when the sky was still dark. Getting out of my tent I found that camp was all ready lively even though the sun would not rise for quiet a few hours yet. Grabbing a burning branch from the fire I took my clothe down to the near by river using the branch to light the way.

 

I was surprised to find Rose was already down at the bank washing her face and hair in the cold water. Setting my torch in the muck to stand I kneeled in the gooey mud and cupped the water in my hands. My reflection clearly showed my messy bed head; laughing to myself I splashed the water in my face before dunking my entire head in. Flinging water as I came back up I now felt wide-awake as I started to de-entangle my short hair with my fingers.

 

“Do you always have to do that?” Rose asked me from my side, sounding annoyed that I had gotten her nightclothes, and her, wet. In the dim light I could see her long blonde hair that flowed nearly to her waist, with that and her tan skin she could be considered beautiful. I had to admit I was jealous of her, but not because of her good looks.

 

“Yep,” I smirked back at her, quiet happy with myself, “why do you ask?” I tried to sound innocent, I really did, but it didn’t work.

 

“Because, now we have to travel in wet clothe.” She complained pointing at her drenched cloth, “Look at them, they’re soaked.”

 

“They’re not, soaked they’re damp.” I lied.

 

“Whatever.” Rose sighed.

 

A strange silence fell over the two of us as we finished washing up and got re-dressed. I knew Rose from traveling in the same troupe, but that was it. We were just from different worlds, even though we were part of the same caravan of gypsies.

 

Back at camp I found everything was already packed up and people were just making finishing touches to the campsite, it looked like we were never there. You see we’re not supposed to tamper with nature, caravans like mine are allowed to travel through, as long as we clean up after ourselves.

 

I packed up my stuff and gotten inside one of the colorfully decorated caravans. Inside I found the others were all ready Packed up and waiting. I waved at Rose, who was all ready dressed in her colorful gypsy garb, and shut the door.

 

“Of course, the only girl is the slowest to finish getting ready.” Fox grinned, I rolled my eyes; he’d brought this thing up ever since we had learned from one of the older members of the caravan that before the shift, girls always took forever to get ready. Fox didn’t even mention the fact that there were many a days that I was ready far before he was.

 

To clear things up, there are three different distinct groups in a caravan, first there are the ones that clean up, make food and clothes, then there are the ones that perform, doing tricks, reading fortunes, and such. The last group is the smallest and least known, we’re the ones that work behind the scene, stealing money, pick pocketing, telling fortune tellers what to say, well, unless there are demons around.

 

When demons took over it was discovered that certain humans were demon descendants, not close enough to be considered part demon, but enough to be gifted with strange powers, they couldn’t match a true demon, but enough. So the demon lords decided that they wanted those humans to work for them, as housemaid, cooks, any kind of civil servants really. It’s either work for the demons at they’re castles, or work behind the scenes as a gypsy. That’s why there are so few girls like me in the caravan; most would rather live a more comfortable life than have to learn to fight and con-people. And there is an easy way of telling who the ‘gifted’ as they are called are, simply by their eye color. Dark colors like brown, black, dark blue or dark green are normal, while light colors like light blue, green, gray, yellow, ect, indicate that the person is a ‘gifted’.

 

“You want me to beat you again?” I taunted causing the other 3 guys to laugh. I’ve met other caravans, and we have a larger group of ‘gifted’ with us. The 5 of us are Fox, Hunter, Duke, Kris and me. “I’m sure the guys would like to watch you lose again.” I smirked.

 

Fox was about to say something but the call back that we were leaving stopped him, “You’re lucky we’re leaving or I would go out and show you how badly you would lose.” He glared at me as I glared back.

 

“Break it up guys.” Duke warned us, he was the oldest, around 17, and was the only one that was alive before the shift happened; he had been born exactly one month before.

 

I sighed and sat against a wall and waited to get to the market.

 

The caravan jolted me awake; I didn’t even have to look up to know we had made it to the market. Looking around I noticed the boys were as board as always, we had to spend quiet a few hours sitting around in here doing nothing since having us walk with the caravan held too much of a risk of getting found out. Standing up I stretched feeling tight from sitting in one spot for so long.

 

“Morning Rai!” Hunter called, his messy brown hair showed sleep on his end, I smiled, he was so cute, being the youngest of us, at 9, we all treated him like the little brother none of us had.

 

“Morning Hun-ner.” I slurred, groggy from sleeping so long, looking around I saw that everyone else seemed to be moving slowly too, tired from the trip, well, except Hunter he looked wide awake as normal.

 

As everyone got moving around we heard two soft knocks on the door, nodding to each other, we grabbed our dark cloaks that most people that didn’t work for the demons wore, and quietly crept from the van and merged into the crowed without a second glance at each other.

 

I looked around at the busy street in front of me: people mingling, haggling with sellers and buyers, going about their business, and as normal, paying no mind to me at all. This was as close to the crowds as I intended to get. After leaving the confounds of our small trailer, I had managed to get to a back alley without notice.

 

A little ways down the street I saw my caravan setting up of the days ‘performance’. Unlike the rest of the crowd, they wore bright colors with random bobbles and trinkets drawing attention to themselves be their specialty, they would still have great business even if they didn’t have the colorful clothes. While their specialty was grabbing attention, mine was hiding from it, my clothes were dark and counseling in the dark allies, and my dark cloak kept my face, and more importantly, my eyes, from the dark eyes of others.

 

A woman in front of me stopped and watched one of the performers, her eyes widen as a fire-eater put a burning torch in his mouth, quickly I snuck a hand into the basket she was holding on her hip and grabbed a bag of coins. In the corner of my eye I could see Duke working the fire to keep it from burning the fire-eater. The fire-eater had joined the caravan only a few months prior, only being 15, Duke had been assigned as the kid’s temporary partner to help keep him from burning himself. Yeah, Duke is a gifted with the ability to manipulate fire.

 

Smiling to myself I snuck back to the shadows before the lady notice that her money was gone. Opening the bag I found it had at least 14 to 15 coins in it. The coin system was adopted because every nation had it’s own system of money, this way it was fair, and 14 coins could by at least a couple good fish. Putting the bag in my pocket I searched in front of me, looking to see if any other passerby’s had stopped to watch anyone yet.

 

Off to the left I saw an old man stop and watch a couple of contortionists. He reached into his bag and threw a few coins on their mats. I didn’t have the heart to take anything form him, from the look of his clothe, it didn’t seem like he had much money in the first place and he was nice enough to give some away to us. It didn’t seem right to take something from such a giving man.

 

Looking around I quickly spotted someone else to pickpocket. Walking next to the wall I approached them and started my ritual once again. I couldn’t see the man’s face as he was watching another perform, taking the opportunity, I reached inside his bag and grabbed some money. Just as I was bringing my hand out of the bag the man turned around and grabbed my wrist. Looking up I was shocked to see a pair of angry white eyes staring back at me. Struggling I felt my hood fall down, the man smirked looking at my eyes.

 

“Well what do we have here?” he growled menacingly, “A pickpocket, with light eyes no less.” Focusing, I could feel my arm starting to tingle with energy, once gathered blue sparks started traveling down my arm at his hand. The shock worked as he quickly let go.

 

Without thinking I bolted behind me I heard him shouting causing people to try and stop me. Weaving in and out, I was able to dodge the out reaching arms. Running I saw a cart, I knew I didn’t have enough time to dodge it so instead I jumped over the display of fresh food and dumped a bunch of fruits and vegetables on the ground.

 

I soon found myself on the other side of the city; I was hiding in an alley waiting for night to come, when I could escape. Thinking over what had just happened I knew that it would be impossible for me to return to the caravan. My mind kept wondering to the man with the white eyes. I never knew that there were white eyes; I knew that different shades and color could help a person tell what the gifted ability was. Like Duke had orange eyes and he controlled fire, there was nothing I could come up with that white eyes ment.

 

Sliding against a wall I pushed the thought from my mind as I shut my eyes and waited for nightfall.

 

 

 

Author's Note

Please tell me about what you think of the idea and the plot so far.

Reviews

[Terry Ellis]

I found the plot very interesting. I'm curious now to find out what happens to Rai. Keep it coming.

[Alz Alz]

i couldnt read it all, but i read what i could and its well written! :)