They Were Born Upon Ashes (6 page)

“I cannot believe what just happened,” said Penny. “This is absolutely terrible. The fate of so many innocent lives has been thrown up into the air.”

“The city will never be the same,” said Hudson while shaking his head. “Hentrio will never be the same. All of our futures have never been more uncertain. One minute everything is fine. It is just a normal day, and the next minute everything you know has been taken from you.”

“What brought you to Genold City?” asked Claire.

“The man I love came here to meet with the king. He actually probably just got here earlier today. I had just arrived here today as well. He did not know that I was coming. He did not want me here because he wasn’t certain he could keep me safe. I decided to come regardless. I felt a need to be by his side, so here I am.”

“Wait,” said Hudson. “Wait a minute, this man you love came here to meet with the king on the day all hell broke loose in our city. I do not find that to be a coincidence.”

“No, he would never do something to harm the king,” said Penny. “I know him; he would not hurt...”

Penny stopped herself mid sentence and thought for a moment.

He was in the arena. He killed to not be killed himself. Could he have been a part of all of this? Is that why he wanted me to stay in Vincot? No...no it can’t be. He is simply not like that.

“He would not hurt what?” asked Hudson.

Penny did not answer.

“What is this man capable of?”

“He...he just got released from the Vincot Arena. But it’s not how it seems. He is a good man, I swear it.”

“How can you be so sure?” asked Hudson.

“I know what he is capable of doing in order to survive. But it is nothing more than a coincidence. He would never do anything to harm the king or any other innocent life, for that matter. It is something that you can feel if you ever meet him. He is one of the most kind hearted and loyal people I have ever met.”

“I have experienced even stranger coincidences in my lifetime,” said Hudson. “I hope the words you speak are true. I consider anyone who was affiliated with our king’s demise a traitor. Traitors all deserve the same fate, death.”

The room became silent as Claire brought over the tea. It was rich in flavor. It tasted like a combination of a deep partu flower with a hint of blueberry. It was sweet and delicious.

Penny sat back in the chair and took in a deep breath as she still tried to take in the rather traumatic events that unfolded that night. Her hands still trembled as she tried to drink her tea from the white ceramic cup.

Hudson drank from his tea but he could not sit still. His leg tapped up and down on the floor and his fingers fidgeted relentlessly along the long oak table.

“I have to go out and see what our neighbors and friends plan on doing,” said Hudson. “I need to make sure that they are safe. There are thousands of criminals walking our streets and we must have a plan. It is no longer safe to live here.”

“You need to stay here and protect your family,” said Claire.

“In order to protect my family I must decide what is best for our future,” said Hudson. “I cannot do that in this house. We need to make the decision tonight. To make that decision I need to talk to the people we trust most.”

Claire nodded her head in agreement.

“Claire, I need you to start packing. There’s a chance we will be leaving this city at any given moment.”

Hudson quickly grabbed a small dagger from the wall behind the table and tossed his gloves onto the wooden table.

“I’ll be back soon”, said Hudson.

He kissed his wife, then he kissed his son and his daughter on the forehead. He unlocked the door and walked out into the chaotic city. Claire shut the door and locked it behind him.

Claire smiled at Penny and said, “Why don’t you rest on my bed? I know for a fact you have had a long day. I will just be grabbing essentials and throwing them in some bags.”

“I don’t think my mind can be set to ease, Claire. Why don’t I help you pack?”

“Please lay down,” said Claire. “Your man is out there and he is fine. You need to rest. Tomorrow will be a new day. Daylight will be the best time to pursue the quest of finding your love.”

Penny smiled and agreed. Although her mind was running a million miles a minute she was able to catch some sleep. Her heavy eyelids closed shut as her aching body got a chance to lie down on a bed.

***

The door slammed shut. It was still in the middle of the night. Only a few hours had passed since Penny closed her eyes to sleep. She jolted up from the bed at the large bang that came from Hudson arriving back at his home.

He was slightly out of breath and his face was wet with sweat. Claire locked the door behind him and asked, “What happened? What did you find out, dear?”

“We leave now,” said Hudson. “There is a massive exodus leaving this wretched city in favor of Ralton.”

“Now?” asked Claire. “Everything we know is here. Everything our son knows is here.”

“Everything we know was killed tonight. It was slashed at the throat just as our late king. The journey to Ralton is not the safest. We need to be a part of that group. If we decide to join them later we risk the safety of our family. Evil beings walk among the forest to the north. We must go tonight.”

“Okay, we will go,” said Claire. “I have packed all of our essentials and memorabilia. Double check the home for anything else you need.”

Hudson began to franticly sift through their bookshelf and drawers.

Claire looked at her young son and said, “Robert, if you’d like any of your toys gather them up now. Anything else you’d like to bring with us you must gather now, honey.”

“When will we be back, Mother?” asked Robert. “It may be for a very long time. But listen to me. Everything is going to be okay.”

Penny sat on the bed and observed the family as they prepared to leave their whole world behind in hopes of a better tomorrow.

Hudson looked at Penny and asked, “Will you come with us?”

“I do not know,” she said. “All I know is that my love came to this city with three king’s men. Do you know if the king’s men are leaving in that group?”

“I’m sorry, Penny, I don’t know who all is leaving. All I know is that thousands are. My guess is that the Refect that did not comply with the new rules are leading the exodus. But it is only a guess.”

“There is a half chance he will be a part of the group,” said Penny. “There is also a half chance that he is still within the walls of the city. He might be out there right now fighting for what’s right.”

“We leave now,” said Hudson. “If you come with me now I promise you will be safe.”

“I...I’m going to stay,” said Penny. “I’m taking a shot in the dark here. I am going to look for him tomorrow here in the city.”

“As you wish, Penny,” said Hudson. “You can stay the night here; in fact, you can stay multiple nights if you wish. Here, take this.”

Hudson pulled out a key from his pocket and handed it to her. He walked over to his bed and pulled out a drawer from underneath it. He opened it and revealed a silver dagger that was etched in strange letters of a foreign language. He handed it to Penny.

“I hope you are right, and he is still here,” said Hudson. “Do not go out in those streets at night. Always try to stay near a crowd. Never walk past alleys on your own. Farewell, Penny Goldstem. We may yet cross paths in Ralton.”

Hudson turned and walked towards the door and began to unlock it.

“What is his name?” asked Claire.

“His name is Nick Bint. He looks like a Paplon but he is, in fact, a Hetha. If you find him tell him that I am safe and that I will meet him in Ralton. Tell him that I love him.”

“Some man you have there, Penny,” said Claire. “I will do just that if we cross paths. Please stay safe, dear.”

Just as they opened the door Penny said, “Thank you again for everything. In the darkest of nights you have shown a great light.”

Penny locked the door behind the family. She sat back down on the bed and laid her head back on the pillow.

***

The mid morning sun started to bake the floor beneath Penny’s shoes. She could feel the heat resonate in her toes. She covered her head with a blanket from the loving family’s home. She was not conceited but she knew that she was an attractive young girl. With the numerous animals set loose along the streets the easiest thing she could do to protect herself was to hide her face.

She went to numerous taverns, inns, shops, and bars looking for the whereabouts of Nick.

She focused on asking if anyone knew where the king’s men were. She did her best to only ask Reza with their gloves still on. That way she knew that person would most likely be safe to talk to.

She had no luck. The location of the king’s men seemed to be the city’s greatest mystery. It is as if they had vanished, or better yet, left the city in the night.

The mid morning sun turned into the late afternoon sun. The sun started to set in the west. Long shadows began to cast on the ground around her from the peaks of Genold’s tallest buildings.

Her ankles ached from the miles of walking up and down the city streets. She was still worried about her safety but to her surprise nothing alarming had happened so far. She still saw children running in the streets and families buying food at the market.

The only unfavorable thing she experienced numerous times was the eyes of old creepy men that stayed fixated on her while she walked by. It was not something that was entirely new to her, but it was rather worrisome considering the state the city was in.

She began to feel more and more that Nick may had left the city. The only area she had not checked yet was Castle Teon’s courtyard. She left it for last because she had seen the king die with her very eyes there and she felt that the castle was now the exact representation of evil.

She arrived at the courtyard as the sun dropped behind it. The massive castle and grand staircase set the courtyard in shadow.

She witnessed men and women Reza arrive at the bottom of the staircase without their gloves on. They met with two Refect at the stairs before being allowed to go up to the castle. Soon there was a line that formed as the Reza eagerly awaited to receive their gifts had Vicon talked about. Paplon and a few human men and women stood across the courtyard by the outside walls of a tavern and watched as the Reza walked up the stairs.

Penny stood by herself next to a fruit cart. The man selling the fruit was an old Reza man with his gloves still on.

She took the few steps it took to stand by the man and said, “We live in crazy times.”

“That we do, young lady,” said the man. “What can I get for you?”

“Oh, I am not hungry, sir,” replied Penny. “I was actually wondering if you know where the king’s men have gone. You are always here at the courtyard so I just assumed you might have seen something or heard something.”

“Take this apple,” said the man. “It is on me.”

He tossed her an apple and stood in silence.

“Thank you, sir. But do you know where they might be? I only ask because the man I love was with them yesterday. I only seek to know if he is safe or not.”

“I have lived many years, dear,” said the man. “I have learned one thing as a professional observer. Those who talk about things that they should not receive the harshest of penalties. Although I believe it in your voice that you love him. I heard from someone that the king’s men lead the march to Ralton. It would be safe to assume the man you love is on his way there as we speak.”

“I should have gone with them last night,” Penny said as she shook her head.

“Now what could be stranger than this?” said the man.

“What is it?”

“I do believe there are two king’s men walking down the castle stairs right now,” said the man.

Penny looked up and she saw the king’s men herself. They were layered head to toe with the notorious golden armor of the king’s men.

“Looks like they stayed after all,” said Penny. “Thank you so much, sir. I’m going to go ask them.”

Penny took a few steps forward before being grabbed by her arm. She quickly turned around to find that the man had a firm grip on her arm.

“Let go,” she said. “What in the world are you doing?”

“Wait a minute, girl,” said the man. “Something is not right here.”

One king’s man pulled out his long steel sword. The other clenched both of his blue fists. They walked straight over to the crowd of Paplon and humans.

“The wall behind us,” said the man. “Quickly, the last sets of planks on the left there come off.” He pointed his finger in the direction. “Go hide in there and do not come out.”

Penny heard screams coming from the opposite end of the courtyard. She looked over to see the king’s men attacking the civilians. She ran over to the corner and took off the wooden panel. There was a hole just about the size of her body. She rolled into the hole and pulled the wooden plank back up against the wall, concealing herself.

She propped up her head a bit to look through a crack in the wood. The king’s men were slaughtering a dozen or so innocent lives, some of them unarmed. She put her hand over her mouth to stop herself from screaming.

Tears started to fill her eyes as she witnessed a teenage boy fall to the ground.

The old Reza man who she talked to threw his gloves on the ground. Both king’s men had their backs turned. He ran halfway across the courtyard and sent out a massive fireball directed at one of the king’s men. The fire attack landed and the golden armor caught fire for a brief moment before the king’s man snuffed it out by rolling on the dirt ground.

The other king’s man turned and faced the old man. The king’s man opened his blue hands and the old man levitated off the floor. Penny could see him struggle in the middle of the air. The king’s man jolted his hands forward and the old man came hurling at the wall right next to where she was hiding. She heard him crash into the wall only a few feet to the left of her.

She could no longer see the old man through the crack. All she saw was the king’s man with his right palm stretched and directed at the wall. With his left hand he reached behind his back and brought out a dagger. He tossed the dagger in the air. He opened his palm underneath the dagger and it floated in the air.