Summary;
A noble, Sierra, finds herself as an escaped slave and mixing with the lower class of Arrenai after her hometown Otorro is downed in a brief feud with neighbouring land Shadur. As she struggles to find sense of the madness ensuing, another threat looms on the horizon as Arrenai and Shadur battle it out for supremacy and power - something which makes the lands petty troubles of war and peace pale in significance. Can the world work together to meet this threat, or will they turn on each other like they have for years?
The summary is a bit loose at the moment as I haven't exactly mapped out all the possible turning points of this story. I also know I need to edit this a lot, but I'm just releasing the rough drafts first in case any one wants a read xD Constructive criticism is appreciated.
The market was bustling with people already, even though it was still quite early in the morning. Misty fog still hung in the air, weaving its way through the stalls in the square. Merchants were setting up for the day, and uncovering goods from crates and boxes. People eyed her suspiciously as she wandered around, looking for a familiar face. Brian and Gavin’s gang were usually spotted around the main center of action in the city – they were always on the lookout for trespassers from other gangs in their territory. Gangs in Arrenai were rife, especially in the underground world of the slum dwellers. They were important for keeping the poorer classes under control, and although the nobles might have seen them as particularly violent and trouble makers, this was just a stereotype that plagued the upper classes. No matter how much they might like to deny it, the gangs were an important source for Arrenai’s economy, as they brought in a lot more goods than was allowed by the gates, as well as strengthening the lower classes with unity and the ability to work together. Nobles frequently bought the cheaper goods from the smugglers inside the city, and the gangs helped maintain order in the lower class. In the eys of someone in court, the gangs were a blessing so they wouldn't have to bother going to the slums to drag out the trouble makers! Though some gangs did get into fights with each other – such as Brian's Northern Fight Gang and the Southern Wolves, they usually did not last long. In fact, the names themselves were just a façade in itself – the real reason slum dwellers joined gangs was for protection from the nobles, and the sense of belonging which most lacked before joining one. It was the sense of belonging that it brought to Sierra that persuaded her to join Brian’s gang.
As she scanned the rooftops of the buildings, shielding her eyes from the bright sun, a yell suddenly broke out a few paces from her. Sierra turned to look, and found a plump, middle aged man shout to the storekeepers around him, pointing to a scruffy boy now running hard through the square. She frowned, and as she recognized him as Kevin, Brian’s cousin, she sprinted, trying to follow him. Others around her tried not to pay any attention, or just stared at the spectacle unfolding around them. Sierra guessed he had stolen something from the man’s stall, and he had caught him. Kevin’s blondish brown hair was the only thing she could see as she ran forward, trying to avert the man following him. Another man had joined in the chase, and Sierra paused, trying to catch her breath. She could see up ahead, Kevin was headed for one of the back alleys at the edge of the square.
Sierra ran hard to the one parallel to it, getting to the alley before Kevin did. As he ran into the alley, he gasped for air, and instantly recognized Sierra. She didn’t wait to greet him, she just grabbed his arm, and half dragged him to the other alley before the two men arrived. They weaved their way through the alleys and into a door by the side of one of them. It was an empty house, and had been used by the smugglers for years as an entrance to the underground passages. Sliding back a heavy wooden chest, there was a wooden trapdoor which she and Kevin ran down in. Afterwards, Sierra closed the door quickly, after trying in vain to at least cover part of it with the chest. Darkness immediately descended on them as the door closed above. “Sierra…thank you…” Kevin gasped, still trying to get air into his lungs. “You can thank me later, when we’re out of this,” she half laughed and groped around for the door into the passageway. Each passageway entrance in the city was guarded by a secret code only certain people knew – this was so nobles and unwanted people could not enter unless they had permission. Smugglers always used the underground passages to make secret trades and deals, and so it was mostly controlled by them. Sierra had learn how to access the passages by Brian – he regularly had meetings with the smugglers, and in fact was a good friend with a person at the top of the business, thoug hhe would not tell her who.
Sierra thanked Brian silently when she found the catchment in the stone wall. There was a trick to opening the door – besides shouting out a secret word and knocking on the door in a series of pauses and knocks, they also had to slide four stones into place at the entrance. This was of course, if they knew the combination – otherwise they could not enter. Each stone had fifteen symbols inscribed – one on each side. Sierra slid into place a moon, an eagle, a phoenix then ripples of water, and the heavy door swung open. A guard looked at them questioningly as they rushed past, almost forgetting the close the door behind them. Lights flickered at the sides of the passage as they ran until their lungs gave out. Kevin began to laugh. “That was a close one. Geez Sierra…you’re brilliant,” he said, thankfully. Sierra shrugged. “Brian woulda killed me if I hadn’t done anything,” she snickered. “Come on, lets see if we can find them,” Brian suggested, and tugged on her arm. Sierra started forward, with Brian holding on to her arm. Sierra had grown used to Brian’s childlike manner, and it amused her. He was seven years old, and had lived on the streets his whole life. He doesn’t deserve to live like this, Sierra thought sadly. She thought back to her house, right along the beach in Otorro. It was huge, with willowy trees and soft grass under her feet. She thought of her family, her brothers, and her parents and the servants. She shook her head wistfully, pushing the thoughts to the back of her mind.
Sierra and Brian rounded the corner and opened a secret door on the side. Brian knew the passages well like the back of his hand – better than Sierra. She probably would have gotten lost if it wasn’t for him. “Come on, in here,” he said, gesturing for her to follow him. The inside of the room was in stark contrast to the outside passage. It was decorated with expensive rugs, glasses, ornaments and elaborate tables and chairs. Sierra stared in wonderment. “What is this place?” she asked Brian. “Brian’s personal room,” he said. “Didn’t he show you?” he asked with surprise. “No…well I haven’t really wanted to come down here anyway,” she said quickly. They were interrupted by a door by their side swinging forward. “Well, well, well, what are you two doing here?” Brian asked, grinning at both Sierra and Brian. He looked like he had just gotten out of bed – his brown hair was tousled and his eyes were still shaking the grasps of sleep. Kevin looked at Brian guiltily. “Sierra just…she just saved me from the bars,” he confessed, referring to the court dungeons. Brian’s eyebrows rose, looking at Sierra. Sierra looked away, embarrassed. “I just saw Kevin, he must’ve been caught or something, but a man was suddenly shouting at him, so I followed him. I just got him down to the passages,” she said, still looking down. Kevin grinned, and took out a few apples from his pockets. “Here, have one,” he pushed a slightly bruised and battered apple into Sierra and Brian’s hands. Sierra and Brian looked at each other, while Kevin grinned at them. “Well I can’t eat all this by myself!” he exclaimed, and bit into his apple. Sierra rolled the apple around in her hand before biting into it. Brian looked at Sierra gratefully. “Thanks Sierra. I knew it was a good thing when we allowed you into our gang,” he smiled. “Even if some didn’t like the idea of it…” he trailed off.
Sierra bit back down her apple and began to ask “Who?” she asked, feeling slightly hurt. “Oh just some boys who’re involved with most of the trades. They don’t like the idea of a girl messing things up,” he laughed a bit. “And another boy…he said you sounded familiar. He was one of the smugglers last week, trading some wine and books. I don’t know though, I don’t know if you might know him. But when I told him about you, he just kind of went all funny and said you sounded like someone he knew before,” he shrugged. Sierra eyed him questioningly. “What does he look like?” she asked curiously. “Well he has blondish hair…brown eyes…oval face. He’s definitely not from Arrenai – he seems a bit posh and he speaks weird. I dunno what he’s doing smuggling if he has enough money elsewhere” he said, thinking. Sierra nearly choked as Brian described the boy. Blond hair, brown eyes, upper class accent? Surely it couldn’t be her friend from childhood – Davis? Sierra had a few childhood friends when she grew up in Otorro – one of them was Davis. He was the child of a family friend, and they always used to play together whenever his parents visited. Sierra frowned. What was Davis doing in Arrenai, and smuggling goods at that? She shook her head, feigning innocence. “No, I don’t think I know him,” she said evenly. Brian looked at her but said no more. “Come on you two, I have to see Jasper about the trades coming in today. You look out for each other now. And thanks Sierra…for saving Kevin. I appreciate it,” he said, and grinned his familiar smile. Sierra laughed in return. “Kevin’s a good kid, I couldn’t let him get caught like that,” she said. Kevin held on to Sierra’s hand. “Let’s go and see if we can find the others. Or maybe we can go exploring again,” he said hopefully. Brian patted Kevin on the back. “Just don’t get into more trouble kiddo. I don’t want you trying to steal again. Leave it to the experts,” he winked at Sierra and opened the door. Kevin made a face at Brian and began walking down the corridor. Brian looked at Sierra. “Take care of him Sierra. And you too.” He drew Sierra into a firm hug, before walking the other way. Sierra stared at him momentarily, before turning to meet Kevin. “Shall we go and buy some food? I have some money,” she said, feeling the coin in her pocket. Kevin nodded, and followed her out of the passage. Sierra welcomed the sun as they stepped out of the decrepit house. The passages might be safe, but they were cold, dark and sometime smelly. Sierra breathed in a breath of fresh air. “Brr, it’s cold out here,” Kevin said, rubbing his palms together. “Keep close Kevin,” Sierra muttered, as she drew him close to her side.
Outside, things had brightened, and most had woken up already – shown by the now bustling market. Sierra and Kevin edged their way to the markets, careful to avoid the man they had encountered earlier. Stopping by a stall selling steamed dumplings, Sierra fished around for that precious silver coin, and handed it to the storekeeper. Munching on their dumplings, Sierra and Kevin strolled outside the markets to explore the alleys and peer at the open shops. The city teemed with life during the day, even though it was the middle of winter. It was what made Sierra connect to the city, and feel at least a bit like home. She had other things on her mind though – particularly Davis. Brian’s encounter with him confused her – she had known him for 10 years and didn’t think he was the type to snoop around the doings of the smugglers. He was much more a bookworm and philosophy nut, Sierra grinned to herself at the thought.
Kevin suddenly began tugging at her armsleeve. “I think we have trouble Sierra,” he muttered, glancing at a few men standing on the rooftops, looking at her. Sierra looked around. Where had they gotten themselves to? “Kevin…where is this place?” she asked carefully, trying to make themselves as inconspicuous as possible. “I don’t know…we were exploring remember?” Sierra put an arm around Kevin. “We should go back to the marketplace now,” she said, walking quickly down the street. She realized they had strayed far beyond where they usually went, and she guessed this was where Brian’s territory ended. The men on the rooftops kept watch on them, and she felt a prickling in her neck. Suddenly a man jumped down from a rooftop, in front of Sierra and Kevin, then crossed his arms, smirking. “Well, well, two little young’uns wandering around this part of town. Are you two lost?” he asked, over politely. Sierra eyed him levelly and tried to walk past, her arms firmly around Kevin. Two other men suddenly jumped down and surrounded them both. Sierra felt her pulse quicken as she realized they were from the Southern Wolves – the gang NFG had been at arms with for a fair while now. Kevin’s grip on her arm was slimy with sweat, and Sierra tried to shake off the feeling in the pit of her stomach. “Would you like a little tour? The boy’s would be happy to show you around the place,” the man in the center grinned, exposing a set of rotten through teeth. Sierra shuddered, saying “We were just here to see someone. We’re leaving now,” but she knew they didn’t believe her. The man on the right snorted. “I saw you two stroll around as if our turf meant nothing’ to you,” he gave them a menacing glare, and Sierra was forced to look away.
The man in the center suddenly grabbed Sierra but the collar, and dragged her closer to him. She could smell the stinking breath of rotten meat, as he put his mouth close to her ear. “Though I guess I could let you two stay here. You could be a valuable asset to our business…” he trailed off, then burst into a fit of laughter. Sierra tried pulling away, but his grip was too strong. She looked helplessly at Kevin, who also was staring in terror. The people by the side of the street pretended to ignore the situation going on, and walked past with their faces to the ground. Sierra looked back at the man, and spat at him in the face. He wiped the saliva off slowly, and a snarl came out of this throat. Gripping Sierra’s shoulders, he pushed her violently to the ground and stepped on her throat. Sierra’s throat constricted as she gasped for air. “You little – “
His words were cut off by an almost silent swipe in the air, and he was suddenly on the ground beside her. Sierra stared, trying to gain her bearings as she shut her eyes for a second. She felt Kevin kneel beside her and hold her hand. She could hear the yells of men around her, but tried to ignore it as her throat painfully expanded again to let in air. Sierra began trying to sit up and discovered all three men in front of them before were now unconscious a few paces away of them. She frowned in confusion, and felt a gloved hand against her neck, holding her steady. She instantly felt better, as if the man hadn’t stepped on her neck at all. She glanced at their rescuer in surprise, and nearly doubled over again as she recognized it was the mysterious man Edward had commented on earlier. Sierra tried to speak but no words would come out. Kevin grabbed her hand, and helped haul her up. She brushed snow off her trousers and shawl, still not believing what she had just seen. “Are you alright?” a deep voice sounded behind her, and she glanced backward. “Yes…yes thankyou.” She stuttered, rubbing her throat absently. “You shouldn’t be here. The people here don’t care so much about what happens to young slum dwellers like you,” he said coolly. Sierra took a deep breath and turned around to face him.
The hood of his cloak had fallen back, and she noted dark hair and an ocean of dark blue in his eyes. His stare unnerved Sierra, but she continued to study him. “You didn’t..you didn’t kill them did you?” she asked, glancing at the still unconscious men. The man chuckled and shook his head. They’ll wake up soon enough. You’d better get out of here,” and with that, he began walking away purposefully. Kevin looked at her, concerned. Sierra shrugged, and began walking in the same direction. Kevin ran up to the man, walking a few paces in front of them. “Wait! Mister? Can we walk with you? We just need to get to the marketplace,” he said half running to keep up with the man. Sierra looked forward and found Kevin motioning for her to join them. Sierra jogged forward, smiling at Kevin’s earnestness. When she caught up to them, Kevin took hold of her arm once again. Sierra could feel the stares of the people around her as they began to walk back to the city square. Her thoughts were now a whirl, and all she could think about was the close escapes she and Kevin had encountered that day.
Their walk was in silence, and as they reached the edge of the market, Kevin turned to the man. “Thank you mister. We won’t forget how you helped us today.” He said, in a serious tone. Sierra nodded. “We appreciate it…” The man had replaced the hood over his head, and his face was now covered in shadows. They could both see a faint smile hover over his lips, as he dug around in a pocket in his trousers. Coming up with two silver coins, he held them out to them. “Here. Don’t get yourselves into any more trouble,” he said finally. Kevin took them quickly and thanked him again. Sierra could only stare in shock at the coins in Kevin’s hand as he strode away, his cloak flapping against him in the frosty wind. “How many times have we been told that today?” Kevin joked. “I’m glad you’re ok Sierra. I was really scared…” He looked at her, guiltily. She ruffled his hair. “Well we’re safe now, and that’s all that matters. Come on, you want to go to the baths? I could use a nice bath,” she said. Kevin followed after her. “Just don’t tell Brian about this will you!? You don’t want to see him when he’s angry!”