aravelxi

[aravelxi]

Chapter 1

The Heily Town prison was a large, old, unused storehouse that had been repurposed. What had once been a wide room comprised of a dirt floor and stone walls was now separated into two smaller areas, one for the prisoners and one for the soldiers guarding them.

The side for prisoners, consisting of three small cells with iron bars and a tiny window that allowed little sunlight, offered nothing of interest. The soldiers, however, enjoyed their side. They used a table in the corner to keep a record of arrests. They dedicated the rest of the space in the room for what they called "disciplinary action," which roughly translated to "beating up prisoners until they got bored."

Edward was intimately familiar with both sides.

He fell to his knees as another fist swung into his stomach. The soldier standing over him sneered as he shoved Edward's face down into the dirt.

He pulled at the chains on his wrists as he tried to get back on his feet, but the more he squirmed, the harder the soldier pinned him down.

"Give it up, Valisis. If you stay down and apologize, you can still make it home in time for dinner," suggested a soldier leaning against the wall. His name was Euric, and he had been the one who arrested Edward this time and many times before.

Euric walked over to the young man and pulled him up by his hair, staring at him with his cold, icy blue eyes. "Let's call it a day, don't you think?"

The very idea of showing repentance towards Enasdurg made Edward's blood boil. He looked Euric in the eye and then spit in his face. A strong blow to the side of his head sent him right back down to the floor. He closed his eyes to stop the world from spinning.

Euric bent down, looking at the young man with a mix of amusement and disgust. "It's a pity that you can't take orders. You'd make a good soldier." He rose and gestured to two other men. "Take him back to his cell. He'll get bored and give up eventually."

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The sun had set by the time the soldiers returned to Edward's cell.

"Get up," one of them barked, gripping Edward's shirt and jerking him to his feet. "Someone's come to ask for your release."

He shoved Edward through the open cell door, displeased to be releasing him. Another guard pulled out a key and unlocked the chains on his wrists. Edward let out a sigh of relief as he rubbed his shoulders, which had long gone stiff.

"You won't get so lucky next time," the first soldier told Edward as he escorted him out of the building, slamming the door.

Edward would have remarked that the beating he received was not what he considered "lucky," but realizing there was no point, he turned around and faced his savior.

She was a young woman of 21 years of age, a few months younger than Edward and half a head shorter. She wore her long, sandy blond hair in a braided half up style, and she wore a black dress with gold accents. In her left hand, she carried a lantern, and from its light he could see the relief on her face.

"Sophie!" Edward closed the distance between the two of them, unable to hide the smile that crossed his face at the sight of his beloved. He would've pulled her into his arms, but remembered the grime and blood on his face and clothes, he instead took her free hand and pressed his lips against it.

"Your mother told me you were here," Sophie said, letting Edward take the lantern from her before lacing her fingers into his.

As they started the walk from the jail to Sophie's house, she let out a small sigh. "Want to tell me why you were arrested this time?"

When the soldiers had arrived 10 years ago, the people had been required to quarter them while their own lodgings were built. While housing the troops was no longer necessary, they still had the right to take a percentage of the people's crops and products for themselves.

That morning, Edward had been tilling the fields when he'd witnessed an older lady buying her necessities. Like a hawk, a soldier had swooped over and snatched a sack of grain from her, tossing it over his shoulder.

"Your king thanks you for your service!" He'd called out as he'd walked away.

The Heily Town people were by no means rich, and with the arrival of the soldiers, their means of feeding themselves had decreased significantly. That bag of grain could have fed the woman's family for months, and as the soldiers walked away, Edward saw red.

Dropping his hoe, Edward had stormed over to the grain thief and blocked his path.

"Give that back. She paid for it, it's rightfully hers."

His efforts were rewarded by a backhanded slap. As Edward hit the ground, he noticed the woman and several other bystanders flee the scene immediately, unwilling to be dragged into this, lest they suffer the same fate.

Carelessly tossing aside the grain, the soldier crossed over to Edward, who was sure he would've received an even more brutal beating had Euric not arrived.

Sophie sighed again as he finished recounting the events. "Edward, you know that I love that you help people, but you also need to take care of yourself." She furrowed her brows as she took in the sight of him; his swollen cheek, already discolored by a large bruise, his blond curls disheveled where they'd been grabbed, a new limp.

His green eyes, however, were bright and full of life. Sophie loved Edward, and she knew Edward loved the people of Heily Town. He was willing to take the beatings, to be arrested over and over, if it meant the people were safe.

"Just don't go anywhere I can't follow," Sophie said quietly as they reached her house.

As the daughter of the mayor appointed by the king of Enasdurg, Sophie's house was a manor. Two stories high, it could fit at least four of the townspeople's houses and furnishings with room to spare. Edward had never been allowed in.

The balcony door was open, and the lights shifted as someone moved inside.

"Your father's still awake," Edward whispered, handing Sophie back her lantern.

"I'll see you tomorrow, then," Sophie whispered back, kissing his uninjured cheek and walking into the house. Edward stood outside for a few seconds, then turned on his heel and started the short walk back to his home.

[aravelxi]

Prologue (2/2)

[aravelxi]

Prologue (1/2) Edward could still remember the screams of the people as the ships appeared in the distance, the flag of Enasdurg flying high on the masts. He could still remember the smell of smoke as buildings were lit and supplies destroyed. The feel of rocks stabbing into his bare feet as his mother pulled him into their house, locking the door and stacking whatever furniture she could in front of it.

     The clang of swords clashing and wood breaking as the soldiers forced their way into people's homes, demanding they show their loyalty to the king. Cries quickly followed as men and women alike were forced to their knees in show of reverence.

      Edward's mother had held his hand tightly as she urged his father not to resist when the soldiers arrived. As the soldiers beat and shouted at Edward's father, still he stood proudly, refusing to bow to a man he did not consider worthy of his respect.

     That image of his father was burned into his memory, and Edward promised himself that from that day forward he would also stand tall in the face of adversity.

[aravelxi]

Meet Uriq, the Guard Captain of the barracks in Edward's town. Though he's serious, and loyal to the king of Enasdurg, he seems to have a soft spot for Edward.

[aravelxi]

Meet Sophie, the only daughter of the mayor. Headstrong and loyal, once she's set her mind on something nothing can shift it.

[aravelxi]

Meet Edward Valisis, a young man whose father was killed by the soldiers of the Kingdom of Enasdurg. Stubborn and dedicated, he swears to uphold his father's memory.