Silver. A symbol of wealth and power. It's the color of the mysterious orb in the sky at night. It is also why I am sitting in the middle of a village market surrounded by a small crowd of farmers in their patch sewn clothes. Most of them smell of body odor and soil.
Internally, I curse the giant golden orb overhead in the sky. My clothes are drenched. Another bead of sweat drips down from my silver hair into my eyes. Across from me, also seated on the parched dirt is a older man.
Various scars cover his hands and a light weight cloth shirt coveres his dark suntanned skin. He is a farmer through and through.
Between us on the ground, lay three small earthware cups upside down on a plank of wood. Under one cup is a small stone.
"So all I have to do is to guess the right cup and I win? Right Kygo?"
I nod. Games like these are a dime a dozen today. They can be helpful to distract people from their various woes. Poverty, starvation disease and the constant looming conflict hangs over everyone's head.
I know better than most about starvation and poverty. I sleep under a bridge most nights. I'm glad I'm not alone though. Being homeless is difficult. Homeless and fifteen years old is worse. At least I am not homeless, fifteen, and alone. I have Moose with me.
I glance behind the farmer who is still mulling over the cups. Past his shoulder I spot him. Moose is only slightly younger than I am. His thick curly brown hair covers most of his upper face. I watch as he climbs a few crates for a better view because he is vertically challenged. I need him keeping watch for trouble because what we are doing is ... well, illegal.
Most adult would not expect to be fooled by a fifteen year old boy and an twelve year old kid using illusion magic to fool people so they can scrape together enough coin for dinner. People, especially adults, tend to only see what's right in front of their big fat noses. Makes them easy marks.
The plank of wood, the three cups and the tiny stone dont actually exist. Thankfully most folks in Lockeridge wouldn't see through an illusion. I don't even really understand it, but I know enough to use it.
"Aha!"
The farmer's shrill cry brings my attention back to task at hand. One of the cups rests in his hands. Nothing is underneath it. My breath slowly escapes. I didn't even know I had been holding it.
"Aww man, that is too bad sir."
I learned along time ago that a sympathetic word after folks lose, increase my chance at walking away with their coin.
I lean forward and loop my fingers just under the thin twine strings of the tiny coin purse laying off to the side. However before I can twitch my fingers to bring dinner home, a hand grabs the bag. An uneasy feeling hits me.
"Double or nothing."
At these words the crowd once again becomes interested. People jostle against each other to get a better view. I hesitate.
I normally don't allow double or nothing. It's too risky to keep an illusion like this from falling apart. The longer one watches, the chances increase that something might go wrong. Everyone is staring at me with bated breath.
Suddenly a loud whistle peirces the air. I spot Moose scramble down and weave through the crowd towards me.
"City guards. Comming this way."
He speaks a bit louder than he means too. Worry fills his voice. The farmer leans back to speak with someone behind him in the crowd and they slip out.
I swear under my breath and start to rise. We need to leave fast. I tug our silver out of the farmers grasp and we turn to leave.
"Halt. City Guard."
I step in front of Moose and slip the bag into his hands behind my back and he slips back towards everyone behind us.
"Nothing going on here goods
Lockeridge definitely was not the richest county in the kingdom but its value lay in its geography. It was bordered to the east by Massos. Massoans were dessert people and they made up for the bulk of actual purchases coming through the marketplace.
Despite the county's poor economy, there were a surplus of knights garrisoned in the territory. The border had been quiet for years but it never hurt to be safe. Some of the smaller villages were often targeted for raids by Vulfgangers and other loot hungry adventurers.
Suddenly down below in the street, a chorus of angry yells broke out. Benji pinpointed the small crowd that had gathered around a market stall and motioned to his fellow guard. "See that commotion? Let's break it up."
The other guard nodded and together the two of them cautiously made their way down the street towards the crowd. With today's heat, many villagers would have short tempers and it did no good for anyone if a brawl broke out.
Down in the middle of the crowd, sat a teenager. He normally had luminous silver hair but it currently was dirty and unkempt. Dirt covered him from head to toe and he looked as if hadn't eaten properly in awhile. He small for being 14 . In a week he would be 15.
Kygo stared at the man in front him. In between the two was a rough table made of discarded wood. Three small cups sat on a frilly rug that laid on the ground. A single ball sat under the wrong cup and the man had lost his money.
Kygo noticed the man's chest heaving and his hand was clenching into a fist. " I gotta be cautious, this guy is not happy." Farmers didn't make much after all and they hated feeling duped.
He smiled his biggest child smile he could and said "wanna play again for a chance to win your money back?" He casually rolled a small bronze coin in between his fingers. This act disarmed alot of people but there was no change in the burly man's demeanor.
"Surely he won't hurt a child," Kygo thought to himself. But just in case, Kygo had already scoped out his exit route. He returned his focus to the cups. Illusion magic required high levels of focus to keep the illusion from breaking apart, so he couldn't break focus for more than a second or two.
The man stood up still breathing heavily and turned to leave. His eyes narrowed at the young boy before he turned his back.. He couldn't figure out how he had lost two days wages to the kid.
"Royal guard! What's going on here?" The small crowd parted and the man smiled grimly when he saw the knight. He pointed at the boy.
"This rat is scaming us loyal villagers out of our hard earned coin!" Kygo winced. He had survived for years on the streets of various towns and had always gotten by by scamming and picking pockets. The man continued to lay the accusations on thickly.
"He scammed me out of five days wages!"
Kygo jumped up in protest. He felt his face flush with anger. " It was two days wages you big bucket of lard!" he shouted. Suddenly the crowd backed away. Kygo looked down and saw his rug and cups dissappear. "Damn it" he thought. "Time to go!"
He quickly scooped up the small bag of coins and ran. The crowd tried box him in but Kygo weaved his way through the throngs of villagers and made his way down a back alley then another. There was a stone bridge over the Hallowsap river that allowed visitors to enter the city boundaries. Most nights he stayed underneath it as didn't make enough coin to room at the local inn.
He turned another corner thinking he was home free when he felt a rough hand grab him by the scuff of his neck. He tried to twist away and caught a glimpse of Benji. It was Benji. "Of all the knights to catch me" he muttered to himself.
Benji himself had grown up like Kygo himself, penniless and a street orphan. He held a soft spot for such kids. He usually let them slip off or would bring around burnt scraps of bread or slightly old food from the inns in the city. But today was the final straw.
" What are we gonna do with you?" Benji's voice was soft. Kygo knew Benji cared. Too much" he thought to himself. "I can't just let you slip off this time. Not with this many witnesses," Benji whispered fiercely into his ear. He let go of the boy's shirt and stepped back. "What are we gonna do with you?"
Kygo knew running would be useless. "What do you want Benji?" He snapped. "I just trying to make a living like everyone else." He brushed off the knight's hand.
The other knight finally caught up, but stood back watching. Everyone knew Benji had a way with kids and would one day make a great father, but this kid was more than just trouble.
"But you can't do that by thriving and scaming bud, I've told you this before." Benji said pointedly. "Those villagers deserve to have their money back." He held his hand out.
Kygo knew there was no point. He handed the purse over. "I'm gonna go hungry again Benji. And it's your fault." He hated how his body was shaking. He hated himself for being so weak that he couldn't even feed himself.
Benji noticed this too. He remembered vividly how he had felt the same thing many times.
"When have I ever let you or the others go hungry ?" He unstrapped the armour on his hand and placed his hand on the boy's shoulder. "You are almost a young man. We gotta figure something out."
Nico shoved off the knights hand and turned away. "It is not the same and you know it. I dont wanna keep surviving. I wanna be able to live. I hate being so weak and needy."
Benji smiled. "I think I can help." Kygo faced him and stared suspiciously and tried to keep his face neutral, but inside his emotions were rolling. what was the knight playing at? He knew better than most how deadly hope misgiven could be.
Benji offered his hand. "The ward program. Food, a bed, and the ability to become more. Most kids your own age who have done what you have had to end up their. It's how I became a guard. What do ya say?"
Another small crowd had gathered and they had been hanging onto every word. Still several yelled obscenities and curses. Kygo nodded. was tired of fighting for survival. The ward program was famous for turning street orphans into loyal hardworking citizens. King Ryhorn the Second had started the program years ago.
There had been a devastating famine across the entire kingdom. Civil War had broken out and although there were twelve fiefs, the King only controlled three or so including Lockeridge at the moment. Many families abandoned their youngest children because food became scarce. Even the King was not immune to the horrors of the war. He had sent out his only daughter as a diplomat to a rebellious territory. News came back four months later that she had been killed. The Kingdom fell apart and the King withdrew.
The kingdom was fractured and starving. Ryhorn created the ward program. It would help the kids who had been abandoned to become warrior's for the kingdom. The King hadn't been seen or heard from in years. Some thought he was dead too. His two remaining sons along with the Queen had taken over daily duties.
Benji grabbed his arm tightly and escorted him to the keep of the castle. "Boy for ward program. He qualifies." Then Benji was gone back to his post. Kygo stood next to the maid who asked him some questions and wrote his responses on a parchment form. Then she handed him a single black cotton shirt and trousers. "Next."
He hadn't even been aware that a line had formed behind him. He took a deep breath. New chances. There were knights everywhere stationed in case of a fight. On the far side of the room a worn oak door opened and a older man stepped through. "Come on. You got a week to get ready."
"Ready for what?" Kygo questioned . The old man ignored him grabbed his arm. The old man's grip was surprisingly strong. "What the hell old man!"
Several knights stepped forward ready for trouble but the man waved them off. "My name is not old man. Its Abraxos. Time to go boy!"
When he realized he couldn't pull his arm free he gave up and walked with the old man. "Could you at least tell me where we are going?"
The old man shoved him through the door and slamed it after he walked through too. "Not all wards make the cut. I've been told to make sure you do. Now shut up and walk cuz we have alot to do in a week." Abraxos snarled.
Kygo felt his stomach tighten. He had never heard of someone failing to make the cut. He pushed past the feeling and continued walking. If he had no choice, he was going to make sure that he made the cut. Abraxos turned to look at him while walking. "Good. That determination might keep you alive."
"And what happens if I fail the cut?" Abraxos turned around and grabbed Kygo's chin . "I can't be soft on him. He means to much to too many people and he doesn't even know," he thought. He released his chin and kept walking.
Kygo struggled to keep up. For the man's age he was agile as well as strong. He was not one to be underestimated. Kygo rubbed his chin to ease the soreness from the man's grip. The man spoke a final sentence without turning around. The old man's cloak barely brushed the stone underfoot. " You die."
***
Hi, this is a new novel. I plan on updating daily so please use your stones so I can keep pumping out content! Lets go for.