"Trekon, you are suitable man."
"A right man whose about to lend a favor. You
know, you are only supposed to pass by through any
time after nightfall."
"I know, Trekon. I virtually need your help."
"I knew it," he smirked.
"I introduced some thing to alternate for your
assistance," she smiled cheek to cheek.
"Jewelry?"
Mageia grinned and bopped her head. "Only
the greatest timepieces and bracelets for your
lovely wife, Lisa, to sell."
"Gods' help me, she's going to be up all night
going through it all," he stated eyeing the sack
she published and placed on the table. "What is
it do you want?"
"We heard the clergymen are sacrificing children
tonight."
"Damn, you heard," he grumbled, rubbing his
beard. "Please inform me you are now not thinking
about-,"
"A rescue? Of course. They do now not deserve
to die. They need to acquire free medical
treatment. Instead of forcing parents to pay
seven peeks for every go to to the physician
and ten peeks for medication refills, and lower
costs for surgeries, then it ought to prevent people from becoming Strange. We wouldn't
have so many slaves and don't forget the
poorest of us all working in the Runes, mining
for emeralds they would never get to wear in
their entire lifetime. Trekon. I need to do this.
They do not need to stand on the Dais like
some performance."
"Mageia. You cannot save them all," he said,
voice heavy with sorrow.
"What if it was Zane?"
"Don't do that, Geia," he said averting his eyes
to his wedding ring he knowingly twisted
around his finger.
"I'm sorry, but it's true. You can be Fair one
day and Strange the next all because of a
stupid prophecy, cruel laws, and the Crown
filling their pockets with peeks they surely do
not need."
"You sound like your father," Trekon said
falling deep into memories.
"Then help me. Help them."
The man's wide chest expanded and deflated
as he pondered the danger he could put his
family in. Mageia hated doing this to him, but
what she needed him to do was simple and
no one would bat an eye about it.
"Divines help us all. What do you need me to
do?"
~*~*~
Mageia's hand trembled around her cup of
fruit juice. Doubt about this rescue threatened
to sprout wild into her anxiety. Who knew the
day would end with such a risky mission?
The streets would be extra crowded with
people beginning their parties early and
extra authorities posted on every corner.
She peeked from one of the bakery's front
windows, keeping in the shadows of the
curtains to watch a world she had dreamt to
be a part of.
Already, the streets and the shops were
decorated with the kingdom's national shades
of greens for its abundance of emerald
gemstones and other bright colors. Smoke
from fooderies puffed high into the sky
hoping to lure old and new customers to their
doors throughout the night.
The Annual Fair Ceremony always came
around at the beginning of spring and lasted
three days, starting midnight and ending
on the third midnight. Usually, on the first
midnight, they'd sacrifice six Strange from
all crosses of life on the Holy Dais. Now this
time, it would be children. Then at the end
of the second day called the Sacred Day,
at midnight under a full moon, they would
sacrifice seven Strange known as the Sacred
Seven on the Divine Dais perched on the top
of Hamino's Temple which could be seen from
almost any high point in Ardania.
According to custom, traditions, and
superstitions, no one can commit any
offenses on the Sacred Day. Crime, deception,
and even disrespect used to be said to deliver a curse
upon a character and their complete family. The
King himself would pardon humans of their
debts, petty crimes, and free slaves who'd
been working greater than twenty or thirty
years. The Sacred Day was supposedly a day
of kindness in hopes of pleasing the gods
until the fundamental sacrifice.
Then on the third day, the Atonement Day, no
sacrifices are to be made to enable the gods
time to think of prayers and redeem everyone
for past crimes and offenses. Sometimes
depending on the Court which protected the
Crown, the Council, the Judges, and the
Priesthood, it could extend into the subsequent week.
"You should get from that window, Mageia, or
you'd be spotted," Lisa stated savaging through
her new pile of valuables.
Mageia reclosed the curtain and got here to
sit at the woman's table. For the security of
their guest, to Mageia's disapproval, they
had served the the rest of their customers
and kindly asked everyone to depart under
the influence of making ready for the nightly
festivals. Trekon's household had been continually so
courteous, which she prayed for the Divine
Six or perhaps the Ordained to bless them
abundantly.
"Do you promote well?"
"I do," Lisa said with a wink. Her cheeks
were greater perky and blushed from her
overall excitement. Lisa had instructed Mageia her
story about how she grew up in her father's
jewelry shop in Hiilaan. How she used to be a
respectable noble thanks to her parents and
to marrying a Knight Escort. She had dreams
of proudly owning her very own handmade earrings shop,
but her unlucky defect which she refused
to ever inform Mageia marked her as Strange and
their noble life slowly dwindled into middle
class. And then there have been a few royal taxes
and steady visits to Checkings that also
aided in her dreams never blossoming into
reality.
"I clean them all, refurbish the designs, polish
them, and even add trinkets right here and there to
avoid owners from recognizing their jewelry,"
she said with a squeal. "I leap from arena
to area to keep away from the equal crowds. But
overall, I make adequate to start a aspect savings."
"Very good, Lisa."
"I have to say. You are a brave female to do
rescues," she said. "Have you ever thought
about becoming a member of the Blesseds?"
Mageia scrunched her nostril and thinking of
those 4 humans who had been executed earlier
on the Holy Dais.
"No. They do more than just rescue
unfortunate people," Mageia said.
"Yeah, they're acknowledged to take a existence from time to
time," Lisa said.
"And do riots... No. I suppose I choose to maintain my
family away from that."
Lisa shrugged. "Good choice, I guess. But
they do assist human beings cross the borders."
"I've idea of transferring all people similarly east
into the Dauntless," Mageia said. "But it's
dangerous out there. Dean wishes us to move
north to Gorana. Buy a house for everyone
until they're old enough to go away and venture
on their own."
"That's sweet," Lisa said. She smiled
gracefully as she persisted going through her
jewelry. "I suppose you depart Ardania too.
The Blesseds may want to help."
"Eh...I'll assume about it. The closing component I need
is for my household to be swept into something
dangerous."
A knocking sequence pounded from the door.
Trekon was once back. Lisa went and unlocked the
door for him enter. He got here in with a smug
on his face.
"What's wrong?" Mageia said, intestine twisting.
The day was once passing by using and the ultimate thing
she needed used to be a setback. "Did you do what I
asked?"
"I did, but that idiot Junet stormed asking
questions. I advised him I wished the two planks for something I was building. He kept
blabbering on about why I would purchase
those particular wood slabs and why I
couldn't tell him what I was building."
"It's none of his business," Lisa said with a
puff.
"Exactly. I told him I would be back by nightfall
to pick them up, so leave them in the usual
place in the back alley so no one would steal
'em. My wagon's been borrowed. And gods
did he blab on about how I'm never prepared
when I pass by for wood. Damn bastard
needs to be thankful for the futtin peeks I
gave him for the damn futtin wood."
"Trekon, now breathe sweetheart, you are
beginning to curse," Lisa said batting her long
eyelashes at him as she returned to her task.
"Sorry, my alane," he grunted, using the
Valeeran's sweet word for love.
"Did you buy the other stuff on the list and
clear the grate?"
"I did. The only thing I worry about are the
crowds of people already filling the streets of
Midlaan."
"We are trained to walk amongst the
shadows," she grinned receiving his bellowing
laugh in return. "Thank you, Trek."
He wrapped Mageia in a hug and squeezed
her tight. "Just be careful, my girl."
"I will."
A satisfying, warm feeling grew in her gut,
erasing the threatening doubt as she made
her way home. Once she and the elders
regathered to plan their rescue everything
should play out well. Ardania was like an old
man stuck in his old ways and traditions,
never willing to change. The Taefo never
had great security and the building's back
end along the Mideri Wall always provided a
sneaky way to get inside. If whatever Faebrin
had noticed during his scouting, Mageia knew
no one would decide to change it if they had
no reason to do so.
She reentered her home by one of their secret
northern entrances and ran into two children
playing near the barrier. After scolding them,
they said their apologies and promised to
never go pass the barrier again and followed
her back home. Lisa's advice on relocating her
family invaded her thoughts and she decided
to bring it up to Dean and the Elders later.
"Geia about time yer back," Dean said. She
approached the Elders standing around the
Pit now fully lit and casting a burnt orange
light onto their worried faces.
Her smile dropped into her churning gut.
"What's wrong?" she said searching the fury
on Dean's face.
"We have a problem," he said stepping aside
to reveal Faebrin.