I could barely stomach entering our home. I had to quickly pack what I needed before I was to leave. It didn't consist of much, just grabbing the note from the mirror and my toothbrush. I needed a safe place to put them, so I opened Vy's satchel and went to secure them in the bag when my hand graced what I found to be the only thing inside. I let go of the note, letter, and toothbrush and pulled out whatever it was that Vy had left behind.
In my hand was a red-petaled flower…
An overwhelming sense of nausea washed over me. The Assadia Lily was still in perfect condition like nothing ever even happened.
Life finds a way, always. I heard Vy's voice so clearly that I whirled around hoping to see the mass of curly hair in the doorway like she always was.
Emptiness greeted me.
I needed to leave. I couldn't stay here.
I didn't even spare a glance into her room as I raced past it.
I wanted to scream and cry and yell. Take time to understand what has happened; get revenge. But if Hewg wanted me to go to Naminas, it must be for a good reason. It is home to the Heralds after all. They use mystics, which means maybe they could bring her back! There has to be a technique for something like this!
That reasoning energized me, and I crawled through the rock covering, rolling the boulder back into place. It was getting darker out. Gray toiling clouds were drifting overhead. They looked ready to cry.
I ran through the Outskirts. Because of the warning of rain, the streets were vacant. Not like they'd be busy anyway; it was well known here that there was nothing better to do than laze around in the ruins they'd call home. But that is what separated me and Vy from them. We had desires to leave this place, we believed we could and that's what alienated us.
When I reached the boundary of the Outskirts, I decided I was walking the rest of the way. There was no way I'd make it there by running. Ok, that was a lie. I'd make it, but I'd be regretting it as I wallowed in my pain and suffering and Vy's gone, and I don't want to leave and… Where was I?
Oh yeah. Running is a no-go.
I was stirred from my thoughts when I saw something new. Nailed to the ground next to the last ruin, facing out toward Naminas, was a sign. It stated, 'Welcome to the End'.
I gave it a good kick as I passed it. I'll show them that it's only the beginning. Where I started be damned. I was resolved now. I was going to find a mystic to bring Vy back and we were going to be the greatest Heralds there ever were. I'll scream it in the middle of the city if I have to. For Vy, for Hewg… for myself.
I smiled as I marched on, ignoring the watering of my eyes. It was weird. This feeling of having a goal so extreme almost made me feel lighter. Whatever it was, it was pleasant, and I'd like to bathe in it for as long as I can.
To get to Naminas, one must cover plains of rolling hills. At the top of each hill, Naminas is seen until you go back down, and it disappears. It was like some cheap jester trick, enticing you with how close it seemed until it disappeared again.
The city itself was beautiful. Built of all-white stone and marble. It rose in layers like it was trying to reach the sky. The main attraction though was the waterways. Most people didn't walk around the city, they would take boats to get to different portions. With how the waterways were structured, it looked like the boats were floating.
We always had a view of Naminas, but it was tiny and detail-less. I only know about the waterways and how they looked from Hewg's description of them. The city always echoed with faint chatter and other noises. Even from so far away, I could tell it was lively and full of events. But as I grew closer to the city, I was even more fascinated and dumbfounded at its magnificence.
I finally came upon a dirt road that wound its way to the city gate. It just appeared from nowhere, which shows the amount of people who travel between the city and the Outskirts.
The rain had begun to come down harder now and I was soaked and freezing.
It's crazy how much bigger it is when you're closer. The city was always so small when gazing at it from the edge of the Outskirts. But now, the walls loomed over me and were an intimidating sight, shielding the city from the outside and the outside from within. At the end of the road, I was following stood the only entrance and exit I could see.
A massive, all-white gate with intricate designs that was protected by two figures on each side. The two figures, I summarized, were guards. Their heavy, shining silver armor with fancy blue cloth indicated that they were a part of the forces of Naminas.
They were a sight I hadn't seen much. Once a year, a patrol of them walked through the Outskirts for some reason. I never figured out what they were doing, but it was an intriguing sight for Vy… Vy and I. On their chest plate was a dragon curled around a ship. The ship mirrored the same ones that traveled the waterways. It was the symbol of Naminas, I remember Hewg telling me.
"Halt! What is your business here?" The guard on the right asked.
I took out the letter, "I have a message from Hewg that must go to the Heralds."
The guard on the left scoffed, "Yeah right, brat! We'd have to be dumber than an Ogre to fall for that."
What do they mean? I really do have a letter here for the Heralds.
The guard continued, "We can't just let any urchin from the Outskirts wander in with a 'letter,''' he sneered.
The one on the right reached over and grabbed the shoulder of the one speaking, "Hey, he's just a kid, Pyr."
"...You're right. Sorry. I'm just sick of these beggars trying to enter the city when we are already nearing capacity. Especially one as... dirty as him."
I looked down and realized I still had blood all over me.
The one on the right moved his attention back to me, "How do you know Sir Hewg?"
Sir? I knew Hewg was probably someone from Naminas, but for him to be so important? "He taught me," I answered. They seemed to be waiting for more. "I was his student."
At this, the two broke out into laughter. I felt embarrassment creep over me. Was what I said really so funny?
"This kid… Hewg's student! Ah, you are a funny one."
They were really milking this out. I crossed my arms and began tapping my foot. There must be some way I could make them let me through.
Suddenly, the gate began to open. The guards quickly straightened their posture and looked ahead, right past me.
From the door, a man in dark blue walked through, "What is the problem out here?"
The guard on the left turned to the man, "Nothing Sir Bader, this little one from the Outskirts wishes to enter the city, but he doesn't have a permit."
The man I learned was Sir Bader, began to inspect me.
"What is your name?"
"Rave, sir."
"No last name?"
"Yukliffe, Rave Yukliffe."
Sir Bader's eyes widened slightly before turning to the guards, "Let him through. He shall be my charge for the day."
"But Sir-"
"These are my orders."
"Yes, Sir Bader." The guards put a fist to their chin and then their heart. The one named Pyr was staring at me suspiciously.
Sir Bader beckoned me to follow him. I quickly scurried through the gate. A feeling of trepidation washed over me as I stared at his dark blue cape. It seemed big but was growing smaller. I realized he was walking too fast, and I was falling behind.
"Um, Sir Bader?"
"Yes?" His tone was clipped.
"How do you know me?"
"...I'm not following you?"
"You recognized my name."
His pace seemed to hasten even more and now I was jogging to keep up. Immediately after passing through the gate, we crossed a courtyard of sorts, multiple groups of armored figures were engrossed in drills and conversations of their own. I would've liked to examine the scenery, but my mind was preoccupied.
"I don't know what you're talking about, little one. Regardless, you have some correspondence from Sir Hewg that must be delivered to the Héron."
"Héron?¨
Sir Bader glanced back at me, while simultaneously dodging a bypassing soldier. "Your ignorance makes me question the validity of your words."
We stopped by a wide staircase that led up to a tower. There were soldiers routinely going up and down the stairs, off on their own orders. I felt a bit overwhelmed. There were so many people hustling and bustling, each in their little world.
Sir Bader pulled me aside. "Show me the letter."
"I was told to only bring it to the Lea-"
"The Héron is the official title of the Commander of the Heralds. I must be completely sure of your word before allowing you into the city."
"This isn't the city?"
Sir Bader sighed and dragged a hand down his face. "The First District is home to the army of Naminas. We don't count it as part of the city, but it is the ground level and the support that everything is built on." He pointed up.
I stared in awe. Above us was floating water.
"That's what makes this place special." Sir Bader said with a small smile.
Suddenly, a great wooden ship glided through the water, and I realized that the water wasn't floating, whatever was holding it up was see-through.
"Now, the letter."
I begrudgingly took it out of Vy's knapsack and handed it to him.
He examined it for a second before nodding. "Looks about right."
"You didn't even open it?"
"I would sooner die than open a letter dedicated to the Héron."
"Okay...?"
"And your state of being eases my suspicion in your truthfulness."
I was handed back the letter, which I put back into the knapsack.
Sir Bader went over to a pair of guards who were standing beside a lever. I didn't catch much of the conversation, but it looked like Sir Bader pulled rank over them. He grabbed my shoulder and led me past the guards. He was mumbling something to himself but kept an iron grip on me.
I hadn't taken four steps before he halted my progress. "Stay still."
I turned to question why, and past him, I saw one of the guards pull the lever. The ground shook a bit before we were lifted slowly in the air. I looked down and saw through the surface that my feet were standing on. The ground grew smaller and smaller.
"Magnificent, isn't it?"
I looked at Sir Bader. He was staring at the bulk of the city that was to our left.
I beheld Naminas, in its full stature and it was massive.
What we could see from the Outskirts was only the back, I realized.
Streets that were sloped slightly circled the rising towers in the middle. They were full of movement and a variety of colors.
I looked back at Sir Bader to ask him a question, but I saw him holding his nose.
"What?" I asked.
He narrowed his eyes before stretching his left hand out and hovering it over my chest.
The Herald snapped his fingers and then let go of his nose. "Ahh. That's much better."
"What did you do?"
"Made you presentable, or well, as presentable as you could be."
I looked down to see all the blood was gone and I was dried off. My clothes were fixed as well.
"Thank you, Sir."
"It was for me more than for you."
I felt my cheeks redden. It was hard to stay clean in the Outskirts. The best way to wash yourself was by jumping in Lake Birine, and we couldn't do that every day.
The lift stopped abruptly, and Sir Bader stepped in front of me. We got off onto a platform that led to the "Doll's District". Previously explained to me as the Fourth District or home to the Nobles.
The Nobility of Naminas is made of six families, four of them being the founders of Naminas, The Axellians, Pharomos, Xenokis, and Carroways. The Monarch is chosen from these families in the Carrovian Tournament. The heirs all battle in a series of matches that test their worthiness of sitting on the Naminean Throne.
Hewg didn't go much into how the politics of Naminas worked, but he gave us a broad summary, enough that we weren't completely ignorant of the workings of the capital city.
Sir Bader guided me through the empty streets of the Doll District until we reached another massive doorway. After a quick word, we were allowed to enter, and the doors parted to reveal a massive ramp that led to the towering palace that stands at the peak of the city.
I was just wherever my feet took me at this point. The amount of grandiose beauty that assaulted my eyes from the Noble's District and now the Palace was too much for me to handle.
If they had all this, then how was the Outskirts even a thing? In the face of this obvious wealth, it made no sense to me that there were people with nothing when others had so much.
After another short talk with the guards in front of the palace doors, we entered a massive throne room. It was a sea of white and gold. From the doorway stretched out and leading to the throne at the end of the room was a crimson carpet. It was like blood dripping from a porcelain face.
Sitting on the throne was an older man, he rested languidly on it with his arm resting on the armrest and his fist holding up his head.
Sir Bader kneeled, and I quickly followed. I felt like a fish on land, everything was so foreign to me. Was this really the King of Naminas? I thought we were supposed to be meeting the Héron?
"Rise, Bader Savvas of the Heralds. I presume you are here to see Jaklor?"
Sir Bader nodded.
The man on the throne chuckled and lazily waved to the doorway behind the throne he was sitting on, "He is in his quarters."
"My gratitude, Your Majesty."
Throughout this conversation, if you could call it that, I was a step or two behind Sir Bader, studying the man on the throne. He had orange hair that was pulled back in a short ponytail and a just as orange bushy beard. Both had streaks of white in it, giving away his age. Though, he didn't look particularly old.
The man's eyes passed Sir Bader and bore into me. I froze.
Green eyes crinkled slightly before alighting in what I could only describe as mischievous.
"The boy behind you, Bader?"
Sir Bader flinched before slouching in defeat. "Yes, your majesty?"
"Bring him forth. He must've been brought in for a reason, no?"
What did I do wrong? Why was he paying attention to me? Why can't I just meet the Héron, bring him his letter, get a mystic to bring Vy back and everything can go back to normal? …Wait, The King- The KING of Naminas wants me to approach him?!
Upon Sir Bader's reassuring grasp, I was slowly brought before the King.
"Who are your parents' young one?"
I swallowed the lump in my throat before answering, "I don't have any, your Majesty."
His smile wavered slightly before quickly returning. "A pity. My apologies for broaching the subj-."
I had that weird feeling where there was just the overwhelming need to respond, "I don't think about it often, I'm sure if they were here, I wouldn't be in this spot: meeting the King of Naminas." I then bowed and retreated behind Sir Bader.
The throne room was quiet for several moments before the man on the throne let loose a hearty laugh. He sat up and wiped his eyes. "Indeed."
Sir Bader clapped his hands together, "On that note, I believe we've lingered long enough." He bowed once more to the King and pulled me past the Throne and through the door.
Immediately upon entering, Sir Bader whirled on me, "What were you thinking?! He is the Lord of all that is good! You are lucky he didn't take it as an offense that you cut him off!"
I didn't say anything. What could I say that would be acceptable? There was nothing.
Sir Bader stared at me for a moment longer before clicking his tongue and swiftly turning on his heels, dragging me further down the passageway.
Broad wooden doors stood on either side of us as I was yanked along. Some had noises echoing from within and others had strange smells.
At the very end of the corridor was the final door. It had a knocker in the shape of a dragon's head.
My guide stood frozen with his hand grasping the knocker, "I would have thought I would not be swayed to say this, but… it seems I must. The Héron will not suffer the disrespect you have shown in the throne room. Tread carefully, boy."
I nodded as he knocked on the door. A whistle came from within, and Sir Bader pushed it open. We entered a room that was full of broken statues. Littered from left to right were either cracked or unfinished sculptures of architecture, people, and monsters.
In the middle of the room, leaning against an expensive-looking desk was a man robed in red and black. Long red hair cascaded around him, ending at his waist. He was playing with something in his hands.
"Héron." Sir Bader greeted.
The man looked up and smiled warmly in response, "Ahh, Bader. You finished your errand hastily."
Sir Bader coughed, "Um actually. I have not started it yet."
The Héron frowned.
"Upon my departure, I chanced upon this boy at the gate facing the Outskirts."
The Héron looked at me with interest before nodding, "How is Hewg faring these days?"
How did he know I was with Hewg?
I went to answer, but Sir Bader did in my stead, "Actually, that is the business his apprentice is on right now. Sir Hewg had written you a letter and requested it to be delivered to you."
The Héron's features were frowning when Sir Bader began, but they quickly flattened out to be expressionless. "Bader, your pay will be in your box. I appreciate your initiative in undertaking this unofficial assignment. Now please continue on the errand I had previously given you."
"Yes, Héron." Sir Bader fled from the room.
"Please, take a seat."
I looked around the room, in search of a chair, but there was none.
The Héron was just gazing at me with a smile.
With no more options, I sat on the floor.
The Héron chuckled, "That's good, you're not blinded by pride."
"What do you mean?"
"You'd be surprised how many recruits can't even sit on the floor."
"Wait, recruits?"
"Ahh, don't worry about it. Let me see the letter my student gave you."
This is going way too fast. What is wrong with this guy? If the weird decorations everywhere weren't enough, he keeps hopping from subject to subject with no pause… Did he say Hewg was his student?
I took the letter out of the satchel and placed it in his outstretched hand.
He opened it in one smooth motion and began to read it. Every so often I could see him look over the parchment and at me. There were times that his eyes were narrowed and once he even winked at me! What did Hewg write on that paper?!
The Héron dropped the letter onto his desk and rubbed his eyes. "Thank you, my son." I heard him mumble. He pointed his index finger at me, "You have two options right now. One: You go back to the Outskirts and forget any of this ever happened or two: Heraldry is in your future."
"I don't understand. What did he write? Why did he send me to you?!"
The Héron squatted so he was eye level with me, "I hate to break it to you kid, but they're all gone."
What does he mean by 'they're all gone'? There's no way…
"Your teacher, your sister; they're gone. And they aren't coming back. There are no mystics to bring back the dead."
"Ho… how… how did you know?"
The Héron grabbed the letter once more. He turned it toward me and at the very top I saw a symbol. It was a circle with a x in the middle. But the rest of the letter was blank. "Dying Breath. A mystic that allows one to imprint their myst onto an object so it can recall your last thoughts. In his final moments, Hewg told me everything. He was a warrior, 'til the end."
How could everything go so, so wrong? My nightmares had become real, and I was alone.
The Héron clapped his hands together, "The good news is, I'm taking the decision out of your hands! You will become a Herald and fulfill the dreams of your sister!
An unimaginable fury arose within me. How could he be so joyful right now? How did he know of Vy's ambitions?
I exploded "How can you smile right now?! Your student, my teacher is gone forever! And you're all happy, clapping like nothing even happened!"
I quickly covered my mouth.
It was silent for several moments as The Héron regarded me with a blank expression. Eventually, he spoke, but his tone was not angry or bitter. "You can only lose so much before you become unaffected. The life of a Herald is short and full of tragedy, even more so if you view yourself as responsible. Starting today onwards, you do not fight for yourself, you fight for those around you. To delay the inevitable is the job of the Heralds. Now go meet with Bader and he will get you accustomed to the life of a Herald."
The Héron turned around and walked to his desk, taking a seat in his chair. The whistle sound pierced again, and someone entered the room, ready to whisk me away. As the door began to close and cover the visage of The Héron, he parted me with this knowledge, "I know everything."