The gates of Veylor loomed ahead, their iron bars glinting in the pale light of dawn. Kael stood in the shadow of a crumbling building, his satchel slung over his shoulder and the shard hidden safely within. The city was waking up, its streets slowly filling with merchants, laborers, and the occasional patrol of guards. Kael's eyes darted nervously toward the gate, where two armored soldiers stood, their spears resting lazily at their sides.
Leaving the city wouldn't be easy. Lord Eryk's men were undoubtedly watching the city gates, and Kael's description had likely been circulated among the city guards. He needed a plan, and he needed it fast.
His gaze fell on a merchant's cart parked nearby, its wooden frame laden with sacks of grain and crates of vegetables. The merchant, a stout man with a bushy beard, was haggling with a customer, his back turned to the cart. Kael's lips curled into a sly smile. He had spent years surviving on the streets, and if there was one thing he was good at, it was slipping unnoticed into places he didn't belong.
He moved quickly, darting across the street and crouching behind the cart. The merchant's voice carried over the noise of the bustling street, giving Kael cover as he lifted the tarp covering the cart's contents. He squeezed himself between the sacks of grain, pulling the tarp back over him just as the merchant turned around.
"Oi! You there!" a gruff voice called out.
Kael froze, his heart pounding. Had he been spotted?
"Yeah, you!" the voice continued. "You gonna pay for that or what?"
Kael let out a silent breath of relief. The guard wasn't talking to him. He heard the sound of footsteps and the clink of coins, followed by the merchant's gruff laughter. The cart creaked as the merchant climbed onto the driver's seat, and a moment later, it began to move.
Kael held his breath as the cart rumbled toward the gate. He could hear the guards' voices as they approached.
"Morning, Jorn," one of the guards said. "What've you got today?"
"Just the usual," the merchant replied. "Grain, vegetables, nothing exciting."
"Mind if we take a look?"
Kael's stomach tightened. He gripped the shard through the fabric of his satchel, its warmth a strange comfort. If they found him, he was dead.
The cart came to a stop, and Kael heard the sound of the tarp being lifted. He pressed himself deeper into the grain, his heart racing.
"Looks clear," one of the guards said after a moment. "You're good to go."
The tarp dropped back into place, and the cart began to move again. Kael didn't dare breathe until they were well past the gate, the sounds of the city fading behind them.
---
The road beyond Veylor was rough and uneven, the cart jolting with every bump and pothole. Kael waited until they were a safe distance from the city before carefully pushing aside the tarp and peeking out. The merchant was focused on the road ahead, humming a tuneless melody under his breath. Kael slipped out of the cart and dropped to the ground, rolling to soften his landing. He crouched in the tall grass by the side of the road, watching as the cart disappeared into the distance.
He was free. For now.
The countryside stretched out before him, a patchwork of fields, forests, and distant hills. Kael had never been outside the city before, and the vastness of the world was both exhilarating and terrifying. He had no destination in mind, no plan beyond putting as much distance between himself and Veylor as possible.
He adjusted his satchel and set off down the road, his footsteps quick and purposeful. The shard's presence was a constant weight at his side, a reminder of the power he now carried—and the danger it brought.
---
By midday, Kael's legs were aching, and his stomach growled with hunger. He had passed a few farmsteads along the way, but he dared not stop. The fewer people who saw him, the better. Instead, he scavenged what he could from the roadside—a few wild berries, a handful of nuts—but it was barely enough to keep him going.
As he walked, his mind wandered back to the shard. Garrick's words echoed in his head: *"It's cursed. Eats away at your soul."* Kael had felt it, that strange pull, that whisper in the back of his mind urging him to use it again. But he resisted. He didn't know what would happen if he gave in, and he wasn't sure he wanted to find out.
Still, the shard was his now and he could feel the ethereal power of the shard slowly getting absorbed into his body , and he couldn't just ignore it. He needed to learn more about it, figure out how to control it—or at least how to keep it from controlling him. But where could he go? Who could he trust?
The answer came to him as he crested a hill and saw a small village nestled in the valley below. Smoke rose from the chimneys of thatched cottages, and the sound of laughter carried on the wind. It was a peaceful scene, but Kael's eyes were drawn to the building at the edge of the village: a small, stone chapel with a weathered steeple.
Churches and temples were often repositories of knowledge, places where ancient texts and relics were kept. If anyone in this village knew about the shard, it would be the priest.
Kael made his way down the hill, his steps cautious. He couldn't afford to draw attention to himself, but he needed answers. As he approached the chapel, he noticed a figure standing in the doorway—an elderly man in simple robes, his hands clasped behind his back.
"You're a long way from home, boy," the man said, his voice gentle but firm.
Kael stopped, his hand instinctively going to his satchel. "I… I need help," he said, his voice barely above a whisper.
The priest studied him for a moment, his eyes sharp and discerning. Then he nodded and stepped aside, gesturing for Kael to enter. "Come in. We'll talk."
---
The chapel was dimly lit, the air heavy with the scent of incense and old wood. Kael followed the priest to a small room at the back, where a fire crackled in the hearth. The priest motioned for him to sit, then took a seat across from him.
"What's your name, son?" the priest asked.
"Kael," he replied, his voice hesitant.
"I'm Father Alden," the priest said. "Now, tell me. What brings you here?"
"Father ..i am a traveling pilgram ..i have come to offer my humble worship in the house of god "
"Aah all are welcome in the house of god please do come in my child " father alden said .
As keal cunning was in full swing as he puts on this facade of a humble worshiper who was in ever curious, as he swayed the conversation into talks of divine artfacts and holy relics....until finally effortlessly mentioning the shards
He started by saying he had heard talks from foreign travelers of the ancient gods divine relics ..
Father Alden stared for a long moment, then sighed heavily. " shards of the Eternal Throne, a fragment of divine power.said to be ancient relics of the ancient gods ...but many including i believe them to be one of man greatest temptation nothing more then forms of wickeness in physical form the to tempt man ."
"What do you mean?" Kael asked, his voice barely a whisper.
"The shard are said to grants power to those they deem worthy ," Father Alden said, "but they said to demands a price. Every time their used it, it takes a piece of your soul. Over time, it will consume you, turning you into something… inhuman."
Kael's stomach churned. He had suspected as much, but hearing it confirmed made it all too real
What was he to do this power he was ecstatic that he gained as turned out to be a double edged sword
That may slowly pull him into darkness
---
**To Be Continued...**
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