Chapter Three: Lilibeth
Authors Note: In this chapter, italics do signify a flashback, and this is how it will be for the rest of the story. Sorry for the confusion!
"It was a freezing morning, and the fog was incredibly thick"
Yurick had woken early to see his father off that morning, begging, as always, to be allowed to go with his father on his ship.
His father had merely smiled, and said
"Maybe next time, little fire. Your mother needs you here." Standing up, he brushed Yurick's silvery white bangs out of his eyes.
"Farewell. I will return very late this evening, and then we will practice your magic tomorrow, yes?" Yurick hated to see his father go, but he quickly agreed, and bade his father goodbye.
A few hours later, Yurick had dressed and found himself in the stables. Even at ten, he had a way with the horses like nobody else did. He could calm the skittish ones and groom even the most stubborn.
Everybody said he had a gift with the animals, but Yurick knew the truth. The horses were his first friends, indeed, his only friends. None of the other kids in the town liked him; in fact they spent much time searching for him to tease and harass him. His family, the horses, and his magic were his life.
Around midday, Yurick had finished his work for the morning, so he left to go for a walk around the city. He was making his way down a side street towards the docks when he heard a cruel voice behind him.
"Where're you going, pipsqueak?" Yurick squeezed his eyes shut, took a deep breath, and kept walking.
"Oy, where're you going?" Yurick heard another voice, somewhere to his left this time. He walked more quickly this time, trying not to betray his fear.
"Come out and play, or are you too scared," jeered a voice to his right. Losing his head completely, Yurick started running as fast as he could; when he felt rough hands shove him down from the front.
"Well, what do we have here...?" Yurick picked himself off the ground, wiping his bleeding lip and dreading the moment he would be forced to look up.
"Gavin," he spat out, climbing onto all fours, "What do you want?" He tried to stand up, only to be knocked down again. A heavy boot rested on the small of his back. Yurick lifted his head, and stared into the face of his attacker.
"What. Do. You. Want." repeated Yurick with a definite note of anger in his voice.
"I don't like your tone kid. You ought to be a bit nicer, else you'll have my father to answer to." Yurick glared at his tormenter.
"Running off to Daddy, are we now? Wouldn't have expected much more from a swine like you," Yurick sneered. Gavin's face flushed with anger.
"I'd be a bit more careful if I were you kid," Gavin sneered. "You don't want to mess with me."
Gavin brought his ugly face very close to Yurick's. "I know your secret, fire boy. You had best hope nobody from the Empire finds out," he leered.
"C'mon, the whelp's not worth it today" he called to his companions. With a final kick aimed at Yurick's chest, Gavin and his gang were gone. Fear flooded through Yurick. How was it possible Gavin knew of his magic? What would the Empire do if it found out? He silently resolved to get answers from his father that night.
At that moment however, a bell tower above him collapsed onto the street adjacent to him. He heard screams, and the sound of footsteps. Dragging himself off the ground, he headed to the docks, the apparent source.A terrible sight greeted him there. A small fleet of three ships had come, and were firing upon the city. Cannonballs flew everywhere, and large contingents of men were disembarking from the ships holding large curved weapons. Everywhere, there was chaos. Children were crying for their mothers, and men were grabbing weapons and rushing towards the invaders with hardened looks on their faces that Yurick had never seen before.
"Go home kid!" One called in Yurick's direction. But Yurick would not go. He had to see his father first.
"Father? Father!" Where could he be? His father would never have deserted their town like that. Yurick broke into a run, his breathing becoming more and more frantic as he searched desperately.
"Father! Where are you?"
"Father!" Yurick sat up with a start. He felt firm hands on his chest, shoving him back down.
"Easy kid. Don't hurt yourself more, now," he heard a gruff voice command. For the first time, Yurick registered a sharp pain in his shoulder. He looked up at the face of the man.
"What happened? Where are we?" Yurick shook his head, trying to force his vision to stop spinning.
"Easy!" He recognized Smith's voice. Gesturing to his two companions, Smith ordered, "Take him up to the town, and find a healer. He won't last long without one."
"You worried about 'im or something?" leered another voice. Smith grabbed the man's vest.
"Do you realize how valuable this kid could be to us?" he said in a low, but nevertheless carrying voice. "He's a mage. And a damn powerful one at that. "
"You'd let that scrawny boy join us?" argued the man. "He's not like us! He's just a kid!"
Smith slowly turned to face to the man.
"Do you mean to defy my orders?" he said in a soft but dangerous tone. Smith advanced on the man with slow, deliberate steps.
"N…no. I'm sorry sir. I'll take him myself." The other man was clearly intimidated.
"Clear out!" snarled Smith. The men hurried to do what they were told. In a few short minutes, the site was completely deserted leaving nothing but the ruined mansion.
Yurick winced as rough hands lifted him. He felt bone shifting in his shoulder, and felt his wound start sheeting blood again. His lips uttered an involuntary cry as he slid once more into darkness.
Yurick awoke in his mother's arms. He could hear the soft murmur of voices around him as he struggled to break from the haze that clouded his mind.
"Shhh…" his mother's soft voice broke through his clouded confusion. "It's all right, Yurick. I'm here."
He struggled to sit up. "Where are we? What happened?" He looked around and saw the walls of the town healer's house.
"You were found, collapsed on the docks. I was so worried, I thought…." His mother gave a forced smile. "You're safe now, that's all that matters."
Yurick looked around, and saw a number of men on pallets, having their wounds tended. Yurick began to feel a rising suspicion.
"Where's father?" he demanded. "That was a pirate attack, was it not? Why didn't he come back and fight them off? Where is he!" Yurick's voice began to rise with anger.
"Yurick…" his mother stroked his forehead
"Tell me what happened." He said, barely managing to keep his anger in check.
"…I don't know. Some people are saying…" she hesitated.
"What? What are they saying?"
"That he knew about the attack, and fled for his life." Yurick stared.
"You don't believe them, do you?" his mother turned away.
"Get some rest, Yurick."
When he awoke again, it was dark and Yurick was alone. Where was he? What was Smith doing? He sat up, slower this time.
"Where am I?" he muttered, out loud this time.
"In Darshka," came a voice in the darkness. Yurick heard the sound of a match being lit, and blinked with the new light as a candle was lit.
"And where is that?" asked Yurick, mildly annoyed. "Just who are you?"
"My name is Lilibeth." A round face came into the candlelight. Yurick frowned. The girl couldn't have been older than nine or ten, yet there was certain hardness about her face.
"You still didn't answer my question, where are we? And where are my companions? They brought me to you, did they not?" Yurick stared at her, waiting for answers.
"I told you," she said sharply, "We are in Darshka. Or rather, the ruins of Darshka. And as for your companions, they are likely in the tavern, plundering for any spoils they might find," she sniffed. "They're an unpleasant bunch. I was hoping you'd be different, but it seems you're all the same.
The comment stung. He was not in the least bit like them, they had merely met while traveling. He rubbed his shoulder as he digested her information. He was surprised to find that all traces of the injury had been erased.
"You're a healer, aren't you?" he asked.
"What's it to you?" she spat. Yurick frowned again. He was surprised at the level of hostility she displayed; it was way beyond that of a normal child.
"Thank you. You healed my shoulder. I am…grateful." It was hard for Yurick to spout gratitude, or any sort of emotion so easily, but the girl had likely saved him from death.
"You're welcome. Although you should tell your friends that I would have done it even without their threats."
"Their threats?" Yurick's eyes narrowed. "What did they say to you?"
Lilibeth sighed. "It doesn't matter, just pass on the message." Yurick was reluctant to let the subject go, but there were other pressing matters.
"Can you direct me to them?" he inquired. "I'd better let them know I'm all right." She hesitated, then stood up.
"Follow me."
Bit of a longer chapter, but I hope you enjoyed and leave a review before you go!