2 Coming of Age (Edward)

I opened my eyes to the melody of brazen church bells floating up from the city below. Slowly lifting my body off the straw mattress and onto the stone laid floor, Part of me was excited, and yet, part of me was annoyed. Today was the day in which my father would be throwing my coming-of-age ball. The event at which my future wife was expected to be chosen. Before I even had a chance to stretch, the door burst open. I was already reaching for my arming sword resting in its sheath next to my bed when I came to my senses. It wasn't a bloodthirsty assassin like I originally assumed, but something surprisingly similar, a middle-aged woman girded in chainmail and a nasty looking sword strapped to her hip. My personal guard and mentor, Lady Varrick. Contrary to my protests, Varrick was assigned the moment that Akrad had declared war on my father's nation 6 months ago. Previous to that, I lived a fairly normal life; that is to say, as normal a life as royalty can lead. Varrick must've seen me reaching for my blade, because the first words out of her mouth weren't good morning, but rather "I hardly think that'll be necessary at the moment, young master. Furthermore, if I were an intruder, I recommend you don't take so long to get to your weapon." I pulled my hand back from my sword before responding. "Very funny Varrick, I thought my father hired you as a guard and a teacher, not a jester".

As per usual, Lady Varrick responded without missing a beat. "Who said I was joking, young master? Now get bathed and clothed, we have quite the day ahead of us".

The moment Varrick left the room, I hurriedly got ready for the day. It was unfortunate that I woke up late. The bath water that was drawn this morning had already turned cold. Enduring the frigid torment of hygiene, I rushed through my bath and girded myself in the clothes of a knight in training. My black outfit being interrupted only by the white tabard thrown over it and the belt containing my sword. The moment that I put on this uniform, I lost all traces of individuality save the ring I wore on my right index finger. The silver royal emblem of the crescent moon shined bright against the dark sleeve wrapped around my wrists. This ring was the only reminder of my late mother. I must've zoned out as I gazed at the heirloom, reflecting on the many memories I built with her, because Lady Varrick once again burst through the door, dragging me outside by my collar. "UNHAND ME, I WILL NOT BE TREATED LIKE THIS!" I protested to no avail. I tried to free myself once more, and looking at Varrick with the most pitiful eyes I could manage, said in an almost whimper, "but it's my birthday..."

I don't know if Lady Varrick actually cared about my birthday, or if she was simply tired of dragging me, but thankfully, she let me go. The walk to the practice field was silent. As I walked towards the field, I pondered on the last month. In a moment, the great nation of Alisar and Akrad went to war. I was forced to say goodbye to my peaceful life. My friends were forbidden from seeing me, I had to say goodbye to my teachers, and in the place of those many acquaintances, I was given Lady Varrick. She was my father's sword, and the best warrior in the country. She seemed to have a natural aptitude for most everything, however, as many things as she was, she was not a friend. Not to anybody, least of all, me. Her many years of combat and reading her enemies seemed to make the spoken language as a form of communication defunct. As a result, she spoke only to teach, and even as she taught, she taught primarily through action.

As soon as we entered the wooden fence signifying the sparring arena, Lady Varrick walked to the corner furthest from me, unsheathed her sword and charged. I barely rolled out of the way when her sword worn from a lifetime of war struck the dirt where I was standing only a moment ago. Quick as lightning, she once again swung her sword in my direction. It was all that I could do to block it. Against my better judgement, I went on the offensive. Hitting her sword away, I countered and lunged at my mentor's chest. Varrick easily sidestepped my attack, put her arm over the top of my blade, and pinched it between her arm and body. Swiftly, she spun clockwise around, taking my sword with her. Unsurprisingly, I was once again bested. "Why do we do this every day? I'm never going to beat you Varrick. You know that''.

Varrick looked at me agitatedly as if contemplating slapping me or not before she responded. "You're right young master, you will never be able to beat me, not at this rate anyhow. Luckily for you, it's not me that you'll be fighting on the battlefield. You don't need to be as good as me, however, you must always be better than your opponent. Especially if you don't wish to end up like your late mother."

This sorry excuse for a knight. Weren't they supposed to be educated in both combat and manners? Perhaps she skipped out on the second portion of her education. Either way, she went too far. My mother was a great lady, and despite Varrick being my mentor, I wouldn't allow her to disrespect everything that my mother's created like that.

Varrick placed the hilt of my sword back into my hand, and the moment she began to walk back to the other side of the arena, I stretched my sword arm out in front of me, pointing the tip of my blade at the small of her back, and ran at her. I was foolish to expect anything out of this clumsy attack. Moments before my sword would have plunged into her body, she turned around and kicked the weapon, sending it flying out of my grasp. Her disarming strike carried out with perfection was followed by a swift hit to my face done with the flat of her sword, knocking me onto the ground. She picked me up by the neck and growled "Your father's foolish to believe that he'll find you a bride tonight, you lack both level headedness and skill. To think that he's been left with an heir as useless as you is unfortunate to say the least".

I hit her hand off of me, and turned towards her battle-scarred face. I could sense myself losing every speck of sanity I had left and unleashed my anger at her as I spoke. "Do you think I asked to be the heir to the kingdom!? Do you think I want to get married to a woman that I've never met!?".

I could see contempt briefly fill my mentor's eyes before vanishing almost instantly. Her voice became calm before she spoke again, "Then tell me young master, what is it you want?". Her cool voice took the anger out of my body, and I looked up into the eyes that only war could form. "I just want a normal life. I want to live a life without the prying eyes of the kingdom. Is that so much to ask Lady Varrick?"

Varrick didn't respond. Cleaving onto silence, she walked away and gestured for me to follow her. I was certainly confused. Combat training wasn't supposed to end for another four hours. Did I disappoint her so badly as to make her give up on me? We arrived at the door to my bedchamber. Finally, she spoke. "Get changed into your town clothes young master. Change of plans for today's activities."

Quickly, I changed into the most normal looking clothes I had. Clothed in a cotton shirt and an overlaying leather vest, I exited my room to find Lady Varrick clothed in similar attire. How does she do it? Even the fastest of Alisar's citizens wouldn't be able to run to their room, change, and come back this quickly. Lady Varrick wasn't my father's sword for nothing, that much was obvious. Differing from my own outfit, she wore a cloak for the purpose of concealing the murderous blade resting at her hip. She must've caught me looking at the weapon. "You can't be too careful, young master. You should take yours as well. We're leaving the castle walls and heading into town. Tonight may very well be your last day of true freedom, and I'd be remiss if I stole that from you".

Nodding, I went back into my room, grabbed my cloak and sword, and went back out to meet Lady Varrick. She wasn't the kind of person to take my feelings into account like this, but I've learned not to question a good thing. The guard at the front gate gave us an inquisitive look, but one violent gaze from Varrick and he rushed towards the lever to open the gate. Finally, we were out. It's been over half a year since I'd last seen the outside world. I was shocked to see just how much the war had affected the once proud people. There were soldiers patrolling up and down the streets, widows and orphans sitting on the side of the road, hoping to obtain the cast off breadcrumbs of the more fortunate citizens, and carts dropping off the bodies of fallen loved ones. Seeing my horrified expression, Varrick spoke in a tone capable of making my hair stand on end. "Young master, it's quite alright to be shocked, but I'm afraid that war isn't the glorious charade consisting of only triumph that you've been regaled with growing up."

I swallowed the nauseousness building up in my throat before I responded in what I hoped would come across as confidence. "I think that I'd like to see the tavern if that's alright." I could see Varrick calculating the risks in her head before answering me.

"Very well, it's only natural to want a drink after seeing your world flipped on its head."

We pushed open the doors to the tavern and took a seat at a corner table. The moment we sat down, the once rowdy tavern became silent as a graveyard. I felt the stares of the patrons bearing down on me. Some of them were stares of pity, whereas the others were filled with an animosity. While I jumped to conclusions, believing that my identity had been discovered, Lady Varrick broke the silence. "Can I help you, fine people? Or would you like to carry on with your business now?".

The silence lingered for a few more seconds before again being shattered. This time, the voice wasn't Lady Varrick's cool, unwavering tone, but a deep booming voice. "As a matter of fact, you can help me. You can get out of my seat".

I looked to my bodyguard, waiting for her to speak, however, she simply looked back at me, her eyes conveying an unmistakable message. "You're the heir to the throne. It's your call." Perhaps it was the knowledge that I had the best warrior in the nation at my side, but I didn't back down. I grabbed a pint next to me and emptied it's contents onto the table we were sitting at, and In the most arrogant voice I could manage, I spoke. "Sure thing, it's all yours''. I signaled to Varrick, and we got up to make our exit.

Before we could get too far away from the now alcohol soaked table, we found our way blocked by a giant of a man. His face was covered with scars, and his breath reeked of ale. Gazing down at us with a face of disinterest, the man picked me up in a bear hug and began walking towards the door we came in from. "How about we talk outside for a minute, big shot?"

I struggled to get free while looking towards my protector. She had one man on either side of her pushing her in the same direction. Our eyes met. Her gaze remained unchanged as the more than unfavorable situation unfurled before us. The beast of a man brought me out into the alley before throwing me into the mud. He began to talk. "Looks like your mom over there never taught you about respect." He said while nodding over at my onlooking mentor. His voice once again began to boom. "As your elder, it's only right that I teach you a thing or two."

He rolled up his sleeves and swung at me. Only now could I see just how much I've grown since I began training with Lady Varrick. The man's movements were slow and clumsy. I easily dodged them, and looking at the giant's surprised face, I began to close the distance between us. Finally, I was close enough to strike. I leapt into the air, and In the manner that I've fallen victim to more times than I'd like to admit, I unsheathed my sword and smacked the brute of a man with the flat of my blade, the echo of his body falling to the ground shaking the shoddy buildings around us. Only then did I turn my head to see Varrick standing over the unconscious bodies of the men that escorted her out of the tavern. She looked over at me with a cocky smile. "Perhaps combat training hasn't been such a waste of time after all, now has it?"

We continued walking around town for a few more hours before Varrick suggested we head back to the castle. After all, I had a ball that I needed to get ready for. Once I was back inside the comfort of my bedchamber, I quickly changed clothes in preparation for the night. My uninspiring street outfit transformed into a brilliant all white coat, layered over midnight black pants. Decorating the coat was an absurd amount of tassels and medals that I'd never earned, and the emblem of the crescent moon sewn over my heart. To complete the high-end curtain like decor now surrounding my body, I grabbed the excessively bejeweled rapier displayed on my wall. I felt ridiculous. A million thoughts raced through my mind. Did my father really plan on marrying me off tonight? What would she be like? Will we even speak the same language? The last question might be far-fetched, but I've heard far too many stories about royalty getting married without a common tongue for my fear to be considered remotely irrational.

As to be expected, it was Lady Varrick that rescued me from my impending death spiral of anxiety. She swung open the door, dressed in a decorated black and white officers coat with a ceremonial saber at her side, running along her black dress pants. Although the saber was ceremonial, I had no doubt in my mind that it was more than capable of killing. Before Varrick could insult the outfit of which I was already self conscious of, I quickly spat at her, "Shut it Varrick, these peacock shaming clothes are neither my taste, nor choice." In a surprisingly warm tone, my mentor spoke. "Young Master. The time for your future to be decided has drawn nigh, if you will, I shall accompany you downstairs to the festival hall". I was taken aback, and as I looked back on the events of the day, as well as her kind words, I began to wonder. Could it be that Lady Varrick saw me as more than a burden? I broke the nerve racking atmosphere of our descent to the festival hall and turned to Varrick. "I'm sorry, Lady Varrick. I've made things unnecessarily hard on you, and I owe you an apolog-''

The battle hardened warrior cut me off before I could finish. "Young master" She shot me a glare more deadly than crossbow bolts before continuing on. "You are royalty, and even more importantly, the heir to Alisar's throne. You must never apologize. Remember that". Our walk continued on in silence before we arrived at a set of beautifully carved wooden doors displaying a scene from our nation's creation.

With Varrick pushing open one of the doors and holding it in place, I obtained a peek inside the extravagantly decorated hall. Perhaps it was due to the sharp contrast between this and the run down city I walked through earlier, but the view laying before me was breathtaking.

The room was a pure white, as if imitating a celestial glory. Crystal chandeliers hung from the heaven-scraping ceiling, and a vast staircase led down to the floor, overlooked by the place I now stood. Below me were people dressed in the most brilliant colors money could buy. They were none other than the royalty and nobles of our allies. Varrick signaled for me to enter the hall as she declared in a voice that could shake the sky, "Lord's and Ladies, from the greatest nations of the world, I present to you, the heir to the throne of the eternal kingdom of Alisar, Edward Alisar himself!".

The colossal room immediately exploded into a storm of applause as I made my descent to the festival hall's exquisitely cut marble floor. Once on the main floor, I anxiously scanned the crowd, looking for the familiar face of my father, however, my search was to no avail. Lady Varrick must've seen the anxiety staining my face, because she put her calloused hand on my shoulder. "Don't worry Young Master. If you look around, you'll see that none of the other rulers are here. I believe that he's engaged in a meeting with them determining your bride. For now, try to talk to people and enjoy yourself"

I reflected on her words, repeating them in my head. "Enjoying myself…" Since Akrad's declaration of war against my home, it became a foreign concept. Regardless of how unpracticed I was in the art of having fun, I attempted to take the opinion of my father's most trusted sword to heart. Speaking under my breath, I whispered to myself. "Talk with people and enjoy myself, huh? Let's get it over with".

A swarm of people dressed in the familiar black and white colors of Alisar began to surround me. "Prince Edward, what do you look for in a woman?" "How do you feel about brunettes?"

They were my fathers advisors. I remained silent, knowing that it was all a show. We were a nation fighting a war. Both myself and the advisors knew that I would not obtain the luxury of preference in this matter. I walked away from the inquiring horde. As I expected, none followed after me. The speed at which they gave up was a testament to their true motives for asking me these questions. It was all another pointless performance.

I found myself lost in a wave of depression when a battle scarred man dressed in the familiar red and black pattern of the Szrad Empire, not much older than myself, began walking towards me. His arms were stretched out as he continued approaching me. "Happy birthday, my liege. It's not every day that a young man such as ourselves turns 16, much less a man of your status". Seeing the inquiring look ingrained in my eyes, he continued to speak. "My apologies Prince Edward, introductions are a necessity I suppose. My name is Samuel Alradeus, general of the armies of Szrad''

His introduction took me aback. A general as young as him? Regaining my composure, I responded to his introduction. "It's a pleasure to meet you, General. I have heard legends of Szrad's bravery in battle. I have no doubt that you have contributed to those tales."

As I finished speaking, a man in nearly identical attire to General Alradeus whispered something in his ear. The young General spoke,"I must again apologize, it appears that my lord wishes to speak to me. The pleasure of our meeting is all mine. I pray that we might never meet on the battlefield."

With a confident smile coming from years of military victories, and a slight bow, the general turned from whence he came, and took his leave.

A few uneventful minutes passed since the general and I parted ways. In those few minutes, Varrick gave me a lecture on how I should be approaching people and connecting instead of aimlessly wandering around like a lost school boy. She must not have been impressed with my reply of silence to her lecture, because in the usual Varrick fashion, she grabbed me by the wrist and threw me into the center of the dance floor. Instantly, I met yet another remarkable guest, and in contrast to the many copy and paste military men wandering the hall, this one was quite different. It was a young woman who looked to be roughly my age. She had a pale complexion, and a dark gray dress.

The music from the orchestra behind us started, and she grabbed my hand, placing it on her hip. I reached out to grab her other hand and almost naturally, we began to dance. As to be expected of a woman with such confidence, she was the first one to speak. In an accent that I couldn't recognize, words began to course out of her lips, "I'm surprised that the great prince of Alisar wasn't taken already."

Her eyes were a dark blue, containing the many oceans of Etomia, and as I carried her, moving to the music, I could see the breath of the waves inhaling, and exhaling inside of them. I responded with all the confidence I could muster, "Well to be quite frank with you, I didn't plan on dancing, although, I must confess, if I knew that I'd have a partner such as yourself, I wouldn't have been so hesitant. I don't believe that we've ever had the pleasure of meeting until now. May I have your name?".

"Alexandra", She responded instantly, as if predicting my question. "My name's Alexandra"

The music faded out into nothingness and as suddenly as the dance began, it ended. I continued to talk with Alexandra, occasionally getting caught up in the brunette curls of her hair resting on her shoulders when I was quickly cut off by the very doors which I entered through slamming open. The familiar voice of my fathers most trusted advisor cut through the crowd. "Lord's and ladies, kings and queens, I present to you your host, King Marcus Alisar, possessor of the eternal throne of the nation of Alisar, and father to the country's beloved heir, Prince Edward Alisar. I ask that you give him your attention!"

My father, now commanding the attention of the hall, began to speak. "Few things can warm my soul quite like the sight before me this day. On the 16th anniversary of my beloved son Edward's birth, the many great allied nations to the crown of Alisar have gathered here together. It is with great pleasure that I welcome the many renowned representatives of Rajik, Jethuis, Szrad, the Southern Whitelands-" My father hesitated before continuing on "and the respectable nation of Akrad."

As Alisar was not the only nation to fall victim to the cruelties of Akrad, the hall quickly went up in uproar. Many screamed for my father to give them the Akrad representative, calling out for reparations when my father lifted up his right hand, silencing the mob almost instantaneously. "Brothers and Sisters, I understand your frustration, and in light of the last 6 months, better than most; however, I cannot continue to sit still while my people suffer. This brings me to my next announcement, and the very reason why I believe most of you are here." My father stopped for a moment while looking out at the crowd below before continuing on, "Edwards bride, as well as the future queen of Alisar, shall be none other than Alexandra Akrad, Daughter of Viktor Akrad. With this union, peace between our nations will follow, and once again, the continent of Etomia shall be at peace."

The crowd again burst into noise, declaring that this was an injustice. I looked over to the woman standing next to me as she flashed a knowing smile in my direction. I was immensely taken aback. I tried to maintain my royal composure, but it was to no avail. I stuttered out, "You're from Akrad?".

Alexandra began to reply, but as the commotion continued to grow, I caught a flash of light out of the corner of my eye. Almost immediately following the flash was the sound of roaring thunder. My fathers body fell face forward, blood leaking out of the hole in his forehead. The red pool began to form a scarlet waterfall as it rushed down the stairs, forcing the once rambunctious crowd to go silent. The door in front of which my father once stood quickly shut, sending the mass of once prideful people into panic. We were trapped.

I looked back towards the location of the flash only to see a shadowy figure crouching in the window with a strange looking rod, the only thing giving their location away being the lack of stars where they rested. Repeated slams were heard on the main door providing entrance to the hall, as if an army was attempting to break in. Screams were heard from the gathered nobles, but throughout all the commotion, my gaze stayed fixed on the being that murdered my last remaining parent. The figure changed the direction of the mysterious rod until it was facing me, and again a flash of light exploded out the end.

Time began to slow, and I closed my eyes expecting to suffer the same fate as my father. I waited one second, and then another, before I finally had the courage to look. In a daze, I examined my body, and was surprised to find myself uninjured. The daze lasted only for a moment before a familiar voice began to croak, "Run".

I looked forward to see that the black parts of Varrick's officers dress pants were slowly becoming a deathly maroon, and she was occupied with holding what appeared to be the remnants of her thigh into place. She removed her hand from her shoulder for a moment, only to slap me with the force of a racing horse's hoof. In a louder voice, she screamed. "TAKE YOUR FIANCE, AND RUN''.

I grabbed Alexandra's hand, and faster than I'd ever had to move before, I followed her instructions, and ran. Pushing through the crazed mobs, it occurred to me just how differently people act when facing what might very well be death. Some of the guests screamed, as if waiting for an undiscovered power to aid them, whereas others fell to their knees and prayed to a God that had yet to be seen. Many gave up completely, simply staring off towards the door where an unknown threat craved the end to their mortality. I forced myself through all of them, heading to the escape that Varrick and I alone knew about. I looked behind me to see Lady Varrick hobbling after us, but the raging mob was slowing her progress and she began to fall behind. I stopped for a brief moment before our eyes met. They seemed to be yelling at me not to stop. Alexandra and I soon reached our destination. A barrel standing against the wall. The barrel was a foreign object in the ocean of marble surrounding it, but I knew there was a reason for its existence. Varrick began to scream at the top of her lungs, pointing at the ceiling. "THERE HE IS, THAT'S THE MAN THAT KILLED THE KING".

However, It was nothing but a distraction, the assailant long ago disappeared out the window they came from, but I wasn't about to miss the opportunity she gave me. I unscrewed the lid of the barrel, signaling for Alexandra to hop in. I took a page out of the cliche adventure books that my mother used to read me, and spoke. "Alexandra, do you trust me?"

She looked at me inquisitively, as if attempting to gauge whether I was insane, stupid, or both. "Of course not, but I don't seem to have much choice, now do I?"

I really should have thought a little more before speaking. "Then now's the time to start" I yelled.

Perhaps it was the realization that she didn't have much of a choice considering the threat waiting outside, but she jumped in the barrel. I was about to follow after her, when the doors finally gave way and a small army of masked men burst through, cutting away at any nobles who were unfortunate enough to get in their way. I looked at Lady Varrick, hobbling over as fast as she could, but she and I both knew that I couldn't risk waiting any longer. I followed after my recently engaged fiancé, and as tears welled up in my eyes, I abandoned my mentor. The only friend that I've had for the last 6 months.

The barrel went down into the castle sewer system, and instantly, as I hit the stone brick floor beneath my feet, I collapsed beneath the weight of the many people that I left to die. It might've been the memory of the many nobles being cut down in front of my eyes, but I could've sworn that I could still hear their final screams overhead. I felt the reassuring arm of Alexandra around my arm. "It's alright" she said. "Protecting the bloodline is the most important thing right now, and if you told others about this path, we would've been noticed."

I felt a little better, but the screams continued. Part of me was scared by what I heard from the festival hall, however, I believe the thing that scared me most wasn't the yells of the doomed, but the silence that would soon follow. Alexandra took my hand and lifted me up off the ground. She spoke with authority, and I was reminded that she too was royalty. "We can't stay here. We need to get moving".

She made a good point, but it wasn't out of practicality that she wanted us to get going. She didn't want me to be burdened with the sound of the numerous desperate screams coming to an end. The moment I looked towards what I expected to be the path to our safety, the regret at the forefront of my mind changed places with another. Not only had I left many to die, I had also forgotten a torch. Embraced in darkness, we began our departure in the only way we knew how: with our hands pressed up against the wall next to us. It wasn't the most time effective method, but so long as our hands stayed on the wall, we'd eventually find the exit.

As we wandered through the sewers, pursuing our survival, curiosity got the better of me and I began to speak with my new companion. "Alexandra, can I ask you something?"

After a brief moment of silence, as if being snapped out of a consuming memory. she responded, "It depends on what it is you wish to ask."

I tried to make my voice as level as possible, but somehow, the next words I spoke still came out accusingly. "Why is it that Akrad went to war with us?"

In the pitch black void surrounding us, I could feel her eyes boring into me. "That wasn't mine, or my father's decision, if that's what you're wondering." She paused for a while before continuing on. "My father once had an advisor that sat at his right hand. His name was Vladimir Lisvaka. Vladimir was a good advisor, but craved power. About seven months ago, he began whispering plots of conquering Etomia into his ear, and my father sacked him. Left without a job, yet unable to escape his aspirations for power, Lisvaka sought out a new path that he hoped would someday lead to his destination of complete control. Almost immediately after he left, he started a rumor that my father had been colluding with a secret organization that had spread throughout all of Etomia and the rumor spread like wildfire. Lisvaka claimed that in colluding with this organization that was unknown to the masses, my father was spitting in the face of the common people. At first, it was only the poor, the broken, and the desperate that followed Vladimir- at least, until Lisvaka's followers began to do miracles and produce machinery that nobody had ever seen before. Even the most loyal members of our kingdom began to follow Lisvaka. It appeared that my father was on the losing side of history, and they didn't have a choice. The once loyal devout citizens of Akrad sieged the castle, keeping us locked inside of the castle to maintain appearances, but for the last six months, it's been Lisvaka in control. I escaped and fled to Alisar, hoping that in cementing our kingdom's relationship through marriage, your armies would be able to stand up to the Imperial Union if they tried to find us, but that clearly didn't stop them. I'm sorry, but I believe that my family and I are the reason for the war. After all this time, we got sick of hiding. My father and I believed that if we could somehow form an alliance with Alisar, we could fight back against our own nation, and reclaim the kingdom, but it wasn't enough… I'm sorry for taking your home away from you."

We walked in silence for a few moments while I processed the sudden wave of information that just hit me. "It's alright." I said in a near whisper. "I'm really sorry that happened to you."

I didn't know what else to say. Part of me was mad at her for ruining my life, but mostly, I just felt bad. I felt bad for what happened to her, and I felt bad for complaining about my life for the last six months. Hers had been far worse. Alexandra took her hand off the wall next to us and placed it in my free hand hanging at my side. She didn't say anything else. She didn't need to. We kept walking for what felt like a day, although, it may have been only a matter of hours. Submerged in only darkness, time lost its meaning. Finally, I was too exhausted to walk any further. I stopped moving. "Let's rest here for a bit" I suggested.

I set myself down on the floor, and Alexandra sat beside me, resting her head on my shoulder. Instantly, I was filled with gratitude for having forgotten the torch. The floor on which I now sat, as well as the wall holding my head behind me, were home to what I could only imagine to be unimaginable horrors. This was the sewer system after all. Despite the disgusting place that we rested, and the many life changing events of the day, I shut my eyes, and immediately, the grace of sleep overtook me.