Lost Breaths

The capital city was much different than what I was used to. Coming from a small village and exploring the largest city in the country was an eye-opener. Many buildings were side-by-side, leaving the main roads filled with people, merchant wagons, and carriages. The section of the city I was in was still near the entrance I came through, so I decided to explore deeper into the capital.

I wandered the streets, following the merchants in their wagons as they headed to what looked like a massive walled-off section of the city. A gate awaited the merchants, who were then inspected by two groups of guards that donned much better equipment than the ones at the city's entrance. Before I approached the gate, I noticed that the merchants handed the guards an item I couldn't identify. After the merchants handed it to the guards, they would inspect the merchants' goods and let them pass through.

I decided not to continue down the road, thinking that entering the walled-off section wasn't something I could do since I did not have whatever the merchants had handed to the guards. I caught a glimpse of what was past the gate, seeing luxurious buildings through the bars of the now-closed entrance. A few well-dressed people were walking about the area, much happier compared to the suffering citizens outside the gate.

"Looks like the capital is divided into two sectors, one for nobility and one for commoners," I thought, returning the way I came.

Social status attached itself to nearly every part of life within Kysora. The shops limited the amount one could buy based on their standing as a citizen. Even amongst the less fortunate, they were divided into separate classes, all treating each other differently. I noticed that people kept to themselves, but when it came to their survival, they abused their status to take from those beneath them. Those at the very bottom would suffer endlessly under the system, barely managing to scrape by.

There were thousands of people on the streets. Some went around asking for money, while others headed to work, home, or a shop. Everyone would pass by those who asked around with a look of disgust, and a few even yelled insults at them.

I walked up to one of the beggars to learn more about the people's behavior toward them. The man's body was skinny, showing signs of starvation, and he walked with a limp.

He looked up at me, his eyes void of life, and asked, "Please, do you have food to spare?"

I responded, "Here, I have some to spare," handing him one of my packed meals. I asked, "Why are the people here so hostile towards you?"

The man dug into the meal, eating part of it before answering my question, "You must be from outside Kysora if you aren't aware of the reason. We can't work because our statuses are too low to be hired, so we stay on the streets begging for money and food. To survive, we sometimes work for the army as insiders, reporting the citizens if they don't follow the city's laws. We do it to receive food and a few copper, but—" he paused, taking another bite, "that's where the benefits end. Whenever one of us are being attacked by the citizens, the guards don't even bat an eye. In fact, they also take out their frustrations on us too."

"Thank you for the information; here's an extra for later," I said, handing him another packaged meal.

The man smiled, happily accepting the extra meal. He continued eating the first one as he sat against a building. The surrounding people took notice of my gesture, giving me hateful looks. I continued walking back to the clinic by avoiding the spectators. Hopefully, Raya had finished tending to the patients so she could take me to the testing area. 

"Some capital this is," I scoffed.

One Hour Later | 09:22

Upon arriving at the clinic, the door swung open, revealing the red-haired doctor. She waved at me after locking the door behind her. Raya wasn't wearing her white coat; instead, she wore a light brown shirt and slim black pants.

"I'm ready to take you to St. Rudin's Cathedral if you are," Raya stated, eager for a response.

I smiled, "I was hoping you'd be ready. Let's head out."

She grabbed ahold of my arm, locking hers with mine, as she led the way to the cathedral. Her action surprised me, which was apparent when my face became red.

"Are you okay? You look as red as my hair does," she joked.

"I'll be fine," I replied, avoiding her eyes.

We moved through the crowded streets, catching the gazes of some citizens who seemed to love Raya but disliked me. They would thank Raya as we passed by, appreciating what she had done for them. She was popular amongst all statuses, which surprised me since people had given me bad looks for handing food to a beggar.

The route we took led us to the gate I visited earlier, which guarded the luxurious buildings and nobility. As we approached the gate, the guards noticed Raya, putting down their weapons and letting us pass through. I was intrigued by her social status since she lived in the commoner sector but could enter the noble sector without handing over the pass I saw merchants giving to the guards.

Raya continued alongside the walls of the sector. She quickly stopped to look at the surprise on my face after we reached a quiet spot.

"Don't be so surprised. I usually deliver medicine to the place we're headed, so I'm allowed to move freely between the gates," she revealed.

I nodded and replied, "It's hard not to be surprised when you keep pulling things like that off. I didn't know you were of a higher standing."

"Oh, trust me, I'm not. If they knew who I was, I would have died long ago," Raya scoffed, her grip loosening around my arm as she eventually let go. "We'll continue like this for now, I couldn't help but notice that everyone is giving you bad looks. This should help avoid any unwanted attention in this sector."

"Are the nobles really that dangerous?" I asked.

Raya sighed, "Not necessarily in the grand scheme of things, but I'm not as popular amongst them as the commoners. The nobles would actually view me as lowly for aiding everybody rather than them exclusively."

"What do you mean by 'the grand scheme of things?"

Raya pointed in a direction, speaking, "To put it plainly, no one is as dangerous compared to those who live up there."

I turned to where she directed, seeing a marvelous castle containing its own walled-off section. The castle resided on a higher level than the noble sector – overseeing the entire inner city. It had three towers attached to the main building, six tall bridges connecting to smaller buildings, and a massive flag on the top of the main building with a black dragon illuminated by the golden backdrop. The castle's various structures all peered over the walls surrounding the area, providing a sense of grandiosity that made the inner city look poor.

"You're saying it's more than just the king?" I asked, prodding more.

Raya's voice heightened, "Of course it's more than just him. Everyone that lives up there is the reason for the nation's corruption. You have the royal family, the higher nobility, and other distinguished people. They all share the same goals; profiting off of their people, exploiting them, and making sure that they have the power to continue making money."

Raya's fists clenched as we continued walking to the cathedral. Her frustration with the country's elite seemed more personal. My prodding for answers must have bothered her.

"I'm sorry if I made you upset. I really don't know what we could be up against," I apologized.

Her expression lightened, unclenching her fists, "No need to apologize, I'm not frustrated with you. There's just a lot on my mind right now. We are at the place anyways."

Our walk to the location came to a halt as Raya pointed out the building. It was a large black stone structure with several columns at the entrance that came out from the building, attaching to a foundation above the ground with steps leading up it. It had a large colored glass above the columns, which featured the same black dragon and yellow background as the castle.

Raya and I went up the steps into the cathedral's massive doorway. Upon entering, the entrance opened up to a massive hall with a dome-vaulted ceiling where a mural was painted of a king and an orange-yellow light that surrounded him. The mural also featured a crowd of people whose arms reached for the king as they were surrounded by darkness. The hall was split up by long lavish benches with a few people, which faced the back wall where a set of golden steps led up to a podium where a robed person with long hair stood. The central walkway between the benches had a yellow carpet laid out that went to the steps.

A deep, unknown voice spoke within my mind, "Ah, the famed doctor and the bandit slayer, what brings this unlikely pair to the cathedral?"

Raya looked at the robed figure at the podium, bowing down to them, "Saint Rudin, it's a pleasure to see you again. We came here to see if the bandit slayer has any magical ability."

I followed Raya's lead, bowing to the magical saint, "Hello Saint Rudin, my name is Lux Arcanum, but seeing that you've called me a bandit slayer, I assume you already knew that."

"It is as you say, Sir Arcanum. There aren't many who come out of the Isolated Forests alive, but those that do, have a lot more to learn about the world," the saint's words entered my mind once again, this time more fiercely, "such as, treating slave races as equals. Do you remember when you insulted the owner of Ibuil's Inn by sticking up for lowly beasts?"

Raya turned to face me, "Lux, why didn't you tell me about this?"

I kept my attention on the mysterious saint, responding to Raya, "Let's say that I didn't quite know it would be brought up here of all places."

The long-haired saint stepped down from the podium, walking down the central aisle until stopping before the two of us. They were shorter than the both of us, revealing a soft, dark face with grey eyes.

The saint's mouth opened for the first time, revealing their voice to be more feminine, "If you wish to take the test, apologize for your ill deeds at once. I will beg for the forgiveness of our Great God to spare you from punishment if you comply."

I wasn't sure how to deal with the situation until I remembered that I didn't have magic in the middle of a powerful inner city. There was going to be no way out of the city if I didn't give an apology.

I bowed to the saint, dropping to my knees as a sudden pressure surrounded my body. I spoke in a hushed tone, "I'm sorry for my unlawful actions, Saint Rudin. I ask for the forgiveness of the cathedral and the nation."

The pressure surrounding me had disappeared, allowing me to stand and speak properly. Raya maintained a nervous expression as the saint stepped back.

Saint Rudin let out a chuckle, "That will do. Now, walk with me to the podium, and Dr. Kazui, come along as well."

"Of course, saint Rudin," Raya replied shakily.

We approached the podium, each step feeling harder than the last as a pressure overtook my body again. Raya and the saint stood firm against the mysterious pressure, which confused me since my legs were slightly wobbly from it.

I thought to myself, "Am I scared or something? What's going on with my body?"

As we reached the podium, Rudin placed a book upon it titled The Blessing of Milakus. The pressure around me increased as the book was placed – causing my legs to give out as I fell to my knees once more. Raya's legs began to shake as well, increasing my confusion.

"Now, I want you to place your hand on this book, I hope you'll be able to reach it from the ground," the wicked saint smiled.

Raya's nervousness faded as she yelled, "I'm tired of this treatment, Saint, let us stand properly. He has already done what you've asked yet you're messing about."

The fiery doctor's attitude shocked the saint as the pressure around us was lifted once more. Saint Rudin's expression returned to normal, collecting themself.

"I suppose I've been a little harsh on the two of you. Place your hand on the book, Lux," the saint said.

I stood up, feeling fine now that the exhaustive pressure had disappeared. I placed my hand on the book as it began illuminating. After a few seconds, the light faded without me feeling any different until the saint broke out into laughter.

"The bandit slayer here is a lot weaker than I imagined. He doesn't have the faintest bit of magic inside his body, does he even have a mana core? Raya, how could you bring such an incompetent fool here, he's as worthless as those beasts he protected."

My heart sank upon hearing the saint's words. I looked at Raya apologetically, knowing that I had only caused her more trouble than it was worth. However, she just stood there with her fists clenched.

Raya's fiery attitude lit once more as she began berating the saint, "An incompetent fool? You can't even act 'saintly,' but I mean, who are we kidding, you were never a 'saint' to begin with. Testing a newcomer and a friendly visitor with your aura after they've complied with your demands is something an incompetent fool would do. I won't be coming back to do business with a little punk like you."

Saint Rudin's eyes twitched as the little saint retorted, "You've crossed the line, Doctor. As soon as you two leave this cathedral, I'll have you both reported to the proper authorities. You best leave this city if you don't wish to be tortured by Her. Now, take your dog with you and be on the lookout for your wanted posters."

Raya plainly said, "Let's get out of here, Lux. We wouldn't want any of the little saint's attitude to rub off on us."

We left the cathedral, moving past the gates and back into the commoner sector. I kept looking at Raya as we moved through the city, admiring her unyielding behavior. It made me wonder just how strong she actually was to be able to argue with the saint-like that without a battle breaking out.

"Sorry that I blew up on that little punk, I already have a hard time going to churches, so when the punk acted like that, I couldn't stand it," Raya apologized.

I looked at her, surprised, "You're really apologizing for that? I should be the one saying sorry for being a stick in the mud."

Raya hit my shoulder lightly, "Don't say that. You're still able to get much stronger. Magic is not everything, it just makes things a lot simpler. Your potential and aura are what can't be replicated."

"Is aura that thing the saint was using to make me fall to my knees?"

"Right, it's a bit complicated to explain right now, but what the saint did is one way to display it," Raya replied. She stopped for a moment, checking behind us before giving out an order, "Since we aren't being followed quite yet, I'm going to pack some important things from the clinic up. Meet me back here in thirty minutes, try to not draw attention to yourself. If you're not here when we're meant to rendezvous, I'll only spend fifteen minutes searching for you. If I'm not here, leave the city and head for Seincliffe across the bay, you'll be safe there."

"Understood, I hope to see you soon," I replied, splitting up from Raya for the time being.

Twenty-Five Minutes Later | 12:00

I made my way through the now desolate streets with a ripped cloth covering half my face; no one other than me roamed them. There was a loud sound of a trumpet nearby. Walking closer to the sound, I could hear people yelling and crying. The intensity grew every couple of seconds until it came to a halt as someone yelled for quiet.

Many people surrounded a wooden platform; on top of it were guards and a line of people in handcuffs. When I got closer, my happy-go-lucky attitude left me. I realized the platform was a gallows, ready to hang a dozen people. Civilians stood outside, attempting to muffle their cries as the guards held weapons at their throats.

I couldn't believe that people had to watch this. How mighty was this government's rule if the people experienced this brutality? I wanted to do something to save them, but the crowd was too big to pass through. I knew that I would be disobeying Raya by drawing attention to myself. But I couldn't let something like this happen without trying to help.

I spotted a ladder leading up to one of the buildings, so I climbed it to see where I could strike. The gallows were just under me now – its victims slowly walking up to their demise. Four guards accompanied them and set up the unfortunate people. Once I could see my chance to strike, I would take it.

As I went to jump down on one of the guards, someone pulled me back onto the roof. At that moment, I knew that I had watched them take their last breaths.