Voices in the Dark (Part 4)

The air was filled with tension as they got outside. The streets lay barren and once colorful decorations now hung tattered and depressed. Above, the sky was still dark except for a few rays of sunlight that escaped through the cloak of smoke. The sad sight made Hirow sigh as he repositioned the sack on his right shoulder.

He pulled the hood of his cloak up and whispered to Taila, "We shouldn't stay out in the open."

She nodded in response and they slinked back into the shadows. They made their way deeper into the heart of the village drawing closer to the crowd of people. Talia had no idea where they were going but followed Hirow nonetheless. They rounded corners and ducked under the occasional loose board through the maze of houses until the noise of the crowd grew closer and Hirow slowed down. As they moved past they listened, but all that could be heard in the incoherent sea of voices was panic. Hirow leaned up against a wall trying to remain in the shadows. He edged in closer attempting to make out what was being said but there were just too many people. As he leaned in further, someone passing hit him on the shoulder. He turned around and saw recognizable messy brown hair.

As soon as Hirow realized who it was his hand shot out and grabbed the person by the back of his shirt. The boy whipped around ready to fight with anger in his eyes but when he saw Hirow his face became soft and a huge smile appeared.

"Hirow it's you! I can't believe it's really you," Clement cried out in joy.

Hirow hushed him and covered his mouth, "Be quiet I don't need people to know I'm here. You could get in trouble for speaking to me."

"I thought you were dead," Clement said, quieting down. "Your house was completely scorched. You disappeared after the Ethereal Gathering so I assumed you had just gone home. So when I woke up the next morning and the Southern half of the village was engulfed in flames I thought you were gone for good. I thought I had lost my best friend without even saying goodbye." He stopped his rapid speech and embraced Hirow, "But you're here now, and thank the Gods you are."

Clement kept hugging Hirow until he saw Talia behind him. Then he let go and smiled, switching moods as rapidly as he had appeared, "Is there something you need to tell me?"

"What do you mean?"

He pointed behind Hirow, "So are you going to introduce me."

"Oh yeah," Hirow said startled, having forgotten she was behind him, "This is Talia I just met her last night."

"My name is Clement," he said sticking out his hand, "nice to meet you."

Talia stared at his hand confused until Clement took hers and enthusiastically shook it.

He leaned over to Hirow, "So did you finally decide to join in the festivities last night and find someone you liked."

"No."

"Well, then how did you meet her?"

"It's a little complicated," Hirow responded, fumbling to find the right words.

"What do you mean it's complicated? It's just a girl, how complicated can it be."

Talia watched them argue back and forth until she saw a troop of armored men march up onto the wooden podium. The argument drifted into the background as the drumming sound of boots hitting the floor filled the air. As the last few men got to the platform she interrupted, "Hirow are those the soldiers you were talking about?"

Both of them went silent as they turned towards the crowd and saw the men on the platform. Clement groaned in disgust, "Ugh they're back and there's more of them."

"You've seen them before?" Hirow asked, pulling up his hood again.

"Yeah, I saw them this morning when I went searching for you. They were the first to arrive at the Southern side. I can tell you for sure the fire wasn't an accident, they were the ones who started it. I would kill those evil men myself if given the chance."

A man clad in blackened armor stepped forward. He wore a strange helmet that was different from the others. It had a small slit in the front for visibility and a grate around the mouth that pointed down to the chin. The metal bent backward into a triangle with the wider end at the back. Several thicker parts of metal lined the helmet until they streaked to the back all ending in sharp twisting points that looked like the gnarled roots of trees.

Once the man got to the front of the podium he took his helmet off revealing a grizzled face with matted black hair. He had a neatly groomed beard that reached each of his ears. His sunken eyes which looked tired from years of service scanned the crowd waiting for them to quiet down. The crowd did so quickly.

Hirow stared in disbelief as the soldier stood tall. He recognized him from somewhere. He concentrated on trying to figure out who it was. Then he remembered. On the night of the Star Festival, there was a strange traveling merchant. He had left without saying much but there was something off about him. That same man was standing in front of him now having attacked the village he seemed to be passing by last night.

The soldier started speaking in a sharp tone making sure all heard, "We soldiers of the great King Ekburt the Fourth have come from a land far to the east to retrieve something of great importance. This village will hand over the Stellapuer in their possession. Most of you may not know what I refer to. In legend these creatures are also known by another more common name, children of light. We have come to take this creature away for your safety as they are very deceptive and dangerous. The burning of your village was necessary, as a warning. Those old men you call the Holy Order of Lumen turned our request down and lied to our faces prompting this attack."

Worried whisperings started among the crowd as they questioned the statements that were made of the Order. Hirow stood silent in the back pondering whether he hated more the men who had welcomed calamity or the men who had brought it. His eyes remained fixed watching closely for the merchant's next move. The man on the podium paused letting the truth sink in then he motioned toward someone behind him.

One of the soldiers in the rear stepped forwards and barked out, "Silence."

Then the crowd ceased their noise and the silent tenseness resumed. He nodded at the soldier who stepped back into his previous position.

He continued on with the same confidence in his voice, "There are several notable traits of a Stellapuer. The first one is that they seem to appear suddenly without explanation. The second is their tough skin. The third is white hair despite their young age.

Talia pulled her hood tighter around her head as Hirow glanced over.

"And the fourth, although harder to spot than the rest, because of their tough skin, is golden blood. When we told this to the priests they said we were blasphemous and that Lumen would never create such a creature but I can assure you this creature does exist and will bring you further harm if not handed over. I hope the rest of you will be more supportive than your fallen saviors. If the Stellapuer is not handed over by tomorrow then we will kill each and every one of you until it is found. Those foolish men will be your downfall unless you take action into your own hands." The volume of his voice increased booming across the plaza, "So I leave you with this simple message. Your fate is up to you, choose wisely. Choose for yourself and not for your false Gods."

The man slid his helmet back on and motioned for his soldiers to march as the audience stood in disbelief. The harsh pounding of boots cracking on the wood left an uneasy feeling in Hirow's stomach. As soon as the soldiers had made it out of sight the audience erupted into a chorus of chaos. Each person was asking their neighbor whether they had seen the creature mentioned. Far in the front, Hirow saw the chieftain talking with his counselors. They were probably discussing what to do regarding the Priests. The people were scared yet no one stood to help or calm them down.

"Let's go. There's one more place I have to visit," Hirow said, dragging his feet. He went back into the shadows carrying a heavy weight on his shoulders. It was a weight he couldn't share but one that would crush him if he didn't remain strong. I can't bear to be here much longer, he thought.

Clement looked back and forth unsure whether to stay. Then he took off after his friend.