Chapter Five

"Trekon, you are suitable man."

"A right man whose about to lend a favor. You

know, you are only supposed to pass by through any

time after nightfall."

"I know, Trekon. I virtually need your help."

"I knew it," he smirked.

"I introduced some thing to alternate for your

assistance," she smiled cheek to cheek.

"Jewelry?"

Mageia grinned and bopped her head. "Only

the greatest timepieces and bracelets for your

lovely wife, Lisa, to sell."

"Gods' help me, she's going to be up all night

going through it all," he stated eyeing the sack

she published and placed on the table. "What is

it do you want?"

"We heard the clergymen are sacrificing children

tonight."

"Damn, you heard," he grumbled, rubbing his

beard. "Please inform me you are now not thinking

about-,"

"A rescue? Of course. They do now not deserve

to die. They need to acquire free medical

treatment. Instead of forcing parents to pay

seven peeks for every go to to the physician

and ten peeks for medication refills, and lower

costs for surgeries, then it ought to prevent people from becoming Strange. We wouldn't

have so many slaves and don't forget the

poorest of us all working in the Runes, mining

for emeralds they would never get to wear in

their entire lifetime. Trekon. I need to do this.

They do not need to stand on the Dais like

some performance."

"Mageia. You cannot save them all," he said,

voice heavy with sorrow.

"What if it was Zane?"

"Don't do that, Geia," he said averting his eyes

to his wedding ring he knowingly twisted

around his finger.

"I'm sorry, but it's true. You can be Fair one

day and Strange the next all because of a

stupid prophecy, cruel laws, and the Crown

filling their pockets with peeks they surely do

not need."

"You sound like your father," Trekon said

falling deep into memories.

"Then help me. Help them."

The man's wide chest expanded and deflated

as he pondered the danger he could put his

family in. Mageia hated doing this to him, but

what she needed him to do was simple and

no one would bat an eye about it.

"Divines help us all. What do you need me to

do?"

~*~*~

Mageia's hand trembled around her cup of

fruit juice. Doubt about this rescue threatened

to sprout wild into her anxiety. Who knew the

day would end with such a risky mission?

The streets would be extra crowded with

people beginning their parties early and

extra authorities posted on every corner.

She peeked from one of the bakery's front

windows, keeping in the shadows of the

curtains to watch a world she had dreamt to

be a part of.

Already, the streets and the shops were

decorated with the kingdom's national shades

of greens for its abundance of emerald

gemstones and other bright colors. Smoke

from fooderies puffed high into the sky

hoping to lure old and new customers to their

doors throughout the night.

The Annual Fair Ceremony always came

around at the beginning of spring and lasted

three days, starting midnight and ending

on the third midnight. Usually, on the first

midnight, they'd sacrifice six Strange from

all crosses of life on the Holy Dais. Now this

time, it would be children. Then at the end

of the second day called the Sacred Day,

at midnight under a full moon, they would

sacrifice seven Strange known as the Sacred

Seven on the Divine Dais perched on the top

of Hamino's Temple which could be seen from

almost any high point in Ardania.

According to custom, traditions, and

superstitions, no one can commit any

offenses on the Sacred Day. Crime, deception,

and even disrespect used to be said to deliver a curse

upon a character and their complete family. The

King himself would pardon humans of their

debts, petty crimes, and free slaves who'd

been working greater than twenty or thirty

years. The Sacred Day was supposedly a day

of kindness in hopes of pleasing the gods

until the fundamental sacrifice.

Then on the third day, the Atonement Day, no

sacrifices are to be made to enable the gods

time to think of prayers and redeem everyone

for past crimes and offenses. Sometimes

depending on the Court which protected the

Crown, the Council, the Judges, and the

Priesthood, it could extend into the subsequent week.

"You should get from that window, Mageia, or

you'd be spotted," Lisa stated savaging through

her new pile of valuables.

Mageia reclosed the curtain and got here to

sit at the woman's table. For the security of

their guest, to Mageia's disapproval, they

had served the the rest of their customers

and kindly asked everyone to depart under

the influence of making ready for the nightly

festivals. Trekon's household had been continually so

courteous, which she prayed for the Divine

Six or perhaps the Ordained to bless them

abundantly.

"Do you promote well?"

"I do," Lisa said with a wink. Her cheeks

were greater perky and blushed from her

overall excitement. Lisa had instructed Mageia her

story about how she grew up in her father's

jewelry shop in Hiilaan. How she used to be a

respectable noble thanks to her parents and

to marrying a Knight Escort. She had dreams

of proudly owning her very own handmade earrings shop,

but her unlucky defect which she refused

to ever inform Mageia marked her as Strange and

their noble life slowly dwindled into middle

class. And then there have been a few royal taxes

and steady visits to Checkings that also

aided in her dreams never blossoming into

reality.

"I clean them all, refurbish the designs, polish

them, and even add trinkets right here and there to

avoid owners from recognizing their jewelry,"

she said with a squeal. "I leap from arena

to area to keep away from the equal crowds. But

overall, I make adequate to start a aspect savings."

"Very good, Lisa."

"I have to say. You are a brave female to do

rescues," she said. "Have you ever thought

about becoming a member of the Blesseds?"

Mageia scrunched her nostril and thinking of

those 4 humans who had been executed earlier

on the Holy Dais.

"No. They do more than just rescue

unfortunate people," Mageia said.

"Yeah, they're acknowledged to take a existence from time to

time," Lisa said.

"And do riots... No. I suppose I choose to maintain my

family away from that."

Lisa shrugged. "Good choice, I guess. But

they do assist human beings cross the borders."

"I've idea of transferring all people similarly east

into the Dauntless," Mageia said. "But it's

dangerous out there. Dean wishes us to move

north to Gorana. Buy a house for everyone

until they're old enough to go away and venture

on their own."

"That's sweet," Lisa said. She smiled

gracefully as she persisted going through her

jewelry. "I suppose you depart Ardania too.

The Blesseds may want to help."

"Eh...I'll assume about it. The closing component I need

is for my household to be swept into something

dangerous."

A knocking sequence pounded from the door.

Trekon was once back. Lisa went and unlocked the

door for him enter. He got here in with a smug

on his face.

"What's wrong?" Mageia said, intestine twisting.

The day was once passing by using and the ultimate thing

she needed used to be a setback. "Did you do what I

asked?"

"I did, but that idiot Junet stormed asking

questions. I advised him I wished the two planks for something I was building. He kept

blabbering on about why I would purchase

those particular wood slabs and why I

couldn't tell him what I was building."

"It's none of his business," Lisa said with a

puff.

"Exactly. I told him I would be back by nightfall

to pick them up, so leave them in the usual

place in the back alley so no one would steal

'em. My wagon's been borrowed. And gods

did he blab on about how I'm never prepared

when I pass by for wood. Damn bastard

needs to be thankful for the futtin peeks I

gave him for the damn futtin wood."

"Trekon, now breathe sweetheart, you are

beginning to curse," Lisa said batting her long

eyelashes at him as she returned to her task.

"Sorry, my alane," he grunted, using the

Valeeran's sweet word for love.

"Did you buy the other stuff on the list and

clear the grate?"

"I did. The only thing I worry about are the

crowds of people already filling the streets of

Midlaan."

"We are trained to walk amongst the

shadows," she grinned receiving his bellowing

laugh in return. "Thank you, Trek."

He wrapped Mageia in a hug and squeezed

her tight. "Just be careful, my girl."

"I will."

A satisfying, warm feeling grew in her gut,

erasing the threatening doubt as she made

her way home. Once she and the elders

regathered to plan their rescue everything

should play out well. Ardania was like an old

man stuck in his old ways and traditions,

never willing to change. The Taefo never

had great security and the building's back

end along the Mideri Wall always provided a

sneaky way to get inside. If whatever Faebrin

had noticed during his scouting, Mageia knew

no one would decide to change it if they had

no reason to do so.

She reentered her home by one of their secret

northern entrances and ran into two children

playing near the barrier. After scolding them,

they said their apologies and promised to

never go pass the barrier again and followed

her back home. Lisa's advice on relocating her

family invaded her thoughts and she decided

to bring it up to Dean and the Elders later.

"Geia about time yer back," Dean said. She

approached the Elders standing around the

Pit now fully lit and casting a burnt orange

light onto their worried faces.

Her smile dropped into her churning gut.

"What's wrong?" she said searching the fury

on Dean's face.

"We have a problem," he said stepping aside

to reveal Faebrin.