The Blade of Dawn

Chapter 2

I follow Xander down the main street of the city, taking in the scene around me.

Street vendors shout and negotiate.

The smell of spices and sweets fill the air.

The bright reds, vivid oranges, and royal purples of the women's skirts and shawls color the streets. There are fabrics of every color and type. The colors are all vibrant and lively.

The buildings and roads are made of unusual stones and metals, causing the streets to glitter.

Most of the people have dark eyes, dark hair, and broad faces. They look nothing like Xander, who has sandy blonde hair and angular features.

I am so lost in my thoughts and taken in by the novelty of the city that I lose track of where I am. Xander and I plunge deeper and deeper into the city, and all of the streets begin to blur together.

"Where are we going?" I ask, beginning to feel uneasy.

"To someone who can help." Xander replies.

"Someone who can help me get home?" I ask.

Xander nods distractedly. He moves quickly, rarely speaking other than to herd me in one direction or another. When we diverge off the main road, I notice several people in brown, simple outfits.

They scamper past us like mice, keeping their eyes on the ground ahead of them. Many are bony and thin.

One woman we pass has large welts on her wrists.

"Who are those people?" I whisper to Xander, glancing towards them.

"Just servants," Xander says dismissively, picking up his pace.

Why am I following this man? I ask myself. I know nothing about him. He did help get me here, but why is he helping me?

This just a dream, I reassure myself. Just go with it and see what happens. Everything will be fine. I will be home soon.

But the words don't ring true even as I think them. I have no idea what I am getting myself into. And I have a nagging feeling that this isn't a dream.

"Here we are," Xander says, stopping in front of a small shop.

Bells chime on the door when we step inside.

A man emerges from a curtained room in the back.

The man looks like the large gourd shaped vases that line the back wall of his shop. His neck, shoulders, and arms are long and thin but his belly and hips are round and bulbous.

"Xander, my good man. What do you have for me today?" The merchant asks, eyeing Xander and me.

The back curtain flutters again and a boy with a serious expression enters the room. He says nothing, and stands quietly in the background but he captures my attention. He is wearing the brown uniform I had seen the servants wearing in the streets.

The boy looks about my age, but he is over six feet tall and muscular. His dark brown eyes are captivating. An intriguing aura confidence and power lurks behind his quiet demeanor.

A few moments pass.

I am staring.

I force myself to take my eyes off of the boy and focus on the conversation Xander and the merchant are having.

"I have a proposition for you," Xander says.

Xander's slick demeanor has returned and he saunters towards the merchant with easy confidence. "Can we talk alone?"

"Of course," the merchant smiles, revealing crooked yellow teeth.

"Wait here," Xander says to me as he follows the merchant to a room in the back of the store.

I turn my attention to the shop. There are trinkets everywhere; clocks, stones, crystals, figurines, swords and more. I move through the room, admiring the various trinkets. The boy watches my every move.

"What's your name?" I ask. I want to know more about this boy and this city.

A hint of confusion passes across the boy's face but is quickly replaced with a neutral expression.

"My name is not of importance." He replies.

I am about to press further when a bowl of gems catches my eye. The gems sparkle like diamonds.

Unable to resist their beauty, I reach for the gems and scoop several into my palm. They begin to glow and feel warm in my palm.

These are too beautiful to exist, I think to myself. Before I can return the gems to the bowl, they shatter, turning dust. The dust runs through my fingers onto the counter. My head spins.

The servant's eyes widen and his stoic expression disappears.

"I'm sorry!" I exclaim once the dizziness passes. "I didn't mean to break them."

"Impossible" He breathes.

My mind races. The gems must have been expensive. How will I pay for them? What will the merchant do to me if I can't pay for them?

"I'm sorry. I will pay for the gems somehow. I don't have much but I have this dagger. I can give you this." I pull the dagger out of it's sheath and I offer it to the servant.

The servant looks at the dagger and his face pales.

"What are you doing with Xander?" he demands.

"I was lost in the desert. He found me. He is going to help me get home." I say, caught off guard by the urgency in the servant's voice.

The servant shakes his head and releases a heavy sigh. "You were taken? You aren't going home. You are going to be sold."

Slowly it dawns on me. The people in brown are not servants.

They are slaves.

"It is only a matter of time before Xander discovers who you really are, if he doesn't already know. You must escape and hide."

"What do you mean 'who I really am?'" I say.

"You wield an ancient form of magic, unseen for centuries.You will be sold and used for your abilities. If they can't control you they will kill you."

"I don't wield anything. I'm not from here. I don't know anything about magic." I argue weakly.

The boy shakes his head in frustration, as if I am an ignorant child. "My name is Easton. I can help you. But you need to get out of here before Xander and my master return."

"Where can I go?"

"Meet me outside of the wall at the east entrance tonight at midnight. I will take you to people who can help you. Now, hurry, get a head start." Easton urges, glancing nervously towards the back of the shop.

My mind whirls with doubts. Where will I hide until midnight? How do I know if I can trust Easton? What if he doesn't come for me?

The sound of footsteps and voices near the back door.

"Go!" Easton pleads. The look in his eyes tell me this is my only chance.

I burst through the doors.

The door chime wails like a guard dog as I rush out of the shop.

I turn down the first alley I come upon and I run.