Scorched

2

Cleo dissipates into shadows, until she is nothing but a silhouette whilst entering the Village. She has left the Court, trutted through the front garden making sure that not a single soul has seen her and slyly escaped the Court. She has done for this years already, her escapades was like second nature to her. No one has ever caught her. And it will remain that way.

The Village is enclosed by a thick wooden barricade, preventing villagers from roaming into the Kingdom also called the House of Flames —but to also keep the Villagers safe from any sort of danger that may intervene, the barricade then ends around the edge of the Village curving around it and gives way to the farms set very close to the perimeter of the seas. She pulls her gaze away from it and resorts to getting to the Village  as quickly as she can.

Cleo crosses the vast field which separates the Village from the Courts—Landon named this field the Field of Fiery as the reeds and long grass growing from it looked like fire itself or rather flames depicting a fire. He said it matched her eyes whenever she was feeling wrathful and wanted to scorch someone on the spot. For once in her life was Cleo offended that he said that. Trees lined the field all around —cherry blossom trees the pink petals adding to the kaleidoscope rainbow of fiery colours in the field.

Who dare create this field on a hill? Cleo's legs started becoming numb and tight from this drastic trek up the hill. She would need to resume her training again, her fire talents has taken over her motivation to practice training close combats with swords and daggers and crossbows. To her, flaming one is more entertaining than plunging one with a sword. Less bloody too. But her training is definitely something crucial before her crowning ritual.

Cleo eventually reaches the barricade. She gazes at the hard stoned gate, also the only entrance into the Village. The rest of the Village was enclosed by the wooden barricade— the pillars of the gate  were made from thick concrete and the spaces were narrow enough to not allow a single person through. She could see that there are guards flanking both the inside and outside of the gate, keeping watch to whom enters and whom leaves. She called this gate Helhard as she once banged her head against one of the hard pillars and fell into a deep slumber straight after. The Healers thought she was dead. She has never seen Landon fret so much over her. She's been asleep for three days. Since then she called it Helhard. Because that hardness has taken her to hell and back.

Cleo shakes her head wishing the past thoughts away and surreptitiously makes her way to the barricade, making absolute certain she's not in one of the outside guards line of vision. She sneaks through the tall reeds — the sole of the hill, and reaches the wooden wall. She watches the guards again, still undeterred.

She finds the white ribbon tied around the bamboo holding the wooden stakes in place, and tugs it away inside her breeches and stretches up.

                                                    °°°

"Took you long enough." Says the awfully handsome Jezio. Jezio the thief. A very wanted one. Yet here he was awaiting her and not stealing away.

Jezio leans against the terracotta wall, arms folded, one leg propped up behind him against the wall gawking at her with an evil-smirk. Jezio is leanly muscled, his  sleeveless tunic exposing his  bare muscled shoulders and arms from  years of jumping buildings, doing heists, getting into unnecessary brawls with other villagers, teasing girls by lifting skirts and trotting away immediately, a classic example of why he is wanted by so many villagers. His dark pants is lifted around his hind legs showing his muscled calves and his sandals are completely worn out. He always wore boots and a cloak but the heat has caused him to abandon it.

Jezio's long hair -—reaching his back; is light brown and heavily unkempt making him even more unruly handsome. His ice blue eyes quickly roams her figure. From her hooded shirt down to her boots. Lingering longer on her tight pants — her thighs to be exact before meeting her eyes again.