Savior
20th of Summer, 502 A.V.
20th of Summer, 502 A.V.
Why isn't he here yet?
It was the same question in her head every morning since Father had left. She stared hard at the door, hoping that he would suddenly burst inside and tell everyone that it's all a mistake. She was not an orphan. Arlana still didn't know where he went. He never left her before, not after Mother and Arlain was gone. The kids told her that her father wouldn't come back. But that's not true. Father had promised they'll for them together. Where was he?
Maybe he got lost. He's usually lost in a new place.
The little girl fidgeted with the hem of her dirty shirt and looked down at the bowl of gruel and a lumpy bread that had been placed in front of her. Arlana didn't like the food here, or the water. They tasted weird, like dirt - she would know what a dirt taste like after all. But she was hungry. Carefully, she spooned the gruel to her mouth and swallowed. She had learned that if she did quickly, it wouldn't taste as bad.
Other kids started streaming in toward the dining table, hustling and bustling against each other vying for the best seat. Someone shoved her but Arlana didn't look up. She had learned that it would be better if she pretended nothing happened. She finished her meal quickly.
Shakily, Arlana stood up, keeping her head down. She wanted to disappear. To become anyone else. But she couldn't. Father had warned her that the people here don't like magic, when he still recognized her. Sometimes he forgot her name, but it's alright. He always remembered in the end and he would come to take her away from this horrible place.
The kids were not very nice. They picked on her, goading her because she was an outsider. She missed the other cities they had visited. Arlana wished her brother was here. She missed him so much - maybe a bit more than she missed Mother. If he was here, Arlain would have protected and he would help her escape from this horrible place to look for Father.
But he's not here. Nor Father or Mother.
She left hurriedly, careful not to bump any other kids. Most didn't pay attention to her, but some jeered as she passed. Soon, Arlana returned to the bed they had assigned to her. The blanket was scratchy and the bedding stiff - though it was slightly better than sleeping alone in a tent. It smelled weird too when she rested her head on it at night. The only good thing about her bed was that it was placed under a grimy window. Though it only offered the view of dusty, squat buildings, but that way she could see what's going on outside. People called the buildings the Sunset Quarters - which made no sense to her. Sunsets were supposed to be beautiful and Arlana was sure there was nothing beautiful about this place.
She settled back on her bed, taking out the sword that she had hidden under the bedding. The adults had wanted to take it away at first - like they took away the tent and everything in it - saying that it was too dangerous. But she had screamed and kicked and bitten until they were forced to let her keep it. It was Mother's, the only thing she had left of her family.
It wasn't long until someone entered the room. Arlana had no time to hide the blade again, so it sat there on her lap. A big boy, the one who had been bullying her these few days, stood in front of her. The others called him Loop. Arlana didn't know why, but she didn't really care. Loop brought some of his friends, the mean kids. They were all older than her, but they liked to pick on the little ones. Especially her, because she wasn't from Sunberth.
The dark-haired girl lifted her head, trying to look brave. "Go away!"
