Chapter Two: David Excerpt
- Gideon S. Fields
- Jul 27, 2018
- 4 min read
Chapter Two:
David
(Hadling Port)
Hadling Ports palisades were made ironically of pines from the Forest of Thieves but were later replaced and or reinforced with stone. One of the bands that occupied the woodland had decided they hadn’t liked the wall so much and lit it ablaze. During the time of rebuilding, there were a constant number of raids and illegal trade on the Administrative District. Since then, the city had moved the District to the southwest area of the city, where it could be better protected by the ocean waters and sheer cliffs to the south. The abandoned district became known as the “District of Studies.” It was a place where sanctioned arts such as his master’s Alchemy could be practiced without much interference from local law enforcement, and government influence. A pleasant side-effect for the city, was that it also kept most any future raids to a minimum. Almost all the so-called studies were invariably dangerous and posed a threat to anyone who might become inadvertently exposed to any side effects. David suspected that this was the main reason the city tolerated most of the experimenting within city limits.
There were many who thought several arts that were studied in his district were little more than glorified witchcraft; not worth government sanction at best. And every now and again, when he would return from one of the various tasks Master Thornegood would send him on, there would be an organized protest of some sort or another against one of the Masters. Most of the time the protests were relatively peaceful. However, on one occasion when returning from collecting toadstool caps in a local cave, David had the unfortunate pleasure of returning to a protest of Master Thornegood’s practice. More than likely a result of a then recent explosion that took the roof off a neighboring home to his master’s laboratory. Of course, David suspected the leader of the protest (also the owner of the roofless home) had been the victim of a single missing eyebrow caused by the same explosion. He chuckled at the memory as he reached the Northern Gate; “Thieves Gate.”
Walking under the cobblestone archway, he heard a familiar voice shout, “Hey David! Have you brought me anything today from the beyond?”
A bright blue-eyed girl no more than twelve turns skipped to him from a loosely tangled gathering of men arguing over a cart wheel broken in the middle of the roadway. She was plainly dressed in a very simple dull blue tunic and a pair of weathered but clean leather breeches. Her hair was the color of fire after just coming into full strength. She would be the picture of absolute beauty were it not for the scar that marred her right cheek. It was nothing more than a silver hairline really. However, it would ever serve her as a reminder of a horrific event that occurred long before she ever met David. Even with the blemish, she was quite beautiful.
“Of course, I have Heather. Why, you’d have me skinned alive in the fish market if I hadn’t.” Her responding laugh was polite and girlish with just the right amount of shyness to hide the moment of pain that crossed her eyes, twitched in her cheek and pulled at her scar that only David and the most observant of folk might have seen. It hadn’t gone beyond her notice that he was looking at the scar again. Although, now, he’d earned her trust enough that she didn’t flee when he looked anymore.
He quickly rummaged through his alchemy bag and was relieved that Heather’s expression had turned to excitedly expectant. He produced a single seed, no bigger than a quill tip. Handing it over to her, he was pleased to see her face completely puzzled.
“What is it?” she asked politely, barely hiding a hint of disappointment. After all, this was not the gift that she had become used to over the past few months. The first time David had brought her a gift from the “beyond” as she had called it, was a single wart flower. An ugly thing that really did resemble a wart until you tapped the bud. Then it sprung open into a purple flower that gave off the most intoxicating fragrance. As a matter of fact, it was routinely used by the ladies of pleasure as an aphrodisiac - something he did not bother mentioning to Heather at the time. He had collected the flowers as part of a study project assigned to him by Master Thornegood.
When he returned from his journey, he came through the gates as usual and spotted her in an alley. She was wrestling with a dog over what appeared to be a piece of meat. After the dog had won the battle, the girl had fallen to the ground and sobbed softly until David approached her and gave her the flower.
He didn’t see her again for two full fortnights. And then one trip, as he returned, there she was. This routine had become habit ever since. A habit he had become quite fond of.
After that day, each time he took a trip out of the city gates on errands for Master Thornegood she would be waiting for him at the gate. He wasn’t even sure how she’d know that he had left, as he never saw her himself before or while leaving. As a matter of fact, he knew very little of her at all. Never-the-less, she would be there every return, waiting for him, and her gift, faithfully.
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