Shiiha

It was mid day and the sun was out. That was what I noticed as two men shoved me out of the cart and pushed me to follow Rat.

That's when I noticed where we were. I looked up and I saw the first wall to Os Alta.

Holy shit this was actually happening.

I was dazed for a second and received another friendly push from one of the men. Assholes.

Yeah Shii you should stomp on that ones foot. It'll serve him right.

No it won't that's just petty child play.

*metal ringing noise* lemme at 'im.

Shut up! The Rats coming!

"What's your name again girl." I thought about staying silent but I knew it wouldn't matter anyway.

"Shiiha Semmenok." I spat at her. No way she would think I was of any value to her. Still a person who lived on the streets with a last name was rare. Some royalty nowadays didn't even have a last name.

"Ya sure you want to be introduced as your real name?" she had a look of surprise on her face because of my last name.

My grandfather had been one of the leaders of Shu before he was killed. Big woop, I didn't get anything but his name.

"No. If I'm going to live I'll live by the name that was given to me by my mother." Rat rolled her eyes.

"Whatever, as long as you keep being a good girl till we get our money I'll worship ya like the Sun Saint."

Sankta Alina. The once living saint now dead her bones enveloped in darkness until the fold is destroyed, and she'll come back to life. To help spread peace and hope.

A big load of shit. Dead is dead, and the sun cult was just a bunch of weirdos stuck in the past.

Ooh if you can summon the sun now does that make you a new saint?

Shut it.

We stopped at the gate to the city when Rat dragged me up to the gate.

"Hold. You cannot pass through here without a pass. State your name, your party and your," he looked me up and down. I could see the distastefulness in his eyes as he looked at me. Under fed, malnourished, short, hair everywhere. I was street vermin. "Reason for being here."

"I'm Rat, leader of the Bloody Reapers of the north. These are my comrades, Wretchin and Drik."

"Wretched indeed." One of the guards mumbled and they both chuckled. Wretchin fumed.

"This is the reason I'm here," She kicked me in the knee and my legs failed me. I quickly stood up. All my dignity gone. Never had much anyways.

The guards laughed again.

"Why would a little street vermin be of any importance." One spoke up.

I'll shove my importance down your throat you jackass.

QUIET.

Just then Rat leaned in close to him and whispered something in his ear.

I saw him gulp in fear and look at me with, envy in his eyes.

"Hey go get some horses. These, reapers are of importance to The Darkling." He turned to a foot boy. "Inform the palace that a gang has arrived and would like to bargain."

The boy ran off in one direction while the guard scurried off appearing a moment later leading three horses.

"Ma'm," the guard gestured to the four of us to get on the horses. "I'm sorry only three were saddled."

"It's fine. Dirk you ride with our prize." Dirk grunted an answer back and helped me up on the horse before following.

The guard disappeared and reappeared again riding another horse while we were saddling up and departing from the travel group.

They would camp outside the city until our party returned. I wouldn't come back though, even if I wasn't sold to The Darkling, he wasn't the type to just let anyone interrupt his day for street vermin.

We followed the guard as he started down the streets of Os Alta. It surprised me at first, Os Alta looked like your average over crowded town. The streets were busy and we had to join the flow of the crowd.

I was glad we didn't have to walk, I surely would have gotten lost and separated. Not that it would have mattered though. My life has been set into a one way trip to dying of sickness on the street. I didn't need some pompous emperor to tell me that.

Soon enough we reached the second wall to the inner city. Os Alta's famous double walls. Only broken through by The Darkling himself.

Ooooooh they're so shiny.

Doesn't matter you can touch them.

Dammit.

The guard leading us gave a signal and the doors swung open wide. What was inside the second wall, was serene, so different from the outer city. I had never seen a place so, classy, so grand. It was amazing. Manors every mile apart. Orchards and brewery's. Children were playing in the streets, and vendors sang their wares.

It was almost like a dream.

I don't belong here.

It was true. People starred at our party as we made our way towards the palace. The older people just ignored us, they probably saw groups like mine all the time.

Just some gang trying to earn some extra money.

I looked at the grounds, the sun sank into late afternoon as we neared the palace. It lighted up the buildings with a golden glow. The city grew quiet and finally, we reached the doors to the palace.

As soon as I entered I was ushered into a waiting room with Rat, we were the only two in it.

I took a good look at the palace. ((You know really OLD granny decorations? Like that, but EVERYWHERE.)) It was just so.... Gaudy. The Gold and Mother of Pearl inlays didn't help. Did the Little palace look just as.... Grand?

A moment later a steward stepped through a set of very large double doors.

"The Darkling will see you now." He said in a dull tone. Aren't these things supposed to be all fancy and full of fluffy shit. That's why I hate fairy tales.

Wait, The Darkling were actually going to see him?!?!

But we look like a rat who was chewed up by a dog.

QUIET ALREADY.

Sometimes I hated these voices in my head. No one believed they were actually there. For all I knew there were three who normally bickered amongst themselves, one who was fairly violent, and a quiet one.

She had only spoken up once, and it saved my life. She never spoke up, but her presence was bigger than the others.

I stepped into the dark chamber dimly lit by candlelight. The steward led us to the middle of the room, motioned us to stop then dissapeared into the darkness.

Was anybody really here, the room seemed empty.

I was about to turn around to leave. When a voice asked quietly, yet it filled the room.

"State your business." The voice was like sweet molasses. Light with a darker tone. The voice of responsibility.

It send cold down my spine. The same cold I grew up in for years. Embodied into one short sentence.

"Rat, leader of the Bloody Reapers. I bring you a item those of us in the underground 'ear your looking for." She smirked a little. Oh god, nothing good....

"State. Your business. I don't care who you are." I tried to ignore his voice, it was easier this time because it was filled with annoyance.

Rat glowered before she responded.

"I bring you the sun summoner." She said it so contently. Like selling person was fun for her.

Don't let him touch you

Wait, what?

It was the voice, the quiet one she was trying to tell me something.

I hadn't noticed a silhouette appear in front of us. I was to busy trying to get the quite one to speak up again.

"I'll see that for myself." His voice snapped me back into my senses, but by then he had a grip on my arm and the room grew pitch black.

At his touch I felt something rising inside me.

NO

The voice shoved it back down. How did it do that?

"This seems familiar," I felt a sharp edge against the flat of my arm. "Now show me wether or not your whom you claim to be."

I felt it rising through me, and suddenly the room was brightly lit, as if it were sun high on a sunny day.

That's when I saw him. The Darkling, he had Black hair and Grey Quartz eyes, he was tall. He looked young, but seemed to carry a heavy weight.

He looked young, and handsome.

I heard sobbing but I knew it was from my head.

Not again. Now I can't save you.

Suddenly it was gone. The great presence that had been there had disappeared.

Wait don't leave me.

"I finally found you."

Then The Darkling hugged me.