“Wait for Daddy, Laora, we want to wave to him,” Mahrea was saying, holding up her little girl, hardly three months old. The ranks trudged past them, all uniform and organization, young men with the hearts of wise elders. Anastasia watched in her simple awe, wondering what made these men so compelled to fight that they would even go down into the third plane. She couldn’t imagine what horror, what terror they would come to know, and if they returned, how could they live with such memories of such a disgusting, awful place?
“Look!” Mahrea cried. “There he is! There’s Bentam!” She struggled to keep Laora at her side as she excitedly pointed to her husband, the tall and dark Bentam. Anastasia found him, second man in, taking his chance to secretly wink at his wife and daughter before returning to his stiff, focused position forward. Mr. and Mrs. Bell were cheering loudly, now that they had seen their valiant son-in-law making his way to the battle.
Though everyone was so cheery and enraptured around her, Anastasia couldn’t help but feel a dark hand of fear take hold on her. She knew many of these young men, from church, from school, and had been friends with them in her early childhood. And Bentam was as much of an older brother to her as a real older brother would have been. Just watching them march off made her want to count each one, so that she could count them all when they came marching back, and see of they were all there. Any who were missing, whether she knew them or not, she would feel sorry for them. Thoron was not a place to have the last of your memories, she knew. The thoughts in her head became overwhelming, and soon Anastasia could not watch the parade any longer.
“Mama,” she said, turning to her mother. Mrs. Bell looked at her, still grinning with excitement.
“Yes, dear?” she said.
“I’m tired of the parade. May I go home and tidy up the shop for opening this afternoon?” Her mother’s smile shrank, but it remained to a length.
“I’m sorry you’re not enjoying the parade, but go ahead and clean up the shop. I hadn’t thought of what to do about that after the parade before we opened today. Thank you.”
“Welcome, Mama.” Anastasia turned and made her way through the crowd, trying to take the shortcut through an alleyway. She tried to be polite as she gently elbowed and wended her way past the tightly knit throng. Once she’d gotten out of the crowd, Anastasia quietly made her way across the cobblestone street, her shoes clacking loudly on the stones in the alley.
She let her mind wander as she looked around at the quiet, empty town, with the only noises being the distant parade behind, her light breathing and her shoes tapping each cobblestone she trod on. It was so peaceful to be alone and in quiet after all of that clamor and suffocating fear. Looking up at the sky, she breathed in the fresh air. Oh, even in the town, the spring was sweet. Anastasia closed her eyes and walked a little slower, listening for birdsong. Instead, she heard something moving in the shadows.
Opening her eyes again, Anastasia stopped and looked around, keeping herself wary of someone lurking in an alley. She found it curious that someone would be hiding in the outer skirts of the city when everyone was centered at the main street. This time, she listened for anything. There it was again—someone moving, unseen in the dark! Every small whisper suggested impending danger. She took a small step forward and waited. Nothing happened. She continued forward slowly, step by step, trying to be quiet as she could.
Suddenly, a hiss slithered from somewhere behind her. Anastasia didn’t turn around, but instead began running. She’d forgotten which street she was on, but for the moment it didn’t matter. All she should do now was run away from her pursuer. There was a small alley ahead that she might lose them in; they might continue onward without realizing where she’d gone. Pushing faster to get away as soon as possible, Anastasia went around the corner and met a demon.
Anastasia screamed in terror! The demon had rows of long sharp teeth and they were dripping with a black substance that she didn’t care to learn about. It stood on two legs and inched forward, it’s clawed, blistery hands poised to snatch her. The skin looked slick and almost blubbery, but it was bulged with muscle and menace. Anastasia hardly had time to move before two more fell from the roofs above, all advancing on her. In fright, she turned and ran out of the alleyway and dashed through the streets simply trying to get the demons off of her trail. Like dogs, they snarled and gnashed their teeth as they bounded after her.
She turned blindly this way and that, with only the intense feeling of demons leaping at her tail that could snatch her at any moment. Her breathing became loud and panicked. Get away, get away! In desperation she went into a building and began clambering up the stairs. Surely they couldn’t follow her on top of everything! When she opened the door that entered onto the roof she felt a stitch in her side, and she had to gasp for air before continuing. The roof was at least level enough for her to stay balanced. Anastasia kept on running.
She thanked the Creator that all the roofs were connected together; the thought of jumping from roof to roof was unbearable in the state of fright she was in. But from behind Anastasia heard savage growling and she knew the demons were on the roof. Water began to fill her eyes as she struggled to see where she was headed now that she faced the winds above the houses. Keep running! Out of the corner of her eye, Anastasia saw demons racing her on the opposite side of the street. Risking a glance behind, she could see that the others had gained on her. And out ahead was the end of the street—the end of the roof.
She could go no further without jumping off, which she knew would result in injury or death, but if she didn’t, the demons would be on top of her for sure. In making the decision, she slowed before she reached the end of the roof. She looked over the edge—the ground was at least three stories below—and then looked back. The doggish demons were licking their chops as they greedily advanced on her. Anastasia closed her eyes and jumped—but she didn’t land.
Something had caught on her, and Anastasia watched the ground moving fast below her. She was rising high above the roof tops of the town, and gradually traveling lighter. Looking up, Anastasia yelped in surprise as she found a man holding her up in the air, moving her along. They were flying! The demons were nowhere to be found.
“Good day!” the man said to her brightly. He looked down at her like some happy-go-lucky traveler who made a daily activity of flying. It certainly made Anastasia speechless. She could only stare up at him with wide, fearful eyes.
“There’s no need to be afraid of me; I just caught you from falling,” he told her. “But then I must understand your silence. Is this your first time flying?” She felt her head nodding yes. “Well, don’t worry. I’ll bring you straight home.” Anastasia watched as the ground seemed to be turning, and soon the roofs of the town were going past. She looked up at the man again in awe.
He was young, if not less than five years older than her, and very handsome. He had shoulder-length pure black hair that shone almost blue in the sunlight, and eyes just as deep and dark. His features were lean and relaxed, and he had a brightness about him that emanated from his face. The man wore a billowy white shirt and black trousers, with a dark blue coat fastened half-way up. On top of his head was a cavalier hat with a white feather. Anastasia thought how amazing it was that a man so strikingly given would be kindly enough to save her from the demons that had chased her only minutes ago. Now she was floating above the rooftops with this wonderful stranger.
“So, miss,” he was saying. “If you would be so kind to tell me exactly where you live, then maybe I could take you to the right place.”
Anastasia took a moment to collect herself and find her voice. “I live above the jewelry shop, East Central,” she told him.
“Ah, the jewelry shop!” he cried. “Do you work there?” She nodded. “One of my favorite places. If I don’t buy anything, then I shall at least stay to browse.”
It was only a few more moments before they alighted at the door of the shop and went inside. Anastasia instantly went to her duty of tidying up the place, fetching the duster and putting on her apron. The man respectfully looked around at each item, eyeing every detail carefully, like a critic, but he could never say anything destructive about the artwork.
“Beautiful!” or, “How stunning!” he would say every few moments, taking a minute to point out what he loved about every necklace, brooch, and sculpture. Anastasia silently smiled at his comments, and went on to sweeping the floor. When she had finished behind the counter and tossed out what she’d swept up, the man approached her with two things.
“I must know who made these two lovely pieces, so they will see the honor of my having bought them.” He held up a necklace and a sculpted heart. The necklace was a chain that held a clear rhome ball inside of which was canary rhome ball. It glistened and sparkled in the light like the sun inside the moon being revealed. The heart was of scarlet hembrone, just big enough to fit in the man’s palm.
“Oh!” Anastasia cried when she saw these. “Actually, my mother made that necklace.”
“Really?” the man said. “So it seems your family owns this shop.” She nodded. “Well, I should recommend this place to many of my friends. Many men such as I do enjoy these works of art. But you didn’t tell me of the artist for this heart, miss.” Anastasia was surprised that he was so curious.
“Oh,” she stuttered, “Well, I made the heart, sir. That’s one of my first pieces out of hembrone.” She couldn’t stop herself from blushing and shying away. No one had ever bought any of her own pieces, and certainly never those among the first of her attempts. As far as she was concerned, there were several other hearts left for him to choose from that she thought were done much better. But the man had yet insisted on purchasing hers.
“I’ll assure you, miss, that this work is some of the best I’ve ever seen,” he told her. She hesitated before continuing on to wrapping the two items carefully.
“Thank you, sir,” she said humbly and she set the two wraps in a bag and handed it to the man.
He opened a bag that hung from his belt and poured a wealth of gold coins onto the counter.“A tip for your lovely work, miss.” He said before Anastasia could tell him he’d paid too much. “I should thank you, miss. But this whole time we’ve been strangers; how rude of me not to introduce myself! You may call me Wizard Rowl, or simply Rowl, if you wish.”
Anastasia smiled demurely and said, “Rowl. A pleasure to meet you, sir—er—Wizard Rowl.” She had caught herself in time to remember not to call him ‘sir’.
“And a pleasure it was to meet you, miss…?” He left an opening for her to tell him her name.
“Anastasia Bell,” she told him.
“Anastasia Bell,” he repeated. “What a beautiful name! Thank you, Anastasia.” He lifted the hand which rested on the counter and kissed it politely. Then he took off his hat and bowed respectfully. “Good day, Miss Anastasia Bell.” And then the Wizard Rowl walked out the door and disappeared down the empty street.
“Look!” Mahrea cried. “There he is! There’s Bentam!” She struggled to keep Laora at her side as she excitedly pointed to her husband, the tall and dark Bentam. Anastasia found him, second man in, taking his chance to secretly wink at his wife and daughter before returning to his stiff, focused position forward. Mr. and Mrs. Bell were cheering loudly, now that they had seen their valiant son-in-law making his way to the battle.
Though everyone was so cheery and enraptured around her, Anastasia couldn’t help but feel a dark hand of fear take hold on her. She knew many of these young men, from church, from school, and had been friends with them in her early childhood. And Bentam was as much of an older brother to her as a real older brother would have been. Just watching them march off made her want to count each one, so that she could count them all when they came marching back, and see of they were all there. Any who were missing, whether she knew them or not, she would feel sorry for them. Thoron was not a place to have the last of your memories, she knew. The thoughts in her head became overwhelming, and soon Anastasia could not watch the parade any longer.
“Mama,” she said, turning to her mother. Mrs. Bell looked at her, still grinning with excitement.
“Yes, dear?” she said.
“I’m tired of the parade. May I go home and tidy up the shop for opening this afternoon?” Her mother’s smile shrank, but it remained to a length.
“I’m sorry you’re not enjoying the parade, but go ahead and clean up the shop. I hadn’t thought of what to do about that after the parade before we opened today. Thank you.”
“Welcome, Mama.” Anastasia turned and made her way through the crowd, trying to take the shortcut through an alleyway. She tried to be polite as she gently elbowed and wended her way past the tightly knit throng. Once she’d gotten out of the crowd, Anastasia quietly made her way across the cobblestone street, her shoes clacking loudly on the stones in the alley.
She let her mind wander as she looked around at the quiet, empty town, with the only noises being the distant parade behind, her light breathing and her shoes tapping each cobblestone she trod on. It was so peaceful to be alone and in quiet after all of that clamor and suffocating fear. Looking up at the sky, she breathed in the fresh air. Oh, even in the town, the spring was sweet. Anastasia closed her eyes and walked a little slower, listening for birdsong. Instead, she heard something moving in the shadows.
Opening her eyes again, Anastasia stopped and looked around, keeping herself wary of someone lurking in an alley. She found it curious that someone would be hiding in the outer skirts of the city when everyone was centered at the main street. This time, she listened for anything. There it was again—someone moving, unseen in the dark! Every small whisper suggested impending danger. She took a small step forward and waited. Nothing happened. She continued forward slowly, step by step, trying to be quiet as she could.
Suddenly, a hiss slithered from somewhere behind her. Anastasia didn’t turn around, but instead began running. She’d forgotten which street she was on, but for the moment it didn’t matter. All she should do now was run away from her pursuer. There was a small alley ahead that she might lose them in; they might continue onward without realizing where she’d gone. Pushing faster to get away as soon as possible, Anastasia went around the corner and met a demon.
Anastasia screamed in terror! The demon had rows of long sharp teeth and they were dripping with a black substance that she didn’t care to learn about. It stood on two legs and inched forward, it’s clawed, blistery hands poised to snatch her. The skin looked slick and almost blubbery, but it was bulged with muscle and menace. Anastasia hardly had time to move before two more fell from the roofs above, all advancing on her. In fright, she turned and ran out of the alleyway and dashed through the streets simply trying to get the demons off of her trail. Like dogs, they snarled and gnashed their teeth as they bounded after her.
She turned blindly this way and that, with only the intense feeling of demons leaping at her tail that could snatch her at any moment. Her breathing became loud and panicked. Get away, get away! In desperation she went into a building and began clambering up the stairs. Surely they couldn’t follow her on top of everything! When she opened the door that entered onto the roof she felt a stitch in her side, and she had to gasp for air before continuing. The roof was at least level enough for her to stay balanced. Anastasia kept on running.
She thanked the Creator that all the roofs were connected together; the thought of jumping from roof to roof was unbearable in the state of fright she was in. But from behind Anastasia heard savage growling and she knew the demons were on the roof. Water began to fill her eyes as she struggled to see where she was headed now that she faced the winds above the houses. Keep running! Out of the corner of her eye, Anastasia saw demons racing her on the opposite side of the street. Risking a glance behind, she could see that the others had gained on her. And out ahead was the end of the street—the end of the roof.
She could go no further without jumping off, which she knew would result in injury or death, but if she didn’t, the demons would be on top of her for sure. In making the decision, she slowed before she reached the end of the roof. She looked over the edge—the ground was at least three stories below—and then looked back. The doggish demons were licking their chops as they greedily advanced on her. Anastasia closed her eyes and jumped—but she didn’t land.
Something had caught on her, and Anastasia watched the ground moving fast below her. She was rising high above the roof tops of the town, and gradually traveling lighter. Looking up, Anastasia yelped in surprise as she found a man holding her up in the air, moving her along. They were flying! The demons were nowhere to be found.
“Good day!” the man said to her brightly. He looked down at her like some happy-go-lucky traveler who made a daily activity of flying. It certainly made Anastasia speechless. She could only stare up at him with wide, fearful eyes.
“There’s no need to be afraid of me; I just caught you from falling,” he told her. “But then I must understand your silence. Is this your first time flying?” She felt her head nodding yes. “Well, don’t worry. I’ll bring you straight home.” Anastasia watched as the ground seemed to be turning, and soon the roofs of the town were going past. She looked up at the man again in awe.
He was young, if not less than five years older than her, and very handsome. He had shoulder-length pure black hair that shone almost blue in the sunlight, and eyes just as deep and dark. His features were lean and relaxed, and he had a brightness about him that emanated from his face. The man wore a billowy white shirt and black trousers, with a dark blue coat fastened half-way up. On top of his head was a cavalier hat with a white feather. Anastasia thought how amazing it was that a man so strikingly given would be kindly enough to save her from the demons that had chased her only minutes ago. Now she was floating above the rooftops with this wonderful stranger.
“So, miss,” he was saying. “If you would be so kind to tell me exactly where you live, then maybe I could take you to the right place.”
Anastasia took a moment to collect herself and find her voice. “I live above the jewelry shop, East Central,” she told him.
“Ah, the jewelry shop!” he cried. “Do you work there?” She nodded. “One of my favorite places. If I don’t buy anything, then I shall at least stay to browse.”
It was only a few more moments before they alighted at the door of the shop and went inside. Anastasia instantly went to her duty of tidying up the place, fetching the duster and putting on her apron. The man respectfully looked around at each item, eyeing every detail carefully, like a critic, but he could never say anything destructive about the artwork.
“Beautiful!” or, “How stunning!” he would say every few moments, taking a minute to point out what he loved about every necklace, brooch, and sculpture. Anastasia silently smiled at his comments, and went on to sweeping the floor. When she had finished behind the counter and tossed out what she’d swept up, the man approached her with two things.
“I must know who made these two lovely pieces, so they will see the honor of my having bought them.” He held up a necklace and a sculpted heart. The necklace was a chain that held a clear rhome ball inside of which was canary rhome ball. It glistened and sparkled in the light like the sun inside the moon being revealed. The heart was of scarlet hembrone, just big enough to fit in the man’s palm.
“Oh!” Anastasia cried when she saw these. “Actually, my mother made that necklace.”
“Really?” the man said. “So it seems your family owns this shop.” She nodded. “Well, I should recommend this place to many of my friends. Many men such as I do enjoy these works of art. But you didn’t tell me of the artist for this heart, miss.” Anastasia was surprised that he was so curious.
“Oh,” she stuttered, “Well, I made the heart, sir. That’s one of my first pieces out of hembrone.” She couldn’t stop herself from blushing and shying away. No one had ever bought any of her own pieces, and certainly never those among the first of her attempts. As far as she was concerned, there were several other hearts left for him to choose from that she thought were done much better. But the man had yet insisted on purchasing hers.
“I’ll assure you, miss, that this work is some of the best I’ve ever seen,” he told her. She hesitated before continuing on to wrapping the two items carefully.
“Thank you, sir,” she said humbly and she set the two wraps in a bag and handed it to the man.
He opened a bag that hung from his belt and poured a wealth of gold coins onto the counter.“A tip for your lovely work, miss.” He said before Anastasia could tell him he’d paid too much. “I should thank you, miss. But this whole time we’ve been strangers; how rude of me not to introduce myself! You may call me Wizard Rowl, or simply Rowl, if you wish.”
Anastasia smiled demurely and said, “Rowl. A pleasure to meet you, sir—er—Wizard Rowl.” She had caught herself in time to remember not to call him ‘sir’.
“And a pleasure it was to meet you, miss…?” He left an opening for her to tell him her name.
“Anastasia Bell,” she told him.
“Anastasia Bell,” he repeated. “What a beautiful name! Thank you, Anastasia.” He lifted the hand which rested on the counter and kissed it politely. Then he took off his hat and bowed respectfully. “Good day, Miss Anastasia Bell.” And then the Wizard Rowl walked out the door and disappeared down the empty street.
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