choice really,” muttered Ethan.
“Not unless we make an appointment with Heinrich,” corrected Availia. “Although, I don’t picture Heinrich as the type who would sit in a hut all day sending people back and forth.”
“Hmm … well then, what do you think we should do about MacArthur?” asked Ethan.
“What can we do? I knew the old man was a bit crazy; it probably just caught up with him,” replied Auren.
“He’s not crazy … maybe a bit eccentric …”
“Ethan Wright, I presume?” interrupted Heinrich in a slimy voice. The three were caught off guard; Ethan wondered if Heinrich had heard their conversation. “I find it funny how features can carry one such as yourself through life,” he continued as he placed his long white fingers under Ethan’s chin and examined his face. Ethan noticed a silver ring with a large black stone on one of the fingers grasping his chin. The inside of the stone was swirling around like pluming black smoke, mesmerizing Ethan. He thought to himself that Heinrich had picked a ring that matched his personality and began to chuckle. The Tirguard Captain noticed Ethan’s grin and pushed his face back. “You look just like your brother … the traitor .”
“ What? What did you say about my brother?”
Heinrich turned and strutted away, his hands behind his back as if he had not a care in the world. The boys looked at each other, confused. Availia put her hand on Ethan’s shoulder.
“What do you think he meant by that?” asked Ethan, still upset over the comment.
“Not sure; but it sounds like he may know where your brother is,” replied Availia.
“Yeah, but no way he’s gonna say … it’s pretty obvious he hates us,” replied Auren.
“Hates me anyways,” said Ethan.
“Don’t look now, but here comes pasty again,” said Auren, looking over his shoulder. Availia looked over and saw Stanley headed in their direction, and she promptly smacked Auren in the back of the head. “Ow, what was that for?!”
Availia looked upset. “His name is Stanley!” she said, appalled.
“All right, you don’t have to hit me ya lunatic, I just forgot his name is all!”
The pale boy wandered past and leaned against the adjacent building, looked down, and stared at his shoes. He started to play with the hole in his shirt.
“Hey there — Stanley!” called out Ethan. Stanley looked up at the three and smiled. “Do you have a few minutes to show us around then?”
In his haste, Stanley tripped over his own feet. “Yyy … yyy … ngh …” he stuttered, then finally nodded.
“Sounds good then,” answered Auren. “Can you show us where to get some armor? We’re the only idiots who didn’t bring any.”
“We aren’t all idiots,” stated Availia, smiling.
“What do you mean?”
“My sister has mine, I just have to go pick it up.”
“You have armor?” asked Auren, jealous.
“Of course, I came here to join the Guard, didn’t I?” shrilled Availia, getting ready to smack Auren in the shoulder this time. Auren put his hands up in submission.
“Ok, ok … sorry,” he pleaded.
“Well, we may need armor too. Stanley, do you know where we can look for some armor?” asked Ethan.
Stanley nodded again and pointed back toward the market district. He smiled, and started in that direction. Ethan, Auren and Availia paused for a moment.
“Looks like it’s that way then,” said Auren smartly. It was apparent by his pace that Stanley wasn’t going to wait up, so the trio ran to catch up with him.
Chapter 12
Ordo Electus
“Djinn!” screamed a voice. Stanley stopped in his tracks as a hooded figure pointed directly at the group. Auren walked right into the back of Stanley and stepped on the heels of his shoes. Stanley looked down and inspected his shoes, as if to ensure they were alright.
“You know, this is really getting annoying — you people calling him names!” yelled Auren, attracting passersby. Availia seemed impressed that Auren was
“Not unless we make an appointment with Heinrich,” corrected Availia. “Although, I don’t picture Heinrich as the type who would sit in a hut all day sending people back and forth.”
“Hmm … well then, what do you think we should do about MacArthur?” asked Ethan.
“What can we do? I knew the old man was a bit crazy; it probably just caught up with him,” replied Auren.
“He’s not crazy … maybe a bit eccentric …”
“Ethan Wright, I presume?” interrupted Heinrich in a slimy voice. The three were caught off guard; Ethan wondered if Heinrich had heard their conversation. “I find it funny how features can carry one such as yourself through life,” he continued as he placed his long white fingers under Ethan’s chin and examined his face. Ethan noticed a silver ring with a large black stone on one of the fingers grasping his chin. The inside of the stone was swirling around like pluming black smoke, mesmerizing Ethan. He thought to himself that Heinrich had picked a ring that matched his personality and began to chuckle. The Tirguard Captain noticed Ethan’s grin and pushed his face back. “You look just like your brother … the traitor .”
“ What? What did you say about my brother?”
Heinrich turned and strutted away, his hands behind his back as if he had not a care in the world. The boys looked at each other, confused. Availia put her hand on Ethan’s shoulder.
“What do you think he meant by that?” asked Ethan, still upset over the comment.
“Not sure; but it sounds like he may know where your brother is,” replied Availia.
“Yeah, but no way he’s gonna say … it’s pretty obvious he hates us,” replied Auren.
“Hates me anyways,” said Ethan.
“Don’t look now, but here comes pasty again,” said Auren, looking over his shoulder. Availia looked over and saw Stanley headed in their direction, and she promptly smacked Auren in the back of the head. “Ow, what was that for?!”
Availia looked upset. “His name is Stanley!” she said, appalled.
“All right, you don’t have to hit me ya lunatic, I just forgot his name is all!”
The pale boy wandered past and leaned against the adjacent building, looked down, and stared at his shoes. He started to play with the hole in his shirt.
“Hey there — Stanley!” called out Ethan. Stanley looked up at the three and smiled. “Do you have a few minutes to show us around then?”
In his haste, Stanley tripped over his own feet. “Yyy … yyy … ngh …” he stuttered, then finally nodded.
“Sounds good then,” answered Auren. “Can you show us where to get some armor? We’re the only idiots who didn’t bring any.”
“We aren’t all idiots,” stated Availia, smiling.
“What do you mean?”
“My sister has mine, I just have to go pick it up.”
“You have armor?” asked Auren, jealous.
“Of course, I came here to join the Guard, didn’t I?” shrilled Availia, getting ready to smack Auren in the shoulder this time. Auren put his hands up in submission.
“Ok, ok … sorry,” he pleaded.
“Well, we may need armor too. Stanley, do you know where we can look for some armor?” asked Ethan.
Stanley nodded again and pointed back toward the market district. He smiled, and started in that direction. Ethan, Auren and Availia paused for a moment.
“Looks like it’s that way then,” said Auren smartly. It was apparent by his pace that Stanley wasn’t going to wait up, so the trio ran to catch up with him.
Chapter 12
Ordo Electus
“Djinn!” screamed a voice. Stanley stopped in his tracks as a hooded figure pointed directly at the group. Auren walked right into the back of Stanley and stepped on the heels of his shoes. Stanley looked down and inspected his shoes, as if to ensure they were alright.
“You know, this is really getting annoying — you people calling him names!” yelled Auren, attracting passersby. Availia seemed impressed that Auren was
Similar Books
