CHAPTER ONE Herivus recognized the voice at once and let out a sigh of relief as soon as the pressure against his throat eased. His cheeks flushed and his voice cracked for a few seconds. He cleared his throat. “I didn’t realize you were the one, my lord. I just sensed someone coming and I attacked” He bowed. The man gazed at Herivus before relaxing his stance. “No need to apologize, boy. Get ready. We’ll leave in a while” “Father, why must we keep going? If the Dragans attempt anything funny, the alarms will blare in time enough for the Legions to battle” “We need to constantly know whatever maneuvers are going on and a rough estimate of numbers. In the case of a confrontation, we would be miles better off” “But still, we’d be looking …show more content…
The air was filled with the regular chimes from the blacksmith’s shop. The commoners outside the manor were already about their daily chores, children even younger than Herivus were rushing to the farms and into the hills to herd their flock. Once in a while, a merchant passed by with a wagon full of supplies, then the children took them into the huge storage barns of the city. The soothsayer by the lane kept selling those amulets and charms, though she had been warned several times by the Council to stop the illicit trade. So they turned a blind eye to whatever she did. “Father, why do some good-hearted folks suffer for a decent living while their actions merit a good position in the Empire?” Herivus inquired. His father kept silent for a while before looking down at Herivus. He bent until he was at Herivus’ eye level. “That’s a complicated question, Heri. The good folks of today, once in power, sometimes become a black-hearted people. As you remember, the tale of Berini explained it to good effect. And more often than not, the selfless ones almost never ascend to the life we live. Hence the saying ‘Life is unfair’. Do you understand?” “So how do we live this life, while knowing that others are suffering and still have little more than the clothes on their backs. What makes us