Immortal Soul - Chapter 3

“Daemon wake up, its time to go! The guards are gathering all the nine year olds!” Annabelle screamed from somewhere in the kitchen. At the sound of her nagging voice Daemon stirred awake but still groggy with sleep pulled the rough brown blankets that were luckily warm up to his chin, rolled over and started returning to the depths of the comforting darkness.

Having fallen asleep once more he didn’t hear his door creak open or the creaking floorboards as someone approached his bed. Annabelle stood in the doorway trying to contain her laughter as she watched Leon stand over Daemon’s sleeping form with a cup of icy water. Slowly Leon poured the whole cup directly onto Daemon’s face.

The boys eyes snapped open all traces of sleep gone, and jumped out of bed pulling a concealed dagger out from underneath his pillow as he did so. Then he spun around and pointed the dagger directly against his attackers chest slightly above his heart. Who just turned out to be Leon.

“Oh, sorry,” Daemon stuttered embarrassed that he just put a dagger to Leon, not that this hadn’t happened before. Dragging his hand threw his ice white hair he cringed remembering the previous time he had done this.

“Anyway, what is it?” He questioned.

“Well if you bothered to listen to Annabelle before, you would know that it’s time for you to go to Evolit Kingdom and of you don’t go the town centre now you might miss the trip!” Leon laughed.

“Do I h lave to go?” Daemon asked.

“Yes!” Annabelle and Leon exclaimed at the same time.

“Fine,” Daemon muttered still slightly annoyed that he had water poured on him. After Annabelle and Leon left his room he sighed before putting on the clothes he laid out yesterday. A long sleeved black shirt and ordinary dark brown pants that passed his ankles slightly. He then grabbed his black belt and his sheath and long sword tucking that into the belt. He made sure his necklace was secure around his neck and not bothering to comb his hair he just brushed his fingers threw it a few times and then grabbed his bag. It was an old duffel bag that looked like it would fall apart at any second with odd stitching all over it where Annabelle fixed the tears and holes in it. They had found it at the markets and it was extremely cheap.

After he pulled on his old, worn boots that were actually really sturdy he walked downstairs. It was winter but it only snowed occasionally and today it was not which was lucky because the children were brought to Evolit Kingdom in horse drawn carts. If the horses got stuck in the snow then so did all the kids and the guards escorting us.

“Bye, hope to see you again. Thank you for helping me all these years,” Daemon said sadly to Annabelle and Leon. They were almost like parents in his eyes, they had taught him so much. They had saved him, if he continued his way of life he would have either been executed at the guillotine for stealing, died of malnourishment or be stolen off the streets and become a slave to some wealthy lord. All horrible situations, he was so happy he met Leon and Annabelle.

Annabelle started crying softly and pulled him into a tight hug. Usually he would push her away but this time he wrapped his arms around her and had his final embrace. Leon reached down and ruffled his hair, further messing up his already messy hair.

“See ya kiddo, you got your dagger set and long sword with you,” Leon questioned. Daemon replies with a firm nod and an awkward hug and then Daemon, with all his belonging in an old brown bag, left the house he had lived I for the last four years. If he didn’t return after the month ended they would assume he had a dragon familiar and was forced to go Drae Academy, they would also leave the house and move to another town which they hadn’t decided yet. All people that have a dragon familiar must go to Drae academy, it was mandatory and the scoop lasted until the boys turned fifteen. They would be educated in subjects (math, English, etctra), how to care and ride dragons along with a weapons class. As good at that sounded Daemon still wanted to go back Annabelle and Leon.

After there goodbyes Daemon walked out the door and was instantly hit by the cold air that penetrate led straight threw his clothing but the cold never bothered him. As he walked across the cobbled paths that crunched underfoot moving towards the town centre he found the streets oddly empty. Most likely due to it being cold and that all the others would still be saying goodbye to their children at the town centre.

After waking for five minutes he arrived. Filled with at least two hundred people the town centre was packed. It was still somewhat dark as it was six o’clock in the morning but winter and the sun didn’t rise fully until seven am. Lots of children and parents stood curing and hugging each other saying goodbye. After glancing around, Daemon saw some girafe in a more fancy uniform then the town guitars and headed in that direction.

The towns guards wore mostly just normal commoner clothing, made from the same itchy rough material that most people wore. Usually it was brown, grey or green. To stand out as a guard they word a blade and a dark green hat that stood out. Though these guards wore dark red fancy long sleeved shirts along with a gold trim and matching trousers. Daemon had heard about this guard uniform, it was used by higher up guards from the capital.

“Everyone we are departing in two minutes send all the children here now!” One of the guards in the red uniform bellowed out. His voice echoed around the town square and all the children gave their final hugs and started approaching. There were three guards in red uniform, each standing in one of the three large mahogany wooden horse drawn carts.

Daemon hastily approached easily sliding through the gaps in the crowded town square. Annabelle has given him a black cloak with a good to cover his face to not draw attention. Therefore, no one was staring at him. Key town was pretty small with just over a thousand inhabitants, so there was only thirty nine year olds. An extremely small group compared to other towns who which brought hundred of nine year olds each year.

Daemon and all the other nine year olds stood in front of the guards. Daemon notice something quite peculiar, the guard that had shouted before had bright red hair the one on his left had light blonde hair and the one on his right had green hair. Daemon was shocked, he knew there were different hair colours but the people he knew with brown or black hair was himself and Annabelle.

The guards divided the children into three groups of ten and sent them each onto a different cart. Daemon was put in the middle cart with the guard who bright red hair.

“Excuse me sir,” Daemon asked the guard who looked down at him with curiosity. This was probably due to the fact he was wearing a cloak that concealed his face and skin. “What’s your name?” Daemon enquired, at closer inspection the guard he was talking to had dusting of freckles and not pale or tanned skin, a medium of sorts. His hair was similarly styled to Daemon with it reaching the nape of his neck.

“I am Sir Red, why are you wearing a cloak?” Sir Red questioned.

“Good morning Sir Red,” Daemon pauses briefly thinking over his answer and decided to be honest. “The reason I am wearing this cloak is so I do t stand out, I’m not a criminal or anything I just look different compared to people in this town.”

“Are you going to take of your cloak?” Sir Red asked.

“Perhaps later,” Daemon answered before turning around so he could go sit somewhere.

“Wait, sit with me!” Sir Red rushes eliciting a chuckle from Daemon. Nodding his head he followed Daemon to the front of the cart where the there were two horses to pull the cart. The cart had a driver but there were cushions to sit on at the front which Sir Red and Daemon sat on.

“Sorry I forgot to ask, what your name?” Sir Red muttered looking partly embarrassed at forgetting to ask sooner.

“Daemon,” Daemon replied.

“Last name?”

“I am an orphan,” Daemon said. Sir Red’s eyes widened in surprise knowing that orphans typically had a hard life. “Oh don’t worry, some nice people let me live with them for the last four years,” Daemon said to alleviate Sir Red’s worry but also ended the conversation making it clear for Sir Red not inquire more. While it was kind of rude Sir Red didn’t seem to mind.