VAERA

One ten since the Mark of the Other One blossomed.

As Vaera hurried through the city, unpleasant thoughts swirled through her head. A thousand what-ifs and speculations. She could not make any sense of the two cards in his hands.

In addition, Ramsey was still in the back of her mind. She wanted to be able to visit the Amber Falls. She had been in and out of the bar ever since her mother had worked there.

The warehouse was already in sight. Vaera knew the third one had sounded too familiar. It was a legit business, and there had been explicit instructions not to bother this end of the pier. The warehouse here rented out storage space for whoever wanted.

There was nothing fancy about the place, too much effort for little gain. And while there were no guards, there was activity here all day and night. Sailors storing their pay so they would not drink it all, passengers keeping their luggage safe while they waited for the next boat to their destination. Occasionally self-employed merchant wannabes stored their junk here.

Vaera stopped and eyed the cards in her hand again. Only the insignia of the Crux had vanished. Fine writing, she recognised as Jaybird's, covered the small piece of paper.

Funds are at the ninth desk. Have him hand over the goods. Do not waste time.

Deliver to THE clinic in the east district.

The writing faded as soon as Vaera had read it, and the hand over the cliffs once again appeared on the card. Nothing made sense. She kept looking at the cards, hoping they would reveal something more.

Vaera looked around, and hesitantly, she approached the ninth desk and the clerk sitting behind it. A man around her age occupied the chair behind it, but he had to be one of the wimpiest looking individuals she had seen. The standard worker's outfit they had given him was too large for the man.

"Welcome! New in Whitefall? Looking to rent a space? If you want a larger compartment, you will have to wait until evening, but you can book in advance." The man chirped with a cheerful attitude.

Vaera slid the piece of paper with Jaybird's marking and a small coin pouch onto the counter. "I am here to pick up something of my employer's."

"Right." All too enthusiastic, Vaera mused as the man grabbed the coins and paper. For a moment it looked as if the world froze as the man stared at the blue droplet and his face paled.

"Hello?" Vaera snapped her fingers in front of the man's face.

"You?" The man looked up at her with horror. Before she could answer, the man jumped up from his seat. "Right, let's get you what you're after!" He chirped with a badly hidden nervousness.

Vaera ambled after the hurrying man and raised an eyebrow when the man grimaced at her to hurry. Once away from the larger crowds, at the end of the warehouse, the man exploded with verbal diarrhoea, hissing in a half-whisper at Vaera.

"Today? Do you even know what day is it today? I have told him countless times, and where is he this time? Do you even care that I told him it's stock taking day! We can't just let someone pass through this place today. It's against the law to do it at any time, but not like that matters to you! If I get caught skipping papers today, I will risk my job, I need this job! I am nothing without it! Why today and who are you even supposed to be! Where is Ja... He?"

"Focus on the task. I am simply here to get the goods and deliver them." Vaera yawned at the man.

"Oh, by the Makers, what have I done to deserve this. I know what I did, but why can't you let me off the hook? I can't keep this up forever. I could just stop this, leave and you would have to find another way to get your so-called goods!" The man tried changing his tone.

"And you think Jaybird would look kindly on that? If you just left us in the mud?" Vaera chuckled.

"I hate you! I hate you I hate you I hate you!" The man hissed with tears in his eyes. What a push-over, Vaera thought.

"Shan! Boat queue, please. And open the sixth loading dock. We have a premium client!" The man tried to calm his voice, but made an odd whimper when approaching a girl in her twenties.

"Today? Who is this? Does she know what day it is?" The girl demanded. Mixed feelings of fear and anger were apparent on her face.

"Just hurry!" The man pleaded. "You! Follow her." The man pointed after the girl who had hurried away.

Vaera took long strides to catch up with the girl. The nervousness of this entire ordeal was bothering her, and she furrowed a brow. Amateurs, she thought.

The girl took Vaera to a loading dock, already filled with someone's crates and bags and bundles.

"He should come soon." Was that disgust in the girl's voice, Vaera wondered. While Vaera sat on a crate, the girl lowered a crane. "You need to help. With the... goods."

Vaera jumped only a little when someone tore open the large doors onto the other side of the pier and the man from the desk brought in a horse.

"It would help if you people could let us know in advance!" The man from the desk hurried to a corner where a small box-cart leaned against the wall.

Vaera paid little attention to the desk attendant, who was getting the horse attached to the cart. She was more interested in the small boat which had just arrived. Its bottom was covered by a large cloth and the boatman seemed to be a white-haired, kindly old man. His posture betrayed his age more than his looks.

"I'm Morto." The old man squinted his eyes at Vaera. "And what are you supposed to be?"

"Your buyer."

"Just do the deal and go!" The woman named Shan blurted.

"Help me get the bodies off and I will be on my way." The man pulled a heavy tarp off the back of his boat.

Vaera had to take an involuntary step back, to not fall headfirst off the dock. Six children lie in the boat, stiff as planks, boys and girls, all barely ten years old, perhaps. A strange black spot was on each of the children's foreheads.

"You're new." The old man grinned. "Six unneeded bodies, as per our arrangement. Oh, and as always." The old man snapped his fingers, the children wriggled and small voices rang in the dock for a heartbeat too long. The next moment, they all froze again.

Vaera looked around in alarm, expecting someone to burst into the loading dock. The girl had looked away with a pained look on her face and the man from the desk fled the dock.

"Alive. Do what you will with them. I need not know." The man chuckled a hollow laugh and his kindly features took on a revolting shade in Vaera's eyes.

A dull ringing noise invaded Vaera's head, and she had to force her legs to move. With the girl named Shan, she lifted all the bodies onto the crane. While the girl was bringing the crane up and around, the boatman had already received his pay and was leaving the dock, back out to sea.

"If you're new, please help stop this!"

Vaera heard the words the girl had uttered, but they came from far away. Even her own voice seemed distant and without presence. "They are too young to be slaves. We would be executed."

"Just say you do not need them anymore!"

"Get them on the cart." Vaera was not about to risk her life. "Hurry!"

"Just say you don't need them anymore! We just wanted to ... we did not want any harm." The girl wailed quietly while they covered the cart with a heavy tarp.

"That one's on you." Vaera mumbled dully as she jumped on the cart and sped off.

Vaera was lost in her thoughts. Too many times she had the urge to turn around and look at the cart's bed again. But the thought of what lay under the tarp filled her with paralyzing fear. The surroundings had turned into a blur, and every small breath and movement of hers was like a dagger in the side.

She knew the clinic she was headed to. That was Crux territory. Time sped past her and a building was in sight once again. Just like earlier today, it felt as if she had appeared at this spot in time, all her actions before not truly her own. A guard stood in wait next to a pair of opened gates. Inside, she could see a small courtyard.

The man next to the gates was not your average city guard. Twice as tall as she was, and it was clear from his attire that the man was a battlemage. Although modelled after your everyday soldier's armour with chain mail and leather, the mage's armour offered less protection. The mail did not cover the arms, and often most mages would remove the fabric up to their shoulders. Several sacrifices, bracelets, and arcane trinkets decorated this one's bare arms.

He had raised his eyebrow when Vaera handed him the card with the symbol of the crux. But he took it all the same. The man tapped the card against his knuckles and squinted his eyes at something on the back of his hand.

"About time! Where were you?" The man bellowed, causing Vaera to flinch in the seat. Was she working for the Crux all of a sudden? "Move on in." The man barked.

Vaera guided the wagon inside the small yard. She had not noticed before, but this small complex was built into the outer walls of the Palace of the Pureblooded. The gates closed all too quickly.

More acolytes and even a Hand came out of the various doors. Vaera noticed they all wore a red armband.

"Her?" One acolyte commented as if not impressed with her appearance.

"She has a spark." The Hand shrugged. It is up to Jaylen, we do not get to decide on his heir.

All the other acolytes were ignoring her and tore off the tarp and started waking up the children. At first she thought they freed the children, but the way they behaved all was wrong. They moved like wooden puppets, with stiff limbs and swaying from side to side.

Vaera was not sure what was going on anymore. There was a grating noise filling the entire world. Making her teeth hurt and her head spin around. She felt sick and trapped.

"Are you listening?" The dark-skinned Hand had spoken to him.

"Not really, no." Vaera sighed shakily as she made eye-contact.

"Welcome, Grandkeeper Vaera. I am Dared. I will be your mentor. When the time comes, I will be the one to light the spark inside of you. There is a lot on your mind you need to weigh today. Spend the time knowing you have done something crucial to the survival of this city and do not burden your soul with unnecessary thoughts. It is the city that matters, nothing else."

Merran. She needed to talk to Merran. That was all she could think when the dark-skinned man guided her off the cart and pushed a heavy pouch in her hands.