A Banner Torn (Book 1 Complete)

Kaelid:

The silence in the small inn room stretched, thick with unspoken questions. Marta sat on the edge of her bed, her gaze fixed on his arm where only a faint pink line remained of the deep cut he'd received less than two days ago. Rannek shifted nervously beside him, glancing between him and Marta.

"Crystal shards?" Marta finally repeated, her voice quiet but intense. "What are you talking about?"

He took a deep breath. He hadn't planned on revealing their secret, not yet. Only Elder Myra knew the full story, and she had cautioned them about sharing it too widely. But Marta had seen the impossible healing. There was no explaining it away with salves or quick recovery.

"It started months ago early in spring," he began, choosing his words carefully. "In the forest near the old mine. We met someone, or something. It was a slime, Uncle Doran told us what they called them in the eastern campaigns. It played with us just moving and playing tag trying to dodge each other. Eventually it tried to speak and we helped it learn how to talk. It could make its body vibrate is how it described it."

He described their first encounter with the strange, shifting creature, its curiosity about them, and the game of hide-and-seek that had led them deeper into the woods than they had ever gone before. "We eventually decided it needed a name as calling it 'blob' seemed rude. So it agreed to be called Curio" He recounted how Curio had gifted them shards of the core stone it had inside itself that didn't fully form, to wear in a necklace or something. The shards had seemed to melt into their skin, leaving no trace except for the strange abilities that had begun to manifest afterward. The enhanced perception, the flashes of insight, the way sounds sometimes seemed like colors, and now, the accelerated healing.

"Elder Myra knows," Rannek added quickly. "She's been helping us understand it."

Marta listened without interruption, her expression shifting from disbelief to confusion, then settling into thoughtful concentration. She didn't dismiss their story outright, which surprised Kaelid. He had expected scoffing, accusations of lying or fever dreams.

She looked again at his arm, then met his eyes. "And these abilities? The healing, the perception? You're sure it's from the shards?"

He nodded. "It started right after. Small things at first. Cuts healing faster, seeing things others missed. It's getting stronger, I think."

"Like yesterday," Rannek said. "In the ambush. You knew where that bandit was going to strike."

He hadn't consciously realized it at the time, but Rannek was right. He had seen the attack coming, not as a thought, but as a certainty, a pattern unfolding before his eyes.

Marta stood up and paced the small room, running a hand through her short-cropped hair. "This is… a lot to take in. Crystal shards, enhanced senses, impossible healing." She stopped and faced them. "Why didn't you tell me sooner? When we left the village?"

"We weren't sure who to trust," he admitted. "Elder Myra advised caution. And we didn't fully understand it ourselves."

"And you still don't," Marta stated, not unkindly. "Neither do I. But hiding something like this, especially on a journey like this, is dangerous. What if something had happened? What if your abilities had manifested in a way that put others at risk?"

Kaelid hadn't considered that. He had been focused on keeping the secret, not on the potential consequences of its sudden revelation.

"We're sorry," Rannek mumbled.

Marta sighed. "I appreciate you telling me now. It explains… some things." She seemed to recall Vaeldric's comment about his quick thinking during the fight. "We keep this between us for now. All three of us. Until we get back to the village and can speak with Elder Myra again. Agreed?"

"Agreed," they said in unison, relief washing over him.

"Good." Marta's tone became more businesslike. "Now, get some proper sleep. We have work to do in the morning before we get any free time."

Sleep came more easily that night, the burden of the secret lessened by sharing it, even if only with Marta. When morning arrived, the sounds and smells of the city filtered through their window, a reminder that they were far from the quiet familiarity of home.

They joined the other caravan members for breakfast in the inn's common room, a noisy, bustling space filled with travelers exchanging news and planning their day. Aelrik, the caravan master, gathered their group after the meal.

"Alright, listen up," he began. "The wagons need to be moved to the assigned storage bays in the merchants' guild warehouse. It's a short distance, but the streets are crowded. Guards, you'll provide escort. Marta, your boys can help with guiding the wagons and securing them once parked."

He assigned specific tasks, ensuring everyone knew their role. The process of moving the wagons through the already busy morning streets was slow and required constant vigilance. He found himself using his enhanced perception instinctively, spotting potential hazards, a loose cobblestone, a darting child, an overloaded cart, before they became problems, subtly guiding Saelma or the other drivers.

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The merchants' guild warehouse was a massive stone structure near the city center, a hive of activity with goods being loaded and unloaded from dozens of bays. Aelrik directed their wagons to their designated spots, and Marta supervised they as they helped chock the wheels and secure the canvas covers.

By mid-morning, the work was done. Aelrik gathered the adults to discuss the trading schedule and supply procurement plans. Vaeldric assigned guards to watch the wagons, while the rest were given leave until evening.

"What about us?" Rannek asked Marta as the adults dispersed.

"Aelrik has given us leave as well," she replied. "We have the rest of the day free, provided we stay out of trouble and meet back here before dusk. Agreed?"

"Agreed!" Rannek beamed.

"He also gave us a small allowance," Marta added, producing a small leather pouch. She counted out a few copper coins for each of them. "Not much, but enough for food or a small souvenir if something catches your eye. Don't spend it all at once."

Kaelid pocketed the coins, the weight unfamiliar but welcome. "Where should we go first?"

"I need to visit the militia barracks," Marta said. "Deliver a message from our captain and see if there's any news from the border patrols. After that… I haven't decided. Maybe the central market."

"Can we go explore on our own?" Rannek asked eagerly.

Marta hesitated, glancing between the two boys. He could see the conflict in her expression, the responsibility warring with her own desire for freedom. "Alright," she conceded finally. "But be careful. Stick to the main streets, don't talk to strangers offering deals too good to be true, and watch out for pickpockets. This isn't the village."

"We will," he promised.

"Where will you go?" she asked.

"I want to see the training grounds," Rannek declared. "Jorren said the city guard practices there, and sometimes mercenaries too. I want to see different fighting styles."

"And you, Kaelid?" Marta turned to him.

"The library," he replied. "I want to see if I can find anything about… about things."

Marta nodded slowly, understanding his unspoken meaning. "Alright. But don't draw attention to yourselves. And meet me at the Grand Fountain in the central plaza two hours before sunset. Don't be late."

They agreed, and after confirming the location of the fountain on a rough map Marta sketched, they parted ways. Marta headed toward the garrison district, while they set off in the direction of the city center.

As they walked, he became aware again of the strange energy he had sensed upon entering the city. It wasn't like the steady, deep Pulse he had felt near the Petrakahrn heartstone cave, nor the vibrant life energy Elder Myra had taught them to sense in plants. This was different, a complex web of flowing currents that seemed to follow the city's contours, strongest near centers of activity or structures of significance.

"Do you feel that?" he asked Rannek, trying to describe the sensation. "Like a heartbeat, but… spread out. Flowing through the streets, pooling around certain buildings."

He noticed it visually too, faint shimmering lines tracing patterns in the corners of his vision, overlaying the physical reality of the city. It was subtle, easily missed if he wasn't paying attention, but undeniably there.

Rannek frowned, concentrating. "I feel… something. A kind of background hum? But I don't see anything like you describe."

Kaelid nodded. Their abilities seemed to be manifesting differently. His were primarily visual and intuitive, while Rannek's were more auditory and sensory. "It feels strongest near the library, I think. And maybe the temples."

"Makes sense," Rannek mused. "Places of knowledge and power. Maybe it's related to the Pulse, just… processed differently here? Like city magic?"

"Maybe." he wasn't sure. It felt less natural than the Pulse in the mines, more structured, almost artificial. But undeniably powerful.

They reached the central plaza, a vast open space dominated by the Grand Fountain Marta had mentioned, an elaborate stone structure depicting sea creatures spouting water into a wide basin. People milled about, merchants hawked wares from portable stalls, and city guards kept a watchful eye on the proceedings.

"Training grounds are that way," Rannek said, pointing toward a street leading north. "Library is east, right?"

He confirmed the direction on Marta's map. "Looks like it. See you back here later?"

"Definitely. Try not to get lost in the books."

"Try not to get recruited by the mercenaries."

They grinned at each other, then separated, Rannek heading off with eager strides toward the promise of martial displays, while he turned east, toward the repository of knowledge and the strange energy that seemed to emanate from it.

He navigated the bustling streets, Marta's rough map clutched in his hand. The city was a labyrinth compared to the simple layout of the village. Streets branched and twisted, some wide avenues lined with impressive stone buildings, others narrow alleys smelling of refuse and damp stone. People flowed like rivers, a constant stream of unfamiliar faces, strange clothing, and snippets of overheard conversations in accents he'd never encountered.

He kept to the main thoroughfares as Marta had advised, trying to match landmarks on the map to the towering buildings around him. The sheer scale of everything was dizzying. Buildings rose three, four, even five stories high, casting long shadows across the cobblestone streets. Elaborate carvings adorned doorways, and stained-glass windows flashed with color as the sun caught them.

Despite the overwhelming sensory input, Kaelid found himself adapting quickly. His enhanced perception, which had felt like a burden upon first entering the city, now helped him navigate the chaos. He could sense the flow of pedestrian traffic, anticipating openings in the crowd, avoiding collisions with a grace that surprised him. The shimmering energy lines he perceived seemed to follow these flows, weaving complex patterns through the city's fabric.

He noticed the energy intensified as he moved eastward, confirming his earlier sense that the library was a focal point. The shimmering lines grew brighter, the background hum Rannek had felt became a more distinct vibration in the air, almost a low-pitched thrumming that resonated in his bones. It wasn't unpleasant, just… present. A constant reminder that this place operated on principles different from the natural world he knew.

After nearly half an hour of walking, asking directions twice from city guards who regarded him with bored indifference, he finally stood before his destination. The Highpass City Library wasn't just a building, it was a monument. Carved from pale grey stone that seemed to absorb the sunlight, it occupied an entire city block, its facade adorned with statues of robed figures holding scrolls and books. Arched windows soared toward a copper-green roof, and a set of wide marble steps led up to massive bronze doors depicting scenes of scholars and mythical creatures.

The energy he had been sensing pulsed strongly here, swirling around the building like a protective current. The shimmering lines he saw were dense, forming intricate patterns that seemed to follow the library's architectural details. It felt ancient and powerful, a reservoir of contained force.