Page 8 of The Bones of the Cursed

“Funny you should mention that. I was thinking of taking a couple days off and exploring somewhere Maryanna told me about. Would you want to come?”

Hannah hesitates, glancing around in discomfort. Now that I think about it, I’m not sure I have ever seen her leave The Outskirts in the year she’s lived here. She grows all her own food, so she has no need for the market. Whenever something needs repairing, she asks Elion. Just last week he helped fix a broken floorboard. Thank the Gods our father taught him the ins and outs of home repair.

She never fully opened up about what she went through in the Ameollith Realm, but there is something that haunts her from the past.

She takes a deep breath and slowly exhales. “I want to say no, but I think it’s time for me to start getting to know my new homeland better.”

I can’t hold back a smile. “Perfect! Do you want to leave at the end of the week? Elion will be back by then to care for the houses and your garden.”

“Ugh, not sure I trust him with my garden. But I suppose it’s better than nothing.”

That evening, I sit with a map and mark out the top three places I want to see, but my mind still wanders.

To my parents.

To the surge in ghoul attacks.

To Elion.

Anxiety prickles at my skin and I can’t seem to place what is causing it. Quickly I make a cup of tea, hoping to calm myself down enough to sleep.

Before long I’m dozing off, but even sleep can’t ward off the ominous feeling that plagues me.

- KAILU -

I pace the docks, annoyed at the lack of schedule being kept. Soldiers stand waiting to take inventory of the supplies on the ship, the sight of my men waiting for it to dock causing my thoughts to flit back to when the king and queen got word of the ensuing war in the Caselian Realm. They immediately ordered ships to seek out refugees. Though that realm had long since banned us, they refused to leave innocents to die.

The Primal Realm has always been more open than the other four realms that surround it. This is the place where all life started. Every creature was created here. The other four realms would not exist without this one.

This is the land of the Gods and Goddesses, both of Hell and the Eternal Vale.

Now I stand pacing the docks for an entirely different reason.

A few of my men amble about, just waiting to unload the cargo ship of the resources it holds, weaponry from the Ameollith Realm, fruit and seeds from the Virzath Realm, and herbs specific to the Ryzaroth Realm needed for healing remedies.

Not so long ago I stood in this same spot and watched a beautiful woman depart, her hair a rich brown, eyes an icy blue. I hate to admit I have searched for her in every face I’ve passed since that day, but I have yet to find her. I’m not sure if that’s a blessing or a curse.

My men start unloading the crates and I quickly bark out orders of where the perishables need to go.

Captain Thelos walks towards me, his posture rigid, face severe.

“Now what?” I ask, hands on my hips.

These days, it just seems to be one thing after another. Ever since we started taking in refugees a year ago, we haven’t caught a break. Some of the citizens voiced their displeasure. Sporadic riots erupted here and there.

Percius’s citizens were fine with the Elves; it was the humans they didn’t want here, not after how they have treated Fae in the past. Out of all the realms, humans have rarely inhabited this land. Some have throughout the millennia, but not in such large numbers.

Numbers that slowly rise each day.

Our citizens were not happy the king and queen were building the refugees houses while some lower-class citizens were struggling to survive.

Captain Thelos stops next to me, talking low so as to not panic the people milling about. “Another ghoul attack in the Lower Shrol.”

I release a breath. Ghoul attacks have always been an issue, but not like this. They slowly began increasing in number around the same time the refugees started showing up.

“I’ll head there now. Send a few of your men to follow, I’m sure we will need help with cleanup.”

I motion for a few of my soldiers to come with me. By the time we make it to the small village of the Lower Shrol, the attack has died down. Glancing around for soldiers, I find none. A prickling sensation slithers up my spine. There is no way this just calmed down on its own.

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