Chapter 21:

  Trouble

  Ariel and I walked down the coastal road in an uncomfortable silence. For the first mile or so, the only sound between us was the distant crashing of waves, and the crunch of earth beneath our feet as we walked towards the city.

  Truthfully, I didn’t mind the walk. The cool salty breeze carried the faint tang of the ocean, and the nearby cliffside offered a breathtaking view of the waters that stretched endlessly into the horizon. It was so unlike where I had grown up in Wheat Hollow, so I couldn’t help but make my way to a rock that extended out from the cliffside to get a better view of the sea below.

  “I wouldn’t get too close to the edge if I were you,” Ariel said, finally breaking the silence. “You act like you’ve never seen the ocean before.”

  “Well, this is only my second time,” I responded quietly, not bothering to look away from the water. “Yesterday… well, the day before yesterday was my first time. Hershel led us to those cliffs in the distance so I could get a good look at the city.”

  I turned to step off the rock and made my way back to the trail. Ariel looked at me with the same curious expression that Hershel and Neil had worn anytime they wanted to ask something about my personal life.

  “Go ahead and ask,” I said, laughing. “You Claybrooks really can’t help yourselves, can you?”

  “My brother and I are not that alike,” she huffed, though the denial didn’t stop her for long. “So.. where are you from exactly?”

  “I grew up in The Belt, I’m from a town called Wheat Hollow” I said, smiling at the question. “I have a little brother too, he’s a lot like Neil…”

  I told Ariel all about my family, the farm, my Choosing Day, and the letter I had received from my uncle. I even mentioned Grace, but Ariel didn’t seem too interested in her for some reason. Throughout it all she listened with rapt attention as our steps carried us closer to the city.

  Before I knew it, our time together changed from an uncomfortable march to something much more companionable and warm.

  Though the air between us had softened, I couldn’t help but notice that the closer we drew to the city, the more her pace began to slow. She was anxious about something; that much was clear, but I hesitated to ask.

  “There’s the gate,” she said at last, pointing toward the distant walls. Then, almost under her breath, “I should probably warn you, my ex fiance is a guard who is usually stationed at that gate, and I’m sure he’ll have plenty to say after seeing us walking together.

  Upon hearing her warning, I gave her the same curious look she had given me earlier on the road.

  She laughed, “I promise I’ll tell you all about it later. For now just know things didn’t work out and we didn’t part on the best terms.”

  I couldn’t help but feel the tension build as we approached our destination. There were times in the past that I had conflicts with a few boys from Wheat Hollow in regards to Grace, but this was a bit different. This was a drama that I had unintentionally found myself in the middle of, and I honestly wasn’t sure what to expect.

  As we drew near, a younger man dressed in a guards uniform stepped out from underneath the arch of the city gate. He appeared to be in his early twenties and had hair so blonde I had assumed it was white at first glance. In his right hand, he held a polished spear that he rested casually over his shoulder. When he finally met us on the path, he planted the butt of his spear into the dirt and looked us over with a critical eye.

  “Hold. What business do you have in the city?” He demanded. The gruffness in his voice sounded rehearsed, as though he’d practiced it in front of a mirror to make himself seem more imposing.

  Ariel sighed heavily.

  “My business is my business, Rolin, and you no longer have a claim to know what I do with my free time.”

  He silenced her with a dismissive wave of his hand. “I’m not talking to you woman.”

  Ariel clenched her fists in aggravation which caused a slight smile to appear on Rolin’s lips. He was clearly pleased to get any type of reaction from her, and having accomplished his goal, he then turned his attention towards me.

  “And who are you?” He asked, as he looked me over with a condescending eye. “Tattered clothes, worn down shoes, and is that a sickle?” He laughed in my face…”if I had to guess you’re just some hick from The Belt.”

  Ariel stepped between us, cutting me off before I had a chance to respond.

  The story has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.

  “This is Sam,” she said sharply. “He’s a guest of my family while he gets settled into his new home. And Rolin, for the record, it doesn’t matter where he’s from. After spending some time with him, I’ve found his company rather enjoyable.”

  Rolin’s face turned red with anger as they continued to trade barbs back and forth with one another. As their words turned into shouts, an older guard approached from behind in an attempt to deescalate the situation.

  “Now, Rolin, that’s enough of that. You were given command of the gate in order to get experience in leadership, not to harass Ms. Claybrook and her friend.”

  Upon hearing the older man’s chastisement, Rolin bit back his next words in frustration. But as he turned to walk away, he couldn’t resist one last jab at Ariel.

  “You know, ‘Sam’,” he said, with a mocking tone. “She’s not worth your time. She’s average looking at best, and she can’t cook worth a damn. If you’re looking for a wife, you’re really scraping the bottom of the barrel.”

  At his words, Ariel’s proud exterior cracked and her eyes began to fill with tears. One single drop rolled down her cheek before falling to the path below.

  CRACK

  I barely had time to register what I had done, and by the time I had, it was already too late. A surge of potential moved like lightning through my body as my fist snapped forward into Rolin’s smug face. Blood flew from his mouth as he fell unceremoniously to the ground.

  Skill unlocked: Power Boost (Rank 1: level 1) - Amplifies the muscular output of a target, increasing the force and effectiveness of their physical movements. Their actions become stronger and more forceful, allowing them to strike harder, lift more, and perform physical labor with greater intensity for a short duration. When the effect ends, accumulated strain may leave the target fatigued. This skill scales with the target’s Strength attribute.

  I stepped closer with the intent to punch him again, only to find myself restrained by the older Guard Captain standing nearby.

  Click

  The Guard Captain deftly shackled my hands with a metal cuff. He was speaking to me, but his words fell upon deaf ears as the rush that accompanied learning a new skill permeated my being. Blood dripped onto the path below and upon inspection, I found that my knuckles had split open from the impact of my fist against Rolin’s chin.

  As the guard spoke with me, Rolin managed to stagger back to his feet. He spat blood into the dirt before turning to look at me with murderous intent. “I’ll kill you, you piece of shit,” he growled, as he hefted his spear into his hand.

  Faint energy enveloped his spear as it snapped forward in a flash. I tried to dodge out of the way, but I was still being held by the older guard who had failed to react in time. The head of the spear buried itself deep into my stomach as it’s pointed tip slipped effortlessly into my flesh.

  Before he could thrust a second time he was tackled to the ground by his fellow guards who had rushed over to assist after my initial punch.

  Everything happened so fast. I could hear Ariel screaming, the shouts of guards struggling to restrain Rolin, and the ripping sound of my shirt as the Guard Captain exposed the wound in my stomach. His eyes knitted with concern as he pressed the torn fabric against me in an attempt to stop my blood and organs from spilling out.

  “It’s bad, I’m not sure if we’ll be able to get this treated in time. That damn fool boy, what the hell was he thinking stabbing a civilian like that.”

  Ariel, who was now kneeling by my head, held me with surprising tenderness as she did her best to stop me from struggling against the guard’s hands.

  “Sam, stop, he’s trying to put pressure on your wound,” she said, her voice trembling with fear as blood continued to pour from my body.

  I gritted my teeth as waves of pain radiated from my stomach. When my vision began to blur, I fought desperately to stay focused and finally managed to channel my skill, Mend Wounds. I didn’t bother being graceful with its application, instead pouring as much spiritual potential as I could directly into the wound.

  Mend Wounds (Rank 1: level 2) - Amplify the vital potential within a target in order to rapidly heal injuries and mend wounds. This skill scales with Spirit.

  The sensation I felt was just as Neil had described. It was as if someone was pouring warm honey directly into my body. I could feel the muscles and organs in my abdomen slowly knit together, as the painful heat from the wound slowly began to recede.

  A soft light shimmered from the wound, fading gradually as the hole in my stomach knit closed. I could feel my reservoir of spiritual potential draining fast, leaving behind a hollow ache in its place. If anything else went wrong today, I knew I’d be in serious trouble.

  “By the steps of my father, you’re a priest?” The guard captain said, his voice filled with awe.

  “Not a priest,” I managed to say, as I spat blood from my mouth.

  I moved my hand over my stomach to reassure myself that the wound had closed properly. There was so much blood that it was hard to tell how effective the healing had been, prompting the older guard to pull out a water skin and wash away some of the gore. The cool water revealed not only that the wound was gone, but that no scar remained, my skin was smooth, as if nothing had ever happened.

  Relief visibly washed over Ariel’s concerned face upon seeing the wound was no longer there. She then began to sob softly, pressing her head against my shoulder.

  “Sam, I’m so sorry, it’s my fault this happened. I didn’t know it would turn out like this.”

  I laughed weakly as I pushed myself up off the ground. “It’s my own fault for punching a man holding a spear,” I admitted, a wave of sudden fatigue washing over me.

  Seeing that some order had finally returned to our situation, the older guard Captain cleared his throat and began to speak.

  “On behalf of the city of Salt Brine, I apologize for what took place with Sergeant Rolin. Rest assured, Rolin will receive appropriate consequences, but that does not excuse the fact that you have assaulted a guard while he was performing his duties.”

  “It wasn’t his fault,” Ariel interjected, “Rolin was trying to provoke Sam into a fight!”

  “The law will be upheld,” the Captain stated firmly. “These two will be brought before the Duke, and a verdict will be delivered according to his judgment. This is an adventuring city, and breaches of this nature cannot be met with lenience. If they were, escalations like this would run rampant, and order would be lost.”

  As he finished his explanation he turned to Rolin and I, and gave one final warning.

  “If I have trouble from either of you on the way to the Duke’s manor, I will personally see to your swift and inexorable judgment. Are we clear?”

  Rolin and I both nodded in meek agreement.

  “Good. Now follow me.”

  "Swift and Inexorable judgment", this will likely be my only reference to HWFWM.

  Thanks for reading!