Awake the Plague. (Continued)

Walking out the door to our small village in the throne's shadow everything seemed to be foggy and other town folk seemed to be but shadows of people going about their day. Behind our polite home and shop was a farm that Roison a local widow has decided to grow and share with us in thanks for our support since the death of her husband. My adoptive father makes some of the finest swords and daggers this area has ever seen, not only are they of the greatest quality, but they look as though Ares' tears had formed them. Unfortunately my father goes unnoticed.

Within the next six days I will become eighteen years old, my father knows and as does Roison. I'll come home to a small cake that will be split into three portions. They will insist I eat it all, but I want them to taste it and enjoy it with me. Otherwise I might as well be eating mud. The portions will be a bite or less, but either way I will see the two of them light up with happiness. That is all I ever want, I wish I could keep them safe and see their happiness always. But the truth is I haven't seen many faces in this village that aren't dull or worn out. If the sun's absence is at all relevant here, it may have to do with the unpleasant moods of the villages surrounding the throne. Along with the toxic moods that pour from the throne's decisions.

I find myself walking down the cobblestone paths to the bridge over the stream. My days often consist of wandering the town, wandering the countryside and sometimes if I'm really bored I'd sneak into the throned quarters to witness the puppet play they believe is life.
Today however I've found a boy. The boy sat under the bridge with a strange set of tubes and bottles. With a black cloak and boots and a strange mask nearby. The air was filled with a strange smoke that came from his trinket machine. Flames spat blue and purple streaks, water and liquids bubbled and the boy sat filling an odd bottle.
               "Excuse me boy, What are you doing down there?" I said like a girl disguised as a cat.
               "Excuse me miss, Well what are you doing up there?" He said with a witted slur.
               "Hmmm, what a question. Well I'm not putting strange fluids in a jug, I'm not in a midnight cloak and boots, I don't sit with a mask by my side, nor am I streaking the air with coloured whisped flames bringing an intoxicating fume to the air. What about yourself?" I replied.
               "Well I'm not snooping around in other's business, nor am I .." He climbed up as quick as his smart wit to the bridge. He was in front of me for only a second but enough time to engulf me in his cloak and roll over the edge of the bridge. We landed near his strange kit with me on top of him. He quickly pulled me under the bridge from where he covered my mouth and we watched as two dark sillouhettes of the throne's dark knights rode to where I was standing. They stood for a second before heading towards my village.
               "Nor am I about to meet an untimely demise." He finished.
               "What are they doing in this area? The presence of them never means anything good." Fear fell from my lips as my heart sped up.
               "Of course they aren't going to do any good to that village ahead. I assume you're from there?" He did not seem to fear the knights or what they'd bring to my village.
               "Enough questions boy, I need you to help me make it back to warn the villagers to hide. Please!" I felt a tear fall down my cheeks in as much as a rush as my heart. It fell from my face to his hand where his eyes then followed.
               "Oh, well sure..." He seemed to change to follow my reaction to the knights.
He lead me to this strange machine he quickly packed his trinket kit into. I had never seen anything quite like it, so he mustn't be from a village.
I watched as he quickly head to the river with a bottle at hand, he scooped up water and twisted the jug into a small compartment within the thing.

               "Okay now put this on and hop on the bike." He asked while handing some strange leather cap with goggles my way. He had his own on in a flash, while I sat fiddling with mine on what he referred to as his bike. I barely had it on when he said,
               "You may want to hold on." He said as he stepped on some peddle to make us speed away towards the town.