The Journey of the Marked (The Miyran Heir Book 1)

Kenrya crouched in the growing
shadows. The cool air blasting from the ground vent provided cover as she
watched the boy turn into the alley at a run. He glanced nervously over his
shoulder and tripped on the uneven pavement, nearly dropping the thick, curved
sword he carried in his right hand. His breathing was ragged as he staggered to
his feet. In the flickering light from a lamppost, she saw his hair was blond
and disorderly, his face dirty and wet with sweat. He hurried down the alley,
using his left hand against the wall for support, stumbling time and again over
the bits of scattered debris.

Kenrya hugged her knees to her chest
and strained to see; dusk had fallen over the city and the air from the vent
dried her eyes. As she had spotted several Graeliths nearby, she had retreated
to the cool air for protection. Graeliths, beast-like creatures that
relentlessly persecuted the marked, hunted by body heat at night, unable to
distinguish a cool body from its surroundings.

Given the last bell signaling
curfew had sounded, why would a lone boy be in this alley? She was safe here
for the moment, but he might give away her position. With the mark she bore,
she was prey for the Graeliths to hunt and kill, under orders of the Tyrnotts,
self-appointed leaders of Caldot and the surrounding communities.

She rubbed a spot behind her left
ear as she watched him. She had seen this species before, though they numbered
fewer than most in the city. He was Human; of this she was certain. The Humans
lived in the forest of Kullac, a distant sector outside the city walls. They
were well respected as traders, if not more as warriors. At first glance, they
seemed weak, but many years ago she had witnessed a rough fight with two Humans
against several Graeliths; their reputation as great warriors was well earned.

The boy moved with seeming agility,
yet he stumbled time and again. When he neared the end of the alley, she
expected him to take the smaller alleyway veering off to the right, for there
was no other reason to enter this alley. But, when he came within a few feet of
her, she realized something was wrong with him. He seemed to be using his left
hand against the wall to guide himself and failed to notice her at all. Perhaps
he couldn’t see clearly in the encroaching darkness.

The boy’s clothes were as dirty as
he was and unlike any she had seen. They were probably traveling clothes common
to Humans, though she lacked sufficient knowledge of the species to be certain.
Many of the outbounders, those visiting the city from other communities, wore
heavy, earth-colored pants and jackets with more pockets and zippers than
seemed necessary. They generally ventured into the city to sell their wares,
which made the clothing useful, if not conspicuous. Yet this boy’s clothes were
not heavy, nor earth-toned. They hugged his body, while still allowing him to
move freely. They were dark and appeared thick, yet failed to weigh him down. Kenrya
leaned closer for a better look, but the air from the vent obscured her sight
and she didn’t dare move from its protective gust.

The boy moved beyond her and passed
the narrow alleyway on the right. He reached the back of the alley and
frantically felt along the wall, searching for an exit. He was trapped. If she
helped him, she risked exposing her position. As the Graeliths must be nearby,
doing so would be reckless. Besides, he looked able to defend himself.

Suddenly, he spun around to face
the mouth of the alley. A look of panic crossed his face, quickly replaced by a
look of determination. He set his feet in a defensive stance, pushed up his
sleeves, and raised his sword. She tightened her grip on the pulsar at her side
and turned to look in the same direction, seeing what he obviously heard, a
Graelith coming after him. The boy must be marked, as well.

Graeliths were wretched creatures. They
stood on two legs, but seemed closer to animals than other species on their
world. As males and females of the species exhibited similar physical traits,
distinguishing between the two could be challenging. Yet larger size and
quantity of body hair generally indicated male, as did the tenacity to hunt. Despite
their appearance, Graeliths were intelligent creatures, though their arrogance
often led them astray. They lacked the agility and speed to hunt alone, usually
working in groups to trap their prey. And yet, as this Graelith moved into the
alley, another didn’t follow. Was he foolish enough to hunt a Human alone? This
Graelith towered over others of his kind and was more frightening than most. However,
even if this boy struggled to see, he could still most likely defeat a single
Graelith. She looked at the boy again, a smile curling her lips. Given his
apparent comfort with his weapon and his keen concentration on the Graelith’s
rasping breaths, the boy looked prepared. She would enjoy this fight. The beast
would surely die.

The Graelith shifted his
translucent eyes toward the boy, eyes that glowed in darkness and were barely
noticeable in light. The large, pointed ears near the top of his head flicked
in various directions, picking up every sound. He wore dark, sturdy clothing
and heavy boots like hers —the clothing of a fighter. He began a slow march
down the alley. As she watched the Graelith’s progression, she thought about
her discussion with Arith a few days ago. Arith led the group to which she had
belonged since he found her in the city nine years ago. He watched over her
like a brother, even though she never really needed his help. During their last
talk, they had discussed her upcoming birthday. She had never been certain
exactly which day she was born, but Arith insisted on celebrating each year,
whether she wanted to or not. He knew she would leave if the mark appeared on
her birthday. To stay with the group risked their lives. The Tyrnotts
established this fact shortly before her time through the genocide of several
communities who had been foolish enough to harbor the marked. No matter; she
knew the streets of Caldot well enough. Had she not spent the last nine years
surviving them? Now that her birthday had arrived and the appearance of the
mark endangered her life, she saw no reason to expose the undergrounders to the
risk. Survival would be a challenge, but the streets had toughened her and she
was able to defend herself.

As the Graelith passed her, she
noticed he carried no weapon. Given the extended snout with razor sharp teeth
and powerful claws, a lesser opponent would not survive anyway. However,
against a Human, the Graelith would be foolish not to employ one of the clever
weapons at his disposal. Why hadn’t he? She strained for a clearer view of the
boy’s face. Had she misjudged the situation? Indeed she had; the Graelith had
already attacked this boy. Redness and swelling around the boy’s eyes were a
clear sign stinging powder had been used to hinder his vision. Graeliths
favored stinging powder because it reduced, but did not fully obstruct, the
vision of their prey
—
a
more rewarding fight.

Near the mouth of the alley, a
high-pitched wail rose and fell, gradually increasing in volume. What would
create such a noise? She held her breath, eyes trained in the direction of the
sound. A second Graelith turned the corner into the alley. His left leg was
badly injured, wrapped hastily to slow the bleeding. He limped slowly but
steadily down the alley toward the first Graelith and the boy.

Even injured, the second Graelith
made the outcome of the fight less certain. Kenrya flinched as the first
Graelith slashed his mighty right claw at the boy, tearing a piece of skin on
his left arm. The boy moved to block the attack, shifting quickly to his right.
He swung his sword, barely missing the Graelith. The Graelith dodged to the side
and rammed his fist at the boy’s face, hitting his target. The boy staggered
back, but the determination on his face remained.

She had little time to make a
decision. Should she help this boy? She rubbed the mark behind her left ear. Once
identified, the Graeliths persistently hunted a marked one. Their tracking
skills were legendary. She might be able to hide for a while, but they would
discover her eventually. The mark lessened her chances of survival alone and
this boy could be an ally. She glanced at the second Graelith, who was now
within a few yards of her, and decided to act. She hoisted her pulsar and in
one swift motion, jumped out of the darkness behind the first Graelith, and
rammed the weapon into the base of its spine, sending high-voltage pulses into
his body. He shrieked and spun toward her, swinging his right claw in attack. She
could see the pulse working through the creature’s nervous system; his attack
was weak. She nimbly moved to avoid him. He fell to the ground, his body
jerking in spasms.

She turned toward the second
Graelith, who was closing the distance between them, only to see three more
Graeliths at the mouth of the alley. These Graeliths bore no injuries and would
quickly be upon them. She and the boy couldn’t return to the safety of the vent
as the Graeliths would now find them.

“More Graeliths!” She pointed
toward them uncertain whether he could see the additional beasts. “We have to
move now!”

“Which way?” He reached his free
hand out toward the wall.

She grabbed his hand, pulling him
toward the smaller alley. “This way!”

This side alley led to a maze of
pathways and ultimately to a dead end, but after the third turn, they would
find an entrance to the underground. The underground meant safety, if they
could reach it in time.

They raced through the narrow
passages, guided by her memory and the dim moonlight. She avoided debris and
pavement cracks, ensuring as smooth as route as possible. First they turned
right, then left. The third turn was to the left and, as they neared it, she
hesitated. Were the Graeliths far enough behind to enter the underground unseen?
Yes, they had just enough time. While the boy trusted her enough to run with
her, she hoped his trust would allow him to follow her into the underground.

After the turn, she found the
thick, square cover and, grabbing the two handles, pulled with all her strength.
The cover fit tightly over the opening and wouldn’t loosen. She dragged the boy
down next her and placed his hands on one of the handles. “Pull,” she
commanded, focusing her efforts on the other handle. She heard the Graeliths
rounding the second turn. They had to hurry. With their combined efforts, the
cover finally loosened allowing them to raise it from the opening below. She
guided the boy’s hands to the wall holding the attached ladder and instructed
him to climb down. He hesitated. The Graeliths were in the alley immediately
around the corner. Kenrya nudged him, urging him to hurry. He climbed into the
shaft and she followed, pulling the heavy cover back over the entrance. Once
they had climbed a few feet below the covered opening, she reached down to the
boy to indicate he should stop. They waited, listening to the Graeliths hurling
cans and bins, searching for them.

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