Liberius

((Supershort Version: The story of a young human girl who lives in the Iscarian Republic during the tumultuous times following the third major revolt of the humanoid slave-race known as the Nyekii. She befriends an escaped Nyekii girl, who she hides in the massive garden-maze of her grandmother's estate until events manage to spiral well out of her, or anyone else's, ability to control, ultimately ending in tragedy both for the prefectural capital, Calavasse, and for the vast majority of the Nyekii within the borders of the Peninsula District))

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The sound of rain pouring out into the streets of Calavasse did nothing to mask the urgent chiming of the emergency bells, and the dark shroud of night only served to illumine the purpose behind their discordant voices. At the edge of the city, seated on the regal Hill of the Gulls, the governor’s home was in flames. Torrents of red and orange defied the weather and burned with an unnatural fury, a vision of Hell on earth. Shadows flickered out over the estate as menacing rays of light burst through green and lavender orchards, threatening the fruit trees with fiery death.

Sera stared in awe through the large eastern window of her room, the distant inferno reflecting violently off her soft brown eyes. From her vantage point, her grandmother’s mansion on the Verdance Hill, she was able to survey most all of the city. As the bells continued to chime, Sera watched the constables’ lights scurrying about on the streets in chaotic order, back and forth as if entirely confused. Such a sight had never occurred in the girl’s lifetime, and she couldn’t help but feel excited despite her fear and uncertainty.

A cough suddenly welled up inside her, an itching in the throat, followed seconds later by a scratching, burning pain. Wincing, Sera leaned forward to steady her frail form against the window, but recoiled with a whimper at the touch of it.

“Freezing.” She spoke through clenched teeth. It was still very early in the spring, and during the night the cold air had left a thin tracing of frost on the glass. She grabbed an enormous blanket from the untidy pile on her bed and wrapped it tightly around her body. The last thing she needed was to catch the chill again so soon. Curled into a ball on the floor, a new set of sounds made its way into Sera’s ears. There were others awake downstairs, and quite a few by the sounds of the scurrying feet and indecipherable voices. Popping her head out of the covers and letting silver hair fall about her pale face, Sera turned her eyes to the handle of the bedroom door. It was a warm coppery color, inviting as always. She couldn’t remember the number of times she had attempted to sneak out in the night, to play in the garden maze under the stars. She was caught every time, of course, and always scolded at such length by her grandmother that the girl was afraid she might not find the courtesy to stay awake during the whole ordeal.

“She’ll be furious with me,” thought Sera, “especially at a time like this!” But there was no way she could go back to bed after this, and was certainly not willing to wait half a dozen hours for an explanation. She hopped to her feet and made one more quick glance to the horizon and the burning home of the governor. Then, with her large blanket trailing well behind her, Sera opened the bedroom door and tip-toed as stealthily as possible down the long dark hallway and to the top of the building’s main staircase.

In the dark of night, the first floor of the Fairchild estate looked almost on fire itself. Every lamp was burning, and the radiant implings had been shaken awake in their crystal orbs, their groggy protests muted by the soundproof prisons even as their flesh radiated a soft prismatic glow. Sera dared not peek out over the railing for fear of being discovered, but by the shadows moving hastily through the main parlor and the worried voices of those below, it seemed as if every servant on the estate were awake.

“Not in the maze, my lady.” The voice that rose up from below was that of Mikael Duormonde, the estate’s majordomo and a man of unusual responsibility, especially for one so young. “We’ve half the maids searching it, and he is not to be found. I know the news is dire, but I doubt he is even on the premises.” There was the sound of a deep sigh, and another voice rose up from the general confusion below.

“Very well, I’ll tell the rest to come in from the rain then. No use everyone catching their death from exposure for that boy.” The second voice was the most familiar of all voices to Sera, belonging to Esther Fairchild, the girl’s grandmother and matriarch of family’s estate in Calavasse. “The fool should know better. There is no excuse.” The majordomo’s shadow on the wall nodded and took a step towards the front door.

“I’ll follow Killey’s lead then, ma’am. If your grandson isn’t here he can only be at…” Mikael’s voice halted for a moment, as if he were thinking better on his words. “He can only be out in the streets. I’ll bring him back safe, rest assured.” Esther’s shadow approached Mikael’s and grabbed his shoulder.

“No need for that, the rain is only half a worry compared to what else may be out there. Let fools search for fools. Besides, Killaeon can be depended on in some situations.” The woman spoke without taking her eyes from the door. “Please, I will inform the maids. If you would just check on my granddaughter I would be grateful.”

“I worry less for her, ma’am, but you are right. It wouldn’t do to have us all out in the dark with such beasts lurking in the shadows.”

From the top of the stairway Sera saw Mikael’s shadow make a quick bow before flitting out of view. She gasped and attempted a mad dash back to her room, but could barely move without tripping over the blanket she was still wrapped in. After her second near-fall Sera decided it would be more prudent to hop the rest of the way, noise be damned. Much to her surprise, this tactic allowed her to make incredible progress toward her bedroom door, but just before reaching her goal a sinking feeling made its way into her stomach. She made one final hop, but halfway through the ascent she was stopped in midair. Three seconds and one enormous thud later, Sera looked behind her to see Mikael’s foot planted firmly on the edge of her blanket.

“Out and about so early in the morning, miss?”

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"How can the gods meet us face to face till we have faces?"

~Orual