“ In the years of bloodshed and tyranny to follow, none would know what had caused their King to declare the annihilation of the gentle Chaelerian absolute. The people found their King driven mad with rage, hunting the race to the ends of the world where shadows met sun. Soon no one even dared to whisper the fables of the once ancient race unless they too were executed. As the autumns passed into winters, which gave way unto springs a tentative peace once again settled over the land as the Chaelerian faded into obscurity and the Kings madness spread onto other things that he would find unnatural, other races, creatures, ways of life’s would fall to his madness but none like that of the Chaelerian. As the years would pass the madness slowly faded as the unnatural were purged and the Kings youth faded away…” his voice trailed off before brilliant green eyes flicked up to meet with more subdued green across from him. “This is brill Ro, where did you find it?”
A quick grin and huffed laugh answered him. “ Keep reading Kieran!”
Kieran eagerly ducked his head back to the old non-descript book Ro had handed him earlier. He had enlisted her help days ago when after months he could find no answers. He had nothing other then what he was seeking was information on one word “Chaelerian” It’s one of the few things he knew in correlation of his past.
When he had been found in his mothers cold embrace all she had on her was a book in a strange language; that so far every language expert he had been to had been unable to translate, and a letter stating his name was Kieran with the word Chaelerian across the front in Calligraphy and more of the unknown language inside. The nuns hadn’t given this to him until he turned sixteen of course and he’s been searching ever since for any information, four years and several towns later he wished he’d met Rowan sooner. Within days she’d found a book with mention! He continued reading on for a few more pages before sighing, “ It doesn’t say anymore Ro, but it sounds like they were wiped out. Why would my mum have addressed a letter to an ancient dead race?”
“Why indeed? Have anything to do with that pretty ink on your back? I don’t know any artist even in the Underground who can make ink glitter like that.” She ignored his tensing as she went back to searching through her own stack of books.
Kieran tensed up at the mention of both the depiction of the dragon on his back and the Underground, though, both for different reasons.
“M-m-my what?!” He couldn’t help but to stutter out, hunching in on himself, he’d been ever so careful to keep the intricate dragon hidden since the day it had appeared.
That day was seared in his memory.
The pain had always been there, as long as he could remember it was simmering under the surface, an itch he couldn’t scratch. So, at first he didn’t notice when it started getting stronger, not until it felt like something was trying to crawl out at the same time something was trying to burrow into his skin. As his mouth had dropped open in a silent scream he had a lost all notion of time. It wouldn’t be till hours later that he would come to, to a steady monotonous thumping. As he blearily opened his eyes he recognized it to be the grandfather clock with its steady thrum as the pendulum swung back and forth counting off the seconds as they passed. As he’d shifted to get a better handle on what was going on he’d noticed in surprise and a slight bit of dismay that the pain was gone. While pain is not fun it had always been there, one of the few constants in his life. He slowly climbed to his feet and stumbled to the mirror in hopes of discovering what the pain and lack thereof now had been a result of and what the damage had been. Upon looking in the mirror he couldn’t help but let out a small gasp as he got a good look at his back. What had once been plain muscled skin now had what appeared to be one of the most majestic and intricate dragons inked on to it. That just simply wasn’t possible, ink simply didn’t appear overnight! The wings of the dragon spanned from his shoulders all the way down and yes when he pushed his smalls down they curved past his hips, the tail curving past his buttocks. They were black but he noticed as he turned the light refracted off them giving an opalescent sheen he had never seen any tattoo give. Kieran knew if any of the Nuns saw this unnaturalness he would be kicked out of the only home he’d ever known. He’d quickly grabbed a hoodie and slipped it on until he could decide what to do.
He refocused on Ro as a crinkled piece of parchment struck him in the face.
“Don’t think I haven’t seen the tip of those wings you try to hide! Not sure why you do, well no, I do, tattoos are frowned upon in proper society but if I had ink like that I’d show it off for all to see it’s bloody gorgeous. I know Emrys would kill to know your artists secrets, or is that part of why you hide them?”
“You know of the Underground? And whom is this Emrys?” Kieran artfully dodged the subject of his ink, he’d gotten rather good at it over the last few years since he’d left the Convent. Now, not only was his curiosity piqued about this Emrys person but he couldn’t believe that all his time searching for any way into the underground and the one friend he’d made in Beren apparently knew of it. He was shocked, on outward appearance Ro seemed so normal, he couldn’t believe she would know anything about the Underground or the kind of things and people that would need to be purged or find refuge within the Underground.
Ro made a soft hum of agreement and winked at Kieran before grabbing her stack of books. “ You have your secrets and I have mine. Meet me at the pub at half past 9, perhaps I’ll take you to meet Emrys but for now I’ve got to go, the twins are waiting for me.” With a quick kiss to his cheek she was off before he could say another word.
He couldn’t help but stare at where she had just been in shock. Could it really have been this simple all along, could some of the answers he seeks really be this close? He had never questioned how easy it was to trust Ro from the day he had met her dancing in the market, but could she really be the key? He didn’t know if he could stop hiding long enough to trust her with all his secrets but she obviously knew some of them already without him telling her and hadn’t betrayed him, at the very least he could trust her that far. He checked the clock before collecting up his parchments and books and leaving the library as he too had errands to run but for once he was looking forward to going to the pub. He was hoping Ro truly knew how to get to the Underground or would at least answer some of his questions, such as how little miss prim and proper would know of the Underground in the first place.
Kieran stepped out into the street and continued on to the local apothecary, the first stop in the list of the errands he had to run. As the druggist at the apothecary greeted him Kieran searched the shelves for the pain-ease that he was picking up for Mrs. Moira the owner of the bookstore where he not only worked but also rented out a room. After paying for his purchase he headed onward to the open-air market where he stopped at multiple stalls to pick up the various food and sundries he needed.
Wrapping up the last of his errands he moved off towards the bookstore. Arriving back at the bookstore he quickly wound is way through the many shelves and after handing Mrs. Moira the pain-ease potion he proceeded up the spiral staircase hidden behind a door marked employees only. He quickly entered his flat and started to put his groceries away; before settling down in the old ratty armchair in his sitting room to read through the book Ro had given him to see if there was in actuality anymore mention of the Chaelerian. As it was a small book he hoped to finish it before he had to meet Ro at the pub. He quickly lost track of time, as he was absorbed in the odd book detailing the ongoing chronicles of the Mad King.
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Excellent post. Great story! So many novels on Steemit! Glad I caught this one at the beginning! Upvoted and already Followed!