This is my first submission here. I don't have a title for it yet so I'm just calling it Rayne's Story for now. I don't know how long the whole thing will end up being, but right now I'm at approximately 15k words and I'm just really scratching the surface so we'll see...
This is my first section/chapter/thingy. I'd appreciate any reviews, and like I'm new here so just point me in the direction of your story and I'd be happy to review it as well.
Every step Rayne took that night sounded like drums pounding in his ears. Each footfall cried the alarm of his presence. Even the wind lacked the faintest whistle to mask his approach. Was Korastaes always so quiet at this hour?
As the brightly shining moon rose in the cloudless sky the shadows in the alley became more elusive. Each had to be hunted as though it were a prize buck. Or in Rayne's case, a meager hare, just enough for him to survive on. Conditions couldn't be worse, but it made no matter. No one was looking for him. The noble's son had certainly not seen him these past three days. Rayne had been too careful for that.
Stalking from one shadow to the next, he glided his hands along the walls of brick and mortar leading his way down the dark alley. An uneasiness had settled over him, that nagging feeling he could not put his finger on yet forced him to take extra precaution. He was even approaching the nobles' home earlier than needed. The boy would not have snuck out yet. Still Rayne could feel his senses gnawing at him, as if there was something... or someone just out of view. The idea of being stalked was both unsettling and ironic considering that he was going to abduct a noble's son this very night.
Rounding a corner gave way to a courtyard enclosed by a brick wall embedded with ornate stone carvings. The wall itself was at least ten feet high. On the far side was the noble's estate. It was a large stone building made to seem even more massive by the modest housing that surrounded it. It was little wonder that the noble's boy had found his first love amongst the commoners he was kept in such close proximity too.
Rayne clung to the shadows outside of the courtyard, his eyes fixed on a candlelit room on the second floor. Following the young man these past three days had provided a wealth of information about his habits. He followed the same daily patterns and Rayne had studied them all. When he ate, when he studied, and when he would be alone and vulnerable. He would sneak out of his room fifteen minutes after the last visible candle light in the home had been snuffed out. The tree just outside his window would provide the means of escape. Sliding through the branches and on to the top of the fence got him out of the estate without a foot ever touching the grass. It was a nightly ritual, one he had grown so accustomed to that once outside the brick fence any wariness the boy may have had seemed washed away.
Rayne watched as the last candle in the home was extinguished. However, he did not have to wait on his quarry for long.
He was behaving more boldly, emerging from the window in his room earlier than usual. That lack of caution would only work in Rayne's favor.
As he slipped effortlessly through the trees, the slight rustling of the branches was imperceptible. The boy's deftness was impressive, but it would not save him. Young men were always cocky, but when confronted with a true threat their nerve wilted. This one would be no different. One sure step and he was through the tree and easing his way down the walls' outer side. Avoiding the dull lamplight that spotted the streets the noble’s son darted across the way towards an alley so dark even the moon seemed frightened to shine there. And Rayne followed.
Stalking him through the alley was a simple matter since Rayne's eyes were already adjusted to the near total darkness. Once he had gotten far enough away from his home all pretense of caution left him. He was simply on his way to visit the common girl who his parents obviously disapproved of, just as he did every night. A threat outside parental reprimands seemed nonexistent to the son of a noble. The boy was humming softly to himself and dragging his feet in the gravel. His mind was undoubtedly on the same thing as all other young men, without a care as to what was going around him. He was making this all too easy. And at such a generous price for catching him, Rayne's mind also began to wander to where he might go to celebrate such a large reward. The Copper Cask perhaps?
Moonlight was shining up ahead where another alley crossed. It was here that Rayne would make his move. Slowly he crept up to the noble's son, coming as close as possible without drawing his attention. A pebble slid noisily under Rayne's foot just as his quarry was stepping out into the brightly lit intersection. They both froze. The boy whipped his head about in all directions searching for the source of the sound but in the darkness nothing caught his attention. Shrugging he took another step forward down the brightly lit alleyway. Silently, Rayne emerged from the darkness behind him drawing a steel dagger from his dark gray cloak. In one fluid motion Rayne had his left arm tightly wrapped around the boys body holding his arms in place. The dagger was at his throat. He started to let out a scream.
"Make one noise and it'll be your last," Rayne said.
He stifled the yell, his eyes rolling back trying to get a glimpse of his attacker.
"Don't make this anymore difficult than it has to be. I'm not here to hurt you," which was true. Rayne was to bring the noble's son in alive. He wouldn't be paid a cent for a corpse. His instructions were all too clear on that. Still that didn't mean he couldn't have a bit of fun. The boy struggled and Rayne tightened his grip.
"No, there's no need to worry about me hurting you. My employer on the other hand..." he said chuckling.
Let him feel a bit of fear for once in his life, Rayne thought. It would do him some good. Of course no harm would come to him. That is, unless his father didn't pay the ransom.
Rayne was just about to loosen his grip so he could tie the young man’s hands when he felt a burning sensation on his forearms. Letting out a sharp cry of pain he shoved the nobles' son to the ground and pulled back looking at his arms. Where the boy’s hands had been his black shirt had burned away revealing skin that was red and blistering. Rayne turned to gawk at him lying on the ground. The face staring back had a look that told surprise as much as fear. But it wasn't the look on his face that drew Rayne's attention. It was the flames engulfing the boy’s hands. Wonderful, Rayne said to himself sarcastically. He had not been told this job would involve the Gift.
As if the boy had the same revelation he threw an outstretched arm as if to hurl a rock. But in place of a rock came a ball of fire racing through the air. Reflex took over, and Rayne threw himself onto the hard gravel ground of the alleyway watching as the flame narrowly passed him by. It seemed then that hope replaced desperation for the young man as he quickly pulled himself to his feet and began sprinting away down the alley drenched in moonlight.
"Nothing is ever just simple," Rayne said to no one in particular as he lurched to his feet with a groan. Inspecting his arms again he saw that they weren't getting any worse. He'd live, and this prize was worth too much to let slip away. He sheathed his dagger, dusted himself off and gave chase down the alleyway. At the end he rounded a corner that took him back out into the streets. Rayne was running as fast as he could just to keep up when the boy shot across the street and into another shadowed opening. He chased him down one corridor after another getting lost in the expansive alley system of Korastaes. This couldn't keep up forever. He was pursuing someone that was younger and in better shape. Eventually Rayne’s determination would give out. Gasping for breath, he felt as if his lungs were on fire, and a lightheaded desperation came over him.
Rayne refused to give up on the chase. The reward for the noble’s son was too high, and it been so long since he'd had enough money in his pocket not to have to steal. He could feel his soul reaching out for the boy, screaming in frustration. As if the essence of his desperation was running just in front of him dragging him along.
It had come to a breaking point for Rayne, when he knew he could go further, that he felt the tension inside himself release. All light faded from the world consumed in a void around him. The moonlight dissipated and the soft glow of candles from a nearby window vanished without a trace. Rayne himself was not even visible in the newfound abyss. Abruptly he stopped unable to see the ground in front of him listening to the sound of footsteps racing on ahead. The desperation that had been consuming Rayne began to fade, but replacing it was an overwhelming sense of fear. He felt himself collapse to where the ground should have been. He could still feel the gravel moving under his hands, sliding between his fingers, but the void was all his eyes could detect. He tried to cry out but couldn't bring himself to make a sound fearing that his voice too, may have been lost.
As if in answer to his silent prayer the light slowly began to fade back into the world. The candles found their flame again, and the moon shone as brightly as ever. It was so bright. Rayne felt as if his eyes were seeing light for the first time. Still kneeling, he rubbed his eyes and waited for them to adjust. When he could finally look around without shielding his vision or seeing spots Rayne glanced down the alley hoping that his poor luck this evening had turned, and the boy would be standing there. But it was not so.
Resigning himself to his fortune and still bewildered by what had just taken place Rayne pulled himself to his feet and marched down the corridor empty handed. How was he going to explain this failure? An excuse about all existence momentarily disappearing was not likely to be believed. He'd need to think up something better than that. Of course there was always the option of simply not going back. He'd done that before. There was always another village or city he could move to in hopes of finding work. Rokannar wasn't an unthinkable distance away. But even as he said it Rayne knew it would be impossible. He'd need supplies for a journey of such distance, ones that he couldn't afford. And Korastaes was the crown city of the Kingdom; he would find no better place for work.
Potential excuses were racing through Rayne's head when he came to the intersection of the alley. It was the last place he'd seen the boy. He glanced to the left, allowing himself one last ounce of hope that he would be there and Rayne might not have to explain anything. Instead there was a brick wall where the way came to a dead end. And lying below it was the noble's son, unconscious. Rayne sat there stunned for a moment trying to piece together what had happened. His fear must have gotten the better of him, ignoring the darkness that closed in on them, and ran headfirst into the wall. Dumb luck or not made no difference as Rayne bent to collect his prize.
Hoisting the young man over his shoulder, Rayne turned and marched back through the alleyways careful to avoid the light when possible. He celebrated silently to himself. The money for this job would last him for weeks. But even as he relished in his good fortune his senses continued to gnaw at him. There was still an unshakable feeling that he was being watched.
