A Kingdom of Tales

Chapter 2

A young man entering my field of vision cuts me out of the memory. He looks to be my age, maybe older, though not by much. I narrow my eyes in his direction, trying to judge whether he is a threat. He has the build of a warrior, like the ones Melody told me had united in Avenlea after the great war when she taught me history, but he's stumbling every few steps, almost like he's drunk.

We're the only people in the alley, and when he notices me, his eyes widen, almost in recognition. I take this as my sign to run; clearly, he recognized me from the posters.

I push everything back into the bag and take off running before he has the chance to get a better look at my face.

"Hey! Stop!" He yells behind me. Does he think I'm stupid? Why would I stop? A quick look over my shoulder tells me that he started running too.

He's not one of the bounty hunters from earlier. His clothes look expensive, and he has an aura of money. He must not be after me for the bounty, but that doesn't mean I should trust him. In any case, the reward for catching me is large enough to tempt the rich too.

I hadn't had enough time to wonder why there was a bounty on my head or why I lived in seclusion for the majority of my life. The only time I'd ever dared to ask that question, I'd gotten smacked on the head by Bastian. He'd said that it wasn't something I should be worried about. Gods, I miss him and his grumpy attitude. He and Melody were the closest things I had to my parents.

I'm brought back to reality by the shouts of the man running after me. How is he even running? He was practically falling every two steps earlier.

I find myself on Harbor Street again, but this time I decide to hide myself in the crowd instead of getting out of it.

My stomach grumbles loudly. I don't remember the last time I'd eaten. Surely it hasn't been that long. When I'm sure I've lost him, I turn to another alley.

My surprise must've been obvious when the first thing I see is him, because he gives the most obnoxious smirk. He has dimples. Why was that the first thing I noticed?

"Jasmine Curre. I've been looking everywhere for you," he says with a fascinated look on his face. What's wrong with him? Is he actually drunk?

"Who are you?" I ask hesitantly. I know my first instinct should've been to run, but there's something about him. He doesn't seem like any of the hunters that I've encountered before.

"My name is Miles. I can get you to safety. Somewhere, no one will ever hurt you again, not even Emperor Warui."

His eyes tell me he's trustworthy, but I know better. I've trusted enough people these last two years to know that they're all liars. It is better to risk it on my own than to rely on anyone.

"No, thank you, Miles. I've been tricked by too many bounty hunters for that line to work. Let me guess; you'll get me to Avenlea."

"What? How did you know?"

"Everyone knows Avenlea is a fairytale. A land where everyone has powers? A land out of the jurisdiction of the Emperor? I bet King Archeron is as much a myth as the fire phoenix."

His eyes widen at my words. Clearly, he hadn't expected that. How many young women has he tricked with these dimples?

"Avenlea is as real as you and I. Give me a chance to prove it to you," he murmurs.

"How could you possibly prove that? You don't happen to fly, do you? I just saw you fall face first into the pavement; I doubt you have any magical powers." I mock.

It's been a long time since I've heard one of Melody's stories. She told me all about the magic of the old world and how, in Avenlea, there was peace. When I was younger, I believed her. I ate up every word she said with the utmost fascination. In the last two years, I've come to the harsh conclusion that there isn't any magic or fairness in the world. If there was, she wouldn't have died; she would've lived happily with Bastian. Maybe Onyx would've seen his lover again—the one he told me about. I'd see him staring out of the window every day, praying for his own happily ever after.

"Unfortunately, I'm not blessed by that particular ability. I have superhuman abilities, super speed, and super strength," he says, looking amused, like he's talking to a child. I decide immediately that I don't like him, even if I want to trace that goddamn dimple with my fingers.

"While I'm curious to see you display that, I'd rather get going. I need to find myself some food."

As if in queue, my stomach grumbles loudly, making me groan. I start walking to the other end of the alley, away from the noise of the harbor. For some reason, Miles decides to follow me. I'm too tired to argue with him; he looks harmless enough, I suppose.

"So... How old are you, Jas? Do you mind if I call you Jas? I feel as if I know you already," he says, looking enthusiastic. He managed to make me regret letting him walk with me in less than 10 seconds. That must be a record.

I flex my hand, the one that was crushed under someone's boot earlier. Doesn't feel broken. That's good.

"I would rather you don't call me that, actually," I murmur. "I'm 18."

He looks delighted at my answer. How much weirder can he get? At my scowl, he shows me his dimples again, almost like he's teasing me with them.

"Don't you have anything better to do?" I ask, feeling annoyed.

"Nope," he says, popping the p. "I told you. I'm getting you to safety." Did he hit his head when he fell?

He reaches into a bag that I hadn't noticed earlier and pulls out a box. He opens it to reveal the most exquisite smell I've ever smelled in my life. He takes out a sandwich, moves it under my nose, and pops it in his mouth. Damn him. I reach for one of the other sandwiches when I hear a tsking sound.

"No, Jas. No sandwiches for you. You were mean to me," he teases, his eyes glinting.

"Just one, Miles," I practically whine. I reach for the sandwiches again, and he moves away from me. I'm not even annoyed that he called me Jas; I'm too hungry for that.

"I'll give you the entire box, on one condition."

"Anything."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes." I nod hysterically.

"If you let me prove to you that I am, in fact, from Avenlea, I'll give you the sandwiches."

"Alright." I agree quickly. Obviously, I got the better end of the deal. He can't prove that he's from a kingdom that doesn't exist.

"I can tell you don't believe me. Don't worry. I'll prove it to you, then I'll get you there, where you will be safe," he vows.