A quiet trade town that sits like a jewel in the heart of a vast, winding highway connecting the Capital of the Hyades Republic to the southern states. Merchants, travellers and logistics couriers congregate on this town to rest and restock on supplies before making the long road to the Capital.
Welcoming the visitors to the town with a population of fifty thousand were massive stone pillars that had stood the test of time. Icons of past heroes and celebrities who visited the land adorned the pillars like resplendent paintings, inviting everyone to stay for a second glance. But that wasn’t all that was appealing about this small town.
The air in Alverton was thick with the scent of spices, fresh bread and the distinct aroma of perfumes and dyes. Cobblestone streets snaked throughout the town with small buildings constructed on each side. The roads were filled to the brim with shophouses and makeshift stores selling an abundance of vibrant goods.
Silk, rare spices, exotic fruits, even services for sharpening swords or humble restaurants trying to earn a decent living.
It was a bustling town to say the least.
Also, with Alverton on the path to Zephys, the Capital of the Hyades Republic, there was no shortage of tourists who stayed overnight after getting off their trains. Inns and taverns were mainly booked with travellers exploring the vicinity for a good memory. Occasionally, one could see a group of young men trying to speak flirtatiously to the beautiful dancers that brightened the nightlife. Or, they could see couples lovingly taking a boat ride to sightsee Alverton’s best sides.
A nexus of trade and tourism, Alverton was one of the wealthiest small towns in the Hyades Republic.
But it wasn’t always this pretty.
Just two decades ago, the reputation of this bustling town was beyond repair. Hoodlums and outcasts roamed the streets, leaving behind an assortment of broken tents and tattered clothes. Addicts could be seen passed out in broad daylight, and the alluring aroma of spices was overwhelmed by the digusting stench of human waste.
Half of the town was in disarray and the hooligans ruled the streets. Gangsters could be seen fighting over territory and dead bodies would be hauled out by the hour. Sometimes, the bodies would be left to rot for weeks and the law enforcement did nothing to clean it up.
The miracle of Alverton.
It took a new governor who was tough on crime and powerful enough to bring order to the town to change the fate of the god-forsaken place. Of course, he wasn’t alone. With the combined efforts of the merchants and elites of the land, they managed to take back their town and turn it into the thriving trade hub that it is today.
Yet, even in a place where paradise was almost obtained… there will always be darkness lurking.
"Hah… Hah… Hah…" Orıginal content can be found at NoveIＦire.net
A little girl ran through the glided streets of the trade hub. She weaved through the massive crowds with speed and agility beyond her years. Though, she wasn’t always quick on the trigger and occasionally bumped into passers-by who shot her eyes of scorn.
"Sorry! Coming through!"
"Girl, stop right there!"
Close on her tail were two law enforcement officers, their hands equipped with steel batons. They were more prominent in size, which disadvantaged them while moving through the crowds. Nonetheless, they were hot on the girl’s tail and would catch her at any moment.
Alas, the young girl, about ten years old, had more experience roaming the streets. She expertly moved between the roads, eventually reaching the edge of the beautiful marketplace. Descending upon the darkness, she went on a path beyond the beautifully built cobblestone roads and into hidden alleyways.
Here, the number of merchants and tourists was small. No, the deeper the girl ventured, there was barely anyone.
Narrow alleyways that snaked away from the ostentatious town created a path to the city’s underbelly. Crumbling, soot-streaked buildings replaced the well-adorned shophouses, and the air became heavy and suffocating. Stagnant water, human waste and the throwaways of industry were trashed in the darkness, making it almost uninhabitable for human life.
Beggars, castaways, and street children somehow managed to create a life for themselves here, albeit one they had to live day by day. The tattered streets, with sewage water leaking to the surface, were rife with mud and grime, which would slow anyone who tried to escape.
But the girl expertly maneuvered through the dirt, stepping on hidden solid ground and using the walls as pavements to slither around. The two officers who came to chase the young lass attempted to follow her into the abyssal parts of Alverton, better known to them as the slums. But it quickly became apparent that this was a fruitless endeavour.
Just five alleyways in, they realised they were in the thick of uncharted territory.
Ever since the clean-up, Alverton prided their town as the perfect haven. But there was just on the surface. All of their undesirables had been thrown into a hidden corner of the city, a place far from the central and complex to find even on a map.
A lawless zone that the elites had deemed a disgusting place and somewhere that wasn’t worth their attention. Isolated into an area barely the size of four football fields, the ill-gotten place was something residents of Alverton placed at the back of their minds.
And it was also a place where the perfect visage of Alverton was shattered.
One of the law enforcement officers spat. He held his baton firmly and slammed it into a nearby pole. Since the infrastructure was in disrepair, the pole easily broke in two and fell straight onto the homeless person’s tent. However, neither the officer nor his partner bothered to check if they accidentally killed someone.
"Should we give chase? We didn’t lose her for long if we…"
"Don’t be stupid! No one returns from the slums in one piece! If we enter it without back-up, who knows what disgusting creature would bite off our fingers or make us lose a toe?!"
The higher-ranking officer immediately rebutted his subordinate’s suggestion.
"T-Then, what should we do? The girl stole something from the Warden! If she finds out, then…"
"Let’s not talk about it," the officer shook his chin. "If the Warden questions us, we’ll divert responsibility away."
"Are you questioning me?"
Not willing to get on the wrong side of his superior, the law enforcement officer clicked his boots together and gave a firm salute. Although it was regretful that they lost track of the girl, they didn’t want to risk their life just yet, especially on their low wage.
"Let’s go. I can’t stand the stench of this wasteland."
Pivoting their heels, the pair eventually escaped the slums and back to their warm homes with natural sunlight. This contrasts with the young girl who walked out to the muddied alleyways and barely saw any sun.
"That was a close one."
The girl only showed herself when the coast was clear. Escaping into a broken sewer pipe, she was drenched with wastewater and stunk to the bone. However, she didn’t seem too bothered by the stench and laid her back on the wall to calm her beating heart. The adrenaline was still rampant in her body, but her exhausted body was in no state for another chase.
So, the young girl took a moment to gather herself, and by sheer coincidence, she caught her reflection in a pool of dirt water.
The girl was small and wiry; her lean frame betrayed the lack of nutrition she was brought up under. Her hair was a wild tangle of fiery red curls, unkempt with barely any hint of being dressed anytime in the recent past. Her skin was pale and her cheeks, hollow. If not for her distinct powder blue eyes, there wouldn’t be anything striking about the girl, and she would slip unnoticed through the endless crowd of vagabonds and undesirables.
However, even though the ten-year-old girl was malnourished and constantly hungry, her eyes were brimming with light. Although she was experienced with weariness beyond her tender age, the young lass was sharp, continually scanning her surroundings while catching her breath.
That’s when she caught sight of a dirty rag, probably used as warmth at night by the random beggars on the street. Without hesitation, she dragged the rag off its thin wire and dried her smelly body. Once she was done, she quickly rummaged through the belongings of another abandoned tent, taking out whatever clothes she could find.
Most were just tattered cloth and patched sandals, but the girl wasn’t bothered. She quickly changed, using the remaining cloth as a coat that could cover her face. All that occurred within a few minutes, and before she knew it, the girl was already edging deeper into the slums.
A girl who could blend into the shadows easily, she made her way through the decrepit roads rife with vagrants and castaways. Eventually, she reached her final destination—a torn-down apartment in the basement of the slums.
The first person to welcome her was a lady whose body seemed weary and extended beyond her age. With missing teeth and a few torn fingers, the woman seemed closer to a witch than a lady in her prime. She welcomed the young girl with a tight hug and was not bothered by the smell she was emitting.
"Mirka!" The young girl returned the hug and lovingly caressed the woman’s back. "Yes, I barely managed to escape."
"Why did you go alone? If you had asked any of us, we would have helped you!"
The girl named Kaya brushed her cheek, clearly half-reflecting on her close shave today. Although her comrades had warned her against her mission, Kaya still went ahead on her own.
"As someone who has lived in the orphanage, I’m the best-suited person to do it! I didn’t want to put you all in a bad position because of my selfishness."
"Still! We’re family! How do you think the rest will react if something happened to you?"
Just as Kaya was about to reflect, heavy footsteps could be heard rushing at the door. Judging by the sound, only one person was approaching, but Kaya didn’t feel afraid. She knew the law enforcement officers wouldn’t be able to find this place, and she recognised the footsteps…
"KAYA! You’ve done it now!"
A massive man slammed open the door, his weathered face showing signs of worry and fatigue. Storming into the apartment, the heavy man rushed straight to the girl and held her shoulders. His grey eyes trembled at the sight of the girl’s weary complexion. However, seeing no visible injuries, the man breathed a sigh of relief before turning back his angry face.
"You should have waited for us! I heard that there were officers sent to hunt you down!"
"No, buts! Since I’m a former law enforcement officer, I know how they’ll treat people from the slums! They won’t be merciful just because you’re a child! They will not hesitate to ’disappear’ you!"
Hearing the word, Kaya clenched her fists tightly. She was well aware of the danger she had put herself in, yet… it was a risk she had to take. After all…
"But, Vekka… Why do you think the officers bothered to chase me into the slums this time?"
"You see… I succeeded!"
Kaya joyfully reached into her bag and pulled out a tightly rolled-up paper. Although it was sealed with wax, its appearance suggested it was an important document. Passing the document to her leader, she flashed her yellow teeth and explained.
"The Warden’s office at the orphanage… I managed to get in! I couldn’t stay there long but found this in her drawer!"
The man called Vekka unfurled the document and widened his eyes. He hurriedly showed it to Mirka, the other person in the rundown apartment, and, likewise, she gasped. They stared at the young girl, only to see her happy face become filled with determination and rage.
"Evidence! Now we have evidence that the Warden is sending unwanted orphans away! And finally… I can find out where my sister was taken to!!!"