Path Of The Broken

9. Liaison-2

Alex wandered a little aimlessly around the village he found himself in. He’d stayed in control for a few days. The continuity of being in his own brain space for an extended period gave him hope he’d be able to maintain control of himself and his powers sooner rather than later. Isabella had left him to his own devices today with an injunction to call her if he needed her. Alex found he was a little confused as to exactly what Isabella was to him.

Friend?

Mentor?

Potential lover?

He had to admit, even if it was only to himself right now, he had a strong reaction to her. That realisation had left him restless and he’d resorted to wandering about the village to occupy his mind. He had enough presence of mind to know he’d found himself here in this village on more than one occasion, so there must be something about it that attracted him. After having breakfast and paying the innkeeper to keep the back corner room for him, he’d headed out to explore.

What he’d thought of as a small village hadn’t turned out to be that small. Amberbreak was a bustling trade town on the tri-border Vallantia shared with The Heights and Sylanna. The marketplace was a hive of activity, filled with tradesmen from The Heights Protectorate and Sylanna. Some of the stalls were permanent three-sided wooden structures, others were just a series of portable tables arranged under tarps strung up to give them protection from the sun and rain. Traders from all over Vallantia converged on Amberbreak to swap, barter and trade. Towards the end of the week the numbers in the market swelled with performers and storytellers taking their places scattered throughout, entertaining any who cared to stop and listen, all for a few coins tossed onto a blanket they spread nearby.

Still, for all that the village sprawl was bigger than he’d thought. He realised the inn he’d been turning up at was in the quiet corner of town and was one of the few multi-storey establishments. It was surprisingly respectable for him, particularly remarkable since there was a less respectable part of town that in the past was much more likely for him to turn up in.

Alex found himself wandering along the dock that ran along the wide river to one side of the town. The Great Forest sprawled on the far bank, its expanse only broken by tributaries from the river. He was intrigued and distracted by barge trader families from Sylanna docked along the long pier, their large wooden barges utilised to not only haul their trade goods but to house the traders themselves as well. Suddenly he froze, hearing the wail of pain through the veil. It was different than normal and didn’t sound like one of the Sundered. Moving out of sight into a side street that ran between two warehouses, he looked around and, not seeing anyone around, he pulled the veil around him and followed the pained screams like they were a beacon. He looked down on the scene in what looked like an abandoned warehouse, and Alex felt his face pale in horror.