The Lost Heir's

Chapter One

Erosyia, Vizara City, Ordunn 15, 80 D.E

“Who goes there?” A gruff voice shouted from down the street. Aria crouched in the shadow of a nearby alley, her eyes glued on the man in full armour at the crossroads ahead. Their lantern bathing the street in a warm glow. Aria grimaced. These guards were at every corner and hindering her at every turn. She had places to be. Her heartbeat quickened as the heavy soldier moved towards the alleyway she hid. Pausing only meters away from where she was. She silently swore, curling her body up as small as it could go. She peered over the crate, looking for an escape route.

Damn it, Aria thought. She had to risk it, she would be dead if they caught her. Aria quietly removed her scarf, ignoring the cold winter chill, she wrapped it around her right hand and waited. She watched as the shadow moved closer to her.

Just a bit closer, she thought. He stepped in front of the crate, Got you! Aria pushed off the ground, leaping over the crate and landing on the guard’s back. She quickly maneuvered the scarf into his mouth and quickly pulled back on his head, making him stumble backwards into the alley. She wrapped her arms around his neck, using her inhuman strength she squeezed, ignoring his clawing and smacking on her arms. Under her arm she felt the man’s armour buckle and crack like tin, tightening around his throat like a constricting Boa. She gritted her teeth as he struggled against her slight frame. Would he just go down already? She squeezed harder, the struggle slowly ending as the guard lost consciousness.

“Human Scum,” she muttered, before dashing out of the alleyway. She meandered through the shadows, making a run for the city’s wall; amongst the wall was a water drain. She glanced around before ducking into the drain.

The increase in guards was unsettling. Aria quietly closed the grate, dropping off the small ledge into a tight water channel. She gasped, the cold water splashed up towards her thighs. Grimacing, she waddled through the water, sloshing through a break in the sewer wall. Aria called out as she stumbled onto a dirt path. She glared at the floor; every time she forgot about the steps.

The catacombs were dark, with pillars and arches bearing the weight of the earth. A divine artwork of water and time. The catacombs were a subterranean cathedral. Caskets were laid between statues of knights, bearing sword and shield. Before these knights, large braziers burned brightly. Casting long shadows along the empty pocketed skulls that filled the walls.

Aria cautiously moved forward. The crackles from the braziers echoed and spat in the eery silence. Where are they? Aria eyed the room, making her way to the first door on the right. This room was always bustling with spirits who willingly tormented her.

Walking to the door, she remembered the first night she came down here, many seasons ago. She’d lost her way. It had taken her all night to find the way back out. After getting lost, she had used string to navigate the vast catacombs beneath the Church until she knew it.

Aria stopped in front of the door. Reaching for the handle, she glanced over her shoulder. Slowly, she turned the knob and pushed it open. She cringed. Loud noises came from within the room. Resounding throughout the empty hallways behind her. She cursed herself, rechecking around her. She hoped it didn’t alert the creature that roamed the halls. Even after all these years, she couldn’t figure out what lurked down there, and the nuns from the church weren’t much help. They would tell her the same thing.

“We dare not speak about the catacombs. It is against His Lordship’s will.” It seemed like something had coerced the nuns.

After waiting a few minutes in silence, Aria sighed, her shoulders dropping. It didn’t appear. She pushed her shoulder against the door and pushed, cringing at the scraping. The door opened enough for her to squeeze through, closing the door with a soft click. Aria turned around to see the racks had fallen over, spilling weapons and armour across the stone floor. A few had even fallen down the steps that led into the sandpit where she trained. Aria’s face crumpled as her eyes narrowed at the racks. Someone had tampered with the racks since she was last here. She glanced at the door and back at the nearest rack. Someone or something had moved the racks to convey a domino effect. Effectively succeeding. She racked her brain trying to figure out who knew she was here, besides the creature that roamed the hallways. She pushed the thoughts to the back of her mind. She would think it over in the morning.