Chapter One: The Magistrates Grandson I - Chapter One (1/2)
The city of DaleGuard was one of the doreat city within six thousand kilodoainst the beast hordes of the great Wildlands It sat stolidly at thein the highlands before it and guarding the vast plains behind it Frouard towers and their beckoning top lights
DaleGuard truly was a symbol of power and civilisation in this desolate corner of the north The surrounding lands ht not be as prosperous but the city itself ell developed It served as the ad nuovernistrate each just to handle legal istrates that our story begins
Magistrate Valan Steelborn walked towards the courtyard with ahair tied in a pony tail and a beard that he was obviously proud of, as it was cared foreach of his seventy-two years for all to see He projected an intense scholarly air, and seemed like the kind of person to see when one was in need of counsel At this h, his broas furroith concern
”You are certain of your deductions?” he asked toan, but I couldn't believe it I had to be certain which is why I waited a week before infor you”, one of the two men beside him quickly answered
The man in question was Avery, a servant of the household A caretaker and randson He was a stern faced, deep voiced, uard than a child sword he carried at his back Avery carried it everywhere and it was his most distinctive feature He walked briskly a few steps behind the istrate as theyhad happened as you waited?” the istrate asked hotly
”Then I would have taken full responsibility It's just that the changes happened very slowly Five days passed before the change was significant enough for me to be certain I waited the extra days to be sure that it was still happening”, ca beside the two snorted in derision Clearly he didn't support Avery's decision The three er to either affirot the clearer they could etting there they saw its source
A boy who looked no older than eight was sitting on a bench and playing a silver flute The s were being said, but too fast to be clearly h and low the notes were blasted out continuously and loudly from the flute in a si ot the breath to play as he did for he never paused to breathe He just went on playing, his fingerslike soldiers over the silver flute
The perfor and his onlookers were loath to interrupt the scene It wasn't often that the young ifted but he didn't play often Perhaps when his grandparents asked or Mrs Fang, his teacher at the grammar school demanded, but it was rare for him to pick up the flute and play of his own volition
The randson, a look of pride on his face He had only one child, the father of the boy, but he wentbefore Valerian was even a year old Valan's wife along with the child were the core of his life They were not his only faed from most of his other relatives and he didn't have randson on the other hand, he would move the world for What other reason would he have to leave his work and rush home?
He waited for the flute music to end and then called out ”Valerian! Co to glance at the ay to his left where he saw his grandfather, uards Quickly he rushed over a sreeted ”Welcome home, Avery, Uncle Richard”, he added
The old man smiled and waved him even closer Valerian moved to his side now a bit confused He could sense the intense stares the oldercalure out what he could possibly have done His thoughts were derailed when his grandfather clasped a warm hand to his shoulder and then perforht be level
Valan was an incredibly dignified olda noble and stately air However that was only when he was out or at work At horandfather He had no need to reht as his grandson he laughingly asked
”How is your progress over at the grarammar school? Was that what this was about? Well he had done nothing wrong He was sure of it It was probably Mrs Fang coain What did she say this time? More reports about how unmotivated and anti-social he was He didn't even understand what he was doing there and he had said so ti and everyone is so dull Mrs Fang is always harping and co when I sleep in class but it's notand easy I've already learned all the letters and nurandfather laughed ”That is what you always say”
This was true There was nothing for hi sinceof that level He didn't understand why his class and childish Valerian honestly felt he asting his time there He would rather stay at horandparents insisted on sending him out
How could he know that it was for his own sake? There were no children around the est servant was year past his first score His grandparents were merely worried that his development would be affected if he did not interact with sos' Grammar School every day At least there he could s didn't work out as s Valerian waswith the children at the school and they with hiap between thean to call him 'old man' due to his ways But that did not ain He had s to do with his tiistrate said so too to the school anyrandfather?” Valerian asked joyfully