Fairyland Chronicles - Character Side Stories

[Aaronock]

Ezekiel Stalker – a man on the run from the law. He stared at his portrait on the front page of the Midgard Times at the table in a hidden house of Louyang. A few blinks, but not much pause for emotion. The Rogue's Guild would certainly stand by him, and not give any information to Amdusias. After all, it was they who taught him the value of information and secrecy, and that some of them held so much value that a person went down fighting keeping them in his heart.

Mash stood over the table, paws over the top and pushing his head forward to glance at the paper as well. The man did not care what the pet thought of the news, as it only mattered that the Deviruchi followed his orders. The little Deviruchi only had to listen to direction, if given the word, the little black devil would run post haste to Catherine McWren. Easy, and they rehearsed this every morning, because Ezekiel did not want to think of failure as an option on his next mission.

Summer and him completed their planning recently, and now the rogue sat restless. The books in the home read in Chinese, and he didn't know a lick of that. He could have found amusement if any of the books had any pictures, but they also lacked that. The rest of the shelves filled in with Children's Books. No point in wasting time reading those, why bother putting himself through such personal torture? Two people could only play so many games of Poker, Go Fish, and War. The man could only amuse himself juggling daggers on his fingers for so long. A walk outside would do wonders, if only he could gain reprieve to take it.

But he couldn't be bothered to do that. Too much risk, but what else to do? Ezekiel stretched out, legs poking out of the other side of the table, arms back, and head cocked up to the ceiling. His eyes closed and he sat there for a few minutes. Mash had climbed his way onto the table and began shuffling the newspaper. After a few flips of the pages within, Ezekiel had a flash of an idea!

Before Odin's first visit, he meant to handle a very important bit of personal business. The habit of getting caught up in a situation, plus his personal aversion to writing letters kept the task from getting done. However, there existed a final caveat, the one that made him shiver simply upon the moment the thought pricked his mind. This letter would find itself addressed to his wife.

After the shiver went down his spine, he sat right up, straight as a plank. To the side next to the Deviruchi, Ezekiel found a pen and some leftover paper from the other night’s plans. Before writing however, the man considered his feelings about her. It was only fair he looked back the marks she left in his life. A year away from her had certainly helped him gain a more nuanced view of the lady. But where did one begin, other than the beginning? To him, she represented a ghost, one he thought he slew the day he ran from home those many years ago, but found out two and half years ago that some ghosts never found themselves peace.

He didn’t know better back then at 12, or was it 13? Actually, it went back further than that. As a boy, he had everything in his noble family. Never had to want, anytime he did, the desire found itself fulfilled the following evening. His parents spoiled their only child, but did so because they truly believed their boy would help them rise higher in esteem and rank among the merchant classes of Alberta. They would work hard to groom him for the position, their child only had to listen, and he could continue living a life full of easy contentment.

It did not last, at a party when the child turned 7, he met a girl of the same age, and higher rank. Her family sat even higher at the top of the mountain. In their social circle, she stood heiress to the highest piles of cash, gold, and every other physical need one could imagine. Murmurs from the other nobles spoke of how people ran from her. Her parents tried to find her the perfect boy to arrange her with, but she threw fits the moment after introduction. Now both families sat afar, watching their interactions, ready to pounce on their children should they act out of their station. Nothing out of the ordinary ever happened. The girl simply spoke of her life and her dreams, and he only half acknowledged them. Perhaps that became the first mistake. The girl would often invite the boy over for visits as often as her parents let her. Every visit the same, she'd speak for hours on end and he just looking as if he cared and listened.

About a three years later his parents thrilled, came to their dear young boy and smothered him in hugs, kisses, and joy. The girl had just begged to have his hand in marriage. That was final, and her parents would not argue with her if it assured her happiness, and the prospect future heirs. The boy found himself as the girl’s new possession. Deep underneath, he loathed the decision, since he had no say in it. And he began to see how people in his social ranking truly treated one another.

People did not live as people, they were commodities to trade and sell out to one another. If he went and married this girl, he could live as he always had...possibly. However, they’d both live by selfish whim, using all those around to keep themselves at the top, and enrich their already “heavenly” lifestyle further. What good did living as such do for others, including himself?

The questions swirled, but he had time to ponder answers, their date of marriage would come a couple of years later yet. That day arrived, and the money with it. All for daughter to marry the other family’s son. It came as a convenience, the girl’s parents knew if they didn’t enrich the other’s family, then no agreement ever came. The boy eyed that money from far away, and saw it locked into a safe. He learned skills of wit recently from fellow boys in the street, and learned how to prowl in shadows, to watch, listen, and when to strike. That boy had plans to leave his life, before finding the doors of freedom closed to him.

Ezekiel immediately shut his thoughts there. Rubbing the temples of his forehead and standing up, and reminding himself he did not live in that time anymore. The hidden place in Louyang came back into focus, and he noticed Mash had managed to start chomping on the newspaper. A faint smile crossed his face, he picked up the Deviruchi by one of his horns, and fed him some shoots and a piece of candy. The little thing had mouth agape in confusion, but Ezekiel appreciated this distraction.

That letter would wait one more day. For when Mash finished eating, Ezekiel found a new task. One that would grant him another day’s reprieve from the onerous task on the table. The Deviruchi would find himself cleaned and polished this evening. He could only hope the little horned devil appreciated his efforts.