Dragon of Legend: A New Era (BK2) SAMPLE

chapter 25

NOTICE: Due to getting published, chapters 27 onwards of A New Era have been removed from Wattpad. This is because of copyright reasons as well as Amazon guidelines.  

A street vendor pushed his cart towards the streets, the weight of fruits stacked onto it not seeming to bother him in the least. He wore a patched black cloak, a hood pulled up over his head, protecting him from the beating sun above. He trudged forward, seeming in no hurry, as he pushed his cart onwards, shouting out to prospective customers for his goods. Yet his steps brought him steadily closer to one place and one place alone, the public hanging square.

The closer he got, the more crowded it became and soon he found himself having to push through the crowds to make any headway. People grumbled to his left and right as he pushed past them. Yet when they caught sight of the fruit their grumbling ceased and they eagerly handed over money in exchange for a sweet, cooling fruit in this blistering heat. No sooner had they eaten the fruit than their attention was averted back to the attraction they had all come to see, the gallows.

There was only one noose hanging from them this time, looking alone and desolate upon the gallows where up to six criminals could be hanged at once. Yet no one cared. There hadn't been a hanging in ages as most criminals were exported to the quarries, and so if even just one person was being hanged they wanted to witness this rare event.

As the street vendor pushed his way on he passed another vendor with a cart. This cart was full of cloaks, all black, all looking exactly like the one that the vendor himself was wearing. He was selling them to the crowd rapidly. All eager to get a cheap cloak that would protect them from the heat of the sun. As both vendors passed each other they shot each other a brief smile of satisfaction.

Noon, it was time. Why they had picked that time to hang her Akira did not know. In fact she knew nothing about hangings at all. Sure, they had happened in her time yet she had never been to one and only heard about them through others.

As she was lead from her cell by two Watchers she wondered at the irony at the fact that the first hanging she would ever witness would be her own. The whole time as she was lead through the bare courtyard towards a door in the stone wall Akira stared down at her hands that were bound together before her. She had been awake most of the night, trying to assure herself that everything would be fine, that Redemption would come. And yet as dawn had come her hope had begun to dwindle.

She was not even sure if Dominique would make an appearance. If he knew what was good for him he wouldn't. And yet the thought of the possibility that he would abandon her just like that stung. Yet in the end Akira had decided that accepting her fate would be the easiest thing to do, that way if no one came to her rescue she would not die in disappointment. She did not look up as they neared the door in the way, nor did she react when the Watcher behind her gave her a shove almost sending her crashing to the floor, seeming to do it just for the fun of it.

Regaining he balance Akira calmly continued on her way, following the Watcher through the door. The sound of a large chattering crowd hit her and the sound of cheerful laughter made her look up.

Startled Akira tried to take in the huge crowd that stood around a large platform, all looking as though they had come out for a fun outing if anything. Some were eating fruits, others were chatting with their neighbors cheerfully.

What struck Akira was the unusual number wearing black cloaks, and yet she guessed that maybe it was just the taste the people in the future had in clothing.

As the Watcher in front of her walked forward a whole bunch of others appear and forced the crowd to part, making a clear path for Akira and the Watcher's with her all the way to the large platform. As the Watcher behind her pushed her forward towards the platform the noise from the crowd suddenly dimmed to a mummer as they recognized her presence.