The Given Children

Chapter Two

Now

                Unsurprisingly we were not given back our various coverings for our Marks and we were now being escorted to meet with Governor who would decide what to do with us. Rather than having our hands tied together behind our back which would hide our Marks, they instead had a guard walking behind each of us with their hands on our shoulders, a disgusting weight that I immediately wanted to shrug off but resisted doing so when the captain gleefully informed us that any sort of resistance would result in shock from the Stunning rod he carried with him. Something he thought would be ironic seeing as it was that the Given Children had made the magical weapon and it was now being used against some of them.

                I wanted to put my wrist behind my back but the guard was purposefully walking too close behind me so I had to satisfy myself with pressing my wrist into my tunic. I felt so vulnerable with it showing. I could feel the guard’s hot breath on my neck and I was fighting the urge to swing my head back and hit him in the face. It seemed Daven had been struggling with similar feelings because he elbowed his guard in the stomach and skirted back from his reach.

                The captain of the guard was on him in an instant, grinning widely as he jabbed the rod into Daven’s side.

“Daven!” Lapis cried trying to reach for him but was restrained by her guard. She looked on in horror as Daven’s face twisted up in pain, though he refused to make a noise, and fell to the ground. I bit my tongue and took a few deep breaths.

The guard he had elbowed dug his fingers into Daven’s neck and forced him to his feet, keeping his grip around his throat as we continued forward through the halls of the Governor’s palace. Our footsteps echoed of the tall, arched ceiling above us, every ten feet or so lit up by a glowing white orb that hung from the stone. I wanted to hide from those orbs, run and find a shadow that would shield me from its familiar piercing light.

                We finally came to a large set of doors, covered in a colorful mosaic of tile where two more guards stood at attention. They nodded at captain before swinging the doors open for us. He had already sent one of his men ahead to inform the governor of us so we were expected.

                They marched us into a large room laid down with scarlet rugs- a luxury that few people were able to upkeep. There was a large bookshelf covering one wall and table with several chairs for meetings on one side of the room. On the other was a secretary sitting at a small desk where he was scribbling on pieces of pan paper, something that Witchlord’s made with very little effort, none in fact since all the work was done by orphan-serfs, the Witchlord’s Given Children. It was much easier to make than parchment and cheaper too and most everyone used it now.

                At the center back of the room was a large desk, covered in the same tile that decorated the door. Seated in a plush, silk covered chair was the governor of the city and surrounding towns we had been staying in for the past few weeks. He had shoulder length blonde hair which he kept tied back and a strong jawline. He wore a turquoise, satin coat and a large pendant around his neck, no doubt a custodis-amagical object meant to give him protection. He looked us over curiously and then spoke to the captain.

“These are the Given Children?” He asked in a silky voice, pomp and haughty.

 He nodded affirmatively, looking proud and rather pleased with himself as he walked over to Lapis and grabbed her arm, holding her wrist out for the governor to see, completely ignoring Lapis’ squirming.

                The Governor came around his desk and took her wrist, studying her Mark before releasing her. Lapis covered her wrist with her left hand and stared at the ground.