Daevas -I- ✔️

Chapter 7.1: Sin

Ari was thrown into the sleeping quarters of children gathered from the war-torn countries of Assania and Vermur. He could tell by the disheveled look on their faces. In a week's time, they would weed out the sick and dying. Within three days, they will test their strength and knowledge. They would toss the ones who did not make it back into the streets. Most of the time, they nursed them back to health and kept them as stewards or servants to the Khaeo. Not all of the priests were so cruel as he would like to think.

He sifted through some children playing near the door and made his way further back where all the bigger children and people his age were. Ari was only some months away from claiming adulthood and still they decided to put him in the mix with the rest. It caused him to scoff and move faster.

As he pushed back the curtain separating the two halves of the room, he spotted a man looking around his age sitting atop of a bed. His hair was a sandy blond and he had eyes made of ice, instantly reminding him of Nolan. There were two more, a boy and a girl, about his age claiming the other two beds. They both had dark brown hair and nut-brown eyes. Their facial features differed greatly, however. The girl had sharp eyes, a sharp nose, and a small mouth like a cat. Interestingly enough, the boy had soft features: a small nose, kind eyes, and a warm smile that made Ari believe he was not meant to be here.

Their laughter stopped as he took a wary step inside. Even in a place like this, there was a hierarchy. Whoever was the oldest and the strongest tended to be in charge and he would have to adhere to that, if only for a little while. He was not so used to it as he had once been. Nolan had always favored him and gave him rooms near his once he was old enough.

"Who're you?" the girl asked as she rose from the bed. The sandy blond put a hand out stopping her from approaching him.

"Eira, don't go and do that."

"I was only asking him a question. I wasn't going to do anything," Eira said back in response.

The sandy blond eyed him before he gave him a small smile. "She is Eira. The guy over there is Halvar, and I am Leif."

"Ari," Ari said, assessing them. It went without saying Leif was the one in charge although, Halvar looked to be the strongest out of the three.

"Ari..." Leif tapped his thumb on his chin before his smile fell." Priest Reynold had spoken to me... about you. You have a punishment."

"Disregard it," Ari said.

"He cannot just disregard it," Eira cut in. "He'll be in here for you. And we owe you nothing. It's better you than one of us."

Ari wet his lips and nodded his head. He should not fear that priest any longer. It had been years and he was young. He was only a man. Just a man, and nothing more.

He took the last bed nearest to the wall. Halvar had not said a word a to him. However, Ari could feel his stare boring into the back of his head. Ari did his best to ignore it, but it was growing tiresome. He pulled the thin blanket over his head and turned on his stomach.

It was a while before sleep came to claim him. Just as he was dozing off, Ari heard wet sounds coming from nearby him. Ari opened his eyes, waiting for them to adjust to the darkness of the room as the sounds became more pronounced. He heard clothes ruffling and soft moans. It made Ari's eyes narrow, but he did nothing more.

Ari had thought no one in the Khaeo would break the rules that governed them. They did not even answer to most rules the king made in Assania. Seeing people breaking these rules away from Nolan's care made Ari believe Nolan had sheltered him from it all which added to his ignorance. He turned on his side trying to ignore the sounds, but his hearing was too sharp. Even the smallest noises made his face scrunch making him become disgruntled.