Family of Outcasts by Aaron McLeod (best fantasy books to read TXT) 📕

            “You know what Cathvas is like now. You know what they’ll say and possibly do to Ragosh, Ariana and Brendwin. And yet you want to take them there?” Hanalos asked, the sound of frustrated restraint in her voice.

            “I know it’s sudden. But it might be a good experience for them overall. Besides, when was the last time you took them anywhere fun? Hmm?”

            “I’ve been trying to keep them safe.”

            “Aye you’re doing that. But you can’t keep them safe forever. And even if any of them decide to leave without knowing the cruel realities of the world, what do you think’s gonna happen? They need to learn that the world is a cruel place, even little Jade.” Gregory took another sip of his water and let out a loud belch.

            “Jade is only three! She is not ready for that sort of thing. None of them are. Not even Arthur.”

            “Listen to me Hanalos,” Gregory put down his mug and got up from his chair, walked over to Hanalos and kneeled in front of her. “I can tell something’s wrong. The pain in your knees has gotten worse hasn’t it?

            “Yes…” she said silently. Gregory got back up and began to walk out back to the front door.

            “Just think about what I said. Please? For them at least. Neither of us will be around much longer to look after them.” He said as Aldus and Oldus chased Jade out the door. “Will you be coming with us?”

Hanalos stayed silent, turning around and looking around the Orphanage. “They would be heartbroken if you didn’t.” Gregory said as he made a sad puppy dog face. Hanalos looked at him and cracked a smile that she tried to hide.

“Very well Gregory. We’ll go.” She finally gave in, walking out the door with Gregory in tow.

“Alright everyone, get your little asses in the wagon, or I’m leaving you behind!” Gregory called out jokingly as he got onto the front seat of the wagon. Hanalos quickly sat next to him while all the orphans got into the back. Gregory turned the horse around slowly until they were facing the road. Once they got to the road, he took a left and pressed the horse to pull the cart a little faster. Eventually, they were moving at a steady pace down the long dirt road, dust being kicked up by the horse’s hoofs and the wagon wheels. There was a lot of chatter between the orphans in the back of the wagon as they went down the road. Ariana was the only one who wasn’t involved with any of the talking, as she was sitting at the end of the wagon with her legs hanging over the edge. She kept looking at the lake while stroking a small piece of her hair and let out a small sigh. The wagon hit a bump and she braced herself to avoid falling off, as the bump was very large. Again she looked at the lake, twisting her hair around her left index finger.

Softly and quietly, she began to hum a soft, slow tune. The tune was one that she remembered often from the hunter who found her. Often times, when he was carving wood or preparing food, he would whistle the tune. Sometimes when she had trouble sleeping, he would hum the tune to her and she would fall asleep. Even when he died, he hummed it to her to give her comfort. That tune was all she had left of him and it would be something she would never forget. They hit another bump and she braced herself from falling. Moving her hair out of her face, slowly shuffled backwards to the others to listen to their conversations.

For almost a half-hour, the wagon carried them down the dirt road, hitting bump after bump as the dust was kicked up. Gregory and Hanalos had been almost completely silent up front the entire time while the orphans just chatted away the entire trip. Hanalos would often look back at them all, letting out a little smile, then turn her attention back to in front of the wagon. Gregory would often shift in his seat, his weight causing the wagon to bounce slightly each time he did. The sun was up high, scorching the ground with its blazing heat. This sapped away everyone’s enthusiastic energy as they sat directly in the light. They were all struggling to stay awake as sweat trickled slowly down their faces. The cart then suddenly came to a stop, throwing everyone off balance and restoring their senses to them. Gregory stood up from his seat and looked back at the orphans.

“There it is,” he proclaimed as he pointed to the left of the cart. “Cathvas! And the Valerious Brother’s Carnival!” Everyone stood up from their seats, their energy restored and smiles across their faces. Time seemed to roll by much faster as the village of Cathvas grew larger with each passing moment. Eventually, they finally reached the borders of the town, passing some people walking down the road. Ariana looked over to the side and saw an elderly man sitting almost next to the car, holding a small bundle in his arms. His face was caked with dirt and mud and his thinning hairline was barely noticeable as a result. The man’s legs were gone and he was missing three fingers from his right hand. He stretched out his arms and reached the bundle out to her. Inside the bundle, there was a small baby with a multiple cuts and bruises across its face. The old man slowly lifted his head, small droplets of tears dripping down his eyes.

Ariana turned her face away from the man. The site of him and the babe churned her stomach. She was not accustomed to the image or the smell. The wagon came to a sudden stop, as it had reached the gate. Gregory stood up from his seat and stepped down, causing the whole wagon to shift from the removal of his weight. At the gate there was a guard speaking with Gregory. The guard was dressed in a blue fabric, with chainmail visible around his arms. In the man’s hand was a pike, around six meters in length. On his head was a large kettle helmet, which was tilted slightly and had a large chip on the side. He smiled as he spoke with Gregory, wiping sweat off of his brow and removing his helmet. The guard started to laugh along with Gregory, and then called out and Gregory returned to the wagon and it began to move forward once again. They passed through the open gate and the town came out at them with bright colors and striking noises.

All over the place, people were running, hollering and laughing all over the place. The wagon followed a large pathway that led to the center of Cathvas. From left to right there were stalls selling food, trinkets, clothing, and jewelry to anyone who would pay. There were groups of performers separated from the stalls, showing off great feats of strength, other’s great flexibility, with the occasional fire eater, juggler or sword swallower. The wagon stopped in front of an inn. It was the Painted Duck Inn, known for its finely cooked duck and apple cider. Gregory pulled the wagon up in front of the inn and urged everyone to get off. He jumped down and offered his hand to Hanalos, assisting her down from her seat. The orphans had gathered at the back of the wagon, Arthur trying his best to keep the younger children from running off.

“Arthur,” Hanalos said as she walked up to him. “Don’t stay all together in a group or you’ll attract too much attention. Meet us back here near sunset. Okay?”

“Yes Sister Hanalos.” Arthur replied.

“Good. I’ll leave the decisions of who goes together for you.” She then turned and walked with Gregory into the Painted Duck. Arthur returned his attention to everyone else and let out a big sigh as he thought of how to split them up.

“Alright,” He finally spoke. “Aldus, Oldus and Hannah will come with me. Athos, you can take Ragosh and Jordan with you. Brendwin and Jade can go with Ariana.” Everyone nodded in agreement. Ragosh then punched Athos gently in the arm and started to run away, while Athos and Jordan chased after him quickly. Ariana took Jade gently by the hand as Brendwin followed them closely. Arthur then started to chase after the twins who were starting to wander off while Hannah tried to keep pace. At the door of the Painted Duck, Sister Hanalos was staring at them as they all went their separate ways.

“Be safe, young ones.” She whispered under her breath just before going past the door.

It had been a long time since Arthur had seen so much activity within Cathvas. He had only been to the carnival twice and they were both many years apart. All around him, he saw people smiling and laughing to their hearts content. It was indeed a heartwarming sight to behold. However, he would have to avert his attention to keep Aldus and Oldus from either wandering off too far or from getting into some sort of trouble. Close to his side, Hannah was just as enthralled with all the amazing sights, sounds and smells. Sometimes she would be too distracted however, as Hannah would occasionally bump into another person or stumble over a rock along her path.

           “So, what shall we do first?” Arthur asked her. “Is there anything in particular you want to start out with?”

            “Oh! Uh, maybe try out some different foods?” She fumbled slightly over her response.

            “No! I want to see some of the animals!” Aldus blurted out loudly.

            “No! I want to go and eat!” Oldus also blurted out. He and Aldus started to argue again over which to go to first.

            “Alright that’s enough!” Arthur exclaimed as he gave them both small taps on their heads. “We’ll get some food and then we’ll eat our food while we look at the animals, alright?”

            “Yes Arthur.” The boys said in union. Hannah quietly giggled as they both quieted down.

            “They always know to shut up when you get that tone in your voice.” Hannah said.

            “What tone?” Arthur asked, confused.

            “The tone you get when they start to argue. You always sound so frustrated, but they immediately quiet down when they hear it.”

            “I don’t get a tone. I’d know if I had one.”

            Hannah giggled slightly. “It’s cute when you try to deny things that are true.” Arthur looked at her, his brow low and his mood unimpressed.

            “You think everything is cute.” He said coldly. “Hey you two, this stall looks like it has good food.”

Hannah hung her head low for a moment and stayed where she stood before finally catching back up with Arthur. She tried her best to hide her tears that had started to build up while choosing the food she wanted.

            They finished buying the food from the vendor. The vendor was a