The Pullian Legacy: Flee to Fraven

By Ron Boorer

The scenario of my first book is about a young man who suddenly finds he has become the centre of a major manhunt by those in power. He has no idea why, but he realises that if he is found, he will be either imprisoned or killed. This all takes place on a mythical continent of Pullian. The book is about his fight for survival against impossible odds, but while fleeing from the authorities, he discovers there is a secret hidden place called Fraven where he feels he has a chance to escape those following him. During his journey to find Fraven, he meets and makes new friends who help him, in particular one who becomes his main supporter, a young woman with a particular deadly talent. While on the run, he becomes more determined to survive and at the same time convinced that he must find the true reason why he has become a fugitive.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Xlibris AU
• Release date: Jan 13, 2015
• ISBN: 9781499036244

Ron Boorer

The author presently resides with his wife in a small town in the province of Otago in the South Island of New Zealand. This is his first book and one of a series of four books, all coming from a vivid dream he had several years ago. These books have been written over several years while living in Christchurch prior to that city being badly damaged by a series of earthquakes. He has taken this as an opportunity to start a new life and to pursue a different career path.

Book preview

Prologue

My life had been simple, enjoying myself, spending what I earned as fast as I could, living as though there was no tomorrow. Sometimes events can happen that change everything. Throwing your life into turmoil. Everything changed for me on that fateful night and I began to realise and appreciate the true value of my life.

As I sit on the porch of our home on the peninsula overlooking the Great Central Ocean, my wife Serima and I can both now reminisce in peace and quiet. We often talk about those we met, those men and women who showed us the true meaning of freedom. I have tried to forget the dark times and only remember the happy ones, but it was Serima who finally convinced me to record this period of our lives. To record it for all those living in Pullian now, and for future generations to come. We do not want our experiences and the sacrifices of all those who helped and supported us at great personal risk, to have been in vain.

This is our story and legacy which we leave behind. It is a reminder of the past and a lesson that must be remembered – forever!!!

Chapter One

I woke up suddenly, not knowing why. I tried to think clearly, but my mind still felt fuzzy from being in such a deep sleep. After a few seconds, I was finally awake enough to move. I stretched my left arm across the bed to find I was now alone. I looked across, but Karline was no longer there, and I realised I hadn’t felt her leave.

I smiled to myself as I remembered the few hours together before we had fallen into a deep sleep with her arm across my chest. She was the young wife of my last employer, an old merchant, who was away for a few days purchasing more supplies from some of the distant farms north of Nekfast. She had come to my room to give me my last pay and stayed. This was not the first time she had stayed, and I was going to miss her, but we knew it could not last. Her husband was becoming suspicious, so I decided to look for other work.

While lying there, I thought about what woke me and knew it was not her leaving. The brief thought of her made me realise I was still feeling exhausted and very tired. If she had not woken me as she left, then it must have been a dream, but was it a dream?

Wiping a thin band of perspiration from my forehead with my right arm, I glanced across the darkened room towards the door and then the covered window. Everything appeared to be the same, so there was nothing in the room that could have woken me. With a deep sigh followed by a stifled yawn, I slid out of bed. I slowly stretched before walking over to the window. Pulling back the curtains, I peered outside before rubbing the crusty residue of sleep from the corners my eyes.

Outside, the night was clear with a few wispy clouds floating high above in the bright moonlit night sky. The moon was still shining strongly down on to the rows of tiled roofs, spreading away from me like lines of dull rust-coloured hills. I could see it was now just after midnight from the moon’s position in the night sky. I smiled as I remembered it was now my twentieth birthday, then wondered if it was significant. In the distance, I could see the top of the tall stone walls surrounding the city of Nekfast and beyond this the top of the roofs of the army barracks. I knew these were also surrounded by tall stone walls as well, but they could not be seen from here. The barracks were like a second city and the main barracks in Pullian. This was huge and was known to contain over 50,000 Troopers at any one time. I shifted my eyes from the distant wall to the street below my window to find the alley was covered in deep shadows cast from the surrounding buildings. Easily large enough for someone to hide in without being seen. I sensed the city of Nekfast was asleep apart from the occasional sound of a dog barking in the distance and the soft rattle of window shutters and doors from the faint warm breeze blowing in from the Great Inner Sea of Pullian.

I stretched my shoulders and back, while I thought again about what had woken me. Normally, a dream never woke me as I was used to them. I stood looking out of the open window lost in thought. I suddenly realised it was not a dream, and this was why I was feeling uneasy. Like all those living in Pullian, I am used to having dreams; these are just a part of everyday life. We all have the dreams sent by the Arch-Dreamagers to influence us on how we think and act. I knew what I had experienced was not a dream sent by them because there were no images or voices, only words that seemed to have imprinted themselves deep into my mind. The longer I thought about it, the more I realised that I had experienced something truly rare. I had experienced what I now believe was the beginning of a prophecy. To my horror, I felt it was not complete. I believed there was more to come. I felt the first pangs of fear deep down in the pit of my stomach as I thought about it. Anyone who has experienced or been suspected of experiencing anything other than dreams have always disappeared. Prophecies are believed to be the exclusive right of the dream makers, the Arch-Dreamagers or the Flaureni, the omnipresence that had ruled over Pullian since the beginning of our recorded history.

As I considered the possibility that I had received a part of a prophecy, it made me quickly think about who ruled Pullian. We only knew of it as the Flaureni and the shadow of fear it spread across this land. It is not known whether the Flaureni lives or not, but we all believe it is a god, our only god and religion. The Flaureni itself has never been seen but is always present through its representatives, the Arch-Dreamagers and their assistants, the Dreamager priests. We very seldom see the Arch-Dreamagers, but the Dreamager priests have a high profile and are seen everywhere throughout Pullian. They run and control our daily lives through the dreams sent by the Arch-Dreamagers. Our nation’s age is also measured in Flaureni years, the length of time it has ruled over Pullian and those living here. This particular year is year 23893. Without knowing I had, I allowed my mind to drift back into my past while I was thinking about the Dreamagers.

I was told I was born in the year 23873. On the day I was born, I was left at the main gate of the Dreamager temple in Ersford, the city of my birth, by my mother – a mother I never knew. Only a small note left with me gave the Dreamagers my name. For the next few years, I was looked after and cared for by the Dreamager priests until I was old enough to be inducted into the priesthood. It was because of this specialised training as a Dreamager priest that I realised I was not allowed to have received a prophecy or any part of one. Prophecies prove the one who received it has the power of individual thought and therefore they are a threat to the ideals of the Flaureni. I immediately knew the difference between a dream and a prophecy, whereas the majority of the people living in Pullian would not. I also briefly thought about all the many other minor sects of Dreamager priests who control every aspect of our lives. These Dreamager priests varied from those controlling the armies of Troopers and the City Wardens who police the cities, to others responsible from social services to healing. There are also other sects of Dreamagers we never talk about.

Those who do not respond correctly to the Dreamager dreams were referred to by the Dreamagers as the Unwanted. The Flaureni and the Arch-Dreamagers wanted them removed from the population to ensure anyone who did not conform to their ideals did not remain to contaminate the Flaureni’s perfect world. As a warning, we were told that these Unwanted were taken to a place called the ’Pinnacle of Sighs’. It was rumoured that this is a place of many dark secrets and a place to be avoided. No one had ever returned.

I knew all this from a young age because the Dreamager priest used the threat of this place to discipline and control all the orphans like me. Like all young boys of a certain age, I had to pass the unusual test of checking whether I was right- or left-handed. It is required of all boys, without exception, living in Pullian. I had to prove I was right-handed. I was worried when I realised all the left-handed boys I knew suddenly disappeared. A rumour circulating through the orphanage while I was there was these unfortunate ones were also sent to the same place as the Unwanted, the Pinnacle of Sighs. This worried me as I knew I had strong left-handed tendencies though I kept this well hidden from the Dreamagers. I found I was ambidextrous, but for my own safety, I have kept this a secret from everyone It was common at this age for the majority of the male orphans to go into one of the various Dreamager sects, from the army we knew as Troopers or become City Wardens, but those believed to have special skills were always promoted into the priesthood itself. I was one of these so I was sent for training as a Dreamager priest. It was not something I wanted, but I had no other choice.

Almost three years have now passed since I ran away from the Dreamager temple in Ersford. I left before I was eighteen years old, the age when I would have been given my surname, a name given to orphans when they finish their training, meaning you would then be treated as an adult. The name was always associated with the career the Dreamagers selected and came from their book of names. Because I never had a surname, it was obvious to all I was a runaway orphan, but those I worked for never worried about this detail. I was still an acromager, an apprentice Dreamager priest, at the time I ran away. After several terrible years of training as an acromager, I decided I could not take any more. The regime of training combined with the fear of being sent to the Pinnacle of Sighs for insubordination convinced me I had to leave while I could. I eventually climbed out through an open window during the dead of night while a violent storm raged across the city, allowing me time to disappear. I was too undisciplined and rebellious to accept their regimented and rigorous training methods, and I have never changed.

For the next couple of years, I wandered through Pullian, earning enough to keep a roof over my head, food in my stomach, and clothes on my back while making sure I was never found by the Dreamager priests. For the last year, I decided to make Nekfast my temporary home and refuge. The skills of healing and writing, gained from my acromager training, had now become very handy. I also found it easy to hide amongst the crowds of a large city so as to keep out of sight of any local Dreamager priests.

I dragged my mind away from my childhood and back to the present, knowing the training I had received as an acromager helped me to understand the difference between a dream and a prophecy. I knew I had to keep what I had just experienced to myself. I could tell no one if I was to survive while I could not stand here thinking about what had happened. I had to do something, so I walked across the room to a table where I had left my small shoulder pack and removed a pen, some ink, and a spare piece of paper. All these items were rare and valuable as they were forbidden for anyone to have them except the Dreamager priests In Pullian, very few citizens could write, but most were able to read. I knew I had to write down on to the paper the words still etched into my mind. They would soon begin to fade and be forgotten unless I did. It was obvious these words were important or I would not have received them. Using the light from the moon shining through the window, I sat down at the table and quickly wrote them down. I did not want to light a candle, for that would have looked suspicious to any of the City Wardens patrolling the darkened streets. As soon as I had finished, I dried my pen, then stood up and looked into the mirror hanging on the wall above the table. I had trouble recognising the face looking back at me. It showed definite signs of tiredness and exhaustion from lack of sleep, but I now had a series of deep lines of concern etched into my forehead. I glanced at my eyes to find that apart from being slightly bloodshot from tiredness and the previous evening of heavy drinking, my eyes were clear. It was their unusual colour that made them stand out, it was very unusual. The corneas of my eyes were dark blue with specks of gold running through them. I looked away from the mirror and back at what I had written, then read the lines out aloud.

On the first full moon before the great flood of the Erastle,

A man was born who will make the Flaureni tremble.

Run hard …

My hands were shaking as I reread the words slowly as I quickly poured the last dregs of flat beer from the bottle I had been drinking earlier in the evening into a dirty mug. It was obvious the prophecy was incomplete, but when would the rest come to me and would I still be alive when it did? I studied the words as a cold shiver of fear slid down my spine, and I started to feel sick. I knew the date described by the words written in the paper in front of me. I could still hear the words spoken to me by the Dreamager priest who guided me during my first years of life, and it was these words I knew by heart. It was my birth date. He made me remember the day I was born. It was the same day as mentioned in the prophecy. This was the third day of the month of Nestum in the year 23873. This was the night of the full moon, the day before the River Erastle broke its banks, flooding huge areas of the main farming land of Pullian as well as many towns and villages. Pullian suffered for years after this flood, bringing starvation and disease to all Pullian and was especially remembered by those who lost their homes, loved ones, and businesses. The mention of this day still makes the older members of the population shudder from their memories of the years that followed the flood. It is still the worst flood in recorded history.

Again, I dragged my mind back from the past to the present and realised if the Flaureni or the Arch-Dreamagers had experienced the same prophecy I was now in serious trouble. It was very probable they had. The date of my birth and me receiving it could not be a coincidence. Suddenly, I was very afraid. As I stood there looking down at the sheet of paper, I thought this could not be happening to me. Hopefully, it may still only be dream. Out of desperation, I decided if this was a dream, I should go back to bed and try to sleep so when I woke up, these words would not exist. I knew it was a weak response at the time, but I shrugged my shoulders and went over to my bed, leaving the curtains pulled back. As I climbed back into bed, a terrible thought came to me about these words and the consequences of them. I thought, If this is not a dream, then many men of my age are going to disappear, and I hope that I am not one of them. I finished the last few drops of flat beer, then lay down and tried to go back to sleep while I could. There were still several hours left before sunrise, so I tried to make the most of what was left of the night. I eventually drifted back to sleep, the words continuing to haunt my mind.

Chapter Two

I awoke again with the very first hint of daylight coming through the uncovered window. I knew the Sun was just about to rise over the farmland far to the east of Nekfast. It was a common sight for me normally, at this time of the day, I would still be staggering back to my room to go to bed. I sat up because I had a strong feeling it was time for me to move. Rubbing more sleep out of my eyes, I slid out of bed and stood up, stretching as I did. I went over to the table and stared down at the piece of paper lying there. Everything was just as I left it, and the words were still there, but now they looked more threatening and ominous. I knew for certain it was not a dream and that I had to move quickly. The uneasy feeling I had earlier was getting stronger. I quickly made my bed and tidied up so it looked like I had not come home that evening. I wanted anyone looking for me to think I was still out somewhere in Nekfast, possibly at an all-night tavern or with one of the tavern girls. I glanced around the room to make sure I had not forgotten anything of importance to me while I slipped my identity pendant, over my head. These pendants were made out of clear crystal and were given to everyone on their first birthday. Etched into it were my personal number, gender, and date of birth. This was also tattooed on to our right shoulders by the Dreamagers. I knew mine off by heart; it was M23873.231.330. This told any Dreamager priest reading it that I was a male with my own personal number of 330 and was born on the 231st day of the year 23873. I was easy to identify if inspected by the Dreamagers. All they had to do was just remove a my clothes or read my pendant. It was also a serious crime to go without your pendant and meant being sent to the ’Sighs’ if caught without it. I decided to flee, but I first had to pack up my few meagre belongings into my shoulder pack.

Once I had completed my packing, I went downstairs into the back courtyard to wash under the cold water tap outside to freshen myself. No one else was up this early, and I knew my landlord would still be sleeping off the effects of the previous night’s wine. Refreshed and wide awake, I returned to my room before counting the money I had been paid by Karline. I smiled to myself as I thought about my original intentions. The money I was counting would normally have been spent quickly on drinking, gambling or women. Before I was woken by the incomplete prophecy I received earlier, this was to be my objective for the next few days, starting that morning. I counted my money, knowing I would need all of it, plus more, before leaving Nekfast. Nekfast was now a trap, and it would close fast on me.

After rechecking my room, I slipped my shoulder pack over my head, carefully closed the door after me, and quietly crept down the stairs. Once downstairs, I slowly opened the outside door and peered out. It was almost daylight and had the makings of a hot autumn day. It was all quiet, but further down the street, I noticed a squad of Nekfast City Wardens gluing notices on to walls. Their bright red tunics stood out in the early morning light, but they were so occupied with hanging up notices they never noticed me watching them. I stayed back behind the door and waited for them to move on to the next street. As soon as it was clear, I slipped outside, staying in the shadows so I would not be seen, I walked quietly down to the wall to read the notices. There were two new notices. These notices must have been important for them to be glued as they would normally be tacked on to the wall. As I read the first notice, I let out a short gasp. I was surprised the Arch-Dreamagers had reacted so quickly to the same prophecy I had experienced only a few hours earlier. It was obvious they were taking this as a serious threat and were trying to ensure that the prophecy would not happen. Their solution was to kill or imprison all men who were born on the specific day mentioned. If they were successful, they would stop the prophecy from reaching its conclusion. Both notices were signed by Arch-Dreamager Fars-Tus. The first notice demanded that all men born on a specific date and year had to report to the local Dreamager temple. There it was for all to read, the same year and day of my birth written on the notice. There was also an amnesty given of only eight hours, and after that, all caught would be sent to the Sighs or killed without proving their innocence. It was there in writing. They were the same numbers as those tattooed on to my shoulder with the exception of my individual number. It would be only a matter of time before all men similar to my age living in Nekfast were strip-searched to check their number, and if I was to survive, I would have to get out of the city. I now believed the only chance I had to survive was to try to hide myself somewhere in the remote parts of Pullian. All I could then hope for was that over time, the edict would be withdrawn. The second notice was of little importance. It was a ‘Proclamation of Emergency’. All Dreamager Troopers on leave in Nekfast were to report to the barracks immediately for deployment to the north. I reread the notices again, and decided I had to leave.

I started to move down the street when I heard the sound of marching boots coming towards me. I ducked into the nearest alley where I was able to hide in the deep shadows of a doorway so I could watch. It was a squad of Dreamager Troopers dressed smartly in their dark blue tunics. As they reached the alleyway I was hiding in, I could see they were fully armed with their deadly ‘Hummer’ swords in sheaths on their hips. I watched intently while they passed by the alleyway. I almost gave myself away when I recognised three of the Troopers. They had been in the orphanage at the same time I was there. The feeling of relief from seeing the others I knew made me want to call out to them. I had to stop myself, they were still my enemies, the Troopers, the same ones I had been hiding from since escaping the orphanage. I slowly moved further back into the shadows covering the alleyway until my back was against the door. As I bumped quietly against it, one of the Troopers turned his head to look in my direction. My heart felt like it was making enough noise for them to hear. He peered intently down the alleyway, then turned his head to look down the one opposite. To my relief, he was inspecting every alleyway as he passed them. I let out a quiet breath and realised I had been holding it, then admonished myself for being so weak. I would have to be more careful in future. I watched their backs as they walked down the road when it dawned on me, they were never my friends, but the three who constantly bullied me along with anyone else smaller than them. It was now obvious they were moving quickly down the street towards the building where I had my room. The small group of three stopped at my door, while the rest moved on to other addresses. This group turned, opened the door, and made their way upstairs into my bedroom. I could see movement through the window, but I didn’t stay any longer. They looked as if they were preparing to stay in case I returned later. The hunt for me had now started. I stood still in the shadows while watching my room and the door leading up to it for a few seconds, while further down the street I heard screams followed by the sound of someone being clubbed with a wooden truncheon. It was coming from the direction the rest of the squad of Troopers had gone.

While I was standing in the shadows my mind was in turmoil as I tried to decide what I should do next. A strong feeling of panic began to build up inside me. I knew if I remained where I was, within another few minutes there would be light enough for me to be seen, especially from my room. I glanced up to see the first rays of the early morning sunlight shining on the very top of the tall dominating tower of the Dreamager temple. It was only just visible from where I was hiding in the shadows. It was obvious even to me it was time to leave. I turned and headed up the alleyway away from my room, deciding what to do next. I let my instincts take over as I moved from one alleyway to the next, keeping a careful lookout for squads of Troopers as well as the normal patrols of the City Watch. I kept moving, trying to create as much distance between me and my old room as I could. I was still not thinking, just reacting to the threat as I travelled, but I felt I was moving north towards the gate leading out of the city. As I travelled along the alleyways, I took special care to stay in the shadows and the narrower alleyways while ignoring the wider thoroughfares. Round and above me, I could hear the sounds of the city beginning to wake. It was only time before I would be seen by the patrolling Dreamagers. I had to keep moving, but I was unsure exactly where I was heading. I only had a very rough idea where I was. It was a part of the city I normally never went into.

Looking up the narrow alleyway, I noticed it finished only a few metres ahead of me. In the early morning light, I could see there was a wide street beyond the end of it, and I knew I would have to be very careful. With the utmost of care, I crept along until I reached the end, then I peered carefully around the corner to find I had reached the main road to the only gate leaving the city, the Northern Gate. There were Troopers standing in a line across the road, less than a hundred metres behind them was the Northern Gate. I was close, and there was no chance I could reach it without being seen. To make matters worse, the great gates were closed with more Troopers guarding it. There was definitely no way to pass them and get out of Nekfast. I was trapped. I stepped slowly back into the shadows as another squad of Troopers came up the road from the main barracks. As they approached, I could clearly hear the senior Dreamager priest in charge of the squad screaming out his orders.

‘Keep your eyes open, and I want you all to start searching the alleyways. They must be thoroughly searched, including the buildings. We will start at the gate and slowly make our way to the port. We will start on the eastern side of the road, and as more Troopers arrive, we will expand the search. Each section of Nekfast will be divided up into segments, and each segment will be checked thoroughly before proceeding to the next. As each segment is cleared, it will be sealed with Troopers so no one can enter or leave until all Nekfast has been checked.’

I listened intently. There was no point going any further north or staying where I was, so I began to slowly make my way back to where I had started. I knew I had no option but to pass through this area as I went south through the commercial centre of Nekfast towards the port. As I left moving carefully away from the main road, I could still hear the senior Dreamager’s voice as it echoed down the alleyway.

‘Make sure your inspections of the buildings are thorough as several ’Hunters’ will be arriving tomorrow. If they find any of the ’Unwanted’ in the areas you have already searched, you could also be sent with them to the Sighs as punishment. Do your searches properly but carefully. Now move!’

I quickly left this part of Nekfast and hurried on towards the commercial centre. I thought it would be easier to hide while mingling with other people than to stay in the open by myself. I still had the problem of insufficient money, but now I had a new problem of how I was going to get out of the city, now that the hunt for me was on. The only other gate out of Nekfast was through the barracks, and this was not an option. If I could pass through the barracks, I would have to travel over the bridge spanning the River Nek, then west through a densely populated farming area that would be well-patrolled by Troopers. It was obvious to me if I was going to lose myself in the remote regions of Pullian, I would also need to have the adequate clothing and food as well as more money.

I needed time to think and plan, so on my way to the commercial centre of Nekfast, I stopped at a small tavern to have a beer and something to eat. I was famished and eating would give me a chance to, think about my next moves. I paid for my beer and a freshly baked hot pie, then sat in a dark corner to think. I was slowly sipping my beer, deep in thought when the door opened and in walked two of the Nekfast City Wardens. They ordered their drinks and started to discuss their night’s work. I listened carefully, they had just finished their shift and were stopping at the tavern for a beer on their way home. I found their conversation very interesting but disturbing. It appeared the City Wardens and the Troopers were now looking for only a few men. They had already found all but six. Unfortunately, I knew I was one of the missing ones. I was in luck; they never looked behind them, or they might have seen me in the darkened corner. I heard them say nearly all the other men of my age in Nekfast were already in custody, and they were confident those left would soon be caught. They quickly finished their drinks and left. Their conversation killed any thought of having anything else to drink. My thirst had disappeared with the City Wardens, so I stood up. Ignoring my partially emptied glass of beer, I stuffed the last of the pie in my mouth, then left after them. I needed to escape the city.

At least I had the beginnings of a plan to escape Nekfast before the City Wardens had interrupted me. I was considering it when they came into the tavern. The plan was not a good one, but it was better than nothing, and I was determined I was not going to give up. It was not in my nature to bow down to authority. I never had before, so why change now? I thought if I was able to disguise myself as a Dreamager priest, it may create the chance I was looking for, but which sect should I disguise myself as? The obvious one was one of the most feared sects known as the ’Hunters’ who wore dark green tunics, but these were relatively rare, so I decided to steal a tunic from the civil sect instead. They wore a light fawn tunic, and were commonly seen throughout the city. The only problem was that it was unusual for them to be seen outside the city, but I would worry about that later. I knew the easiest place to steal a tunic would be in one of the poorer areas of Nekfast where all the laundries were found. This area was also close to the docks servicing the Great Inner Sea. It meant if I was unable to steal a tunic, I could try to stow away on a boat. At least I was moving away from the areas they were searching first. The dock area had very tight security, so I considered this would have to be a last resort. With my mind made up, I headed off towards the poorer section in Nekfast.

I quickly left the commercial centre and entered the poorer parts of Nekfast. I walked down the streets towards the laundry district while trying not to look suspicious. In this part of Nekfast, the alleys were narrower and darker than those further away from the inland sea. I knew even this early in the morning the alleys were always teeming with people and animals. There were dogs and children everywhere, but luck was on my side. Fortunately there were no wardens or Troopers. They must still be searching my usual haunts. I arrived at the laundry district to find it was a hive of activity. The streets had lines of clean clothes stretched across them, and you had to walk through them if you wanted to pass down the street. The main roads to the docks were kept clear so the wagonloads of goods could pass through. Stealing a tunic would prove to be easy. Stealing is extremely uncommon in Nekfast. The punishment, if caught, was an uncertain future in the Sighs. I also knew a missing tunic from the line would not be noticed.

While no one was watching, I grabbed a dry tunic of about my size and walked back the way I had come. At the first side alley I came to, I slipped it over the top of my old clothes, emptying the contents of my shoulder pack into the tunic pockets and folding it up and hiding it behind an old barrel. I was now wearing a disguise, so I walked purposefully towards the nearest Dreamager temple. This would be a good test of my disguise. Again, luck was on my side. I didn’t know it was tax collection time in Nekfast, as I had never paid taxes. At every shop and stall I passed, the proprietors rushed over to pay their tax money to me. It was easy for me to just sign the receipt and move on. In a very short time, finances were no longer a problem, and my pockets were filled to overflowing by the time I arrived at the temple.

Chapter Three

I walked purposely, the way I knew a Dreamager priest would, into the main square of Nekfast where the temple was built dominating the surroundings. Without stopping, I glanced up at its towering walls and massive open front doors with trepidation. It had been years since I was this close to one. I knew all the temples were built to the same basic design and layout with the exception of the main central city temples like this one. These usually have extra rooms for Hunters and the Arch-Dreamagers in case they visited, as well as a special room known as the ‘Flaureni’s Dome’. I knew the basic layout, so I walked into the civil section and changed the huge pile of smaller bronze coins I was carrying to the rarer silver coins of a greater value as I knew they would be lighter to carry. Coins are the only use we have for metal as most forms of metal are extremely rare in Pullian. I was still in luck as there were no other priests in the temple, only an acromager looking after the temple finances. He didn’t consider my actions unusual and never even looked up to see who I was. I didn’t speak, and knew from my own training, that he would not speak unless spoken to.

I left the civil section and walked through the temple until I found the area reserved only for the Hunters. Feeling extremely anxious, I carefully entered it, expecting to be questioned on why I was there, but this area was empty. In the Hunters section, I found several new tunics stored in a locker along with several large packs. I changed tunics, grabbed a pack, a set of crystal throwing knives and a short crystal sword from the Hunters private arsenal, leaving quickly before my luck ran out. These are the weapons of a genuine Hunter and would complete my disguise even though I had no idea how to use them. I disposed of the light fawn tunic into a dirty laundry basket once I was out of the Hunters section. It was time to leave the temple and get out of the city before it was too late. I walked out of the temple, trying to act as a Hunter, up the street towards the Northern Gate, finding it unusual and unsettling to see how the local citizens reacted to me in my new disguise. They bowed their heads and looked at their feet. Even the City Wardens would not look me in the face. I could read and sense the fear they all had for the tunic I was wearing. It was written on their faces and in their eyes before they looked away. It was most disturbing but very effective, and it dawned on me how much power these killers of the Flaureni had. I knew I would be safe as long as I did not meet another Hunter. The tunic gave me another unexpected advantage. It was not unusual to see a Hunter loaded up with supplies before he left the city in pursuit of a fugitive, and he paid for nothing; he signed for what he needed, and the temple would repay the shop owners later. The shop owners also knew from experience exactly what I needed. This was normal, so I quickly filled my pack and I walked towards the main city gate.

When I arrived at the main gate, it was nearly midday. My newly commandeered pack was full to overflowing with dried food, water, and essential clothing needed by the genuine Hunters when in pursuit of an Unwanted. I made sure there was also enough room inside it for my own few possessions, my writing equipment, and first-aid pouch. I left the last shop and walked along the road towards the main gates. They were obviously still locked judging by the number of people lining up to pass through. At this time of day, it was normally left open, but due to the notice from Arch-Dreamager Fars Tus, it was now locked with all citizens, no matter what age, being searched before leaving the city. I walked up to the gate, wondering what would happen. It would be a test to see how the Troopers guarding the gate would react. As I reached the gate, a Trooper Sergeant rushed out of the guardhouse while apologising about the gate being locked. He proceeded to open a small side door in the wall near the main gate. I went through without saying a word. As a Hunter I did not need to comment or thank him. If I had, he would have become suspicious. I smiled to myself as I remembered the gate I had passed through was always referred to as the Hunters gate.

I heard the Hunters door close behind me with a loud thump and I walked quickly away from Nekfast towards the city of Liknek, passing the few people who had been allowed to leave. I had escaped the city but was now on my own. Far to my right, the broad expanse of the river Nek flowed slowly towards the Nekfast docks and into the Great Inner Sea of Pullian. Liknek, the next major city on the river Nek, was at least a week of fast walking away, but I had no intention of going there. I was now walking into an uncertain future, but this was better than no future at all. I glanced back at Nekfast without stopping. It could possibly be the last time I would see those imposing walls and high corner towers made of large dark grey stone blocks. It was then I realised those imposing walls gave the appearance they were not made to keep people out but to stop people from leaving. I could not figure this out but hoped the reason for this may become obvious later. Without a further glance back, I walked on while my mind considered what I would do next. From now on I would be on the run, and my future did not look very promising. I thought about the supplies in my pack, but it was more unsettling when I considered myself. I knew I was unfit, definitely slightly overweight with no experience of anything but city life, and now I had to try to survive in the open by my wits. My prospects of survival were very grim, and as a person who liked to gamble, I knew I would have given myself long odds to survive. The only thing I knew was on my side was that the Dreamagers were still looking fruitlessly for me in Nekfast.

I continued walking along the road to Liknek until I was well out of sight of Nekfast. It was hot, and the sun felt like a furnace beating down on me. The air was clear without the strong smells of the city. The smell of coal fires, cooked food, unwashed people, and the taint of sewage from the vents in the city streets were home to me, but now all I could smell was the countryside with odours I was unaccustomed to. There was not a cloud in the sky, and the air was so clear you could see a long way in all directions. Looking back towards Nekfast, I could just see the faint haze of smog in the air above it and that was all. I knew I had to get off the road as soon as I could before I met up with either the Troopers patrolling it or the Hunters I knew were arriving to take part in the search for me. While I was wearing the Hunters uniform, there was little chance the Troopers would stop me, but the Hunters would as they would quickly recognise me as an impostor. By now I was very tired from carrying a heavy pack, and my feet were already hurting. I had a feeling this was not going to get any easier, I would have to become hardened to it. As I walked, I examined both sides of the road to find a place where I could get off it without leaving any signs. There were numerous farms dotted amongst the expanse of fields on both sides of the road. On my right were farms as far as I could see, but those on my left went only as far as the river. I remembered from the map of Pullian the only bridges crossing over the river Nek were at Nekfast and Liknek, I knew I had no option but to either go towards the east or continue towards the north. I had never been further north than Liknek, but I knew about the land to the east. The land to the east was mainly rolling hills with streams and small rivers flowing down the low valleys and crossing under the road on the way to the river Nek. This land was one of the more fertile areas of Pullian. Wherever I looked, I could see large flocks of sheep in fields, while other fields had herds of dairy cows. There were also many fields with shocks of wheat drying in the autumn sun. As well as these fields, there were small copses of trees in both the valleys and on some of the hilltops. I quickly glanced around because I was starting to worry about staying on the road for too long. It was obvious to me I had to get off the road as soon as possible before they realised I had left the city. My disguise could now become a trap, so I had to change. I took it off, folded it, and packed it into my pack. It could become important to me in the future. It was also warm, waterproof, and had a hood – great for when the weather changed. I was tiring and needed a place to rest while deciding on which direction I should head.

I eventually came to what I thought would be a suitable place. I could see a small copse of trees almost a hundred metres from the road with a shallow stream running through it. I decided to head for the copse. I climbed down and slowly walked over the slippery stones until I reached it and carefully crept into it, so as not to disturb the foliage, then lay down in the dry undergrowth. By now I was very tired and decided to take a rest and eat some of my rations. The events of the previous night as well as escaping from Nekfast had taken its toll on me, and I fell into a deep troubled asleep. It was a sleep filled with terrible dreams of pain and death until I woke with a start to find it was now dark. The sounds of the night were new to me and made me very uneasy. There was constant rustling throughout the copse as mice and other nocturnal creatures came out to feed. Their predators were also on the move even though these were a lot quieter. I knew they were all around me. I tried not to move in case I scared them and alerted any of the Troopers patrolling the road close by. I listened carefully, and in the distance, I could hear the sound of orders being yelled, along with the tramping of boots from thousands of Troopers marching along the road to Liknek. It sounded as though a full army of Troopers were marching along the road towards the north. It reminded me about the other notice I thought was of little importance, the notice about the Troopers being deployed to the north, and I knew if I had stayed on the road, I would have been trapped. Going north was definitely no longer an option.

I had to move while it was dark, while in the distance, I could still hear the marching boots of the Troopers as they continued to march along the road north. It had been less than an hour since the end of the column of Troopers had passed my hiding place in the small copse, but I felt it was safe for me to move. The copse was too close to the road, and I could possibly be seen if I left during daylight. I needed to move further from the road before then, so I crawled out of the copse and stumbled along the stream until it came out into open fields. Leaving the stream I walked through the fields, heading away from the road, until I was well out of sight. At the same time, I had to make sure not to go too close to any field with livestock. I did not want to frighten them, as any noise made by these frightened animals could alert either the local farmers or the patrols of Troopers of my presence. As I tripped and slipped my way through several fields, I came across a small path heading in what I hoped was the right direction. After the struggle of walking through the fields, I found it was much easier to walk, and I was able to increase my speed but deep down I knew I would soon have to stop to find a place where I could sleep properly.

I continued walking as quickly as I could, and after what seemed like hours had passed since stepping on to the path, a derelict building appeared out of the dark on the other side of a low fence. It was an old derelict barn. This looked ideal for me, so I left the path and went inside. It had only a part of its roof left intact, so I covered myself with a small blanket and lay on the Hunters tunic to keep out any dampness of the ground and was instantly asleep. Again, I experienced a deep and troubled sleep – full of more of those frightening dreams I had experienced earlier. It was still night, so the Arch-Dreamagers were back, casting their dreams over the population, but now I felt they were aimed directly at me. They were filled with the feeling of hopelessness for those hiding but promised happiness if those they were looking for gave themselves up.

I felt I had only been asleep for a short time when another part of the prophecy woke me. I was unable to go back to sleep, so I lay there, thinking about it and what it meant. How would I react to this new threat? By now, it was almost daybreak, and the sky had begun to lighten in the east, so I took out the piece of paper I had written the first part on and added the next lines before I forgot the words. When I finished writing, I read it quickly. I could see it was still incomplete.

On the first full moon before the great flood of the Erastle,

A man was born who will make the Flaureni tremble.

Run hard, run fast, and run as far and as long as you can.

The hunters are on the move and will be more than just man.

Go quickly …

It was a dire warning, and I had to start moving now. I quickly packed my pack and ate some of my rations before leaving. I had to keep my strength up for the challenges ahead. Slipping the pack over my back, I walked out of the old barn and turned towards the rising sun. I knew at least this path was taking me away from Nekfast but not where it was heading to. I had a feeling if I could get to the city of my birth, the city of Ersford, I may have a chance. I was still very tired, and now most of my muscles also ached, but the prophecy drove me enough to ignore these. Now I had decided where I had to go, but what else could be hunting me? As I thought about this, deep down inside my mind I already knew the answer to the ‘what’.

Chapter Four

With the sun rising in the east directly into my face, I decided that I would face my future the same way, face on. It was going to be another hot day just like the previous one, and I was thirsty. I touched my water flask and knew I had very little water left. I had to get more soon, or I would quickly begin to suffer from dehydration. It was going to be another glorious autumn day, but I was not in the position to enjoy it. I peered up at the cloudless sky, thinking, Thank goodness, there is still no sign of winter. It was bad enough trying to escape from the Dreamagers in warm weather, but it would be nearly impossible for me had it been winter. I jogged slowly away from the derelict barn at a pace I knew I could not keep up with while my body ached all over from the previous day of carrying the pack. My back was sore, my legs were stiff, and I had chafed skin on my shoulders from the pack straps. I was concerned about blisters on my feet, but a quick inspection proved to me that this was nothing to worry about at the moment. It would not be long before exhaustion set in, so I knew I could not jog for long. It was a stubborn gesture to give me the feeling that I was not going to give up, but I had to at least try.

While jogging along the narrow path, I thought about the part of the most recent addition to the prophecy that mentioned, ‘. . . more than just man.’. I already knew the answer, but I had to consider what my actions would be to this new threat. The prophecy was warning me the Dreamagers were sending a thound and its handler from the kennel complex in Crun. They were being sent to find a fugitive, and I knew that fugitive was me. The idea of being trapped by a thound made me shiver even though I was sweating from the slow jog. I knew what a thound was from my acromager training. They were hounds trained to track fugitives by the fugitive’s thought. These thounds are specially trained, and they have a black crystal imbedded in their heads to assist them by magnifying the thoughts of those they are tracking. I knew thounds were large, at least to my waist height at their shoulders with stamina to match their size. Their handlers were also experienced Hunters. An experienced team of a thound and its handler is a formidable combination. I knew from their reputation no one ever escaped from them once they started tracking you. The Dreamagers also knew they only needed to use one team to track an individual. The only comforting thought I had was it would take about a week with a favourable wind to reach Nekfast from Crun even in their fastest ship. It would be twice as long if there was a head wind. Once in Nekfast, all the thound would need was a recently used personal item for them to concentrate on. With the help of any trace thoughts left on an item, they could start tracking. Had I left anything behind they could use? Of course, there was. The sheets of my bed would do if the Troopers had taken them before my landlord had washed them. I had to believe they had. I knew at least I had a reasonable head start before the thound was set loose. My only fear was if the ‘thound’ and its handler were sent to Ersfast. If they had been sent to Ersfast, then they would reach Ersford before me, but at least they would not have anything of mine they could use to locate my thoughts. I would soon know if and when they were tracking me from the return tracking thoughts from the thound. Once a hound was on the track of a fugitive’s thoughts, they would never stop until the fugitive was caught. They will continuously track until they capture the fugitive, even if it takes years. There is no escape even if you were fortunate to be able to evade them, for they just keep looking until they did eventually find you. The thound will never forget a person’s thought signature. Once the thound has a trace on the fugitive’s thoughts, it begins to howl which can be heard over a long distance. These were the howls of your doom, getting louder as they get closer. If you could stop thinking, they would lose your track, but any thought at all would attract them again. It was common for fugitives to kill themselves rather than be captured. Anyway, for me, the written notice from the Flaureni meant death once captured. Everyone caught and killed by the thound’s handler or by other Hunters had the Hunters mark left on them for all to see. This was a deep burn in the shape of a crystal in the victim’s forehead. It is the mark of death though there have been many instances where fugitives’ bodies were found with only two unusual holes under their chins, and these were definitely not made by the Hunters. It was not known what caused them, but the contorted features of the bodies told of the immense pain they had suffered from as they died. The thounds and handlers have a daunting reputation where it is known even fugitives mounted on horses have not been able to outrun them.

I knew I had to get as much distance as possible from them before their arrival. Even though I could not ride a horse, it would help if I could buy one. I considered riding would be faster than walking, especially for a person as unfit as I was. Once on a horse, I knew I could not use my stolen Hunters tunic as a disguise because they only ever walk. Hunters are never seen on the back of a horse. With these thoughts running through my mind, I jogged slowly on until I had to slow to a walk, then a slow walk. It was obvious I could not keep up this pace for long. I found the path, unlike the major roads, just followed the contour of the land, so there were going to be many small hills and valleys ahead. I tried to keep moving, only stopping at one of the streams flowing through a valley to refill my water flask before carrying on up the next steep slope.

It was nearly midday, three days after leaving Nekfast; I reached the top of one of the many small hills the path crossed over. I had to stop often to rest, and walking was not any easier for me; if anything, I was in a worse condition. By now, my back and legs felt as if they were on fire, while my shoulders stung from chafing and the trickle of sweat rolling down my back where the pack straps rubbed me. What were of more concern to me were my feet. I had large open blisters from rubbing on my shoes, and these were very painful. I treated them the best I could, but I knew that rest from walking would allow them to heal, but this was not possible. Nestled in