Crossing the lines


The first couple chapters will go back and forth between characters and view points.


The town of hearthen was a small and poor town forgotten by the empire. It had little to no use for anything and many people would do best to avoid it. The people were secluded and slandered by the well-to-do people of the empire. No one cared for the dirty beggars of this forsaken town for from them came bandits who stole and pillaged all Around the empire. This town however does have an somewhat of an importance.
     It was a normal day like any other, not that that's a good thing. People sat on the streets begging for money from other people who had nothing to give. It was a Sad sight Audra had to see daily. She dreamed of restoring the good name this town used to have before the bandits. She hadn't seen it then but the stories her father told her were all so wonderful. Being mediating town for imports and exports of food had once made this town very popular. Sadly after bandits started appearing from the town to steal from the ships it had been shut down as a mediator and most of the people lost their jobs and places to live. Audra wished she could help everyone in the town but there was nothing she could do. The whole town was shunned from the empire in fear of everyone being a bandit. Audra believed the bandits had come from far away though there was no proof she just had a hunch that there was something bigger going on. she left the market with a loaf of bread some onions celery and potatoes, Soup was what her family had almost every night because of the depression in the town and her family was considered much more well off than the rest of the town. Audra always bought a few extra things without her fathers knowledge to bring by the haven where most of the town slept and ate these days. After dropping off some small portions of vegetables Audra decided to walk past the hole in the wall that blocked the town off from the rest of the word. The wall had been there since she was born but a few months ago a hole had formed in the northern side. She didn't know if anyone else knew about it but she assumed it was her secret and kept a fake rock in it to hide it from the public and whoever is on the other side as well. Today though when she got to the hole there was already someone there. A boy with Messy dirty blonde hair that in the light it gave off a rather mystic shine. He looked about a little older than Audra who was 18. She silently watched him behind a tree as he pulled out the fake rock from the hole and bent over to look through it. A smiled appeared across his face as he took in the view she knew too well. She knew exactly what he was seeing as she had stared out that exact hole many times before. Beautiful trees that weren't dying like the ones here flowers and other luscious greenery that she had only seen from paintings of long ago. She closed her eyes as she remembered what it looked like. Without knowing it she took a step forward snapping a twig under her feet causing her to jump and the boy to finally notice she was there. Though he didn't jump or ever really move his eyes we're now looking over at the tree that was hiding her. "I know you're there" he announced in a casual tone still bent over facing the hole. She could feel his piercing gaze like it was seeing right through the tree. She sighed and stepped out from the shadow of the tree. "I-uh-I didn't wanna bother you. You looked like you wanted to be left alone this is just-uhm-my way home." She lied it was actually very out of the way and he seemed to know that. " uh huh. This way isn't really the way to anywhere" she sighed again realizing how stupid what said had been. " I'm guessing you are the one who found the hole and hid it?" He asked She didn't know how to answer technically the hole wasn't a way for her to escape but would he know that. Would this guy report her to the dominus or The Lord of the empire. Of course he wouldn't he found her intriguing and kind of amazing but she didn't know that. He did however wanna see how she would react he decided not to tell her he wasn't a bad guy or bandit for that matter. " I don't know what your talking about" she whispered drawing away her gaze. He shrugged " huh. Oh well I guess. I was just gonna say that it's a neat little secret. And I find the riskiness pretty hot." He smirked at her making her blush. She set down her bag of groceries and walked toward him. "Hot huh?" She smirked at him trying hard not to blush " so why are you here?" She had been wondering since she had never seen him before not even begging on the streets. " just wanted to see what the big fuss about this town was. It's not as horrible as everyone has made it out to be" he leaned against the fence and for the first time Audra was able to really look him up and down. His clothes were nice definitely something a person for this town couldn't afford. "Your from the empire" she realized. Why was a guy from the empire here no one from the empire ever came through this town. He shifted uncomfortably " yes, I am" she didn't trust anyone from the empire not since they ripped her father of his title and shunned this forsaken town. She shoved the boy up against the wall pulling out a small knife and holding it to his neck. " why are you here" she glared " tell me or you won't be leaving this town" he held up his hands in surrender " I told you. I just wanted to see what this town was like why everyone stayed away" for a simple civilian he was strangely calm for having a knife at his neck. "Really the. You must be stupid don't you know bandits come from this town" she hated saying that knowing it wasn't true but maybe he would flinch to that. " I don't really believe that." he said surprisingly "especially after I've seen the kind of people who live here" she lowered her knife " r-really" she dropped her grasp she had on his shoulder and stepped back. " and from what it seems you do to believe it either" Audrey shook holding back tears. Never did someone outside this town believe what she knew to be true. She knew bandits didn't come from this town they never had. The boy looked at her questioningly " what's your name" he asked as he tried to look at her face. She wiped the tears from her eyes and looked him in the eyes "Audra my names Audra what is yours if I may ask" after what he had said she could tell she could trust him. " my name is bren it's nice to meet you Audra" he smiled as if their confrontation never happened " I've been meaning to ask you what's with the rabbit" he tilted his head toward the tree that her groceries sat next to. Up against the tree sat a stuffed blue rabbit with button eyes a rabbit she had brought with her everywhere since she was born given to her by her mother before she had died. "I-that's none of your business, he makes me feel safe" she spoke irritated again. He looked at her quizzically but dropped it. " well I got to go I'll be late for supper" she walked over and grabbed her groceries leaving the rabbit to 'guard' the hole. After she walked away he looked at the rabbit "you gonna keep your eye on me for her then" he said jokingly to the stuffed animal but just then he could have sworn it smiled at him.
     After being hassled about being late Audra her father and her brother sat down to eat dinner. " I here the the empire is having troubles" Audra's brother nico spoke." What do mean in trouble" Audra wondered if that was why Bren was here. "from my information the bandits are sticking more often and setting fires. Their trying to destroy the town. Of course they still believe it's us. Bastards. Word is the The Lord of the empire is trying to investigate it ur our is he is heading towards out town." That surprised Audra The Lord barely left his castle from what she knew let alone the empire just to come here. It must be pretty bad what these bandits were doing. " it's true" her father confirmed " he should arrive in a few days"
" what are we going to do" Audra asked
" nothing. There is nothing we can do. We are not part of that bandit scum and that's all we can say" the rest of the dinner was quite as they all ate and thought about what will happen when The Lord arrived.
   Screams woke Audra from her sleep that night distant shrieks and howls could be heard coming from the town. An eerie glow peered though the gaps in her window curtains. Audra climbed out of bed and slowly snuck to the window before she could make it to her window her father burst through the door.
" Audra hurry come with me we must get you to shelter" why her she thought. She grabbed the blue rabbit that had seemed to magically appear on her bed and ran downstairs with her father. She followed him out behind the house as a faint orange glow came from the town. farther and farther they ran until a small metal building appeared. Her father grabbed her arm and shoved her into the building.
" wait" she screamed " where's nico"
Her father looked away in sadness. No he couldn't be
" I don't know he wasn't in his room" that meant he could still be alive, she hoped. The door shut with those words and Audra was left alone in the dark room. Left alone with her rabbit.
" you'll protect me won't you meymey" as if alive the rabbit gave a slight nod. She squeezed him tight scared and not knowing what was going on. " help me get out of here" she whispered to the rabbit
The rabbit sprang to life and jumped out her arms. It disappeared into the darkness of the room returning seconds later with a huge tool box containing a sledgehammer an axe a drill matches and a flare. Lighting the flare for light she took the drill and loosened the hinges on the door. Still locked on the outside she took the sledge hammer and pounded it against the door until it was loose enough to knock down with her body. She sprang towards it pushing all her might into it it fell over at impact. Standing up from the door she grabbed her rabbit and headed toward the glowing orange town. When she arrived at the town she couldn't believe what she was seeing. Bodies lay strewn all over the ground most she knew friend s of hers and her family. Tears streamed down her face as she stared silently at the horror in front of her. She slowly started to walk through the town looking on in shock as most buildings were ash and the ones that weren't were close. She wandered the dead town alone and everywhere she looked bodies lay wide eyed staring into nothing and buildings had burnt to the ground. It felt like forever till she heard anything. A cough came from the side of a burning building. After removing some rubble she recognized her fathers face. "Audra!" He exclaimed " what are you doing you should be back in the shelter" he coughed harder this time spitting up blood in the process. " what's going on" she asked horrified ignoring the statement her father had said." Bandits, they raided the town killing everyone.please Audra you must go they could still be here." They killed everyone? Audra thought of nico, she hadn't seem him among the bodies she passed but there were still more up ahead. He fathers body stopped moving and she realized he was gone. She sobbed into her fathers still chest. This couldn't happen. Why? why was this happening? She stayed next to her father for a little bit longer before going to look for nico. She staggered down the street distraught . She hoped only to find her brother alive if she didn't she had no one left. She saw no sight of her brother as she kept walking through the town. She stopped in front of the now rubble haven so many people remembering how just this morning she had brought them food and the smiles that shone of their faces when she would visit. She shook with anger, how could anyone be this cruel. She noticed a giant shadow deep in the rubble of the building and went to go look at it. Covered in ash she could still tell it was some sort of tank, for water , maybe. As she reached her hand out to brush some ash off she heard a voice scream behind her. She turned around quickly enough to see the face for Bren appear behind her " noooo!"was all she heard Himyarites before orange and red colors shot her through the air making her collide into a brick wall of a building adjacent to the haven. She lay lifeless on the ground light fading for her eyes. Before blackness took her she heard voices a few feet away. " alright the task as been completed inform the black raven" she heard a voice say. Blackness took her quickly and she knew this was it she was dying.