Kaito Silverleaf's Arc

Chapter 2 of 5

Kaito landed his winged tiger outside the town at dusk. He pulled his hood low and walked the crowded street alone. He needed food, water, and a place to sleep before the tower. But as he passed a fruit stall, the marks on his arm flared bright under his sleeve. An old elf woman saw the glow through the cloth. She screamed and backed into her baskets. Others turned. Kaito ran. The marks burned hotter the closer he came to people. He learned the pattern fast. A child near a well pointed at him. A merchant dropped his coins and fled. Everywhere elves looked at Kaito and saw something wrong. He could not buy bread. He could not rest. Each closed door pushed him toward the empty edge of town. One shop still glowed with lamplight. A stout dwarf stood in the doorway, wiping his hands on a leather apron. His beard was thick and gray, his forearms scarred and inked. He watched Kaito stumble near, then glanced at the crowd chasing him off. "You're the one lighting up the street," the shopkeeper said. He did not flinch. "Come inside before they fetch the guard." Kaito froze. "You see them and you're not afraid?" "I'm no elf, boy. Their old fears aren't mine." He jerked his head toward the door. "Garrick Thornwell. Move." Kaito slipped inside. Garrick barred the door and drew the shutters. Shelves crowded the small room, packed with jars and rolled leather. He poured water into a cup and set down a loaf of bread. Kaito drank fast, his hands still shaking. "The marks glow when I'm near people," Kaito said. "I can't hide it. I can't stop it." Garrick took Kaito's arm and studied the dark curls of ink. He pressed one with a thick thumb. The glow dimmed under his touch. "Old blood," the dwarf said. "The elves smell it and run. But glow is just skin. It won't kill you." He crossed to a shelf and pulled down a small tin. Inside was gray paste that smelled of ash. "Rub this on. Dulls the light for a day, maybe two. Enough to travel unseen." Kaito smeared the paste across his forearm. The glow faded to nothing. For the first time since he fled home, his skin lay quiet. "Where are you headed?" Garrick asked. "A ruined tower. A master there reads the old blood." Garrick's face changed. He set both hands on the counter. "I know the man. I sold him supplies for years, then he stopped coming." He met Kaito's eyes. "He's alive. But he doesn't teach for free, and he doesn't teach kindly. Take the north road at first light. And keep that arm covered even when it's dark." Kaito nodded. He had his rest, his bread, and now a road. But the paste would fade in two days, and the town behind him already knew his face.