A welcome distraction II

But their exploration of Eaglestone wasn't over. From the look on Lirien's face Agor knew it "What's next " he asked.

"There are some really dangerous places you have yet to see," she whispered, a mischievous glint in her eyes.

Ronan and Malik, always up for an adventure, readily agreed. Agor, despite a nagging feeling of unease, found himself going along with it. He didn't want to seem like a scared child.

They ventured into the labyrinthine back alleys, the vibrant colors of the market fading into muted grays and browns. The air grew thick with the smell of stale ale and something else… something acrid and unsettling. The laughter and chatter of the market were replaced by hushed whispers and furtive glances.

"This is where things get interesting," Lirien murmured, her voice laced with a mix of excitement and apprehension.

As they rounded a corner, they stumbled upon a disturbing scene. Two burly men were beating a man against a wall, their faces contorted with rage. The man on the ground groaned in pain, his pleas for mercy ignored.

Agor froze, his heart pounding in his chest. He had never seen such violence before on a fellow human. Ronan and Malik exchanged terrified glances, their earlier bravado vanished.

"We should go," Malik whispered, his voice trembling.

Lirien nodded, her eyes wide with fear. "Yeah, let's get out of here , this wasn't what I had in mind."

They turned to flee, but one of the men spotted them. He snarled, "You kids! Come here here for a sec!"

Fear propelled them backwards. They ran as fast as their legs could carry them, the image of the beaten man burned into their minds. In the confusion, they got separated. Agor found himself alone with Lirien.

They darted down a narrow passageway, their breath coming in ragged gasps.

"Where does this go?" Agor asked, his voice shaking.

Lirien shrugged, her eyes darting around nervously.

"I don't know," she whispered.

"But anywhere is better than staying there."

"Well...Let's head forward" Agor whispered

The passageway opened into a small courtyard, shrouded in shadows. A flickering light spilled from a nearby doorway, accompanied by muffled sounds.

"What's that?" Agor asked, his curiosity piqued despite his fear.

Lirien hesitated. "I… I don't know," she stammered.

They crept closer to the doorway, peering inside. The scene that greeted them was… confusing. A man and a woman were lying on a bed, their bodies intertwined. The woman was moaning softly, and the man was moving rhythmically. Agor and Lirien exchanged puzzled glances. They didn't understand what they were seeing, but it made them feel… uncomfortable.

"Let's go," Lirien whispered, pulling Agor away.

She hurriedly dragged Agor , back the way they came, their faces flushed and their hearts still pounding. They didn't speak until they reached the relative safety of the main street.

"What was that?" Agor finally asked, his voice filled with confusion.

Lirien shrugged, her cheeks still flushed. "I… I don't know," she mumbled.

"But it was weird."

Agor looked at her flushed face but said nothing.

They continued their walk quietly, the earlier excitement of their adventure replaced by a sense of unease. The dark corners of Eaglestone had shown them a side of the city they hadn't expected to see, it was both frightening and confusing.

As silence between them stretched, heavy with unspoken questions. Agor felt a strange mix of curiosity and discomfort.

He glanced at Lirien again, but she seemed equally preoccupied, her gaze fixed on the cobblestones beneath her feet.

"Did you… did you see what that was?" he finally asked, his voice hesitant.

Lirien shrugged, her cheeks still flushed. "I told you, I don't know," she mumbled, but her tone suggested she might know more than she was letting on. She avoided his gaze.

They walked in silence for a while longer, the sounds of the city seeming amplified in the sudden quiet. The boisterous market, the laughter of children, the shouts of vendors – it all felt distant now, a world away from the shadows they had just explored.

"My mother told me…," Lirien began, then stopped, as if unsure whether to continue.

"Told you what?" Agor prompted, his curiosity piqued.

Lirien hesitated, then took a deep breath. "She told me there are places in Eaglestone… places where bad things happen," she whispered. "Places where people pay … to do things they shouldn't."

Agor frowned, confused. "Those kind of things?"

Lirien shrugged again, her face a mask of discomfort. "I don't know," she mumbled. "She said I was too young to understand."

Agor didn't press her further. He sensed that she was uncomfortable talking about it, and he didn't want to make her feel worse since she was the one that brought up the idea. But the image of the couple on the bed, their bodies intertwined, lingered in his mind. He didn't understand what he had seen, but he knew it was something… different. Something that made him feel uneasy and joyful at the same time.

"Would they be Ok?" Agor asked

"Who? the boys ,Nah.. don't bother yourself , the probably somewhere running from another mischief" Lirien chipped in.

They soon reached a fork in the road. Lirien pointed down a narrow alleyway.

"This way," she said. "It's a shortcut to the upper districts."

The alleyway was even darker and more cramped than the streets they had just left. The buildings loomed over them, blocking out what little sunlight remained. The air was damp and cold, and the silence was broken only by the sound of their footsteps echoing on the cobblestones.

"Where are we going this time?" Agor asked, his voice barely above a whisper.

"Don't worry, this is different," Lirien replied, her voice a little bolder now.

"We're going to the upper districts. Where the… wealthy folks live."

As they continued down the alleyway, Agor couldn't shake the feeling that they were being watched. He glanced around nervously, but he didn't see anyone. Still, the feeling persisted, a prickling sensation on the back of his neck.

They finally emerged from the alleyway into a wider street. The buildings here were taller and grander, made of marble instead of stone. The air was cleaner, and the sounds of the city were less chaotic. This was the upper district, the home of the wealthy merchants, the powerful nobles, and the Summoners themselves.

"Wow," Agor breathed, his eyes wide with awe. He had never seen this part of Eaglestone before. It was so different from the crowded, chaotic lower districts.

Lirien nodded, her earlier unease seemingly forgotten. "It's nice here, isn't it?" she said. "Not like those dark alleys we were just in or Garricks workshop"

Agor just nodded as he continued to stare in awe of the beauty before him

Gradually and steadily they continued walking, their footsteps echoing on the clean, paved streets. They passed elegant shops, their windows filled with displays of fine clothing, jewelry, and other luxury goods. They saw well-dressed men and women strolling by, their faces serene and untroubled.

"This is where the rich people live," Lirien explained. "They have big houses and lots of servants. They don't have to worry about things like… like getting lost in the dark or… or seeing things they shouldn't."

Agor nodded again, his gaze fixed on the grand buildings around him. He wondered what it would be like to live in a place like this, to have a life free from fear and uncertainty. The words of Garrick earlier came flooding back, now they began to make sense. He knew what he must do.

They reached a large square, dominated by a towering stone building. "That's the Citadel," Lirien said, pointing to the building. "That's where the Summoners live."

Agor's eyes widened.

He gazed at the Citadel, trying to picture them inside, training, preparing for battle. He wondered if he would ever meet one of them, if he would ever have the chance to see them in action.

Suddenly, Lirien grabbed his arm. "Come on," she whispered. "I want to show you something."