Knight of Visions by Eric T. Knight

Author:Eric T. Knight [Knight, Eric T.]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2020-06-04T22:00:00+00:00

Chapter 23

The square inside the main gates was busy, filled with people leaving and entering the city, merchants, farmers, laborers, servants. Numerous stalls sold food and drinks to the recent arrivals.

There were also lots of beggars, most sitting up against the walls of the buildings that fronted the square, others perched around the large statue. Many were visibly disabled, missing hands or feet. Jarryd saw a blind man, his eyes cloudy white. There was an old lady with open sores on her face, holding up a battered tin cup. A surprising number of them were children, thin and dirty, wearing rags.

The beggars affected him strongly. Before going to Rensfire, he’d never seen one before. There weren’t any beggars in Creekside. If someone was too sick or injured to take care of themselves, people pitched in and helped them. He’d helped old lady Ferah fix her roof after her husband died. And there was the year that floods swept away most of Kremer’s crops. People shared food with him and his family to get them through the winter.

He wondered why no one was helping these people. Couldn’t the other citizens see they were in need? Yet most people seemed not to see them at all. They hurried by with their eyes averted. He saw one man, clearly wealthy by his fine robes, actually kick one of the beggar children when the boy asked him for coin.

Jarryd was wandering around the square aimlessly when suddenly he sensed a strong flow of kriyana. Excitement rose in him and he stopped, trying to figure out where it was coming from. There were so many people rushing this way and that that it was hard to tell, but after a bit he decided it was stronger to his right, so he went that way.

The kriyana grew stronger for a dozen paces or so, and then began to fade. He doubled back. Once again, the kriyana grew stronger, then started fading.

He moved back to where the kriyana was strongest and turned slowly around. All around him were people hurrying about their day. Yet the kriyana was staying steady. That meant whoever it was had to be stationary.

But the only person nearby who was stationary was a beggar boy sitting on the ground, leaning against the wall. He looked to be a couple of years younger than Jarryd. His face was smeared with dirt, his clothes filthy and torn, his brown hair roughly-cut almost to the scalp.

Jarryd took a few steps closer. The kriyana grew stronger. He felt confused. Could this boy really be the recruit he was looking for? It didn’t seem possible.

He moved over to the wall a few paces from the boy and leaned against it casually. Surreptitiously, he held out one hand and closed his eyes. He could feel the kriyana radiating off the boy, like a warm sensation on his palm. There was no doubt it was radiating off him. This had to be the person he’d sensed last night.

“Quit it.”

Jarryd started and opened his eyes.

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