The Ace Read online

  CHAPTER ONE

  Fire at Hartaidge

  1845 - The Hartaidge Orphanage

  Three months after the rebellion of Ace, fifteen year old Adrian Blackheart was playing Barracks with his mother on the kitchen table. He checked the last remaining three cards in his hand - two Queens and one King. His mother who was sitting opposite to him had a slight smirk on her face, which was sign of him losing the game.

  “You didn’t cheat, did you?” Adrian asked a safe question.

  Mother’s grin didn’t fade away.

  “That’s not the point. Focus on the game.”

  So far they were on a draw. Adrian had won seven cards and mother had the same amount in her stack.

  Adrian moved his eyes back to the table. In the corner of the table were the cards he had collected. Each time he had collected one card from his mother he had never forgotten to remember its class. So far he had taken five Archers and two Wizards, so the remaining three cards in mother’s hands must be the two Queens and the King - the same as him. It was all a matter of dropping out the cards in the correct order. The King defeated the Queen but two Queen Cards made the hand a draw.

  “Let’s go.”

  Both of them dropped their cards at the same time. One Queen from Adrian and one Queen from Mother.

  “Draw,” her mother said, putting both cards on a separate stack. “Nice work Adrian. But remember, luck isn’t always on your side.”

  “I understand that mother,” Adrian pulled out another card. “But I am not playing by luck. I am playing by wit.”

  “I heavily doubt that.”

  Both of them dropped their cards at the same time. One King and another King.

  “Draw.”

  Adrian was lying about him playing by his wit. He was surviving solely on his luck. But he wasn’t stupid enough to tell that in front of his mother. Wavering your confidence in front of your enemy is the last thing an opponent could do.

  “Why don’t we drop the last card as well Adrian?” his mother asked, one paper card twirling between her fingers.

  “Just accept it,” Adrian shrugged his shoulders. “The match is a draw. Both of us have the same amount of cards in each of our decks. Each set of cards have five Archers, two Wizards, two Queens and a King. I’m not an idiot enough not to know the card in your hand is a Queen. So that makes this match—”

  His mother dropped the card.

  Adrian’s smile faded away.

  An Ace?

  Lying on the front of the table, gleaming in the afternoon sunlight, was the card that held Adrian’s fifty seventh defeat.

  “Gah!” Adrian threw his card down in frustration. “How can I lose? I closely examined each of your cards just as you said. There was no way an Ace was there in it.”

  “Then you haven’t examined closely.” his mother said, packing up the cards.

  Adrian sighed and rocked back in his chair. Three years! That’s how long he had been playing cards with his mother. Now here he was, a fifteen year old boy, still not mature enough to win a card game.

  “It was a neat trick,” his mother said, slightly embracing her graying hair. “I hid the Ace among one of the cards I took from your stack, and while you were distracted, I pulled it back. It’s swift movement.”

  “It’s luck and cheating,” Adrian blurted. “What if I suddenly looked up?”

  “It is wit,” his mother smiled. “I know you never look up.”

  Adrian knew there was no point in arguing with the woman. She always had a sneaky way of winning arguments.

  “Never underestimate your opponent Adrian. Do you know why I always win against you? Because the moment I show signs of defeat you take the bait and overestimate yourself. Pride comes before fall they say.”

  “How’s the orphanage going?” Adrian asked, changing the subject. He wasn’t in the mood for the lecturing part. The lectures tend to range from one to four hours. “I saw the children playing in the ground. They seem to be happy.”

  “They are doing fine,” his mother walked over to the kitchen, where a recently heated kettle was placed. “Tea or coffee?”

  Adrian weighed the two options.

  “Tea sounds good, it’ll give me some energy boost. I need to walk from here to the school all by myself.”

  “Hire a carriage, or at least wait for the public one.”

  “I don’t have enough coins.”

  “That isn’t much of a big problem. Take a few coins from my purse.”

  As much tempting the offer was, Adrian knew how much it cost her mother to run the orphanage. Daily food for the children, their medical needs and their education - it was too much for one woman to handle alone. He never understood why the orphanage was built in the first place. When he came here at thirteen, he was surprised to see how the children were treated more comfortably compared to the other orphanages in the Outercast.

  Just as he was about to reply, the front door opened. Little Ryan came in, running with the two Alice twins.

  “We got some apples from the garden,” Ryan said, handing over one of the red fruits that grew up in the tree farther away in mother’s massive frontyard.

  Adrian smiled and shuffled little Ryan’s hair. He was a little short for a boy of twelve, but had the energy and adolescence of an eighteen year old.

  “I never knew this was the season for apples,” Adrian said, stuffing the sweet fruit into his mouth. “You guys making a salad Alice?”

  “I am not Alice,” the little blond girl pouted and showed her sister. “She’s Alice. I’m Emmie. How long does it take you to remember something simple as that?”

  Same as the cards, Adrian had a hard time distinguishing the two girls separately. They wore the same clothes, same hair style and even stayed as if glued to each other.

  “Okay Emmie, what’s so special today? Are you making the salad for me?”

  A faint blush arose in the girl’s cheek.

  “N-No, I happen to see them and decided to pick them up for a change.”

  “You told something about—” Alice began to talk, only to be swatted off by Emmie.

  “Just shut up! I didn’t say anything.”

  “Stop teasing the children Adrian,” his mother handed him a cup of tea. “When are you planning to come back again?”

  “Probably when this semester is over,” Adrian replied, slowly sipping the tea. Three years later, mother still defeated him in Barracks and three years later mother’s tea was still the best. “I still got so much studying to do before the exams. I need to get a rank if I want a scholarship to enter the Innercast.”

  Little Emmie’s face fell. And she scuttled away, mentioning something about a fruit salad.

  “It’s getting really lonely around here,” Ryan muttered. “There’s nobody to play with me anymore.”

  Adrian knew the boy was starting to mature up. Most of the children were admitted to schools after they turned twelve. But Ryan didn’t have the luxury to even go to the charity school. Mother didn’t have enough money with her to admit a second person to the school. She had used all her funds on Adrian.

  “Are you going to leave us like big brother?” Ryan asked.

  That snapped Adrian awake.

  “NO!” he stood up, momentarily losing the balance of his cup. It fell down, the glass shattering on the stone floor and warm liquid splashing on Adrian’s jeans.

  Ryan backed away. Both Emmie and Alice came running from the living room, both with inquisitive faces.

  Adrian stared at them, his face coloring up with guilt.

  “I-I’m sorry,” he sat down on the chair once again, trying not to meet little Ryan’s eyes. The memories of his brother only brought back bad memories. He had left them. And he was killed trying to do something he couldn’t achieve. The
re was no point in reminiscing about him now.

  “Come on, give your brother some space,” Mother walked back to Adrian with the dustpan to collect the shattered glasses. “Alice, go fetch some clothes. And there’s probably some trousers for Adrian stored in my cupboard. Bring one of them as well.”

  Adrian sighed, witnessing the mess he had created. It had been only a few months since the rebellion. The city was a mess. People were divided into classes. The rich and powerful Innercasts which consisted of nobles and the poor and starving Outcasts like Adrian who barely had cash enough to go to a school. Finally there was the Sweatlands, ruled by criminal overlords and drug empires.

  “Ryan, Emmie, I’ll never leave you,” he said, looking firmly at the two kids. “I’ll avenge—”

  His speech was interrupted by a scream and the noise of something heavy falling down.

  “It was one of the kids,” Mother rushed to the door, but Adrian gripped her by the arm.

  “Something is not right—”

  In the next passing second, the windows of the house shattered away and a massive column of fire roared inside.

  “Everyone GET DOWN!” Adrian yelled, pulling down mother along with him. The temperature amplified. Adrian blindly heard the kitchen utensils falling down, somethings shattering away. The flames flew above him and his skin burned with the resurging heat.

  As the flames faded, he found out most of the house was burnt down, the wooden structure weakly holding the roof that was about to fall on them. Flames were glued to wooden planks and hinges, eating away the last remaining bits of them.

  “We need to get to the basement,” Mother cried out midst the flames and the smoke. “I need to get the children.”

  Adrian didn’t let her move, instead gripped her by her arm.

  “I’ll go find them,” Adrian shouted. “Take Ryan and Emmie-”

  “EMMIE!” Ryan screamed.

  Both Adrian and Mother’s heads inevitably turned towards the girl, who was rolling down on the ground, her body engulfed in flames that slowly burned her clothes and skin away. She screamed, but instead of a voice, blood spurted out of her mouth, rolling down her cheeks and falling onto the scarred floor.

  Adrian loosened her grip on Mother and scrambled over to the little girl.

  “WATER!” he yelled. “GIVE ME SOME WATER!”

  His mother’s face stood still, her eyes wide in horror. Then slowly her expression changed, her eyes fixated on the dying body of the girl.

  “There is no water here Adrian,” she pulled out a pair of keys from her pockets and threw it to him. “Take Ryan and hide inside the basement. It’s equipped with a trap, if I get killed, you need to use it despite the consequences.”

  “Just what are you talking about? She’s dying mother! Emmie’s dying!”

  Adrian’s screams faded as the front door flew open and a figure stepped inside, his tall slender body covered by a long robe which held the crest of a tiger.

  He’s a mage, Adrian deduced as soon as he saw the crest. Why is a mage attacking the orphanage? We are Outercasts.

  In one of his hands was a lighter and in the other a can of gasoline. His eyes were covered by his overgrown hair than was falling down, but his head moved around the room, scrutinizing every detail before stopping after seeing mother.

  “Hello Queen,” he dropped the can and the lighter and from his pockets picked up several metal coins. “I was searching for you this whole time.”

  Mother stepped in front of Adrian and Ryan.

  “Leave them alone.”

  “I’m afraid that’s some request I cannot accept,” he threw the coins up. Upon mid air they merged and what fell onto his hand was a bronze dagger. “We have a score to settle.”

  In front of Adrian, the wiggling body of Emmie suddenly came to a halt and lay on the ground - still and motionless.

  “E-Emmie!”

  Adrian wanted touched her but immediately recoiled his hand after flames burnt it up. Emmie’s body lay on the ground, scarred and burnt out, skin burning on the fire.

  “Adrian, take Ryan and go!” Mother snapped. “Don’t chicken out in a moment like this!”

  “She died!” Adrian screamed. He didn’t understand how mother had grown cold all of a sudden. Behind her was the burnt body of her favorite child, and yet she managed to keep her composure.

  “Go to the basement and do what I said,” Mother gripped Ryan by his hand and pushed him over to Adrian. “Try to live or just die like Emmie. Your choice.”

  Adrian unable to accept what reality envisioned in front of him, closed his eyes, dissolving to the darkness.

  Concentrate. Keep concentrating.

  “Adrian!” mother yelled.

  Opening his eyes, Adrian gripped the numb Ryan from his arm and dashed to the exit.

  “Not so fast you little-” the attacker swung his dagger at them, but mother lifted her hands and the fire around them swirled towards the weapon, removing the dagger from the view and granting Adrian a clear path to the door.

  Adrian took one last look at the kitchen, mother, the stranger and finally the dead body of Emmie, who was supposed to make the pomegranate pudding for him. Ryan fell down. Tears were flowing from his eyes. Adrian was already starting to lose his conscience and it was no wonder the small boy was feeling was way more worser than that.

  “Come on Ryan,” he dragged him by the hand, forcing him to stand and stagger after him. “There’s no point in stopping. Just look ahead and run.”

  Ryan didn’t reply, instead let himself be dragged behind Adrian like a puppet.

  The living room was a mess. Most of the furniture was burnt out and the central door was handing loosely on its hinges, the wood bearing flames from the attack.

  Adrian ignored the ignited objects around him. He ignored everything, and instead focused on the grandfather clock in front of him. He smashed the glass with his free hand, nearly cutting it in several places, but in situations like these, pain was a trivial matter. He pulled out the two handles and smashed the cardboard dial. Inside the cogwheel mechanism was a single keyhole.

  Scrambling through the pair of keys, Adrian found out the correct one and once he inserted it, the grandfather clock slided to the right, revealing a staircase that led down into a lighted chamber. Mother had never showed him that chamber, but she had showed where to enter the key to get to the basement in case of an emergency, and it was only once. After that, he had never seen the key to the basement ever again.

  A few feet ahead of him in the kitchen, another column of fire erupted, environing the atmosphere with heat. The roof creaked, ready to fall down at any second.

  Adrian dragged Ryan down the stairs, pulling the key from the keyhole. As they descended, the door closed leaving the faint candlelights to guide them through the broken staircase.

  They reached a larger room, all made out of stone, and with chests, drawers and wardrobes kept as a perimeter around the wall. But what caught Adrian’s attention was a sole object placed on the center of the room. It was a mask - half red, half white. He had seen it before. Zayden had worn it, just before he was killed in the battlefield. But how did it fall into the hands of mother?

  His senses awakened once again as he heard the roof falling down with a gigantic roar. Adrian prayed their attacker to get caught in the tumult, but a few seconds later he heard the slashing of a sword.

  He was back.

  A trap.

  His mother told something about a trap. Adrian moved on and picked up the mask. Even though the room was dusted and looked as if it wasn’t cleaned in a couple of million years, the mask itself was still clean.

  What’s going on here?

  Adrian dashed towards the drawers and began to pull out its contents. Petrol cans, worn out garments, a few blunt weapons………there was nothing useful inside them. Adrian kept moving from cupboard to cupboard, drawer to drawer. He found nothing useful.

  A trap. I need a trap.

  Up above, he
heard the deadly scream of Mother. She was dead. The scream was enough to provide enough evidence. Adrian desperately fell onto the ground. He felt Ryan’s hand gripping him tightly.

  “P-Please,” the little boy begged, tears streaming out from his eyes. “It’s too much Adrian.”

  Adrian hugged him tighter into his chest. It all happened too fast. All was perfect a few minutes ago. He was just enjoying a cup of tea with the only family he had. What was wrong with the world?

  What would Zayden do?

  If his brother was here, he would fight. Just like his mother said, there was no point in chickening out in a moment like this. It was live or die. If he fought back, he had the possibility to win, but if he kept depressing over what happened, he’ll get the same fate as Emmie and Mother.

  Adrian slowly stood up and gripped the mask. It was the mask of Ace. The one who led the rebellion. The one who had abandoned him.

  There is a trap in the basement.

  The basement.

  Adrian got an idea. Something stupid. Something that only relied on luck and not wit.

  “Ryan,” Adrian muttered, looking at the boy. He had lost almost everything and there was only one thing he had to protect, and he was going to do his best. “Stand up. I have a plan.”

  CHAPTER TWO

  Marketplace Odds

  Three years later -:

  1848 - Agora Market, Jaywater, Outercast

  Diana hated her duty. For once she wished she had the skill to go on real missions like other rebels. But fate wasn’t so kind for her. She was stuck with her brother on another inspection round in the city market. If it was a normal market in a normal city, that would be fine as well. But this is Agora, the largest marketplace in the Outercast that consisted of 215 stalls with about a zillion people bustling to and fro, shouting in hoarse language, yelling curses and all the other basic things you can hear in a market that looked like a pigsty.

  They were passing by the meat stalls where a butcher was whacking a dead lump of meat of a dog, claiming he would sell the whole venison for twenty copper.