I hope you enjoy this chapter. It is more of a filler but that is because I am studying for my GCSE's so I cant write much. Hope you really enjoy it however.

The sun was high in the sky, filling the shadows with light. The air seemed to still be echoing with the sounds of the mid-bell that went five minutes ago. A soft murmur of voices coming from around the pair could be heard every where. Novices walked through the grounds basking in the sun, forgetting most of what was taught to them a few minutes ago. It was the perfect autumn day and nothing was going to take away the last few hours of sun they had until the winter months came.

Many Novices bowed to lady Sonea passed and waved at Akkara, whom was beside her. Magicians were nod their head but continue about their journey through the grounds. Iron gates stood tall and proud as they were opened by to guards standing high in tall white bricked towers on either side of the gates.

Sonea's robe pocket jingled as the money in it rattled, and Akkara turned to look at it, before shrugging then turning away. Trying to keep her feet balanced on the cobbled streets of the inner circle she was taken in between all of the houses, through ally ways and through secret doors. Wondering where she was heading to Akkara looked around the new outer circle. Most houses were being re-built and so many people's lives were being changed for the better.

Akkara had heard of a five day battle in Imardin from the conversations she had over heard. She knew that it involved her mother, it was the reason she was the only black robed magician in the entire guild, and her father, who died without knowing she existed. Akkara longed, dreamed, starved for information about her father. What did he look like? What his name was? When and how they met each other. Akkara knew that if she asked these questions then her mother would become upset, start to cry, hug her, and tell her that she was loved very much, and then Sonea would send Akkara up to bed

As Sonea and Akkara continued to walk along the enclosed path ways, Akkara noticed that the tall leaning buildings around them were getting shabbier and shabbier. This was part of the slums, her aunt and uncle lived in. However, Sonea had offered and begged Jonna to allow her to buy a house for them and their two children. Jonna would not have any of it. She was a headstrong and stubborn women, she liked to do things on her own and would not accept any ‘charity’. Sonea had even asked Ranel to try and persuade his wife to accept Sonea’s money. He had refused saying “It is best to listen to your aunt upon matters like this.” Still Sonea would not back down. Insisting that it was not charity. Meerly a gift. But no the results were always the same. Ranel would take the kids out when the two grown women were fighting. only to bring them back two hours later and recieve a scolding from the women about stress and worry about their babies. Then Sonea would grab Akkara's hand and tell her it wa stime to go. While waving at the family of four saying "Thank you" and "Come and visit sometime in the holidays." It was an amusing event.

Their house was a small, terrace. It had two bedroom house with a small sitting area and a small eating area downstairs. The toilet was outside, under half of the balcony and there was a small porch. The house was made of washed out wood that leaked during the winter months. The house had no carpet but rather dark wooden flooring filled with holes and dead spiders. It used to be part of the well built bit of the slums three years ago. Now it was part of the worst and looked as though it would collapse inward at any second.

Akkara however did not mind where her relatives lived. Her aunt Jonna would always make sure she was coping around the magicians, making sure she wasn’t becoming spoilt or lazy. Uncle Ranel would tell her stories of her mother when she was little. If her mother aunt and uncle were busy then she would head into the next room to play with her cousins: Hania, whom was 3 years old and Kerrel who was 5 years.

Akkara loved to play under the balcony of the house and would sometimes go and explore the surrounding area. Trying to look for her friend Ceryni or Farin. It was always an interesting time, at her aunt’s place. Se would play for hours with the stones that could be found, using them for marbles, or looking around for a bunch of twigs, sticks and branches to play sword fighting with.

Akkara’s mum had told her that they would need two spare sets of clothes. One for today and the other for tomorrow. A small bag told Akkara that they would be sleeping over in another house next door to her aunt and uncle’s, that Sonea said she would convert into one big house. Having already bought the house and settled it with her uncle Sonea knew that they just needed to tell Jonna today then tomorrow while they were at the races, a group of thieves (Cery, Sevi, and Faren) would re-do what they could on the houses in order to make them more habitual.

Turning a corner Akkara smelt the over bearing stentch of toilet and rotten food mixed with fresh flowers. Along with the sight of the rundown cottage, Looking around further Akkara could see dead farin, gorin, limek. All over the place. She now was begining to understand her mothers insistance of a bath and check up before and after their visits. And the reason Sonea wished for them to move. It was a breeding palace for illness and a death factory for the unfortunate and the ignorant human.

Thank you for reading. Please review flames and one worders are accepted. As are anomynous. Thanks

XXX&XXXFallen-Petals15XXX&XXX

ps. I dont mean to be pushy but I'd like around a total of 25 reviews before the next chapter.