This town was mostly moody and grey, not just because the sky remained dull for nearly half of the year. But because of the poverty level.
It was normal for the wealthiest person here to have three shirts and two pants that they regulated all year round—several years if they still fit. Others usually had to patch up old clothes to make anything decent enough to cover the important parts.
The tradition of passing one's used clothes to the next generation was not only seen as kind but also necessary. Other than that, most clothes were made out of Sack and specially processed tree fibers.
It was not the best and made the skin itch, but it did do the job of hiding nakedness.
For all these reasons and more, the entourage that just entered Soren's town stood out like fireworks against the night sky.
They call them 'Judicators of the Glass.' A branch of the Empire's Grand Knights of Soulbound Warriors.
In front were two men in immaculate uniforms, riding on white horses. It was as if dust dared not touch them. The cloaks they wore were deep imperial blue, fastened with silver clasps shaped like mecha heads. On one side of their breastplates was the sigil of the empire, and on the other side was their Mecha badge, shaped like two angelic wings about to shake hands. This was proof of their positions as Soul Mecha pilots.
At their sides, attached to their waist belts, were their Glasshearts. They were no larger than a clenched fist—an immaculately designed artefact that allowed Soulbound warriors to carry along the souls they had bound with.
Soren, in the crowd, could not hold back. "Soul Mecha Pilots... Those are real Soul Mecha Pilots." His eyes shone in excitement as he grabbed Pencil by the neck, shaking him profusely. Pencil, on the other hand, was suffering from both the cow dung smell coming from Soren and a lack of sufficient oxygen to his lungs.
But there was more. Behind, similarly on horseback but dressed differently, were Soulbound Knights. They were all in bright green tunics. These were not Soul Mecha pilots but were also Soulbound, each one having their swords and Glasshearts at their side.
Most interestingly, two of them had physical deformity. One with two horns on his head, and another with what appeared to be a tail.
Soren had heard of this. Souls and curses.
In total, there were eight soulbound knights.
Lastly, and coming behind them all, was a carriage with beautiful gold lining moving without wheels nor pulled by horses. Instead, it hovered not so far from the ground, trailing motes of pale-gold light as it moved.
Soren had heard of this kind of carriage. They were made with a very rare and expensive metal. "Soul steel..." he muttered. When he was very little, old man Machos had gotten his hands on some and showed it to him in the workshop.
That had been the size of a baby's pinky, and the old man treasured it like a second life. Then again, that one had been forged with the technology of the fourth generational war. It was far better than what was used to create the trash mecha of the third generational war.
The price of that pinky-sized treasure had left Soren's mouth open. This much to make the carriage could probably buy the lives of everyone in their town three times over.
Many of the town's folks threw their shredded blankets on the road. It was their welcome for such distinguished guests. Others went on their knees and sang praises; some just watched, too stunned to react. This was probably the most diverse range of expressions these normally gloomy people had made all year round.
Many of them, Soren believed, could only make two expressions: frowning and... hopelessness.
The two Soul mecha pilots in front moved with observable pride. One was older and looked to be in his sixties, and the other was younger—in his mid-twenties. Both of them gave the aura of incredible discipline. It was not just their dressing; their well-trimmed haircut was also immaculate.
"It stinks here, Commander Jared. Why do we have to suffer the unfortunate fate of coming to such a disgusting place?" The younger one lamented, using a handkerchief to cover his nose as he SPAT to the side.
"You know why, Boyed. We have already talked about this." His colleague answered with a smile. "Lilies always grow in muddy ponds. Besides, you should have thought of that 'nastysensitivity' of yours before becoming a Judicator of the Glass. Now, let's get this over with. We still have two more towns to..."
"MURDERERS!!!" An old man screaming interrupted them.
The rest of the town were dressed badly. But the old man that limped towards them was on another level. Leaves covered his lower body, and aside from his bushy hair that carried twigs and the occasional beetles forming a family there, he also had a bad right leg with an abnormally large toe.
"Murderers. You are all murderers. You keep us poor and unhealthy just to harvest quality Soulbound warriors. How many of us have to die, huh? How many of us have to suffer for your vain glory...?" he approached in anger. But the Soulbound Knights behind rushed in front, a few of them unsheathing their swords—
"WAIT!" a tall dark man with a monocle rushed over screaming. "Please... please, don't mind him. He is just a madman." He stood before the 'town's madman' and the knights. "Please, benevolent Knights of the empire, forgive him and his rumbling conspiracies."
Even though the tall dark man said this, the knights did not bring down their weapons. Not until Commander Jared gave the signal with a finger. Of course, the man with the monocle had already begun to sweat buckets.
"Go on..." Commander Jared permitted, his casual smile never leaving his face. "I see that you are better dressed than all the others. You must be the mayor, right?"
"Ex... Exactly, my lord. I am." He bowed deep, lowering his frame as respectfully as he could. "Please, we have been expecting your arrival. If you will come this way, my wife has prepared some tea and..."
SPIT!
Boyed spat again, no doubt showing his disgust at the mayor's invitation. But the mayor was not in the slightest offended. The most expensive tea he could afford was not worthy enough to wash the feet of these men.
To touch their tongues would be grace.
Commander Jared only gave a side glance, then continued. "That will not be necessary. Have the children ready to 'Touch the Glass' immediately."
"Yes, my lord. Of course, my lord." He bowed again and again. So deep, he might have been smelling his underside.
The madman behind tried to push his way past the mayor. But the mayor was no doubt experienced at his job. Handling such a problem was what he lived for.
Vexing a Soulbound Warrior was a literal death sentence. There were rumors of whole towns, several times bigger than this one, that had been emptied overnight, simply because they disrespected a Soulbound warrior. What would happen when that Soul Bound Warrior was a Knight of the Empire?
Grabbing the madman's mouth and pulling him away with much difficulty, the mayor maintained his smile at all times.
"But you know, the madman is not wrong." Boyed commented.
"He doesn't have to be. Whether they know it or not, it does not change a thing. Souls beyond the Glass are attracted to negative energy. The more hopeless, bitter, and resentful the people are, the stronger the attraction of a powerful soul. It's better to keep them groveling in the dirt." He turned to Boyed; his smile had gotten wider. "Their suffering is a worthy sacrifice for the prosperity of the EMPIRE."
For a second, a kind of chill ran down Boyed's spine. He quickly looked away. This commander of his always carried a smile, but that never explained his cruel heart.
—-
In no time, the place was set for the 'Touching the Glass' Ceremony to begin.
Two Soulbound Knights approached the Hovering Carriage, and from its rear, they unlocked a compartment. With careful movements that seemed almost reverent, they slid out a long, metallic apparatus mounted on a collapsible stand.
Soren had heard that Soulbound warriors had superhuman strength as a result of their bond with their Shade—bounded Souls. But it still took four knights to lift the elegantly looking device.
It was shaped like a cannon fused with a cathedral organ. Its body was smooth, having pale alloy plates layered over exposed coils of glassy tubing that pulsed with a kind of faint but obvious ghostly light. There were also runes etched on its frame and thin copper pipes that occasionally released faint wisps of white steam. Lastly, at the center sat a pale blue crystal core that spun slowly in a gyroscopic ring like an artificial heart.
All eyes were instantly drawn to it.
"That must be it..." Tommy muttered.
"The Changer of Fates..." Pencil added.
"Instrument of the gods..." Soren continued.
"The Glassbreaker." All three boys mused.
It was brought to the center of the town, not so far from the old rusted Soul Mecha. And then it was activated on Commander Jared's order.
HUUUUMMMMMM... it roared to life, sending a beam of blue light into the nothingness. And then space fractured like the webbed home of a spider.
"Careful now," Commander Jared ordered. "Too much, and an Eldritch soul will be able to break in."
The Soulbound knights regulated the device as instructed. No one wanted an Eldritch soul to pass through. Although they were called 'Souls,' they were more matter-like, like flesh or rock, than actual apparitions.
On the other hand, the souls that were bound to the commander and the rest of his entourage had no solid form but were more like fire or lightning.
The mayor immediately stepped towards the crowd. "Okay now. If you know you passed the qualification test, come up here with your badges."
Immediately, the eleven that had made it rushed forward.
Only eleven of them, but their excitedness was displayed in pushing to be first.
Those ones that unfortunately did not meet the criteria could only look on in envy. In fact, everyone looked on in envy. But there was nothing they could do. Only curse their ancestors for their useless genetics.
The first person stepped up. It was Pencil.
He was the first to step up, only because he was too heavy for the others to push out of the way.
"Hmm... Now, we even have pigs trying to touch the Glass." Boyed muttered in disgust. But that did not stop Pencil.
"Step forward, and reach your hand to the cracks." One of the Soulbound Knights ordered.
The moment he did, a low hum was heard. And then it echoed.
[Author's Note: Please add the book to your library. Let's see if I surprise you guys with this one. Thank you.]