Here Shines the Sun Read Online Free PDF

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    The first light of dawn had begun to creep up from the horizon as Rook found himself at the outskirts of town where the Caelestia River and the Great Narberia River met. The Caelestia originated far in the north, beyond even the mountains and Wildlands of Narbereth where nobody was allowed to go. Some said the Caelestia flowed all the way from the forbidden lands of Duroton where it finally emptied into the Lake of the Eagles. The Great Narberia River originated in the east, not far from Rothara where Rook first came to Narbereth. From there it flowed across the lands and disappeared down into the kingdom of Penatallia.
    The intersection of the two rivers made the city of Bellus a rather busy merchant stop—too busy, actually, for the city’s size. Bellus was by no means equipped to handle the traffic here at the docks and the two rivers could get backed up for a mile in all directions on busy days. The crafty merchants of Bellus, however, liked it this way and had done all they could over the years to keep Bellus from expanding. The heavy patrols of city guard were so busy trying to police the area while simultaneously checking cargo and collecting taxes and tariffs that it was easy to slip things in and out with secrecy. For Rook, this meant he had an easy time getting Gabidar to traffic goods bound for Jerusa out of the city. Unfortunately, Rook also knew that this made Bellus a hub of illegal slave trading, something he despised.
    Slaves were perfectly legal in Bellus; Rook and Kierza were both technically slaves. However, slaves who had bought their freedom were supposed to be off-limits and it was illegal to recycle them back into slavery. Unfortunately, the permanent brands upon their necks made it very easy to kidnap them and smuggle them into different parts of Narbereth where nobody would be the wiser, and where it would be all but impossible for the slave to prove his freedom. Similarly, people from other countries—especially Jerusa—were often kidnapped and brought into Narbereth and systematically branded for slavery. Rook himself had been victim to that crime. Rook despised the slave trade and tried his best to deter it, but as a slave himself, there was very little he could do. Gabidar used to be part of the slave trades until Rook made it more profitable for him to traffic goods and food for the people of Jerusa, and to bring back exotic items from other lands as he looked for his sister, Ursula.
    This morning, however, Rook was not thinking about the slave trades. He was, however, more thankful than ever that the docks were so crowded. Although he looked more a merchant than a slave in his nice outfit of black shirt and pants, carrying with him a large sack of goods, the slave brand on his neck would give him away if any took the time to look. He had left without telling his father, Callad, and therefore did not have his slave bracelet on. Without his slave bracelet, he was technically not allowed to be out in the streets. A slave without a bracelet often meant he was skipping out on his master, or out and about when he should not be. The bracelets were used by slave masters to declare where their slaves were allowed to go, and they were also used to declare what their slaves were allowed to carry with them, especially in terms of money. Rook knew that if he were to be stopped by a guard while carrying what he had, he would certainly be beaten and arrested. Thankfully, the falling star had stirred the entire city into an uproar, and although the guards were out in force, they were too busy controlling crowds or gossiping among themselves to bother patting slaves down.
    Trusting his luck, Rook quickly made his way down the crowded streets that lined the docks. Here there were warehouses with adjoining homes everywhere, mostly owned by the wealthy merchants. There were also a number of inns and taverns, and around those the crowds of excited people were thickest. Gabidar himself owned a