August 12, 1887

"Greetings, my fellow citizens," Airel Arystenn cleared his throat, visibly nervous. The young baker was quite spent, and his muscles ached from lugging sacks of flour, but he could not afford to lose his opportunity to address the crowd. He had done far too much to gain the Magistrate's approval.

"I know that there are some of you here who worship the wall," he began, gesturing to the aged stone structure that was just visible over his right shoulder. "And it is true, that wall offers us many benefits. It provides us with protection from the wild beasts that roam the forests outside, and the barbarians who would come at night to take our food and our children. But, is that truly what we want?" He asked, his eyes shining with passion.

"Our little township of Glaisse-Altair is all we know, yet it is only a minute fraction of this planet. There is a whole world out there just waiting for us, completely unexplored! It is time for us to stop worshiping the wall! It is time for us to cross our boundaries and delve into the-"

"That will be enough!" The Magistrate of Glaisse roared from his raised seat at the rear of the outraged crowd.

"You can't silence us anymore!" Airel yelled. "I know I'm not the only one who's tired of doing the same thing day after day, toiling with no hope of growth or change. I know there are others who want to rise up and become pathfinders for future generations!"

"Step down at once, Arystenn!" The Magistrate snarled, his fat upper lip curling menacingly.

"Yes, sir," Airel gulped, rushing away from the center of the square, accompanied by the jeers of the crowd.

He pulled his dusty cloak over his curly black hair in an attempt to disguise himself so that he might return faster to the safety of his home. However, he was stopped by two men wearing the township's insignia.

"The Magistrate wishes to see you, sir," one of them said gruffly, his hold on the back of Airel's cloak tightening.

"Not answering a personal summons from Lord DeGlann is a crime," the other added when Airel continued to ignore them.

"I am aware of that," the baker said sourly, reluctantly following the guards across the cobblestone street to where the Magistrate sat, his corpulent figure pompously perched on a decorated armchair.

"It continues to elude me how I possibly allowed my daughter to marry a madman such as yourself," he scowled.

"This is no fault of Thalayna's," Airel said firmly. "She repeatedly warned me to remain at home."

"As a sensible wife should," the Magistrate nodded. "I hesitate to imprison you because you are my son-in-law, but I must strongly advise you once again to refrain from publicly discussing controversial and provoking topics."

"Tell me, good sir, what is controversial about the idea that every man deserves freedom?" Airel hissed. "What is so wrong about my desire to free us from the constricting claws of that infernal wall?"

"It is because of the wall that this township survives," the Magistrate narrowed his eyes menacingly.

"It's not a township," Airel shook his head. "It's a prison!"

"You will never change, will you?" The Magistrate sighed. "At least you keep Thalayna happy. That is what matters...I suppose."

"Thank you, sir," Airel gave him a measured nod. "Good day to you."

"And to you, Airel."

The baker quickly adjusted his cloak and took his leave of his ruler. It was only a short walk from the square to his residence- nothing was very far apart in the tiny township- but, for him, it would be torturous.

"Look, it's Addled Arystenn!" Someone jeered as he passed, his head held low. "Says he wants to go out past the wall, he does."

"He should go ahead," another voice joined in. "It'd spare us the trouble of listening to his idiotic speeches."

As usual, Airel pretended that he hadn't heard.

"How was the speech?" Thalayna asked casually as her husband entered the bakery. Her brown hair was pulled into a bun at the base of her neck, and her skirts ruffled gently as her long, dainty fingers wrapped strings of dough into pretzels.

"Humiliating, as usual," Airel sighed, removing his cloak and hanging it on a hook by the door.

"Why must you embarrass yourself so?" Thalayna clucked disapprovingly, walking out from behind the counter to give Airel a mug of warm coffee. "You know how much my father resents your ideas."

"Glaisse-Altair deserves more than a wall, and I'm going to show everyone that. I don't care who stands in my way...even if it's your father."

"Don't get yourself into trouble with him! Please, Airel, I'm begging you. You know he's despised you since our wedding day. You will bring about your own doom!"

"I'm not rich and important enough for his daughter, right?" Airel raised an eyebrow. "A simple baker is too lowly for the Magistrate's little princess."

"Airel..."

"That's his problem, isn't it? Tell him I'm going to leave the township and make millions of duvats! Tell him that Arystenn will become such a great name, no one will even remember who the DeGlanns are!"

"Have you forgotten that you have a wife and a son?" Thalayna cried, gesturing to her chest and then to the infant who lay on a quilt to her right, gnawing on a pretzel.

"But, I-"

"You are never leaving Glaisse-Altair. Period."