by Ai Meléndez
Topaz
Aeros Verses of Oceans Verse I
Ai Meléndez & K. L. Dimago
Mostly Imagination
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Aeros Verses of Oceans
Copyright © 2019 Mostly Imagination
First Edition Published by Mostly Imagination
Cover Design by Shashika2 on Fiverr
Interior Design and Typesetting by K.L. Dimago
Edited and Proofread by Jake Waller.
Printed in the United States of America.
This is a work of fiction. All names, characters, places, and incidents are products of the author’s and artist’s imaginations or are used fictionally and are not to be construed as real. Any resemblance is coincidental.
All Rights Reserved. This publication is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. No part of this publication may be resold, reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods without the prior written permission of the publisher or author, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in reviews or certain other non-commercial uses permitted by copyright law.
Summary: Mahnii begins his adventure when he encounters Celeste. When they partner with two others, they learn of a sinister plot taking over their world as well as how they are the key to saving it.
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Table of Contents
Prologue
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
About Mostly Imagination
Thank You
Land of Dragnai
Prologue
Long ago, the Dragnok lived peacefully. As dragon-kin, they enjoyed harmonious relations with dragons and shared the skies beside them. They could choose between human or dragon form and celebrated a glorious range of colors and dragon-types. As sleek humans their skin ranged from the darkest brown to the palest white, while their dragon forms were decorated with glimmering scales ranging from humble earth tones to cool skies and waters or fiery brilliance. Many Dragnok boasted smooth powerful wings and fluffy feathers. Some had eyes that humans considered natural, while others ranged all the way to the most bizarre of colors and shapes. Some even set themselves apart with small horns along their bodies or long spikes instead.
Yet peace was not to last. A shadow arose among them, spreading prejudice and hatred against the differences in appearance and ways of life. Eventually, this discord led to total separation. Those who enjoyed life in the sun, with darker skin and shining hair, began calling themselves Dragnai. They looked down on those who preferred swampland, forests and life more private and tucked away. Those who had paler skin and darker hair – and the more bizarre colors of eyes. They were called Dragnoi.
Instead of living side by side, or sharing with each other, disputes broke out. Both sides insisted the others keep to themselves. Territory borders were drawn and threats of torture and even death were made against trespassers.
No more were there celebrations of all kinds with their differences coming together. Instead, both Dragnai and Dragnoi sought to preserve their kind and remove hints of mixing altogether. Anyone who felt otherwise were banished and sent to live in isolation.
To the Dragnai king, three siblings who loved each other dearly were born: a sister and two brothers. Cel-Lok was the oldest, followed by Ru-Kai and Kami-Shi. They looked out for each other, though had their share of bickering, as all siblings do. During their innocence, the war between clans turned from threats to violent bloodshed. Some even resorted to hunting others down or ordered assassinations in their vile hatred.
As soon as they had mastered their magic, they were smuggled out of the territory by their mother, a powerful seer who feared for her children’s lives. “You must leave Aeros,” she warned them. “It’s not safe here. A great evil has taken over and I see immense darkness in our future. It will not stop with the war between the Dragnai and the Dragnoi. You must preserve our kind. Look out for each other, start life anew, my darlings. And above all else, never let hatred darken your hearts.”
She had then handed a long staff to the youngest, Kami-Shi, who had the magic of animancy. “This staff will allow you to travel between worlds, but you must only use it once. It is not good for an animancer to toy with its opposite. Keep the staff in your care for the day when the guardian of the gates – the true master of the staff – appears.” She hugged them tightly, and then stepped back as the young Dragnai lifted the staff and the three siblings vanished in a flurry of light.
Chapter 1
·-`*´-· Mahnii ·-`*´-·
“Ugh,” Merch Sy Mahnii was not looking forward to another day wasted in the merchant shop which had been part of his family for generations now. He rolled over in his bed, using his pillow to muffle the sounds of banging and thumping from downstairs. He popped open one eye, groaning again at the light filtering in through his window.
A loud crash made him slam his pillow aside and finally sit up, rubbing the grogginess from his eyes. He cursed under his breath, sliding a hand across the back of his neck and finally standing.
For as long as he could remember, he and his family had lived here in this house – if you could call it that. Upstairs was their living quarters, and downstairs was a shop. His father had been pressuring him to take over the business, but he had little interest, if any at all, in doing so.
He would much rather go on an adventure across Dragnai, this world. It was ruled by three dragon-gods who had traveled from a neighboring world and quite literally altered Dragnai forever, bringing knowledge, magic, technology, and order to what was previously a world stuck in war and chaos. In fact, legend said they had renamed the world after their kind once they had claimed rule over it.
All he’d ever seen of Dragnai was this village and the nearby market, similar to many across the realm of Ru-Kai, one of the three dragon-gods. Here, life was peaceful but incredibly boring, in his mind. He’d heard from merchants in the market that the rest of Ru-Kai’s realm was similar with green plains and smaller hills, but that Kami-Shi’s realm had huge volcanos and lava-sculpted rock and Cel-Lok’s realm was primarily mountainous with ice and snow. It wasn’t just to see the other landscapes. He wanted to meet others, learn about cultural differences, and experience more of what the world had to offer.
Thud, thud, thud.
Mahnii’s mother, Sirah looked toward the staircase as his boots announced his approach. “Well, look who’s finally awake. It’s about time you got your lazy bum out of bed and down to help the rest of us.”
“Yeah, Dad needs help and all you want to do is—” his sister, Yohri, was chiming in. She was always taking his mother’s side, dutifully at her every beck and call.
Couldn’t she think for herself? Or at least try to understand his point of view?
Yohri kept talking, but Mahnii had stopped paying attention. He gulped at a glass of water and finally moved across the shop to where his father was carefully organizing some new items on one of the shelves.
It was a merchant’s shop, whic
h meant they stocked regular supplies, and occasionally rarer items from travelers passing through. They sometimes traded goods instead of accepting money, depending on what was being offered.
Some shelves held weaponry, ranging from throwing stars and knives to larger melee weapons such as swords and axes. Other shelves had vials of potions, travelling goods like rope or blankets, dried foods and perishable goods. It was a place where he had wasted his whole life watching others start or continue their adventures, supplied by their goods, instead of going on his own.
He turned as the door to the shop creaked and then flung open. “Ah, good morning, Mahnii,” boomed a tall bulk of a man as he stepped into the shop.
Both Mahnii and his father looked up at the greeting. They were both named Mahnii, as all of the men in the family were. It was so… boring.
His father, Merch Siris Mahnii, raised a hand, a wide grin sweeping across his face. “Bolsh! What have you got for me this time?”
Mahnii scowled, pretending to focus on the items his father had been organizing.
“Sy,” his mother’s voice was shrieking. It was the only way to distinguish each Mahnii in a generation – the middle name.
He frowned, glancing toward her.
“I need you to go to market. We need bread and eggs and some other supplies. I’ve made you a list.”
He looked at the crinkled white parchment in her hand, back toward her creased face, and finally at her tapping foot. It wasn’t that he didn’t want to go – he loved the opportunities to go to market. He just hated the way his mother made it seem like another chore. He smiled as he grabbed the parchment from his mother and headed out the door. “Off to market, then.”
‘Ah, fresh air.’ He breathed in deeply, inhaling the scents of sage, ferns, and wildflowers.
Going to market was his one time to get away from his family and pretend that he wasn’t destined to be a shop owner. He barely noticed the path as he made the familiar trip, his feet automatically knowing where to go.
He kept hoping that one day, opportunity would present itself, but it seemed fate was stingy.
At last, the dull roar of sellers trying to snag passers-by, gypsies, and buyers clamoring for goods reached his ears. Nothing ever changed. Soon the familiar buildings and stalls came into view. The buildings, though worn, still stood tall and were scattered along the streets which turned in every direction. Both between and in front of those buildings were stalls with tents hung over to keep the sellers and goods shaded. There was every kind of merchandise someone could think of with barrels stacked high and crates crammed together.
It was only a small market by the village, similar to most of the markets in this realm, but it had everything he would need.
Mahnii moved toward one stall featuring fresh produce, milk, cheeses, and other goods. He examined the glistening choices, as if he would only select the best ones. Finally, he handed the stubby man under the tent a few coins and turned to leave with his selection. Hopefully, this would be enough to shush his mother for a bit when he got back.
‘Who is that?’ Mahnii thought as he was moving toward the next shop.
She was clearly not from the area with her golden-brown skin and long, blonde hair, tightly wrapped in an extremely long braid down her back, as opposed to the more olive tones and dark hair of the locals, including Mahnii. Even more noticeable was the enormous hammer strapped to her back. He struggled to keep his jaw from falling in shock. Her muscles were clearly defined, though she was shorter than most others in the crowd. How was she possibly able to wield such an incredibly huge weapon?
He observed a moment as she was interacting with a shop keeper. She was twisting this way and that, causing her hammer to swing with her and was entirely oblivious to passers-by who ducked and leaped out of the way to avoid being struck by the hammer’s head.
Mahnii shook his head. She was clearly all muscle and no smarts. He moved on, continuing toward the shop where he hoped to find the remaining supplies on his mother’s list, though he couldn’t help watching from the corner of his eye. He was intrigued and she drew his curiosity.
She was moving through the market, getting closer to him. In fact, the ground rumbled beneath his feet as others in the market clamored to get out of the strange girl’s way. She wasn’t light on her feet either.
He continued moving, not necessarily wanting to cross paths with her. Before he knew it, she was at the stall next to his. He hoped she wouldn’t move to the stall where he currently stood, still examining the goods. He didn’t feel like being one of the many others in the crowd diving to avoid her massive hammer.
“Oh! That looks delicious!” a woman’s voice was saying. So close behind him.
Mahnii turned to see if it were her and attempt to gain more distance. A glimmer of metal flashed in the corner of his eye.
Smack!
The blow knocked him off his feet and the impact of hitting hardened earth rattled his entire body before everything went black.
·-`*´-·
“Ugh…” Mahnii groaned, putting a hand to his head. The world was blurry above him as he slowly opened his eyes.
‘What the hell?’ Large, startling blue eyes were staring into his, her face swimming slowly into view only inches away from his own. He blinked again, making sure he really was seeing clearly.
“Are ya okay?” she asked, her smooth voice flowing into his ears.
“Uh…” he said, “Oh man, I hope I didn’t just get a concussion…” he muttered.
“Huh?” She blinked, her mouth curving down.
“Would you back up?” he said, not wanting to get smacked again if he tried to get back on his feet.
“Oh! Sorry,” she said with a giggle as she pulled backward.
“Woah!” Next thing he knew, she was grabbing his hand and pulling him to his feet. ‘Who is this girl?’ He dusted off his clothing, checking if he still had the goods he had bought. Was she really that oblivious to everyone else around her?
She was still just standing there, staring at him. He touched his face. Was she expecting something? “Um… hi, I’m Mahnii and you?”
She giggled again, “Celeste,” she said, shaking his hand enthusiastically, “adventurer… an’ soon ta be world conqueror. Er, conqueress.” She put her thumb and forefinger around her chin, pouting slightly.
‘Okay, not oblivious. Completely delusional.’ Again, he was fighting to keep his jaw from dropping.
“Oh! Do ya wanna come with me?” she exclaimed, dropping her arms as her face got too close for comfort again. He could only describe her look as that of a child completely convinced of, and eager to receive, a desired gift.
He slowly released his breath; he hadn’t even realized he’d been holding it. On one token, this girl seemed… very odd. And not only that, he’d only just met her. Suddenly going with her on an insane quest was… well, insane.
On the other hand, maybe this was the very opportunity he had been longing for. If he said no, what if another chance never came and he was doomed to live above his father’s shop forever? It wasn’t like he’d ever had ample opportunity in the past. In fact, most of the travelers that came through town were mercenaries or people who seemed pretty hardened. He had little interest in taking lives or getting caught up in any sort of shady business. So until now, he hadn’t seen anything else as a real opportunity.
This girl, however – well part of him felt like he should take it as an opportunity both to leave and also to look out for her. If she was really that incompetent, there was no way she’d last much longer on her own, even if she was extremely strong.
“Well, why me?” he asked, still internally debating.
“Cause ya seem nice and I feel like it,” she said with a grin, “An’ I’m gonna need help if I’m gonna be battlin’ whoever rules this land.”
Mahnii blinked slowly. She didn’t even know who ruled them? Never mind not lasting long. She was going to get herself straight up killed without some sort
of guide. “Okay, I’m in,” he said, slinging his satchel over his shoulder. No more debating. He was seizing this opportunity as a sign.
As soon as his agreement left his lips, her entire face lit up, her blue eyes dancing. “Really?” she exclaimed.
“Sure,” he said with an affirming nod.
“Well, great! Let’s go, then,” she said, grasping his hand once more and moving forward.
He ducked to avoid her hammer as she moved past him and quickly adjusted his step.
“Wait,” he said, “First, I have to tell my family.”
She stared at him a moment and then shrugged. “Okay.”
She followed along as he made the trip back to his family’s home. He had to remind her to back up and keep a reasonable – actually a safe – distance.
This was going to be an interesting trip. But anything was better than staying in that miserable merchant’s shop one more day.
As they reached the shop, he turned toward Celeste. “Just, wait out here, okay?” His family’s reaction was already going to be bothersome without needing to explain himself traveling alone with a woman.
She frowned but shrugged and nodded.
He went inside, where business was happening as usual.
“Oh, you finally came back.” Yohri always had to make a remark.
Mahnii ignored her, moving up the stairs to his room. He didn’t have much, but there were a few small belongings he wanted to grab.
Finally, he returned to the main area below. Thankfully, the customers had left and they were alone for a moment.
“Mom, Dad, Sis, we need to talk,” he started.
They all looked at him. “About what?” Yohri asked.
“I’m leaving,” Mahnii felt a huge rush of relief as soon as the words left his lips.
“You’re what?” Siris, his father, demanded.