The Keeper's Codex: Ashen Memories

by A. D. Wills

  “We're here to see some broker,” Caden blurted out.

  “So much for keeping quiet...” Sappo murmured.

  The spider shot its eyes over to Caden, fixating onto him in creeping examining silence.

  “Uh...if that's alright?”

  Zasha braced herself, wiggling her fingers in case she needed to use her claymore.

  The face sank back into the wall without saying a word, and seconds later, the wall melted away to reveal a dimly lit, small dingy little hole-in-the-wall.

  The four of them walked into the little room that barely qualified as a room at all. It barely fit them all together, shoulder-to-shoulder, facing a glass window separating them from someone ominously facing away in a tall black chair.

  “You want information?” A deep voice grumbled.

  “Yeah, do you know where Qwayke is?” Caden blurted out once more.

  “Is that all?”

  “Can I ask for more than that?”

  “If you so choose to.”

  “Careful, we're only here for that,” Zasha reminded Caden with a nervous look about her. She knew very little in this world came for free, especially information.

  “And I don't really want to stay here any longer than we need to,” Sappo huddled in as close as he could to the others.

  “What if we can ask him for some info about those Divines?” Caden suggested.

  A deadened silence fell in the room.

  “I've changed my mind. I will give you a map to Qwayke, but then I want you to leave here and never return,” the broker mumbled in a panic out out of nowhere.

  “Huh? What'd we do?”

  “Just shut up, and take it,” Zasha sternly elbowed Caden.

  “Alright, fine,” Caden conceded, waiting for the map to be passed over.

  The broker remained facing away, and a cycloptis—a black feathered, one eyed bird—handed over a map under a little slit in the glass that opened up.

  Upon taking the map, the glass window blackened, shutting the broker out from them, and the floor popped up from beneath them to throw them back outside in the alleyway.

  “A little suspicious that we didn't need to pay, don't you think so? Not to mention the abrupt exit,” Snillrik said.

  “I paid with the rest of my coin when I met with the waylayer since you're all apparently broke,” Zasha admitted. “What about the map, does it look fine?”

  Caden unfolded it. “Yeah, looks good, it only has Qwayke on there from here though.”

  Just as Caden said, the map was small, with only a direct route drawn up between Floralopolis and Qwayke. Most maps in Gamriss were like this when asking for specific directions. After all, there were every few maps in all of Gamriss that are fully drawn, and accurate at that.

  “Good, that's all we need,” Zasha nodded, and stood up to head out of the alley. “We can leave now.”

  “Alright, let's go to Qwayke then!” Caden shouted into all their ears right beside them.

  “Stop shouting about everything,” Zasha smacked Caden upside the head, and led everyone on their way back through the city.

  The four of them made their way back through Floralopolis with as much ease, and lack of attention as before. It seemed a little busier now with the dimming sky right before it would set altogether, but nothing out of the ordinary. Upon reaching the bulb's edge where they entered, a pair of Mushroamers approached from behind.

  The mushroamers didn't speak, being without a mouth of any kind, but their sharpened grassy eyebrows gave enough of a hint they weren't impressed.

  “Is something the matter?” Snillrik asked.

  The two mushroamers grunted in pointing over to Caden with no shortage of certainty, and took a step toward them.

  “What did you do?” Zasha slowly blinked in disbelief.

  “Nothing...” Caden shrugged to an obviously awkward guilty laugh.

  “We didn't even stop anywhere though, how did you do anything?” Sappo thought Caden had to be innocent.

  The mushroamers whipped out their sturdy twigs that acted as a sword of sorts, and swatted against Caden's right thigh to a tinging sound.

  “Heh, whoops,” Caden turned to his friends with a face of guilt, and pulled out a medium jar of sweet silver honey, shimmering in its clear jar.

  “How did you manage that?” A flustered Sappo berated.

  “Idiot, why would you do that?” Zasha scolded.

  “Oh come on, we're probably not gonna come back for a while, and who knows what good stuff Sappo can whip up with this,” Caden tried luring Sappo onto his side.

  “I don't think we have much time for arguing right now...” Snillrik cut in.

  The mushroamers approached with two pairs of vine handcuffs to slap on each of them.

  The four of them backed up to the very edge hoping for a stamen to arrive any second now with the mushroamers bearing down now. It was either jump off, or be arrested at this point.

  “We've gotta jump,” Caden said.

  “What?!” Sappo's panicked voice cracked at the suggestion.

  “It's his dumbass fault, but he's right,” Zasha bit down in admission.

  “Come on Sappo, let's go!” Caden shouldered into Sappo to move his big burly body—sending the two of them hurling down off the towering bulb, aimlessly flailing in the air.

  Snillrik and Zasha followed suit, as the four of them tumbled down toward the ground, when a stamen shot up. They grabbed hold of it, straining the one stamen with so much weight, and it slowly flung them back up. When they reached the top, the mushroamers stood there furious, their faces turning red, and little fungi sprouting up all over their tensing heads.

  Caden playfully waved back to them as the stamen fell back down out of sight, and away from the mushroamers.

  The four of them safely touched down where their wagon was waiting in peace, but surely the guards above were in a frenzy.

  “Okay, we're not stealing anything anymore without telling anyone,” Sappo said, totally wiped and out of breath at the reins.

  “Hey, you want me to take the reins? You look kinda tired,” Caden suggested.

  “No,” Sappo said in horror. “I mean, no, I'm fine.”

  “Alright, then let's go to...” Caden readied to shout at the top of his lungs, when he noticed in the corner of his eyes, Zasha glaring right at him. “Qwayke...let's go to Qwayke,” he did his best holding in his giddy glee.

  With a snap of the reins, Sappo led them through the colossal floral forest beneath the wondrous city above, finally, on their way to Qwayke.

  Chapter 16: Summit

  Inside an encompassing swirling purple barrier, the wondrous mystical land of Faella lay, the perfect place for the Summit. A magnificent sight to behold for anyone lucky enough to be permitted inside, with four sections, each representing one of the four elemental schools—of which every Etai was born into.

  Up above in the skies, the school of wind made their homes up in giant cloudy spires, with fluffy white platforms all over the place, connected windy walkways propelling Etai forward.

  What would be uncomfortable to say the least for anyone else, a maelstrom of flames and sculpted magma, made up the area for those in the school of fire.

  Water was more peaceful and serene with crashing waterfalls, flowing into wide rivers where rope ladder bridges connected homes and buildings throughout.

  Earth laid claim to stoic surrounding mountains and overgrown forests below—a place fit for deep thought and reflection.

  Each of these four sectors all led to the gargantuan great tree standing tall in the center of Faella, where Sage Zaes, and each of the four respective elemental leaders from each school resided.

  Aside from the beautiful sights fit for any leader, more importantly, Faella has always been neutral ground. The Etai, while among some of the most powerful and wisest of beings in all of Gamriss, are still only peacekeepers and mediators. As much as they desire unity and peace, the Etai never force their own vision on othe
rs. Zaes knows that if they simply try to solve the problems of others, then they will never learn on their own how to solve them—let alone understand why these problems keep occurring in the first place.

  But even just acting as mediators, the Summit is as stressful for the Etai as anyone else.

  A tired and stressed Zaes waited sitting at the end of an old oaken table in a chair made of tightly woven vines, eyes seemingly shut as he sat in waiting. His bark-like skin resembling his school of earth, smatterings of leaves, and branches poking out all over his arms, with a toga made of dark green moss wrapping around his body.

  It appeared Zaes was sleeping, but he shot his faded yellow eyes open, calm and alert.

  “Wonoda...” Zaes grumbled a deep croak that sounded like trees creaking in the wind.

  “My apologies for the sudden arrival.” Wonoda, Queen of the Pixies, entered the council chamber, wearing a light purple hooded cloak she unfurled to reveal her dark wavy hair, black eyes, and eternal beauty that was second to none in all of Gamriss.

  “Nonsense, you are always most welcome here.” Zaes flicked his finger, and shot a chair of vines up for Wonoda to sit at the table. “You surprised me is all.”

  Wonoda and Zaes have been close ever since she took over as the Queen of the Pixies one hundred years ago. Despite rarely visiting, Zaes always appreciated her company.

  “Surprise you?” Wonoda smirked. “I don't think you've been surprised in four hundred years.”

  “Well, I'm not so sure of that,” Zaes humbly grumbled off in a low chuckle. “But, as I'm sure you're aware, the Summit is about to begin. Your timing is as curious as always.”

  “That's exactly why I'm here. I needed to speak with everyone while there's a rare chance. But more importantly, you haven't received a single one of my messages, have you?”

  Zaes' old cracked face scrunched up in confusion. “I'm not sure what you're talking about. Please, slow down and explain everything.”

  “I thought as much,” Wonoda sighed, looking away with a look of worry.

  “Wonoda, please, what is going on?” Zaes implored.

  “I present to you, Lord Inquisitor Tirli's escort, one of the Divine Knights, Cerros of the Judocus family,” Azil interrupted. His pale blue windswept hair, sharp narrowed eyes, and jaw fitting for the leader of the Wind School. “My Lady...I...my apologies for interrupting the meeting.” Azil bowed profusely.

  “It's fine Azil, please, take a seat,” Zaes smiled over, pointing to the contouring bench wrapping around the circular room at the top of the giant tree.

  Cerros entered, wearing shining silver armor with fancy gold trim all over, and a crimson cape that just barely hovered above the ground so as to not dirty it. His long blonde hair silken softly hanging past his shoulders, with his serious detached expression as he walked past Zaes, and Wonoda without saying a word. Not so much as a greeting, as he took his seat, and placed a small circular trinket on the table.

  Keeping with the unspoken tradition at every Summit, Cerros didn't wield a weapon of any kind, though being a personal guard to the Judocus family, one could be sure he was more than able to handle himself unarmed.

  “You are most welcome, Cerros,” said Zaes, putting aside for now the perplexing, and somewhat unsettling, appearance of a Divine knight here at the summit.

  In the past, Tirli had sent a messenger in his place much like Cerros was acting as now, but for a Divine to allow for Tirli to make use of one of their very few elite knights, it signaled Tirli having a much closer relationship with Judocus than Zaes knew about.

  Cerros shot Zaes a disrespectful look, and fiddled about with a Vessi trinket he situated on the table. He grabbed a piece of glynt in a small container, popped it in, and the device revealed a miniature projection of Tirli in all his tubby glory standing before them all in his lavish clothes peppered with jewels wherever he could fit them, and of course, an over the top crown that more so resembled an obnoxious golden halo.

  “Well done, Cerros, your service is much obliged,” Tirli's garbled haughty voice could be heard clearly, and waved Cerros away. “So neither Eszu or Dreymond have shown up yet, typical of them I suppose. Ah, and what a pleasant surprise this is, the Pixie Queen herself is here."

  Tirli had only ever seen Wonoda a few times, but held no grudge or ill will toward her. In fact, he viewed her and the other Pixies as a step up from the landwalkers he looked down upon.

  “Hello Tirli,” Wonoda wasn't partial to Tirli and his attitudes in any way.

  “We thank you for your attendance, Lord Tirli,” Zaes welcomed Tirli in an effort to distract him for now. “While we wait for the others, may I ask how things in Avara are?”

  Tirli scrunched his squishy face, and rolled his eyes, dreading making such small talk. “Everything is going swimmingly as of late, for the most part. We've had a small issue arise, though I expect it to be resolved rather quickly. I've taken all the proper measures to stem this runaway's efforts,” Tirli proudly affirmed, as he looked to Cerros, who nodded in agreement. “But enough of that. Have you heard from either Eszu or Dreymond? I would rather not spend much time here if it can be helped."

  “I am sure they will both be here any minute now. It was made clear that the Summit would begin shortly after daybreak. I do sympathize with King Dreymond's long trek here, so perhaps he might be slightly tardy, please be so kind as to excuse that.” Zaes tried getting Tirli to exercise a bit of patience, but he knew that was wishful thinking. After a good handful of Summits with Tirli, Zaes knew he was lucky to get him to show up at all, let alone participate.

  “Fine, I suppose I don't have anything better to do for the time being."

  “I present Chief Eszu and his escort, Ralak.” The leader of the water school, Avina, was a welcomed interruption as she introduced Ralak and Eszu. Her body made entirely out of water, appearing to flow all over in a steady current, yet tightly into her current form. Offsetting blues for her tunic, and pants, black eyes, and hair that swirled up in a puffy wavy white dollop that bounced with every step.

  Eszu noticed Wonoda's surprising presence as he entered the room. “I wasn't expecting to have Queen of the Pixies sitting in with us,” Eszu tried his best to seem cordial, but at best, he felt blindsided.

  “I hope that my presence here isn't of any offense, Eszu. I assure you, I only just arrived before both you and Tirli.”

  “It's just as Wonoda says. To be honest, I'm still not quite sure what it is that brings her here either,” Zaes added an extra layer of assurance, looking over to Wonoda. “Please, sit. We are eager to hear of all the happenings in Eldaesa, and discuss what pressing issues might have arisen since the last Summit, as soon as King Dreymond arrives.”

  “There's nothing to apologize for. I welcome another ally into the fray.” Eszu gathered himself, and settled, taking his seat with Ralak standing behind him. If nothing else, it was another potential ally in their fight.

  “Well, polite as always, ignoring your fellow leaders, Eszu,” Tirli remarked as Eszu finally gave Tirli a full on glare, raising concern to Zaes and Wonoda of any conflict boiling up between the two.

  “Oh, you can actually speak in that state?” Eszu asked with a snicker. “Then how have you been, all alone in Avara, Tirli?”

  “That is 'Lord Inquisitor' Tirli to you. But as always, I'm quite comfortable here, thank you. Certainly better than being slaughtered by some Dragons on that pathetic hunk of ice you call a home." Tirli mocked, hoping to get a fiery rise out of him.

  It took every bit of Eszu's discipline he had to not stand up, and smash whatever device Tirli was being projected through to bits. In the end, smashing a little lifeless device wouldn't have given him nearly the satisfaction as squeezing his gobbler of a neck would anyway.

  “King Dreymond of Lyndenwell, has arrived,” Kohos, head of the fire school, announced. His wavy orange, and yellow hair, and his body emanating a warmth around him, but he kept it under control so as to not make anyone uncomfortab
le.

  Kohos could tell his arrival was convenient. He sensed talks were already prickly at best, and rolled his eyes as he watched on—maintaining very little faith these leaders would accomplish anything at all today.

  Trailing behind without anyone else on the way, Xokun, head of the earth school, sprouted up from the ground one blossoming branch at a time into form. Birds nests on either shoulder, and long messy moss for hair, Xokun emerged. “The younglings are taken care of, and being monitored by the others now.”

  “Very good, thank you, Xokun,” Zaes nodded, watching Xokun take his seat with the rest of the council observing the meeting.

  “My apologies for the tardy arrival, Boroku and I nearly got caught up in a nasty sandstorm across the Kehlani wastes.” Dreymond took his seat in a bit of a rushed huff with Boroku taking his place in behind.

  “Not to worry,” Zaes waved off any concern. “Eszu and Tirli have only just arrived themselves, as did Wonoda.”

  Dreymond gave Eszu and Tirli a friendly, but firm nod. “Tirli, Eszu. Good to see you two again,” Dreymond put on friendly airs, as Tirli and Eszu silently obliged as in return. “And Lady Wonoda, a surprise but a welcome one.”

  “King Dreymond, it's nice to see you again after so many years,” Wonoda smiled.

  Dreymond had only ever met Wonoda once before, but he was a young boy—at the time accompanying his Father, Grendel, to the Summit. He didn't interact with Wonoda back then, but he remembered her as if she was a familiar sight. It wasn't as if she looked like she had aged a day either.

  Despite the friendly welcome, there was a cloud of unspoken tension hanging between Wonoda and Dreymond, one that hasn't been addressed since Dreymond took the throne.

  Some time before Wonoda ascended to Queen in Phirilis, the pixies used to mingle with others in Gamriss, until humans of the past tore the fabric of goodwill between them—ripping it up to irreparable shreds.

  When a pixie perishes, they leave behind a residual dust that's rumored to be able to cure any ailment—no matter how fatal, or how close to the brink of death one might be. But once some humans found this out, word spread quickly. Whether it was to heal a loved one out of desperation, or to simply harvest this dust for profit, pixies in droves were hunted down. No one bothered putting an end to it either. It was much too profitable and advantageous.