Ember: Echoes of Ashes - Book 1

by Jessica Schmidt

  She nodded. “I must be careful to control my emotions on the rare occasions that I come in contact with others.”

  “And you can kill canidae just by flicking your wrist?”

  “Well, it’s a bit more complicated than that, but yes. They’ve been following me for months now. I’m usually able to throw them off my track, but this last time was too close.”

  Laderic blinked, silent for a moment before turning to Midiga. “She needs to not be here with us,” he said, hinting in a singsong voice.

  Midiga frowned. “We are not going to kick her out. She is exhausted!” She looked at Alleria. “How would you like to stay here today and tonight, to get your strength up?”

  She nodded, smiling. “It’s nice to be around people who aren’t going to judge me for my differences.”

  “Oh, I’m judging,” Laderic retorted. “Midiga, did you not hear anything she said? Do you realize that we could have another pack of canidae on your doorstep any minute as long as she stays here?”

  “Then we will handle them as we did earlier.” Her voice felt colder than ice. “Laderic, if you don’t want to deal with the danger, you don’t have to stay.”

  “She didn’t even pay us! What, you’re going to kick me out for her?” he asked, chest puffed out indignantly. Midiga looked at Laderic, unblinking, raising a single eyebrow without speaking. Laderic sighed, his resolve wavering. Finally, he closed his eyes, conceding. “Fine. She can stay.”

  “You mean, fine you can stay?” Midiga jibed with a smile in her voice. Laderic glared at her before walking to the fireplace to kick up the coals.

  “If you don’t mind, I have a friend of mine that has been hiding outside. She would like to come in now if that’s okay with you.” The elf spoke with the meekness of a mouse. Laderic threw his hands up in the air without saying anything. She glanced at him, frowned, and looked back at Midiga.

  “Of course, she can,” purred the felid. “Do you need to go out and get her?”

  “No, it’s okay. She can hear my thoughts.” With that, she closed her eyes for a brief second and then opened them. “Okay! She is on her way!”

  Laderic was staring at Alleria, eye twitching. “Hear... your... thoughts?” he asked, spacing each word out, disbelief filling the voids between them. “Midiga…”

  “Come on, Laderic, it’s like you’ve never seen magic before,” she scolded, brushing him off and rolling her eyes. “The more, the merrier, I say.”

  As if on cue, there was a scratching noise at the door. Alleria stood slowly, careful to make sure she didn’t pass out a second time. When she got to her feet, she walked over to the door and opened it. A tiny red fox padded inside, and she shut the door behind it. “This is Reia,” she said plainly.

  Laderic pointed accusingly at the fox, staring at Midiga. “She’s an alamorph, too?” His voice was rising in pitch with each new revelation. Alleria looked at him, tilting her head, confused.

  “An alamorph? I don’t understand...” She frowned.

  “How do you not… Gods,” he groaned, massaging his temples. “Did that fox find you one day?” he demanded, gesturing at the fox with disgust.

  “Yes?”

  “And could you hear it talking in your head?”

  “Yes, but…”

  “And then, was there a flash of light, and suddenly, it felt like your souls were connected?” Sarcasm dripped off each word.

  Alleria stared in shock at Laderic, wide-eyed. “How did you know?”

  But Laderic didn’t answer. He just stared at Midiga. “An alamorphic elf? She’s a freak!” he exploded. “No wonder she is being hunted!”

  Alamorphs are people who are born with an innate connection to animals. So much so, that during their lives, at some point, they will meet an animal that they have an unexplainable link to. At that moment when they meet, their minds connect, and they become soul bonded. After that, alamorphs are able to hear the animal’s thoughts, and those who are more experienced can even see through their eyes. And, on top of that—

  “Hello,” said Reia, looking around the room. “Nice place you have here.”

  The animal also learns to speak the language that their soul partner speaks.

  “Agh!” shrieked Laderic. “I forgot about that part!”

  “Stop being such a jerk,” Midiga growled, growing tired of his demeanor. She crossed her arms, her tail whipping back and forth with annoyance. “If you can’t be nice to my guests, you’re going to need to leave.” She looked down at Reia, smiling with her pointed teeth showing. “Nice to meet you, Reia. Welcome to my den.”

  Reia bowed her head in respect, and at that moment, her tail suddenly split into pieces. Laderic watched, horrified, as the seemingly normal fox revealed itself to be a kitsune, sporting seven tails instead of one and the ability to wield magic with ease. He blinked his eyes, praying that he was seeing things. On her forehead and shoulders, tiny runic symbols appeared, glowing with faint white light.

  Alleria bent and picked up the fox, stroking her fur. “We’ve only known each other for a few months now. She found me when I was on the run again, being tracked from Mariscale. After that… it felt like we had known each other forever.” Reia turned her head to face Laderic, a tiny white swirl marking on her face drawing his eye.

  Laderic only stared, looking back and forth between Midiga, Alleria, and the kitsune. He was dumbfounded, so he turned back around and moved toward the chair. “Nope. Nope,” he said to himself. He sat down, throwing his hands up once again. “You can handle this one, Midiga. I’ve had enough insanity for today.”

  And so, as it came naturally to her, Midiga made her guests feel welcome. She opened a trap door in the wooden floor, walking down a few steps to a hidden basement beneath her home. She descended for only a few moments before returning to the surface with strips of dried meat. Below the house was where she kept her food, all of which she had hunted and killed herself. It was lightly salted, dried like jerky, and—

  “Delicious!” mumbled Alleria through a mouthful of meat. Reia nodded her little head in agreement, tearing into the food as if she hadn’t eaten in days. Both of them dug right in, stuffing themselves without a word.

  Midiga looked on, pleased that they were enjoying her food. Absentmindedly, she licked the back of her hand-paw, as she was deep in thought. Her eyes became misty and unfocused. The sun was rising, warming the house with a pleasant glow. Even Laderic had started to relax. Slowly, he let his eyes shut, resting them after having been awake for so long. Exhaustion hit him like a sledgehammer.

  “So tell me, Reia,” Midiga began after a while, watching the kitsune eat with a smile in her eyes, “why do you have so many tails? I’ve never seen a fox with more than one, though I’ve heard stories.”

  Reia’s tails twitched with amusement. “Well,” she said, after swallowing another bite, “I’m a kitsune, a special kind of fox. Magical… in some ways, at least.”

  “Go on,” said Midiga, leaning forward and clasping her hands together. Laderic’s interest piqued, as well. He forced his eyes open, trying to stay alert. He knew of kitsune only through spoken word. He had never had the chance to see one, let alone speak with one.

  Reia sat back on her haunches, tails forming a halo around her body. “We are born with one tail, as all foxes are,” she began, “but, as we grow—reaching milestones in our lives—our tails split into more than one, up to nine, where the real magic happens.” Her tails flicked in excitement behind her. “Once we reach nine, all of our powers are unlocked.” She smiled—though since she was a fox, it looked more like a snarl. “Right now, I can only manipulate fire… to an extent. That’s really the only thing special about me aside from my seven tails.”

  “And the fact that you can talk,” commented Laderic. But Reia shook her head.

  “I can only speak your language because I have bonded with Alleria,” she said. “Speech is an ability gained by all alamorph soul partners. That has nothing to do with my being a
kitsune. Just my limited control over fire.” Her tails began to wiggle once more. “When I get my ninth tail, however, I’ll be much stronger. I’ll be able to control fire with such ease, and even transform into a human! Well, with tails, but I’m not picky. And my fur will turn silver or gold—I can’t wait!”

  “That sounds quite amazing, Reia,” purred Midiga, excited by the fox’s story. Her own tail was even vibrating in response to Reia’s energy. “When will you get your ninth tail?”

  Reia shrugged, as best a fox could. She had picked up on body language after living around Alleria. And, while it looked awkward on her, it did get the point across. “You gain them as you get older… but not necessarily with age. Sometimes, you get them after a deeply personal experience, or sometimes even after witnessing death.” Her eyes glazed over for a moment, and she was silent. After a second, she snapped out of her trance and continued. “It just depends. It’s... based on maturity more than years.”

  Alleria, who had been listening silently, spoke up. “We hope that she will receive her ninth tail sometime on our journey north… if we make it that far, that is.”

  Reia nodded, ears flattening back on her skull. “I don’t like the wolf people. They’re scary.”

  “I hear you, sister,” Midiga agreed.

  Alleria sighed, staring out the window, her golden eyes appearing lost. “They are finding better ways to tire us out. I have considered hiring a guide, or a guard, but I don’t have the money to do that. Reia getting control of her fire magic, and me learning better control of my own magic, those things might be our only chance of making it.”

  Midiga stared off at the fireplace where the coals glowed lightly. The two guests continued eating, though slower than before. Sun shone through the windows in beams, and it was pleasantly quiet for a while. The wind gusted outside, causing the house to creak in a nostalgic, comforting way. Midiga, deep in thought, was unaware of most of these things. For Alleria, it almost felt like she was back home for a moment. No one had shown her such hospitality since she left.

  After a while, Midiga suddenly broke the silence. “I’ll take you to the north.”

  Laderic, who had been leaning back in the wooden chair with his eyes closed, jerked in shock. The chair tumbled backward to the floor, dragging him down with it. He smacked his head against the floor, hard. “Ow!” He moaned, sitting up on his elbow, turning to face the two. “Midiga, what are you talking about? Gods, that really hurt.” He rubbed his head with his hand.

  Midiga, without skipping a beat, continued. “Laderic will come too.”

  “What?” Laderic scrambled to his feet. “What makes you think I’m going to come along with you, I have, er, other things that I have to get done!” He took a few steps back, holding up his hands in objection.

  “Like what?” the felid growled, glaring in his direction.

  He froze under her gaze, stammering. “I… well, I mean…” His thoughts felt scattered as Midiga’s amber eyes stared into his very soul.

  “That’s what I thought,” she stated matter-of-factly. “Now, why don’t you consider your next move to be repaying that debt you owe me?”

  “What makes you think that going on some crazy escort mission is going to earn either of us any money?” He crossed his arms, skeptical. “Even if we got something, it probably wouldn’t be enough for me to pay you back. She already said she is too broke to even hire anyone.”

  “Well, consider your joining us to be your payment,” Midiga snapped, closing the matter.

  “Also…” peeped Alleria quietly. Midiga and Laderic turned from their squabble to look at her. “My mother mentioned before when I would ask her questions, you know, that if I ever were to go to the north, I would be met with ‘riches both spiritual and physical.’” The last phrase she spoke as if quoting someone directly. She pondered for a moment. “I guess it makes sense, if you say the elvish capital is hidden in the north, and I’m an elf. If I were to find it, I’m sure that the people there would welcome me. Maybe even recognize me.” She glanced back and forth between Laderic and Midiga. “Do you think they would know me? Do you… do you think my real parents would be there?”

  Midiga opened her mouth, but Laderic spoke first. “All I heard was riches of the physical type... I’m in.” He looked at Midiga, grinning. “When do we set out?”

  She stared at him, unblinking. “You’re unbelievable sometimes,” was all she could say. She turned back to Alleria. “Seeing as how elves live for thousands of years, I’m sure they would still be there. After all, Daechir is said to still be ruling, even after all this time. Whether or not they would recognize you is a different story. And how can you be sure that anyone would have that amount of money, let alone give it to you?”

  Alleria shrugged, not even fazed at hearing she was likely immortal. “I don’t know. It’s just what my mother told me, but even if my real parents don’t have very much, I’m sure they would reward you for bringing me back to them safely.” She smiled. “I would if it were my daughter.”

  “Well, regardless of reward, the journey itself would be enough for me.” Midiga sighed. “Just to see Nara’jainita would be a reward on its own.”

  “Speak for yourself,” muttered Laderic. “We better be getting paid. And, Midiga, you better not be thinking you’re getting any of my share. You already made it clear me coming with you was payment enough for—”

  “Yes, yes, Laderic. I get it. You’ll get your share,” Midiga interrupted, rolling her eyes. She yawned unexpectedly, glancing out the window where sunlight spilled inside. “I don’t know about you guys, but I’m exhausted. Being nocturnal has its flaws.”

  Laderic nodded in agreement. “I was up all night too. Let’s get some shut-eye.”

  Alleria agreed, as well, as the exhaustion was hitting her hard, too. Her eyes changed to a deep blue. “I’m full… and sleepy…”

  “Well,” Midiga began, arching her back, her tail stiffening as she stretched, “it’s settled. Let’s get some rest. We’ll set off first thing in the morning. At dawn. I need to switch my sleep schedule around if we are going to be traveling during the day.”

  Laderic propped his hands on his hips. “I’ve got a few ideas of where we could start. I have a friend in Strita who might know where we can find the lost capital. It’s not exactly close, but it’s the best I’ve got right now.”

  “Sounds good. What do you think, Alleria?” Midiga asked.

  “Whatever you think is best. I’m—” As she spoke, she yawned hugely. “I’m just so tired.”

  Laderic grinned. “Agreed. Sleep, for now, talk in the morning.”

  Chapter 5

  The grass was drenched in dew when the group left Midiga’s house early the next morning. After making certain to extinguish the coals in the fireplace, she locked the door and buried the key under a rock beside it. “I don’t want to accidentally lose my key while we’re gone,” she explained, placing the rock on top.

  Strita was northeast of Ulandyl, and one could follow The Walk for most of the journey, before taking a side road due east to the mountain city. It would take over a week for them to walk from Ulandyl to Strita. The early part of their journey along The Walk was the least of their worries, as the more southern parts of the road were frequently traveled. This beaten path cut all the way through the Brushdeep Forest to the northeast, and it would take them through another decent sized town fairly soon, just a couple of day’s travel from Ulandyl. It was when they would be forced to leave The Walk and turn toward the mountains that they would have to worry.

  It would take nearly four days to travel the rough trail eastward off The Walk toward Strita on foot. The road itself was known for being particularly dangerous with bandits, bloodhungry, and vicious monsters lurking in the woods, waiting for unsuspecting travelers to step into their traps. Rarely would sensible creatures walk the road alone, and seldom would foolish souls who chose to try their luck by themselves make it to their destinations.

 
However, for the time being, the four of them were not concerning themselves with what was to come tomorrow. For today, they had an easy trip down a well-traveled trade route, the weather pristine, and they were full of energy.

  They left Ulandyl through the northeast gate, the Brushdeep Forest splayed out before them. Merchants and their carts were both leaving from and coming into the city. The Walk was wide with room to spare on both sides of the path for two caravans to pass each other easily. They nodded cheerily at the salespeople, who waved from their horses and smiled back at them.

  Alleria started to sweat as they walked, becoming annoyed and hyperaware of how bad she smelled. She hadn’t bathed in days, and it definitely showed. She had dirt caked under her nails and on her hands and face. Her hair was such a mess, she couldn’t bear to think about it. It had been rained on, soaked, and then air-dried at least three times since the last time she had washed it. Her pants were a bit bloody, and also covered in dirt. All around, she just felt gross. After about an hour of walking, she couldn’t take it anymore.

  “Can we… find a creek? Or something?” she asked quietly, avoiding eye contact. She didn’t want to burden her new companions with the request, but she was just so uncomfortable, she had to at least ask.

  Midiga froze, instantly catching the hint and staring at her with eyes wide. “I didn’t even think to ask that!” she cried, feeling terrible. “I’m just so used to licking myself clean, I forgot humans need baths! I’m a horrible host,” she said with a moan. “I don’t even own a bathtub! Of course, we can get you cleaned up.”

  “Yeah, looks like you need it,” Laderic joked, looking the elf up and down. Midiga shot him a dirty look, and he smiled, unashamed. Alleria felt like her face was on fire.

  Soon, they came upon a thin creek that flowed to the south. Midiga made Laderic sit on his own on a log beside The Walk, and she escorted Alleria into the woods. They pushed through the brush and trees for a few minutes until they reached the clear, running water. Luckily, a small waterfall had formed upstream—perfect for Alleria to wash her hair in.