Ember: Echoes of Ashes - Book 1

by Jessica Schmidt

  “Anyway, that’s not the end. Laderic and I decided to head to the local tavern and celebrate… and some burly dwarf challenged him to a drinking contest. I tried to tell him to say no, but Laderic has this problem where he can’t say no to a challenge, even when he knows he’s going to lose.” She raised her muzzle in a coy grin. “As you can imagine, he got himself drank under the table. And it wasn’t anything to do with the dwarf.” She eyed Laderic, jerking a thumb in his direction. “Mr. Tough Guy over here is a lightweight. He had himself two pints and could not stand up.”

  “It was three,” interjected Laderic bluntly.

  “Whatever. Anyway, the dwarf demanded a prize. Too incapacitated to say no, he essentially robbed Laderic of all of his things. Including the bust that we had just got back from the thief earlier that day.” The felid sighed. “It was a shame I had to kill him to get it all back.”

  Alleria, who had been listening intently, did a double take. She blinked. “You… you killed him?” she squeaked. Midiga nodded as if it were no big deal.

  “Dwarves won’t part with treasure for anything. Especially treasure they believe they’ve won. So, I killed him while he slept. He probably didn’t even feel it.” The cat’s tone was nonchalant as if she were merely recounting a mundane day’s events.

  Alleria stared, eyes wide. “Couldn’t you have just… taken it from him while he slept and left him alive?”

  Midiga shook her head. “You can’t leave any loose ends in business like that. Technically, he had won the stuff, but I had worked for it.” She tilted her head toward Laderic. “And sensitive over here just can’t say no, even when he knows he’s outmatched. He was passed out way before that dwarf hit the hay and left me to do all the dirty work.”

  “I said I was sorry.” He moaned as he looked back at Midiga. “Can’t you just let it go?”

  “We’ll see…,” she said, winking at Alleria. The elf suppressed a laugh. “I’m sure I’ll find a way to get you back, eventually.”

  Alleria swallowed, uncertain if she wanted to know exactly what Midiga had in mind. The elf picked up Reia, stroking her intently. She felt a new fear and respect for the felid in the back of her mind. She squinted, contemplating for a second. “Wait, isn’t he making up for it by coming with us?”

  Midiga cackled maniacally. “Oh no, he owes me money for a different reason.” She stretched her arms up over her head. “You’ll find Laderic gets in over his head quite often, and it’s usually me saving him.”

  “I’ve saved you too, don’t forget,” he remarked, still lost in his own head.

  “Yeah, but I’ve kept track. Still not nearly as often as I have,” countered the felid.

  Laderic didn’t say anything back, and Midiga finally took the hint. The sun was just beginning its descent, as it was just after midday. They decided to stop to eat lunch in a small clearing visible from the road. Midiga had brought along her entire stash of dried goods, keeping most of them in Laderic’s enchanted bag. She had mostly meat, but some berries too, only because she liked the taste. No vegetables, though no one was complaining about that.

  Once they had finished eating, they set back on the road, determined to make it to their destination before nightfall. And they were not disappointed. Only a few hours later, they reached the outermost watchtower of Acrosa. The tower was old and carved from stone, and the forest had grown around it so naturally, the stone itself seemed alive from the moss and vines that laced its exterior. Caravans passed in and out of the city, carrying food, jewelry, and other goods to and from the market. At the city gates, two guards on large horses stood watch. Midiga kept a watchful eye on the guard nearest them. His muzzle stuck out from his helmet, and his tongue lolled out of his mouth as he panted in the heat of the encroaching summer. Her fur stood on end as they passed the canid, but he paid them no mind, doing his job dutifully.

  Acrosa was one of the oldest towns in the Far Land with buildings made from ancient hand-carved stone and wood that had been refinished and replaced over the last century or so. The Walk split the city almost perfectly in half, and the market was located on both sides of the road. The vendors nearly smothered visitors with their proposals of limited-time-only deals, discounted prices, and free gifts with certain purchases.

  Every kind of sensible being in the Far Land could be seen walking the streets, mingling happily with each other in the diverse city. Acrosa was not only a center for trade but for culture, as well. It was unlike the more traditional Ulandyl, which was one of the first cities settled by the felidae. Acrosa had been settled by a mix of races, and this was clearly visible both in the diversity of its residents and the equal representation of the different gods.

  Alleria, fascinated by the diversity around her, began to ask Laderic more questions, this time about the cities of the Far Land. Laderic, being well traveled and knowing much about the history of each race, happily obliged, launching into a lecture on the capitals.

  He began with telling her each race in the Far Land had a self-proclaimed capital city—a city in which their race dominated the population, and the foundations of the rich history of their people took root. For felidae, it was Ulandyl, the regional capital of trade. As felids were sly of the tongue and good with business, it was only natural that their kind should flourish in such a strategic location. The felidae in Ulandyl were nearly all nocturnal and very independent. They usually hunted their own food, and whatever extra they had, they often peddled from inn to inn, hoping for some business from hungry travelers. The felidae in Ulandyl were notorious for their hatred of canidae, and rarely would a canid be caught dead anywhere near the city. Acrosa was the closest they would get—if they knew what was good for them.

  The canidae themselves had their capital far to the west, in the city of Haust. Haust was located in a beautiful field in the open plains by the Blue Lake. Tall walls made of stone surrounded the city, and while it was open to outsiders, it most definitely remained closed to felidae. Haust was the last friendly city westward before reaching uninhabited lands. The forest beyond was aptly named the Underdark and was widely considered evil and impassable. Filled with undead and hardly explored, it was a treacherous trap for any curious adventurer. The walls around Haust were built originally to keep the dead out until they could clear the forest in the immediate perimeter. In fact, they likely wouldn’t have settled near the Underdark at all if not for the Blue Lake being such an important religious symbol to the canidae.

  The elves had cities everywhere, though now abandoned. Thousands of years ago, they had towns in every corner of the explored world—before most of the other mortal races had even settled in the Far Land. The elves existed along with the dwarves and fae long before the arrival of the others. The farthest city to the south was an ancient elvish city called Kaina’jainito, located on the southwestern coast. To the east, beyond Strita in the mountains, the elves had another city at the summit of Mt. Ewa, the tallest mountain in the range, called Ewa’jainito. Also abandoned, the city is now said to be home to dragons, griffins, and other fantastical creatures.

  During an ancient war with the dwarves, the elves abandoned their cities and fled to the north, no longer revered protectors of the Far Land, but secretive cowards, locked in their own world in the ice. An enchantment was placed on Nara’jainita that it would be lost from the memories of all those who weren’t elves. Now the city is rumored, hundreds of years later, to be only myth. Elves were a rarity to see, and those who left often lived secluded and alone. Some considered them a dying race, but others spent their entire lives trying to find the elvish capital in hopes of some kind of otherworldly enlightenment.

  The dwarves only laid claim to one city, Terun, but they could be found in nearly every corner of the known world. Their only claimed city was even further to the north than where the elvish capital was rumored to be, in the Skytouch mountain range, where the mountains were so high that no one had ever seen the other side of them. The dwarves made their home within the
mountains, having hollowed out many of them, and built their livelihood directly into the rock. The hand-carved caverns were warm year round, which was important in the arctic, especially in the winter.

  As for the other races, they generally made their homes all around the Far Land. Humans could be found in virtually every city, but most lived in the south, in the plains lining the western part of the Servatio River and in the eastern city of Mariscale. The two cities of Rokswing and Mariscale were once warring kingdoms but had been at peace for centuries, united under the banner of a single kingdom since their peace treaty was signed.

  The fae people were said to consider the Brushdeep Forest—the eastern woods spanning from the Servatio River to the south and the Navanja River to the west—to be their home. spectrals also made their home in the Brushdeep Forest, in the life-giving Tree of Amarantae, but they were much more seclusive than the fae. While spectrals themselves were a common sight in the Far Land, outsiders were rarely welcomed in their own society.

  Fae, while mainly found in wooded areas, could also be found in nearly every city, including Acrosa, as was made clear by the number of fairy vendors in the town. Alleria was fascinated by the sheer amount of booths and salespeople, more than half of which were fae. Since the fairies only worked for a quarter of the year in assisting the changing of the seasons, they spent the rest of the year selling and trading wares all around the Far Land.

  “And they always try to convince you to—Alleria?” Laderic said, pausing his monologue mid-sentence. She was nowhere to be found. He whirled around to find her drifting to the right, fascinated by the multicolored booth of one of the fae vendors. The booth appeared to be a small tree growing right out of the stone ground. The canopy of leaves created a nice shady area for potential buyers to scout their wares. From the branches of the tree hung small cages with exotic birds and tiny snakes and other creatures for sale.

  “Hello,” said Alleria, wide eyes taking in all of the trinkets and magical objects. She looked down at the vendor who was fluttering just above the ground, crinkled eyes smiling at her. The fae woman was only three feet tall, and her skin was tinged green. She had vibrant green hair and long dragonfly wings on her back that buzzed so fast they were almost impossible to see. She wore simple brown cloth pants and a flowing, earth-colored blouse. She wore no shoes, of course, as the fae people rarely walk, and prefer to wear as little clothing as possible so as not to weigh themselves down.

  She was a summertime fae, making a living selling her wares in her off-season before the summer started, for the fae control the changing of seasons. They are only in their magical prime during their born season. She was an older woman, well seasoned in the merchant trade, and had the familiar kindness of a grandmother.

  “Hello, dearie,” said the fairy, fluttering up a few feet to look her in the eye. “You have beautiful eyes,” she said, peering at the elf with a searching gaze. Whether or not her flattery was only to help make a sale was unimportant to Alleria, who blushed deeply, looking down quickly in case her irises were to change color.

  “Thank you,” she said. Reia rolled her eyes, still in Alleria’s arms. The elf pointed up at the cages hanging from the tree. “What are those?” she asked.

  The fae woman fluttered to the ceiling, gesturing at each cage. “These are exotic birds from the northern forests,” she said, pointing first to a large red parrot-like bird with six wings, and then to a bright yellow, slender one with a large, fluffy crest. “They would make nice accessories and would match your hair. And these are drascals from the coasts near Mariscale, they make good pets.” She gestured towards another cage, where a tiny blue dragon was sleeping. It was the size of a seagull, with a bright yellow beak and webbed feet. As Alleria watched, it lifted its head and yawned, flashing row after row of tiny needle teeth.

  The summertime fae halted suddenly in her sales pitch, noticing Reia, who Allera had clutched in her arms. “Do these old eyes deceive me or is your friend there a kitsune?” She zipped back down from the ceiling to take a closer look at the fox. The wrinkles around her eyes became more prominent as she squinted at Reia.

  “How did you know?” Alleria asked, glancing back and forth between the fairy and her soul partner. The fae woman shrugged, lifting the back of her hand and allowing Reia to sniff.

  “I’ve been around a while. I know all about magical creatures. I could tell because her—she’s a she, right?” she asked. Alleria nodded, watching as Reia gently sniffed the fairy’s hand. “I knew because her eyes are golden and not brown like a normal fox.”

  Reia grinned, though it appeared like a snarl. “You have a good eye,” she spoke, bowing her head to the fae woman, who gasped.

  “An alamorph,” she swooned, clasping her hands together and doing a quick spin. “Oh, you are very lucky to have a kitsune as your soul partner. I’m quite jealous!”

  Alleria blushed once more, stroking Reia’s forehead. “I know, I’m so lucky,” she agreed. “I can’t imagine my life without Reia. We just found each other one day, and since then, it’s just felt like my whole life was—”

  “There you are!” interrupted Laderic, appearing suddenly behind Alleria and startling her. He put his arm around her shoulders, pulling her away from the booth. “No, we don’t want a drascal or a bag of love berries,” he said, cutting sarcasm lacing his words, “but thanks anyway!”

  “But I—” Alleria began, looking longingly backward toward the nice fae woman, who was scowling in Laderic’s direction with her arms crossed. Her wings seemed to buzz angrily, somehow even faster than before.

  Laderic looked down at her. “Do you have any money?” he asked rhetorically.

  “No, but I—”

  “Fae are naturally charming, making them excellent salespeople,” Laderic lectured. They wove their way through the crowd, past creatures and people of every type. “I know you enjoyed talking to her, but that’s how they make everyone feel if they want to, but trust me, she just wanted a sale.”

  Alleria frowned, dejected, clutching Reia tightly as she walked, Laderic’s arm still around her shoulder. “I guess,” she said, not necessarily believing him. Although, she began to think about the woman’s words, remembering how she had complimented her hair, which was tucked completely back under her hood. She sighed then, realizing Laderic was probably right.

  “You have to be careful in these places,” Laderic said, continuing to offer advice. He scanned the crowd for Midiga, who he had accidentally left behind on his mission to find Alleria. “I do my best, anyway. These people target young people like you to try to get an easy sale.”

  Alleria furrowed her brow, looking up at Laderic. “But you’re the same age as me… right?” she asked. There was no way Laderic could have been much older than she was. She looked him over while they walked, noting his young face and neatly trimmed facial hair. He couldn’t have been more than twenty years old… Right?

  He grinned as he spotted Midiga in the crowd. He pulled Alleria along faster, wanting to catch up before he lost sight of the felid again. “I guess I’m close enough to your age, but even so, you’re a woman,” he said flatly, dragging Alleria behind him, impatient.

  “What’s that supposed to mean?” Alleria asked, indignant, yanking her arm out of his grip and stopping in her tracks. “I’m a woman, so therefore, I’m easier to trick into buying something?”

  Laderic stopped, turning to face Alleria and putting his hands on her shoulders, staring into her red eyes. “Most people don’t think that, I don’t think that,” he began, quickly defending himself, “but a lot of people, especially salespeople, always try to sell to the women first. They think women are more flippant with their money, or something along those lines. It’s just the way it is. Doesn’t make it right.” He turned to start walking once more, throwing his arm back over her shoulder to pull her along with him, so she didn’t drift away toward any other booths. “And, I mean, I can’t blame them. You ladies are more likely to buy shiny things and a
ccessories. It’s just how it goes.”

  He flagged down Midiga with a wave while Alleria acknowledged his point. Women do buy more jewelry and clothes, she thought to herself. She shrugged, deciding to drop the subject as they reached their felid friend.

  “Look,” Midiga said, gesturing ahead of them with her paw. There was a side road, taking them away from The Walk and toward a large tavern, which looked to be filling up quickly. A couple of dwarves pushed past each other, squeezing through the tight doorway into the lively bar. As the doors opened and shut, a wave of sound ebbed and flowed—the sound of clinking bottles and hearty laughter. A rusty sign hung outside the doorway swung as each person who entered slapped it with their hands in turn. The sign read, ‘The Water Bowl.’

  Midiga bared her teeth in a mischievous grin. “While you two lovebirds were off shopping, I might have found us a place to stay for the night.” She put her paws on her hips, eying the two of them.

  “Lovebirds?” Laderic and Alleria cried in unison. Laderic looked down, realizing his arm was still around Alleria’s shoulders. He raised it up quickly, nearly punching her in the back of the head. “Come on, Midiga, you know me better than that,” he stammered, and he quickly pulled ahead of them as they squeezed their way to the tavern through the crowd. Alleria’s face flushed at Midiga’s comment. She was confused why a smile was stuck on her lips.

  Chapter 6

  The inn was nothing special, though it was crowded as could be. Inside, there was an L-shaped bar, tables and chairs, and a small stage area for shows and street performances. But that was it—no paintings, seat cushions, or even windows. The tables themselves were filled, though, with nearly every race in the Far Land represented in that tiny room.