The air bit at her as she walked, turning onyx skin as dark as the night sky to gooseflesh. Wind was blowing in her face, billowing silver hair into her mouth that she promptly spit out with a sour expression. She peered at the elderly woman who walked in front of her with narrowed, golden eyes, but kept silent as the older lady trudged forwards with her staff, back hunched but somehow that added to her presence rather than take away from it. Streaks of gray hair flowed from her wide-brimmed, conal hat over her black robes, bouncing as the woman walked with an energy that was unusual for her age. Fog parted from her mouth with every breath, but she showed no other signs of being affected by the cold.

“It’s a bit chilly today, isn’t it Elly?” the older woman said as if she had just had the realization.

Elly frowned, “Really? I couldn’t tell.”

“Come now, we both know that you’re a terrible liar. I know full well that the tips of your ears are numb and that you can’t wait to just give them a good rub to warm them up.”

“We both know that is quite unrefined, master.”

They walked in silence for a few more steps, and when Elly was sure her teacher wasn’t looking she rubbed the tips of her pointed ears, holding back a sigh as warmth briefly returned to them.

“See? I was right!”

Elly sighed, “Fine, gods know how you see these things.”

“Wisdom,” her master said. Elly could hear the smile in her voice, “Though I must say this is quite the long walk, who’s idea was this again?”

“Yours.”

“Ah, that is right… well not much we can do about it now I suppose, exercise maintains beauty they say.”

“Ah yes, important for one in the prime of their life.”

“I’m glad you see such truths, though I could do with them being less barbed.”

“Nonsense, I speak with utter sincerity.”

Her teacher laughed, “Well enjoy the outside while you can, I suspect that we’re not going to be seeing much of it for a while if rumor is true.”

“I certainly hope it is. It’d be quite the shame to be dragged out to some corner of the world no one gives a thought of for nothing, at the whims of a wise and benevolent teacher, of course.”

“Indeed, how else would you have sight of such… trees?”

“Truly unique. I dare say that I’ve never seen such shades of pale yellow in all my life.”

Her master snorted, “Surely you must have noticed other things about this forest, or has cold fogged that hot head of yours?”

Elly frowned, “I’m assuming you’re talking about the Aetheric density. While surprising, we’ve been to places that have displayed far more saturation of energy than this.”

“True, but I’m afraid that you’re missing the forest for the trees child. Pockets of Aether line this forest, some many miles away, others nestled only a minute’s walk from us, just waiting to be found,” the elderly woman waved a hand, and Elly could see various spots of the forest light up as she felt the spell wash over her sight. “Of course we can’t afford to be distracted, I suspect whatever is under the mountain will prove far more interesting than some trinkets on the road.”

“I do hate it when you do that…” Elly murmured. She snapped her fingers near her eyes. The motes of light in her vision faded away as she did so.

“Tis why you must always be on guard, or are you going to give me some excuse and say travel has dulled your senses?”

Elly tugged at her dark blue robes and sighed, “No, I shall be more aware.”

“Good, perhaps you need to refresh yourself with some mental exercise, I think some simple Aether circulation will suffice for now…”

The voice that came from her master carried the tones of suggestion, but Elly knew that the elderly woman never just suggested anything. She focused, feeling the ring of Aether materialize around her right wrist. She ignored the chill that a new gust of wind brought her and instead reached out, pulling the green Aether from the breeze and spinning it between her fingers. The action took little effort, more guided by instinct rather than thought.

“Good…” her master said without looking back at her, “now maintain that while pulling Aether from the earth.”

Elly grimaced. This was going to be a long walk…

___

The gates of Goldshire were broken. Their wooden doors were cracked and splintered at their center as if struck by a great force and they hung open, revealing the town of stone and wood beyond. Piles of lumber surrounded them, their quantity far greater than any amount needed for simple repairs. Groups of men pulled from these stacks of wood, carrying them to workstations that set about carving and shaping the lumber into what Elly could only guess was a replacement gate.

None paid attention to them as they approached, until one man’s eyes fell upon Elly. He quickly nudged the worker next to him, and this effect continued until most of the workers stopped to stare at the approaching pair.

“Oh? It seems I am still deserving of admiration,” her master said in a dry tone, “Now, if one of you would break your gaze enough to tell me where your mayor is…”

One of the worker’s coughed, “Apologies, you’ll find him at his house in the town square.”

“Ah, well that is convenient.”

“Look for the building with the red roof.”

Her teacher nodded at the worker and made her way to the gate. Elly followed, feeling the gazes leave her as she heard the sounds of carpentry start up again. She felt them again as she walked through the gate; glances that cut at her as she walked into the sight of the townsfolk. It had been some time since she had been subject to such curious looks.

“We truly are in the middle of nowhere, aren’t we?” Elly said under her breath.

“That we are, but they seem like good folk. Weary, given recent events, but they appear to be recovering well.”

“Indeed, were it not for the broken gate I would be unable to tell that this town was occupied by bandits only a week ago.”

“Such is life in the Freemarks. Outside the influence of the Six Kingdoms, free to grow as they please, but with little in the way of protection. Such an environment makes folk a bit hardier than those you’d find in a capital city.”

Elly looked around the town, making note of the simplistic architecture that surrounded her. The buildings were primitive; simple abodes of rock and lumber, but there was a hardiness to their make that lay beneath. She looked back to the townspeople and she found much of the same within the eyes that looked at her, mixed with both grief and determination. Her sensitive ears twitched as they picked up cries of mourning from within the walls around her, contrasted to the laughter of children that ran amongst the streets.

Goldshire felt cracked, broken… but it was healing.

Elly followed her master to the town’s square, empty in the early morning, but with what appeared to be the beginnings of a crowd forming in the market street to the east. It was difficult to differentiate between many of the buildings situated around the center of town based on looks alone, but from the signs in front of them she noted that most were shops selling sundries that ranged from potions to clothing. Her interest was piqued to see what kind of concoction an alchemist in the Freemarks had developed, but dismissed the thought from her head as she saw her master approach one of the buildings. The one with the red roof.

The elderly woman rapped on the door with her staff and waited while humming a gentle tune to herself.

“That excited are we?” Elly asked with a smile.

“Well of course! It’s been so long since we’ve had an expedition.”

“I seem to recall those ruins in Rodun that we investigated a month ago.”

“Exactly my point! Besides, others had their hands all over them by the time we got there. These are fresh.”

“If they truly exist, that is.”

Her master turned back at her, wrinkles creased around her frown, “Pessimism will get you nowhere but backwards young lady,” she said with a click of her teeth.

Elly shrugged, but held her tongue. That was enough verbal sparring for now.

The door was opened by an orc man, who wore simple clothes over a naturally bulky frame that occupied much of the doorway. The tusks that poked from his beard added only the barest amount of intimidation from the man’s otherwise kindly expression. The few wrinkles on his face betrayed his older years, though like most orcs it’d be hard to guess his actual age from a glance, especially since the man was bald.

“May I help you?” he said in a deep, but weathered voice.

“You must be the mayor,” her master said as she took off her hat and bowed, “Agatha Toulec, pleasure to make your acquaintance.”

Elly mimicked her master’s movements, noting that the mayor had bowed back, “Ellyandra Farwalker, or just Elly for short. Also a pleasure.”

“Gorond, the feeling is mutual,” the mayor said with a smile, “What need do you have of me?”

“I have heard tale of ruins discovered within your mines,” Agatha said, “one of a certain Ruhian make.”

Gorond nodded, “Indeed, though it is a topic ill fitting for my doorstep. Please, come inside.”

The mayor motioned them inside and closed the door. Elly was greeted by the smells of fresh baked bread and rather than any stately atmosphere from a town’s official she was instead filled with a sense of warmth that only a well lived in home could produce. This was only further emphasized by the homely, wooden furniture that lined the entry hall, covered only by the simplest of red cloth that matched their darkened make. Aside from the odd vase or trinket Elly could see numerous pictures that sat atop counters and shelves, showcasing what she could only infer were the mayor’s children at various stages of growth. Were she not informed of the man’s station, she would have assumed that she was walking into the house of a friendly neighbor rather than the leader of a village.

Her master nodded in approval, “Quite a lovely home you have here.”

You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author.

“I thank you. I’ve no meeting hall for us to retire to but might I interest you both in a spot of breakfast while we talk?”

“Certainly! I am quite famished from our journey.”

Elly’s stomach let out a slight growl at the prospect of food and though she kept her face straight, she could feel heat gather at her cheeks.

Agatha looked back at her with a smirk, “It appears my apprentice agrees as well.”

Gorond chuckled, “We’ll have no empty bellies in this house. Borda! We've two guests joining us today!”

“Oh my!” came another voice, it was husky, but carried a lightness to it, giving it a feminine quality, “It has been sometime since I’ve had to cook for so many people. If you would just give us a minute while we prepare some more food…”

“Take your time, we’ve business to discuss prior anyways.”

Gorond smiled at them and gestured them forward towards the doorway at the end of the hall. As Elly drew new it, the smells of bread started to mix with the scents of eggs and cooked sausages, which only made her stomach rumble more in anticipation. Her mouth started to water and she tried to be subtle about the glances she shot towards the kitchen.

The dining room matched the humble make of the entry hall. It was a larger room with an equally large table to match it. Elly suspected that it was used a lot more than just eating, which would explain the lack of ornamentation on the table aside from some place mats piled at its center. Gorond picked up two from the pile and set them in front of some empty chairs. She counted seven mats placed total, which caused her to raise an eyebrow.

“Are there others besides your wife joining us today?” Elly asked.

Gorond nodded, “Yes, three adventurers. They’ve been recovering at our house for the past week and a half. Though if you wish for more privacy I can ask them to eat separately for the time being.”

“That is quite alright,” Agatha said, “If anything it may save us the time in finding protection.”

Elly tried to hide her smirk. If there was anything that her master did not need, it was protection, but the elderly woman liked to keep up appearances.

“Still, resting at the mayor’s house? They must be quite the reputable sort,” Elly noted.

“Actually, if you were to have told me their names a couple of weeks ago I would have forgotten them fairly quickly. Now? I don’t think I could ever forget the people who saved this town.”

Elly’s ears perked up at that, but she did not press further. She’d be meeting them in due time.

The mayor sat at the head of the table with her master taking a seat next to him. Elly elected to take the seat next to her teacher, the one that sat across from the kitchen door.

“I’ll get right to it. Yes, we have, though rather unwillingly, discovered Ruhian ruins in our mine,” Gorond said.

Agatha’s wrinkled face brightened at those words, “Excellent! Has anyone stepped into them since they’ve been discovered?”

The orc man shook his head, “None of our townsfolk, no. Truth be told no one has stepped foot into the mines since we repelled the bandits. We’ve been focusing on recovering since then and… well the easiest way to say it is that people are too scared at the moment to get back to mining.”

“Too scared?” Elly asked, “May I ask why?”

“Well, while the bandits were forcing the men to mine a number of… incidents occurred,” Gorond leaned forward, “Whatever it was within those mines was causing a reaction with the Golden Peak itself, blowing up any rocks we mined from within the mountain and damn near causing the mountain itself to explode. At least, that is what we believed might have happened.”

“Hmmmm, Aetheric resonance, and on such a large scale…,” Agatha said, “That certainly smells of Ruhian technology to me, though I've never experienced anything so severe,” her eyes were inquisitive, but there was a slight tremble to the elderly woman’s fingers that betrayed what Elly knew to be increasing excitement, “My apprentice and I do have a bit of experience in such affairs. Should you allow us, we’d love to investigate the ruins for you.”

Gorond sat back and put his hand to his chin, “I was in the midst of writing a missive to the Mage’s Academy in Orelia…”

“Ah, well you are certainly in luck then,” Agatha said. She reached into her robes and from its depths produced a silver talisman that hung from a chain. Engraved onto its face were nine interlocking rings that orbited around a clean cut diamond no larger than the size of a small bead. Elly possessed one made of brass with a ruby at its heart, but kept it stowed under her robes for the time being.

“We happen to hail from Orelia ourselves,” her master said in a matter of fact tone, “And of course we would be happy to investigate the ruins for you.”

Gorond looked at the talisman for a moment before reaching for it, “Do you mind?” He asked.

“Not at all,” Agatha said as she placed the talisman in the orc’s large hand.

The mayor examined the talisman with furrowed eyebrows, “Apologies if this seems rude, but I’d like to confirm your identities before I allow anything.”

Agatha showed no change in emotion, but the way she drummed her fingers against the table told Elly that her master was irritated by the suggestion.

“Might I inquire as to the reason why?” Elly asked, noticing her master’s brows growing increasingly furrowed.

“It has much to do with our recent troubles,” the mayor explained, “we previously unearthed a Ruhian artifact prior to all of this and a mage claiming to be from Orelia, like yourselves, offered to study it for us,” he frowned, “I didn’t put too much thought into his origins at the time and the next thing we knew a band of bandits had marched on our doorstep.”

Agatha stopped drumming her fingers and the tightness over her eyes relaxed, “Ah, I see. Well if it is to facilitate a bond of trust, then do what you must. Though I will say these old bones are itching to get started as soon as possible.”

Gordon nodded and handed the Talisman back to the elderly woman, “We will be as fast as possible I assure you.”

“I do not think that will be necessary, that talisman is indeed the genuine article.”

Elly looked away from Gorond and saw that a face was poking through the kitchen door. It was that of a human man with white, sun-kissed skin. Brown hair sat atop his head, its sides trimmed short but with the top long enough that it needed to be swept to the side for some semblance of cleanliness. His facial features were distinctly average, with a clean shaven visage that would be easily lost within a crowd. All except his eyes, possessing a shade of soft blue and glint of inquisitiveness as he peered at both Elly and Agatha.

“Breakfast is ready, by the way,” he said in a deep, but gentle voice.

The rest of him emerged from the door, carrying a tray filled with plates and cups. He was tall, that much was obvious at a glance, but Elly also noted hints of muscles that peaked out from the loose linens that hung off of his wide shoulders.

“Apologies,” he said as he started to set down the plates, “I overheard talk of the ruins and my curiosity got the better of me,” the man wiped his hands on his shirt and held out a hand to Agatha, “Helbram, pleased to meet you.”

Agatha smiled and shook the man’s hand, “Tis no issue, if you could save this elderly woman some time that would be greatly appreciated.”

“Well, it would be far more help than he was over the stove,”

Elly turned again to see a half elf with olive skin emerge from the kitchen with a large plate of fried eggs. Brown hair covered his head, pulled back into a ponytail but with enough loose to frame a face that possessed both angular and softer features along with a pair of eyes that held the color of evergreen trees. He placed the eggs on the table and took a seat next to Helbram. There was a slight scowl to his face, one that matched the harsh, irritated tone of his voice.

“The man nearly let the sausage burn while he was snooping.”

“Come now Leaf, your ears were twitching plenty while you were eavesdropping.”

A gnome with pale skin walked by the half-elf, blonde hair draped over the larger, pointed ears that were common to her kind. She cast a curious glance at Elly and her master, her purple eyes just barely visible over the edge of the table. From the way that the gnome held the plate of sausages in her hands and hummed to herself, however, it was clear that she was more interested in the food she was about to eat. Elly’s stomach growled, echoing her shared sentiment.

“Mind if I sit here?” the gnome asked Elly, pulling on the seat next to hers.

“By all means,” Elly said with a smile.

The gnome grinned, “Excellent,” she set her plate on the table and pushed it as much as she could towards its center before climbing into her seat. The small woman held her hand out to Elly with a smile, “Jahora.”

The apprentice smiled back and took her hand, “Elly.”

An orc woman emerged from the kitchen carrying a tray of bread and butter in one hand and a steaming kettle in the other. Like Gorond, her age was only evident by the wrinkles that sat around her black eyes and her smaller tusks made her appearance much more kindly than the mayors.

“Apologies for the delay, I wanted to make sure everything was fresh off the stove.”

“Tis fine Borda,” Gorond said with a kind tone. He did not touch his plate until his wife sat down next to him, and Elly couldn’t help but smile as the man took his wife’s hand out of instinct.

Silence followed as the table filled their plates. Whilst Elly tried to be conservative about the amount of food she took, the urging of Borda had loaded her plate with far more food than she planned. The eggs steamed in front of her and the sausage glistened under the light, bringing another round of rumbling from her stomach as the aromas of meat, herbs and bread drifted into her nose.

Gorond, still holding his wife’s hand, tapped his chin and put a hand to his chest once everyone had their plates, “Blessings of the All Father be upon us this day.”

“Amen,” said Borda.

The rest of the table nodded in acknowledgement and set about eating.

“Back to what I was saying,” said Helbram, taking a bite of sausage, “I have been to Orelia sometime ago and the markings on that talisman are genuine.”

Gorond slathered butter over his bread, “I see, well, if you trust them then that does ease my mind. I still believe that I should send word of this to the Academy.”

“You would be correct to do so,” Agatha said, “Though if you would, allow me to make the report in your stead.”

Elly smirked. No doubt said report would be a thinly veiled message telling others to stay away until she’s had her fill.

“That would be much appreciated,” the mayor sighed in relief, “I must say it is nice to have something go smoothly after so long.”

“Happy to be of service,” Agatha said, “Though I must insist we begin our investigation as soon as possible.”

Jahora lifted an eyebrow, “You certainly are quite eager to get started.”

“It’s her youthful spirit,” Elly quipped, “Makes her quite the handful to handle.”

“Indeed,” Agatha said in an offhand tone, “how else will I handle such pleasant adulation?”

Jahora snorted, “Well I can’t say I don’t understand, I’ve been very curious of what lies within the mines myself.”

“What, because you blew the other priceless artifact up?” Leaf said, “Lookin’ for your next victim, aren’t ya?”

Jahora frowned at the half-elf, “Yes, well at least my arse wasn’t singed by the explosion now was it?”

Elly choked on her toast holding back a laugh.

Leaf stared at her with irritation, “You know, one day that’s gonna get old.”

“But not this day,” the gnome said with a bright smile.

Helbram put a hand on Leaf’s shoulder, “Do not despair Sir Chaffed, you’ll have many titles yet,” he said with a snicker.

Leaf eyed the man while wolfing down the rest of his toast, “Will I now, Hedge Knight?”

Helbram winced at that, “...that was deserved.”

Leaf snorted, but said nothing else.

“Hedge Knight?” Elly asked.

“It’s nothing, just a case of misplaced bravado.”

“I dunno, you seemed pretty serious when you were saying it,” Leaf smiled as he took a bite of sausage.

“Now that does seem like quite the tale,” Agatha said, “I am quite curious to hear it.”

“Tis nothing that special I assure you,” Helbram answered.

“Well it must be something if it’s earned you lodging in the mayor’s house,” Elly pointed out.

“Well, it didn’t feel right shunting our town’s saviors to the tavern after all they’ve done,” Gorond said.

“The least we could do for them was let them recover in comfort,” Borda added.

“We are hardly the only ones who fought,” Helbram objected, “but still, I do thank you for the hospitality.”

Borda smiled, “And you are always welcome to it.”

Helbam smiled back and nodded. He took a few more bites of his meal before clearing his throat, “Back to the mines, when do you think you’ll get your investigation started?”

Agatha took the kettle and poured hot tea into her cup, “Whilst I would love to begin our examination today I’m afraid my frail apprentice is in need of rest to recover from the journey.”

Elly shot her master an annoyed look, but settled on a sigh as her only retort. There was some truth to her master’s words.

“So it would be sometime tomorrow,” her teacher declared. She grinned at the man, “Why so curious? Hoping to take part, are we?”

A glint flashed across Helbram’s eyes, “Yes… yes I am.”