A NEW HOME
2
- ALANIS -
I ’m pacing my bedroom in my small cottage after a night unable to sleep. The morning sun shines through the curtains as I hold my steaming cup of coffee. Staring out the window, I can see the outline of the city of Percius. The back of my cottage faces the Obsidian Hills, but from the front I can just make out the king and queen’s castle in the center of the city, a stunning behemoth unlike anything I expected. I always pictured dark stone walls and a moat.
I definitely expected a moat.
And a drawbridge.
When we had first arrived, it was surreal. As I disembarked the ship for the dock, I met the gaze of a blond Fae, his face rigid but his eyes bright, before I quickly glanced away. We were directed towards wagons that waited to take the refugees to their assigned homes, but he stared at me so long I had to fight the urge to look back as the wagon left the harbor behind. As the wagon bounced over cobblestone streets, I stared in awe: The castle was a magnificent white brick giant that seemed more like a town itself than a house to live in. Honeysuckle twined its way up the white brick facade, and deep purple flowers decorated the front lawn.
Everything about my new home was magical. There was a shop specifically for herbs to help with spells. Fae used their powers for daily tasks out in the open. On my way to work every morning, I passed an older man outside a flower shop forming water from seemingly nowhere to care for his plants. A young female created a gust of wind to clear the dirt from her side walk. A child levitated a ball before tossing it towards his friend.
Back home in the Caselian Realm, magic like that would have gotten us killed. It had certainly made my mother want to get rid of me.
I stare down at my hands clasping my mug. Being in a place so accepting of magic, I no longer fear whatever powers thrum in my veins, though I still have no clue how to wield them. When I hear Elion walk into the kitchen, pouring himself a cup of coffee, I leave my room to join him at the table.
“What’s on the agenda today?” I ask, his eyes avoiding my own. The silence stretches longer than I can handle. Reaching across the table, I rest my hand on his. “Elion? What is it?”
“I was assigned a patrol mission. I’m supposed to leave tomorrow morning.”
The coffee sours in my stomach. “Where?”
“We start in Selianthe and will end at the northernmost patrol point of the Sinwood Mountains.”
The meager contents of my stomach threaten to make a reappearance as my nerves get the best of me. “You can’t. You told me yourself how dangerous those mountains are. All manner of evil creatures lives there.” I pause, catching my breath. “And what about the disappearances? Don’t think I didn’t hear you and Levi talking about your friend who went missing in those mountains while hunting.”
Elion exhales, his gaze unwavering as he squeezes my hand in reassurance. “This is my job, Lani. If I can help figure out why people keep disappearing then I need to do it. We know firsthand what it is like to lose a loved one, what if I can give someone theirs back?”
My eyes quickly fill with tears as I stare at my older brother. He has always been my hero, there to protect me and help with whatever I need. But I know I can’t ask him not to go. Releasing a breath, I stand, pulling him towards me for a hug. “You have to promise to send me updates so I know you are safe.”
He kisses the top of my head. “Of course. I will be back by the end of the week.”
Pulling away, I nod, wiping the wayward tear from my cheek. “Promise?”
He smirks, tugging me back towards his chest. “Promise. And when I get back, you owe me a rematch from that game of cards you cheated at last night.”
Laughing, I push him towards the door. “I didn’t cheat, you’re just a sore loser.”
He pulls me outside with him and insists on training before he leaves for work. “Just like dad always said, it’s better to be prepared.”
I go to reach for my dagger that is always on me, but Elion shakes his head. “Just fists today.”
Grumbling, I take a fighting stance. When he jabs forward, I feign to the right, ducking and quickly jabbing at his gut. His grunt is the only outward sign I made contact. “Lucky hit, sis, won’t happen again.”
Before I can even come back with a sarcastic response, he ducks low, grabbing me around the waist and effectively knocking me to the ground. I purse my lips and shove my knee up, bucking my hips to try to dislodge him, but the heavy brute presses down harder.
“Do you forfeit?” he asks with a cocky smirk on his face.
“Never.” I wiggle around, trying to find a way to escape, but soon he’s tickling me, which I hate more than anything. It is unbearable as I laugh and squirm. “All right, all right. I forfeit.”
He smiles proudly even though he cheated. I lay there gasping for breath as he stands when a devious thought comes to me. Quickly, without making a noise, I sit up and hook my foot around his ankles. He falls with a thud, glaring at me.
I stand, brushing the dirt off my clothes and tsking when I give him my hand to help him up. “Father also said to never turn your back on an enemy.”
Elion rolls his eyes but laughs. “Don’t ever forget it, either.”
Later that night we sit at the table, the potatoes bland, but the steak Elion picked up from the butcher shop mouthwatering. I just wish I could fully enjoy it. We only splurge on steak for special occasions, like birthdays or holidays. I know the only reason he bought this is because of the mission he’s been assigned. He hates feeling like he is disappointing me and I know I can’t let him leave here thinking that. As we clean up and head for bed, I hug him tight. “You are the best brother. Mom and Dad would be so proud to see the work you’re doing to protect this realm.”
His arms embrace me in a bear hug. “I love you, Lani,” he whispers.
“I love you more,” I tease back.
His quiet laughter warms my heart. “I love you more, more, more.”
Tears fall down my face as he finishes our ‘who loves who more’ battle that we have done since as long as I can remember.
When I wake the next morning, I find a note that Elion had left on the pale yellow table just inside our front door. With slow steps I pick up the cream-colored paper, his words scrawled across the page in his messy handwriting.
See you at end of week. Promise.
I exhale, knowing at least Levi will be with him.
We had both met Levi when Elion enlisted in the King’s Guard after we moved to the Primal Realm. He and Elion became fast friends, and soon I was cooking dinner for all of us almost every night. As the days passed, Levi and I grew closer. He would visit me at the library when I would read, stay long after dinner talking into the night. He brought me a sense of comfort, and soon I found myself falling hard and fast. Much to Elion’s dismay.
It’s not the same anymore. Not since I found Levi finding comfort in another. I still haven’t told Elion what happened. I don’t want to ruin his friendship. And he would certainly pummel his best friend for cheating on his sister.
Levi treated me well and took me to new places. One of the first dates we ever went on was to Elderwood, the trees a lush green and so thick that you could hardly tell what time of day it was when you were in the depths of the wood.
He stopped me right inside and told me to listen. A fluttering of wings was all I heard before a creature appeared through the canopy, its wings flashing bright red and yellow as it landed on a branch.
I sucked in a breath as I watched the giant phoenix perch, almost as large as my entire cottage. Its movements were graceful and mesmerizing.
“Oh my Gods,” I whispered.
Levi grinned. “One of my favorites. When a phoenix dies, it is reborn. A new life rising from its ashes.”
The bird flapped its wings, soaring high above us. I raced out of the trees, staring at the clear blue sky and watched as its bright colors faded away. “It’s beautiful,” I said in awe.
Levi smiled. “So are you.”
My heart was pounding. He’d looked at me like he wanted to kiss me and I let him.
But things changed. I went to surprise him one day and found another female leaving his house. My brain completely shut down, even as he walked to me with fear in his eyes to try to talk his way out of it. I didn’t listen, too far gone at that point. I pulled my fist back and punched him in the face, breaking his nose in the process. That tingling sensation I had felt before was back, but my mind and body were too numb to dig into whatever magic it might be.
I shake off the memories of what used to be and grab my satchel. Maryanna will not be happy with me if I’m late for work. It takes about fifteen minutes to walk to the inner city where the giant glass dome library resides. The front of the library has marble steps leading up to the massive black glass doors. The building is nearly all marble with shelves and tables running in a circle up four levels, but the middle is an enormous glass atrium. On a clear night, you can curl up in the chairs on the first floor and look up at the constellations.
It is the most beautiful, awe-inspiring location in the whole city.
Maryanna sits at a large ornately carved oak table in the center of the room, poring over the pages of her favorite book.
I still remember the day we met. I was so nervous going in to ask for a job. Elion and I had quickly learned that some residents were not happy with the refugee situation. It started with scathing glances and murmured words of anger. Then one day while leaving the market a man yelled at us to find somewhere else to live, or to go back from where we’d come. Our realm was cruel to the Fae and Witches, fearing their powers and banning them from entering. If one was discovered, they were killed. I didn’t let their hate stop me from asking for a job, though.
When I approached the front desk, the librarian peered over her glasses at me, talking in her nasally voice. “Can I help you?” she asked, as if she’d like to do anything but. Her curly hair was cut close to her shoulders, her deep blue eyes shrewd and assessing.
“I was wondering if you were hiring? I have always loved books and this has quickly become one of my favorite places in Percius. I even found a little nook in a corner that I like to read in, and it has a perfect view of the stars.”
The librarian’s lips twitched in what I thought might be a smile. “That’s one of my favorite places to read, too. Feels like you are in your own little bubble.”
The smile that overtook my face was a genuine one. The first real smile since everything went upside down. “After so much upheaval and chaos, this place has become a sort of safe haven for me. I lose track of time when I delve into stories of fantastical worlds. Not to mention all the extensive history that Percius has.”
She was definitely smiling now. “I will have to show you my favorite book in the entire library. You will love it.”
“I would appreciate that immensely.” I smiled and watched as she moved around behind her desk for a moment, gathering papers.
“I am in no need of another librarian,” she said, causing my heart to plummet in disappointment “But I’ve been looking for someone who may be interested in helping me write a book about my life.” She holds up her hands that are stiff from overuse. “It’s too painful for me to write so much on my own.”
I squealed, quickly covering my mouth when a few Fae shot me dirty looks. “Sorry, sorry. Thank you so much. I would be honored to help you.” I shook her hand and practically skipped out the door, feeling lighter than I had in years.
She’s a lover of history, but also romance, and this realm has such an interesting past. A lost king who has never been found. His daughter then became queen only to give it all up and disappear from the public eye with her husband over a century ago.
The current king and queen are beloved. From what I have read, they have been in power for at least a century. Since they have taken over, there has been nothing but peace, save for a few uprisings now and again. That’s what makes this realm even more desirable.
Peace.
The biggest issue is the ghouls. The foul creatures are monstrosities, their bodies black and slimy, and horribly tall when they stand at full height, their teeth and nails sharp enough to slice right through you. Just last month one wandered into the city, drawn there by starvation most likely, and destroyed part of the butcher shop before it was killed by the King’s Guard. They stole all of his meat the next day, too. The king and queen quickly reassured everyone that the issue would be handled swiftly. Normally, they send soldiers to eradicate them, but occasionally the ghouls manage to disappear back into the woods and can’t be found.
The king and queen have two children, a son and a daughter. Their daughter married a Fae prince from another realm a decade ago. There isn’t much information on their son, just that he is fearsome and keeps the realm safe by enforcing the laws and personally handing out punishments. I questioned Maryanna once about the heir doing such a dangerous job, but she assured me all heirs to the throne participate in the King’s Guard for a time. It just so happens that the prince quite enjoys the job and is damn good at it. Her words, not mine. I once overheard he lost a game of dice and had to give up his favorite horse, which in turn led to a bar fight after a few too many drinks.
Each day goes by fast as I lose myself in Maryanna’s stories. Today I scribed pages about her adventures in the Rorane Mountains, camping and befriending Witches from the Shadow Vale Coven. She was even invited to a dinner with their matriarch. I also learned that Maryanna loves a challenge. She climbed to the tallest peak of the mountain range, fighting the lack of oxygen at such a high altitude, and gazed out over the realm. She could see everything, looking over the Alpine Forest’s snow-covered trees to the town of the Upper Shrol all the way to the shores of the Sidereal Sea.
I walk to the coffee shop after work and sit at my favorite corner table looking out at the cobblestone streets. The Fae pass by and I can’t help but admire them. Everything about them is jaw-dropping: their flawless faces and immaculate bone structure, as if hewn from marble. Even their pointed ears and sharp canines add to their appeal.
Beyond that, they are kind. There are, of course, some who don’t take kindly to strangers or humans, but the majority have been nothing but welcoming. The male who owns the flower shop is not keen on humans. Last time I went to his shop, he grumbled the entire time I was paying. I certainly caught a few murmurs that I should go back to where I came from. As if he had no idea what had forced me to leave in the first place.
But then you have the apothecary, who knows me by name. My first time in her shop, she was hesitant and guarded her children from me, like I was a threat, but I made a decision to win her over. Each day, I brought her a coffee and the children muffins. Soon I found myself coloring with them and chatting with their mother for a short while each week. I tried to win over the male at the flower shop, even going so far as to bring him his newspaper every day, but the grump just wouldn’t budge.
I wanted a new start. A place where people accepted me for who I am.
Each day Maryanna recites her adventures throughout her long life, pointing out spots in history that she witnessed firsthand, like the crowning of the current king and queen.
She always brings maps so I can better understand the layout of the realm and the things that have changed over the years. When the shipping ports were built, many trails used for delivery of goods became overgrown. Maryanna made sure to tell me all about one trail in particular where she ran off with a lover for some alone time. I blushed during that story, giggling at the spunky older female sitting before me. Her stories make me long for the thrill of an adventure so that I have stories to tell my children someday. All I have now are heartbreaking ones.
During my walk home from work, I appreciate the infrastructure around me. It’s so different from where I’m from that I fear I won’t ever get used to it. Brick buildings line the streets, each with a cute little shop inside. A flower shop, clothing boutique, jewelry store, everything you could possibly think up is here. When I pass by the apothecary, my gaze catches on the lush green grass that surrounds the house next door. Pink and white daylilies bloom on either side of the white-wash brick house, whose white picket fence runs along the front yard and a massive willow tree with a bench underneath.
I admire this house every time I see it.
This is my dream home.
Each time I gaze upon it, I feel a pull towards it. It’s like my mind wants me to go knock on the door. One time, I even stepped inside the gate. I’ve never seen anyone outside in all the time I have been here, but it can’t be abandoned. The grass is too lush, the flowers too bright, the fence too well-maintained.
As I exit the city and travel down the dirt road for home, I spot Hannah in her backyard, her cottage opposite mine, right across the narrow path. She is about five foot tall and feisty as hell. One might think she is timid and easily overpowered by her shorter stature, but she could give a grown man a run for his money if you put a dagger in her hand.
She looks up and squints at me before flicking her blond hair from her eyes. She is harvesting the crops from her garden, and I know from experience with helping my father in the cornfield how backbreaking that work can be.
She moved in shortly after my brother and I did. I basically forced her to be my friend. After so many days stopping by her house to bring whatever food I had left over from dinner, she finally succumbed, letting me help establish her now flourishing garden.
I sidle over to help, dropping my satchel and kneeling beside her in the dirt.
“How was work, Alanis?” she asks.
I shrug, smiling at the soreness of my hands as I weed her garden. “Same as every other day you ask me. Peaceful. Maryanna’s stories never fail to make me smile and forget everything around me for a little while.”
Much better than the constant chaos I had become accustomed to back home when the bombs started to drop, but I still feel like I’m missing something from my life. I have Elion and Hannah, but there’s a void inside me that never seems to be filled. I’m not sure what it is, but it aches.
Hannah gives me a small smile.
Hannah was a hard nut to crack. She was closed-off and did not easily trust, but now she is my dearest friend and I am so thankful to have met her.
“Is Elion out of town again?”
I chuckle. “Of course he is. I swear he only stays home about two weeks at a time. Being a foot soldier for the King’s Guard doesn’t allow him much free time.”
When Hannah moved in, I told Elion that he should ask her on a date. That has yet to happen because of his work schedule—and, if I’m honest, I think Hannah scares him.
Hannah looks at me and smirks. “Well, you know where to find me if you get bored.”
“Funny you should mention that. I was thinking of taking a couple days off and exploring somewhere Maryanna told me about. Would you want to come?”
Hannah hesitates, glancing around in discomfort. Now that I think about it, I’m not sure I have ever seen her leave The Outskirts in the year she’s lived here. She grows all her own food, so she has no need for the market. Whenever something needs repairing, she asks Elion. Just last week he helped fix a broken floorboard. Thank the Gods our father taught him the ins and outs of home repair.
She never fully opened up about what she went through in the Ameollith Realm, but there is something that haunts her from the past.
She takes a deep breath and slowly exhales. “I want to say no, but I think it’s time for me to start getting to know my new homeland better.”
I can’t hold back a smile. “Perfect! Do you want to leave at the end of the week? Elion will be back by then to care for the houses and your garden.”
“Ugh, not sure I trust him with my garden. But I suppose it’s better than nothing.”
That evening, I sit with a map and mark out the top three places I want to see, but my mind still wanders.
To my parents.
To the surge in ghoul attacks.
To Elion.
Anxiety prickles at my skin and I can’t seem to place what is causing it. Quickly I make a cup of tea, hoping to calm myself down enough to sleep.
Before long I’m dozing off, but even sleep can’t ward off the ominous feeling that plagues me.
- KAILU -
I pace the docks, annoyed at the lack of schedule being kept. Soldiers stand waiting to take inventory of the supplies on the ship, the sight of my men waiting for it to dock causing my thoughts to flit back to when the king and queen got word of the ensuing war in the Caselian Realm. They immediately ordered ships to seek out refugees. Though that realm had long since banned us, they refused to leave innocents to die.
The Primal Realm has always been more open than the other four realms that surround it. This is the place where all life started. Every creature was created here. The other four realms would not exist without this one.
This is the land of the Gods and Goddesses, both of Hell and the Eternal Vale.
Now I stand pacing the docks for an entirely different reason.
A few of my men amble about, just waiting to unload the cargo ship of the resources it holds, weaponry from the Ameollith Realm, fruit and seeds from the Virzath Realm, and herbs specific to the Ryzaroth Realm needed for healing remedies.
Not so long ago I stood in this same spot and watched a beautiful woman depart, her hair a rich brown, eyes an icy blue. I hate to admit I have searched for her in every face I’ve passed since that day, but I have yet to find her. I’m not sure if that’s a blessing or a curse.
My men start unloading the crates and I quickly bark out orders of where the perishables need to go.
Captain Thelos walks towards me, his posture rigid, face severe.
“Now what?” I ask, hands on my hips.
These days, it just seems to be one thing after another. Ever since we started taking in refugees a year ago, we haven’t caught a break. Some of the citizens voiced their displeasure. Sporadic riots erupted here and there.
Percius’s citizens were fine with the Elves; it was the humans they didn’t want here, not after how they have treated Fae in the past. Out of all the realms, humans have rarely inhabited this land. Some have throughout the millennia, but not in such large numbers.
Numbers that slowly rise each day.
Our citizens were not happy the king and queen were building the refugees houses while some lower-class citizens were struggling to survive.
Captain Thelos stops next to me, talking low so as to not panic the people milling about. “Another ghoul attack in the Lower Shrol.”
I release a breath. Ghoul attacks have always been an issue, but not like this. They slowly began increasing in number around the same time the refugees started showing up.
“I’ll head there now. Send a few of your men to follow, I’m sure we will need help with cleanup.”
I motion for a few of my soldiers to come with me. By the time we make it to the small village of the Lower Shrol, the attack has died down. Glancing around for soldiers, I find none. A prickling sensation slithers up my spine. There is no way this just calmed down on its own.
I spot the reason turning the corner around the fish market and swiftly move out of sight. He may think he is being sneaky, but his tattoos give him away.
Malakai.
An odd sensation sprouts up in my chest. A sense of sadness, perhaps. A heavy weight sits there and I almost go after him, but a soldier draws my attention away.
“Sir, there are five dead and three missing.”
I cluck my tongue in annoyance, shoot one last glance after Malakai, and turn to walk with the soldier to the local pub. I’m going to need a drink after this. Only a little over fifty people reside in the fishing village of Lower Shrol. Everyone knows everyone, which is helpful when determining losses, but detrimental to the workings of a village this small. “And the ghouls?”
“Either dead, or they scattered.”
The local pub overflows with people, most dealing with minor injuries but a few struggling with worse. The closest hospital being in the town of Weynmar, which is a half a day’s ride away, far longer when traveling with the injured.
My men and I work in tandem, helping the injured and making sure the more severely wounded are comfortable until we can get them moved to the hospital.
Wiping the sweat from my brow, I step outside to find darkness now blanketing the realm, the day long since gone. The smell of salt and fish hang in the air. Captain Thelos barrels towards me from the produce market that is now doubling as a place of refuge for the citizens who are displaced due to damage their houses sustained in the attack. The scrunch in his brows and the stiffness in his shoulders betray his outwardly calm appearance.
Dread churns in my gut. “What is it?”
He swallows hard. “Missing soldiers, sir. Six of them.”
Tilting my head up towards the sky, I take a deep breath, trying to center myself.
“It’s too late now to inform families. We will leave at daybreak, inform the families, and then meet up with the soldiers at the junction.”