Chapter One

 

            Skye awoken from a tired sleep; her eyelids automatically closed because of the sunlight spiking through her small, open bedroom window. The sunrise had already passed and the day blazed with its hot temperature. ‘Twas the middle of summer.

            Skye stretched out her lightly tanned arms and put them behind her auburn head delicately. She gazed at the afternoon shadows, watching them lay across rough walls of oak. A small wooden chest lied in the corner of her bedroom, filled with her personal belongings, along with a small and slightly cracked bookshelf.

            “Today is the last day of summer vacation for me. Tomorrow, I start my apprenticeship. I wonder what it is going to be like.”

            Skye closed her brown eyes, trying to dream of her new future as an Acolyte.

I cannot believe I am going to receive that title. It seems that only a few years have passed since I first began to be educated at the school Ludus in my country of Fanum. At that time, I was six.....working hard and building my knowledge up...Now, I am nineteen...soon to be fully-fledged...I wonder what working at Sanctimonia will be like once I am finished?

            Skye took a deep breath.

            Will it be joyful or strict? I wonder…well whatever it is, I’m sure I’ll be glad to work there...I’m sure...plus, it is a good day’s pay...and I made a promise.

            A small clock began to chime a set of notes on small, golden bells.

            “Time for trading.”

She pushed aside her rough, cotton covers and skidded off her swinging canopy. Along the sides of her, her bedroom openly jutted into a wide, circular space. Her home was located within a tree’s hollow (a sycamore tree, to be more exact). Looking around her, Skye took a brief moment to observe her peaceful house.

Stairs were crafted into the sides of the hollow, giving transportation to various platforms. The top platform held her study, where she read and wrote for various purposes. The next upper platform (between the top platform and the middle platform) contained her workshop, where she made high-quality fishing nets and various other tools for her daily work as a fisherman. The middle platform held her bedroom and a small, ‘sun room’ (a window-filled room with only a couple of pieces of basic furniture, where one can watch the daily course of sunrise and sunset). The lower platform, which lied just above the tree’s roots, was filled with a simple living room and a couple of movable candlesticks used for light at evening-tide.

Skye lived alone so her tree home was very quiet and calm. The only things she could hear were the gentle brushes of oceanic waves and the occasional noises of the marketplace. She lived in Oceania, the eastern section of Fanum that resided near the sea’s bay and was filled with people of many talented skills. Others, who did not have skills for trades or decided not to become some sort of craftsman, lived in the north section of Fanum called Moenia.

Skye creaked up the stairs to the platform that held her workshop. She finished the last touches of her most recent, newly crafted fishing net and strapped it over her shoulder with a piece of smooth leather. Then, Skye heaved her box of various steel, fishing weights onto the table and picked out a couple ones that would do her well for some basic fishing. 

No need for big weights today. My icy pool is plenty filled with the usual large fish to keep my stall well-balanced for the week. Just need to stock up on some perch.

She unsheathed her cutter’s knife from its leather casing and sharpened it on her small, stone wheel. Then, she placed the knife back and attached the casing to her hip by a string of strong yarn. Picking up her wooden fishing pole and alder box of fishing tools, Skye climbed back down the stairs to the last platform that contained her living room.

Pulling aside tree roots that creatively hid a small niche, Skye squirmed out her small leather purse that was filled with her daily revenues of singular golden coins. She fixed the purse’s string around her neck, tying the string in the back with another small piece of yarn. She always wore her money close to her neck to reduce the chance of someone stealing her earnings.

With everything settled and ready, Skye exited her tree home and stepped into the hot sunshine.

Though it is slightly humid, today is quite beautiful. Warm sun, gentle breeze, and clear skies. Though the heat might drive the fish downwards or into shady parts...

Skye traveled out of her small wood lot that held a handful of various trees and began to travel on a dirt road alongside the bay. People scurried to and fro, stopping by various ship ports that were large enough to hold up merchandise stalls as well as model ships. Tents of various colors scattered across the bay’s low grasslands; most tents were filled with traveling buyers. A large canopy tent sat in the middle of the whole Oceania marketplace, filled with various stones and swirling colors.

Skye briefly stopped by the large tent to listen to the shop’s deep-voiced, male owner.

“Come one and all! Veritas stones! We sell stones! Stones for protection! Stones for love! Stones for relief of grief! Come one and all! Veritas stones! We are selling half-price today!”

Once the discount went up in the air, a whole crowd stampeded over to the seller and began to ask various questions. A couple of golden coins and stones were already hurried in exchange. Skye continued to watch as a young group of teenage girls, clothed in long sundresses, giggle up to the seller.

 “Excuse me, sir. Do you have any love stones?”

The seller smirked, flipping small heart-shaped rubies in his rough hands.

“Here are some ruby love stones. They are said to be like a cupid’s arrow. They are said to make someone fall in love with you once the stone is given to your particular person. But you must make sure you give it to the one whom you truly fancy and wish to love, gals.”

The girls giggled again as the seller winked. The girls were about to exchange their coins for their own love stones, but one of the girls stopped them with her raised hand.

“How do we know that these stones will really work? I heard the love stones do not work the way that you say they do. I heard they only enhance beauty and health of the face.”

The seller slapped on a big grin.

“Well, I guarantee that they will work. For I am a Stonemason and I created these stones with my own hands.”

The girl questioner looked skeptically at the love stones with her brown eyes and yellow sundress. Her bright blonde hair dangled in curls and a cotton summer hat of white was her accessory along with long, silver earrings. Her thin finger touched one of the stones.

“Hey! Hand’s off the merchandise, young gal!”

The seller slapped her hand with a bamboo rod and she pulled her hand back with a disgusted face. Rubbing her wrist, she turned from the seller in aggravation and continued her way down the street. The rest of the girls exchanged their coins for love stones and caught up with the questioner as soon as they were done.

Skye smirked.

Hmmm...she must have really ticked him off or something because most rich girls like her do not get treated like that....that man has a low temper. That girl was smart though. Those stones have no Veritas power within them, no scent and no glow. Even if they did have power, like the girl said, the stones would have only enhanced the beauty and health of the face. There are no Veritas powers that can come close to making someone fall in love with another person.

 “Stupid scammers.”

With her last remark, Skye continued down the dirt road until she reached her small stall of red oak. In Oceania, those who bought fish never really traveled during this time (afternoon) because they had their own business to attend to; evening was a more likely time for fish-buyers, especially those with large orders. However, just in case, Skye always left out a slip box for people to put orders in, along with their delivery locations, when her team and her were away.

She opened that slip box of cedar and found only one order. The order called for two pounds of catfish to be delivered to a house in Moenia. The buyer expected the fish to be there by at least tomorrow; if not, earlier.

“I will leave this one to Timothy, whenever he gets here. Poor boy, he probably got stuck in the crowds again.”

A slightly burly man with a klingon beard pushed through the crowds. He held a large sack, bulging with fishing tools. He wore the common-folk, seaside clothes of medieval-like tights and a long, water-resistant ‘man-dress’. A rope was tied around his waist with a couple of small sack-purses and knives, hanging in an ordered form on metal clasps.

“Good morning, Felix!”

The burly man gave a sweet smile, which was contradictory to his first impression of ‘man-strength’.

“Good mornin’, Skye. How’s the shop today?”

“Well and running. We just need to stock up on some perch. I have an order for Timothy to deliver and I figured you could cover the sales today. I will go out fishin’ to get the perch and do the daily check of inventory.”

“Alright.”

Felix, the burly man, dropped his sack near the stall and began to unwrap some of the fishing merchandise. He made some tools at home, by hand, similar to Skye.

“Ah, Timothy, my dear! Just in time!”

“Mornin’, Miss Skye!”

A small, green eyed boy appeared before Skye in a peasant dress and bare-feet. His face was clean and healthy for Skye kept him well. He was always looking for adventure and did his work efficiently.  

“Mornin’, my little Timmy.”

Timothy rolled his eyes.

“Can you please just call me, Timothy, mum?”

Timothy was an orphan just like Skye; because she was old enough to own a stall and earned a pretty decent income, she felt responsible to take care of the sweet boy as best as she could like an older sister to a younger brother. For the streets of Fanum were dangerous and filled with trials for a young, uneducated boy like Timothy...especially with the possible presence of bandits, fleeing criminals, and Neco Thieves around.

Timothy jumped enthusiastically.

“Got any jobs for me, mum?”

Skye leaned down and shook his fluffy, brown hair affectionately.

“Why you are such a hard-working boy, Timmy. I’m so glad to have a passionate worker like you.”

Felix mocked.

“Indeed, he is a hard-working and strong little Timmy.”

“Oh, shut your trap, Felix! You are just jealous that Miss Skye likes me the most! And, please, Miss Skye, stop calling me, Timmy. You are embarrassing me.”

Felix and Skye chuckled.

“Alright, alright, Timothy. I will try to stop calling you Timmy.”

“Thank you. So, what’s the job, mum?”

Skye took out the piece of paper from the slip box and gave it to Timothy.

“I have an order for you to take to Moenia. Can you do that for me, please?”

Timothy smirked, putting the slip away somewhere in his peasant clothes.

“Anything for you, mum! As long as I get some good pay.”

Skye tickled Timothy; she loved messing with him.

“Oh, my silly Timmy, of course, I will pay you! A man’s work deserves its wages.”

“MUM! Stop calling me Timmy!”

Skye and Felix continued to jest. All three of them were just a bunch of silly and ‘young’ hoots, despite Felix being in his early thirties. Skye loved both of them for truly they were her ‘family.’

Family is more than just blood. It is who you care about the most and who you are committed to.

Skye smiled at her thoughts.

“Now, Timothy. How about you go buy some candy for yourself? I have to talk with Felix.”

Skye threw a few gold coins at Timothy, who caught them in his slightly-grimy hands.

“But what about the order?”

“I’ll prepare the catfish while you’re gone. You can take the order when you get back. We have enough time. Be careful.”

“Alright, mum. Thank you!”

“Nah, don’t thank me. Thank Numen.”

“Well, I thank Numen for creating such a nice miss like you, mum.”

Skye gave Timothy a big hug.

“Aw, thank you, my boy.”

“Nah, don’t thank me. Thank Numen.”

Timothy winked and Skye giggled at the gesture. He ran off and disappeared into the crowds.

“He’s such an adorable little boy, isn’t he, Felix? Growing up so fast...”

Felix looked down as he finished a quick sale to a looking buyer.

“Indeed, he is…have you told him yet, Skye?”

“About what?”

“About you leaving for Acolyte school?”

Skye sadly looked down as she began to unlock the padlock of a latch-door, beneath the stall’s counter.

“No. I have not yet.”

“Well, you must tell him tonight. If you don’t, he’ll come and find you gone, thinking you is dead...or that you abandoned him.”

“It would be better for him if he did think that.”

“That you abandoned him?!?”

“No! That I was gone and dead.”

“Now, don’t you go saying those silly things, Skye. You know I can’t lie to him and you shouldn’t either. He trusts you.”

“I know that, but after today, I won’t be able to see him anymore even if he knew the truth. Why should he trust something that won’t be there for most of his life? I don’t want him to feel the same hurt as when his parents left him on the streets to die.”

“Well, you’re gonna have to tell him something. Numen never says lying is right. Plus, if you did not want him to trust you, you should have not made relations with him in the first place.”

“I know, I know...I wanted to tell you, Felix, that I’m leaving the shop to you to take care of.”

“I had a feeling you would do that, but don’t you go changing the subject. You must tell Timothy tonight.”

“Changing the subject?”

“I know you, Skye. Don’t be foolish. If you don’t tell him the truth tonight, then I will.”

“Fine.”

Skye entered the room beneath the latch-door. The room was frozen over and lined with ice. Fish lied in ordered stacks by type and date. The coldness gave shivers to Skye as she looked around for the inventory stack of catfish.

I remember when I bought this place. It was an old dump, but by working as an apprentice to an old fisherman, I managed to turn this place into something valuable. I cannot even remember how much the Veritas stones of blue larimar were. Oh, well. Buying the stones for walls was a good investment to keep the fish cold. Most fisheries don’t have a place to store fish so they have to waste their products….I cannot believe I won’t see this place again…I must move on with my life in order to reach my dream on becoming a Wielder...to fulfill my promise. Who knew dreams and promises could come with such grief and sacrifice…but what did Felix have to be so harshly blunt?!

Skye picked up some catfish and began to wrap them in some stored paper.

“This should be enough for the order.”

BOOM! The cold walls shook with scattered ice dust and particles.

“What was that?”

Skye finished tying the catfish and brought them out of the ‘icy pool’ (which she called the fish store room).

“What’s going on, Felix?”

Skye placed the fish package on the counter as she observed crowds run in all directions in stricken fear.

“I do not know, Skye. All I heard was a big ‘boom’.”

A stream of fire darted across the sky and crashed near one of the stalls, near the front of the sea port.

Skye narrowed her eyes to see.

“What is that?”

“I can’t see it! The crowds are in the way!”

The stream of fire leaped up into the air, revealing a white-boned shape.

“Is that a Demon Dog? That is not good! Hurry, Felix, take your bucket from your sack and gather some of the sea’s water.”

“Why?”

“Just do it!”

Felix dipped the large, heavy bucket quickly into the sea and gave it to Skye.

Now, I just have to aim right.

With a throw of Skye’s hand, the water splashed all over the galloping Demon Dog, knocking it out of the air. Huge streams of mist began to rise from the creature’s skinless body, quenching its elemental fires. The Demon Dog moaned in slight shock and confusion.

“That should subdue him for now. Demon Dogs are fire elementals, weak against elemental water. The ocean’s water will calm his fire energy for a little bit, but it won’t destroy the dog like Veritas water. Felix, be on your guard. A Demon Dog most of the time comes with a Neco Thief.”

“Right. But how do you know this stuff, Skye?”

“Ludus, my school. Remember?”

“Oh, right….ah, what’s a Neco Thief?”

Skye sighed.

“They are a part of the Cults of Neco, who serve and follow the Mors Mortis. They are an evil clan, filled with strange powers called Occulo. Neco Thieves are warriors who stealthily go around stealing precious Veritas stones and other things from Fanum. But their target spot is usually Sanctimonia, which is filled with such precious stones.”

“Ah….I know who the Cults of Neco are…but who are the Mors Mortis? And what does a Neco Thief look like?”

Skye rolled her eyes.

“I don’t have time to explain things to you, Felix. Just be on guard and look for someone with black eyes. Neco Thieves can be anywhere.”

Skye pulled up her sleeves of her white blouse and stood on guard with her cutter’s knife in hand. She gazed over the crowds carefully, looking for anyone suspicious. Some risky persons of the crowds stopped to look at the steaming and confused Demon Dog; others just ran away into the small forestry of Oceania.

A scent of black licorice swished by Skye’s nose.

“Gotcha!”

Skye stabbed a young woman into her back, bringing a puddle of blood onto the port’s wooden panels. The woman’s brown cape fell off, revealing a black-tattooed face and blonde hair. Her pure-black eyes faded into an emerald green as her life drained away into full death.

“Skye! Why did you do that!?”

Felix stood there, paralyzed, shocked.

“She had the scent of Occulo power on her. Plus, her disguise was silly. Nobody wears capes in the summer unless they are hiding something. She must have been a new rookie to be so foolish.”

Skye cleaned her knife on her thick, brown pants of cotton.

Great, I’ll have to clean these clothes again.

“Skye, look!”

Skye flashed around to see the mist clearing from around the Demon Dog. The dog’s elemental fires began to flare up again. People scattered again and the dog howled in fiery.

Timothy crashed to the ground, not too far from the Demon Dog. He was knocked over by the running crowds. The Demon Dog stared at him with blood-thirsty eyes, clawing the ground and stalking towards him.

“Timothy! Get out of the way!”

Skye dodged the naive crowds as she tried to reach Timothy and the Demon Dog.

 “Timothy! Run!”

Timothy stared at the Demon Dog, paralyzed in fear.

“Gosh darn it, boy! Move!”

Felix threw a wet salmon at the Demon Dog and Timothy awoken from his paralyzed state. Timothy began to run as the Demon Dog ripped the salmon to shreds. Skye continued to dash through the crowds, shoving those who got in her way.

Darn marketplace traffic....and stupid people!

“Miss Skye! Where are you?”

“Timothy! I’m over here! Listen to my voice!”

Timothy desperately tried to find Miss Skye. When he reached an opening, apart from the groups of people, he looked left and right. He could not see Miss Skye or her fishery anywhere. The end of the sea port stretched before him.

“Miss Skye!”

The Demon Dog ran up a couple of ship boxes and leapt to the ground in front of Timothy. It growled at him furiously, annoyed that it lost its prey momentarily. Timothy backed to the edge of the port.

“Mi-Miss Skye!”

The Demon Dog prowled closer.

“Miss Sk-kye! AH!”

The Demon Dog leaped at him and Timothy closed his eyes in defeat. 

Author's Note

Sorry about spacing! It happens when pasting from a Word document!