《The Last Winter》 Chapter 1 - The Crossroads To find a man like Avery filling his belly with mead at this hour was perhaps the most ordinary thing about Paradiso, as of late. Those with more discipline had already called it a night and returned to their loving families. Avery was a lot of things, but he wasn¡¯t a quitter. ¡°By the end of the night, you¡¯ll be carting me out of here,¡± he said, taking a huge gulp. He wiped his moustache with the sleeve of his blue cloth shirt, burped, and leaned back on his wooden stool. ¡°I should hope not, Avery. They don¡¯t breed horses with backs strong enough to carry a belly like yours,¡± the innkeeper said. He was busy inspecting his glassware for stains. ¡°I can¡¯t help the size of my appetite,¡± Avery said. ¡°Is this how The Crossroads treats all of its valued customers?¡± ¡°No,¡± he said, stowing away his mugs as if they were precious jewels and preemptively grabbing a bronze jug from behind the bar. ¡°Only you.¡± He filled Avery¡¯s mug to the very brim, smiled, and disappeared into the back to do who knows what. Avery grabbed his mug and grinned. The innkeeper was always bouncing between tasks and keeping himself occupied, and his business thrived because of it. On most nights anyway. The tavern stayed quiet for most of the night, despite the inhuman amount of alcohol entering ¨Cand sometimes leaving¨C people¡¯s bodies. The surge in demand wasn¡¯t a surprise to anyone given the circumstances, but it was definitely a problem: tavern casks all across Paradiso, many of which had been operating non-stop for generations (and certainly as long as Avery remembered), were running dry. And so were, as many suspected, the grain stores. You didn¡¯t need to work in agriculture to see it either, so long as you paid close attention; carts nowadays were leaving town with a fraction of the produce. Even the Lord of Paradiso, despite his cleverness, couldn¡¯t hide the stark realities. The citizens were asking a lot of questions, but not getting any answers. Five years had passed since curious children first started reporting to their disinterested parents that the rivers were shrinking, to which many simply nodded their heads and said something like ¡°That¡¯s nice, now go back outside and play!¡± Only a few weeks later, those same kids found hordes of dead fish washed up on the riverbanks. Thousands of them. And sure enough, a few of them got together and concocted a brilliant little plan: to carry a bunch of floppy wet corpses back to town as undeniable proof. The fishermen and shop owners were just as displeased as the parents, to say the least of it, but however vile it looked and smelled, the townsfolk couldn¡¯t ignore the signs anymore. Times were changing. As for when Avery noticed the changes firsthand: he didn¡¯t. He wasn¡¯t particularly fond of the outdoors, as bugs seemed to flock to his nose and mouth wherever he went, and pretty much every sign imaginable eluded him. In fact, he spent most of his days aimlessly wandering between taverns, making friends with the owners, and listening in on people¡¯s conversations. It was a wonderful way for him to keep a finger on the pulse of society. People from all walks of life could be persuaded to share their opinions with a surprisingly small amount of alcohol, and this knack for releasing others'' inhibitions in order to stay informed was something he took great pride in; that and his ability to swing heavy pieces of metal. In the past year, he noticed a lot of trends. Violent crime was up, and charity was down. No amount of salt and pepper improved the food. The water had a sulfuric smell and a flat taste. And on top of all of that, people smiled less. A lot less. It used to be fairly common for those who came into the taverns with frowns, to leave drunk and happy: but now, he watched as downtrodden men and women alike went home at the end of the night with their faces looking hollow and pale, regardless of how much they ate or drank. Everywhere he went, he saw the same patterns. People were afraid. And deep down, for reasons he didn¡¯t understand, maybe he was too. It¡¯s not like he had anything to lose, so why should he worry? That was a question he couldn¡¯t find a satisfactory answer to. He chugged down most of his drink and rested his forehead on the bar for a quick nap. That always seemed to help him forget. Give us your best, we¡¯ve had quite the journey,¡± a man growled. ¡°And some water for our pet,¡± he said, laughing so obnoxiously that it woke Avery from his drunken slumber. He lifted his big head from the end of the bar and looked over at them, but they ignored him. The ringleader sat in the middle, and his posture was that of a hyena looking for its next meal; he elbowed one of the men sitting next to him as if to wake him from a daze, and nodded towards the door. ¡°I think she ¨CI mean it¨C is a little thirsty.¡± Avery sipped on the last of his mead and pretended that his mind was elsewhere, but he quietly watched out of the corner of his eye. The joke didn¡¯t land with the cackling hyena¡¯s young friend, who stared off into the distance and stood motionless at the bar. The guy opposite him, an older gentleman with a longsword swaying in its scabbard, didn¡¯t think it was that funny either but he feigned amusement to keep his boss happy.The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement. ¡°And don¡¯t stand behind me like that, my hands start to feel naked without my dagger. Sit,¡± he commanded. The young man did as he was told. ¡°Good dog! Now if you¡¯d please, my throat is getting dry. I¡¯ll be having that drink now.¡± ¡°All out, sorry,¡± the innkeeper said quickly, suddenly feeling uncomfortable. He wiped down his last glass for the night and started to take off his apron. ¡°We had some very enthusiastic customers tonight, I¡¯m afraid. They cleaned me out.¡± ¡°Oh yeah? Business was good tonight then?¡± ¡°I suppose so, yes.¡± ¡°That¡¯s great, I¡¯m happy for you!¡± he said, a conniving smile on his face. ¡°And by the looks of it, you made a fair bit of gold,¡± he observed. His dark, beady little eyes glinted as he feasted them on a pile of coins sitting on a backroom table. They looked shiny enough to eat. Anyone possessing strong enough bowels and teeth would be shitting gold for weeks. It was the dream of many in Eterna: gold, gold, and more gold. At all costs. Though the innkeeper hid it well, Avery saw the panic creep in. He wanted to kick himself for not hiding the coins better but it was too late for that: these men weren¡¯t local, and they weren¡¯t about to pass up on the opportunity. Out of some combination of habit, nervousness, and dread, he grabbed the glass mug closest to him and started to scrub away his problems. Crime was on the rise all across the realm, and part of him marvelled that his business remained untouched for so many years. The Hyena quickly leaned over the bar, swiped it, and smashed it against the back wall. ¡°You¡¯re thinking awfully long and hard for a man that should be going into that room back there,¡± he said, pointing, ¡°and packing up my money.¡± Avery¡¯s eyes followed the innkeeper as he retreated into the back without protest. He looked over his shoulder for a moment to make sure the place was empty, then made his way over to the group of men. Avery stood behind them for a second, waiting for one of them to turn around, but they seemed unbothered, save for the young man: he looked deeply uncomfortable with everything happening. Avery rested his gigantic hand on the leader¡¯s shoulder. It felt more like a bear paw, and the sheer weight of it startled the man, though he didn¡¯t let himself react. ¡°A pouch of gold for your head,¡± Avery said. ¡°You sure you wanna make that trade?¡± ¡°Do your fat little hand a favor and take it off my shoulder before it gets sliced off with the rest of your body parts and burned to a crisp. You have no clue who you¡¯re fucking with.¡± The nasty tone didn¡¯t sit well with Avery, who thought about his next move very carefully. There were three of them, two of which were armed, and he was still drunk despite the nap. The odds weren¡¯t in his favor. But then again, he thought, they never were. He needed to strike first, and strike fast. He¡¯d ask the Gods for forgiveness later. Avery unsheathed the old man¡¯s sword with his free hand, spun around, and swung it. It sliced through the leader¡¯s skinny neck like warm butter. His severed head flew over the bar. It landed by the innkeeper¡¯s feet, who dropped the pouch of gold and froze. The decapitated head stared up at him with eyes that wished to ask ¡°What just happened? Am I dead?¡± And indeed, he was. The Hyena was no more. The other two men ran for the door, but Avery cut the old one down too; the blade impaled him through one of his shoulder blades. The force of it eviscerated one of the man¡¯s lungs and pinned him to the floor. Blood sprayed from his mouth. The old man''s screams quickly turned into bloody death gurgles. And within seconds, he met the same fate as his fearless leader. Avery figured the tavern would need a lot of soap to clean the blood spatters before dawn, but wasn¡¯t going to stick around long enough to see it: once the guards arrived, they¡¯d throw him in jail for murder. He ventured outside to question the last of the crew, to no avail. It was the dead of night, and frigid winds blew through his beard. The only thing he could make out for certain was a small covered wagon with horses waiting restlessly nearby. ¡°Listen, I¡¯m not going to hurt you. I¡¯m unarmed,¡± Avery shouted. But there was no response. He cautiously approached the wagon, and what he heard surprised him: a faint, muffled scream. That alone interested him, inspiring him to take a quick peek inside. A young teenage girl, bound in chains and gagged, looked at him with great uncertainty. She laid perfectly still and waited for his next move. The fear in her eyes said everything. He jumped aboard the wagon, shaking it, and pulled out her gag. ¡°I¡¯ve got good news, and I¡¯ve got bad news. Are you ready for it?¡± She didn¡¯t speak, only nodded attentively. ¡°The good news is: I killed two of your captors. Bad news is that the third one took off, and I¡¯m too drunk to go searching for him. So how about we ditch this place and get you back home?¡± She nodded again, more excitedly, and reached out to grab his hands. Both of hers were tiny enough to fit in only one of his. And even though she knew nothing about him, she felt relatively safe. ¡°What¡¯s your name, kid?¡± he asked. ¡°Arpina,¡± she said, ¡°Princess Arpina.¡± Avery looked at her in disbelief. ¡°Of course you are,¡± he said, taking her in fully. He tugged on the chains, then sighed. Of all the kidnapped young girls scattered across Eterna, he had to get the princess. It was a fitting punishment. He pulled away his hand and sat it on his lap. Without knowing anything about her, he suddenly wanted to throw her out of the wagon and go on his merry way. But for the moment, he resisted the urge. ¡°There are three things I don¡¯t like,¡± he said, readying his fingers for the countdown: ¡°thieves, kidnappers, and royalty.¡± He paused, then lifted a fourth finger. ¡°And bugs, I almost forgot. I hate them most of all.¡± They looked at each other for a moment, Avery with a stern look on his face, the girl with youthful innocence in hers, then she started laughing. His face reddened as he scooted towards the front of the wagon and begrudgingly readied the horses. He knew that he no longer had any say in the matter. Chapter 2 - Ashmother Vulkanon was the birthplace of not only the Ashen but of the earliest traces of magic, and had laid dormant for thousands of years. But that, like many other things in the realm, had changed: every few days, from somewhere deep below the earth, the Ashen felt the city rumble for the first time. Even Plineas, the oldest of old, chief amongst the Elders, was caught by surprise. When asked by Queen Asurai what he thought it meant, he simply said ¡°trouble¡±. In the belly of the city, several prominent mages brandishing long black and red robes had gathered anxiously outside the imposing doors of the Queen¡¯s chambers. None wanted the responsibility of breaking the news, and some of them mulled over the various ways they could try to escape it. She had reacted violently to other recent developments, a reality that had the entire city walking on eggshells, and the stakes were much, much higher with the newest one. ¡°Whoever speaks this into existence is going to be melted down in the lava pits,¡± a mage whispered. ¡°I actually quite enjoy my face, and if at all possible, I¡¯d like to keep it intact. We have enough to worry about as is. So how do we all feel about keeping this to ourselves? Chances are, she already knows. Why risk another outburst?¡± ¡°If she does know, she¡¯ll be even more upset that what¡¯s left of her loyal counsel kept it from her,¡± another said. ¡°That to me seems like a more compelling reason to melt someone¡¯s face off. But if we¡¯re all being honest here, a touch of fire might actually be an improvement over what the Gods have given you.¡± ¡°I resent that!¡± he said, a little too loud. ¡°Lower your voice! She¡¯ll think we¡¯re out here conspiring against her!¡± ¡°And what if we were? We do not deserve to suffer for the sins of our exiled brothers and sisters. What happened last week is unacceptable.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not about what we deserve, it¡¯s about what The Queen desires. Such is the way things have always been. And her family has been beset with one tragedy after another. Do you not feel for her?¡± ¡°I sympathise with her situation, I do, but I will not tolerate any more death. This news will only invite more.¡± ¡°He was a traitor, Egnatius. You know the punishment for such crimes. What are you going to do, carve new laws onto the back of the Black Throne? They¡¯re unchanging: sacred, even. ¡°Nothing is sacred in Eterna, not anymore: madness pervades our world. And I fear it now lives inside our once beloved Queen,¡± Egnatius said, but as the words left his lips, he quickly regretted it: from behind them, Queen Asurai abruptly cleared her throat. She smiled at them as they turned to greet her, her teeth as brilliant as her royal pearl necklace. It was a smile as terrifying as it was beautiful, not unlike the city of Vulkanon itself. She wasn¡¯t inside of her chamber after all. ¡°Once beloved?¡± Queen Asurai asked, her gaze fixed on him. ¡°Need I remind you of your lineage? Your great grandfather was King of the Ashen for nearly half-a-century, and yet here you stand, outside the Obsidian gates, disrespecting my throne and sowing doubts about my judgment. I find the irony to be quite amusing, actually.¡± ¡°Let us seek out your grandfather¡¯s jar of remains, pay a necromancer to resurrect him, and ask him what kind of cruel and unusual punishments he bestowed upon those who spoke as you do now. At even the slightest hint of mutiny, he would¡¯ve burned the flesh from your bone and used your remains for his broth. Should we try that on traitors instead?¡± Queen Asurai asked. Egnatius seemed to shrink in size before her fixed, wrathful gaze, and dared not speak again. He couldn¡¯t bring himself to look back at her, and stared down at his feet in shame. The others watched in anticipation, their bodies stiff and upright, their lips sealed. Some were secretly relieved to find her anger directed at him and no one else.The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings. Elder Plineas, who had remained characteristically silent up until that point, slowly stepped forward with the help of his black staff and made his presence known. ¡°He is not in his right mind, Your Majesty. Few of us are, these days,¡± he spoke, his voice frail. ¡°Forgive his misgivings so that we can turn to more pressing matters. As they¡¯ve already mentioned, we bring grave news.¡± Queen Asurai, surprised to hear the Elder speak in such terms, turned and studied him. His face was wrought with worry, more so than usual, and his hand trembled on his staff as he used it to keep himself upright. If someone accidentally sneezed in his direction, she swore that it would¡¯ve been enough to knock him over. She had come to expect bad news, but suddenly she understood the seriousness. ¡°Leave us,¡± she demanded. ¡°I want to hear it from the Elder¡¯s mouth, and his alone.¡± The gathering dispersed, and the gate opened as if it understood that they wished to walk through. She nodded towards the chamber and held out her arm. He accepted her generous offer, lest he fall and break a leg on the walkway; or worse, his staff. They locked arms and headed through, the gates closing behind them.
Even by Ashen standards, the inside of the chamber was oppressively hot, and the air reeked of soot. The gate had evidently been shut for quite some time. Queen Asurai¡¯s throne looked lonely and neglected, as if it hadn¡¯t seen a butt in over a century. She hadn¡¯t attended to many of her royal duties, at least not in any official capacity, in service to the only political issue that really mattered: the rumbles. But for Elder Plineas, she decided to make an exception. They walked down a narrow firebrick walkway, flanked on both sides by lava that had flowed since the days of the First King, and pillars of polished obsidian from which the Black Throne itself was chiseled. It felt as if the mouth of the chamber widened the farther in they went. The Elder struggled to maintain her pace, which felt rushed to him. Queen Asurai approached her throne with unease, her mind pouring over the endless perils that potentially lay before the city as she went. Out of habit, she smoothed out her silky black dress and sat once again atop the Black Throne, where she appeared to blend in. It was tradition for all royal garments to be black, and any jewelry white. ¡°It concerns your daughter: she¡¯s gone.¡± She jumped to her feet, forgetting all else, and her dark eyes flashed with rage. ¡°What do you mean gone? Gone where?¡± she asked, her eyes frantically searching. ¡°Did those damned cultists take her? It¡¯s retribution, I know it is. I¡¯ve been waiting for a reason to have them exiled. Now I¡¯ll have them hung upside down and dipped in my pools, I swear it. I will not lose another child. I will not. Where is she?¡± The Queen paced in front of her throne. Her delicate hands trembled. Beads of sweat trickled down her forehead. She pulled the crown off her head and tossed it aside. It clanked against the floor. ¡°Who am I to rule once the city cremates us, Plineas? And what kind of Queen am I to let my only daughter be kidnapped by a bunch of bald doomsayers?¡± ¡°I concur with the need to rid the city of their prophesying, but I¡¯m afraid it wasn¡¯t them, Your Majesty: it was the Ashfallen. They¡¯ve taken her south.¡± ¡°South?¡± she asked, pulling at strands of her long silver hair. Some of it came out curled around her fingers, but she paid no attention. Her mind was blank. Suddenly, she stopped pacing and stood quietly in one spot. Despite her best efforts, tears streamed down her face. Elder Plineas watched, but he chose not to intervene. He simply let her be for a while. He waited for an appropriate time to speak again, and continued on. ¡°Vulkanon fights enemies on all fronts, as it always has. If it weren¡¯t for bad luck, the Ashen would have no luck at all it seems. But there is a single thread of hope.¡± ¡°Which is?¡± Queen Asurai asked. She wiped her eyes and approached him, curious to hear his next words. Any glimmer of hope would momentarily ease her pain, though she knew it wouldn¡¯t last. ¡°The orbs are safe. All is not lost, my dearest Queen.¡± At that, she walked over to retrieve her crown and placed it back on her head, then sat back in her throne. She attempted, perhaps unsuccessfully, to smile. It looked more like a facial twitch than anything else. ¡°Then let the realm know this: I¡¯ll give every last one for the safe return of my daughter. The rest be damned.¡± ¡°You¡¯d trade ten-thousand Ashen lives for one?¡± he asked. Part of him couldn¡¯t believe her orders, and dreaded dealing with the blowback against yet another controversy; but the fatherly part understood, and would do the same if his own daughter¡¯s life were at risk. ¡°It will send shockwaves through Vulkanon, in more ways than one. The city will not survive without them.¡± ¡°I¡¯d trade a million. She¡¯s all I¡¯ve got left,¡± she said, expressionless, and the chamber fell silent.