Ch 2: A Conversation

Later in the day with the starlight now starting to hide behind the horizon. Rene takes me to her hospital.

It is nuts that a girl a bit older than me can own a hospital. Or run every hospital in the Kingdom.

She heals the soreness caked into my muscles. Then leads me to her small home on the western side of the city.

"Here, we are my humble abode." Rene bows to me.

Her house is very tame-looking on this beautiful side of town. Most of the homes are made from stone that's pulled from the mountainside and concrete for structure. Her's is made from an ancient Cedarwood, small windows on both sides, a wooden porch with a nice set of garden-type furniture. A home for someone rich for sure. But lives below there means.

"You'll bunk with me until Zeke can find you a place of your own. You'll sleep in my room cool?" Rene cocks her head to the side to see me.

"Ugh, I don't know about that, but what I do know is I don't have anything to wear besides my armor," I say worried but. She laughs playfully

"Oh, don't worry, we're almost the same size. Rene smiles.

Man, she has such a gorgeous smile.

Then Rene looks me up and down then frowns. She looks down at herself then whispers.

"Pssh, younger than me and still bigger in the chest. Rene turns towards the house grumbling to herself.

"What?" I follow her to the front door.

"Nothing. Come let's find you something to sleep in." Rene fumbles at a large ring of keys on her belt then finds a small golden one. She turns the lock with a satisfying click and we enter inside.

Rene seems to have a very erratic sense to her personality. She jokes a lot, teases everyone. I thought her home would be waaaay messier, nope it's pristine. Pictures all hung neatly on the walls, the kitchen straight and neatly kept. Bookshelves full of medical volumes line the living room wall.

"Man, your house is so clean." Rene hangs her keys on a mounted holder by her front door.

Then she flops onto a chair.

"Yeah, I'm not here a lot so it's hard to get a house messy when you run every hospital in the Kingdom." She leans back in the recliner slips off her enclosed sandles then stretches out with an obnoxious moan.

She points. "Down that hall to the left is my room grab any sleeping clothes you want. Then sleep in my bed tonight. I'll get you up before the initiation tomorrow." Rene closes her eyes.

"Wait, it's your home, you should sleep in your own bed!" My protest is met by soft snoring.

She passed out! Guess I'll just get ready for bed. Wish I could fall asleep that fast.

Rene's room is small with pictures of her hanging on the walls. One picture catches my eye and it's one with Alva and a girl with eyes like a serpent. Her black slits for pupils give that away. The girl with the strange eyes also has matching black hair like Alva.

Who's this other girl? Her eyes scare me even when just in this photo. Pulling myself away from the picture, I turn to Rene's closet. Inside I see a bunch of pants, doctor coats, and sleeping gowns.

"No, way I don't do gowns I'll just sleep in my Favin."

Stripping down to my Favin I carefully place my armor, and boots right next to my bed for quick access.

Really I doubt anyone will attack the capital but I can't ever let my guard down again.

My head hits the pillow and I can feel the darkness of sleep slowly reeling me in.

"Emelia, do you wish for revenge?"

Those words Ezikiel said echo through my mind itching at the anger I feel building inside me.

Do I join his army? Might as well since my life ended at Bladesfall when everyone died. So all that's left is to just...kill these Embers and their supposed New World. I'll burn them just like they burned my people. I don't care how I do it but I will do it! I'll crush their hearts with my own hands!

With that dark thought sleep finally overtakes me.

"Wake, up sleepyhead." A soft and gentle voice stirs me awake.

"Ugh, who?" My eyes open to darkness.

"Turn the other way silly, hehe." I turn towards the voice then rub my eyes.

This set of orange eyes stare back at me. Panic bolts me up and I scooch myself away, fear taking me over. A soft glow illuminates the stranger.

"Good morning Milly!" The girl shouts with childish glee. Her voice echoes across this black plane of existence.

"Wh-who are you?" I ask the girl.

"Me? I'm your bestest friend Milly!" The girl says with a giggle.

The girl can't be any more than nine? maybe Ten? She has a white dress that glows in this endless dark realm, her hair as black as the world around us.

The most noticeable characteristic is her brightly lit orange eyes. With dark plus signs for pupils.

"My best friend but we've just met and...

Where are we exactly?" Now that I'm getting a better look at her face she...does seem familiar?

"I've known you your whole life Milly we grew up together, but you're finally just noticing my presence. WHICH IS SO EXCITING!" She runs over to me and grabs me by my hands squeezing them tightly in her smaller ones.

Her childish persona is adorable. Everything about her makes me want to hug her, hold her tightly, let her take me over.

"NO!" I push the girl away and scramble away from her!'

She just smiles sweetly but her eyes seem to blaze like a raging storm of fire.

"Awww, come now Milly you still won't accept me internally yet? Even after I saved your life from the black waves, and made those big baddie guys flee from your city?" The girl's smile sharpens cutting at my minds edges.

What is she? Why can't I get my mind off her? Quiet voices stir in my head.

"Accept me. Give in to the dark. No more pain."

"Let us help you."

"Mistake, the greatest Mistake!"

The voices rattle my head like a bag of marbles. I place both hands on my head to stop the marbles from rattling.

"What do you mean saved me? Saved the city means what exactly?" I ask the girl.

The girl shakes her head.

"Spoilers Milly, you'll find out who I am truly soon enough. Can't give away all the secrets too quickly I've worked too hard to lose my chance now." She sits down, her legs crossed, hands gripped around her ankles rocking slowly back and forth.

"Why can't I know now?" I feel like a child to this girl.

Except she's a child in form only that I can tell. Her eyes are too old and even if they are burnt orange there is a lingering darkness in them.

"Time for me to go Milly can't let Her, Find out I'm talking to you." She stands up and smooths out her dress.

"Her? Who's her? Also, what is this place?" The girl smiles, takes a step forward, grabs my hands, and looks down at me. I have a clear view into the depths of her eyes and I'm enraptured by their endless depth. The never-ending orange.

"This place is..." The girl pauses leaving me with a sense of anticipation.

"Hell, it's... my own personal hell and I need your help Milly to escape." A sad look comes over her eyes and I feel compelled to embrace her to... help her.

"How can I help?" I ask her.

She smiles.

"Oh Milly later, I'll tell you that later. For now, just know this if you ever need help call me in your head." She taps her temple.

"I'll give you my help anytime because we're best friends and that's what friends do, they help each other." A grin forms on her face before fading like a gust of wind. She lets go of my hands and skips away humming.

"Wait!" I scream.

The girl stops and turns to look over her shoulder.

"What's your name?" She laughs.

"It's Colt." With that, she skips merrily away.

Then the darkness swarms over me.

"Emmy time to wake up, get up knucklehead!" I hear Rene's voice poke at my unconscious mind as it comes back from sleep.

"If you don't wake up we won't have time to stop by for breakfast before your big day." Then I hear a patter of feet walk away.

The image of Colt and her orange eyes still linger in my brain as I roll out of the bed and begin to slip into my armor. Then I lace up my boots and make my way out of the room.

What the hell was that dream? Why did I have it? Should I tell someone about it? No, if I do that then they'll just call me crazy.

Rene waits for me by the door outside her home and she smiles.

"Good, you're awake, let's hurry and get breakfast then it's off to your big day!" Rene claps her hands together.

"Ooohhhh I can't wait for you to check this place out. It's the best food you can get in the capital. He also doesn't jack up the price so you're getting your eels worth." Rene says as she skips down the walkway.

There's a huge wave of people walking through the city today way more than yesterday. I begin to ask Rene why when I see it. A huge billboard atop a towering building has two painted figures on it in big bold letters.

Alva Copper vs Emelia the New Recruit.

Rene clicks her tongue. "Zeke is always one for a good spectacle."

She shakes her head and weaves through the crowds of people.

Well, shoot I didn't know that I was gonna be watched by the public. I thought this was going to be a small gathering. Watched by the king and nobles that lot.

Guess this can't be much different than the Victorious tournament at Bladesfall. The whole city used to come to watch it.

Rene seems to have stopped at a small food cart. The smell from the cart is heavenly. Bringing myself to a stop by Rene she smirks.

"Emmy welcome to Rogners Wraps. He makes the best wraps for a quick bite on the go!" Rene closes her eyes and clasps her hands together.

She sings the slogan that's on the front of the man's cart.

Rogner is a large man with a scruffy grey beard, with a shining bald head muscles bulging under his apron, he seems to be missing his left eye.

"Rene, thankz for coming by. Howz my loyalizt cuztomer. Zame az uzual?" Rene nods vigorously.

"Get my girl here a vegatable wrap with light meat and a drizzle of sesame sauce. She doesn't need to puke during her debut. Ill take the usual for me."

Rogner nods.

He goes into the cart and I can hear a knife chopping against a board.

"Emmy come here look." Rene points inside the cart.

Walking up to the cart I peek Inside and see the large man hunched over a small stove, his counter full of fresh ingredients of meat and vegetables. Then as he seems to be satisfied with the stove he begins to cut the meat into small slices probably makes it easier to fold up.

He grabs some soft shell wraps, puts them in his pan then lays down the meat slices in them, he chops the vegetables up then there's some type of seasoning he puts on the meat then places them in a second pan.

After another moment or two, he wraps them up and grabs a brush and some type of yellow liquid he smears it lightly on the wraps. He serves them to us in a paper bag. He grabs two silver mugs and fills them with a brown frothy liquid.

"Whoa there Rogner no alcohol she's underage. She points back to me smirking.

"Hey, I'm sixteen only a few years away," I yell back at her playfully.

She laughs.

"Emmy, drinking age in the Capital is twenty you have four years." She laughs again.

Rogner clears his throat.

"It's not alcohol it's a specialty of mine. I made it from sugar cane, mixed with bubbly water and light syrup." He slides the mugs and our food.

"Oh a new invention, love it when you make new things. What's it called?" Rene asks him as she grabs her mug and wrap.

I reach for mine and the lovely smell of cooked meat and grilled veggies wafts through the air into my nose.

"I call it Cane Water," Rogner says.

Rene's smile disappears.

"Not very creative Rogner but hey all that matters is its taste." She shrugs. Pulls out a pouch and hands Rogner two silver ten-eel bills. Rene waves goodbye to Rogner.

She stuffs her mouth full of her wrap and coos.

"Oh, man Rogner is the best," Rene says as she takes a swig of the liquid in the mug.

She puts it down, thinks for a moment then chugs the rest of the mug.

"Man, that is so sweet." Rene turns to me.

"Hurry Emmy, finish your food before we reach the stadium." I do as she says and take a big bite of the wrap and the taste of the spices and the thinly sliced meat are a joyful explosion.

I finish the wrap in two more bites, I lick the wrapper out of habit. Then sip at the liquid the sweet taste washes over my tongue as my mind screams for more. Tipping back the mug I down it in one gulp.

"Bah! Man, that was so delicious, holy Fates." I turn to Rene and she has the biggest smile on her face.

"Not bad for twenty eels Eh?" Rene says.

I nod.

"Rene, what are we going to do with the mugs?" I ask her.

She snaps.

"Right there should be a bin up the way to trash silver mugs," Rene says as she points to a green can a few steps up the street.

"Really just throw away silver?" I ask and she nods.

"These are recyclable mugs the company that makes the tins have them all over next to regular bins for people. They melt them down and reforge them. An endless supply of sorts." Rene says as we stop by the can that has the words.

Ton A Silver co

"Ton A Silver co interesting name," I say and Rene nods

"Ton a Silver is the leading supplier in silver to the capital. They used to be located in the Kelvin province but Zeke paid them to relocate here." Rene grabs the mug from my hand and drops hers and mine in the bin.

I nod. "Interesting."

Guess a lot of the Business leaders would jump at the chance for making a ton of profit.

Rene and I walk on for twenty or so minutes before a huge rounded building comes over the horizon.

"Is that the stadium?" I ask Rene and she nods.

"Yes, that's Cardinal stadium owned by Hunter Mcburn," Rene says as I stare at the large crowd of people gathering at the stadium's steps.

Rene goes quiet and stops.

"Emmy," Rene asks my name.

"Yeah?" I look at Rene and her fun demeanor seems to have vanished from her face.

"Alva is powerful, do you think you can win against her?" Rene looks a bit worried.

"Can't say for sure. She is Alva and if all the stories about her are real then I don't know if I have a chance. But I don't think I really have to win do I?" I ask Rene and she nods.

Rene's not wrong, can I beat Alva?

"Well, you don't need to win in the original sense, just fight hard enough to make Alva and the King impressed with you." Rene rests a hand on my shoulder.

I nod."Right, I used to spar with Lucy and Janet all the time, ha, and man was Lucy absolutely ruthless."

The memory comes back to me.

"Lucy and I used to sneak out to go to the fighting pits in the slums it was my favorite pass time." A smile forms on my face despite the pit in my stomach.

"Really you fought in the Bladesfall fighting pits. Evan mentioned that the pits there were brutal." Rene raises a brow and I can tell she seems concerned.

"True but Lucy was a regular and she thought the experience was the best thing for me to improve my magic."

"Lucy seems like she was a good friend." Rene smiles.

So do I.

"Yes, she was the best she and Janet taught me a lot."

A single tear begins to well up in my eye and I wipe it away. Hoping Rene thought I was just rubbing my eye.

"Well, really my advice for you is don't give in until they let you join Emmy got me?" I nod with a smile.

Good she didn't notice the tears.

"Wouldn't dream of it." I give her a smile.

Rene smiles back.

"Well let's get you in there." Rene grabs my wrists and pulls me along.

The stadium is large and has thousands of people in it and seems to not even be close to full capacity. It also has enchanted lights.

"Man so many enchanted lights," I say astonished.

Rene nods. "Right Zeke has been ramping up buying Enchantment stones," Rene says as she leads us to a door on the far side of the stadium floor.

With all the people looking down at us I can feel butterflies begin to flutter about in my stomach.

"Really I thought enchantment stones were in short supply all over the kingdom?" Rene looks at me.

"True for a while there was but three years ago one of Zeke's consultants found a new chamber underneath some city in a far off province." Rene reaches at set of doors and pushes them open.

"Okay, Emmy I'm going to take you to old man Blaze. He'll give you a weapon to use if you want one." Rene says as she leads me through the corridor.

The room's temperature rises drastically as we get closer to the pounding of a hammer against steel. Both of us reach a room with a man standing over an anvil hammering a white-hot piece of metal.

He has a set of green goggles over his eyes. The man has a stubbled face with grey hair showing around his chin. His long brunette hair tied back into a tail.

"Eh, who this here be?" The man asks as he grabs a pair of tongs he claps them around the blade then sets it in the water.

The man has a southern Malachite province accent.

Rene smiles. "This is Emelia. She is getting ready for her match and she needs a weapon to use.

He smiles. "Well, why didn't ya say somethin then." He turns to a wall and pulls off a cloth and reveals a gaggle of weapons.

"Whoa." I walk up to the set of sparkling weapons.

"This ere are not my best creations but they'll do for a newcomer like you. Please take whichever strikes yer fancy." He gestures to the wall and begins to go back to finish the blade from earlier.

Rene walks up next to me. "Old man Blaze is the second-best blacksmith in the capital," Rene says as she scans over the weapons.

"Really, second-best who's the first?" I ask as Rene fiddles with a dagger.

"Riot Silver is his name, he's the youngest blacksmith in the country... thirty-seven I believe. He's young but he is the best ever in history hands downp." Rene says.

Riot Silver where have I heard that name before? Didn't he make a trip to Bladesfall to make some purchase for some rare metals once?

"I think I've heard that name before." Rene nods.

"He's very famous. I wouldn't doubt it." Rene says.

Rene looks towards me."Found a weapon yet you only have ten minutes until your match."

Panic sets in as I scan the wall of swords with glittering jewelry implanted in the hilts, long spears made from oaken wood and iron, ends made from the strongest of steel, axes, and a few finely crafted warhammers.

Then my eye catches on a short sword in the workshop rafters dropped down from the stone ceiling.

"Sir Blaze what's that weapon up there?" I ask the man as he sets his hammer down and looks up.

"My protege brought that to me from some ruins up in the Calvar Valley's in the Diamond province." I nod to Blaze.

Something about the blade calls to me it has an orange crystal on its end and a very sharpened tip.

"I think I'll choose that one sir." Blaze turns to me raises a suspicious eyebrow.

"Why that one?" He asks me.

"Well, it was found abandoned right?" Blaze nods.

"Aye, that's true." His dark eyes lock on mine.

"So, I've been abandoned too." I feel Rene's eye's bore into the back of my skull.

"Then it seems we're a perfect match so I would like that one." Blaze scratches at his stubbly chin then shrugs his broad shoulders.

"Very well, las." He reaches up and pulls down the small blade." Reaching for it I can feel a small pang of magic from it.

Grabbing the black handle I take a better look at it. It has an orange crystal at the base, and a very sharpened steel tip, the wooden hilt made from...a sort of pine I think. The wood has been stained black.

"Pretty, cute Rene says." She looks at Blaze.

"How much, old man?" Rene asks, reaching for the dangling bag of eels at her belt.

"Whoa, I can't let you pay for this! Rene smirks.

"Oh, do you have someone to come up with the eels to pay old man Blaze here?" I sink under Rene's words.

"Well no." She smiles a toothy smile.

"Then I gotcha girly just pay me back by winning." I nod.

"So old man?" He taps at the wood table for a moment.

"One hundred Forty-five eels," Blaze Says.

Rene nods, pulling out two fifty eel bills and two twenty eels coins, and one singular five eels coin.

"Here ya go." Rene offers the money to Blaze.

He nods

Rene slaps me on the back.

"Alright let's go and make sure you make those eels worth it," Rene says as we walk out of the forge.