The Division: Ember’s Quest by Penelerick Kevin M

Author:Penelerick, Kevin M.
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781626760547
Publisher: Star-Kissed Studios
Published: 2021-12-12T00:00:00+00:00

2

Marie?

The sky darkened as they rounded the lake's edge and the outpost known as Traskein came into view. The trading city sat in a valley adjacent a small cove at the top of the lake. It spread the length of the valley from the docks to the south and north well into the forest which made up its northern border.

The rapid growth the city had experienced over the last decade and a half had seen the shrinking of the forest to make room for that expansion. This was the central hub of the three kingdoms; many said it was soon to be the fourth. Already larger than Vonodora, it only needed to appoint a monarch to declare its status. For now, though, a joint council with delegates from each of the kingdoms ruled the various factions within Traskein. Rumor was the crime bosses, black marketers, and mercenaries were the ones who truly ran the city, but as yet they were too unorganized for anyone to stake a claim.

It was to this den of thieves and merchants that Ember and her friends came in search of help.

The streets on the outskirts were dirt, and the shacks that housed the residents here appeared to be made of the same. Beggars and children rested in the scant shade provided by the structures. These were the people who had nothing and had journeyed to Traskein to make a new life for themselves. The scent of human waste hung heavy in the humid air.

Although the cat was now able to walk, Ember held Katerra in her arms. The wound had healed until only a blue stain in her white fur remained. At every rest break throughout the day, Ember continued to have her drink from the flask. The rest of the group remained more or less circled around the princess.

The small band made their way deeper into the city, the roadway changing from dirt to cobblestone. The structures became sturdier and closer together toward the heart of town, with only a thin alley here and there to separate a row of homes or businesses. Shops tended to be painted in bright colors with signs hanging over the doors announcing what they sold. A symbol in the shape of a bread loaf here, a cut of meat there. The nicer stores and even some of the plain-looking homes all had iron bars across their window openings. The Raneban party encountered larger numbers of people, some walking in groups along the street, others just sitting in the dirt or on small benches outside buildings.

The young princess pulled the wrap tight around her hair, stuffing a few loose curls in, even though the people they passed paid them little notice. Unlike back home, strangers here were nothing new. Everyone was a stranger, it seemed. One man, however, did look up at them, mumbling under his breath. He stared at Ember and dragged himself forward. From his torn clothes, the thick layer of grime covering him, and the cup he held, he seemed a beggar.

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