a/n: hey, thanks for checking out Starry Veins! This is the novel I
wrote for Round V of LMS, and it's still a first draft! While I don't
discourage any feedback, I prefer not to receive feedback on grammar!
I'm not polishing this draft up yet, so I'm not as concerned about
editing. I am, of course, open to all feedback, but I ask that you keep
this in consideration! Thanks <3
*
[Rowan]
Rowan
blinked, and the image of Ember’s hands bursting into flames with
not so much as a word played in their mind. It didn’t make sense.
The
cart pulled to a stop after what must have been a few hours, and
everyone clamoured out. The woman who was driving, a tall and
beautiful woman with a kind look on her face, stepped off the cart
and looked them over. “Is everyone all right?” she asked.
Enoch
ignored her and grabbed Ember’s shoulders. Rowan stepped forward to
intercept, a spell on the tip of their tongue.
“What
were you thinking?”
Enoch growled, and shook Ember.
Her
face screwed up like she’d bitten into a sour tart and she stomped
her foot. “Well you
weren’t doing anything!” she snapped back and swatted at Enoch’s
arm. There were shadows on her face, however, and her eyelids seemed
to weigh down.
“That
was a stupid thing you did!” he said. “You nearly set everything
else on fire!”
Ember
snarled like Lore used to, and her expression was one to match the
housecat when angered. “They burned our home!
They
burned it down! Why shouldn’t they deserve as much?”
Cassius,
who was anxiously pacing around the road and glancing off towards the
forests, sent a look over his shoulder. He looked fretful. “They
could have hurt us though, Em.”
Alanna
hovered near to Cassius, trodding right alongside him like a shadow,
and wouldn’t meet anyone’s gaze.
“How
about someone explains what’s going on, and we reconsider what’s
going on here,” said the woman, gaze flickering over everyone.
“And
maybe some introductions could be in order,” said the boy who Ember
had set on fire. Rowan was pretty sure they had heard him say that
his name was Hypatis.
They
shook their head, stepping away from the bristling Ember and the
equally incensed Enoch. Ember could handle herself, and they weren’t
sure it was such a good idea to get involved in that particular
debacle. Besides, there were witnesses now.
“We’re
from the Chronicler’s Guild,” they said. “We were raised there.
The four of us. A few weeks back now, those riders who were talking
to us, they attacked us.” They glanced towards Ember for
confirmation— they didn’t know how she had identified them but
seemed confident. She was staring at the ground. “I’m Rowan, the
spitfire’s Ember, Cassius is the one who cast the dousing spell
before, and Alanna’s the little one.”
The
woman looked towards Enoch. “And you as well?” she asked.
He
leaned back, away from Ember, and the scowl on his face faded. “No.
I’m not. Found them wandering near the road, and…”
“Enoch
rescued us,” Ember said.
Rowan
glanced to her in surprise, but she nodded sagely, like this was a
known truth. Her head lolled as she did.
“Would
have died, if not for him, wandering around the Wilderlands like
that,” she said. “He’s taking us north, to try to escape from
those men in the grey masks.”
Enoch’s
mouth was parted, and he stared down at Ember as though she’d set
herself on fire once more.
With
a grim nod, the woman held out her hand to Enoch. He took it, stance
reserved and cautious. “I’m Danica. This is Cadelia and Hypatis.”
“But
you can call me Caddy,” said the girl with the brilliant blue eyes.
Rowan met her gaze, and she winked. They smiled back.
“We’re
actually in a similar position,” Danica said, gesturing to Cadelia
and Hypatis. “I’m transporting them north, hoping to find some
better crowds up there. Hoping to blend in with all the crowds up
there.” Her gaze was wandering away from the gathering of them.
“Should he be wandering off?”
Rowan
glanced over. Cassius was putting more and more distance between
them, watching the woods anxiously. Then he stopped and raised his
hands to cup around his mouth. “ARTEMESA!”
Enoch
let out a reserved sigh. Ember had turned now too. Cassius shouted
again, and Alanna let out a much feebler “Mesa!”.
“Who’s
Artemesa?” Hypatis asked, watching the faraway Cassius with
bewilderment.
Before
anyone could answer, a shrill chirp rose in the air. In all the
confusion, Rowan had entirely forgotten Artemesa’s escape, and
hadn’t thought once about that she may be separated from them.
But
it appeared all was not lost, especially Artemesa, as she bounded out
of the dark and dense treeline, wings flapping wildly at her side.
She trilled happily, a melodious and sweet noise that rose in pitch
the closer to Cassius she got. When she bounded up to the road, she
tackled Cassius, and then laid up his chest and rest his head on his
neck, gentle as a duckling.
Cadelia
gasped. Rowan glanced over to see her hands over her mouth. “Is
that a dragon?”
Enoch’s
head jerked around so fast Rowan thought it may break. “A what?”
Rowan
glanced over to Cadelia. “She’s just a baby right now,” they
said. “But yes. Cassius saved her life after her mother was killed,
and there’s little doubt in anyone’s mind now that they’re
inseparable.”
Hypatis
was staring in Cassius’ direction with wonder. “That’s
incredible. Nobody’s bonded with a dragon in forever. I thought
that was just myth.”
“A
dragon,”
Enoch muttered.
But
they were distracted, as everyone else was fascinated by Artemesa,
and glanced towards Ember. She was swaying on her feet, eyelids
falling and then fluttering.
She’d
overexerted herself. Whatever it was she was doing, whatever magic it
was she was calling on for her fire, it was still magic. It was still
taxing, especially since she was so unaccustomed to it.
They
approached her. “You okay?”
Her
head hung down and she blinked forcefully. “Yeah, I— I just—It’s
so hot and—”
“You
drained all your energy into your magic,” they said. “The
adrenaline’s wearing off, so now you’re—”
Her
knees buckled. They struggled to catch her as she crumpled but
managed to keep her from falling. They lowered her gently, so she
didn’t hurt herself.
“Now
what’s happened?” Enoch asked, frowning down at Ember.
“She’s
exhausted,” Rowan said. “The spell, it burned her out.”
Ember
snorted half-heartedly. “Sure did.”
Despite
themself, they smiled.
“Well,”
Danica said. “We’ve some rations to spare if anyone needs them.”
She glanced over all of them. “And seeing as we’re both
travelling north, seems to me it wouldn’t be such a bad idea to
pool our resources together. The company would be very welcome. I’m
sure these two would greatly appreciate new faces.”
Cadelia
swiped at Hypatis, who ducked deftly from her clutches. “I’d love
having someone who isn’t this preening cloud brain.”
“You’re
a menace,” Hypatis said, although he was smiling.
“You
can’t insult me,” Cadelia said. “I’m your older sister.”
“We’d
be very happy for more company,” Rowan said as Enoch opened his
mouth. They didn’t know what wayward trust Ember was starting to
place in him, but they didn’t trust him. He had kidnapped them with
the intention of selling them, and while Rowan recognised that he had
kept them from capture at the hands of those pursuing them, what was
his plan now?
If
they were with Danica, Hypatis, and Cadelia, Enoch couldn’t do
anything to them. And if Enoch declined, it would look suspicious.
Enoch’s
brow twitched, but he nodded slowly. “More people to keep those…
grey masks away from the kids,” he said, hesitantly.
Danica
gestured to the greatsword on her back. “They won’t get to lay a
finger on them.”
The
grey masks. Rowan had wondered to what extent the grey masks would
pursue them. The why
had already been answered with Ember’s letter, so they should have
realised the rest would come later.
Despite
Enoch’s prickly nature, that he had kidnapped them, and Rowan’s
mistrust of him, they had to admit that it was helpful to have been
found by him. Especially now. If they could surround themselves with
people, and people who could fight no less, maybe they had a shot of
escaping.
They
were running now. If there had been any idea they would return home
now, it was dashed.
Hopefully
the rest of the guild was okay. Hopefully everyone had made it out,
and the fire extinguished.
But
now they’d seen Ember’s fire, the dazzling golden flames. There
was gold fire burning the Citadel, on the second floor. Whatever was
powering her, it was beyond the normal limitations of magic, and they
didn’t know what that kind of fire could do.
So
much for them
being the ones to be kept safe by being left behind from the
expedition. Hopefully Margaretta, Isadora, Mishal, and the others
were faring better than they were.
word count:
1,444
Points: 29825
Reviews: 465
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