Rising from the Ashes (NSFW)

[Lyralyn85]

Index for Rising from the Ashes

For context in the story and for those who wish to write with me and help build my world.

People

Raena Silverthorne: MC fire mage and healer.

Kimmel Anderson: like a father to Raena. Rank B adventurer, leader of Stepping Wolf party; contains four members.

Xera: guild attendant.

Tom: The Golden Feather Innkeeper

Brooks Duncan: Ferrier

Jimmothy: member of Stepping Wolf.

Jonathan: member of Stepping Wolf.

Darius: member of Stepping Wolf.

Steven: Southgate guard.

Places

World: Aestia
Continents- has 12 continents. At least half of which are explored.
1. Oceania
2. Ebraxia
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
11.
12.

Kingdom of Graelyn- Oceania Continent

Eagle Point: town of about 400-500 population. This includes the farms outside of the town. Three days north of Myne.
- The Golden Feather Inn: only Inn in Eagle Point.
- The Adventurer's Guild: Where Adventurer's gather to take on quests, and where people seeking help can put in requests. Has its own blacksmith, butcher, and tailor.
- The Iron Claw: local blacksmith shop.
- The Steel Shod: local ferrier, across the street from the Golden Feather Inn. Also has a stables attached.
- The Merchants Guild: Where merchants can buy and sell goods. Arrange for transportation, and/or guards through the Adventurer's Guild or hire a mercenary.

Myne: ghost town, goblins destroyed the village. Raena's hometown.

Swyft: Shifter community, a day and a half east of Eagle Point.

Westeria: where the Baron Garth DeMonte rules Nestir's Forest.

Drexia: Mountain range

Races

Humans-
Average life span: 90-100 years.

Elves-
Average life span: 2,000 years.

Dwarves-
Average life span: 500 years.

Shifters-
Average life span: 150 years.

Fae-
Average life span: Varies and depends on species. 10-10,000 years.

Light Fae:
- Dryads: Tree fae, bonds with a tree and nurtures it. Dies when her tree dies.
Average life span: 400-10,000 years
- Nymphs:
-Sylphs:

Dark Fae:
- Goblins: when a goblin interbreeds with any species/race a goblin is always born.
Average life span: 40-50 years.
- Liches: Undead mages.

Orgres- Warrior culture. Large humanoid.
Average life span: 80-120 years.

Halflings- used to descride any of mixed heritage.
Average life span: 80+ years.
Example: A half elf might live for half the time an elf does, whether or not they look more human or more elven.

Flora

Wings of Light- dark green stemmed, with feather like glowing blue petals, also used to make various medicines.

Fauna

Much of the Fauna is the same as on earth. Like chickens, cows, horses, etc. Here's a list of what can be found on Aestia that can't be found on earth:

Roc- a very large bird. Much larger than a chicken. Almost rideable sized. Can be domesticated. Sought after for their large eggs and feathers for arrows.

Gryphons- Head of an eagle, body of a lion, wings of an eagle.

Dragons- intelligent magical beast. Various colors. Four legged and two winged. Sentient, some are friendly with some of the races. Some despise the races.

Wyverns- two winged, two legged. Feral cousins of the dragon.

Baskilsks- lizard like creature that can turn opponents to stone with a bite. Does not happen instantaneously, but still a quick poison.

God's and Goddesses

Lyrica- Goddess of Life

Tryce- Goddess of Death

Vaelrun- God of War

Nobility Ranks

King/Queen: Highest ranking in the kingdom. The Ruler of Graelyn. Carries the Graelyn name.

Duke/Duchess: There are four Duchies. Each Duchy has four provinces.

Marquis/Marquess: in charge of a province. Of which there are sixteen provinces.

Earl/Dame: In charge of a Parish. Four parishes to a provinces. Of which there are thirty-six.

Viscount/Viscountess: in charge of counties. Of which there are sixty-four.

Baron/Baroness: In charge of a single large city, town or village. Each province has at least one of these.

Lord/Lady: Usually in charge of a single outpost or landless. Each county has at least four of these.

Magic Ranks

Magic: Emotions fuel Magic. The stronger the emotion the stronger the magic, control comes from controlling the emotions and being able to separate mentally from your emotions. A mage might use a word, gesture, or even a look depending on each individual style.

Elite: Highest tier of Magic.
- Arch: Complete master of channeling. Has a multitude of spells at hand.
- Sage:
- Master:

Advanced: Middle tier of Magic.
- Adept: Master at medium level magics.
- Expert:
‐ Intermediate: can now channel medium level magics.

Elementary: Lowest tier of Magic.
- Disciple: Master of low level magics.
- Initiate:
- Apprentice: can only channel low level magics. Knows only a few spells.

Adventurer's Ranks

S:

A: can do rare quests.
Example: killing wyverns

B: can do extremely hard quests with other parties.
Example: hunting down a Baskilsk, gathering mythril and legendary flora. Finding enemy encampments (such as bandits and goblin enclaves).

C: can do difficult gathering, finding, hunting quests.
Example: gathering very rare flora, mining/gathering platinum, taking care of middling mosters and dark fae.

D: Can do complicated gathering, finding,
hunting quests.
Example: gathering hard to find flora, killing a wolf pack, some small monsters and minor dark fae like goblin hunting parties.

E: Can do simple gathering, finding and hunting quests.
Example: everything F does and hunting quests a single person can handle. Such as taking out a lone wolf. Finding a lost person.

F: Can only do simple gathering or finding quests.
Example: finding someones lost pet or gathering easy to find minerals, ores, flora.

Currency

The three highest ranking nobles have the most Mythril coins. Lower three have mostly platinum. Merchants tend to have a lot of gold, as do Lords and Ladies. Common folk might earn a 1-3 gold over a year. Common goods can usually be found so cost a few silver or copper coins.

Mythril- highest coin.

Platinum- 100 platinum equals 1 Mythril

Gold- 100 gold equals 1 platinum

Silver- 100 silver equals 1 gold

Copper- 100 copper equals 1 silver

A night at an Inn typically cost 3 silver, for a double bed, 2 for a single bed. This is your average Inn that caters to travelers. In large cities a room at an Inn catering to Nobles costs 3 gold for a double bed, 2 for a single. These inns are also usually better furnished and decorated.

 

[Lyralyn85]

This is a rough draft, so changes may be made. Please feel free to PM me any questions, comments, or critiques!

Prologue:

Infernos cast lurid shadows against the thatch homes, making the village seem to dance and waver in the hellish light. Screams, sobs, and crying sounded from all around, the clash of metal on metal and metal on flesh a percussion to the screams of the wounded and dying. The smell of smoke hung heavy and acrid in the air, along with the tang of copper from blood spilled.

Amidst the madness, a small family of four moved as quietly and quickly as possible. The father, with brown hair about shoulder length and brown eyes, was at the front, holding a sword loosely. Two young girls clutched to each other in the middle, the older brown-haired, the younger with red hair. Bringing up the rear, the mother, with red hair and green eyes, guarding the rear with a bow, her eyes alert.

“Hush, now, Cara, Raena,” the father whispered, trying to calm the sobbing girls. Looking between the houses where they were stopped, he searched for the safest way to get his family out of the small town, tousling his brown hair as his hands ran through it, showing his pointed elven ears.

The oldest at nineteen summers, Cara had brown hair and brown eyes but with the rounded ears of a human. Raena, at thirteen summers, on the other hand, had distinctively elven ears, fiery hair, and green eyes. Both were sobbing quietly.

“Alryn, we need to move now,” his wife said from the rear. “We have goblins coming up from behind,” she whispered urgently, watching a group of nasty fae approach the family's hiding spot.

“There's too many, Lara; I don't know if we'll make it,” Alryn whispered back, watching the goblins drag another family from a home just down the road.

It happened this way every time with goblins. First, they killed the men. Then, they would take the women, using them for breeding stock. Though not as intelligent as humans, goblins were indeed clever fae capable of banding together into large raiding groups, using tools, and having a primitive society. They weren't as tall as humans but came close. Their green skin seemed almost ebony in the night.

“I need you girls to follow me now; keep your eyes on my back, and don't look anywhere else,” Alryn whispered firmly, stepping into the small side alley. Guiding his family as best he could, to hoped for safety. They just needed to reach the woods on the outskirts of town. A half mile away. A lifetime away.

Guiding his family slowly from house to house, they finally reached the final stretch; the woods were just ahead. Just then, a group of four goblins came around the corner, spotting the family of four; they cried out, calling to other goblins nearby.

“Run,” Alryn whispered harshly to his family, unsteadily readying his sword as the four goblins approached him; he could hear more coming their way. His piercing brown eyes watched intently as the goblins closed in with their crude weapons. Suddenly, an arrow thwacked into the goblin's eye on the far left; his wife Lara had joined the fight. Her long red hair streaming back in the winds created by the fires, she drew her bow again and let loose, downing a second goblin. Her green eyes burning brightly, she knocked another arrow.

As Alryn stepped up to meet the remaining two goblins, he swung the sword wildly before him. The sword he used felt foreign in his hands, being it was his wife's, from her service in the military. The flailing sword took the arm from one goblin and lodged in the throat of the one next to it. Just then, another group of goblins came around the far corner of the house from him, catching sight of him but not yet seeing his family behind him.

Throwing his right hand out, Alryn drew on his elven magic, causing roots to erupt in the middle of the new group of goblins. There looked to be fifteen or twenty of them. He knew his measures were only a stopgap; he could never hope to defeat this group; there were too many for a carpenter who only built furniture. He wasn't war-trained like his wife, and even with her help, they stood no chance. The best they could do would be to slow the goblins down and hope for a quick death so their daughters could escape in the aftermath. It only took a split second for him to realize what he had to do.

He turned to his family behind him, met his wife's eyes, mouthed, “I love you, save the girls,” and charged around the corner, straight into the horde of goblins. Green eyes glistening with tears, Lara turned to her daughters. As quietly as she could, Lara drew them away from where they could now hear the screams of their father.

Lara knew the future looked grim. She didn't know if they could make it to safety. There must have been at least a couple hundred goblins for the town to fall so easily. Thoughts raced through Lara's head as she moved the children through the flickering shadows. Pulling out a knife, Lara held it to her eldest daughter, Cara, while they walked.

“If it seems they will capture you, slit your sister's throat, and then your own, Cara. Promise me,” Lara demanded, shoving the knife into her daughter's trembling hands. Shakily, Cara nodded.

“Follow me and stay close,” Lara told her daughters, moving to the front and leading them toward the woods. Only one more street to pass, and they would be in the woods. Slowly, they made their way forward.

Suddenly, stumbling, she felt a piercing pain in her left calf. Looking down, she saw the crude spear sticking out just as the pain washed over her. Falling, she cried out, refusing to let go of her bow. Looking behind her, she saw a single goblin. She was awkwardly positioned while she knocked her bow, drawing and aiming. She loosed her arrow and watched as it thunked into the creature's upper left chest.

Yanking out the spear, she stood with help from her daughter Cara and began hobbling into the woods. Just as they entered the forests welcoming shadows, a group of goblins appeared behind them, catching sight of the group of three women escaping their clutches. The goblins gave chase, howling loudly.

“Run,” Lara shouted to her daughters, shoving Cara ahead of her with Raena. “I'll hold them off as long as I can, but you need to run now,” she commanded as she took an awkward stance with her bow.

Cara and Raena ran. They could hear their mother's arrow whoosh through the air, the thunk as it hit flesh. The screams and shouts of the goblins chasing the girls made them run faster, hearts racing in fear.

Suddenly, they could hear their mother's screams as the goblins closed in on her. They could hear the sounds of ripping clothing and the thwacks of fists meeting flesh as their mother was pulled down amid the horde. Her screams went from defiant to desperate.

“Nooo, no, no,” Raena and Cara could hear Lara shriek as the goblins tore the clothing from their mother. The sound of fists on flesh dwindled, replaced by a rhythmic thumping and grunting.

Raena and Cara had stopped running and were now surrounded by goblins, goblins that must have come from the woods. Trembling, Cara and Raena clung to each other in fear, Cara still gripping the knife her mother had given her earlier.

“I-I'm s-sorry-y, R-Raena,” a sobbing Cara cried, attempting to slit her sister's throat, but before she could, she was yanked away by her waist and arms. “Nooo,” Cara screamed, fighting and squirming, trying to keep hold of the dagger. She could feel hands grabbing at her clothing and breasts as the goblins pulled her down into their midst.

Raena was frozen in shock and horror, staring at the goblins surrounding her and closing in. She had nowhere to go; she had no weapons. She could hear her sister and mother screaming over and over again. She could hear the excited lustful chatter around her as they reached for her. Everything seemed to be moving in slow motion. Raena could see the dirt under their nail and, the gleam in their eyes and smell their sour breath. Their green skin looking almost black in the night. They stood almost as tall as Raena, at about four and a half feet tall.

Suddenly, she felt a warmth build up in her chest, getting almost painful. Right before the dirty hands could reach her, she started to glow, faintly at first and then brighter. As Raena's glow intensified, the goblins around her recoiled, their black eyes wide with fear. A wave of heat and energy surged from her, incinerating the goblins and everything nearby within a twenty foot radius. Abruptly there was silence.

Astonished, Reana looked around as ash fell slowly all around her in a fog. Nothing was left, not even her mother or sister. Even the trees were gone. The ash fell almost gently, like snow, smoke acrid and hazy in the air. Standing from where she had unknowingly crouched, she stumbled along in a daze, following the road to the next town, three days north. She stayed just off the main road in the forest, making her way slowly to the north. Hiding frequently whenever she heard anything that sounded threatening or humanoid.

When she was finally found, an older grizzled warrior, named Kimmel Anderson took her in. Helping her through her daze and fear, he taught her how to protect herself and use a war bow.

***
Raena Silverthorne
***

Raena awoke in a cold sweat. It was the same nightmare she had been plagued with since she was thirteen and lived through that horrifying event, thirteen summers prior. At twenty-six summers she'd had a difficult life since then. It didn't help that she looked only sixteen summers. After being found, she was taken in by the Adventurer's Guild and Kimmel. She had few friends, as she kept most at a distance.

Rising from her bed, she started dressing. She dressed in brown leather breeches, pulled on a white linen shirt, then donned a muted brown leather vest, and finally she pulled on lightweight, soft-soled, brown leather boots. Made to move silently. She checked her daggers were secure in her boots. She then strapped on a belt with her coin purse. Standing up, she looked around for her long dagger and checked her bow. She left the bow in her room inbetween the wall and wardrobe, with her pack inside the wardrobe. Raena exited her room locking it behind her and putting the key in a pouch at her waist. She looked around the guild hallway and headed for the stairs.

Raena was a pretty young woman with long waist-length bright, fiery red hair, green eyes, and elven ears. A fire mage, she barely had control of her magic; it seemed to come out when she was under duress, like what had happened to her thirteen summers ago. She could call on her power at times but desperately needed a teacher. What she knew now, she had learned from experimenting with it herself. She could conjure a fireball of varying sizes, with concentration, that had varying attributes. One of her favorite spells was a small, dense fireball that had a pocket of air inside. When released, it created a pop sound of varying loudness depending on how big she made it. She couldn't replicate what her magic did when she was under duress, though.

Which brought her to where she was now. At the Adventurer's Guild about to put in a request for a teacher. Hopefully, it wouldn't take long to have her request answered. Taking the parchment, she approached the guild's counter in the hall. This is where jobs were received and turned in.

"Can I help you," a voice asked from behind the counter. The attendant was an attractive blonde woman with blue eyes and a pixie face. She was short but curvy. Raena was at least a head taller. Smiling tentatively, Raena held out the parchment.

"Oh, your first request! A teacher, even," the woman exclaimed excitedly, blue eyes dancing merrily. "I'll post this up immediately, Raena."

"Thanks, Xera," Raena told the perky woman. Looking around the large hall, full of chatter and wood tables. Though it was early morning, she could see members gathered and quietly chatting over their breakfasts. Double staircases were at either end, leading to rooms the guild provided for members, at a discount.

It was a large building, a campus. It even had its own blacksmith, butcher and tailor. The monsters and beasts could be returned and sold to the guild if you took a hunt quest. You received a numbered chit, for the animal and once it was butchered and weighed you could collect the money the guild paid for it. It was the same with gathering quests and ores with the blacksmith. That was if the contract didn't specify what to do with the remains or ores.

Deciding to eat at the Guild this morning, Raena made her way to the food hall serving food, and got in line behind an older, grizzled warrior of about thirty-eight summers.

"Mornin' Raena," he commented, turning around and smiling at her. Grey eyes intent. "How have your jobs been going? You just made Rank E recently, didn't you," the rough baritone voice asked curiously.

"Just last week. I can now do some minor hunt quests," she replied with a smile. "How was the job in Vale? Wasn't it a three-party hunt," Raena queried, looking up at his face, framed by a neat graying black beard and a full head of graying hair. She remembered they went after a large Baskilsk, a creature usually requiring a couple of parties of at least four to defeat it.

"We had a couple of injuries, but no deaths and no one got turned to stone. Though, it was pretty close," Kemmel's deep laugh reverberated out from his broad chest. He was one of the few people Raena considered a friend. He'd been the one to find her all those years ago. He'd brought her back to the Guild, and helped Raena get her bearings. He'd been both, like a father and a brother, to her the last thirteen summers.

He was an intimidatingly large man with gray eyes. A scar ran from the edge of his left lip down his neck to his left shoulder. It was a gift from a Lich. It had died, but had almost taken Kemmel with it, the dagger had got him, but at least a healer had been around to take care of the poison, though he'd been left with the scar. It was far from the only scar he had, but it was the most notable. He wore scuffed up leather and fur armor, with belts across his chest and waist. He had a plethora of weapons. A sword on one hip, a dagger and belt pouch on the other, a longsword in a tooled leather scabbard on his back. An axe behind his back, and many more arrayed on his person. He was proficient in every weapon he had.

"I'm glad things went so well," Raena told him honestly. They moved closer to the serving tables, talking small talk about the quests each had taken the last month. As she was only a Rank E she was regulated to mostly gathering quests and a few easy hunt quests. Nothing that one person couldn't handle. She'd never joined a party, she didn't have enough control of her magic. Hopefully, that would change before too long.

They reached the counters serving food. "What's on the menu today," she asked the them, looking at the pots and pans of varying sizes spread on the counter before them, warming spells on the pots and pans to keep the food hot.

"Scrambled Roc eggs, boar bacon, pancakes, and apple oatmeal," one responded, waving his hand over the ample selections, brown hair falling in his brown eyes.

"I'll take the eggs, bacon, and two pancakes," Reana told him politely, holding a plate she grabbed out. He plopped her selections on the platter.

"Bacon and apple oatmeal for me," Kemmel stated, also holding out a plate. After getting their meal they strolled back out to the tables, searching for an empty one. Towards the back of the room they spotted a few empty tables and made their way over. Sitting down they continued their conversation.

"Did you take my advice and put a request in for a teacher," Kemmel asked Raena, seriously. She nodded, red hair swaying behind her back.

"Just before we met up," she replied around a mouthful of scrambled eggs. Swallowing, she continued, "I gave the request to Xera."

"It shouldn't take too long to get a reply, maybe a week or two at most. Fire mages are pretty common," Kemmel stated matter of factly. The conversation dwindled to comfortable silence while they dug into their breakfasts with gusto.

"Well, I better go look at the board and see what quests are available for today," Raena commented after enough time went by to finish her meal, leaning back in her chair and crossing her hands over her full stomach. Kemmel nodded.

"I should look for my group as well," he said, finishing the last of his oatmeal. He was the leader of Stepping Wolf, a Rank B party. Together, they stood up and brought their plates to the counter for dirty dishes, before heading over the the quest board.

 

[Lyralyn85]

Chapter One:

The quest board was full of parchments describing all manner of quests. From hunts and kill quests to gathering and finding. Organized by ranks, Raena went to the far right side, which had all the E and F jobs. One could take jobs of their rank or one lower.

F ranks were only allowed gathering and finding quests. At E, she could now take simple hunt quests, which one adventurer could easily handle—things like hunting down a lone wolf causing havoc on a farm or a wild boar. At D, it was the same but more dangerous creatures and areas. For C rankers, things got interesting, and most parties were formed because of the need to band together against more brutal monsters. B, A, and S were reserved for parties and consisted of more difficult quests the higher rank you were.

***
Wanted: Adventurers for gathering Wings of Light flowers.
Rank: F
Description: Need 6 Wings of Light Flowers to cure the shakes from malady fly bites.
Location: Nestir's Forest
Reward: 2 silver, 30 copper
***

She read the first and newest request. Beneath it, there was a hand drawing of the flowers. Deep green with long bright blue petals, the petals did resemble wings of light, looking almost like feathers. She contemplated the quest. She decided to browse some more, holding onto it.

***
Wanted: Adventurer to hunt wild boar outside Eagle Point.
Rank: E
Description: Wild boar attacking travelers on the road. Kill boar. Meat and hide are yours to keep.
Location: Outskirts of Eagle Point
Reward: 8 silver, 65 copper
***

Raena decided to take both quests for the day. Nestir's Forest surrounded the town. She could, in all likelihood, complete both quests in a day. Raena needed the money, after all. She only had about 49 silver and 80 copper in her coin purse.

Waving at Kimmel, Raena headed for the stairs leading back to her room, her cat-like elven grace apparent. Lightfooted, she jogged up the stairs. Striding down the hall, she reached the third room on the left. Her assigned room, for the last thirteen summers, for what felt like a lifetime. She unlocked the door with a key from her belt and entered the room.

It was plain with little decoration. A few knick-knacks: a broken knife, some colorful pebbles, some folded dingy cloth on a shelf, a little statue of the goddess of life, a book, and a small ornate letter box sat scattered around the room. The bed was opposite the door, with a straw mattress; it was small, only big enough for one person.

She looked at the broken knife. It had been given to her by a dear friend, a blacksmith when they were young. A tear rolled down her cheek as she thought of him wistfully. Wiping her face, Raena walked to a wardrobe in the corner, sharing the wall with the door. Opening it up, she pulled out her pack, a set of spare clothing, and a quiver of arrows. She closed the wardrobe, reaching next to it in the corner, and grabbed her war bow. She was unusual in using it, but Raena did it to remember her mother.

Gathering her things, she slung her pack on her back. Taking one last look around, she touched the dagger and the cloth on the shelf before locking and exiting her room. Once back in the hall, she started for the stairs down. As she left the guildhall, she waved to Xera and Kimmel.

***
Kimmel
***

Kimmel watched Raena walk to the stairs leading up to the rooms. He'd rescued her and nursed her back to health thirteen summers prior. Kimmel hadn't always been an adventurer. A year before he found Raena, he had been a mercenary, but after one last job, Kimmel had returned to his wife and toddler only to find they had passed away from illness while he'd been gone. Kimmel had lost interest in mercenary work after that. He'd wandered from town to town as an adventurer for a year. It was on one of his random quests; Kimmel had found Raena. He had come to care for her like she was his own. They became each other's family over the years.

He'd watched over her as she became an adult and had her first love, Harold, a blacksmith. Though that hadn't worked out, it wasn't from a lack of trying. The boy had gotten in with the wrong crowd, the Thieves Guild. He had been fencing for them and doing small jobs on the side. It wasn't until nearly a year into their relationship that Kimmel figured out what was happening. Raena had pled with Harold to stop; he'd agreed but wanted to do one last job, a job that had gone horribly wrong. Raena had found him in their meeting spot, strung up to the large tree in the clearing, obviously tortured before he died. That was back when she'd first become an adult at sixteen. Kimmel had taken care of the thieves responsible for Harold's death and sent a message to the Thieves Guild. If they ever tried to harm Raena, Kimmel had no issue killing them all.

He did what he could to protect her. Still, Kimmel also realized that she was no longer his responsibility as an adult, especially since she had officially joined the guild at seventeen summers. She did well enough for herself with the easy quests.

Shaking his head to push aside the memories, he continued looking for a quest for himself and his party, Stepping Wolf. He paused long enough to wave to Raena as she left the hall.

***
Raena Silverthorne
***

Raena headed out of the town through the south gate toward Nestir's Forest. The town had two gates, one to the north and one to the south, following the main road. Eagle Point was a circular, formed town, with the town square in the middle, surrounded by businesses and roads branching off like the spokes of a wheel holding the residential districts, with a log palisade for an outer wall for protection against the dangers of Nestir's Forest. Eagle Point was three days from the ocean and four days from the mountains. Outside the town, there were farms between the town and the forest.

Nestir's Forest stretched from a day west up to the mountains in the east. It was full of wild beasts, monsters, and fae. A few other settlements were scattered within its borders. Including her old home, Myne, which was a ghost town. Kimmel had told her that the town could have survived if the baron had just sent his forces. She disliked nobles and thought very little of them due to this. Rumor had it that the Baron had wanted someone in the town dead, and that's why he refused to allow the garrison to ride to the town a half-day away.

Though Eagle Point was small, it had a lot of travelers coming and going. It was a small hub on the way to the capital, Haven, in the kingdom of Graelyn, a five-day journey just south of the Drexia mountain range. It had a large inn, The Golden Feather Inn, a blacksmithsmith, a farrier, a tailor, a miller, a tanner, and other businesses. It also boasted a small garrison, only forty-four full-time soldiers, several volunteers, and adventurers from the guild to help bolster numbers.

It was a group of volunteers and Kimmel that had found Raena wandering the road one day south of Eagle Point and two days north of Myne.

Raena thought about her time in the small town as she strolled along the road through the dense forest, looking for an old game trail she knew led to a clearing with some Wings of Light flowers growing. Looking for the sizeable, broken rock that denoted the path, she finally spotted it a few yards ahead. Inhaling deeply, she could smell the earthy tones of the forest, the loam, pine needles, rotting vegetation, mushrooms, and the tang of wet rocks in a stream nearby.

She reached the rock and followed the game trail, winding through the thick growth. Before long, she came to a clearing; along the edges of a stream running through it were several Wings of Light, their bright blue petals glowing in the light. Carefully, Raena used her dagger to break off just the flowers. She gathered them up and wrapped them in a linen cloth before placing them gently in her pack. Retracing her steps, she made it back out to the road.

Keeping an eye out for boar tracks, she made her way down the road further from town. The boar had last been seen near this area, but it could have moved either into the forest or even further from town.

As Raena continued her journey, she kept her eyes peeled for any signs of wild boar. The dense foliage of the forest made it difficult to spot anything, but she pressed on, determined to find her quarry. After about an hour on the road, she had just decided to turn around; she spotted the tracks leading into the forest. Pulling out her bow, she readied an arrow and followed the track, which looked similar to a deer but more blunted.

Suddenly, she heard a grunt in the near distance before her, and Raena paused, readying an arrow and holding it steady. She needed to hit precisely, or she would risk injury. The boar appeared nose to the ground, snuffling, tusks about a foot long, creating a rut in the ground. Raena drew her bow back, aiming for the eye she could see. Taking a deep breath, she loosed her arrow. It flew true and struck the boar in the eye. For a moment, the boar stood there, twitching, before it fell over.

Raena cautiously approached, her dagger out, ready to slice the boar's neck. The boar twitched like it was running on its side before going still a moment later. Breathing a sigh of relief, Raena walked up to it and bent down, slicing its neck. Blood welled up and flowed out of the slice, puddling on the forest loam. The metallic tang of blood filled the air, mixing with the musky smell of loam on the forest floor.

Raena quickly gathered some straight branches from nearby and made a litter, using rope to hold it together before pushing the boar onto the litter and tying it with rope to her waist; she began the long trek home.

By the time she returned to Eagle Point, the sun was setting. Raena wiped the sweat from her brow and continued to the wooden gate. As she approached, one of the guards came out.

"Back from a quest," the man asked, eyeing the boar behind her on a litter. Raena nodded.

"Yes, I took care of the boar that's been harassing travelers on the road," she stated—looking to the boar behind her.

The guard looked over her shoulder, "You pack that thing in from very far away," he asked curiously.

"About six miles," she stated matter-of-factly.

"That thing must weigh a ton," the guard exclaimed. "Let me get you some help!" He whistled sharply, and two more guards appeared from behind the gate. "You men take the carcass from the lady and help her get it back to the guild."

Raena gladly untied the rope from her waist, handing it off to the two guards. "Thank you, Steven. I appreciate the help," she told the first guard, who nodded his brown head at her and winked.

"With the help you give, it's no problem. That boar has been creating quite a ruckus on the road. It took out a merchant's wagon yesterday," Steven informed her honestly.

"It did? It wasn't hard for me to take him out; I only used one arrow," Raena told him. "Maybe the merchant's guards weren't good with a bow?"

Steven laughed, "Only you would say such a thing. Not everyone is as gifted with a bow as you are, Raena. Some might even call it magic."

Raena blushed at his compliment, "Well, I'd best be getting back so I can turn in my quests," she said, waving to Steven and following the two guards already pulling the litter toward the guild. Raena hurried to catch up, her legs feeling light as a feather now that she wasn't hauling the carcass.

"You did good, Raena," one of the guards said, grunting with the weight of the carcass, "I am surprised you managed to haul it as far as you did," he gulped for air, putting his weight into hauling. "This beast has to be at least 200 pounds."

Raena nodded. She knew how hard it was to pull the dead weight, and she agreed it must weigh at least 200 pounds. It took them a little over twenty minutes to haul the carcass to the guild. Once there, the guards dropped the rope.

"Here you are. We'll be headed back to the gate now. You take care, Raena," one of the guards said, brushing sweat from his brow and running a hand through his black hair.

"Thank you, Chad and Kendrick," she told the two. "I appreciate the help. I was about exhausted when I reached the gate. I don't know if I would have been able to get this carcass here without your help." They nodded and waved goodbye as they headed back to the south gate.

Raena lifted the rope and hauled the carcass around the corner of the guild to the butcher, receiving a chit to give to Xera the following day once the boar was butchered. Heading into the guild, she approached the front desk and Xera; she set her pack down and, pulled out the bag of Wings of Light, and showed Xera her chit. Raena handed over the two completed quests.

"My, my, did we have a fortuitous day," Xera exclaimed excitedly. "Let's see how much we owe you so far. That's two silver and thirty copper for the Wings of Light and eight silver sixty-five copper for the boar, for now. Be sure to stop by tomorrow and get what we owe you for the meat, hide, and tusks," Xera told her. "Would you like to pay your dues and room fee as well? Or take it from the what we will owe you from the boar?"

"Take it from what the guild will pay for the boar, please," Raena replied. "Is there any word on the request I put in for a teacher? I know it's only been a day." Raena scooped up the coins tallying in her head she now had sixty silver and seventy-five copper in her coin pouch.

Xera nodded, "The request was sent to outlying guilds as well as posted here, and no, no word back yet. It will likely take a few days," Xera responded. Raena's shoulder slumped. "Cheer up; these things take time," Xera told her, noticing her slumping shoulders. "I am sure we will hear something back this week. It just takes time for the request to get out."

Raena nodded, still feeling disappointed. "I know, I just couldn't help but hope," she said. About this time, her stomach rumbled. "Well, I might as well get some food," Raena smiled at Xera. Xera nodded.

"Don't forget to bring me your chit tomorrow," Xera reminded her.

"I won't," Raena responded before heading to the serving line. The smell of stew and fresh baked bread was calling to her. She navigated through the crowd, the murmuring and sounds of utensils clanking blending together. The smell of wood smoke from the fireplaces was comforting. She waited patiently in line, and before long, it was her turn to receive a bowl and a small loaf of buttered bread.

Once she had her meal, she went back to the central area of the guild, where all the tables were, and looked for an empty table. She spotted one against the far wall, nearest the fireplace by the quest board. Sitting down, she began eating. Before long, a shadow appeared, blocking the light from the fireplace. She looked up to see Kimmel and the other three members of Stepping Wolf.

"Mind if we sit with you, Rae," Kimmel asked, waiting for her nod of approval. Raena smiled up at him, green eyes meeting gray ones, and nodded.

"How did your quests go," Kimmel asked as they sat down. Raena nodded, giving him a thumbs-up as she swallowed.

"Good. I took out the boar, giving travelers issues on the road," she said proudly, "With only one arrow."

"The one that took out a merchant wagon yesterday," one of the men, Jonathan, asked.

"The very one," Raena replied, nodding. She sat back for a moment, looking at the group's men. There was Jonathan, a lanky man who wielded a bow and used to be a ranger, with light brown hair and brown eyes; Kimmel, with black hair peppered with gray, gray eyes and many weapons, the warrior of the group; Jimmothy, with blonde hair and blue eyes, another warrior who specialized in the long sword; and last but not least their scout, Darius, with sandy brown hair and green eyes, he used daggers and a crossbow.

Men she had known the previous thirteen summers, the few she was somewhat close to. Though, she was closest to Kimmel. The others had helped her as well as she grew into adulthood. They made up the party Stepping Wolf.

"So when will you join our party," Jimmothy teased. "We need a mage."

Raena smiled and shook her head, "When I learn to properly focus and use my magic, Jim." The men all laughed except Kimmel.

"That's enough teasing, Jimmothy," he said, cutting the laughter short. "She has a valid point. She's useless to us until she can control her magic."

"But she can already do a number of things with her magic," Jimmothy protested on her behalf. "She's come a long way since she was a kid you found on the side of the road!"

Kimmel nodded, "She has come quite far, but she still needs training." He looked at Raena, this was an old argument. "Once she gets proper training, she'll be a force to behold."

Raena ducked her head, blushing, as she ate her stew, dipping her bread in it before taking a bite. She knew the men meant well.