[Raleigh]

  The docks are quiet at this time of morning but the aromas of exotic spices and meats starting to cook welcome me with open arms. It is only about an hour past dawn and I'm already looking forward to my mid day break. With a sigh I continue onwards, my heavy sack of salt slung across my back. Each step only brings me the smallest fraction of distance needed to reach the far end of the docks. As I walk I can see foods, items, artefacts, furniture, animals, weaponry and jewellery which are never found at the same place anywhere in the world but Rynwhere. Around me are the first merchants just setting up shop, and starting to loudly proclaim their wares. Unfortunately for me I don't have long to enjoy the sights and smells today as I have a job to do and a long way to go before I can claim my forty shiek and return to my quarters.

  Nearing the end of the docks, I approach the Silvester. The proud boat is newly built and a beauty to behold, from the foothills of the Dwarven mountains, dark stained Kumu wood polished to a shine makes up the body of the boat. I smile, enjoying pungent but strangely delightful smell of fresh timber. Trim white sails bearing the purple and red family crest of the Lorenzo family, blow cheerily in the wind. As well as being luxurious, the boat is also practical. Only one stubby mast in the middle of the craft, relying on oars to take him down stream. For the journey back up stream, the mast is essential to make sure he makes good headway.

  Mounting the gangplank, I lower the salt into the hull until I hear the soft thump of the heavy bag hitting the deck. Satisfied it's secure, I turn and start to head back towards the now distant warehouses.

  [Threyir]

  “Thief! Stop that thief! Help!”

  I quickly dash down a dark side alley knowing full well it is a dead end and hope that the city watch do not. Nearing the end of the alley, I sprint towards a pile of boxes stacked against the far wall. Hitting them with speed, I jump, fly, and barely clear the grey stone wall that separates the main merchant village with the dockside market. I land hard on the smooth cobbled street on the other side of the wall, my ankle twists with a jarring force that sends me tumbling to the ground. Slowly and agonizingly I crawl towards the side of the road. Thankfully, it is still early and it's a few hours before the majority of the populace will wake up and start their days. Holding back tears of pain and anger I bind my ankle, its the only choice I have if I want even a chance of making it out of this village on time.

  Before long It is time. Three… two... I break into a sprint before I even begin to mutter one. Dodging onlookers I make straight for the Silvester. Damnall. Someone is aboard. I know there is no choice, time is nearly out.

  Time passes painfully slowly as I wait for the boy to leave the boat. Worse even is that at any moment the alarm could sound and then I would be caught and all the suffering, pain and work so far would be for nothing. As I wait I can't help but think of my family. Papa with his black hair streaked with silver, tanned skin slowly turning wrinkly. His strong, proud jawline, common to the men of my bloodline and his bright blue eyes, only seen among very few of the Bārū. Unlike my father, mother had light honey brown eyes, jet black hair, and a sweet smile that had enchanted many aspiring suitors. All of whom she had politely turned down. Last of all there was Tommy, older by just a year, her only sibling, and someone whom she shared a very close bond with. Tommy was almost 2 meters tall with light brown wavy hair. I miss him the most of all.

  “There she is!!”

  A quick glance over my shoulder confirms that my time has indeed run out. Before the last of the city guard come into view I dart onboard the Silvester. Catching the boy completely by surprise, I sweep his legs out from under him, sending him teetering off the edge of the boat. For a split second our eyes meet, then he falls overboard with a splash, a half second later a second splash follows the first as his bag of salt falls on top of him. I shrug. Oh well, can't be helped. One slash with my long and deadly sharp Luni severs the mooring rope, and the boat begins to drift towards the middle of the river. I have made it. One less obstacle. Moving to the tiller I correct the ship's course for what I know to be the first of many times in the following weeks to come.

  [Edward]

  "Ayhhh." I yawn as I meander down the silent street. The shaded pathway provides a place of silent thought and contemplation that I find rarer as I have got older.

  I miss them. The ache of remembering hurts badly somedays. But its better to feel the full extent of my emotions I believe. I remember sitting at the table at the age of eight, laughing so hard with Mum and Dad about a math calculation gone horribly wrong that I started choking which only made everything funnier. For nine golden years we lived the perfect life, picnics together on the meadow by the hill, singing and dancing every Manolla festival. I thought it would last forever. It did not.

  Eight years. Eight years ago they were taken from me. Now I'm left with riches I never asked for, my parents estate, wine brewery and a large fortune. The only person I actually have left is Gustav, the family butler and servant. Over the years Gustav grew close to me. After my parents death he felt like the only good friend I had left. I still remember firing all of the house staff except for him. He was the only one who knew my parents well enough for me to trust with helping me run the estate and brewery.

  Eight years ago today. When I returned home Gustav will be waiting with his wife, ready to share memories of my parents' life and grieve together. I love them so much. Although I'm looking forward to their company, I am truly looking forward to seeing Aliea tonight. Her smile makes me grin and her laugh gives me a strange fluttering sensation. But when she looks at me, I feel as if the whole world is falling away. Until it is just her, those deep brown eyes like honey, sticky, sweet and intoxicating. Its so confusing, do I want to let the walls down? I don't want her to be swept away, things are so good as they are it scares me thinking about making a change.

  Casting these confusing thoughts aside, I focus on the positive, it is a pleasant morning for a walk and I'm glad to be out of the house. Nothing is quite the same as being up before the birds start their song. Plus the fresh air does my mind good. Solitude is one of my comforts I realize. Its been this way for a long time, me myself and I, I can trust me to stay.

  Suddenly a pair of guardsmen burst out from around the corner of the street.

  "Oi! Edward! Have you seen a black clad women running towards the river?!"

  "What? No, sorry gentlemen, good luck."

  Not another theft. At this time is crazy.

  Upon reaching the dockside market, I can see Tuck, the portly fisherman from the guild of produce approaching.

  “Edward, Hhh, Hhhh... Edward I need to talk to you”.

  “Yes? Everything okay Tuck?”

  “Well said Tuck, I don’t know how to tell you Edward, but.... buuttt......”

  “Spit it out.”

  “Well... Someone's on your boat!”

  “What!?!”

  Running full speed, I make it to the boat just in time to watch a black clad woman scythe one of my workers legs out from under him. The boy falls off the boat and the heavy bag he was carrying falls on top of him. My body moves separately from my command. My shirt is off already, I'm running then jumping and diving off the stone walkway and into the river. As I hit the water with the combined impact of a three meter drop and seventy five kilograms my sensibilities return. WHAT AM I DOING?

  Fighting back against all urges, I hold my breath and kick deeper. Hoping, praying to the Ancient of Days that the current has not carried off another soul to the halls of the dead. Opening my eyes underwater, it is impossible to see anything as the fast current stings my eyes and forces me to keep them shut. There's not much I can do. Flailing my legs and arms, I desperately search for the boy. After what feels like hours my breath has almost run out. Just as I'm about to give up, I hear something in the murky depths. Bom Bom Bom Bom, Bom Bom Bom Bom. A strange drum beat calling out just in front of me. I swim forwards casting about with my arms desperately. Nothing… Something! I reach out into the darkness and wrap my arms under the armpits of a limp body. I kick with all my might towards the dim light of the surface. Lungs bursting we reach the surface. Thankfully someone from the dock sees our plight and throws a rope into the river beside us. As my vision starts to blur I tighten a knot around our waists. And then my heavy eyelids close and everything goes black.

  [Raleigh]

  BOM BOM BOM BOM, BOM BOM BOM BOM, BOM BOM BOM BOM. Everything is black, a warm dark welcoming blanket slowly pulling me into a deep sleep from which I know I will not return from. The only problem is the loud resounding drums pounding in my ears. They are far too loud for me to fall asleep. Raleigh. Raelieghhhh. Raaaleeeiiiighhhh. A light appears far off in the darkness. Subconsciously some part of me realizes that if I let the darkness take me I will die. I don't want to die, so into the light I travel.

  “RALEIGH!! Thank the Ancient! We thought you were dead.” I choke and cough up water before throwing up on the grass, only finishing when there is no contents left in my stomach. Looking around for the first time since awakening, I'm embarrassed to see what looks like half the town standing in a circle around me. “I'm okay.” I shout as loud as I can manage. As if the crowd was holding its breath, within seconds the previously silent crowd is cheering in relief. A young man with dark blonde curly hair and a friendly yet sophisticated look to him, extends his hand to me which I grab and use to pull myself to my feet. As the crowd starts to disperse I search the around me looking desperately for my savior. Panic starts to rise in my throat when I can't see him anywhere in sight. Just when I am about to give up I finally spot him standing to the side of the mob talking to a burly man. The younger man turns and meets my gaze as if sensing my eyes on his back. Looking at me he laughs mirthfully. "Come over here man!"

  Joining the two, I extend my hand in a sign of greeting to the older man. In turn he grasps mine in one hand and places the other on top and shakes vigorously. “Gustav, and what might your name be young sir?”

  “My name is Raleigh.”

  “Raleigh? Raleigh who?”

  “Raleigh Edevane, nice to meet you.” “And who might my savior be?”

  “Edward Lorenzo, at your service.” He says chuckling.

  Stunned, I accidentally let my jaw fall open which I close promptly with a “Clop!” that makes Edward and Gustav laugh.

  “As much as I'd love to stand and chat with yourself and Gustav, we don’t have any time to dilly-dally. My boat’s just been stolen and I would much like it returned. Since you owe me for a sack of salt, I think you should come along with me to steal him back. I can’t pay you your fees unless I get the Silvester back." Says Edward.

  "This is all very sudden and I'm sorry but I need to stay here to..."

  "tooo?"

  Edward laughs, "If you come I'll pay you a month's worth of shiek. Sound good?”

  I take a moment to consider. All in all it is a great deal and without the money, I won't be able to eat or afford rent. I will probably have to get Aunt Meledeth to pet sit Gump. The more I think about it, the better it sounds. I want to go out into the world and make a name for myself not haul salt for the rest of my life.

  “Okay I'm in."

  “Great! We will meet here tonight before the sun sets. Gustav and I have a lot of preparations we need to take care of.”

  “Yeah, that will work. See you then Mr Lorenzo.”

  “Forget the formalities, my friends call my Ed, see you tonight Raleigh.”

  ~~~

  I watch as the sun dips over the far horizon. All that has happened seems so unbelievable and strange, but I know that somehow, all of it is real. Beside me, on the bench, is a small chest that contains almost all of my belongings. A fishing line and a few hooks, two white woolen tunics, two pairs of linen breeches, two pairs of underwear, two pairs of socks and a fur jacket. I also brought my prized necklace which I'd pulled from the river while fishing. Beside the chest is my bird cage with Gump inside and over it a fabric cover to keep him it dark for him. I had decided to take him on the journey as I could imagine how lonely Gump would feel without me. Gump is a Rabok. Raboks are also known as alarm birds for their high pitched screech they make when disturbed. For this reason, I hope Edward will let me take Gump with him. If Edward decides it is unwise to take Gump, I have organized for Aunt Meledeth to pet sit him.

  The narrative has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.

  “Hey! Raleigh, time to go!”

  Looking quickly up from my contemplation, I feel the adrenaline flowing through my veins. Picking up the chest and birdcage, I quickly run to the edge of the jetty that Edward's spare boat is pulling up to. By the time I reach the boat, Edward is already waiting on the gunwale. I pass my chest to Edward who then puts it in the hull, and then strenuously lift the heavy birdcage up to him. After my gear is loaded I jump into the boat. As I take a look around the small fishing craft I see no sign of Gustav.

  “Excuse me Mr Loren… Ed, is Gustav coming with us?”

  “No, he’s staying behind to look after the estate and to deal with business.”

  “Ah, I see.”

  “Don’t worry, we should be fine.” Edward says smiling comfortingly. “Raleigh, can you cast us off from the dock please?”

  “Yea, sure thing… Gump coming along won’t be a problem?”

  “No problem at all my goodman.”

  Edward quickly lights a lamp and hangs it by a hook from the small cabin at the rear of the boat. Taking the helm he then steers the ship into the middle of the river where the current is strong.

  “Feel free to get some rest now Raleigh.” Said Edward while he moved to the helm.

  “I don't think I could If I wanted to.”

  “I'd rather have some company anyway. It gets awfully boring fast”

  ~~~

  [Edward]

  The Silvester is being pulled along by strong currents, only needing slight adjustments here and there. I have two persistent thoughts I cannot shake. The first is of the girl. Who was she? Why did she need to get away so desperately and why did she need to get downstream? I know that the answers will only come in time. The other question that begs my attention is of a different and more intriguing nature to me. I had heard what sounded like quiet drums under the river, I am sure of it. But I have a sneaking suspicion the sounds I heard were not the sounds of drums at all, but the sound of a heartbeat.

  When I was a child, I would often tail my father wherever he went. This behavior had a few outcomes, such as accelerating my business knowledge ten fold. Another such outcome was that I would often hear all sorts of stories from merchants that had travelled far and wide across the kingdom. There were a few stories that I still vividly remember but my favorite has always been the tales of the Bloodbeat witches and warlocks. Bloodbeat magicians were heroes of legend who could control the environment around them with magic harnessed by their heartbeat. If my suspicions turn out to be correct Raleigh could be a powerful and valuable ally in the quest ahead.

  I am happy to be out into the real world, away from Rynnwhere. It is the first time I have left for a few years and I feel excited to be free of others' control. Unfortunately, it is a bittersweet happiness. If I am unable to retrieve the Silvester, there is a very high chance my family merchant business will collapse. My trading fleet only consists of three boats, the Silvester being by far the largest and most important. The Lorenzo family trading company has existed for hundreds of years and I will not be the one to watch it fall. So it is to the upmost importance that I return home with the Silvester as soon as possible.

  Before I left, Gustav and I sorted out how the Winery would be managed over the following weeks, then after attending to all business matters I visited Aliea to say goodbye. We shared only a few moments together before I left, but in those moments I felt loved and truly happy just like when my parents were alive. Now my heart aches to be with her again. Before I had left, she had taken a necklace and folded it in my hand before kissing me ON THE LIPS and saying final goodbyes. I still can't believe she feels the same way about me as I do about her.

  I fidget with the necklace with one hand while steering the ship. It is a silver chain with a beautifully cut ruby set into a larger piece of silver. On the back of the necklace is engraved. ‘Edward and Aliea.’ Only now the significance of the necklace dawns on me. It is a betrothal gift.

  [Raleigh]

  A gentle shaking wakes me from my restless sleep. “Your turn to steer the boat.” mutters Edward with a yawn.

  “How do you do it?”

  “When the boat starts to go off course, turn the wheel towards the center of the river, the current should do most of the work.”

  “Okay..if you're sure.”

  “I'm sure. Night Raleigh.”

  “Night.”

  Unsure of myself, I take the polished wooden wheel and stifle a yawn. From the map that was pinned up in the cabin, I remember that we will arrive at Caladhburn before dawn. I also know that the stretch of water that remains is straight and easy to navigate. Rubbing my eyes with the rough woolen sleeves of my shirt I refocus on the river in front of me. Slowly my eyes grow accustomed to the dim combination of light from the lantern and the half moon. The wan light illuminates the forest that crouches on the banks of the river and the distant scrubby plains that stretch to the northeast. Gingerly I pull my thick fur coat tight around me and to expel the cold starting to seep through my clothes. It will be a long, and chilly night ahead.

  ~~~

  The darkness of night is slowly saturated by the rising of the morning sun. Gloomy shadows intent on devouring me become little more than memories to laugh at and the wary glancing over my shoulder and the pounding blood in my ears now feels so distant and far away. As the sun fully crests the horizon all fear and unease are forgotten. The birds chirp and the insects buzz cheerfully all along the riverbanks. The incoming tide from the Inner Sea laps gently against the hull and causes the fishing boat to slow down to a gentle drift. Since the boat only needs slight adjustments to its course, I make good use of the spare time to fish off the side of the boat. For bait, I use pieces of uncooked peepeye meat, wrapping the smelly meat twice firmly around a hook and then unraveling the thin mox hair twine that I use as a fishing line, into the water. After im happy with the hooks depth in the channel, I tie the top off to one of the many protruding ribs of the boat.

  Feeling that the boat is starting to drift off course I stand and stretch with a long yawn. Then I move to the helm and correct the course so that the ship is back in line with the center of the river. As I go to sit back down by my fishing line, the door of the tiny cabin opens and out walks Edward, squinting at the sudden brightness. “Good morninggg.” he yawns.

  “Morning Mr Lorenz… Ed. We’ve nearly reached the entrance of the lake.”

  “Good, we should arrive at Caladhburn within the hour.”

  …

  “Hey Ed, have you ever been to Caladhburn before? Have you ever seen a Dwarf?”

  “I haven’t left Rynnwhere since I was nine.”

  “Oh… I’m so sorry”

  “No it’s okay, I'm excited to be free of that monotonous town.”

  Without warning the whole boat surges to the left, tipping Edward and I off our feet and down onto the deteriorating wooden planks that make up the hull.

  “By the Ancient!” I exclaim. “It's my fishing line! I must’ve hooked a monster!”

  “I can’t believe your line is holding up.” mutters Edward as he stumbles to his feet.

  “It’s pulling us out to the lake! If it reaches the lake it will escape for sure!”

  “It could also pull us too far out, if it does we will never see the Silvester again. We have two options: we can cut the line. Or, we can catch this bloody muppet! What do you say Raleigh?”

  Slowly the corners of my mouth pull up into a boyish grin.

  “Let's fish it.”

  “Focus on what your doing, I've got the helm. What do you think it is?” Says Ed.

  “There’s only one thing it can be, it's a gigantic Mogi-Mogi.”

  “Its a brute! It's towing the whole ship! Aren't Mogi-Mogi supposed to be native to the Rynnwhere river confluence?”

  “Must’ve followed this stinkin hunk of junk downstream.”

  “There’s the Inner Sea! As we get closer the river will become wider and shallower. Now is your chance Raleigh.”

  Edward lets go of the helm and sprints into the cabin, flinging open the door and disappearing inside.

  “Quickly! Raleigh, run to the prow and get ready to jump!” He shouts from within the cabin.

  Dashing to the prow I turns just in time to see Edward emerge from the cabin holding a giant spear.

  [Edward]

  Raleigh steps up onto the Gunwale and I begin to hurl the two meter long, bone harpoon. But before I can release it, the boat ploughs full speed into an incoming tidal wave. At the same time, Raleigh jumps as far and high as he can, and is launched meters in the air. The bone harpoon sails far higher then I had intended, but at the perfect height for Raleigh to grab it.

  [Raleigh]

  Reaching out towards the lance, I feel totally at peace, as if this was who I am destined to be.

  [Edward]

  From aboard the deck of the fishing boat, I watch as Raleigh fly's high into the air and wraps his right hand around the shaft of the fishing lance. I can hear the drums again, and this time I know for sure.

  “Bom Bom Bom Bom, Bom Bom Bom Bom.”

  It is the sound… of a pounding heartbeat.

  Suddenly an almighty “BOOOOOOM!” sends a shockwave of air hurtling across the river mouth. I don't have time to react before the powerful blast sends me smashing down into the slimy planks. But I do not take my eyes off Raleigh for an instant. I see the way Raleigh hurls the harpoon, I see how it disappears as it leaves his hand. I see the shockwave as the lance breaks the speed of sound. Then Raleigh is falling.

  As the boat slows down it pulls alongside the gigantic bloody corpse of the Mogi-Mogi. I get to my feet, a slick stream of warm blood pouring down from a cut above my left eye. Raleigh had hit the water hard after falling from three or four meters. I do not wait for him to resurface, I dive into the bloody water after him. When I resurface carrying Raleigh, it is all I can do to haul him to the boat. I try as hard as I can to shove Raleigh up onto the gunwale, but it is no use. Bloody darn, I'm too tired.

  “We will take it from here now lad.”

  And for a second time in two days, I pass out from exhaustion.

  ~~~

  [Raleigh]

  It is late in the evening when I wake. I'm lying alone on a soft bed in a sunlit stone hall. Delicious scents and boisterous voices drift to me down a dark hallway cut into a stone wall to my right. Slowly I struggle to push myself up into a sitting position and discover that my muscles are severely fatigued. On the ground beside me lies my chest and Gump curled up sleeping in his cage. Opening my chest I fetch the remaining peepeye meat. Quietly as to not wake Gump, I slip the meat through the hard wooden bars. I smile to myself, Gump will thoroughly enjoy the peepeye when he wakes up. Lying on an identical bed next to mine sits Edward. “So you're finally awake.” says Ed with a tired smile.

  “Ed.. What happened? Where are we?”

  “You don't remember? You jumped off the front of the boat and obli.."

  Recognizing his confused eyes I decide now is not the best time to explain what happened.

  "You really don't remember? I'll explain later. Can you stand?”

  I slowly swing my aching legs out of the fresh linen sheets. Holding the wooden bedhead to steady myself I slowly place my weight on shaking legs. My legs feel as if they are made of lead. Tentatively I take a step towards the hallway, muscles screaming painfully in protest but I don’t stop. I take another step, and then another.

  “How are your legs doing?”

  “They’re, all-right.” I reply through gritted teeth. I try to take another step and fall roughly to one knee on the hard stone floor. Edward rushes over smiling. “Don’t push yourself tough-guy.”

  “Yep.”

  Wrapping an arm under mine, Edward lets me put my weight on him. I never expected for my boss to help me walk. Together we shuffle across the room and enter the dimly lit tunnel. After a few moments of slow shuffling we reach a large wooden door left ajar. “In here.” says Edward.

  “How do you know?”

  “I’ve been awake for a while now. Some of our host’s have introduced themselves to me, they are friendly, don’t worry. They told me once you woke to take you through and into this room to meet their lord.”

  I grab the door handle and pull the door open just enough for us to pass through. I am wonderstruck. The cavernous room that we're standing in is intricately carved out of stone, gold adorns the ceiling and huge statues line the room. At its center lies a massive beautifully carved timber table, an object of wonder in itself. Lines of gold artfully crafted to look like veins spreads throughout the whole room. The veins glitter in the dim light provided by the hearth and lantern that litter the room. These golden lines all lead to a large throne that sits at the head of the table. The throne is cut out of a single piece of stone, all hard edges. It looks like a brutal chair to sit upon. Upon the throne sits a dwarf that towers above all other dwarves in the room. I notice that the dwarf is observing me keenly. “Let's go meet the lord of the mountain.” mutters Edward. As we walk towards the throne of stone, we draw much attention from the many dwarves seated around the dark brown table. By the time we arrive at the waiting lord’s throne all conversation has died in the room. “Welcome to my hall.” says the dwarf with a thick accent and a voice that sounds like the rumbling of distant thunder.

  Unaffected by his blunt welcome I decide the best course of action is to introduce myself and Raleigh like I would to a Baron from back home.

  “My lord Thrak, my name is Edward Lorenzo and this is Raleigh Edevane.”

  “I am delighted to be know by strangers. It is my pleasure to host you here at Caladhburn. As much as I would love to feast, here is some business I must discuss with you two in private. Please, follow me.”

  A maze of carefully cut tunnels stretch beyond us, with various pathways leading off the main tunnel. I am glad that I did not get the chance to embarrass myself in this foreign culture. Ahead of us walks Thrak, confidently striding deeper into the mountain. Even for myself and Edward the dwarven hold has ample space for us to walk. Each tunnel is at least three meters tall and two meters across. Eventually Thrak turns and disappears down a side tunnel. I look at Edward for confirmation and he gives me a small nod and gestures that I should follow the dwarf. As we emerge out the other side of the short hallway into a larger chamber, once more I am impressed by the sheer wealth being displayed around me. There is more gold in the room then I suspect there is in all of Rynnwhere. Thrak sits down on a comfortable looking chair behind a dark grey stone desk littered with paper. Indicating that we sit, a smile breaks his hard stone-like expression. “You have done us a great service. Thank you.”

  “We have?” replied Edward, seeing that I'm was still recovering my breath.

  “The Mogi-Mogi that you two killed had been travelling further and further upstream as of late. Last week we caught no fish and lost several fishing lines to that beast. Mogi-Mogi do not mix well with the creatures that live in this part of the inner sea, it is an apex predator and has no place here.” says Thrak bluntly.

  “We… killed it?”

  [Edward]

  Raleigh really can’t remember.

  “Lord Thrak, Raleigh cannot remember anything that transpired after…. “After I jumped off the boat” finishes Raleigh.

  “Ahh I see. Well, would you like to have a look? We bought the carcass ashore not too long ago, it should be getting gutted by the cooks now.”

  “Did I really kill it Ed?”

  “You should have a look for yourself.”