Embers

One

Hey! You little thief, what do you think you’re doing? Stop right there! Dravos didn’t stop. With a grin spreading across his face, he turned and ran. Clutching the weight of the coin purse in his hand, he darted down the nearest alley. Heavy footsteps pounded against the stone street behind him. Dravos knew the guard didn’t stand a chance of catching him. Nobody knew the city better than he did.

Dravos took a sharp right and then an immediate left, winding his way through the city’s housing district. Stop! he heard the guard shout from behind him, but there was no authority in the command this time. Now it was a cry of desperation. Dravos couldn’t help but chuckle to himself. He decided to steal a glance over his shoulder. The guard was closer than he thought he would be, but that was only because Dravos could still see him. The guards’ thick cheeks had gone from pale to bright red. He knew the chase wouldn’t last much longer.

Dravos emerged from the maze of alleys into the market district. The crowd at this hour was so thick there was scarcely room to walk through. Men and women stood in lines as shopkeepers shouted above the drone of the mob, attempting to sell whatever it was they had managed to get their hands on. Like every evening, the market was full of the smell of roasting pork and baking bread. It made Dravos’ mouth water. He gave one final look over his shoulder before he clipped the coin purse to his belt and pushed his way through the crowd.

***

From the rooftops of Helmscrest, the Golden City, Dravos quietly watched the sun dip from sight, as he did most evenings. The sharp angles of rooftops made of iron and stone spread out before him like a vast mountain range. He loved sunsets because they reminded him that even the worst days could end beautifully. Not that today was bad. In fact, Dravos couldn’t remember his last ‘bad day.’ The cool breeze blew through his shaggy brown hair, carrying with it the bite of the coming fall. Horse-drawn carriages moved lazily along the stone streets below, their drivers dodging large holes that had formed in broken sections of the road.

Much of the city needed repair, but Dravos couldn’t imagine it any other way. He thought the blemishes gave the city a certain charm. Dravos considered Helmscrest and himself to have lots in common. Both were far from perfect, but happy just the same.

From his perch above the city, Dravos watched a guard light the torches scattered along the sidewalk. A few lamps came to life on their own. They were his favorite to watch, though he didn’t have any clue how they worked. He only knew that once they stopped working, they were eventually replaced by a stick with an oil-soaked rag on one end.

The guard disappear down the street and Dravos broke off a small piece of bread he had purchased with his newly acquired coin. He loved the smell of freshly baked bread. The aroma teased him as its scent danced around his nose. It was a simple thing, but at that moment, Dravos couldn’t think of any place else he would rather be.

A light sobbing from the alley below diverted Dravos’ attention away from his meal. Curious, he peered over the edge of the rooftop. Below him, a girl sat crying into the crook of her arm. Her cries were soft in a way that pulled at Dravos’ heart. Loud, anguished wailing often was a sign that someone needed help or, at the very least, wanted attention. But, on the other hand, a quiet sob meant true sadness.

The girl’s hair was dirty and blonde, and though her other features were hidden, he sensed a beauty there. Finding someone alone in an alley wasn’t unusual. It was her clothes that stood out. They looked new, or at least new enough not to belong to someone covered with filth in an empty alley. The girl took a deep sigh and lifted her head from her arm. She pushed locks of blonde hair from her eyes and wiped her face. Even in the low light of the evening, Dravos could see streaks of dirt fresh on her cheeks. He knew for certain the girl was new to the city. He had lived in Helmscrest all his life, and there was seldom a face he didn’t recognize, especially one so pretty.

He began wondering which of the hundred possible scenarios would lead to a girl like her choosing the streets of Helmscrest over her own home. Where was she from? How did she get here?

As he pondered these questions, her eyes unexpectantly shot to the rooftop, locking briefly with his. Embarrassed, Dravos quickly ducked back from the ledge out of sight, hoping by some miracle she hadn’t seen him. He sat perfectly still for as long as he could until his curiosity got the better of him. He slowly crept back to the edge and peered down to where the girl had been sitting. She was gone. He stood, scanning the alley, but didn’t see her anywhere. Yup, he said with a sigh. Great first impression.

Boo!

Dravos jumped and lost his balance near the edge of the roof. The girl grabbed him by the arm and pulled him away from the ledge, and they both toppled backward. She was laughing hysterically, and Dravos was so relieved that he hadn’t fallen to the alley below that he began to laugh as well. Are you okay? she asked, still giggling to herself. The tears had dried on her cheeks, but her eyes were still faintly red. Her laugh seemed to brighten her entire face.

Of course, Dravos said, embarrassed. She was even prettier up close. She had emerald green eyes and tiny dimples that she wore proudly. He wanted to say more to her, but his tongue felt as though it had swollen in his mouth, and he was no longer sure if the feeling in his stomach was from hunger or something else.

I didn’t mean to make you fall, she said apologetically.

Dravos found his nerve, I didn’t fall.

Only because I saved you, replied the girl.

I would hardly say you saved me.

So, you’re ungrateful and a liar, she said sarcastically. Good to know. The girl sat down and propped herself against a nearby chimney.

What are you doing sneaking up on people anyway?

I only sneak up on people who try to spy on me. Maybe that good scare will teach you a lesson, she said, mocking him.

Scare? Dravos repeated. I was most certainly not scared. Maybe, slightly startled at worst. And I wasn’t spying on you! He was doing his best to salvage what little pride remained. Unfortunately, he thought his second impression was going even worse than his first.

I’ll bet, said the girl, not believing the lie. Then might I ask what you are doing up here?

I was simply trying to enjoy my dinner. Dravos looked down at the loaf of bread in his hand. Do you want half? I couldn’t stand to see a lady go hungry. Dravos broke his loaf of bread in half and offered it to the girl.

I’m not so sure I would consider myself a lady, she said with a smile. No thank you. I’m quite capable of feeding myself. Besides, I try not to make a habit of taking offerings from strangers.

That seems fair enough. Perhaps if I told you my name, I would no longer be a stranger. I’m Dravos. He smiled and held out the half loaf of bread a second time. The girl rolled her eyes and smiled. This time she carefully accepted the offering.

Thank you, she said softly. Dravos could tell from her voice that accepting the gift wasn’t an easy thing for the girl to do. I’m Sophie. Dravos took a seat next to her as she took a small bite. Dravos is an unusual name. It seems foreign or something. Where is it from?

Actually, I not sure where I got the name, Dravos said casually. He could feel the warmth of the chimney on his back as plumes of smoke floated away over their heads.

Did your parents never tell you? asked Sophie.

I never knew my parents. My earliest memories are of my aunt. At least I’m pretty sure she was my aunt. I was very young, probably not any older than four, though I can never really be sure. The two of us had come to Helmscrest for the Harvest Festival. I had never seen so many people before in my life. The streets were filled with merchants selling this or that, and the crowds were battling with the musicians, trying to determine who would be louder. One moment I was holding my aunt’s hand, wading through a sea of people, and the next thing I knew, her hand slipped from mine, and she was gone. I called for her, but there is no way she could have heard me over the crowd.

That’s terrible, said Sophie. Her beautiful green eyes curved downward apologetically.

I waited for her for a while. After the crowds were gone, I thought for sure we would be able to find each other, but I guess she lost hope or assumed that I had run off. The first night I slept in an alley near the front gate. The second night one of the guards found me and took me to the Academy.

I’m sorry. Nobody should have to go through anything like that. Sophie reached out her hand and touched Dravos’ arm gently. How are you so warm? It’s freezing up here, Sophie said as she crossed her arms over her chest. Are you sick?

I’ve never been sick in my life, Dravos boasted before continuing his story. I found the Academy boring and most nights I would sneak out through my window and just explore the city. One night I decided I wasn’t going back. That’s when Asher found me.

Choosing a life on rooftops instead of an education? Makes sense to me, Sophie teased. Who is Asher?

Dravos gave a long pause as if trying to decide if he should answer the question or not. He kind of runs things in the city. Sophie looked like she was expecting a better explanation, but Dravos wasn’t sure he should give her one.

I know something about being alone myself, began Sophie, filling the silence. "My father and uncle went to join the war against the elves when I was very young. ‘Doing their duty,’ I was told. Only my uncle came back. Well, came back in body, at least. After that, the war is all he would ever talk about. It was like an obsession for him.

Most people think of casualties of war as those who died or suffered some grievous injury. And that is true, I suppose. The only problem is that not all injuries can be seen. My mother used to tell me as a boy, my uncle was sweet and kindhearted. I never got to see that side. The uncle I met drowned himself in a bottle from the moment he woke up until he passed out. Always going on and on about the war. It was sad, really. When my mother…. Sophie trailed off. Her smile turned into a quivering frown, and Dravos could see tears forming in the corner of her eyes. She took a deep breath and continued. When my mother got really sick, he came to stay with us, and after she died, I went to live with him. I stayed with him until I could no longer stand it. I stowed away in a merchant’s caravan, and, well, here I am.

I’m sorry about your mother. That must have been truly awful. He put his arm around her to comfort her as she sucked back tears.

We don’t get to choose our fates, we can only make the best of the ones we are given. My mother used to tell me that.

She sounds like a very smart woman, he said. Sophie forced a smile. Do you know where you’re staying tonight? Dravos asked.

I’m not sure yet, Sophie replied. I will figure something out.

It’s not safe to sleep on the streets at night, Dravos said. I think you’re a bit too old for the guards to haul off to the Academy. They will arrest you, and even your sad doe eyes won’t keep you out of a jail cell.

I think you are underestimating my sad doe eyes, Sophie replied. Still, she had just gotten to the city that afternoon and had no idea what she was going to do. Where do you stay?

Dravos smiled, Come on, I’ll show you.

Two

Dravos and Sophie climbed down from the rooftops to the paved streets below. Do you have some sort of secret hideout? Sophie asked, only half joking.

It’s not much of a secret when everybody in the city knows about it, said Dravos. They just pretend like it doesn’t exist. So maybe more like a forgotten hideout? Think of it more as a city below the city.

City below the city? repeated Sophie, even more confused than before she asked the question. She followed behind closely as he expertly glided from one alleyway to the next, appearing to be trying his best to avoid any major roads.

You’ll see soon enough, he said. We’re almost there. The streets were mostly empty, and the few remaining pedestrians showed the two little attention. Still, Dravos learned early on that a healthy dose of paranoia could be the difference between life and death.

The alleyways all began to blend together. It wasn’t long before Sophie spun in a convoluted series of twists and turns, doing her best to keep up with her guide. She had long given up on trying to keep track of where they were. It was a maze of one dirty, narrow corridor after the next. The stone buildings were so close together that only a tiny sliver of moonlight could slip between them. It was almost like walking through a forest.

Finally, Dravos stopped and stood over a large iron grating. There was nothing special about the rusty piece of metal, and Sophie was sure they had passed several just like it on their way to this one. For a moment, she thought that perhaps Dravos was simply catching his breath. That is until he bent over and heaved the heavy grating up, then pushed it to the side, revealing a ladder leading down into a dimly lit passageway.

Sophie laughed. Are you insane? I’m not following someone I just met down into some creepy dark tunnel. She backed away, as though she was considering if she should run or not.

Dravos laughed though it did little to reassure her. Suit yourself, he said as he got down on one knee, preparing to climb down. It’s up to you, but if the guards find you sleeping on the streets, it’s straight to jail for you. Not a pleasant way to spend your first night in Helmscrest. And that’s if you’re lucky! They might decide to take you to the Academy with Miss Batsum instead. Dravos laughed to himself. Honestly, I’m not sure which is worse!

I’m not so sure any of that sounds worse than sleeping in a sewer! Sophie exclaimed.

It’s not a sewer. It’s more of a cistern, but most people just call it the Web. Totally different. He gave her a friendly smile. A moment passed, and he saw the hesitation on Sophie’s face persist. Fine, he shrugged, good luck. With that, Dravos swung his legs into the hole and started to descend the ladder.

Sophie weighed her options as Dravos climbed down and disappeared from sight. She looked around the dark alley and decided even a bad plan was better than none. Wait up, she said as she followed Dravos beneath the city.

***

Sophie stepped off the ladder behind Dravos and saw the labyrinth of dimly lit tunnels branch and twist, seemingly in every direction. In the distance, drops of water echoed throughout the corridors. The stone path was slick, and the air was a not-so-subtle blend of stale mildew and rotting eggs. Sophie crumpled her nose and looked to Dravos, who seemed to be unphased. This seems to be remarkably similar to a sewer, said Sophie, fighting the urge to run. Or to vomit.

It’s not a sewer, said Dravos.

What does the name mean? The Web? Please don’t tell me there are giant spiders down here, Sophie pleaded.

No! laughed Dravos. At least not in a few years. He gave her a playful smirk. People call it the Web because of the way the tunnels twist and turn. Nothing to be afraid of though. The biggest worry down here are the blinkers. The Web has always been a sort of a safe haven for those the city has forgotten. Or wanted to be kept out of sight. Of course, there is your usual assortment of homeless, insane, and vagabonds down here, but the blinkers are the ones who are truly dangerous. Luckily for us, Asher keeps them on a short leash. They won’t bother us.

Blinkers? asked Sophie. Dravos began casually strolling deeper into the tunnels as if he didn’t hear the question. If she didn’t know better, she would have thought he was going on a walk through the woods on a sunny day. The thought of getting left behind horrified her, so she grabbed his hand. Dravos blushed, though it was too dimly lit to tell.

Yeah, he began as he cleared his throat, have you never heard of the blink? It’s some sort of chemical concoction that comes in a little glass bottle. Just a drop of it in your eye is supposed to make you feel euphoric and give you strength and endurance even the Paladins would envy. It also turns you into a raving lunatic. People call it blink because it turns your eyes blood red, and you can’t stop blinking. The people who are really bad off on the stuff develop these terrible twitches. After seeing how it effects the people down here, I would never touch it. Not to mention Asher would kill me himself if I even so much as thought about dropping blink.

That sounds awful, Sophie said. As they walked, remembering the way they came seemed hopeless. Where do they get it?

"From Asher. He says they would just get it elsewhere if not from him. At least this way, they are off the streets and somewhat under control.

That terrible, she said. He should be helping them, not feeding into their addiction.

He is helping them, in a way. If Asher stopped giving them their fix it’s not like they would simply rejoin polite society. The ones who live down here hardly have any trace of humanity left in them at all. Just a never-ending hunger for the drops. The only plus side is most people are so terrified of them they would never think about coming down into the Web.

And who’s to blame for that? Maybe if he never gave them the drops in the first place -

Asher never gives the blink to anyone who hasn’t started twitching. Dravos’ voice turned defensive. A few years ago, the city was infested with blinkers. Not down here but on the surface. Murdering innocent folks for a single copper coin. The guards wanted nothing to do with trying to arrest blood thirsty lunatics with the strength of river trolls. Asher stepped in, drove out the suppliers and took control of the entire enterprise. It’s not perfect, but it’s better than the alternative.

I guess, replied Sophie, more so to change the subject than to actually agree. A terrible, painful laugh echoed from somewhere in the tunnels. Chills ran down Sophie’s spine as she squeezed Dravos’ hand even harder.

They continued to zigzag through the tunnels, passing more ladders that she assumed led to more gratings in the street. How far do these tunnels go? asked Sophie.

They run all over the city and then some. If you know them well enough, you could pop up anywhere! We’ve tried to map them all before, but it would take a crew a hundred years to get it right. Some passages lead to absolutely nowhere. Others have caved in, been rebuilt, and then caved in again.

But you do know where YOU are going, right? she asked nervously.

Of course. Well, probably. He gave her a smile and a playful wink. We’re almost there.

Finally, Dravos stopped and ran his hand along a stone wall that looked no different than any other they had passed. He found a loose stone and pushed hard against it, which caused a metallic clicking sound as part of the wall separated from the rest. A hallway made of similar construction as the tunnels, but cleaner and with better lighting appeared in front of them. Dravos turned to Sophie and motioned for her to be quiet as he snuck ahead of her.

Inside the hallway, Sophie felt as though she were creeping through the halls of an ancient, poorly decorated castle. Lanterns lit their way. The corridor was decorated with mismatched shelves and cupboards, along with trinkets that could have come from every corner of Zanir. Why are we sneaking around? Sophie whispered.

Dravos paused for a moment to answer her question, You’re not exactly allowed to be in here. Asher doesn’t so much care who is out in the Web, but this is kind of like our little sanctuary. He’s pretty protective of it. Just a little further and we can hide out in my room and then figure out the rest in the morning.

Sophie followed Dravos as he crept past cutouts in the stone wall. They looked like entrances to other rooms or passageways but were covered up by curtains. Stay right behind me, Dravos said in a strained whisper. The dining hall is up ahead. Sophie nodded in understanding.

Unknown voices became more apparent as the two made their way deeper inside the sanctuary. Laughter echoed at the punch line of a joke, and Sophie could feel her stomach fall off into a pit. Dravos pressed his body to the wall, stopping just before reaching the dining hall entrance. Sophie couldn’t tell if the wetness of her palms was from the damp stone or her nerves.

Dravos carefully peered around the corner and held out three fingers. He had closed two fingers into his fist before Sophie realized he was counting down. When his last finger vanished, he moved quickly across the entrance to the dining hall, and Sophie followed. Dravos turned back towards her and smiled. Finally, Sophie felt safe to breathe again.

Ahem. A man cleared his throat behind them, and Dravos froze before letting out a defeated sigh. Sophie was taken so off-guard that she nearly let out a shriek but caught it just in time. A man was standing in the shadows at the end of the hall, just out of the torchlight.

Wait here, Dravos said under his breath. I’ll talk to him. She watched him sulk towards the shaded figure like a whipped dog with his tail between his legs. While she couldn’t hear the conversation, the hand gestures, along with common sense, told her that she was the topic of their conversation. I even took her the long way! she heard Dravos say as he raised his voice a little.

When the conversation ended, Dravos turned, gave her a big smile, and pointed his thumb to the ceiling, signifying all was well. Who was that? asked Sophie, relieved that seemed to be the end of it.

Asher. Like I said, he is really protective of this place. He said since you’re already here you can stay through the night. We can worry about tomorrow, tomorrow.

Well, lucky me, replied Sophie, laying the sarcasm on as thick as she could.

Finally, with the sneaking behind them, they made it to Dravos’ room. The space had no door but was hidden behind a decorative curtain. The room was small, roughly the size of what she imagined a prison cell would be, and she wondered how much worse a night in jail could have really been. Dravos used a firestick to light a candle on his tiny dresser.

Hooks were drilled in two opposite walls with a sheet stretched between them, making a hammock. Dravos offered it to her. The cleanliness of the sheet made her think a blanket on the floor was maybe a better option.

Even with Asher’s approval, it still seemed like a good idea to draw as little attention to themselves as possible, so they spent the evening chatting in hushed whispers. Eventually, Dravos stopped answering her questions, and she heard the heavy breathing of deep sleep.

Three

To say that Sophie woke would imply that she had been asleep, which wasn’t entirely true. Dravos snored noisily from across the small room. One leg lay off the side of his hammock, and Sophie wondered if, at any second, he would tip out of it. She had been able to doze off a couple times. Still, the strangeness of her situation, along with the stone floor, made it impossible for her to get any real sleep.

She sat up and let her eyes adjust to the dim light. Her tour of wherever she was, had been very brief, and she still wasn’t sure following a strange boy into the tunnels below the city had been the best idea. The voices that echoed loudly throughout the stone corridors had gone silent, but somehow that didn’t set her mind any more at ease.

She decided to take her chances and explore a bit, or at least see if she could find her way to an exit. She stood up carefully and tiptoed across the room. The candle on the wooden dresser had yet to burn out, and she was thankful for the tiny bit of light it offered. She looked back at Dravos, who was still sound asleep before she gently pulled the curtain to the side and slipped out of the room.

***

Sophie stood in the stone hallway, once again feeling like a trespasser in a strange castle. This time a few of the torches had gone out, making her feel more like a prisoner making an escape from evil dungeons. She slowly traced her steps from earlier in the evening and eased quietly past the other rooms before peering into the dining hall. It was thankfully empty. She knew the hidden entrance shouldn’t be too far ahead.

This side of the secret passage looked much more like a door. It had a handle and a latch, even a crossbar that could be shut, essentially locking it for good. The thought of leaving only briefly crossed Sophie’s mind, but after what Dravos had told her earlier about the other Web residents, she decided that exploring outside of the sealed sanctuary alone was probably a worse idea than staying. Still, it gave her a small degree of comfort, knowing she could find a way out.

Unsure how much further she should push her luck, she turned and started going back to Dravos’ room. A pale blue light lit up the far end of the corridor, and she realized she hadn’t noticed it before. The glow was different from the torchlight, and she was drawn toward it. She walked past Dravos’ room, creeping along as silently as she could. It seemed as though the glow was purposely eluding her as she chased it deeper into the sanctuary. Finally, she stepped into a large, open chamber. Easily the biggest she had seen so far.

The room smelled of mildew on stone, and small channels of water ran under the walkway like tiny rivers. In the center of the room was a large, circular pool of clear water. Little streams emerged from under Sophie’s feet and spilled out into the pool. To Sophie’s surprise, the ceiling wasn’t stone, but a dome made out of angular cut glass. The moonlight flooded the room, and Sophie found herself mesmerized by the light dancing playfully on the water.

Sophie lowered herself down onto her knees and peered over the side of the walkway at her reflection in the water. She had certainly seen better days. Dirt streaked her pale cheeks, and dark circles under her eyes made her nearly look like a walking corpse. Her blonde hair was knotted and tangled into a frizzled mess, and she couldn’t stop the sad smile