Chapter 2 - The East

One Month Ago

Rayne stood on the back of the ferry. She leaned against the rail and watched as the engines churned the sea into white waves. In the distance was the mainland, the North, her home. It grew smaller with every second, and a pang of missing ached in Rayne’s chest even though they had only just left.

As she and her parents had taken their carriage down the streets of the North Kingdom for the last time, Rayne had noticed so many little things she had taken for granted, little things that could only be noticed with eyes that noticed too late.

The way the paint on the cathedral’s sign was faded just so. The tall castle spires made of bright marble laced with golden edge and how they shown in the evening sun. The smell of bread baking at the bakery, and even some of the odd smells that wafted from the apothecary.

Maybe she was being dramatic. After all it wasn’t goodbye forever; it was just goodbye for a little while. They would still visit on holidays and school breaks.

She wouldn’t be attending the all-girls academy anymore. She wouldn’t even be living in a kingdom. They would be moving to one of the Modern Islands full of skyscrapers, cars, and motion pictures, and all sorts of technology they didn’t have in the North.

It wasn’t that Rayne was afraid. She wasn’t. But as she gripped the rail of the ferry and watched her home disappear, she was hit with a pang of finality she hadn’t expected. Water threatened to escape her eyes, but she blinked it away and took a deep breath.

The air smelled like salt and gasoline, a stark contrast to her fond memories. Rayne made her way toward the bow of the ship, her fingers dancing along the rail. The ferry was large and filled with all sorts of people. There were those from the North, dressed in tunics and dresses and cloaks, and even guards with their gleaming armor. Next to them, in their own little group, were tourists who could only be from the East. They wore tank tops, flowery shirts and sandals and seemed to be sorting through film equipment.

Seeing them made Rayne aware of herself, aware of what she was wearing: a silver satin dress that went down to her ankles and was tied at the middle by a maroon cord. She wore flat leather sandals and the straps criss-crossed up her legs and tied just below the knee. She was so different from them, but then again, in the East, everyone was different.

At the bow of the ferry were others dressed like her. Rich nobles and their families, traveling for vacation, business, and adventure, all heading toward the Broken World.

That was what they called the East: the Broken World. Once a part of the Northern mainland, the East had been broken into a dozen pieces by a magical cataclysm. The cataclysm itself was a bit of a mystery; no one knew how or why it had happened. What they did know was that it hadn’t just broken their world. The magic had torn apart a dozen worlds on a dozen planes in a dozen different timelines.

Cities of a once potential future had been separated, scooped up and placed on their own islands. Lands and kingdoms from a past that never was had been brought to their timeline and changed forever what would have been. Now these cities and kingdoms from all different places, realms, and times existed in tandem.

The deep ferry horn resounded so loudly that it vibrated the deck beneath Rayne’s sandals. They had officially arrived.

Up ahead was a Remnant Island called Volthum. Rayne gripped the rail until her knuckles were white in excited anticipation. The grin on her face was wider than it had ever been.

Soon the island loomed over them. Jagged edges where the island had been torn from the ground surrounded half of the landmass. In the distance were rolling hills of yellowing grass and the tip of a snowcapped mountain. Castle spires with slated rooves stretched toward the sky, and purple flags flickered in the wind. The castle was surrounded by a wall that stood maybe two houses high and prevented her from being able to see the city itself. The bricks were large and gray and covered with green moss.

Already another island was coming into view: a Modern Island called the Crescent Isles. The water around it was bright and clear and green grass gave way to smooth sandy beaches. The trees, as tall and green as they were, couldn’t hide the fabled skyscrapers that Rayne had heard so much about. They were taller than any castle or tower she’d ever seen, their glass faces reflecting the sky and gleaming in an almost blinding way.

But that wasn’t all. Just past the reflective city loomed a shadow in the sky. A floating island. The Angel City. It was just like her grandfather had described. He’d told her about the massive chains that reached up and anchored the island, and she could just make out some of the giant gears that cranked and emitted puffs of steam.

The Broken World reminded Rayne of the colorful stained-glass windows in the cathedrals back home: a collection of broken pieces that came together to create a beautiful mosaic. Each island was its own little world, and Rayne couldn’t wait to explore them.

***

Rayne’s eyes flew open. Above her, the dragon paced back and forth along the cliff. It snorted, shooting a thick plume of fog from it’s nose, and began to slither down into the valley. As it descended, a heavy wind whipped along the walls of the valley, stirring up the snow like a blizzard.

Holding back her panic and another scream, Rayne stumbled to her feet and began to run. The snow swirled around her, obscuring everything, and the wind threatened to topple her with every step. From out of the tempest emerged the large boulders she had seen from above. Rayne’s cloak snapped in the wind as she dove behind one of them.

She huddled beside the rock, pulling her cloak tight, hearing only the howling of the blizzard and the sound of her own pounding heart.  Rayne knew she couldn’t stay there, she had to move, so she closed her eyes and counted one breath, then two. She peeked around the boulder.

The dragon was in the valley, searching for her, it’s eyes were so bright and blue in the storm that they glowed like flashlights in the dark.

Thinking quick, Rayne waited until it was looking away, then dove behind the next boulder. The snow and wind masked a lot of her sound, but she had to be careful. She took another look before running to the next stone, diving behind it just as the cones of dragon light landed on where she had been.

The dragon sniffed and turned through the snow in the other direction. Rayne pressed herself against the boulder. She closed her eyes and took a deep calming breath.

“Is it gone?”

Rayne screamed before she could stop herself. Sitting beside her, as if he’d been there all along was a boy.

He wore a blue baseball cap with a lightning bolt down its front, and curling up from beneath were rich brown curls, small strands shimmering bright copper. His skin was lightly tanned, and his bright green eyes were a stark contrast to the cold gray and white colors around her. Between his feet he held a small leather rucksack.

“Fayr, who are you?” Rayne hissed, scooting as far away as she could without leaving cover. “And why did you sneak up on me?”

“To be fair,” the boy said with an air of casualness that irritated her, “you did decide to hide behind my rock.”

Rayne ground her teeth. “Who. Are. You? Because I swear if you mean me any harm, I will claw your fayring eyes out.”

“Oh, my goodness,” the boy said. He looked down at the rucksack between his legs and shook his head in dismay. “Can you believe it Dust? She has no idea who I am?”

To Rayne’s surprise, a pair of bunny ears popped out of the rucksack. Peeking out was a small Gormaden, a magical species native to the East. She had never seen one before, but her grandfather had written about them.

The Gormaden was about the size of a kick-ball, with ears as tall as it’s body, and dark eyes that blinked at her. Its fur was thick and fluffy and a light grayish blue color.

“I can’t believe it,” the gormaden said, one of his ears bending halfway. His voice was like a child’s, with a slight rasp to it. “You’re the most famous guy I know.”

“Dang right I am.” The boy gave the gormaden a high five.

“Now, you must have been living under a rock,” the boy said, his attention turning back to her. 

“Obviously not this one. Fear not, however, for today is your lucky day. Today is the day that you meet me, the famous adventurer David—"

“Shut up.” Rayne clamped a snow-covered hand over his mouth. In the shock of the moment, she’d almost forgotten about the dragon, which was looking right toward them.

“Don’t worry,” said the little gormaden, “David’s a total pro when it comes to—”

“You shut up too.” Rayne pulled the top of the rucksack over his head and stuffed him inside. She was stretched over in an awkward position, holding them both quietly hostage. She peered around the boulder as best as she could, saw the shadow of the dragon. It paced back and forth, it’s bright eyes looking this way and that. With a frustrated stomp it snorted loudly and began to slink away, further into the storm.

“You know it’s not every day I hear someone with a Northern accent,” David said, pulling away from her hand and wiping the snow off his face. “What’s a yank like you doing in a place like this?”

Rayne let the rucksack go and peeked over the boulder, double checking to see if the dragon was really and truly gone. She saw no sign of it.

“I think it’s finally gone,” Dust said, popping out of the rucksack once more. His ears perked up and twitching as if he was listening intently. Rayne couldn’t argue with a gormaden’s hearing abilities. She slid down the rock and collapsed I the snow, running a hand through her hair.

“Thank the gods.” She sighed and turned to David. “Now what was it you—”

David and Dust were looking at her, mid-bite into a granola bar.

But not just any granola bar. One of her granola bars.

“I have to say,” David commented, “I’m not normally a fan of healthy foods, and this is by no means as good as a donut, but it’s definitely one of the better granola bars out there.”

“I concur,” Dust squeaked as he dusted crumbs off his fur.

“How the fayr did you steal my stuff?” Rayne asked, snatching up her backpack and holding it close. She hadn’t turned away for more than ten, twenty seconds. She hadn’t noticed anything.

“So, there was this one time,” David said, then paused to take a final bite. “My cousin needed my help robbing a bank, so what I did was—”

“All right,” Rayne held up a hand. “First of all, before you go telling me your life’s story, understand that I don’t care. Second of all, what was your name again?”

“Ah.” David tipped his ball cap with a flourish. “I am the famous adventurer, David Echoe. I go on adventures, save the world, and play bingo at the nursing home on Tuesday evenings. Now who might you be?”

“Maralyn Rayne,” she said. “I go by Rayne.”

“Well, it is wonderful to meet you, Maralyn,” David said, then gestured to his rucksack. “And this is Dustbunny, Dust for short. He is my partner, compatriot, and friend.”

Dustbunny offered a hand. It was similar to a rabbit paw but had a thumb too. Gormadens had hands and feet, but no arms and legs. 

Their hands seemed to float around in the air as if they were disconnected, but if Rayne looked close see she could see the faint haze of a magical tether.

Rayne hesitated but reached out and shook his hand. It was strange to touch something that seemed to float in the air, but there was a firmness there as if it were a regular hand.

“Sorry about the whole. . . you know,” she mimicked shoving him in the rucksack.

“I totally get it,” Dust said, wiggling his nose. “There was dragon stuff going on. It was scary.”

“Yes.” Rayne sighed again and rubbed her eyes. She hadn’t anticipated meeting anyone else. Not in the forsaken Valley of Wyte. “What are you two even doing out here?” she asked.

“I’m out here because of a box of donuts,” David answered with a deadpan expression.

“Fine, don’t tell me.” Rayne frowned.

“It’s kinda the truth.” Dustbunny shrugged.

“Right,” she scoffed. “You seriously expect me to believe you two are out here risking your lives in the Valley of Wyte for a box of donuts that cost you, what, five salts?”

“Seven salts, actually.” David huffed. “Had chocolate and sprinkles and everything.”

“You know I don’t have time for this.” Rayne pushed herself to her feet, checking once more for any sign of the dragon. “I’ve got things to do, so it was nice meeting you, but I’ll be going now.”

“Where yah goin’?” David asked. He scooped Dust up in the rucksack and promptly hopped through the snow after her. “It’s gotta be the mountain, right? Lemme guess, you’re after the dragon’s treasure, and you wanna buy that new toaster, the one with the. . . you know, the four slots instead of the two.”

“I am looking for something.” 

Rayne pulled her cloak tighter, trying to ignore him, but to no avail.

“Ooh,” he cooed. “I bet that this is a deeply personal, character developing—”

“Look, David I don’t mean to be rude,” Rayne spat, very much trying to be rude. “but I don’t know anything about you or why you’re out here, and frankly, it’s not my intention to find out.”

“We literally just introduced ourselves.”

“You know what I mean.” Rayne ground her teeth and clenched her fists. “For all I know you could be a really stupid bandit, or some fae trickster, or some annoying jock.”

David paused and clutched at his heart. “I have been many things, Maralyn, but an annoying jock? Never.”

“Fine, just annoying then,” she muttered with a roll of her eyes. 

“So why are you following me?”

“Not following you.” Dustbunny peeked over David’s shoulders, his tall ears blowing in the direction of the wind. “We’re heading this way too.”

“Oh really?” Rayne gestured all around. “Where are you going? There’s nothing out here.”

“Just the mountain,” David pointed, “and the plane we crashed here in.”

Rayne stopped in her tracks, and her eyes followed his finger until they came to rest on the side of the mountain. Sure enough, she could make out the dark shadow of something that looked similar to an Eastern airplane.

“How the fayr did you crash a plane? How did you survive?” Rayne squinted at the wreckage balanced precariously on the side of the mountain. One wing had been broken off and rested at the base hundreds of feet below.

“You know, honestly its all a little fuzzy.” David shrugged. “There was kind of a lot going on. Some extra-dimensional stuff, magic everywhere, donuts. . .” He trailed off wistfully at that last bit.

“So then why are you headed back to the plane?” Rayne asked, “shouldn’t you be trying to get out of here?”

“Well, I had a really cool sword,” he answered. “About yea long, black blade, blue handle. Kinda looks like a katana. I had it on the plane so its probably stuck up there somewhere.”

He paused for a moment, his eyes widening before he smacked a fist into his open palm.

“That’s it!” he exclaimed with a knowing smile. “You know. . . if you happen to be going to a dragon’s lair, it might help if you had a sword and someone who knows how to use it.”

“And a Dustbunny,” added Dustbunny.

Rayne tilted her head and looked at David more closely. He was wearing a light blue jacket and two belts—one to hold up his patched khaki pants and another looping loosely off his left hip. On his other hip was a small leather pouch. Tall leather boots reached halfway up his shins, each of them covered in a variety of belts and buckles.

Something about him didn’t quite add up. She wasn’t sure what, but he was. . . strange, to say the least. Maybe he was the adventurer he claimed to be, or maybe he was the lunatic she thought he was.

Perhaps Rayne hadn’t been thinking so clearly after all. Outside of her icepick, which was still in the snow somewhere at the base of the cliff, she didn’t have any weapons. Like the rope, it was another oversight. If they were who they said they were, adventurers, maybe they could help.

“So. . .” Rayne pondered aloud. “What is it you’re proposing?”

“I’m simply proposing that if you take a slight detour to the wreckage, Dustbunny and I will accompany you to the dragon’s lair and help you get whatever it is you’re after.” David held out a hand. “Whaddya say?”

“Fine.” She grasped David’s hand, squeezing as hard as her cold fingers would allow. “But I swear to you now,” she growled, “if you betray what little trust I have in you, I will hunt you to the ends of the world and absolutely—”

“Well, you might have mentioned that before we shook on it,” David interrupted with a nervous chuckle, prompting Rayne to give him a cold glare. “Kidding, I was kidding. Ends of the world and all that, I understand.”

Rayne held her stern gaze until Dustbunny leaned forward and offered his hand to shake too. She couldn’t help the smile that crossed her lips. She shook his hand too, and the deal was done.