by A. D. Wills
The Keeper's Codex
Ashen Memories
A.D. Wills
Copyright © 2021 A.D. Wills
All rights reserved
The characters and events portrayed in this book are fictitious. Any similarity to real persons, living or dead, is coincidental and not intended by the author.
No part of this book may be reproduced, or stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without express written permission of the publisher.
ISBN-13: 9781234567890
ISBN-10: 1477123456
Printed in Canada
To my family and friends who support me no matter what. I appreciate you more than you know.
Contents
Title Page
Copyright
Dedication
Chapter 1: Caden
Chapter 2: Dreymond
Chapter 3: Skala
Chapter 4: Caden
Chapter 5: Caden
Chapter 6: Caden
Chapter 7: The King's Tournament
Chapter 8: Caden
Chapter 9: The King's Tournament II
Chapter 10: Skala
Chapter 11: The King's Tournament III
Chapter 12: Caden
Chapter 13: The King's Tournament Final
Chapter 14: Calaera
Chapter 15: Caden
Chapter 16: Summit
Chapter 17: Caden
Chapter 18: Eszu
Chapter 19: Caden
Chapter 20: Caden
Chapter 21: Calaera
Chapter 22: Caden
Chapter 23: Divine
Chapter 24: Calaera
Chapter 25: Caden
Chapter 26: Caden
Chapter 27: Boroku
Chapter 28: Calaera
Chapter 29: Caden
Chapter 30: Calaera
Chapter 31: Caden
Chapter 32: Caden
Chapter 33: Caden
Afterword
Books By This Author
Chapter 1: Caden
All Caden's ever wanted is to become an adventurer. Ever since listening to the wondrous stories his parents, Lukas and Maria, told him before bed nearly every night, Caden's never stopped dreaming of all the endless possibilities. Exotic beasts to be discovered, new hidden lands to explore, mysterious dungeons holding treasure and rarities to be captured—Caden wanted to see, and do it all. Lucky for him, there weren't any restrictions. Anyone can become an adventurer, but very few can actually succeed, let alone reach the pinnacle of their outlandish dreams. But there was a catch. Caden's parents made sure he promised them not to adventure out until his seventeenth birthday. They never gave him a reason, no matter how many times Caden asked, but they insisted sticking to it.
Unfortunately, a few years later, Lukas and Maria passed away. Caden couldn't believe it, one day they were fine, then another they were deathly ill without any way of healing them. He could have run off on his own, but instead, he went to live with his Uncle Garner for the next five years in the small port town of Emerod, right off the coast of the shimmering Osilia sea.
But finally, it's his seventeenth birthday. Now all he needed to wait for was to board the massive whale-shaped ship dubbed 'the Voyager,' to take him across the shortest part of the sea into the mainland of Ethril.
“You have everything?” Garner asked, his weathered, smoke-laced face expressing doubt, with his big hairy arms from his short-sleeved green shirt propped against his wide waist in watching Caden scramble.
“I've got the chest you gave me here from my parents, and...uh, I've got the ticket here somewhere I'm pretty sure...” Caden trailed off, patting himself all over in a bit of a bashful panic.
“You're unbelievable. I've got it here.” Garner handed the ticket over with his worn hands. “You were so damn excited, you blitzed outta the tavern, and left the ticket on the counter.”
Caden laughed off, rubbing his hands through his usual messy bed-head of deep brown hair, wearing a guilty grin, and matching brown eyes that almost looked like they were smiling themselves. “Yeah, I guess I kinda got a bit carried away back there.”
“You've been carried away for the past five years,” Garner grumbled, but faded his discontent upon seeing Caden's innocent look. As tough as these five years have been raising Caden, dealing with his antics bringing him more trouble than good, Garner grew fond of him, more than he ever expected he might. He never once wanted kids, and butted heads with his brother Lukas—not to mention he barely knew Caden before taking him in.
“Remember, be careful. You're on your own now, alright?” Garner reminded.
“No worries, Garner, I've got this! I'm not worried or anything,” Caden beamed back.
“That's what I'm nervous about...” Garner muttered. “Just be careful.”
The Voyager let out a bellowing horn echoing all throughout the harbor to let anyone running late that it's about to depart.
“Guess I've got to get going.” Caden turned back to look at the limited crew for such a big ship running around to get things ready. “But I'll be back, and besides, I bet you'll be hearing about me soon enough!”
“I'm sure I will,” Garner finally let out a full-blown smile, even his gruff self couldn't hold back. “I'll be waiting here if ya need anything.”
“Thanks for everything, Garner.” Caden stuck his hand out for Garner to shake.
Garner gave Caden a firm, assuring shake, feeling the confidence seeping from Caden down into him.
Once more the horn blew out, and Caden took it as the final sign to rush aboard the ship—sprinting in unabashed excitement flowing through his tingling body up the wooden ramp. From so high up, he could see the whole harbor, and Garner seeing him off below.
“Lukas, Maria, you've got a pretty damn great kid. He might be an idiot, naive, innocent, and he's not strong at all, but somehow I think he'll be alright. I think you knew that before anyone else though.” Garner watched with as proud a gaze as he's ever had, as Caden drifted away on the ship, pulling out of harbor with his wooden screeching upon moving for the first time in a while.
Caden waited for a little bit, until the fog rolled in, and Garner wasn't anything more than a little speck on the horizon. Carrying his unopened chest under his right arm, Caden made his way along the briny worn-out deck that didn't look tended to at all.
"Guess I better find out if I've got a room, or if there's anything to eat too. Garner said it's my first test to get my own meals now, but I know he's just being cheap as always,” Caden snickered to himself, imagining Garner's pinching ways.
Caden pushed through two big wooden doors leading into the mess hall. The smell of stale smoke, and spilled ale filled the room stained wooden room. Everyone sat spaced out around worn round tables scattered all over—some on an awkward slant, while others were so fortunate as to have a small wedge stuffed underneath to even it out. With a bar, and a kitchen leading behind the counter, the wide open mess hall wasted no space in making sure it could hold as many as possible, but squandered having any comforting amenities in the process.
“Hey, does anyone know if I've got to talk to anyone about a room or anything?” Caden blurted out, breaking the tense, weighing silence thickening in the hall.
Their reactions ranged from disgusted, annoyed, or outright laughter without paying Caden any more mind than that. But mostly, they ignored him, standing there harmless and naive as can be.
Caden didn't pick up on the cues, and approached a rough looking man sitting off to the side on his own. “You don't know who I should ask, do you?”
He didn't dignify th
e question with anything other than an annoyed scowl, and a bang on the table. Even someone as oblivious as Caden could take that hint.
“Alright then...don't know what his problem was,” Caden said to himself, backing away.
“Hey kid, over here.” Someone sitting at the bar, with a suspicious look to them, beckoned Caden over. His shaggy black hair, a thin frame and baggy robes, didn't seem to be anything out of the ordinary, but everything else about his body language seemed off. Everyone else in the mess hall felt so tense, and brooding, but yet he sat there, almost bored and tired more than anything else. His shifty eyes devoid of worry, and posture relaxed.
Next to him, sat a woman with medium length dirty-blond hair, her chest covered and wrapped tightly by white bandages all around, exposing her unbelievably defined muscles just below them. Adding to her already stoic, detached aura, she didn't so much as glance her piercing eyes Caden's way.
Caden rushed on over to them. After all, no one else reached out to him.
“Come on, take a seat over here, name's Yango.” Yango kicked out a stool next to him. "How about you?"
“Caden,” Caden gladly took his seat. “Everyone here's so uptight and tense, I was wondering if anyone would even talk to me.” Caden looked back at the hall, everyone silent among themselves, maybe a couple of grumbles among a few here and there.
“I mean, you're kinda the one who sticks out here.” Yango took a nice long chug of a bottle of liquor he had all to himself. “Everyone here's running from something. Criminal charges, in debt—whatever it is, everyone here is pretty desperate and shady. After all, this is the only ship shady enough to take anyone, no questions asked, even if you're a pretty well-known criminal. But in the end, not like this ship's going to be able to help anyone get much of a head-start on these problems.”
“So, are you on the run from something too?” Caden sounded more curious than fearful, or nervous.
“Nah, I mean, if anyone's chasing us, they can have at it, but I don't really care one way or the other if they are,” Yango chuckled to himself. “What about you, kid, what're you here for if you're not in any trouble?”
“I'm an adventurer!” Caden shouted out. He couldn't help himself, being able to say it out loud for the first time.
“An adventurer eh? Like the whole contract taking and all that?” Yango grinned out a look of interest, sipping away on his pungent bottle that wafted around the immediate area. “You got a plan in mind then?”
Caden thought it over for a few seconds. “Not really, I guess I haven't really thought about that part yet.” Caden beamed a wide innocent smile, laughing it off.
The woman next to Yango choked up on her drink.
“Is your friend alright?” Caden leaned over to check upon hearing her.
Yango couldn't stop laughing in a sudden fit, before his friend darted her eyes over at him, which was all he needed to stop. “Come on, you've gotta have something in mind.”
“I mean, I just kind of want to explore around and see everything I can. I also want to check out a guild, and maybe snag me a contract there too...” Caden trailed off, averting his eyes to the side in drifting wonder—picturing all of the vibrant places in all the stories his parents would tell him about when he was younger, but now, he could go to any one of them.
“Then you better head to Tortsia if you want a contract,” Yango mentioned, and slammed the empty bottle on the bar to summon over another from the barkeep. “Some call it the shining city, but personally, I think that's a pretty stupid name. Honestly, kind of a cocky thing to say too. Fitting though, that Baron's a cocky piece of shit. But hey, it's got a guild there to grab contracts from, and there aren't many of those left. So there ya go.”
“Really?!” Caden shot up from his stool, slamming both hands on the bar-top with an eager look leaning into Yango. “I guess I'll head there then, thanks!”
Jolted awake by Caden's loud shout, a large brooding man approached, looked down at Caden with his deadened eyes, and slammed his scarred up fist down. “Listen, if you don't keep it down, I'll rip your tongue out, and feed it to you.”
“Oh uh, my bad I guess.” Caden turned around, but looked more confused than anything.
The brooding man twitched, as if to go and wring Caden's neck.
“I wouldn't get so hasty making a scene, so just lighten up a bit, would you?” Yango, interrupted in a calm tone, and pulled his collar down to reveal a branding of small entwined rings around a three-leaf clover at the base of his neck.
The man's bloodshot eyes widened, didn't say another word, and turned around in a hurry to flee away to his room—not even remaining in the same mess hall as Yango.
“What was that all about?” Caden didn't notice any of the tension during that exchange, or the symbol Yango brandished to diffuse the situation.
“Doesn't matter. Everyone here's mostly just grumpy and on edge anyway, remember? Guarantee no one's here for a good time, well, maybe other than you and I,” Yango laughed through a scheming grin.
“Wait, so if you're not on the run, and know so much about contracts, are you an adventurer too?” Caden asked with eager eyes, glittering at the thought.
“Nope. No way I'd wanna be an adventurer, too much work. I'm heading to the King's tournament, we both are actually." Yango slapped his friend on her back in a friendly manner, but was met with nothing—just the same bored stare ahead from her. She didn't even twitch an inch from Yango's friendly firm pat.
“King's Tournament eh, that sounds pretty interesting, what is it?” Caden crossed his legs atop the stool, rocking back and forth.
“It's a tournament to see who becomes the King's escort to the summit, and not to mention, there are some pretty sweet prizes. I'm talking coin that could last years and years, or you know, maybe some other interesting things with so many strong people there. You never know what info you might come across in a place like that.”
“I don't really care about the coin part, but it sounds like that'd be pretty fun to see too...” Caden said as if he were mulling over whether or not to go or not. “Maybe next year I'll show up to watch, or even enter myself one day.”
“So you know how to fight?” Yango asked with a curious drunken grin.
“Not really, but my Dad and Uncle taught me a few things here and there. I haven't actually been in one before either." Caden scratched his head out of guilt with a dumb innocent laugh.
Again, Yango burst out laughing, barely able to take a breath.
Caden shifted his eyes back and forth, wondering what Yango found so entertaining all this time. “Uh, so do you know where I can find my room, or who might know?” Caden asked after Yango settled down a bit.
“Oh ya, I forgot you were asking everyone around here about that. Here, let me see that ticket.” Yango held his hand out, and Caden handed it over. “First of all, I wouldn't have done what you just did, handing it over like that. I mean, I could tear it up, or do anything I want. I could even use it to get two free passages, and get you kicked off the ship when tickets are checked. No one would believe some dumbass kid like you either.” Yango wore a sneaky smirk, waving the ticket up in the air.
“Wait, really?” Caden's face dropped into an embarrassed panic.
“But I'm not gonna do any of that, so just a word of warning this one time,” Yango waved off, and reverted back to his playful mood. “Alright, so just head down those steps over there, and the number on the back of the ticket is your room.”
Caden flipped the ticket over, having not noticed the very obvious number he should have assumed was for his room.
“Thanks, I guess I was too distracted to notice that." Caden hopped off his stool.
“No worries.” Yango turned back for a moment before tending to his bottle of liquor.
“Oh ya, and what port is it that I should get off at for Tortsia?” Caden turned for one more question.
“Port Kirilia, and then you should be a day's ride out, or something like that...'
' Yango mentioned through a yawn, as if he were about to drift off to sleep.
“Alright, thanks again!” Caden said as he darted off down the stairs on his way to his room, clutching hold of the chest tight.
The cabin's quarters were all so tight together, with every single room squished next to one another, but they had to be if they were going to carry so many people. Comfort wasn't high on the list of priorities for the Voyager. Caden didn't really care all too much about that though. He scanned over the numbered doors one by one, and finally found the one matching his ticket. Caden threw the door open, carelessly slamming it into the wall behind it.
Caden looked all over the small, yet cozy room. Old crooked wooden shelves that look like they haven't been dusted in months, and three hammocks strung up—stacking atop one another. Every bit of the space inside tried to maximize what little there was to work with.
“Not bad at all! I've never slept in one of these before,” Caden dropped his chest on the floor, ignoring the key sitting on one of the shelves for him to take upon entering, and instead, leaped into a hammock, flipping it around, and tossing Caden face-flat on the floor to a heavy thud. “...Maybe not the best idea...” Caden winced, face smushed on the dingy floor, slowly pushing himself back to his feet.
Caden noticed the old rusted key, and went to shut and lock his door behind him—ready to open up the chest of gifts his parents had stored for him all these years until he set out on his own. He popped it open, and noticed two full pouches of coin, a red wild rag his father used to always wear, a rolled up piece of paper, a sealed letter, and a couple of odd looking trinkets he's never seen before. Caden couldn't help himself, and dumped them all out on the wide shelf—shuffling them around to see them all laid out.
Caden grabbed the rolled up paper, and flattened it out, revealing it to be a spottily drawn map.
“I can't believe they managed to get their hands on one of these!” Caden hardly believed it. From what his parents, and Garner told him, he knew as well as anyone it was difficult to get a map of any quality in Gamriss.
