The Wrath of the Orphans (The Kinless Trilogy Book 1)

by Chris Philbrook

  They gave the butcher's shop as wide a berth as could be. Call it pragmatic, but there was shame in their decision.

  The ornate rail station carved with its columns and scrolls was a welcoming sight. The train heading south was already in wait, and as they rode Tinder and Bramwell up the stone ramp to the top of the loading platform, they were happy to be on time. One more night in Graben might be far too much to bear.

  After they had seen to Tinder and Bramwell's storage in the freight cars, Mal and Umaryn took their seats in the passenger cars. They had bought their tickets from the same blonde artificer that had ridden with them on their original voyage north. The very same man that had brought them a wheelbarrow filled with tools to clean the freight car with. This time they had no need to barter for their tickets. They paid with a small handful of Crowns Mal kept in his pocket.

  The train whistle blew loud and strong as the sun began to set on the Snake Ridge Mountains. Mal and Umaryn looked at one another, and on the vast expanse of the city of the Purple Queen, and smiled as the massive locomotive surged, taking them away from the rail station.

  The tickets purchased in Graben were only to Ockham's Fringe. The twins agreed they would purchase tickets to Daris after staying there a single night to wrap up business.

  It was later in the evening when they arrived at the rail house. The train only stopped long enough for the twins to exit and get their mounts out of the freight car. No new passengers awaited to head south, so the train continued on, and was nearly at the horizon by the time they passed the town guard. Both Mal and Umaryn had donned heavy cloaks to cover their purple armor again, the same as the first time they'd visited.

  They needed no advice or guidance to find where they would stay. Howard's Inn and Brewery was in the same place as before. As the last time, Howard's son took their mounts graciously, and stabled them. This time they were able to leave him with a Crown as a tip. It was a healthy showing of generosity.

  Inside the tavern Howard's crowd was as thin as before. Five customers sat arrayed around the room, eating and drinking Howard's fare. A fresh earthy scent of new ale caught the nose, and the twins suddenly wanted it.

  Howard was behind the counter, and puffed up happily when they entered, "Oh! Tis the twins that headed north! Faces I'll never forget. A long time it has been. Welcome to my inn and brewery once more. What it is I can do for you this night, besides have my daughter tend to your bandaged head?"

  Howard's smile was contagious, and Mal matched it, "Good to see you again sir. We require a meal and a room more than your daughter's attendance, though I won't say no if she has medicinal skills."

  Howard acted as if insulted, "You couldn't say no if you wanted to. I'll have her sent right up to your room with clean water and a poultice that'll knit your flesh as sure an Apostle."

  "My thanks. Will this do?" Mal showed the innkeep a handful of purple Crowns and hoped the man would have an interest in them.

  Howard's smile faded a bit, but he nodded, "Those will spend well enough."

  "I believe I owe you as well. Take these," Mal dropped the same coin bag he'd filled at the bar months ago. This time it was filled with twice as many of the purple coins as he'd taken. Howard's gift had funded them as they headed north, and now Mal felt the debt was even.

  "I told you that you owed me nothing boy, and I meant it," Howard said sternly.

  "And you also told me that the Empire was where dreams went to die, and my dreams thrive. An Everwalk settles all debts. Never let that be forgotten."

  Howard didn't look pleased, but after a bit of time spent staring with Mal, he nodded, and took the coin bag from the counter. "After you bathe and my daughter sees to your wounds, I'll expect you down here for a mug of my new ale, and a capon, roasted fresh. I'll not accept your payment here without something in return, and I'll have no argument about it."

  Mal and Umaryn grinned. Howard's insistence was noble, and the twins saw no value in turning down food and drink. Howard tossed a large skeleton key at Mal and pointed to the stairs. They headed away to their room, and the bath that awaited them.

  Howard's ale was a violent drink. Even at the next midday after consuming three large steins of it the ale was still punching and kicking at the inside of both twin's skulls. It would take several skins of water to drown the beast into submission.

  Mal reached the platform first, and had already seen to loading Tinder and Bramwell once more. The blonde artificer was not on the train this day, but Mal did recognize the man at the ticket counter as the one they'd bartered with before. This time his hairline was receded a bit more, and the touch of gray had eaten a bit more of the color. He offered more work to Mal, but Mal simply smiled, and paid the man with the last of their Crowns.

  Umaryn had gone off on business alone, and she returned carrying a massive burlap sack filled with something heavy and awkwardly shaped. She loaded it onto the freight cars next to the horse and Gvorn, and joined Mal as they boarded the passenger car. They took their seats. Shortly after, the train pulled away. The small border village of Ockham's Fringe quickly disappeared into the twin's past.

  "What was in the bag?" Mal asked her.

  Umaryn fetched a small piece of salted beef from a wax paper wrapping and let it soften in her mouth. Around the meat she answered him, "You remember when we were here the last time? And we killed that Plains Walker?"

  "Yeah?"

  "Well I dropped the hide off at that tanner. It's been ready for months. It'll make superb armor, once I get to a place to work it." Umaryn's eyebrows kicked up happily.

  Mal laughed, "Always the crafter sister. Some things never change."

  "Well dear brother, I figure in Daris, purple armor won't be in fashion."

  "No, I imagine it won't."

  End of Book One

  Coming Soon

  Book Two of the Kinless Trilogy:

  The Motive for Massacre

  - ABOUT THE AUTHOR -

  CHRIS PHILBROOK is the creator and author of Elmoryn as well as the popular webfiction series Adrian's Undead Diary.

  Chris calls the wonderful state of New Hampshire his home. He is an avid reader, writer, role player, miniatures game player, video game player, and part time athlete, as well as a member of the Horror Writers Association. If you weren't impressed enough, he also works full time while writing for Elmoryn as well as the world of Adrian’s Undead Diary and his newest project, Tesser; A Dragon Among Us.

  - FIND MORE ONLINE -

  Visit elmoryn.com to access additional content. Learn more about the world of Elmoryn, contact the author, join discussions with other readers, view concept illustrations, and receive the latest news about other upcoming projects from Chris Philbrook. In addition, Chris Philbrook’s game development company, Tier One Games LLC, is developing a roleplaying game which allows players to explore the world of Elmoryn, creating their own original characters and adventures. Visit elmoryn.com to access the ever-expanding game content as it is released.

  Follow Chris on Facebook at www.facebook.com/ChrisPhilbrookAuthor for special announcements about his many ongoing projects.

  Immerse yourself in Chris Philbrook’s epic zombie survival series, Adrian’s Undead Diary. Having just barely survived a world consuming apocalypse of the undead, Adrian Ring’s diary chronicles his battles with the zombie hordes and his ongoing struggle with survival. Read and understand exactly how he completed his hero's journey, avoiding starvation, zombies, injuries, fellow survivors, and sickness, as well as sharing in his humor and his horror. Visit adriansundeaddiary.com to learn more.

  Read Chris Philbrook’s latest epic series as it unfolds in Tesser: A Dragon Among Us. Meet Tesser, the Dragon. He who walks in any form, and flies the skies free of fear. He has slept for millennia, but now he has awoken in a world ruled by human hands, where science has overshadowed even the glory of old magic. Follow Tesser as he seeks to understand why he slept for so long, and where all the magic has gone. Visit adragonamongus.c
om to learn more.