Innocence Interrupted Read online

  The Lady

  of the

  Water

  Volume I:

  Innocence Interrupted

  Elskidor Xell

  Copyright @2019

  All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, digital scanning, or other electronic or mechanical methods, without the prior written permission of the publisher, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical reviews and certain other noncommercial uses permitted by copyright law.

  Published 2019

  1. Frenmere Pass

  2. Lockage

  3. Garroth of Gargurthian

  4. Magwhen of Nova

  5. Aviway

  6. Malor

  7. Sangorus

  8. Haunted Forest

  9. Verdan

  10. Verdia

  11. Neweora

  12. Nabor

  13. Athran

  14. Ordros

  15. Nyflia

  16. Hallowed Ro

  17. Black Cliffs

  18. Darvane Mountains

  19. Pallae River

  20. Glenmoore

  21. Laeluffian

  22. Urnen’s Gut

  23. Orzo

  24. Crystal Palace

  25. Vallens

  26. Forbidden Lands

  27. Starspire Islands

  Contents

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Chapter Five

  Chapter Six

  Chapter Seven

  Chapter Eight

  Chapter Nine

  Chapter Ten

  Chapter Eleven

  Chapter Twelve

  Chapter Thirteen

  Chapter Fourteen

  Chapter Fifteen

  Chapter Sixteen

  Chapter Seventeen

  Chapter Eighteen

  Chapter Nineteen

  Chapter Twenty

  Chapter Twenty One

  Chapter Twenty Two

  Chapter Twenty Three

  Chapter Twenty Four

  Chapter Twenty Five

  Chapter Twenty Six

  Chapter Twenty Seven

  Chapter Twenty Eight

  Chapter Twenty Nine

  Chapter Thirty

  The Lady

  of the

  Water

  Volume I:

  Innocence Interrupted

  Elskidor Xell

  Chapter One

  Sisters

  I saw mom. I saw through her too. Like a mist she was, and when I reached for her hand, I went right through it. But she was crowned like a queen, and although I saw no more than a blur, I felt her beauty. She was caring and loved me but was frightened of something. I couldn’t see beyond her or the cosmos. We flew fast through space and the stars, and it was oh so beautiful, but something was very wrong. She looked upon me with sadness. I don’t remember now if her mouth ever moved, but I heard her say, “This is the only way.” Zynoa tells me not to ponder over dreams, so in my journal, you go to be looked at another day.

  - Luminear

  “I hate this place. It gives me the chills,” Bella said to her sister while glancing around the small-town church where they played. “I wish we could live closer to town.” Bella swung a small wooden play sword, while Luminear sat in the middle of the aisle cross-legged, brushing the brown hair of her doll. The church contained empty pews and a podium where a piano, harp, and a foreboding statue of a cloaked figure, dipping his hand in a cauldron, stood.

  “Safer here than out there,” Luminear began. She sensed an unpleasant vibe in the church too, but she never shared her feelings because Zynoa felt safer in the church of Xio. “Anyway, that’s what Zynoa and Wolf always say.” The girls peered over to Zynoa, who had drifted off to sleep in a pew after saying her prayers.

  “Pfft. The only thing that scares me outside this church is that creepy old man with the messed-up face and eyes,” Bella said as she stared at the statue of Xio. In a hushed voice, mindful of Zynoa, she continued, “And that fellow Xio. He appears more like a conjurer of evil than a teacher or prophet.”

  Luminear giggled, then covered her mouth in shame for laughing about the deity, Xio. “Bella! You can’t say that about Xio. Zynoa says his teachings are divine, and he hears all. He punishes children who defy them, just like adults.”

  Luminear and Bella Luna were thirteen years old, and while people might not have guessed it by looking at them, they were twins. Luminear was a quiet yet curious girl who observed what happened around her and paid attention to everything but kept her observations and opinions to herself. Bella took the opposite tack, questioning everything. She jumped in without reservation, regardless if her spontaneity landed her in trouble. Opposites in appearance and temperament, Luminear had dark eyes and black hair she wore in a ponytail. In contrast, Bella’s eyes were blue and hair blonde. They balanced each other like bread and water.

  Although both kids were fortunate enough to know how to read and write, which was far from ordinary where they lived, Luminear was the child that used the skill daily. She loved reading anything she could get her hands on and possessed an unquenchable desire to learn everything, from fable to fact. She was also quite the writer for someone her age, although her pen served as an instrument for her journal. Daily she would write her thoughts about her life and even record her dreams. She didn’t know why, but her dreams had a unique quality about them, and recalling them made her feel special. Thus, writing down her dreams was an essential part of her daily routine.

  Bella had no interest in such things. She preferred building things with rocks or carving spears and swords from sticks, playing with other children when she could, and swimming. Bella was the anxious type and wasn’t one for sitting around. She didn’t like reading, writing, knitting or just about anything that required her to be still. Because of this, she was great with chores. Bella was more than happy to spring into action to wash dishes, sweep, pick fruits or volunteer to help locals tend to their crops and livestock.

  For as long as they could remember, Luminear and Bella had relied upon each other almost exclusively. Only three other people remained constant in their lives. While other children typically had a mother and father, the twins only had Zynoa. Zynoa was an older chubby lady, unrelated to them who taught the girls the basic things they needed to survive in their world. Zynoa, who cloaked herself like a maid, was often referred to as ‘caretaker’ or ‘old woman’ by others. The twins knew her as their adopted grandmother. Unknown to Bella and Luminear, as the two discussed their suspicions of the strange deity, a sneaky person of interest had prowled behind them.

  “Sounds like a judgmental fellow who thinks a little too much of himself if you ask me!” Surprised by the jovial, booming voice, the girls whirled around as Wolf made his presence known, startling Zynoa out of her sleep. Lonewolf smiled at them. “Good to question, young ladies. If I can’t see it, smell it, or touch it, I don’t trust it.”

  Zynoa made sure Bella and Luminear were safe first and then set her attention back on Lonewolf, unaware of their conversation.

  “Wolf!” Luminear and Bella exclaimed. Bella ran to greet him with a hug while Luminear remained seated with a smile. When Lonewolf kneeled to return Bella’s eager embrace, his unshaven face brushed against Bella’s cheek. Lonewolf didn’t have a full beard, but he never shaved more than twice a month, so his face was patchy. His hair was short and unkempt, but his person and his clothing proved as clean as one could get in the Falls of Frenmere Pass.

  “It’s time to shave again,” Bella said as she pushed away from his rough
face and folded her arms. Luminear and Zynoa laughed as Lonewolf slumped his shoulders and pretended to pout.

  “If you say so, Bell. You are the boss,” he said before looking at Luminear and then Zynoa.

  Lonewolf felt as much affection for the girls as they did for him. In his early thirties, he was tall and slender with short scruffy brown hair. He kept an eye on the girls and was the only adult who showed respect to Zynoa.

  “We haven’t seen you in a few days. What happened at the mansion?” Zynoa asked through a yawn.

  “You should tell that ghoul-eyed dozy you have a family that needs you too,” Bella added. She knew Zynoa inquired about Icaz, Lord and Master of Frenmere Pass. Luminear said nothing as she watched and listened to her sister, Zynoa and Lonewolf.

  “He’s aware. And why I’ve come here today,” Lonewolf said. “You must remember we make our money from the man, and you shouldn’t insult him.” Bella and Luminear both hated Icaz with his creepy eyes and scarred face that often visited their nightmares. Zynoa was as terrified of the man as the girls were, but Lonewolf seemed to be afraid of nothing.

  Unlike Wolf, the other man in their life was cold and cruel in action and appearance. He showed up without prelude from time to time just to ask if Luminear and Bella showed signs of being “special” or if they did anything peculiar. Bella and Luminear were uncomfortable around this man because he seemed to only want to observe them. The girls had seen the eccentric man paying Zynoa and Lonewolf before he departed their company, so they had to assume the two were employed by him.

  Appearing to be in his sixties, the man was unattractive to the point of being repugnant. He was bald with scars on his face, and his eyes were dark and deeply set with red veins threading through the sclera that crackled from thick to thin and bright to dim in a disorderly manner. He cloaked himself in black draping robes that gave off a sinister vibe. Icaz, as he was called by Wolf and Zynoa, never stayed for any length of time when he visited, but he was no stranger in the area. The townsfolk called him Lord of Frenmere Pass, the small city where Bella, Luminear, and Zynoa had lived since the sisters were ten years old. Those years in Frenmere Pass had been mostly peaceful.

  “What is it?” Luminear asked, sensing that Lonewolf had more to say.

  “I’m sure it is nothing dears,” said Zynoa. She pushed herself to her feet for a better view of the girls. In their matching green gowns, they looked presentable enough for Icaz.

  “Oh, it is something. Something big this time,” Lonewolf said. “We’re leaving Frenmere Pass in the morning, and this time, I can’t promise we’re returning any time soon.” Lonewolf’s revelation was received with a mix of displeasure and sadness. Zynoa shut her eyes with evident disappointment, while Luminear and Bella expressed their frustration vocally.

  “Why do we have to leave? This is home!” Luminear said.

  “You tell him this is our home, and we won’t be going anywhere unless it’s maybe out of this church, but not out of this town. You tell him, Wolf!” Bella exclaimed. Lonewolf often thought she’d someday make a fine leader for she was not one for taking orders, but often acted bossy. Now he crossed his arms and gave Bella a stern expression.

  “He is your family too,” Lonewolf said with a strict tone. “He was with you first. He allows me to be close to you like I have for the last two years. It’s his decision, and we’re moving. That’s that. He doesn’t treat people well that disagree with him.”

  Lonewolf’s scolding softened to a more sympathetic tone. “Besides, I’d take the brunt of the punishment for you all, and you don’t want that, do you?”

  None of them wanted to defy orders. Zynoa remained silent, knowing more than she pretended, but Bella turned her back, fussing under breath.

  Wolf only does what he’s ordered. I trust him, Luminear thought before asking aloud in her calm, quiet voice, “Why, though?”

  “That’s a good question, Lumi, but I can’t go into detail. At least not yet. I will tell you; I promise I won’t let anything bad happen to you. Where we end up will be just as safe and nice as Frenmere Pass. One day when you’ve grown, you can return here if you choose, but for now, leaving is a must.” Lonewolf, with his thick boots and dark apparel, touched Bella’s shoulder while passing by her. He then kneeled in front of Luminear. “Just be strong, and you and your sister will be fine. I’m with you on this move this time. You must trust me.”

  Bella stormed off past them toward the back of the church where their rooms were, but Luminear managed a slight smile and ignored her sister’s outburst. “I trust you,” she said, glimpsing between Zynoa and Lonewolf. “So does Bella. If we are all together, that is what matters.”

  “Good girl. Run along and talk sense into your sister and pack your things. At dawn, we leave. I’ll be back a few hours before daybreak.”

  Luminear did as she was told, and after hugging Lonewolf, she too departed the room. It wasn’t until after the girls left that Zynoa spoke.

  “He’s going through with it?” she asked.

  Lonewolf nodded, rose to his feet and approached Zynoa. “Sarding fool wants Lockage. I don’t see a pleasant end for him or Frenmere. But if everything goes badly, we’ll run south,” Lonewolf huffed in annoyance as Zynoa panicked.

  “What about the girls? What will happen if the northern Lords want to kill us all?” Her frail body shook under her long robes until Lonewolf cupped his hands over hers and shook his head.

  “It won’t end like that,” said Lonewolf. “Depending on their response, we’ll be welcomed, or we’ll flee. Damned fool or not, Icaz has me, and nothing will happen to any of us while I’m around. I’m a man of many skills, friend.” Lonewolf smirked. “Play the game, and when the time is right, we’ll take the safest route.”

  “I don’t know why you persist in keeping him safe.”

  “He keeps me rich,” Lonewolf answered, looking down to his filled pouches of gold and silver dangling upon his belt, among knives, a sword, and darts. “I need to know what he is all about. Who Icaz really is? Something tells me he is the key to something big that is only now unfolding. I need you all to trust me on this.” Zynoa did not care for specifics or answers to the questions that Lonewolf did, but desired only safety for the girls.

  Even before Zynoa had come to work for Icaz, he had cared for Luminear and Bella, trying to raise them alone as infants. When asked, Zynoa had explained to Lonewolf how she had felt terrible for Icaz and invited him and his babies into her home. That act of kindness put an end to her old life. From that moment forward, she worked for him, but it was not by choice. She became his captive, and he forced her to care for Luminear and Bella as they moved around until landing in Frenmere Pass many years later. Somehow, Icaz became the master of the town within only a month, although Zynoa never knew how. She did what she had become accustomed to, raising the children in solitude with nightly check-ins from Icaz.

  “Wolf, I’ll tell you now that whatever you’re looking for will only lead to more trouble. Whatever game you’re playing is dangerous. We should leave in the night,” said Zynoa.

  “You worry yourself a mess, but I know what I am doing. Tough this out, and we’ll reap our rewards.” Lonewolf kissed her cheek. “All right, old lady. Pack up. I’ve got to go again. He wants all Frenmere ready by dawn. A busy night looms.”

  Zynoa breathed a sigh, and in a cautious tone, said, “Lockage and the North await our unwanted arrival, Wolf. I don’t see this having a promising ending.”

  Chapter Two

  Lord and Master

  T he Lord and Master of Frenmere Pass was not as powerful as his name suggested for this small population had no real power in the continent of Murnia. Instead, it was an agricultural community with dark elder trees, streams, creeks, and farms dotting the long valley under high grassy slopes. Almost four hundred homes were in some disrepair because of poverty in the area. Icaz lived alone in a sizeable house in the valley where he was more of a landlord than a ruler, albeit a creepy and c
ontrolling one. None of the citizens liked him, and he, in turn, cared nothing for them.

  Icaz passed the time sitting in a half-broken rocking chair on the top floor of his cluttered abode. The chair had only one armrest and faced the double windows so he could peer down and watch the town below under the moonlit sky. While the citizens hustled in the night, Icaz sat in the dim room, rocking back and forth in his long dark robes, muttering incomprehensible and twisted ramblings.

  A hideous scar crossed one side of his face, while the other side fared no better as it appeared hot coals had been shoved under the eye. One could only guess what might have happened to the man because he was a mystery to all.

  It was after Icaz, Zynoa, and the girls moved into Frenmere Pass when Icaz hired Lonewolf as his guard, mercenary, and part-time caretaker – among other various odd positions. Icaz had spent so little time with Luminear and Bella; they had assumed he was a doctor for a while. He never said much to them anyway, instead asking Zynoa and Lonewolf if they had done anything unusual and how they were. Icaz treated the girls like objects, keeping them at arm’s distance.

  Whatever his reasons, it didn’t matter how much or how little any of them saw him. Icaz was the master, and his word was law. Now the law required all citizens to evacuate the city and head toward the Northern realm, home of the great city and power in the north, Lockage.

  ***

  Sarding madman. That smell - How does he live like this? Lonewolf held his nose as the stench of rotted food permeated the room about knocking him over. Amid the bustle, Lonewolf returned from the church and stepped into the dark mess of a place where Icaz sat. Bookshelves, desks, books, and boxes were turned over and strewn upon the floor. The chandelier that once hung from the ceiling was now smashed in pieces.

  “Looks messier than it did earlier. Break a few more things for good luck?” Lonewolf asked, announcing his presence, but Icaz didn’t turn from the window. Lonewolf made his way across the room, stepping over broken glass, plates of half-eaten food, and damaged furniture until coming to his employer’s side. There, he viewed the citizens of Frenmere Pass hustle about in preparation.