Andromeda

Chapter 1

10 years later...

Meridia was undoubtedly the best city in the entire world.

It didn't matter if it was the only city Andromeda had visited, it was the best. And it was built around a ginormous tree, which had to count for something.

The city itself was color, life, vibrancy beyond imagination. So many people from so many places, all with different ideas and views of the world, milling about and going around the wooden path that spiraled around the tree, sometimes strolling, sometimes jogging, most of the time somewhere in between.

It was a hub for the senses, everything flooding in at once. The colors of the clothing and decorations at the shops, the scents from food cooking at stalls, the chatter of conversations and tunes of several songs. It was exhilarating.

Shops lined the path, with stalls on the outside and full-blown stores on the inside that were carved into the tree. It was a bit trickier to set up shop at a stall since it was first-come first-serve every day, and if you left your things out overnight they could get stolen. But buying a space for a store was crazy expensive, and hardly anyone could afford it.

Speaking of expensive, that was one of the downsides to living in Meridia (okay, the only downside.) Everything for sale cost so much, and the shopkeepers could make a good living off the nobles that lived near the top of the tree. The city most likely had the largest concentration of wealthy people in all of Leroal, since living in Meridia when you're poor just didn't work out.

Luckily, since Andromeda stayed in the Order of the Dandelion's camp, she didn't have to worry about all that, but she still didn't get a lot of pocket money. Most of what they earned went to those living in small villages—the people who really needed it. Still, there were times she wished she had enough to buy the things she really wanted.

Like now.

"Isn't it beautiful, Sorren?" Andromeda breathed. Her eyes scanned the violin, taking in every detail, from the curved body to the taught strings to the stiff and strong neck. It was just the right size, too.

"Yeah," Sorren, Andromeda's best friend, agreed. "If we had the money, that is."

Andromeda rummaged around in her bag, mentally counting her coins. It hadn't changed from last time—she still needed 236 more coppers. She wouldn't have that much for months if her allowance kept up at the rate it was going.

Sorren picked up a flute and twirled it. "You know... I could lend you some of my coppers if you wanted," they said when they saw their friend's face. "It's your birthday coming up this week, after all and, well, it's not much but..."

"No, it's fine," Andromeda said. It took some effort, but she finally turned away from the violin and gave Sorren a broad smile. "Thanks a ton, though. That means a lot to me."

Sorren made a face. "Then why won't you let me give you the damn money?"

"I know you've been saving up for that bracelet. You can't hide it from me. I see all."

Sorren laughed but stopped in an instant when they saw the shopkeeper approach. He was a burly man with a long, bushy beard. He looked very out of place among the delicate instruments and the smooth wood that made up the walls.

"Are you going to buy something or not?" he grunted.

Andromeda desperately scanned her mind for something to say. The shopkeeper did not look like someone who appreciated window-shoppers. "Um..."

"Get out."

"Of course, sir. Sorry for wasting your time." Sorren took Andromeda by the shoulders and steered her out of the store and onto the path full of people milling about. "Jeez, was that man big or what? He could've thrown us out of there like we were cats!"