The Mountains Blade

Chapter One

Chapter One- The Gateway

The Human world was silent. The late evening had crept in as Elwyn Greywater made her way to Luminal's, the town's only bookstore. Elwyn pulled her hood over her face as the store's warm light lit up the dark street. The name was fitting, as it was the only place open this late.

Most of the town was asleep. Most of her world was, too.

The bell dinged as she pushed open the doors, and the worn smell of books filled her nostrils. The girl slid her hood back to smile at the old shop owner. He was a small, plump older man. He sat on his stool like he did every Friday night and waved. "Hello, Wynn." He smiled.

Elwyn nodded to him before venturing up the metal spiral staircase to where all the young adult books sat. She shuffled past Mellow, the white cat that protected the two-story haven.

His one green eye looked at her as he purred and rubbed against her legs.

Elwyn gently tried to shake him off, fingering through the chipped wooden bookcases. The girl made to sit where she could see the entrance but where she was hidden from others. Mellow rubbed against her again, and with a grumble, Elwyn decidedly pushed the cat off with the book edge. She had nothing against cats, but this was the one time she had to meet up with her friend, and she knew that smelling like a cat from this world would not pan out well for her.

"How rude." Elwyn looked up at her friend as he grasped the cat and sat beside her. Elwyn smiled at her friend. " Hello, Maxwell." Her friend rolled his eyes, sandy blonde hair falling into his childlike face. Maxwell pushed up his glasses, smiling as he petted the white ball of fur.

"Wynn, we went over this, just say Max. It sounds less..." Max tapped his chin as if to think of the word. "Old?" He offered. Elwyn rolled her eyes, closed her book, and mentally cataloged her page number. "I know, Max. I can't help myself. Your face is hilarious when you get annoyed."

"Well, you know that was my father's name, " he added, his lips tugging downward. Elwyn cringed at his expression. "Sorry, " she said as she remembered the man who had abandoned him and his brother, which seemed like centuries ago. That was the day that they met. Elwyn, a curious 16-year-old bred for bloodshed, had come into the bookstore two years ago and befriended the weeping boy.

Max waved her off before taking the edge of her hood and pulling it back.

"Why are you always hiding behind this?" he asked. "It's dark out; no one can see you hanging out with me at a bookstore this late."

Elwyn shoved her brown curls back into her hood and thought to frown but was uncertain how to respond. "What do you mean? Do you think I'm embarrassed to be seen with you?"

Max snorted and shook his head as she tried to tuck her face back into her hoodie.

"Come on, Wynn. I have asked you to hang out a thousand times in the daytime, and you refuse." Elwyn opened her mouth to argue, but Max raised his hand, stopping her. You're way out of my league, and I know. Maybe that's why you won't go anywhere with me." There was silence, and Max put down the cat, a soft meow escaping the one-eyed menace before she clawed at the wooden bookshelf.

"Max-." Elwyn started to respond but was cut off. "I just came to say goodbye." Elwyn blinked, pulling back her hood to see him better. The fabric dropped behind her head.

"Creator above you are beautiful." He breathed.

Elwyn's pale cheeks brightened with color.

"I'm moving away for college." Elwyn furrowed her eyebrows at him. She vaguely remembered reading about college in one of the books that lined this shelf. "Why not go somewhere closer?"

Max shrugged, brushing Mellow's fur off his black t-shirt.

"Why stay? It's not like you will ever want to be seen with me, " he said tartly.

Elwyn blinked. She spoke before her brain could condone her, reminding her of the countless reasons why this would result in a disaster.

"Tomorrow, coffee." It was a statement that could not be questioned.

Max spun around to face her, shocked.

"4pm, at the cafe across the street."

Elwyn extended her hand but was instead yanked into a hug. "I will see you there! And don't you dare flake out on me!" The girl grasped the blade at her hip, hidden beneath her jacket, before letting go. This was what normal relationships in the everyday world were like.

Elwyn glanced up at the clock over them and nearly choked.

"I'll see you tomorrow, Maxwell." She stood up, nearly tripping over the cat as she catapulted down the stairs.

Max grumbled at his name, and the plump old owner winked at her as she ran out of the door. The bell was still dinging when she vanished into the woods a half mile away. The girl undid her jacket and shoved it behind a trash bin before racing to the portal, which would close in just three minutes.

Elwyn pushed her legs, allowing her inhumane speed to seep into her bones. With a slide, Elwyn tumbled into the cave and right over the invisible line that led to Goldmoon.

Swallowing, Elwyn took in gulps of air, trying to calm her pounding heart. What on God's green earth had just happened at Luminal's?

She didn't have time to think much about it as she sprinted through the forest, alive with watching eyes that would never tell her where she was. It was as if the creatures in the woods also wondered about what lay behind the cave's hidden gateway.

~

The next morning, Elwyn was up before the sun. Her eyes drooped from a lack of sleep as her maid helped her dress. "Your fighting leathers, my lady. I also took the liberty of polishing your sword."

Elwyn nodded to her maid. "Thank you, Isabelle, " the girl said as she stripped her night clothes and dressed in tight, constricting training gear like she did every morning. Isabelle nodded to her. She had almost rain-colored eyes, maybe see-through.

Isabelle looked away, her blue hair swaying as she exited.

The girl stepped in front of the mirror and squared her shoulders. Her auburn hair was pulled into a tight ponytail, although pieces were already beginning to escape. She reminded herself that she did not have time for such emotions as she strapped her sword to her hip. She was a warrior, not a royal. At least not in the same way her sister was. She did not have time for such things. She was made for bloodshed, a blade to be honed against any who dared cross the rightful heir to Goldmoon.