The Creed of Ember

Chapter 1

  In the small town of Stormhaven there lived a girl of the name Desdemona, named after a moon in another galaxy. She lived above the local Tavern, the Boar Head. The Boar head had a very homey feeling, despite the cracks in the walls or the occasional cockroach. But the patrons and the workers were like family, the owner of the Boar Head took Desdemona in when she was abandoned as a child. During the day she helps out in the tavern, and by night tells tales to children around the fire about the ever so mysterious Creed of Ember.

"Can you tell us again Desi?" a little boy squeaked. The others agreed with him urging her to go on. Desi sat in front of the younglings, beaming at them.

"I suppose we have time for one more." her audience cheered, immediately shushing each other to hear her.

"A long time ago, the four heroes of Adam and Eve, came upon the magical world of Niocarro. They loved it so much that they swore to not only protect it but to help it as well." The firelight danced across her face as she spoke. "Each of them put apart of themselves in relics so that if they ever had to leave, the new heroes would have guidance. But then an evil crossed the land, so Cassian, Lucian, Beatrice, and Lavinia set out on a journey to the capital to make what we only know from stories or whispers on the street." 

"The Creed of Ember." the younglings spoke in unison. 

"Yes, the Creed of Ember." Desdemona smiled.

"What happened next Desi?" the youngest out of the children piped up, wide-eyed and full of curiosity.

"Well they met with the Chancellor, afterward they hid the relics so that not just anyone could be chosen, according to many storytellers before me, each relic only chooses those of pure heart and valiance."

"I could be the next Cassian!" the squeaky boy jumped up puffing up his chest, the others giggled. Another jumped up.

"I could be Beatrice." the youngest with the wide eyes, spoke softly batting her eyelashes.

"You all have the four heroes in you, each of you has a tiny bit of bravery, courage, kindness, and valiance." The younglings all danced around the fire in glee. She couldn't help but join in.

"All right everyone, it is getting quite late I'm certain your parents are worried." Desi stood up gathering the children. The younglings groaned as they wished they could hear more stories of the four heroes. She waved goodbye to them as they began to leave the town square.

The fire was almost in embers as she gathered her suede satchel. She walked past the many booths in the market, watching the patrons come and go. Stormhaven was a busy small town, the night time was a much nicer pace of things. The cicadas hummed, and the stars twinkled as Castor and Pollux gazed above her.

"aye, you" a voice came from the shadows. Desdemona stopped in her tracks turning towards the dark abyss of the alley. She adjusted her satchel, gripping it tight.

"Are you talking to me?" she squinted. Her gut told her to keep walking, but her curiosity got the best of her.

"Who, else would I be speaking to?" the voice snapped. Desdemona shrugged walking closer but analyzing her surroundings.

"How would I know?" Desdemona gasped as a cold, brittle hand latched onto her. Swallowing her into the darkness of the alley. As Desdemona's eyes adjusted in the darkness she could see it was an old woman. Her eyes were sunken in, and her hair the texture of seaweed. The scenery around them made the old woman look scaley. The damp walls of the alleyway were hot as if they were standing inside a mouth.

"Your heart is glowing miss." The voice was more clear this time, it was raspy and weak. Desdemona's brow furrowed, her heart was glowing?  what does that mean?

"My heart is w-what?" she shook her head in disbelief, the woman must be mad. Yes, that must be the case.

"You're her." The voice grew quiet, Desdemona winced as the grip of the woman only strengthened. 

"I'm who?"

"Beatrice, you're the next Beatrice?" the woman shook Desi.

Desi thought to herself, Beatrice? As in Beatrice the Kind? There's no way I was chosen! The old woman handed her and oval-shaped locket, it had a sapphire at the top of it. It was the relic of Beatrice the Kind. There was nothing else like it, she was chosen by a piece of Beatrice herself.

The woman placed the necklace in Desdemona's palm closing it, instructing her that she must never lose it. Desi nodded, this was something she could never bear to part with. The old woman's harsh grip let up as Desdemona slipped out of the alley. She cradled her wrist where the woman had harshly held her. She walked to the Boar Head, thoughts racing. If she was given a relic that must mean others have as well, but how would she find the others? She swung open the door to the Boar Head, Henry the owner glanced up from behind the bar. She nodded at him and he gave one in return.

 Desdemona slipped away quietly to the apartment above the old tavern, the apartment was small and had a leaky ceiling. For nineteen years Desdemona has called it home. While the living condition was not posh, her home was within the people she called family. She hung up her satchel on the back of her bedroom door, taking out the relic which she carefully put in the bag prior to walking in the Boar Head.

Her fingers brushed over the grooves of the locket.

She was holding the Beatrice the Kind's relic.

She was the next Beatrice.

Desdemona clasped the necklace around her neck before slipping into bed. Tomorrow she would have to start her quest to find the others. Now that she has a part of Beatrice, it couldn't be too hard to find her future companions, right? 

Desdemona hoped she would find them soon, as she drifted off to sleep.

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A/N

Thank you for reading the first chapter!! 

here is some more background knowledge. This story starts in June (hint: the Gemini constellation twins), so a good portion of the story will take place in the summer. I hope you already enjoy the story as much as I do :) sorry if the first few chapters are shorter, I promise that in the future there will be more lengthy chapters.

<3 Junebug