Garden of Embers

Episode One

     "Fos!"

     My eyes shot open as I was jolted awake. Before me was not the familiar star pattern of my bedroom ceiling, but instead the toothy grinned face of my best friend, Nadiel. At least, it was toothy grinned, before she received a sharp smack to the back of her head, turning her expression into one of shock.

     "It's Ni'Fos, and I told you to wait at the door, you're filthy!" It was Myla, the head maid. She was, as usual, the definition of elegance and composure.

     Nadiel flashed her an apologetic smile, crawling off of me and walking back to the door, limping on her bum leg. She turned back. "Hurry and get dressed Ni'Fos, Ar'Cas promised to show us how to fish today, remember?"

     I yawned and rubbed the sleep from my eyes. "He promised to show you how to fish, Naddi, I already know how. Cas showed me a couple days ago." I bragged, a smug smile present on my sleepy face.

     "He did? That's no fair!" she complained as the door closed behind her. "Nobody told me!" She continued, the sound of her muffled voice fading as she presumably went down the stairs.

     I smiled in excitement and jumped out of bed, throwing on a black tank top and a light brown coat with a buckle strapped hood to protect from the high-velocity winds. Myla helped with my black boots, tying them, her pure black dress bunching up as she knelt down.

     "You should really refrain from socializing with the Clingers, Ni'Fos, it's not becoming," she began. I rolled my eyes.

     "But Naddi's so fun!" I whined, double-checking that the straps on my coat were tight enough. "Besides, Father says it's good to familiarize myself with all of the Upp, and that includes both Brushers and Clingers," I said. Myla stood and started fixing my unruly brown hair.

     "Well, that's true enough, I suppose," she sighed. "You are the son of the Ka." She took a step back and admired her handiwork. "And hey," she grabbed my ear and pulled it hard.

     "Ow ow ow!" I pulled away from her, comforting my ear. "What was that for?"

     "Don't call them Brushers!" She moved to flick my forehead. "It's derogatory!"

     "Fine, geez!" I stepped past her, dodging her hands, and headed for the door. "I'll be at the docks with Naddi and Cas, clean up for me!" I called back, as I exited the room, leaving Myla behind.

     "A please wouldn't hurt, and isn't it a school day?" her voice yelled through the door. I ran down the stairwell, ignoring Myla's muffled calls. Halfway down the circular well, I stopped, stepping onto a marble window sill and gawking at the outside. It was a rare, fog-free day. A good day for fishing, or at least that's what Cas always says.

     "Ni'Fos!" I heard Naddi yell from the bottom of the stairwell. I hopped off the sill, an excited bounce in my step as I bounded down the long stairwell, one dark wooden step after the other. As I reached the bottom, I slowed down, stepping onto the rose gold rug that covered the floor, my eyes darting around in search of Naddi.

     The hallway that connected to my stairwell was botanical-themed, with several exotic plants lining the walls, each one separated by large, rectangular windows that nearly doubled my size, displaying the villa outside. Traders, merchants, and businesspeople bustled about, all looking for any opportunity to squeeze as much money from Father as they could.

     "Took you long enough, Ni'Fos!" I swivelled toward the voice, finding myself face to face with Naddi, her dirty red coat accentuating the reddish scar that covered the upper left side of her bald head.