Bard Constantine
Glass and Ashes
To my nephew Tristan, because an uncle never forgets.
Chapter 1 — The Rusted Key
Talan loved to run.
He loved how the toughened soles of his bare feet slapped the ground, each step propelling him forward while the lean muscles in his legs churned until he was practically weightless. His tangle of dark hair streamed back, bouncing with every stride.
He grinned as he looked back at his pursuer.
“Stop, you thief!”
The man was already blowing hard, his moon-shaped face red from more than outrage. His massive gut weighed against him, making him too slow to catch Talan.
As if anyone could. Talan let the wind snatch his laughter as he ran even faster.
Duck, dodge, weave. He darted between startled townspeople, running low to the ground. The fat man would have given up; chasing Talan meant leaving his cart unattended. It would be a wonder if no one else had raided it by then.
Talan ran anyway, as the shouts of “Thief!” faded behind him. A guardsman looked at Talan as he zipped by, but thought better of pursuing. It was hot, and catching a ragged street boy not worth the effort.
After a few more yards Talan slowed down to a jog, still breathing evenly. His eyes darted, alert for any other boys or beggars that might covet his prize. When no one materialized, he leaped up on a stack of carts, straddled a brick fence, and leaped onto an overhanging rooftop. From there he was in his territory, imperceptible as he leaped from one roof to the next.
Normally he would have found a shady spot and reveled in his insular glory, but he was restless and let his feet take him where they would. As usual, they took him to the same place.
After hours of wandering, he looked up at the glittering walls of the City of Glass.
Albriktan shimmered at the boundaries of the town and the Wildwood. It did not belong there; did not belong anywhere in the world. Multi-hued plates reflected the light from the sun throughout the day, crystalline fingers stretched toward the sky from behind its gleaming walls.
In Talan’s mind it was a place of emerald and gold-chased dreams, towers frosted by sheets of frozen diamonds and dusted by the smiles of gods. It was a place where he would not have to steal or beg just to subdue the gnawing in his belly. Where homeless boys would be treated with smiles and kindness instead of curses and kicks.
But there was no entrance, no way to get inside and meet the Denizens, the mysterious beings that supplied the town with fresh water, gold, and many wondrous tools to make their tasks easier. All in exchange for some useless mineral from the mines.
The townspeople dwelt in comforts not dreamed of, yet Talan had not met anyone who had actually seen a Denizen. The majority of townspeople seemed content with their ignorance, and those who might know something would not speak of it. They walked about with fixed grins and glassy eyes, as if the city might shatter and blow away like dandelion dander if spoken of. All of that only made the idea of entry that much more tantalizing to Talan. But no matter how determinably he searched, he found nothing but futility day after day.
As he stared at the towering, shimmering walls, he unveiled the prize he had won earlier in the day. The apple was the color of soft blushes and large enough to hold in both hands. He savored the sweet, tart taste while he imagined all the glories that lay beyond the walls of Albriktan.
“What have we here, then? A little boy. A young, precocious, dreaming boy.”
Talan leapt at the unexpected voice, almost dropping his apple. Something small and swift yipped and scrambled up a nearby tree, as startled as he was. Talan scratched his head doubtfully as he gazed at the gray fox that peered cautiously at him from the branches.
“Now you imagine that animals can speak. Why do you dream of the impossible, boy?”
The man that spoke blended so well with the rock he reclined upon that Talan did not see him at first. He was grayer than the fox, draped in blended shades from his cloak to his boots. Even his hair and beard was gray.
“I’m sorry to bother you.” Talan warily edged backward. “I’m lost, that’s all. I’ll leave you to your business.”
“Relax, boy. I am not one of those who would harm you. If I wanted the guards, then they’d be here by now.” The Man in Gray sat up and gazed at Talan with steely eyes. “Young naïve, foolish boy. You have trespassed where you don’t belong day after day. I have seen other fools do the same. You seek a way into Albriktan.”
“I don’t….”
“Speak no lie, boy. The truth burns like fever in your eyes. You are not the first. Others have found the way inside. None of them have returned.”
Talan’s heartbeat quickened. “Then there is a way inside?”
The Man in Gray exchanged wry glances with the treed fox. “You listen to nothing, boy. You believe the Denizens will take kindly on an intruding stray?”
“I am good at not being seen.” Talan could not help the swell of pride in his voice. “I haven’t been caught by the magistrates here. I know all kinds of ways to get by their notice.”
“Clever boy, are you? Well, you might be.” The Man in Gray’s eyes gleamed silver as he tapped his bearded chin. “There might be a way for a clever boy to get inside, if he is capable enough.”
Talan practically bounced on his toes. “I’m capable. I’m faster and smarter than any other boy in the streets.”
“Is that so? Then listen carefully, boy. The stream that runs from Albriktan is the only way that someone clever and capable could get inside.”
“But… I’ve already tried.” Talan hung his head. “The tunnel is barely big enough for me to squeeze into. But it leads to a sluice gate. The gaps are too narrow for me to get through, and the bars too thick to cut. And on top of that it is locked.”
“Ah. Then I suppose it is impossible after all. Unless of course, one had the key.” The Man in Gray shook his tousled head regretfully.
The fox yipped again as it scratched furiously at something in the branches. The object fell from the tree with a metallic clatter.
The Man in Gray fixed a sharp gaze at Talan. “You should forget about Albriktan and go home, boy. The greatest of treasures can be found inside, true. But a price must be paid to liberate them. There is nothing beyond those walls but pain and grief for young, naïve, foolish boys. Best that you go back to being fast and capable. Rid yourself of deluded fantasies. If you pursue this matter further, you will have no one to blame but yourself.” He turned to the woods.
“Wait. Who… who are you?”
The Man in Gray smiled. “My name is Reynar. My friend here,” he gestured to the fox, “is Ash. I have been watching you, Talan, and know the sum of your worth. Choose well.”
Reynar turned and melded into the Wildwood without a backward glance. A moment later Talan heard him whistle softly. Ash barked and scrambled down the tree after his master.
For a long moment Talan teetered on the edge of indecision as the wind whispered softly through the trees. He finished his apple and thought of Reynar’s words. He gazed at the shimmering walls, the multihued waves of light that danced across their surface.
Finally he crept over to examine what had fallen from the tree. He gasped.
It was a key. A large, heavily rusted key…
Chapter 2 — The Denizen’s Feast
The swim through the tunnel against the current was far more difficult than opening the gate. For a long panicked moment Talan thought he would not make it. His lungs burned, and specks flecked across his vision before he saw the welcoming glow of illumination that told him that the surface was imminent. He exploded from the stream with a roaring gasp, spewing water as he floundered to the bank and threw himself upon the spongy grass. He lay gasping and shivering before the realization dawned on him.