The Iron World - Book 1: The Iron Girl[lgbt]

Chapter One

I stood up from where I was seated on the end of a small cliff at the end of the path a little above the steps that led down into never-ending nothingness. I didn't really know what was down there, only that I wasn't allowed to find out. But all of that could change very soon. As soon as my father died-not that I really wanted that to happen, but it was inevitable-I planned to go down there and figure out its mysteries. But when that would happen I had no idea.

I sighed. It wasn't like I wanted my father to die, I just really wanted to figure out what in the world was down there. And why I couldn't go down there to find out what it was. I jumped as a shiver ran through my body. It was because of what I wore. The iron bands that I wore. It was a way that my father or anyone in our family could communicate with me. The bands wound around my wrists, my thighs, just above the crook of my elbows, my hips, the upper part of my back and my breasts, with two strips on each side going around my shoulders and winding around my neck. There were also some winding around my face, one across my nose, and others crisscrossed above my eyes, ending above my hairline. They ended in several loops at the back of my head, around my bun. A few of the ones around my hips were larger and looser than the others. I wore a simple purplish-silver outfit under the bands. It didn't go past any of the bands.

I looked around slowly before closing my eyes and reaching inwards with my mind. Father, I whispered.

Avonmora.

I sighed in relief. He was still alive. Not okay, but alive. Father. Do you need me?

Avonmora. The time is coming. I can feel myself slipping away, even more than usual. I can feel my time is ending on this world. I can tell my time is almost over. Your own time will begin soon. But first I must give you something. Please, my daughter, do not argue.

I sighed as I stretched. I wouldn't argue. Not now. Alright, father. I will see you in a few minutes.

Thank you.

I didn't bother to reply as I walked up the curved and jagged path to the back of the castle. The landscape around the castle was desolate. Some might think that weird, but here it was how it was supposed to be. How it had always been. And how it would always be. I didn't plan to change it and I didn't think it would ever be changed. It was just how it was.

As I reached the back of the castle the small servants door opened. I stared up into the stern face of my best friend, Dreolan.

She wore her usual outfit. Blue pants with a gray waistband with the sides cut out and strips of cloth in Xs all the way down with little silver circles on both sides of the outside of the pants holding them there, a gray shirt-the same color as the waistband of her pants-that ended a little below her breasts with a gold band going around the top of it and strips of cloth going down to meet the waistband of her pants. Two of the strips formed a circle in the middle, going around her belly button, and the other two went in a straight line, but not straight down. She also wore a blue cloak, a few shades lighter than her pants that was held together by a small silver medallion that looked like an owl with a sharp end, shoulder guards, black gloves and blue, gray, and gold arm guards, and black boots, a silver headband that wrapped around her head with the part in front like a large leaf with smaller leaves branching out from it. There was also a green gem set into the main part. It was almost an exact match to the one on her belt. The arm guards were mostly the blue of her pants with two darker circles connected by a silver lining, a gray part on the underside, and lined with silver. They fit over her gloves easily.

I smiled. "Hello, Dreolan."

She stared at me with her stern blue-green eyes. "What in the world were you doing out there?"