Ethereal Stones [Ethereal Saga Book 1]

Astora Chapter 1: Setting out

"Hey brother, have ya noticed that each one of us seems to have less food nowadays," I said, gazing up at the orange ceiling.

My brother, Satsuya, nodded in agreement as he finished combing his orange hair which reached to the bottom of his neck. It made him look like someone pulled directly from the past. 

Setsuna turned away from the seven-foot mirror and glanced up at the ceiling too. "I have noticed. I feel that things will get worse before they begin to get better. It doesn't seem like we will have much food this year either. The crop season is behind track no thanks to that hellish frost we had back in March."

"I feel the same way." I nodded in agreement, touching my own stomach. That's why I'd been thinking of going to the city to earn us some extra income.

I stood up and navigated past the two beds and a crib, which were spread out to different corners of the small room I shared with my two brothers. Golden orange flakes dotted the walls of our room as paint continued to peel off. Next to the doorway was a leak that needed sealing. 

"We also gotta fix this place before it comes crashing down on us," I added.

"So, you plan to go to da big city?" my brother asked, looking up at me. I gave him a smile full of amazement, he had read my mind. "Are you sure you want to leave home at age sixteen?"

I placed my hand over our formerly white door, now a yellowish vanilla color due to age. Actually, the last time it was white was probably when our father was our age. 

"If it's to feed ya and make this place better for all of ya then duh, of course, I will."

Brother grinned as he got up from the brown carpeted floor. "In that case, I support ya decision. Just be careful, there're a lot of hooligans and corrupt police roaming its streets."

I snickered. "Don't ya worry! I know how to defend myself. Alright, I'm going to go ask Ma and Pa what they think about it."

I opened the door carefully in order to avoid the dripping water. The two of us walked into the kitchen hall where my parents and my sister, along with my baby siblings were washing their hands to eat. Our kitchen was the largest room in the building but was still too small, especially for a room meant to seat seven people and all of our cooking machines.

"Hey, Mama, Papa. I have a request," I said with a stern voice.

Pa took a small drink of freshly squeezed apple juice before turning those kind orange eyes of his to me.

"What is it, Sora?" he said. "Is something wrong?"

I took the seat across from his. "I've been thinking as of late...we need some additional income. I don't want to beat around the bush; I want to go to Ame city to earn us some extra money."

Pa crossed his fingers in the way he usually did when he planned to quiz us. "How do you plan to make money? You have no job experience other than farming. Also, you're sixteen, while it's possible to find a job, you're likely to encounter several cases of abuse."