“See? I caughta fish!” She said, pointing at a chain dredging net trailing behind them. It had gone taut, having caught on something. Sapphire groaned, putting her daughter back onto the boat. She reached for the net, tugging on it to free it.
“Marina, if you wanted to fish, use the rods: we need these nets for work.”
Marina played with her fingers, looking down at her toes. Her tail flicked back and forth.
“Sowwy…”
“You almost broke this one… It’s stuck on a root down there or something… Ugh, come on!”
Sapphire heaved, falling over onto her backside as the net freed itself. Marina giggled, but quickly stopped after meeting her mother’s eye. Ari’s head popped out from the bedroom window, looking down at Sapphire quizzically.
“Don’t say anything.” She said, glaring at him. Ari bit his lip, stifling a laugh. Sapphire pulled herself up, and pulled on the net to bring it in.
“Huh.”
The net was heavy. She must have uprooted something. She pulled it again. It was really heavy.
“Ari, give us a hand here; Marina’s caught something.”
The two of them alternated between heaving on the net and shooing Marina, who was trying to join in, thinking the whole thing a good laugh. After a few minutes, they succeeded in hoisting the net onto the deck, where it landed with a wet clank. They dragged it along the deck to the bow, each taking one end to unravel. They pulled it open, and a muddy, grimy hunk of metal fell to the deck in a messy slop. Ari looked at Sapphire. Sapphire looked at Ari.
“That’s… that’s not?”
“It can’t be…”
They threw the net aside. Sapphire picked up the hunk and wiped it with the hem of her tunic. After removing a good half-inch of slime, it began to resemble an ancient bronze urn. Sapphire gasped, laughing as she read an inscription aloud.
“Major Alistair Ebert, Beechworth Garrison! She did it! Ha ha! I can’t believe it!”
*
Mistdale. The bustling town in a quiet valley, a moniker the township lived up to with a gusto. Every morning, before the sun had risen over the mountaintops, the bakers of Mistdale would wake to prepare the traditional berry-bread of Cardena, the light of their ovens shining through the early morning mist like frozen stars. But not all the beasts of Mistdale could stomach bread, and so returning from the long night were fishing ships, having trawled the great valley lake, soon to sell their haul in town. Many of these ships would first detour to the strand, where they would make an early morning sale.
The valley in which Mistdale stood was prone to fog, and this morning was no different. Ari yawned, pushing the houseboat along, a crimson lantern hanging from the mast. He was not alone on the water. Invisible save for their red spheres of light were dozens of fishing ships, drifting silently in the early morning fog. If he listened, he could just about make out the sound of nets being drawn and fish sputtering on the decks. Just then, the sun rose over the mountain tops, and beams of light streamed through the peaks into the valley. For a moment, the fog remained shaded, but the giant figure of the Mistdale University was illuminated, looming over the lake. Its brilliant granite sides shone with frost, its stained glass windows shimmering. Soon, the light hit the fog, and the University disappeared behind it. Ari pushed the house boat slowly along until it came to a smooth stop on the gravelly shore of the lake.
Chapter 1 - Mistdale
Start from the beginning
