Silver Rain

Chapter 1

The sun beat down on Dryden's back, the warmth an odd phenomenon, one he wished he could take for granted. He set his hammer down and reclined on the shed's half-finished roof. A spotless sky smiled down at him, the eternal stretch of blue interrupted only by a lone golden sphere. Zaltoras was nowhere in sight.

Funny that they would name a cloud, as if it were a living creature. When was the last time it vanished like this? Two years ago?

How strange the sun felt, its caress something neither fire nor steam could replicate. Why must it always hide beneath Zaltoras, that sheet of darkness? Zaltoras brought the rain, the thunder, the lightning—all unpleasant things. The sun brought warmth, brightness, tranquility—pleasant things.

Footsteps sounded somewhere nearby, snapping Dryden from his daydream. He sat up to a flock of sheep and the pasture's rolling hills sprawled before him. He looked over his shoulder. His boss, Martron, walked towards him, his young son following at his heels like a loyal pup. "Young man, it seems like the sunshine is distracting you from my shed," he said with a laugh.

Dryden fumbled for his hammer and box of nails, eyes searching for where he had left off. "I'm sorry. I just paused for a minute to look at the sky."

Martron rubbed his chin with his wiry fingers. "It's keeping us all from our work, eh? It's nearly two hours past noon, and I've hardly moved." He glanced down at his son. The boy stood with two fingers in his mouth, bright blue eyes fixed on Dryden. "Why do you look so frightened? Say hello."

The boy muttered something incomprehensible and held up a wooden soldier for Dryden to see. Dryden smiled back. "That's a nice toy you have."

"It's mine."

Dryden chuckled. "I won't touch it."

Martron tousled the boy's hair. "It's simply too difficult to work on a day like this. My wife and I plan to take my son on a picnic instead. Work will always be there tomorrow, right?"

Dryden scanned the shed Martron had hired him to build. The frame was finished, and the cedar siding had all been cut to size. It'd go up rather quickly, but if he focused on shingling the roof, he could have that done and out of the way by the end of the day.

"Dryden?" Martron looked up with a half-smile. "I said work will always be there tomorrow, right?"

Dryden scratched the stubble on his cheeks. "I can keep going..."

Martron waved his hand. "Pah! Zaltoras is gone. You've been working hard—you deserve a little break."

"I really don't mind..."

Martron's grin faded. A serious expression overtook his hard-edged features. "Take the day off. And don't run back home to help your father around the farm. Relax for a little while."

A smile crept onto Dryden's lips. He brushed the ink-black hair from his face and threw on a knitted hat. It was a little warm for the summer, but it hid his pointed ears well.

He gathered his tools and leapt from the roof, landing with the grace of a cat. "I appreciate your generosity," he said, as he stowed everything in the shed. "I'll be back tomorrow morning."

"You deserve a day to yourself." Martron gave him a sly wink. "A young man your age has other things to do besides work."

"And what would those things be?"

Martron turned to leave. He spoke over his shoulder as his son chased after him. "Whatever men in their twenties like to do. Things a wife and child forced me to abandon."

Dryden opened his mouth, paused, then departed without a word. Flocks of cinereal sheep bleated at the three as they crossed the fields to Martron's home. The sizeable building dwarfed every other house in town. It garnered a state of near nobility with its proud display of brick and mortar, glass windows and slate roof. Beside it stood a wooden barn painted a strawberry red. Not a single board looked split or rotten. Even in a village as small as Byromar, the position of mayor promised wealth beyond what mere farming could ever produce.