The Realm Finder

There weren't always dragons in the Valley.

At least, in the way that I’ve seen it. To be frank, I’ve rarely visited the Valley myself when I first arrived in this world. I’ve heard stories ancient and new about the cavernous realm; Ones of daring knights traversing the depths to reclaim their honor, swashbuckling pirates and thieves set to claim treasures unknown, or just stubborn fools entering that canyon upon a bet with drunkards and friends alike. I’ve heard of it all just as I’ve heard little about those who survive the Valley of Ashes.

Although, to say that I was an expert about this place was nonetheless a lie in itself, for I was but a mere child without a care in the world. To hear a place such as the Valley of Ashes was a place of fiction in my hometown. We heard of no heresy, seen of no sorcery, and minded nothing of the world of magic. To put it simply, we were just common folk in a common world, and I was no different from a common tool in the spec of everything in the cosmos.

As I sat in the tavern at Freymann’s Den drinking an ale, I noticed that the innkeeper across from me kept eyeing me as I took another swing. No doubt I had been there for a couple of hours, yet he had still not been able to mention it to me. Was he just hoping to make big business with my patronage? Still, I pondered how long it has been since that day: I’ve noticed the small lines on my face grow ever so slowly and the bags under my eyes grow darker, but I’ve yet to see any grey hairs any time I’ve walked past a mirror or reflective pond. How long has it been, I wondered. A year, may two or five? Who’s to even say anymore?

I did remember that day all too well. It all started when I strolled into town one day that I noticed a new stand in the marketplace. Despite only being there to purchase my necessities, I stopped to consider the possibilities, for just how grand it was compared to the simple stands of eggs and corn that I wouldn’t dare look away from. From the finest silks that draped over itself and created a nice spot of shade to the multitude of oak, birch, and spruce boxes shackled in steel and shown off by the soft lanterns that hung just above them. Everything in this booth was filled to the brim, with not a single space being left vacant amongst the various nicknacks that sometimes looked wedged in there. In the center of a stand sat a woman that looked to be at death’s door, her wrinkles mostly hidden in the dark cloak she wore. She held a cane in her hand, which embedded a great scarlet ruby in the handle. Like the rings on her fingers, the ruby fitted into her hand, almost molding into it, as the very few flicks of light from inside and outside the stand reflected back like minuscule shards around her hand, making the veins in her wrist stand out among her flesh and boney hand even more.

“Come to buy somethin’, miss?” Her voice croaked as she tilted her head up to gaze at me. As I looked back at her, I couldn’t help but notice how her left eye bulged out of her skull, almost looking to escape as the whisps of her gray hair moved alongside her in perfect unison. How naive of a child I was, then, not to immediately turn away the moment she acknowledged my existence.

“No, ma’am, I couldn’t just help but notice how grand your tent was,” To be fair, I was not lying, but to think that was my first mistake to address this woman at all. “I’ve received all the things I’ve needed, and I’ve got to be on my way. I wish you a good day, ma’am-”

“Oh, don’ be ridiculous, miss!” The woman wheezed out. “Surely, you can find somethin’ in here that you’d like, no? I’ve been all over the world and beyond, so surely there’s somethin’ that might peek your interests.”

“With all due respect, ma’am, I’m afraid that if there was something I’d be interested in, I wouldn’t have the money to pay for it,” I said as I started to back away.

“Now who said somethin’ about needing to pay?” I stopped in my tracks. A saleswoman who doesn’t ask for anything? “I don’ need the money anymore at my ol’ age. I’ve lived a fulfillin’ life, young miss, so I don’ need any more wealth than I’ve already gotten. If anything, I wan’ to give you an offer you can’ refuse!” She cackled, gripping her cane tighter. Without even realizing it, I had somehow turned back and stepped in front of the stand yet again.

“I’m not sure what you mean, ma’am,” I said, at least trying to humor this woman’s spirits for a moment.

“Well, let’s think about this, dear,” she said, patting over a nearby stool for me to sit on. Still, I continued to stand. “‘ave you ever thought about leaving this borin’, ol’ town? Wantin’ to go out and explore things you’ve never realized were there? Think about it, dear! How long do you think you’re going to come into town an’ get your goods before your losin’ your mind over how plain it all is?” She continued. “Day in, day out, always doin’ the same ol’ things on a farm or at a loom. It gets tirin’, doesn' it?”

I pondered about this for a moment as she urged me to sit down. What this woman was talking about seemed absolutely ridiculous and out of nowhere, trying to get me to think about the meaning of my life in the middle of the market out of all places. As I started to think about this more, I knew that she was starting to make some sense, even with her delirious tone. I was just a mere peasant living on my own in this small town, picking up work day by day as I helped my neighbors like I was taught. I never really went out of town much, even as a child. I’ve never seen the world with my own eyes, always having to see the same old eggs and bread on the same shelves, the same blacksmith working on his commissions every day, the same merchants that knew me since I was a babe. As much as I was happy with my fellow neighbors, I’ve always had this feeling of how small my world actually was, seeing the same cobblestone and towers, the same children playing on the streets, the same tax collector coming door to door to collect his due much to the recipient's dismay. I don’t think I’ve even gotten out to town at night, knowing how rowdy the drunkards at the tavern get. Knowing all this, it really wasn’t a shock knowing what I’d say next.

“Well, I suppose I wouldn’t mind if I went out of town for a little time off. Maybe if I save enough, I could potentially even travel into the city for a few days.”

“Well, no need to worry!” the woman smiled. It wasn’t until then how much I noticed her teeth had fallen out, her mucus-filled tongue popping out every so often she spoke. “I believe I have just the thing for you.”

She reached into her bag and pulled out a box from all the other rubble that she had. Compared to the others, though, it was relatively small and more aged than the larger and newer cargo she had. It was a darker hue than most of the other boxes, perhaps spruce, and took on that of a chest. In front was a handle that latched both the top and bottom pieces together that the woman unlocked with her veiny fingers, slowly opening the top to reveal its contents. Inside, I tried to hide my utter disbelief at what I thought I saw to be a diamond in the box, the cut of the small gem looking to be freshly done as it sparkled even with what little light was permitted inside the tent. As the gemstone lay on its mattress of velvet and hay, I looked back at the woman in shock. She simply smiled back at me.

“Take it.”

“Ma’am, I don’t think I should take something this precious from -”

“Oh, spare me the remorse, dear,” She groaned, pushing the chest closer to me. “I already told you that I will not be needin’ my belongings anymore. I simply would like for someone to feel the joys that I felt when I was your age, so as I’ve already said, this is all my generosity.” Still, I sat there unsure of what to do as she continued to push the box closer to me. “It’s not going to bite. Just take it.”

Snarky remark aside, I was shocked by it all. Having a precious jewel be gifted to me when I did nothing to earn it, was just simply unheard of! Not even the knights would be gifted anything unless it was from grueling efforts or a war they fought in. I looked back into the box and back to the woman who tried to subtly shake it to get it into my hands. After a moment, I composed myself together to finally make my decision.

“And you’re certain this is a genuine diamond?” I asked. She nodded without saying anything back as I took a deep breath. Taking a look at the gem, I remembered starting to feel myself become more tranced by it. Finally, I nodded, taking the box from her wrinkly hands and gazing at the diamond closely. It was then that I noticed that the diamond started to glow brighter every second I held it. When I looked back at the woman, her smile grew even larger as more teeth appeared to be missing.

Before I blacked out, I remembered her telling me one last thing: “I have provided you with all that you need next. What you do after is all up to you.”

When I awoke from my slumber, I was then greeted with all white, a void of nothingness. My mind, numb with white noise, still scrambled itself together to try and process everything that had happened. I laid there for what seemed like a good while before I regained enough strength to sit. I realized then how quiet it was in this void, especially as though like I couldn’t even hear my own breath. No matter how far I looked into my surroundings, there was still nothing to grasp at nor gaze upon; Just a dreary, endless silence and a vacant, barren land that made me wonder if I had passed and was sent to an afterlife I had not heard of.

I felt the ground beneath my fingertips, surprised to feel a fuzzy sensation that at the same time was not like any animal pelt I had ever touched before. I moved my hands against the surface, finally looking down. To my right I realized was the box I had seen beforehand at the woman’s stand, the lid flipped off the top showcasing its contents for its single patron. The diamond that I had gazed upon still laid in its shelter in all its glory, but what struck me odd the most was the addition of a single note placed alongside. I took the aged parchment from the box, getting a faint whiff of sweetness amongst the lack of other smells in the void as I started to unfold its creases. The writing on the parchment was almost ineligible, albeit written in a crude manner. Still, I could read just enough to comprehend this message. The only dilemma for me now at that time was trying to make sense of it:

My dearest Phoebe, you may not understand everything now, but your journey has only gotten started. You’re wondering right now just where you are, and whether or not you have died, but I assure you I would never do such a thing - I really would like for you to live as I did. I sensed a call to adventure in you, and I figured you would be a perfect candidate for this experience. When I told you I’ve seen the world and beyond, I was not only saying that in exaggeration. There are many worlds beyond yours that you don’t see, and much like you now, I was given the possibility to see them all. I’m sure you’ve noticed this now, but I am no longer able enough to prolong this sense of adventure, and I have no descendants to pass on my stories. That is why I chose you, my child, to carry on this experience.

Inside this box is a jewel capable of sending you to worlds that you may only ever find in fairytales. Ones full of adventure, romance, suspense, everything that you could imagine to your heart’s desires! All you have to do to unlock these worlds is simple - Grasp the stone in your hand tightly and imagine yourself creating a bond with it. Only then will the jewel show you its true power and help you throughout your journey. In the beginning, it will grant you access to only a handful of worlds. But the more you form a connection with the stone, the more your eyes will see. Unfortunately, that means it might take some time to find your way back to your own world, for it is but a mere speck in this infinite cosmos.

Do not lose this stone, dear child, for letting someone with ill intentions grasp this power will lead to more trouble than it’s worth. Keep this treasure close to your heart and continue to form a connection with it, else you’d never be able to return to whence you came. I do apologize for sending you off without a proper introduction, but I was simply joyed to see someone I could see my youthful self in. You have the potential, Phoebe, but it is up to you now to live your life to its fullest. I must leave the rest to you, however, for there is even a chance that I might have already passed on and am now thriving in a new world of my own. The best of luck to you, child.

-Ramona

I clenched the letter in my hand, seemingly for hours as I longed to make sense of its contents. I didn’t know whether to feel excited or enraged, confused and confounded, knowing nothing of my journey to come or how this woman even came to know of my name. For a while, I didn’t look back down at the box, only reading the note again and again, the visual of the old parchment and how it crinkled at the edges being the only thing that stimulated my mind for the time being. I stayed silent, for I knew it would seem that I had lost my mind trying to talk to the endless void, even if no one would hear my cries. After a while, I did as the letter had told me and placed it down to take the diamond in my hand.

It was cool to the touch, the cut still as sharp as it could’ve been eons ago: Or maybe with how powerful this gemstone was supposed to be, there was never any need to cut it, and maybe it always had this shape. I stared down at the gem, wondering how “bonding” myself to it would work as someone who didn’t even know how magic worked at all. I closed my eyes, relaying everything I know back into my mind. Because of this, I could feel my own heartbeat: It felt irregular, but there was still a sense of rhythm to it, giving me a sign that I was still alive. Something happened, however, as I felt myself become dizzied as I continued to close my eyes.

I could feel my vision, or lack thereof, start to sharpen. Soon enough, I was seeing lines of white in front of the darkness behind my eyelids. At first, I was confused if my vision was starting to brighten on its own until I realized how much these lines formed a figure; One of my body as I’d soon come to realize, watching as I moved one of my arms and watching the silhouette move in perfect unison, the lines mimicking that of my own form. It was then I realized that no matter how I tried, I could no longer open my eyes. I didn’t know what was going on at the time but knowing where I am now, I can say that it was far too late for me to turn back.

My eyes glanced back at the diamond, watching new colors brighten their form. Where once was a crystal clear jewel now was an everchanging gem of vast colors: Reds, greens, blues, purples, and every color in between was slowly shifting inside the diamond at a slow pace, providing itself a rather relaxing view to look at. As I sat there gazing, it took me a while to wonder if this was how “bonding” worked. What I was supposed to do now was simply up to my interpretation, I assumed.

I brought the diamond to my chest, feeling the coldness on my bosom beneath the fabrics of my attire. It took a moment to wonder what to do next, simply taking the time to feel the gem under my fingertips once more, watching as the colors slightly brightened. Finally, I brough the jewel to my lips, the coldness now died down from the heat of my palm, and I uttered a few words as if under prayer: “I was brought here with great potential to see what the cosmos had in store, but I have no intel on what to do. I am but a mere peasant girl from a faraway land, and I have no way to use magic or the knowledge of how you even function as a stone of great power. If you have sentience, I plead for you to be my guide. Show me how to traverse this seemingly endless universe, and I will be forever grateful for your assistance. I plead for your enlightenment, and I request of your boons.”

I felt a heat stirring up from within the diamond just as a bright white filled my vision.

When I came to, I noticed that the void I was in was no longer vacant. In front of me stood a series of doors, their stature posing a looming shadow just enough to reach the tips of my sandals. I noticed that each door looked nearly identical to one another - ones of a pearly white stone, nearly blending in with the rest of the realm, only having the slight carvings of the pillars and the indents of the doors themselves that decorate them to indicate how far they stretched from one another, and the shine of their golden knobs indicating where they opened. In the center of these doors was a hole carved just above the knobs within reach; A very minute detail, but one I noticed nonetheless. Amongst all the illustrious gates, each was held together with a single arch, and on those arches held a symbol of some sorts, ones I had yet to fully understand. At the time, I could at least fathom what these marks were meant to be: A shinning iron sword pointing towards the skies above, a ruby rose with a shade of red deep as the blood I felt coursing through my veins, a rusted hook aged as if it was lost at the bottom of the sea, a sort of metal cognitive piece that I recollected was only able to see in books within mysterious machines, a vibrant blue feather that seemed light to the touch, and a hammer that, while also slightly rusted, was large enough to only be held by blacksmiths who had the strength to wield it. I was not aware of what these items could mean in the scope of these doors or what they hold behind them.

If anything, the one symbol that had caught my eye was facing right in front of me. The more I took a step forward to it, the more I had become entranced by it. It was a plaque made with some type of dark wood, one I had yet to recognize from home. It was something similar to ones I had seen inside the tavern on my walks through the market, but what was on the plaque was no ordinary deer or moose. It was a wing, or at least what I had thought was a preserved wing up until looking closer at it. It spanned as far as it looked to be capable of without snapping itself in half, almost proud to show off little specs of violet amongst the grey, scaly skin that hung as tightly to its otherwise boney hand structure. It was preserved with utmost perfection to it, almost like a symbol of glory from a battle or quest. Is this what a dragon’s wing was supposed to look like, after only hearing about the sorts in only stories? I had no clue as to why I was so infatuated and entranced by it, as I had yet to even realize what it was supposed to mean. In no time, however, I had taken a few steps closer to the door.

As I did, I noticed my hands starting to glow once more. I looked down at my hand, watching as the diamond I held started to change colors on its own. Like the wing, it look as if it was a slow churn of violet and grey, not yet blending within one another nor fighting against each other. I stared at the stone, wondering what I should do next, and then looked back at the gate in front of me. I focused my attention on the small hole in the center of it all, my fingers gracing the inside of the hole just within my reach. The hole shrunk the further I dug my fingers into it, feeling the sharply geometrical insides that seemed fit for the stone in my hand.

In what seemed like an instantaneous moment, I brought the diamond to the hole, slowly sliding it in with my fingers as it glowed brighter. Once it was fully in, the light seemed to transpire and melt within the door itself, the colors bleeding into every nook and cranny as though it was being brought to life. The sight nearly blinded me, the colors transpiring into a bright ivory that soon took over my whole vision along with my other senses. For a moment there, I had felt as though I was on the cusp of life once more, unmoving and unable to feel but still giving me the dizzying experience nonetheless as my body froze in place, my arm still reached out towards the diamond I had been granted power to.

When I had regained them once more, I had no longer been inside what had seemed to be my purgatory. Instead, with my hand now enclosing itself on the diamond with a firm grip, I stared out to the warmth upon a gentle sunrise behind an otherwise barren and desolate valley, the dark reddish rocks reaching up to the skies like a hellish landscape, seemingly with no indication to stop.

This, I came to later find out, was the Valley of Ashes, and the most treacherous place in all of Dracmas.