Lore of Aurora Series (ep1)

Valothia, City on Fire.

From the high mountains to the river valley of Aurora, Valothia has always been a thing of awe, but not beauty. Powerful beyond belief, they beat the great plague, conquered both spellwork and technology. The marvellous machines that fly overhead, and plums of steam. The city is on fire and breathes like a noble beast that never rests.

image by mid-journey ai with the authors' prompts

I am ten days into an eleven-day journey. I could have done it in three, but the journey is a ritual. For as long as all remembrance, the rangers walk the path of bones to the great city. It is part of the rite of commission. My father was a ranger of renown, Wardstrider, He was called.

To say I am nervous is an understatement. I bear old leathers, cracked and not sized for me. For my father never had breasts. His bow was once a proud tool of his ilk. Now Its wood is dry and brittle, a crack has formed. The barrel of oil he had stored it in drained, stupidly, by my cousin for lamp oil, almost destroying his legacy and my future.

Valothia is so close now. The lights at night highlight the plums of steam. It really looks to be in…