The Book of Elias

[Elias Caldera]

If ever you need to send a letter to Elias, this is where it goes.

[Elias Caldera]

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[Elias Caldera]

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[Elias Caldera]

By the will of Rhysol, father and patron to us all, and under the authority of his herald on earth, the Voice, hallowed be her name, I Elias Caldera citizen of Ravok and its surrounding territories, upon the signing of this document do lawfully claim ownership of 1 Kelvic Female approximately 3 years of age, with the granted name of Redd. I do so swear to uphold the laws and responsibilities demanded and expected of me as the sworn master of said aforementioned slave, and will accept all lawful reprisals brought about by the actions on his or her part. Witness my hand and seal this 52nd day, of Spring, 514 AV

[Elias Caldera]

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[Alaia]

Addressed to: Raina and Elias Caldera 23rd of Spring 513 AV Dear Raina, I am worried. I have not heard from you in quite some time. Perhaps my last letter was lost on its way to you? I do hope my words will reach your ears now as I miss our connections. Please respond soon. I will fill this letter with trivial notes as there is nothing truly interesting in my life at the moment. I'm working at the medical center here in Riverfall now, it's so busy all the time! I love every moment of it. With how much the Akalak love to spar - Rak'leki bless them but I fear one day one will come in with a missing limb with the intensity these men go at it! I've been drawing more often lately, perhaps in a future letter I will send you something. It seems to fill the silence when I have time to spare not at the medical center. The people here in Riverfall don't seem to mind when I'm drawing them which I am thankful for. I will admit I miss home at times. I miss my sisters mostly but Riverfall is wonderful and beautiful and there is always something going on that I can attend. There is a dance this season! I haven't danced in years. I hope I don't make myself a fool. I'm taking lessons just in case. How have you been faring? Have you learned any new recipes? How is Elias? He must be growing up so fast to your eyes. He's a man now isn't he? He wasn't far off when we met. I think about the both of you often and perhaps one day the two of you will make your way to Riverfall. If you do then you absolutely must come visit me, I insist. Give Elias my best. Stay happy Raina - the two of you deserve nothing less. May Your Path Be Light, Alaia

[Alaia]

Elias, I have no words for the sadness that fills me after reading your words. My grief is for both the loss of a woman who was becoming a dear friend and for you as no one should go through the loss of a parent so young. I cannot imagine the sorrow that is in your heart at her loss and I only wish your pain to lessen but I fear that will take some time Words cannot express the deep gratitude I have towards you for responding to my letter, for informing me of her death. That is a gift I couldn’t have asked for. Your time means a lot to me I want you to know. I find myself not knowing what to say, perhaps shock has settled in my stomach from your news. Are you okay? I am glad you’re healing, at least in body. I wish I could help. If we were closer I would gladly ease at least that pain of yours to the best of my ability. I don’t know much of the herbs outside of Mura and Riverfall as I’ve not traveled to those places. I do not enjoy sitting here writing to you and being unable to help, that is a very frustrating experience for me dear Elias. So as I cannot heal you of your pain I am sending you something with this letter. I hope it arrives safely in your hands and I hope it serves something of a joy for you in the times and travels to come. She will always be with you. I do remember our walk as well in Mura – I think about it often. You and your mother have both claimed a space in my heart even with the briefness of our contact. I cannot deny that. My letters with your mother only deepened that – she was truly a delight to speak with. She told me of her upbringing, in parts. Her knowledge of recipes, or lack thereof, made me worry for your health! I hope she followed my instructions on what not to do so you didn’t starve for lack of enjoying her … particular sense of cuisine. I must admit Elias that through the mourning I feel for her loss I am glad to finally be able to speak with you. I am thankful and hope that perhaps we can continue what your mother and I started but before I ask you to write back to me I want you to know that you should not feel indebted to me, it is I who should feel that for you. You did not have to respond to my latest letter and you could have let me believe that my words had become lost as they so often do in this world. I thank you from my deepest heart for the kindness that YOU have shown me with your last letter. That is all I could have asked for. I don’t wish to take up more of your time as I’m sure you are very busy preparing to leave for Ravok. Promise me to take it easy Elias, you will not heal otherwise. I fear for your travel to the place you ran from long ago and I only wish that you stay true to who you are. If this is the right move for you then I will send you my truest prayers that your trip is safe. I hope we can continue talking, if you wish it of course. I doubt your sorrow will ever truly go away but I wish you to know that you always have someone who will listen even if we are seasons away from each other. Please write to me when you make it to Ravok so I know you have made it safely. My invitation still stands, if you ever find yourself where I am please come see me. May Your Path Be Light, Alaia (Attached is a drawing of Raina done from memory in charcoals. The image might be a little bit more peaceful then Raina’s actual demeanor because it is drawn how Alaia feels Raina affected her life.)

[Alaia]

Elias, I received your letter eight days ago, it is now the 64th day of Spring. I can not tell you how happy I was when I read that you made it to Ravok in one piece. If I did not hear from you by the end of the spring I was going to become a personal hunting party to find you. I am glad that my drawing helped you as well; I wished nothing else by sending it to you. I did not know played a role in Raina’s life outside of our letters, I am truly warmed at the thought of that. I must say though I am not at fault for your mother’s cooking! In fact Dear Elias I believe you are in debt to me not the other way around for I kept you alive with my letters for with out me you would be but a starving vagrant. You’re welcome to thank me and you may worship me now. I approve. Actually, because you must see the error of your words I expect a full apology in our next correspondence or else I shall have to submit to holding a grudge and truthfully I am too much of a loving person to hold a grudge against someone, least of all you. You have hurt me with your claims of palette abuse Elias Caldera and you have made me wish to forever avoid an open flame with a soup recipe again! I have not laughed this much in a long time. I held out writing to you, hoping perhaps I’d have something interesting to tell you but I must admit my life is rather boring other then my days spent at the clinic. I’m sure you don’t want to hear about the wounds I’ve treated and the nasty words that fly from the lips of my patients, they are words I wouldn’t even dare writing. Plus I don’t know most of the things they say – though I learned the word … I believe it is spelt Pesh? Maybe Petch? Pech? I learned it and while I’ll never use it now at least I know when they are spewing that small amount of filth at me because they are in pain. I don’t take it personally but I do wish they’d speak in Kontinese sometimes, hysterical people yelling in languages I barely know or don’t know is mind shaking. I did not know you knew how to draw! Will you send me something? I really should decorate my bare walls and make this apartment feel like a home rather than someplace that a visitor sleeps in and nothing more. All the better for someone to come in and I have another’s art work on my wall rather than my own, I fear then I would seem a tad vain. Your first night back in Ravok sounds deliciously ripe with adventure. I’m glad you received a job from the work you put in; having an income makes life in a city much easier than not. I do have a question though – magic? I’m ignorant to any magic that could take down a fire and make you a fighter of fires. The only magic I truly know is that which I was blessed with by Rak’keli. Will you tell me stories of your magic? I would really enjoy that. What does bullheadedness mean? I can only assume from context … perhaps I’ll ask someone in the morning as I’m writing to you by the last rays of the sun now before I sleep. Oh your father? I don’t know stories of him but I’m lightened to hear he did not harm you despite his anger towards you, warranted or not. The funerary rites for beautiful Raina sound fitting and perfect and I thank you for sharing the details with me. I am not a Ravokian but I will make a boat from parchment and send it out to sea with a single burning candle for her in respect to your family. Her influence has reached far beyond Sylira. My sincerity in the words I write to you is the most honest I’ve ever been. If there is one thing I can offer you it is the knowledge that, no matter what you say to me Elias, I will be glad to hear it because it brings a tangible emotion to my life. I fear I must admit the same emotions on my end of our talks. I find it easy to spill my heart on the page here to you even though I find it impossible to those around me. I look forward to our letters; sheepishly I must admit I looked out for your handwriting in the post until your letter arrived a few days ago. How I do hope we can continue in our honesty even if only to each other Elias. I’ve decided to leave Riverfall, you should know, perhaps for only a short time or perhaps for a long while. I won’t be leaving until the middle or end of summer so there are still a few letters to be had between us here in Riverfall should these not get lost. I believe I will head to Kenash. I think I could be needed there and then I will eventually make my way back into Sylira though I will be sure to speak with you from each city I stop so you know where to send your next letter. Before you say anything about Kenash and the troubles I may find there, I feel part of me wants an adventure even if that means trouble. I’ve been sheltered in the worlds of Mura and Riverfall, I want to experience something greater. I should sleep, the night is only growing longer and I am now writing only by the light of a single candle unable to find myself able to put away this piece of parchment. I suppose I will end this letter with only a simple question that perhaps we can both reveal in the words to come: What do you look forward to in the future? May We Speak Soon, Alaia

[Shiress]

Caldera, I am in present possession of your slave whore, the one with eyes that so closely resemble my own. How much is this drudge worth to you? Another duel, perhaps? Or is she yet another life you are willing to throw away as useless? What will it feel like to find her body broken and cast upon the stones of the fountain where we last met? I have a debt to settle with you, Caldera, and I mean to see it through. Know I have grown in my magic, as you have. Last bell, third largest warehouse in the city proper. If you wish to not show yourself, the slave will not receive the same mercy as you accorded me. Toothless