Framework of the Frontier, Sain Artwell [read me a book .TXT] 📗

The others had made a camp inside a dank rusty room. Roll-up mattresses and sleeping bags surrounded a happily crackling fire of roots. The triton snuggled between the big troll’s legs, cackling loudly at something with the bearded faun brothers. William couldn’t see the elf girl, until he spotted a disgruntled face of a person struggling to sleep in noise. The pillow she was hugging over her ears didn’t seem to be enough.

The triton waved her hand. “Hey, you’re done. Tell you what Ranger, punch an extra draft day on my tax card and the first watch is yours.”

“No way. I’ll take the watch though. You’re gonna have to earn your tax evasion the hard way.” While he wasn’t the biggest stickler for the rules, William didn’t want to become ‘one of those cops’ on his first day.

“C’mon”, she cooed. “It doesn’t cost you a copper.”

William shook his head. “The answer is still a no. My time currently bids for about twelve stamps a month.”

The troll snorted.

“Boo.” The triton made a mock frown. “Well, next time you call a draft for some shit, don’t be wondering why Orien’s Band, ‘just couldn’t make it in time’.” Orien gave him a smug wink. “Extra friends come in handy out on the frontier. Lonely Rangers tend to be among the most short lived creatures.”

“Right after the rude adventurers who insult them,” scolded Duhie, the older triton.

Orien laughed back. “Auntie, he’s a bit too young for you.”

“What? You don’t know how long humans live.”

“Not as long as elves,” the troll said.

William bowed out of the conversation as it drifted to a banter of private jokes and shibboleths that went over his head. He took the first watch.

Rowdy cackle continued to compete with the clanker of the train. William sat down in a spot where he could see both Nevija’s bell and a watery blue bubble hovering next to it. Apparently that was the trigger that the one called aunt Duhie had set up.

It was kinda boring to watch so he stood to look out the window. The ring and the stars gave the night-black land a shape of shattered mountainous and broken valleys taken over by gnarly forests. As the train turned, an enormous star sitting in the far horizon caught his gaze.

No wait a sec, that’s not a star.

It wasn’t starlight shining through. It was daylight. Squinting, William tried, but couldn’t make out any shapes in it. “What is that?” he mumbled.

“Hi.” The voice was Ember’s. No one else sounded as if they were afraid to offend you with a greeting. “I have a small bribe here for the Ranger.” She had two small wraps in her hand that filled his nose with a mouthwatering scent of grease and meat.

“Yes, please.” William accepted one of them, smiling when he noticed her ears flopping happily. “How much do these go for? Two draft days? Three? Name your price.” He took a large bite, realizing how hungry he was when the food hit his tongue.

“Free for friends who compliment them.”

“It’s delicious. The best in the realm.” He pushed meat-bits about to fall from the wrap back into his mouth.

Ember laughed softly, glancing at the star on the ground as she nibbled at her own roll. Her gaze was wistful as it fell.

William hurried to swallow a piece so he could speak. “What’s that shiny thing over there?”

“What do you mean? It’s the portal to Nibir. Is there something wrong with it?”

“Portal? That’s the portal?”

“A portal. Portals are for going through and from one Realm to another. Did you really not have any on Planet Earth? That sounds a bit odd. How else can you get through the edges?”

“Shit…” William took a bite, and another, staring at the slowly distancing light. “Sorry, no. No, we had one planet. So, you’re saying there are many worlds out there, I mean realms?”

“They say the Realms are infinite, though scholars have yet to confirm if that’s true.”

“Infinite?”

“Endless, boundless, so many that their number is impossible to measure. I can only name maybe fifty or sixty realms around Nibir.”

William stared at the portal. “Just… Damn. How big is this place? This realm we’re in.”

“The Cursed Frontier? Hmm… ” Ember took a contemplative bite of her roll. “This is a square realm. If I remember correctly, it was charted to be roughly five hundred and thirty miles across. It’s on the smaller size for sure. Nibir is over ten-thousand miles across and connects to twenty four other realms, though none of those are as big. Or well, Agartha might be, but it’s hard to know since it’s underground. ”

“Right.”

William tried to imagine another world after the portal leading to another and another and another and another after another. A feeling of smallness gripped his guts. It was unpleasant, disorienting. He closed off the thought and tried to focus on something else.

Yummy meat rolls and faun butt.

She had one of the best rears he’d ever seen. Those hooves made it look like she was strutting in heels and that fluffy tufty tail? A cherry on top of a perfect cake. It looked immeasurably soft.

“…friends? If Ranger work doesn’t keep you busy.” Ember gave him a coy sidelong look.

“Hm?” William realized his mistake too late as her joy began shattering.

“Oh, you… You were not listening. Okay. That’s okay.”

Oh shit oh crap oh fuck.

“No I— Damn. I was lost in thought. Sorry, what did you say?” William pressed a palm to his mouth to suppress a groan.

Ember snorted. She gave his shoulder a pat and pursed her lips into a comforting smile. “Calm down mister Ranger. I was a little bit unfair with my question, considering how much you have going on right now. Go get your snooze time. I have the second watch.”

His stress rolled