Home Bitter Home - Chapter I: Section I

[Flamebird]

Home Bitter Home - Explorations of Eiskalt Chapter I: Section I

Solo. Tons of Eiskalt lore featured here! I wrote this very rushed, on a mobile device with no Microsoft Word. I do have a spell check though... But yeah, I know this is a bit bad. I wrote this to get my creative juices going and as a bit of an experiment.

Ain't it something to know you're lost?


It was something. To know just about everything one had was gone. From home to family, to love to childish security. In only a series of a couple of weeks she watched it be stripped from her. Her mentor and once considered sister parted ways on her own behalf. Then, all of the Tular Plains unleashed terror upon her when her cousin and best friend, Jonathan Knopsnider, died a captive to the Coronian Empire. Her one link to the Coronian Rangers, and the greatest friend and relative of her life, was slain before her very eyes. It sparked the chain reaction of Felicity's... unusual and unnatural rage... and the death of her own father by heart attack upon hearing the news.

Now, Felicity had no where to go to, she was alone. As tough of a fighter as she was, the fifteen year old had no life to build upon in Corone. She could become a bounty hunter, as she already had experience thanks to her training under Ayleth Icebreaker. However, would that ever land her anywhere meaningful? It was her dream to become a Coronian Ranger, but her recent failures seemed to push her further away from that goal. One other, somewhat crazy, prospect had crossed her mind. While she generally referred to herself as a Coronian, Corone was not the place of her birth. The place she was born in, and spent a lot of her childhood under, was some frigid third world country called Eiskalt.

According to rumors - just rumors, mind you - Eiskalt was undergoing a lot of change. Since the Eiskalt War, a well known battle of recent years that resulted in half the country's destruction, there was an additional civil war that literally decided the country's fate. Since a fresh off the press Democratic government took seat, the country apparently was starting to recover from several years of poverty and plague.

Who knew, maybe Felicity Knopsnider would find something there.

So, there she stood. A bundled up, redheaded teen shivering on the deck of a common ship. This ship was a merchant's boat from Fallien to Eiskalt, and Felicity managed to hitch a ride as long as she helped around the ship. She had been working two weeks as a ship hand, keeping the cargo of spices and materials in mint condition. The time at sea had given her time to slow down after the never ending nightmare she endured in Corone, but now this journey seemed about over. A fairly sized, mountainous island was in plain view.

Ice bergs and glaciers coated the frosty sea. The chill in the air could literally be smelled, and the snow gently falling from the grey sky above made everything feel more unwelcoming. Felicity rubbed her hands together, remembering the freezing temperatures of her homeland quite well.

"A bit chilly, Las?"

The green eyed girl turned to see the captain, who was even more bundled up than her, shivering on over to her. "This is nothing like Fallien... Why are we trading with this hunk of snow and ice?"

Felicity shrugged, speaking in her lisp "It'w take some getting used to."

The captain, a tan skinned and brown haired man in his forties, laughed. "This shall take a lot of getting used to!"

Felicity chuckled, looking back towards the direction of the island, "Yeah, it sha-ow..."

[Flamebird]

After unloading the crates of goods into several wagons, the small team of rag tag, independent merchants and bounty hunters made way off the permafrost beach and into the ravine that led to Stahl Gate. The dark sides of steep cliffs were only blanketed with ice and snow towards the top. The pathway to Stahl was covered with dirt, one or two patches of snow, and bare rock. The road was thin and bumpy, heading up what would seem to be a hill only to develop into true mountain. Already, most of the crew was tired.

Alongside Felicity, two other bounty hunters had joined to protect the cargo. One was a stern and heavy, axe weilding Urodin called "Jack" by the crew. Another was a dark skinned Fallien, slender archer named Osiris. Osiris was constantly watching the cliffs for danger when not huddling to stay warm. Jack was alongside the captain talking in his deep voice. Felicity was pulling a small wagon full of silk and yarn. They all slowed to a stop though when they heard some type of screech.

Felicity stopped, dead silent. That sound was something she heard before, but where? Jack instantly ran in front of the party and drew his heavy halberd, "Who goes there!?" He boomed.

From the side of a cliff not so far above them, several rocks fell.

Osiris drew his bow and pulled an arrow on the string, ready to release.

A blurred, white creature darted from one bolder to another.

The movement was only caught by some defenseless merchants who pointed and chattered amongst themselves. Jack walked up to the cliffside where they were pointing. He sniffed the air, "Mammal."

Felicity's eyes widened, "Mountain cat..." She whispered, "Mountain cat!"

Just then, a white, slender feline jumped down from its perch. It was snow white with yellow eyes, the medium sized wildcat's claws were outstretched... It landed on Jack.

[Flamebird]

Jack fell dead on the frozen ground. The Salvarian was killed by a slim wildcat.

Thing was, this cat seemed too slim. Its sides clearly showed, and its skin even seemed to be decaying. Felicity's eyes widened, was this one of the beast's affected by the Plague cast by Madison Freebird? This creature was clearly malnourished and starved... No wonder the usually docile and distant mountain cat was going as far as to attack humans for food.

An arrow flew past Felicity's head, landing in the feline's chest. The scrap of cat fell dead on top of Jack's own corpse.

Osiris' arrow had flown true. As merchants fearfully came out from the little cover the wagons provided. Osiris ran over to the bodies and shoved the feline off. He felt Jack's pulse.

"What was that thing??" A young merchant, a brown skinned man in his twenties, gasped.

"Mountain cat," Felicity responded, "Commonwy known as de cougar. Dey usuawy keep gweat distances fwom humans, but dat one was obvious-ee stawving enough it was wiwwing to take chances..."

Osiris stood up, shaking his head, "He's gone."

The captain snorted, "Leave the dead. We need as little weight as possible."

Thus, the traveling merchants continued. Felicity, however, couldn't help but look back at the gruff bounty hunter she had come to know one last time.

Maybe coming to Eiskalt was a bad idea.

[Flamebird]

Soon enough, as light snow continued to fall, the weary and shivering travelers made it to Stahl Gate. Hearing of its destruction during the Eiskalt War, Felicity expected to find a ruined nothingness.

Instead, they found a massive construction process in progress. Black metal, as well as steel, were being rapidly used as beams and wall for a decent structure that already looked like a barricade in the making. One traveler literally dropped her bags, "Woah..."

Only rugged from a mere two hours of traveling, the small band of travelers made it to a completed tower made of wood and straw many paces from the gate. The captain of the crew went to knock on the door, but-

"-Weary travelers, come 'ere!"

Several Eiskaltian soldiers, hardly dressed in any form of suitable armor, were walking up to them. The captain raised his hands in the air, and everyone followed in suit. The five soldiers, who didn't seem at all affected by the cold, stood around the group. One man, with pale skin and blue eyes, walked closer, "State your names and business."

The captain of the merchant's walked up to the guard, "Hail, good soldier. My name is Saburo of Fallien. This is my team of merchants. We simply wish to pass these goods off to you, as we heard Stahl is a merchant's paradise."

Several weak grunts came from the merchants in agreement.

"We have traveled a long ways," Saburo said, "And we are quite exhausted..."

The guard nodded, "Fair enough. Would you mind us searching your cargo before we let you enter?"

"Not at all," Saburo replied.

The guard raised an eyebrow in the direction of the bounty hunters, "And until everything is in order we ask of surrender of all weapons."

Osiris, in his bright clothes, pulled his bow and quiver off his back and handed them to the closest guard. Felicity followed in suite, yanking her two arming swords off her belt and pulling her flamberge from her back. She walked right up to the leader of the guards and handed them to him, "I vawue vese weapons a wot, pwease take cawe of dem?" She spoke in her usual lisp.

The commander motioned another guard to take them, "Rest assured we will keep your possessions safe, ma'am."

As the snow fell and the travelers continued to freeze, their cargo was searched by the wary soldiers. Several whistles at the contents of the boxes were made, but that was all before they searched the crew as well. Nothing.

The commander nodded, "All checks out, we'll keep your things safe. Follow me, please?"

The merchants walked after the commander and into the busy construction site. So many people, mostly lower class peasants and prisoners, were all working on Stahl Gate in an array of business and industry that left the crew wide eyed. Smoke and dust flew around everywhere, making the ground appear foggy, and various noises and clanging slammed against the eardrums. Endless, discombobulated voices rang loud enough to make the ears ache. Felicity still managed to keep up though, and they all entered a plain, wood house.

Inside, the uninsulated cabin was no warmer than outside. The plain, gruff walls of pine boards seemed inviting to bugs, but the usual insects could not survive here. The floor boards creeked and moaned as the half paralyzed party entered the room. There was another door, also pine, that would lead to a second room. The captain, who still walked as if the cold was normal or something, open the door.

As the door loudly moaned, the captain looked back to the windowless room. He spoke up, "One person only, please? Pick anybody."

The snow powdered band of merchants all looked at each other, wordless and frozen. Felicity sighed and stepped forward, "Yes?"

The captain motioned to the door, "Inside."

The room she would be walking into, weaponless, seemed darker than the one they were in. Felicity gulped and plucked up some courage. She walked into the black and dust.

The guard followed, closing the door behind him.

[Flamebird]

Inside the room, a single candle was lit on a pine table. The room was very similar to the last, cold and boring. Dust flew around the entire room, light creeping in through the cracks in the walls illuminating the two metal chairs, one on each side of the table. The guard took off his helmet, revealing his long, black hair. He set his great helm on the table, sitting down in one chair. Felicity sat in the other.

The guard sighed, "You must not tell your fellow travelers these questions neither your answers."

Felicity locked her attention on the guard, realizing what was going on.

"Full name, please?" The guard asked.

"Fewicity Knopsnida." The redhead replied.

"Felicity Knopsnider was it?" The guard asked, writing the information down on paper.

"Yes!" Felicity fist thumped, "Someone finawy got de east name eight!"

The guard tried to hide an amused smile, "Okay, that's a yes... Where do you come from?"

"Cowone," Felicity responded, the small lie of her true home slipping. But hey, Corone was always home to her, much more than Eiskalt ever was...

"Any family? Relatives?"

The teen felt an explosion of emotions burst inside like a hyper nova. Her family was dead. All of them. At least that she knew of. "My famiwy's deceased."

The guard's eyes flashed with sympathy, "I am so sorry, I know what you must be feeling. My wife died in the Great Eiskalt War."

Felicity's stupid emotions and hormones had her in tears now, her eyes red, "Fank yew..." the teen whispered.

The guard smiled, "Date of bewth?"

~~~

Felicity stepped out of the room. All eyes watched as she walked out. The guard knocked on the wooden door again, "Next!"

Felicity swat Saburo's arm, "It's fine." She smiled. The Fallian captain smiled back and walked into the room.

Felicity stood there another moment, rubbing her arms, before shouting, "Ka'Ha Bahm dung, I'm fweezing!"

[Flamebird]

After what seemed to be forever, every member of the group was interrogated. The guard stood in front of the icicle-like merchants, his helm on his head once more, and nodded stoutly, "You all did well."

He walked over the the door and opened it, "Come along."

The frigid group waddled after him. Right outside the door and blaring sunlight, they were returned their wagons, carts, the goods inside, and their weapons. The guard motioned his arm towards the end of the hill they were on, "Welcome to Eiskalt."

The exhausted group slowly started to laugh and cheer. They were finally in! They all grabbed their supplies and raced towards the hill. After clipping her weapons back to her belt and back, Felicity turned to the guard, "Fanks again."

He smiled and nodded, "You're a peculiar one, Knopsnider. You'll make it just fine here."

She smiled at him then ran after the others. At the hill, she skidded to a halt at what she saw...

[Flamebird]

It was magnificent.

An entire city, bustling with people. The streets were cluttered with crowds, goods, and traveling carts. The houses were all made of pine and straw, the typical structure for the outskirts of Eiskalt. From their vantage point, they could see the festive town square and massive market system in the center of town.

"As they said," Saburo laughed, "Merchant's paradise! And here are thought all this trouble wouldn't be worth it!"

"Let's go!" Another merchant, a dark skinned man wrapped in a heap of furs, cried. Everyone began their descent into the city... Except Felicity.

She just stood there in awe.

The girl was amazed. Eiskalt never had settlements this big outside the two cities of Tyranta and Unum, which she never saw with her own eyes. This place, unlike the scrap of struggling village she grew up in, was thriving. Even the streets seemed clean. Felicity's eyes were wide, but a smile crossed her face.

She just may have been right to come here.

She chased after her traveling companions into the city.

~~~

The aromas of fresh pine logs and valuable spices, the awe inspiring sights of Eiskaltian metal ore and dire wolf hides. Oh, the feelings of excitement upon placing a hand on the hilt of a steel longsword. The explosion of sweetness upon taking a sample of the prized beverages made of winter berries. Eiskalt's grand market was an incredible thing to experience. It had everything from cuisine to fashion lines to farming equipment to weapons. Of course, the Bazaar of Corone still beat this by a long rate, but Stahl City's market made a plague stricken third world country look like paradise.

Felicity herself was scanning through a section of paintings by an independent artist. Many of them featured mountain ranges and wild beasts. If Felicity had a house to put them in, she would totally buy a portrait. The somber, lose colors of blues and white made up a blurry background of snow and ice while the sharp, yellow eyes of a large wildcat glared through the storm. It was literally the eyes of the storm.

Knopsnider turned to leave the shop, leaving footprints on the dirt ground. She drew an animal fur curtain open and stepped outside. As the brisk of the chilly winds and the smell of rich, boar roasts hit her, she looked across the market streets. She was so busy scanning the market though, she was caught off guard when Saburo tapped her shoulder.

The halfling lightly jumped, eyes widening as she sharply snapped her head towards him. He was now covered head to toe in layers of fur coats, as the tall desert dweller was unused to Eiskalt's bitter cold.

The Fallien born merchant smiled, "Hey, kid."

Felicity smiled at him, but said nothing.

"Are you sure you don't want pay for your help? I appreciated your assistance on the way here."

Felicity shook her head, "Just getting me here was all I needed, captain, thank you."

His knowing eyes, full of intellect, sparkled, "If it's more adventure you desire, I found something you might want to look at."

Felicity's own green eyes were locked on him.

The merchant could not lift his arm very well, but looked towards the left street and nodded towards it, "There is a bounty board only a block from here. Several bounty hunters, big and gruff, are over there. Can't miss it."

Felicity couldn't help but feel excitement over the news. While she did not plan on being a bounty hunter forever, maybe one or two runs would give her a good look around her old home - and enough action to make her forget recent events.

The teen smiled fondly at the captain, "Thank you so much."

Saburo chuckled, "As this is the last time I may see you in a while, I wish you good luck."

Felicity resisted the urge to hug the merchant she had bonded with these last two weeks. She saluted him instead, "I will, sir. Thank you, sir."

Saburo nodded to her, the warm smile that shone like Fallien's sun never fading, "Good luck." And he turned and walked away.

Felicity's smile fell slowly as Saburo disappeared amongst the sea of people. She was alone again.

The emptiness inside her could not be described.

The hope of drowning her sorrows in adventure pushed her to take the walk down to the bounty board... but she could not stop a single tear from trickling down her cheek.

[Flamebird]

A single tent was a lot more noticeable than the rest due to the ruffians and mercenaries standing inside the open entrance. As the snow continued to coat everything it fell upon, Felicity entered the fur tent.

A group of roughly ten bounty hunters of various races and descent were under the large canopy of animal skin. Once again, the pleasant odor of pine was ever present. At the end of the tent, several boards with a plethora of papers were posted. Felicity grinned and went up to take a look.

Various missions like escorts from one town to another and even assassinations were there. Still, Felicity scanned through the notices until a mission would catch her interest.

As she read the board, arms crossed in a business like manner, a blond high elf also walked up to find missions. While Felicity did not take much notice of him, he noticed her.

"Hey, little girl, want some candy?"

A circus tent's worth of laughter erupted throughout the area. While Felicity's red face confirmed she knew what was going on, she was used to being the laughing stock. She rolled her eyes and returned to reading the wrinkled papers, ignoring everything.

Several moments of silence, and the elf growled, "Hey, kid."

Felicity did not bat an eye.

The wood elf reached out and grabbed her arm, yanking her away from the boards, "Hey!"

Felicity's eyes did not show a tinge of fear. She just looked upon his scarred face, her own dead serious, "Yeah?"

The elf glared, "What's a kid doing here?"

That feeling in her spine told her they were the center of attention in the tent. Realizing there would be no easy way out of this one, she sighed. She crossed her arms again, eyes narrowed, "In Eiskawtian standeds I'm two yeaws into aduwthood."

The elf started laughing, "Wow, she can't even talk right..."

Once again, Felicity's face went red. This guy was really starting to push her buttons. The half human took a good look at him. He was stout but slender, typical of an elf, and obviously was in good shape. He wore scraps of boiled leather armor however, and kept a single hand in a half sword strapped to his waist. Perhaps, for an elf, he was not the greatest of warriors.

Just a stupid bully? Typical. Felicity decided she was willing to take chances. She reached down with one hand and slowly tapped one of her arming swords, still in the sheath, "You wanna test me?"

The elf continued laughing, "Yeah, try and fight me, little girl!"

Realizing what was about to take place, the crowd around them cleared the center of the shaded tent. The dirt floor could possibly be stained with blood if this continued...

The flame headed teen raised an eyebrow, "de bigger they 'ah, de hawda dry faw."

The elf smirked, "We shall see, kid, we shall see."

He instantly drew his two bladed sword and swung at her.

[Flamebird]

Felicity ducked away from the iron blade, taking several steps away from the elf, towards the open center of the tent, and drawing one of her steel swords. Adrenaline rushed through her body, she realized this was her first time engaging someone in combat since...

- No time to look back on her cousin's death now, no time to hesitate. The elf lunged at her again, attempting an obvious stab at the gut. Felicity swerved to the side, bringing her own sword down in a lock.

As the two weapons screeched from the pressure, the other mercenaries around them started picking sides, most of them rooting for the high elf. A female dark elf with purple skin, however, seemed unwilling to take the side of a natural enemy, "Beat him up, kid!" The axe user shouted.

As the elf was obviously stronger, he shoved her off easily. Felicity's eyes darted, she threw as many strikes as she could at the elf, aiming to keep him occupied.

As her opponent blocked the strikes, Felicity pulled out her second arming sword. Caught off guard, the bounty hunter was too slow to react as his iron blade was caught between Felicity's twin swords. Remembering a technique directly passed down from her former teacher, the girl swerved the blades rapidly, causing the weapon to fall out of the elf's grubby hand.

*Thud.* The sound was low and heavy, a cloud of dust rising from the impact. Felicity smirked and unpredictably raised her leg next, completely knocking the confused mercenary back. Felicity quickly slid her weapons into their sheaths and raced up to him. Getting on top of him, Felicity started punching him with her bare fists, finally unleashing her inner anger.

Now everybody was laughing - and at the elf receiving the wams across the head. The dark elf seemed to be a fan herself, laughing hysterically and cheering merrily.

At last, the elf raised his hands in the stop sign, "Stop! I'm done!"

As feisty as she was when she was enraged, Felicity stopped herself from throwing another punch. The blond had a bleeding nose, blood trickling from his mouth, and even bloodshot eyes. The expression of pain and shock on his face said it all: Felicity had won.

Felicity got up, understanding he had learned his lesson. She extended her open (and bloodied) hand to help him get up. He did not accept though, wide eyes glancing at the jeering crowd of fellow sword for hires.

"A high elf, so powerful and proficient in magic beaten by a kid!" The dark elf laughed.

Humiliated, the high elf got up and silently left the room.

[Flamebird]

As the elf left, Felicity sighed. She was completely fine with that jerk learning some dignity, but at the same time... the blood on her hands...

An exhausted, almost hopeless expression crossed her face, she placed her arm against her hot, large forehead. Despise the fight having been the central attention of the entire tent, everyone slipped back to their own businesses... all but one person.

A voice, steady and welcoming, came from behind the teen, "I must say, you fought him well."

Felicity pulled her arm down, blood that was not her own dripping from her fingers, and slowly turned to see a skinny but healthy looking man walking up to her from the cloudy crowd. He seemed to be in his mid thirties, and seemed to be Eiskaltian. Indeed, his pale skin and dark hair was common amongst Eiskalt's citizens. His black hair reached down to his upper back, but was neatly combed. His green eyes and warm smile made him appear welcoming enough. Felicity could only stare at him though, she had fought brutally.

Oh thayne, what the haides am I coming to??

Catching onto her weariness, the man spoke again, "An outsider, I presume?"

"Um..." Felicity was confused on what to say. This was her first time in Eiskalt, the place she was born of, in nine years - over half her lifetime! She also considered Corone her true home. However, she was still born in Eiskalt... to a human and a more archaic lineage...

"Where else does one get red hair like that around here?" The man commented, reaching and harmlessly flicking her braid.

That pretty much decided it for her. No way was a single hint of her half breed blood reaching him. "Cowone."

The man's eyes lit up in understanding, "Ah, I see."

The Eiskaltian reached into a grey fur bag, hung on his side, and pulled out a red towel. He handed it to her, obviously to remove the blood on her hands, and moved onto the next thing, "Well, as it turns out, I was coming here to post something on the bounty board. Walking into that fight though, I think you're the one."

Felicity was still drying her crimson oozed hands with the towel. She did keep her eyes on his though as she pressed the rough cloth against her skin. "What kinda job you got?"