Aethernea : Soulbound [Book 1]

Episode 13 - Hot Pot

Guys, I want you to know that I am currently on vacation (at my mom's and dad's place near the sea) and have limited access to the internet so I can't answer your comments and messages much. I still love you guys and the comments you are leaving. They make my heart warm <3

Don't worry about the releases though. :) I am writing Aethernea on my laptop even more now that I am on vacation, and the regular release schedule won't be interrupted (the mall has free wifi :P) 

Previously on Aethernea:

By the time Kiel was done signing up for Ashar University entrance exams the night was already falling. Elaru leads Kiel to a small inn - Hot Pot, whose owners she seems to know. However, there is only one room with one bed available, and they have to share.

* * *

By the time Kiel came up to the attic, Elaru had already unlocked the room and entered. The sturdy doors to the room were enchanted to open only with the right magic key. Kiel didn't expect a small tavern to have such an enchantment.

And it wasn't just the door that was enchanted. As his mind probed the surroundings, he noticed that the walls had a sound isolating magic array formation set up. It would make sure no sound entered or exited the room, giving them utmost privacy.

The night had just fallen, and there was not much light coming through the windows, however, the room was bathed in a warm light coming from many yellow crystals embedded in the ceiling.

Not bad, not bad at all.

It was probably safe enough to leave their belongings here while they ate dinner. And Kiel could also relax knowing no one would be able to hear him being an ass.

As he entered the room, he was still busy contemplating how he would solve this issue of a single bedchamber. Elaru was too impulsive and didn't care for etiquette and social norms.

His thoughts paused when he saw the insides of the room. The room was filled with wooden furniture and had a very warm and pleasant feel to it. Just like the rest of Hot Pot. But that wasn't what surprised him. What surprised him was that the room was filled with mementos, books, and personal items. It didn't look like a room one would expect to find in an inn.

Well, Kiel had never been in an inn before, but still, this was not what he expected the room to look like.

The room was...special, too personal. It looked like a room of a teenage girl.

"What is going on? Who is that woman to you? Is this your room?" Kiel's eyes narrowed as he looked at Elaru.

She gave him a bitter smile. "This room is not for rent. It used to belong to Mira's daughter. But now, this is the place I stay at when I am in Ashar."

Kiel raised his eyebrow, urging her to elaborate. Her face showed a tinge of sadness.

"A few years back, a sudden battle broke out between mages that took the lives of a few innocent bystanders. Mira's daughter had been in the wrong place at the wrong time."

"Oh." He didn't know what to say. He wasn't good at comforting people. "Did you know her?"

Elaru shook her head. "Not really. She worked as a waitress in Hot Pot, so I did exchange a few words with her, but I didn't really know her. After the accident, in the resulting chaos, the perpetrators slipped away and covered their tracks. The peacekeepers couldn't find them, and since those that lost their lives had no social status, peacekeepers in charge of the investigation weren't granted enough funds to hire a tracker. Mira and her husband couldn't rest until those responsible for it were punished so they put up a quest asking for someone to find the culprits."