Crown of Sunlight

Chapter 1

 Westin

Writhia, 5219

Ettria

"We found the girl, Your Highness."

General Westin Airoldi's low voice echoed ominously off the marble walls of the king's private study. At his side was a young girl, no older than a child. She was dressed in rags, and her long, light-brown hair was matted with dirt. In front of them stood a large ebony desk, behind which sat the regal silhouette of the King of Ettria. Shadows obscured his face, and all Westin and the child could see were the king's pale hands clasped in front of him.

The girl's narrow frame shook with fear, but, to Westin's surprise, her eyes remained dry. He had brought many a weeping citizen to stand before the king, but it would seem this girl had more courage than some full-grown adults. He watched as the small girl looked around the room with large eyes, taking in the black marble floor and the black silk drapes that covered the windows. The far wall was covered in bookshelves, upon which stone beasts watched their every move. The king's penchant for dark colors often made people see him as more intimidating than he actually was.

The king stood and strode around the desk, the shadows receding to reveal a tall, slender man with a small smile. Westin thought there was something off about that smile, but before he ponder it any longer, the thought was swept away like a leaf in a current.

He shook his head refocused on the king.

Westin often thought that King Azmodeous seemed carved from living marble; the angular planes of his face were smooth and pale but fixed, calling to mind the appearance of a statue.

"Tell me your name, child," the king purred, his voice a deep baritone. Westin felt the girl stiffen beside him and he brushed her arm with his hand to reassure her that he was there. Though Westin was rather large and the undefeated general of the king's armies, he knew that he appeared less intimidating than royalty.

The girl remained silent, too nervous to speak. She would learn in time that King Azmodeous wasn't as hard as he appeared.

"Her name is Zoë Leoni," the general said for her. "A drifter from the Wastes, Your Highness." Westin couldn't hide the curiosity in his voice as he wondered what the king needed the girl for.

The king leaned over the girl, so close that she had to crane her neck to look at his face. "Do you know who I am?" he asked. His voice was soft and unthreatening, yet the girl shook with fear, her small form seeming to flicker in and out of existence. When she shook her head, the king smiled a gentle smile. "I am Azmodeous Moreau, King of Ettria. I've heard that you have a very special Gift. I've had General Airoldi here scour the land, looking for someone like you."

Young Zoë had a very rare Gift, one that was almost impossible to find. This small girl was a Traveler, someone who possessed the ability to jump between worlds. There were many alternate realities stacked up against their own, and Travelers were the bridges between those realities. They were the only ones who were capable of walking that divide. Not to mention, they were capable of teleporting within their own reality. All they had to do was picture where they wanted to go, like something out of the fairy tales of old. Westin hadn't even heard of someone with this Gift since he was a small child.

"I have need of your Gift," the king explained in his soft voice. "In exchange for your help, I am willing to offer you a home here, with me. All the food you can eat, toys to play with, and a room all to yourself. Painted in your favorite color if you so wish. All you have to do is help me help my kingdom. Do you think you can do that?"