Chapter 1: A Cold Kalrosian Morning
The sharp pop of a nearby cauldron awoke Nate from his sleep. He had always found it easy to fall asleep near the roaring fires of his brewery. Rubbing his eyes he looked at a small pocket watch from his close friend Firefrostdragon. “Ah, shit!” He sighed. This would be the 3rd batch of Golden mead he had botched in the last week. Time always seemed to slip away from him while brewing, one minute he’d be dumping ingredients into a cauldron to boil the next he’d wake up to a chest full of alcohol. He’d been brewing in Kalros for quite some time, building his stockpile and enjoying tours of the nearby towns. “6 am? Guess I still have time to catch the sunrise” he murmured to himself. Grabbing a spade from a nearby chest, he dug away the patch of snow that covered his entrance only to find the friendly face of ChessLlama staring back at him. “Oh hi Nate!” he exclaimed. “Dude, it’s 6 in the morning, what the heck are you doing here?” “Just thought I’d stop by and drop off a couple of beetroot seeds, check on my friend, nothing new.” Chess said happily. ChessLlama was one of the few Lokans who knew the location of Nate’s nomad base, as he was a supporter of the arts and a brewer himself. “Beetroot seeds huh? Your generosity is appreciated as usual. Why don’t you come in and have a drink?” “You know I’m not a drinker Nate. Especially at 6 am!” laughed Chess. “That’s fair,” Nate said, stepping out of his cozy home and into the biting cold of the Kalros morning. “It’s on mornings like these when I really wish I knew how to brew coffee!” Nate exclaimed through chattering teeth.
Gazing up at the rising sun reminded him of simpler times when he lived in Haru Nova. God how he missed the place. Although it couldn’t rival the majesty of towns like Silverhand or Eldritch, nor could it boast the complexity of Auru or Hilo, it was a quaint place filled with fond memories of his experiences on Loka. He and his town mates would get up early just to watch the sunrise before setting to work with the daily business of the town. Back then he had a purpose, and something worth fighting for. It had become harder to get out of bed in the mornings, his motivation seemingly nonexistent. Chess must have noticed he was starting to zone out because he was looking at him with a puzzled expression. “You alright Natey?” “Yeah, all good here” replied Nate with a fake smile. “You know you're always welcome in Spectros right?” “Of course Chess, but I'm happy where I'm at right now.” “Sure,” said Chess with a slightly dejected expression on his face “but if you're interested my door is always open. Although I should probably head back, it's a long flight and my town members might get suspicious.” “Thanks, Chess,” said Nate with a smile on his face. With one last look, Chess took a running leap, the wings of his elytra spread casting a bird-like shadow on the ground, and he vanished into the mountains.
Walking down the stairs into his base, Nate cracked open Grubul's book and thumbed through its pages before coming to rest on a favorite of his, Fine Sake. Smiling, he gently closed the book and placed it upon a nearby shelf. Looking in his chest, Nate realized he was out of seeds. Advancing quickly into the next room, Nate began the tedious process of harvesting the wheat he had planted. Nate began to lose himself in his work, his mind slowly drifting towards Haru Nova. He and his town mates had established the order of the Servants of Time there, as they had always had a firm belief in time’s ability to change circumstances. Nate had always been particularly fascinated with the Sun. It brought light upon the world everyday and it was the very thing that time was based on. The Sun was the giver of life and was to be treated as such. “Damn,” he muttered to himself,”That's what the king always taught me.” His former king, of course, was Preksak or perhaps a clone. Since regaining his memory, Nate began to realize how much of Presak’s philosophies had rubbed off on him. The guy was a father to him! Yet it seemed the people of Loka hated him with a passion, that much had become clear early on in his studies. His allegiance had always been shaky since he arrived. The Elder Cryptite had always been kind to him, even sharing a personal conversation occasionally, but Preksak was his king and his allegiance should lie with him. Quickly removing the thought from his head, Nate began to work on brewing his prized sake. Of all the things that had changed for Nate in the past 7 months, he kept one thing constant, his love of the sun. Smiling to himself, he picked a piece of scrap paper and inscribed the words, “Praise the Sun!” before tacking it above his bed. With that, Nate pulled the finished sake out of the distillery and stepped outside, smiling at the sun.
