Through the Ashes: A Post-Apocalyptic LitRPG (Ashen Realm Book 1), page 1
Through the Ashes
S.D. McKittrick
Copyright © 2024 by S.D. McKittrick
All rights reserved.
No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods, without the prior written permission of the publisher, except as permitted by U.S. copyright law. For permission requests, contact S.D. McKittrick
The story, all names, characters, and incidents portrayed in this production are fictitious. No identification with actual persons (living or deceased), places, buildings, and products is intended or should be inferred.
Book Cover by Muhammed Kaleem
Contents
1. Chapter 1
2. Chapter 2
3. Chapter 3
4. Chapter 4
5. Chapter 5
6. Chapter 6
7. Chapter 7
8. Chapter 8
9. Chapter 9
10. Chapter 10
11. Chapter 11
12. Chapter 12
13. Chapter 13
14. Chapter 14
15. Chapter 15
16. Chapter 16
17. Chapter 17
18. Chapter 18
19. Chapter 19
20. Chapter 20
21. Chapter 21
22. Chapter 22
23. Chapter 23
24. Chapter 24
25. Chapter 25
26. Chapter 26
27. Chapter 27
28. Chapter 28
29. Chapter 29
30. Chapter 30
31. Chapter 31
32. Chapter 32
33. Chapter 33
34. Chapter 34
35. Chapter 35
36. Chapter 36
37. Chapter 37
38. Chapter 38
39. Chapter 39
40. Chapter 40
41. Chapter 41
42. Chapter 42
43. Chapter 43
44. Chapter 44
45. Chapter 45
46. Chapter 46
47. Chapter 47
48. Chapter 48
49. Chapter 49
50. Chapter 50
51. Chapter 51
52. Chapter 52
53. Chapter 53
54. Chapter 54
55. Chapter 55
56. Chapter 56
57. Chapter 57
58. Chapter 58
59. Chapter 59
60. Chapter 60
61. Chapter 61
62. Chapter 62
63. Chapter 63
64. Chapter 64
65. Chapter 65
Afterword
About the Author
Chapter 1
I don’t want to feel. I don’t want the knowledge of what he did. Can I just go back to this morning?
My fingertips touch the outside edge of my eyelid and rub the fresh blood that is still seeping from my wounds. The scent of copper, iron, and rust fills my senses. It’s all around me; pervading, unadulterated, fresh. It covers my face, my chest, and my hands.
Gathering my courage, I move the last tiny bit. The edge of the wound starts near my temple and runs to my tear duct, and across the bridge of my nose. I follow the slash mark and the tender flesh, as I feel my eyelids peel apart. The organ underneath is no longer present.
Inflamed flesh pulses under my touch and I follow the mimicking wound on my other eye. The raw, burning pain; the memory of a knife being dragged across me, and his hands holding me down still haunt me.
He took them from me. He took everything from me. I’m dying. I’m going to die here.
Strangely I don’t feel panic. I feel sad. The melancholy of missing my friends is settling in. Riley and her sweet smile. The marvelous scent of strawberries every time her red hair swishes from side to side. The sight of her bronze skin, warm from the sun as we ran around together, always causing trouble for the village.
Henry, and his golden blonde hair. The frown he always wore when he chased after Riley and me. Always tagging along, making sure we didn’t cause too much damage.
But secretly, we wanted him with us. He was an inspiration to Riley and me. His ability to find game trails, and hunt down anything with more than two legs, or even our feathered friends, was amazing.
Yes, the three of us ran together from dawn to dusk nearly every day. Their mother made sure I was fed, and we made sure there was meat to cook each night.
The thought of what that family is going to go through when I don’t come back will haunt me. Will they have enough food. Will Riley still make her poultices, and cures for the villagers? Will Henry continue to feed the orphans like me?
I don’t know. I just don’t know.
The hard ground instills pain into my back as I shift over the stone. My legs are numb from laying for so long. How long was I out? Where are the monsters?
There are too many questions. The breeze is still blowing across my skin, and I can still feel the sun warming my skin, so I couldn’t have been out long. But where is that bastard? The man that did this to me.
A spark of hate takes hold in my heart. A mere ember that burns into the kindling that I’ve piled up. My thoughts. My emotions. They’re raw. The man I trusted most has left me for dead.
I don’t want to die. I want to see my friends again. I want to go home.
I feel like I should be crying, but nothing can be produced from my ravaged eyes. My head feels heavy. My thoughts are sluggish while I try to feel the world around me.
To my right, the scent of iron seems stronger. Reaching out, I feel around gently with my numb fingers. Wood. Wood meets my touch. The familiar smooth handle of my trusty knife.
Inching my fingers closer, I feel my way up the weapon. The metal feels cool against my skin and the edge cuts through a layer of flesh before I pull away. Hissing in pain, I pull my fingers to my lips and taste the blood that trickles from my thumb.
“It’s— It’s still… Here.” My lips feel chapped, and my voice broken.
I long for water. The sweet, refreshing, life-giving, water. Tasteless and clear. Pulled from the stream or the village well. But I can already feel it. My canteen… Is gone.
But I have the knife still. I have a way to defend myself. I know they are out there. I know they will come for me if I don’t start moving. I can hear them. I can hear their small legs scuttling through the grass.
The Ashen. The monsters that claim this realm. Their smokey brown bodies, and twisted forms that fight the living… eat the living… eat humanity. They invade our world and feast on my kind. But I’m in their realm. I’m in their home. Why did I ever come here?
I’m so stupid…
I know why I’m here. I aged out. I reached adulthood and decided to delve the portals that pop up over the world. Everyone dreams of riches and fortune that the adventurers roll in. I wanted to be like my mother… my father… my brother. I wanted to be like all of them. But he betrayed me. He did this to me.
The ember in my heart ignites the first strand of kindling. I feel its warmth. I feel my anger growing. The hatred is building. My teeth are clenched as I fight my way into a sitting position.
“I need—” Coughing, I nearly choke on my raw throat. “I need to move.”
Trailing my fingers through the dirt, I feel the handle of my knife once more. Carefully, I edge my fingers up its blade and feel for the eight-inch blade on the end.
Only… Only my fingers stop at four. The metal is broken and cracked. Jagged. Destroyed.
A small sob rises in my throat. This weapon. This knife has been with me for years. It was my friend before Riley and Henry. It aided me when I needed it most. Cutting and dressing my kills. Harvesting the herbs that kept me healthy. Fighting off the weak Ashen that threatened my village. Now… Now it’s gone.
No! I can still use it! I must use it!
Grabbing the handle, I lift it from the dirt. The scent of blood will linger. It will make me stronger. I will tear apart my foes and anyone that tries to stop me from leaving this realm. I promised Riley that we would have dinner tonight in celebration, and I’ll be damned if I’m made out to be liar.
With one foot in front of the other, I keep Riley’s smiling face in my mind. I’m sure he’s told you I’m dead. Fuck him! I’m going to prove to you that I’m still alive. I’ll be back soon.
Chapter 2
One day prior
“Ole!” The sweet sound of Riley’s voice fills my ears as I roll over in bed. Her strawberry scent tickles at my senses while I stir under my blankets.
Opening an eye, I find my best friend staring down at me, her hands on her hips while she frowns.
“Are you going to lay in bed all day?”
Closing my eye again, I lift the wool blanket to cover my head. “Yes…”
Grabbing the blankets, Riley pulls them off me before stomping her foot. “The sun is up already! Come on!”
Groaning, I shiver in the morning air. Only in my undergarments and a short sleeve shirt, the cold air blows across my skin, signaling that fall is around the corner.
“A little privacy, please,” I beg.
Laughing, she shakes her head. “I’ve seen you naked plenty of times. Stop being modest and get dressed.”
Grumbling, I point out my
Tossing me the pants, she even goes as far as opening my dresser and picking out thick wool socks and kicking my boots over to me.
“What would you do without me?” she teases.
“Sleep in. Enjoy a peaceful day. Not burn down the forest,” I joke back.
“Hey! That only happened once, and I put out the fire before it damaged anything!”
Chuckling, I slip into my pants, and quickly don my socks and boots. The hard leather has been worn and broken in over the many years before my eighteenth birthday. Which by the way, is today.
“What’s the plan?” I ask.
“Who said there was a plan?” she says throatily. Leaning in, she inches her face closer to mine.
Pushing her away, I start laughing. “Stop teasing me. Now that I’m eighteen, we can’t do anything like kissing.”
Pulling back, she sticks out her bottom lip and starts pouting. “You’re not eighteen until tonight. That means I can still kiss you if I want to.”
I watch her carefully as she inches forward again. When her hands come up, I shift to the side, dodging her as she lunges to tackle me.
“Not this time!” Jumping up, I push her into the bed before stepping towards the door. “If you want that one last kiss, you are going to have to work for it.”
Growling, she hurries off my bed. “Isn’t that supposed to be my line! I should be teasing you!”
Shrugging, I dip out of my room and stand in the living space with the attached kitchen. My hovel only contains the one bedroom that my parents used to share. At least they did before they never came home.
Riley jumps onto my back, tossing her arms around me with vigor. “Got you!”
When I don’t respond, she lets me go and spins me around. “What’s wrong?” she asks.
“Nothing,” I whisper.
“Nothing, my ass! Are you thinking about your parents again?”
Nodding, I move towards the stove.
“You know they would be proud of you. That’s all that matters. You’ve grown into a fine young man that any parent would be proud of. Just look at my mom. She dotes on you, and you know damn well that she treats you like the son she never had.”
Snorting, I ask, “What about Henry?”
Tilting her head, she asks, “What about him?”
“He’s your brother,” I point out.
“I suppose he is.” Tapping her chin, she shrugs before handing me the kindling and a few of the broken-down sticks.
“He’s the son your mother already has,” I laugh.
“Yeah, but you’re more important!” she chirps.
Shaking my head, I start the tinder and kindling on fire with practiced dexterity and the flint.
“Are you hungry?” I ask. Dropping the subject of her brother.
“I know what I want to eat,” she says huskily.
When her arms wrap around me, I’m forced to push her away. “Down girl! You’ll be eighteen in a few months. You can wait until then.”
Groaning, she reluctantly heads to the cupboards and pulls out the oats. “It’s going to feel like ages before we can do more than kissing. Why does this world have that stupid law?”
“Maybe to stop girls like you from getting pregnant before they unlock their attributes and system.”
Ignoring me, she says, “I can’t wait until you unlock your system. I want to know how strong you are going to get. Do you think you will start off with higher-than-average attributes?”
Shrugging, I wait to answer. Taking the oats, I set them aside while pouring some water from the nearby bucket into the pot. Setting it on the stove, I coax the flames to grow a little before adding more wood.
“I don’t care about my attributes as much as the unique skill I’ll get. Everyone’s is different, and I can’t wait to see mine.”
Nodding, her smile beams at me. “You’re going to share it with me, right?!”
Chuckling I nod. “I share everything with you.”
“Everything except a certain part of you,” she teases.
Waving her off, I turn back to my pot. The water is heating nicely, and I just have to wait until it boils.
“Will your brother be there?” she asks softly.
Turning, I notice her head lowered and her tone soft while she thinks of my older brother.
“I’m sure he will be here,” I tell her equally as soft.
Niel—my older brother—was around for the first few years after our parents died. But once he aged out, he set out to become an adventurer just like our parents. Over the years, he’s sent money back to me, helping the village and taking care of my basic goods.
To our surprise, the money has been increasing more and more, and I’ve even been able to save some on the side for the beginning of my own adventure. Like the rest of my family, I plan on heading out once Riley turns eighteen and both of us can adventure together.
With the saved money, we’ll be able to start off with decent gear, and hopefully be able to dive into the lower grade portals that lead to the Ashen Realm. On the other side, we can increase our attributes quickly, and become successful like my brother.
Sulking, Riley asks, “You’re still going to wait for me, right?”
Stepping forward, I wrap my arms around her. “Of course, I’m going to wait for you. Are you insane? We are in this together. Besides, I would probably die out there without your poultices and cures.”
Chuckling, she hugs me back. “Probably. At least you are good with that knife of yours. I still need to pick my weapon of choice.”
Rubbing her back a few more times before stepping away, I add, “I’m not going to stick with the knife. I want to move onto a sword and maybe a shield. I want to protect you and stand at the front lines.”
Smirking, she says, “I get to stare at your butt all the time then.”
Rolling my eyes, I turn back to my pot. The water is boiling gently, and I quickly add the oats. Stirring everything together, I leave the food to boil and cook down. Reaching into the cupboard, I grab two bowls before scrounging up a couple of spoons.
Moving to the table, I set everything down before turning to grab the maple syrup. Just a touch will be enough to sweeten our breakfast.
“Are you listening to me?!” Riley suddenly raises her voice.
Blinking in surprise, I turn to her. “What?”
Huffing, she crosses her arms. “I was telling you how we need to go hunting today. We need meat for tonight. But, no, you weren’t listening to me like normal!”
“I always listen to you!” I argue back.
“Then why were you ignoring me just now? Hmm? If you always listen, why did I need to repeat myself?”
Closing my eyes, I take a deep breath. Letting it out slowly, I say, “There’s just a lot on my mind. This day is going to be hectic. Are you sure you want me in the forest with you?”
“Us,” A smooth voice comes from the door.
Turning, Riley and I smile when we see Henry stepping into my hovel.
“Hey, Henry,” I call out. Opening my arms, I let him step into my hug before we slap each other on the back.
“I’m glad to see that my sister got you up and moving. But don’t tell me the details. It’s bad enough I have to watch her flirt with you openly.”
Laughing, I wave him off. “Did you want me to add more oats for you?”
Shaking his head, he sits at one of the four seats at the table. “I ate with mother. Unlike a certain someone, I could wait until you woke up naturally.”
“He wouldn’t have woken up at all if it wasn’t for me!” Riley argues. Sticking out her tongue at her brother, the red head huffs before sitting down. “Now that you are here, I can’t tease Ole as much.”
Sharing a look with Henry, we both sigh. “She’s a handful,” I mutter.
Henry quickly nods while Riley throws a spoon at me. “Do you want to repeat that?!” she asks harshly.
“Not at all, Dear.”
My little name for her perks her up, and she starts smiling again. Tossing her the spoon back, I stir the oats and give them a few more minutes. While I finish cooking. Riley and Henry argue like the twins that they are. Riley of course, is a few minutes older, but Henry insists that he is the older sibling.
Taking the pot from the stove, I move over to the table and split the oats between the two of us. Riley doesn’t hesitate to sweeten both of our dishes while I put the pot in the sink.
