From the Ashes: A Post-Apocalyptic LitRPG (Ashen Realm Book 3), page 1
From 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
66. Chapter 66
67. Chapter 67
Afterword
About the author
Also by
Chapter 1
Stepping out of the portal, I find Marie already standing in front of the large congregation of villagers. Her arm is raised as she draws their attention.
“Listen up!” she shouts. “We are first going to settle in the animals. After that, you will take the houses nearest the fields. They have been renovated and brought up to code for your tenancy.”
Looking around the crowd, she finds me in the back and waves for me to join her. Leaving Sora and Riley behind, I fight through the crowd, and step up next to Marie. Her charcoal gray body standing starkly against my white mana filled one. If we aren’t the oddest pairing in my sight, I don’t know who is.
Some of the villagers shine with vibrant mana but I know that can be misleading. Like Briar, a number of them have darker skin. The ones I remember having white skin are tanned and freckled from the years in the sun.
I guess I don’t notice it anymore, but the human race is varied in skin color and mana possibilities. When you only see things through a filter, you lose sight of what everyone is like. It’s the biggest downfall of my new vision.
Marie speaking up draws me back in. “Ole here is the Commander of the Knights of the Ashes, and currently rules over this small town,” Marie starts, raising her voice so all can hear her. “He’s set aside money for each of you. Currently, we only have gold coins, but they will work in this town or the human realm. If you have need for supplies, find me and I’ll add it to the supply trip. Your gold will go a long way in the human realm, remember that.”
Leaning in I whisper. “They are going to be overwhelmed. How do you want to hand out the funds?”
Marie glances at me. “I’ll figure it out. We’ll take this slowly, but everything will work out in the end.”
Teressa fights to the front of the group, bringing Riley with her. “A lot of us are tired and hungry, can we get this over with?”
Nodding, Marie waves for everyone to follow her. “I have food in each of your houses already, and the stoves work. There’s a barrel of water for each of you for the time being. Fresh water will be up and running within the week, so bear with us.”
A few of the villagers mumble while they look around. Their whispers carry over to me, and I listen to a few of them awing over the sights.
“I thought this place would be dreary?”
“They sky is so blue!”
“The air smells clean. I thought the Ashen Realm was supposed to be oppressive?”
A few more comments along those lines drift over to me, but I quickly ignore them as we travel towards the fields. Looking ahead, I marvel at the barn that has been erected since I’ve been over this way. The fenced in pasture takes up a few acres of land, and grass is growing tall in the breezy air.
“When did all of this happen?” I ask.
Marie chuckles. “I’ve been having quite a bit of things happening around here. I’m busy, remember.”
Frowning, I give her a look. “If you are that busy, you can ask for help.”
“Nonsense. This is what I live for, Ole. I love being this busy, although you need to find time to meet with me again. We have much to go over.”
Nodding, I sigh and give in. “If this is what you want, I won’t stop you. But after we settle everyone down, we need to meet with Rachel and Henry. They need to be filled in.”
Looking over our shoulders, we find Rachel fighting to the front of the crowd. She gives Marie a worried look, but when Marie holds up her hand and gently shakes her head, Rachel calms down.
Moving to the gate, I help Marie open up the pasture. “Bring the animals in!” I call out.
The shepherds and farmers quickly bring the animals from the back. Cows, chickens, and sheep all walk past in an organized manner. The chickens are led to a coop near the barn where they happily start making themselves at home.
The sheep and cows are content to graze in the tall grass before wandering into the barn. The farmers will help them settle in later, but I have a feeling Marie already has everything they need to start milking and sheering the animals. I’m no expert, but I think it won’t be long before we have fresh beef to supplement our diets.
“Okay!” Marie calls out. Shutting the gate, she makes sure it’s secured before turning down the street. “We are currently on the edge of our civilized territory. The fields are down this street, and you will all be in charge of them. You will be assisted by our nature mages who will help teach you how to tap into your magic and get you started on growing food quicker. It’ll take a few weeks, but I know you all can do it.”
“Magic?” someone asks.
Looking over the crowd, I find the man stepping forward.
“Yes, magic,” I tell him gently. Holding up my hand, I snap my fingers and summon a ball of flames. “Normally we would go over an initiation for all of this information, but time is short. My mages will teach you everything you need to know to better your farms and raise crops at amazing speeds.”
“How did you do that?” the man asks again.
“Greg!” Teressa yells. “Get back in line! They will explain everything tomorrow!”
Bowing his head, the man retreats. Chuckling, I turn back towards Marie. The patiently waiting Guild Master waves for everyone to follow her.
“The houses on our right—” she pauses to point them out. “—Are directly across from the fields and pastures. These will be your homes, and they stretch down nearly this entire side of town. There are a lot of fields, and you will be joined by more farmers in the coming weeks. Tomorrow I’ll be meeting with you to talk about how to sell your crops and how much you get to keep for yourselves.”
When a few people move to argue with her, she holds up her hand. “Trust me, my terms are more than fair. But this town is only going to get by if we all work together. Currently this is the safest place in the world for you. Even safer than the human realm.”
Settling down, the farmers step back with their families. I don’t know how Marie is going to balance all of this work with her research and guild administration, but this woman is amazing.
“Start picking houses!” Marie calls out. “Each house has three bedrooms, and two floors. That’s plenty of room for your families. Use today to settle in and eat. If you need more food, come to the bunker, and I’ll be happy to supply you with what you need. In the next few days, a shop will be open that will sell food directly to you.”
“You have this all planned out, don’t you?” I comment.
Smirking, Marie winks at me before waving her hands for every
“Aiding me?” I ask.
Smiling wider, she nods. “I never thought I would be happy to say this, but you opened me up to a whole new world. I believe it was the god of fate that brought us together.”
“Which god was that again?”
“Furion. The male heir to the heavenly realms. I’m surprised you don’t worship him.”
Chuckling, I shake my head. “I don’t know much about the gods. All I know is that I was abandoned in this world, and not once did I ever see them helping me.”
“Really?” Marie asks. “They didn’t give you sight right after you lost yours. They didn’t bring Sora into your life when you needed her most? You have the love of two women, and an exciting future before you, and all you can say is that they haven’t helped you?”
Opening my mouth, I find that I’m lost for words.
Laughing, Marie pats my back. “It’s okay, Ole. But faith is important in life. Furion has watched over you for years now. Fate has guided you to me, and to the girls. He’s restored your sight and brought you to a strength that surpasses the greatest humans. You’re meant to change the world, and I’m going to be by your side every step of the way.”
“This is a heavy topic,” I chuckle as Marie smiles up at me.
“I’m just trying to lighten your life.”
As the last of the villagers make their way to their new homes, my party rejoins me. Sora and Riley are standing with their arms crossed, looking down on a smiling Ashe.
“Why would you leave him by our side?” Riley asks, her exasperated tone and new scratch marks on her armor show that she was trying to hold him back.
Jumping forward, Ashe stands up on my chest, licking my face with ease. “You’re getting big. What are you, nine feet long now?”
Nodding, Ashe yips once and I look over his body. Sure enough, with his tail stretched out, he reaches nine feet. About three and a half of that is his tail, but that hasn’t grown much compared to his body. When he stands up on his back legs, her reaches my face and can now cover me in slobber as he shows me love.
“Did you have fun fighting with me?” I ask.
Nodding again, Ashe yips before hopping down. He looks over Riley and Sora before rubbing up against both of them.
“I think he’s really taken to you two.”
Riley scratches around his ears. “That’s because he knows we are good for you.”
Sora smirks, “Well I am. I’m not sure about the shifty one next to me.”
Shaking my head, I dismiss the girls' antics in order to turn to Henry. “Are you joining our guild?”
Nodding, he pulls Rachel to the front. “We both are. But we have many questions about what’s going on around here.”
Marie steps forward and holds out her arms for her niece. Rushing forward, Rachel wraps her arms around the charcoal woman while shining with her own orange light. Those two couldn’t be more different if they tried.
“I bet Rachel learns fire magic,” I mumble.
Everyone turns towards me.
“Did I say that too loudly?” I ask.
Sora laughs. “Just a little. Why do you think she will learn fire magic?”
“She has orange mana. She’s bright like flames.”
Looking over her body, Rachel frowns. “Sir, I don’t feel orange.”
My laugh starts off small before Sora and Riley join me. Marie covers her mouth while giggling, while holding Rachel’s hand with her free hand.
“There’s a lot to break down for you two,” I start, after calming myself down. “We should retreat to the bunker and get you two settled into a private room. Do you want to live together?”
Rachel quickly nods. “He’s stuck with me.”
Henry’s eyes quickly dart to Marie before he gulps. “If that’s okay with you, ma’am…”
Marie eyes him carefully through slitted lids. “I’ll be watching you…”
Rachel smacks Marie’s arm. “Don’t scare my man!” Crossing her arms, she huffs.
Shaking her head, Marie starts walking towards the bunker. “If you don’t keep up, you won’t be getting in.”
Rachel quickly hurries after her aunt while pulling Henry with her. Now that they are reunited, we can finally sit down and discuss everything that’s been happening these last few years. I wonder how much of it is going to shock Henry. What has he had to go through with Niel?
There are so many questions, but I feel like we don’t have enough time today to talk over everything. I can only hope that we will soon be able to go on an adventure together and really share what this world is like.
Before I’m able to follow my friends, Sora and Riley step up to either side of me. Each of the girls grab one of my hands before glaring at each other. But after a few seconds, they both nod and start smiling. Whatever agreement they just came to is beyond my understanding.
Looking over my shoulder, I find Briar taking up his position behind me with Ashe. The duo smile when they notice me watching them. I have quite the party of friends, and now that Henry is back in my life, I feel like my family is complete.
Chapter 2
The feeling of completeness lasts only a short moment. As we enter the bunker, I find myself surrounded by guild members asking what’s going on.
“What happened out there?”
“Where did the farmers come from?”
“What mess have you started this time?”
That last question comes from Paul, my local eighteen-year-old that ran the crew out of Ula.
Holding up my hands, I find Marie waving goodbye to me as she pulls Rachel away. Riley goes with them, following her brother, while Briar, Sora, and Ashe wait with me.
“Slow down everyone,” I call out. “What rumors have you heard?”
“That we’re going to war!”
“We’re abandoning the human realm!”
“That there are intelligent Ashen!”
My jaw drops when I listen to their shouting. “Let’s move this to the dining hall!” Clapping my hands, I gather everyone’s attention.
Sora crosses her arms, her eyes narrow dangerously as she leaks a threatening aura; daring anyone to linger after I issue my command. One look at the angel is enough to spark fear in even the most veteran adventurer and they quickly funnel out of the hall.
Taking up the rear, I’m the last to enter the hall, and promptly find Marie sitting with her niece, Riley, and Henry. And much to my surprise, I find Wendy and Brad also sitting with them. All six of them are deep in conversation while they snack on trays that they collected from Randy’s cooks.
Slowly, members of the guild funnel into the dining hall. Even the researchers and crafters come out of their shops to find out what’s going on. That’s when I’m met with my second big surprise. Our guild has grown. We have over two hundred members now and most of them seem to be crafters. I didn’t even know Marie had spread word to this many people.
“Listen up!” I call out. Walking over until I’m on the end of the three long tables, I look over the crowd. Mixtures of fear, excitement and concern adorn the faces of my guild.
“All of you have questions. I’ll answer them as best I can.” Pausing, I wait for them to nod. “Okay! To start, we are at war right now with the Knights of the Blue Order. That’s no surprise. We’ve also drawn the attention of the other big guilds, and they are threatening to shut down our operations.
“That brings me to the second question. Yes, we are abandoning the human realm. It won’t happen for a few months, so if there is any family that you want moved here, I’ll be setting up a portal to Highpoint by the end of the day. Just like you, they won’t be charged for their houses or a place to sleep. Just make sure they can contribute to the town.”
Slowing my pace, I look over the crowd and wait for reactions. When a few people stand up, I call out to them. “Questions?”
They all nod.
“Why are the other guilds fighting us?”
Before another question can be asked, I answer this one. “They learned that we are willing to bring technology to the humans. For some reason, they don’t want that, and they want the world to remain unchanged. Our goal as a guild is to remove the Ashen for good.
“Naturally we are clashing with those that are in power and don’t want that. But they can’t hurt us here. They don’t know where we are, and they can’t open portals like I can.”
