Chapter 1 – Vesha Reolindo
The darkness of the room slowly dissipated once the holograph from the bed-
Light flooded gradually into the room from the window, as if the drapes had been lazily opened by some unseen hand, to reveal colourful gardens sloping down to a panoramic view of the shimmering waters of the lake.
The slumbering figure stirred, lazily stretched out her arms and then opened her eyes as her parents’ voices continued to beseech her: “Vesha, wake up. It’s time you were up.”
Vesha turned her head to watch the display for a moment, a sense of sadness sweeping over her, as it always did, though with slightly less intensity these days. Mum and dad were gone, snatched away from her by an avalanche five years ago. She occasionally considered changing the holograph display to use a less painful subject but, despite that pain, the familiar images and the sounds of her parents voices gave comfort, and helped to make her feel less alone.
The young woman brushed away a tear that threatened to trickle onto her cheek, and managed a contented smile before reaching across to silence the voices and then swing her legs over the side of the bed.
She glanced out of the window to check on the weather, and a wistful smile played around her lips. No matter what the weather, the tranquillity of the scene was guaranteed to raise her spirits – despite the fact that although there really was a lake out there, it was not visible from her home. Nor in fact were there actually any windows.
Throughout Dallishes Land, her homeland, and indeed on all the continents of Epho, domestic accommodation was usually built below ground, partly to preserve the natural look of the surrounding countryside, but mainly to take advantage of sub-
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