First Song Read online

  Contents

  Title

  Copyright

  Also by Blaise Corvin

  Dedication

  Foreword

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Chapter 15

  Chapter 16

  Chapter 17

  Chapter 18

  Chapter 19

  Chapter 20

  Chapter 21

  Chapter 22

  Chapter 23

  Chapter 24

  Chapter 25

  Chapter 26

  Chapter 27

  Epilogue

  Book End

  Author's Note

  First Song, Book One

  Anthem of Infinity, Book One

  A Bard Story

  By Blaise Corvin

  First Song, Book One

  An Adom Publishing book

  Copyright ©2018 by Blaise Corvin

  All rights reserved.

  No part of this work may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permission except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles or reviews.

  Names and persons in this eBook are entirely fictional. They bear no resemblance to anyone living or dead.

  Also by Blaise Corvin

  *Note: Some titles are scheduled for launch in 2018 or 2019

  Artifice Universe

  Delvers LLC

  1. Welcome to Ludus

  2. Obligations Incurred

  3. Adventure Capital

  Nora Hazard

  1. Mitigating Risk

  2. Competitive Advantage

  3. Accounts Payable

  Delvers LLC (Cont.)

  4. Golden Handcuffs

  5. Hostile Takeover

  Yggdrasil Universe

  Secret of the Old Ones

  1. Luck Stat Strategy

  2. Airship Privateers

  Written with Outspan Foster

  Anthem of Infinity

  1. First Song, Book One

  2. First Song, Book Two

  3. First Song, Book Three

  For Steve, who is a bad influence, motivating me to spend money on stuff I will probably never use.

  Foreword

  From BC:

  Hello readers! This book is classified as GameLit or RPG GameLit.

  You might be curious what RPG GameLit actually is. GameLit, the larger genre umbrella, is any fiction with game mechanics or that takes place in a game. RPG GameLit is a subgenre of GameLit where stories include some sort of linear progression for characters, significant to the plot of the story. These types of stories have been extremely popular in Russia and other countries where they are called LitRPG. They’re just now making an impact in the West!

  RPG GameLit is usually a funky mix of Fantasy and Sci Fi. The settings can vary, but what most GameLit novels have in common is a world that most gamers can immediately relate to.

  ***

  Anthem of Infinity has been a weird project. Outspan Foster and I decided we wanted to do a series together, and in the process of developing our story, kept brainstorming crazier, more difficult ideas to actually write.

  “A Young Adult, post-apocalypse, bushcraft/preparedness, coming of age, hero’s journey, LitRPG bard story with aliens? Sure why not? Actually, let’s make the MC super unlikeable at first!”

  So…yeah. That’s kind of how it happened. Outspan in particular thrives on a challenge.

  Speaking of Outspan, we’ve known each other from way back during my web serial writing days. He was part of my original writing group, the LitRPG Society, and it’s been really fun to work with him again!

  This story represents a lot of effort, many revisions, and I really hope everyone enjoys it. Please remember to leave a review, even if you only want to post a few words. Every little bit helps!

  ***

  I really had a lot of fun writing this book. If you’d like to visit my website, the URL is http://blaise-corvin.com/

  I also have a writer’s note in the back of the book with a whole mess of links.

  If you’d like to connect with me on Patreon, the link is http://www.patreon.com/BlaiseCorvin.

  My reader group on FB is at http://www.facebook.com/groups/BlaiseCorvinBooks/.

  I hope you enjoy your time with Noah!

  From Outspan Foster:

  The book you are reading was, in scientific terms, a blasty blast to write. It challenged me in every way imaginable—having to turn down fun to stay up all night and finish a chapter, getting haircuts because I might as well since I pulled most of my hair out anyway, and sounding like a crazy person to my friends and family.

  You get the idea.

  But in the end, making the best thing I've ever written with my friend and mentor made the journey more than worth it. Speaking of Blaise Corvin, let me tell you from someone who talks to him on a daily basis that he is a tough son of a gun who will cut you so deep with his honesty that you will cry in a corner until you come back for more punishment.

  I wouldn't trade him for anything in the world.

  He'll say how he has only a little talent and he got here because he worked his butt off. That's all well and true, but he is a damn genius. Working with him has forced me to step up my game and grow at an exponential rate. And isn't challenge and self-growth what GameLit is all about?

  It is for me.

  At the time of writing foreword, I've been a full time writer for about half a year. It's been a wild ride full of fun and growth. I've used the word 'growth' twice now because becoming better at my craft and being a better person is at the core of who I am. I am addicted to growth, and I hope this book reflects that.

  I want to take this space to thank the important people who helped shaped me to become the author you see today. So, thank you Mom for reading Harry Potter to me and quenching my thirst for Young Adult books. Thank you Dad for teaching me how to listen to people, allowing me to write characters with depth and real flaws. Thank you to my Auntie, who was always my champion and who told me to write every day, even if it was just a single word.

  Thank you to Blaise Corvin for putting up with my late night ramblings and reining me in. I definitely needed it. And finally, thank you to my readers, who have supported me all the way. You rock.

  Okay. Time to reign myself in. I can go on forever with all the gratitude I feel.

  Peace and love,

  Outspan

  https://www.outspanfoster.com/

  From BC again:

  (・_・)

  Chapter 1

  Noah felt a burning need to yell, to shout a warning to his small group of surrounded travelers, but as usual, he couldn’t find his voice. Then the tired old guilt set in, familiar self-loathing—he was a coward, his mind drowning in fear.

  Hints of a red banner flying in the deep woods, past his open clearing, gave him a good idea of what was happening. A hand pressed on his shoulder with a decent amount of force, and Noah knew what the signal meant. Combined with a whistle, it meant one thing: Down.

  He fell to the cushioning grass like a sack of potatoes, then turned to the owner of the hand. Yusef gave him a weary smile. "I don't think Allah will count this as one of my five prayers for the day."

  "Th—the Red Chain," Noah managed to whisper. He noticed the others in the group were down low in the high grass as well. It had been two years since the Shift - when all the electronics and technology in the world had
largely become useless. Not many lawns had been mown in the last two years, or grass trimmed, which everyone in Noah's group was deeply thankful for. Unfortunately, the high grass had kept both their group and the incoming raiders hidden from each other’s view.

  Still, that didn't change the fact that the Red Chain, the most notorious raider gang in the area, had spotted his group and were closing in on them. Prayers to the Muslim Allah were quickly murmured by everyone hugging the ground, except for Noah. He had been their newest addition. The only thing he believed in was survival.

  Noah had known this might happen, that a raider gang might come to kill or hurt or enslave them. But the reality of it, the entire transition to this…world after the Shift, was still foreign to everyone. Where rules and laws were once commonplace, brutality had rushed in to fill the vacuum after societies had collapsed.

  The sandy-haired young man began to breathe heavily. He said, "Yusef. We can't win."

  Yusef's fragile smile collapsed into a serious frown. "Enduring is winning. Our lives aren't our own. Inshallah.”

  Noah's anger rose. He was grateful the group of people had taken him in and fed him, but their insistence that a higher power could save them made Noah even more bitter about his life. Some existence this is, Noah thought for at least the hundredth time. "I don't care what God's plan is. What is our plan? You must have planned for this right? Do we fight or run?"

  Yusef only had about twenty years on the twenty-year-old Noah, but his hair and beard had greyed. Noah wanted to scream the words everyone was thinking. Run. Run. Run.

  Whatever deliberation Yusef was going through in his head must have come to a dead end. A second later, he completely contradicted everything he’d just said earlier and screamed, "Run!"

  It took a moment for the ten people in the group to realize Yusef, the de facto leader of their group who had promised to lead them to Smalltown, the closest safe fortress, had just told them to break up and scatter. Smalltown…where Yusef had said his family lived.

  The group had known that this had been a possibility, but none of them had probably actually been truly prepared for it. They’d believed that Allah would protect them.

  Noah’s eyes widened and he sprang up, sprinting after Yusef. Chaos broke in the tree line as the men and women in the small group began running in different directions. The frightened young man didn't dare look back. Even as he sprinted, he could hear the laughter of the Red Chain, their horses neighing as they cut off their prey’s escape. Noah’s heart beat a river of fear into the rest of his body.

  As he ran, he focused on following Yusef. Over the past two weeks, since the man had taken Noah in, Yusef had always seemed so controlled, like he always had a plan. The truth of the matter had dawned on Noah in that moment with terrifying clarity. In fact, the whole nature of the world had become clear–humanity was divided between cowards, prey, and predators.

  Maybe inside fortresses, people had the luxury to be strong and lead with a calm mind, but out in the wilds, there was only survival. He was not disappointed in Yusef for failing to protect his group, but rather because he’d proven to be no better than Noah, a coward. For the past few days, Noah had stupidly allowed himself to believe in the man. The truth was, the world hadn’t just changed from the Shift, people had changed as well. Strip away all safety and comfort, and the only thing that’s left is either a coward or a beast, Noah thought.

  They darted through the woods, and Noah’s breath became more ragged. Screams behind him grew muted through the thick trees. He didn't know if it was because the Red Chain had caught the travelers or because he’d created enough distance not to hear them anymore.

  Noah stumbled on something hard and tumbled head over heels, crashing into a tree. He quickly got up and realized he had fallen with Yusef, who had tripped on a root. The older man shook his head. "The woods here are different than Boston," he remarked with an odd tone in his voice, as if he were observing the whole thing as an outsider.

  They both got up, and Noah saw dawning horror on the other man’s face. Yusef shivered as he looked back the way they’d come. He said something Noah didn't understand, probably in Arabic, but he recognized the tone - an apology filled with guilt. The same feelings were welling up within himself. He too had left the others behind.

  Yusef turned, clenching his jaw. He ordered, "Survive. Endure. Don’t let this world break you."

  Before Noah could say anything, something cracked in the woods behind them. A man in a black leather jacket, holding a crossbow stepped out from behind a tree, aiming his weapon at Yusef. "End of the road, boys," he said. The man’s mannerisms reminded Noah of a wolf, and he immediately recalled that wolves rarely hunted alone.

  Yusef tensed to run, probably to take the bolt so Noah could escape, but as he bent his knees, another man stepped out from behind him. Noah tried to shout a warning, "Yu-"

  Suddenly, something cracked against Noah's temple. He tasted dirt and blood before the black swallowed his world.

  ***

  Laughter. Crying. Something heavy clamped against Noah’s wrists. When he opened his eyes, he found himself lying with half his face in the grass. Men wearing black jackets surrounded him, each of them holding weapons, and half were riding horses. They all had the letter “R” patched on their jackets. The Red Chain, Noah thought beneath the fog on his mind. The wandering slaver gang.

  Noah got up slowly and felt the weight of the clamps and chains on his wrists. That’s about right, he thought. He was a slave now, and some part of him had known this would happen. The promise of safety behind the walls of a fortress had been fantastical, too good to be true. Sure, towns were safe…until a raider gang attacked—or worse. Some part of him felt resigned to his situation. The ring of raiders that had formed around him began passing strips of meat around.

  He realized Yusef was restrained, facing Noah. They had both been chained. Noah looked around and saw cages with people inside being carted by horses. He recognized most of the new slaves, people he had been travelling with the past few weeks. They’d been beaten and bruised.

  A large, bald man with a scar across his upper lip stepped out from the ring of raiders surrounding Noah and Yusef. The man raised his hands in the air, each holding a knife. The crowd hushed.

  “We don’t need either of you for our next shipment. Our sellers want families. Easier to control,” said the man. His voice was low and gravelly. The scar on his upper lip seemed open whenever he moved it. “You two are the loners in this group, but I’m feeling mighty generous.”

  He tossed the two knives between Noah and Yusef. Noah’s heart dropped.

  The bald man continued, “Fight. Survivor gets to live with us. We feed you, clothe you, and you live, as long as you keep your mouth shut and keep yourself useful. Maybe one day, you’ll get a jacket.”

  Noah’s eyes were transfixed on the two knives between them, lying in the grass. He found himself breathing heavily, his body tilting side to side as he levered himself up. Neither he nor Yusef needed to speak. At this point, words would be meaningless.

  The bald man nodded in approval, no smile on his face. “When one of you takes your last breath, remember it was Redford Vaillancourt who gave you a chance to live.” He raised a hand in the air and let it fall like a guillotine. “Fight.”

  Neither Yusef or Noah moved right away. I have to kill a man to survive, Noah realized. He tasted the words on his mind, and they didn’t feel real. Just a few years ago, his biggest problem had been deciding whether or not he should drop out of college. And now, he had to kill someone.

  Noah stared at the man before him. Yusef. What did Noah know about Yusef? Not much, except it had been Yusef who’d insisted the group of Muslim travelers allow the white kid into their group. Like the others, he’d prayed five times a day, and he had made an unprompted confession to Noah about having once eaten a slice of bacon. His family, Noah remembered. That was why Yusef was going to Smalltown, to reunite with his family. Noah didn�
��t have any family left. Maybe he was the one who should die here.

  Everyone in the group had mattered except Noah. Some part of him felt like he deserved to die–he didn’t really have anything to live for. His body wasn’t listening, though. He found himself sluggishly picking up the knife from the ground, gripping it awkwardly because of the clamps on his wrists. The ugly knife seemed appropriate; just a cheap kitchen knife from a department store. Every inch of Noah felt heavy with guilt, but a feral growl in his chest forced him to survive. Fear for his life ruled him, now. He had become nothing more than a rat.

  Yusef shook his head solemnly and made a prayer Noah couldn’t understand as he picked up his own knife. The man looked eerily at peace. After both men were armed, the fifty or so members of the Red Chain began hooting and hollering. Noah didn’t know what to do. He stumbled and made an awkward thrust with his knife, both hands around the handle, missing Yusef as the man spun away.

  Noah fell to his knees and scrambled back up. “I’m not gonna die,” he said to himself, repeating it over and over. He looked at the man he was supposed to kill, gazing directly into his eyes, and saw nothing but peace. Something about the older man’s calm startled Noah and made him feel wary.

  Had he killed before? Noah wondered.

  In a blink, Yusef’s face was suddenly an inch apart from his. Noah screamed in surprise, thrusting his knife once more. He struck something hard and felt a crack, but he saw no blood when he glanced down. Noah had torn Yusef’s pants, and a small purple orb fell out of the tear, tumbling to the ground. The strange sphere had a crack in it. The orb might have saved Yusef’s life.