From Ashe Vol. 1: From Ashe, #1

By Joshua Piedra

Ashe Sawyer wants to become an author; however, she discovers that the path of a writer isn't always paved with gold.Ashe looks to take this journey alongside her childhood friend and roommate, Renji Keita. Renji is a NEET (Not in Employment, Education, or Training); however, Ashe doesn't have the heart to kick him out due to a turbulent, yet, mysterious past together.When Ashe is not writing or dealing with Renji, she is a content manager for a world-leading tech company called In/Source... which becomes the bane of her existence.An undesirable job, a frustrating roommate, and lackluster writing skills. These are just some of the challenges Ashe faces as she sets out on a journey to become a published author!

• Language: English
• Publisher: Joshua Piedra
• Release date: May 4, 2023
• ISBN: 9798223367291

Book preview

Contents

PREFACE

PAGE 1

PAGE 2

PAGE 3

PAGE 4

PAGE 5

PAGE 6

PAGE 7

STORIES FROM ASHE

AFTERWORD

CREDITS

PREFACE

Hello all! My name is Joshua Piedra (or J.J. as some people have come to call me). I wish to thank you for picking up my brand-new series, From Ashe!

This series is about a girl named Ashe Sawyer who wants to become a writer; however, she discovers that the path to becoming that isn’t exactly an easy one to traverse.

Here, you will get to see where it all begins for Ashe along with a lot of the challenges that she has to face on that journey.

As with any first volume of a new series, I took the opportunity to introduce you to some of the world that Ashe lives in along with the characters that inhabit those parts of her world. I began several storylines in this volume, including some subtle hints to ones that will come in future volumes so make sure to pay attention to everything!

I have a metric ton of content planned for this series so this is only the beginning! I can only hope that you are looking forward to taking this all-new journey with me!

Please enjoy and I’ll see you on the other side of the book in the Afterword!

PAGE 1

Every Story Begins With A Word

I

t was a bold and brazen decision for Kelemir to march straight into the heart of the Demon Lord’s lair. Armed with a sharp blade forged from the purest steel and an unwavering will, Kelemir traversed the halls, the dust kicking up in his wake with every footfall. It was quite obvious that the halls of the Demon Lord had not welcomed a living creature in quite some time. Perhaps, Kelemir should have felt the distinct honor to be the first after such a long passage; however, his mind had been focused on the task at hand for the Demon Lord needed to be felled here today if the rest of the world wished to know peace.

The halls were winding, long, and dark. The very air had a hint of poison about it, no doubt as an effort to deter any who dared trespass upon the Demon Lord’s domain. Using a simple cloth as a face covering, Kelemir did his best to protect himself from the invisible enemy which sought nothing more than to stagger his progression.

Just when Kelemir felt that the darkness would never cease, a glimmer of hope faintly illuminated on the narrow horizon. Like a beacon beckoning the lost traveler at sea back to their homeland, Kelemir approached the light with caution. Sensing the Demon Lord’s lair was within his reach, he traversed the remainder of the passage, checking for traps along the way. As he drew ever closer, his heart rate increased, and tiny beads of sweat became ever-present upon his brow.

Soon, the light had become strong enough for Kelemir to be bathed in its demonic hues. His silver-plated armor took shape as if it had experienced liberation from twisting darkness. The armor was a little worse for wear as the dents, scrapes, and marks told unnumbered tales of battle. There was much history bestowed in that armor which vicariously spoke to the very heart of Kelemir’s credibility and the reasons why he was the sole knight chosen to end the reign of the Demon Lord as there were none more qualified throughout the land. The knowledge of the faith and confidence that the people of Linhearst placed upon him helped transform his heart and nerves into the very fine steel that comprised his armor.

Gripping his sword in hand, Kelemir had breached the opening and the source of the light. Before him was a room in size and scope that he had never laid eyes upon before in his lifetime. The sheer magnitude of its size alone would be enough to intimidate any man.

One could fit a good deal of Rhinestadt within these walls… he muttered to himself.

A knot formed in the pit of Kelemir’s stomach as countless effigies lined the outskirts of the room, each depicting some of the top demon generals he had battled in the past. At their bases laid tributes to them in the form of human remains. The twisted and harrowing sight before him would be forever burned into Kelemir’s mind; however, this wasn’t the only thing conspicuous about this room. What was even more conspicuous was that the Demon Lord was missing from it.

Kelemir took careful notice of the very room itself. In its center was a massively-sized circular well surrounded by extruded stone, creating a bit of a lip. The room had no other light source than whatever was emanating from the well in front of him. The sheer amount of heat in this room suggested just what might be contained within the well itself. Kelemir inched ever closer and peered over the edge, confirming his suspicions.

The well was filled with hot, liquid magma. Kelemir raised a single eyebrow as the magma began to stir and bubble. The disturbance was accompanied by the faint sound of rumbling which gave way to intensifying vibrations. The very walls shook as pieces of stone and rock were jarred loose, succumbing to the very nature of gravity itself. Soon, a lone arm festering with boils and charred skin rose up from the center of the magma well, gripping the very edge. It was soon followed by a hulking mass with a mane ignited in unholy flame. Curled horns protruded from the front lobes of the Demon Lord’s head, his eyes glowing with an evil red hue.

The Demon Lord opened his mouth, revealing the hot glow of fire before letting out a terrifying roar. His body, almost purely naked, showed off chiseled muscles and red, charred skin. Thick chains with links the size of small houses hung from his neck bearing the symbol of Xaranth, the name given to the otherly world from which the demons came.

The Demon Lord wasn’t even halfway visible as the well hid his body from its waist down, yet, his sheer size alone was taller than any city building in the entire kingdom of Linhearst. What was even more terrifying was the voice of the Demon Lord. Each word he spoke was gilded with bass and flame, causing the very surfaces of the room to vibrate.

You tread into my domain for what reason? To offer yourself upon my altar as a sacrifice? What makes you think you are worthy, human?

Kelemir recalled those who had bestowed their faith upon him. Those who entrusted him with their future… their freedom. He gripped his sword and pointed straight at the heart of the Demon Lord.

Knave! Know thy place for I have come to slay you!!!

Suddenly, a single, solitary finger could be seen holding the Backspace key on their keyboard. That last line of dialogue had been erased.

Steel yourself, Demon! For your days end here and now!!!

A low grumble could be heard from a feminine, yet, sassy sounding voice. The Backspace key was pressed vehemently and another line of dialogue was typed in the previous one’s place.

The people of Linhearst demand freedom and justice and I am here to deliver it upon you, demon!!

Suddenly, a mouse pointer scrolled across the screen and hit the X button in the upper right-hand corner of a web browser tab, closing it. A girl sat back in her chair, pinching the bridge of her nose as if to quell an oncoming headache stemming from the fact that she couldn’t quite get the dialogue elements correct in her scene. As frustration welled up inside of her, a low growl came from her stomach. The girl leaned back far in her chair, bending her neck over the backrest as if she were calling out to the heavens themselves.

RENJI! I’M HUNGRY! MAKE ME SOMETHING YUMMY!

The girl had called out to her roommate, Renji Keita. Like being summoned from another world, Renji emerged from his bedroom which was slightly to the left of the girl’s writing station.

Renji was 18 in age and stood 5’8", weighing about 135 lbs. He wore a thin black jean jacket with a navy blue t-shirt underneath. The shirt was tucked into his black jeans which were held up by a black belt with a silver buckle. Around Renji’s neck was a pendant that resembled a blue diamond-shaped crystal. The crystal matched the color of his eyes as well as the color of a single stud earring in his left ear. Renji sported medium-length black hair, however, the right side of his face was covered by it, hiding his eye beneath it. The last distinct feature on Renji was that of a scar on the right side of his neck.

Renji let out a yawn as if to indicate that the girl had woken him up from a midday nap. Realizing that he wasn’t in his room anymore, a full-grown tortie calico cat emerged and began to brush up against Renji’s leg before walking past him, heading towards the kitchen. He took note that the cat, too, was also looking for food which meant that he had no choice but to give in to both of their demands. In a light, raspy voice, Renji muttered but a single word.

Okay…

Renji walked past the girl; however, there was no way that she was going to let him pass by in peace. She jumped up out of her chair and embraced him in a tight hug from behind, practically squeezing the life out of him. Renji winced and called out her name in that same raspy voice in hopes to get her to let him go.

A-Ashe…

Like Renji, Ashe Sawyer was also 18 in age. She was just an inch shorter than Renji and sported medium-length grey hair that matched the color of her eyes. She wore a long-sleeve olive green cardigan over the top of a white t-shirt that had a dark grey 4-pointed star design on the front of it. The t-shirt stopped right at the top of her abdomen, exposing her toned stomach. She wore tight grey hot pants that were held up with a thick black belt with a silver buckle that was a bit oversized for someone of her body type. Like Renji, she too wore a necklace with a blue crystal pendant.

Renji wasn’t exactly the talkative type, though. He would only mutter a single word or a short phrase in response to anything Ashe said to him. Unemployed, Renji spent most of his time confined to his room reading manga, watching anime on his computer, playing games, eating cheap snacks, or sleeping. It wasn’t exactly a glamorous lifestyle for someone his age; however, it was one that Ashe allowed him to live out as he saw fit.

Even though Ashe had every right to kick him out for being nothing more than a freeloader and taking up space, she never had a heart cruel enough to do that to her childhood friend. Besides, Renji had a special talent that Ashe felt was worth keeping him around for: Renji could cook and cook well.

Realizing that clinging to Renji was denying her of delicious food, she granted Renji his wish and released him from her grip. Without so much as a reaction, he continued into the kitchen which was set off to the right side of Ashe’s writing station. Ashe watched his every step with a grin on her face. She followed him in as he began to search through the fridge for ingredients. Suddenly, Renji’s quest for cooking reagents was interrupted as Ashe pressed the front of her body up against his back, wrapping her arms around his waist. She gave his stomach a bit of a squeeze as she peered over his shoulder, lightly whispering into his ear.

What’cha gonna make!?

Mmm... muttered Renji in a low, emotionless tone.

Augh… you’re no fun! You could at least give me a hint! retorted Ashe as she pulled away, arms crossed with a disappointed look on her face.

Knowing how Renji was, she knew that she wasn’t going to get much of an answer out of him. She simply pouted with a look of disappointment on her face. Meanwhile, the cat sat there staring at Renji as if to say "Well? Are you going to feed me or what?" Renji looked down and took note of its persuasive gaze. Meanwhile, Ashe announced that she was going to take a walk while Renji got lunch ready.

Gonna head out since there’s nothing of interest here. When I get back, I expect you to put something yummy in my tummy, got it!?

Renji remained silent as Ashe headed out, ignoring her words. After he heard the door close, Renji let out an exhaustive sigh as he stared down at the cat who was still patiently waiting for food.

Fine… You know I spoil you, right, Minew?

Nyan!!

Renji fed the cat then thought about what he was going to make for Ashe. With her out of the way, he continued to see what was available for him to use. After scouting out the contents of the freezer, Renji pulled out a package of frozen kielbasa and decided to make some sort of dish with it.

I know that Ashe likes sweet and spicy food. Maybe I can do something with this kielbasa that she would enjoy? I just hope she likes it!

✦ ✦ ✦

Ashe lived in the small town of Stockbridge. The center of the town was pretty industrial with factories and businesses both large and small but the majority of the town was pretty rural. Ashe’s part of town was beset in the woods alongside a road that was shaped by dirt. A lush forest surrounded her home which resembled that of a log cabin with thick pine wood forming the exterior. Alongside her house was a small worn path that led into the woods itself.

It was a path that Ashe had traversed many times before and today would be no different. She would walk this path whenever she needed to get away from things for a bit and clear her head. Sometimes she just walked it for the sake of getting some fresh air and exercise. A short distance down the path, it opened up to a small circular clearing within the woods. It was a quaint and quiet place that played home to an old tree stump on the edge of a small pond.

The tall trees and their canopies partially blocked out the sun; however, in the mornings and evenings, golden rays of light would pierce through the trees and illuminate the clearing. It was truly a magical sight to behold and it became Ashe’s favorite place to visit. This setting inspired her for some of the medieval stories that she kept in her idea notebook, including the one she had been working on a few moments ago.

Ashe took off her socks and shoes and sat on the tree stump, dipping her feet into the cold water of the pond. Being early November, the days became cooler and cooler as autumn had firmly settled in. Still, despite the chilly air, the cold water felt great and refreshing against Ashe’s feet. One might say that she found the cold water to be truly invigorating. As she enjoyed the cool sensation, she closed her eyes and did a bit of reflecting.

Sometimes I just wish you would open up to me, Renji. I know things have been rough for us both but we’re getting by, aren’t we? I go to work, make money, and pay the bills. You don’t lift a finger to help outside of cooking food for me but I’m not mad about it. You’re the most precious thing in the world to me and yet… you feel so distant even though you’re so close. I wish I could turn the clock back just so I could see the old you again. If there was one thing I desire more than anything else in this world… it’s to see you smile once again.

Ashe gripped the pendant around her neck as she said those words quietly to herself. A small tear began to form in the corner of Ashe’s eye when suddenly, her thoughts were interrupted by her phone vibrating in her pocket. Ashe pulled it out and noticed there was a text message from Renji that simply said Lunch…

You never cease to amaze me with how fast you can whip something up and, yet, it will always taste good. Could’ve given me a little more time to sit here and absorb myself a bit, though. Sheesh…

Knowing that it couldn’t be helped, Ashe prepared herself and began her journey back. Despite disliking that her time was cut short, she couldn’t help but drool over thoughts of what Renji had potentially cooked up for her.

✦ ✦ ✦

As Ashe was out in the woods, Renji was hard at work as he conjured up his culinary magic in