Mapping the Mist: The Story Collector's Almanac, #3

By E.S. Barrison

Malaika longed to escape the mundane life on her father's farm…

but she didn't expect to be stolen by a dragon and taken far away from home.

 

Life on the farm had always been redundant. With no future other than marriage, Malaika has grown antsy to explore the world. Upon hearing her father's plans to marry her off to a trader, Malaika makes a plan to escape. Yet, the plan is derailed when her father's dragon takes flight with her on its back, carrying her far away from home.

 

After soaring through the sky, the dragon deposits Malaika in an unfamiliar oasis at the edge of the City of Errat. With no knowledge of this new land, Malaika befriends an old couple with an inclination for magic. Enthralled by their abilities, Malaika agrees to stay with them. Yet, little does she expect them to help her navigate her destiny and lead her straight into the arms of Death.

 

With her life dangling by a strand of yarn, Malaika is left with an opportunity: to accept her destiny and Death's gripping hold, or to map out her own future and redefine the role Death itself.

 

In this installment of The Story Collector's Almanac, join Malaika as she remaps not only her destiny, but that of the Council of Mist Keepers found in The Mist Keeper's Apprentice.

• Language: English
• Publisher: E.S. Barrison
• Release date: Jun 18, 2023
• ISBN: 9798987360231

Book preview

Foreward

Not every story has a dark beginning.

Some begin with a flicker of light.

Those are the stories that keep the world beating.

And why I’ll continue to tell these tales even when all seems lost.

Over the years, I’ve collected a series of misfortunes. Death has threatened me on countless occasions, stringing me in the air by tendrils of smoke while threatening to take my mind. It is hard, sometimes, to find the light in this darkness, and even more difficult, it is harder to find people who I can trust.

Especially within the Council of Mist Keepers.

When I first met my teacher, Caroline, and she introduced me to the world of the Mist Keepers, I truly believed I had found the place where I belonged. Little did I know, almost every single Mist Keeper nurtured their secrets in a way that threatened not only my life but the world.

Only one person ever held her truth out to me, wearing it with pride and a grin on her face: Malaika Nuru Jelani.

While Malaika wanders the world as if lost, she has saved me on more than one occasion with her insight. Without question, she is a good person, something that most Mist Keepers lack in constructing their god complexes. She has not abandoned what she loves, and that is admirable.

With darkness and smoke a constant force across the world, it is easy to forget there is good in the world. But Malaika always enters a room with a smile on her face that promises that things will get better.

This is something the world needs.

I know this better than anyone.

Because I am the Story Collector.

And I will keep searching for happy endings.

-Brenton Rob Harley

Ninth Member of the Council of Mist Keepers

The Story Collector

One

Malaika climbed to the roof to watch the sunrise while her older brother slept, counting as the last stars set behind the horizon. There, she watched as the flittering lizards disappeared into the trees and the drakes wandered back to their caves. Her heart, as always, landed on her family’s dragon, Pam, as she paced in her enclosure.

The dragon’s obsidian scales cast rays of fool’s gold across the air. Around Malaika’s neck, she bore one of the dragon’s scales. She held it to the light and grinned. People came from all over Leega to visit Ol’ Pam—and someday, Malaika hoped, she would ride that dragon across the sky, so everyone could see her glory.

Once the sun passed the trees, Malaika hurried from the roof, nearly toppling into her older brother as he stepped out of the bedroom.

Watch where you’re going, he grunted.

Sorry, Joshi. Was gonna go help Papa with Ol’ Pam.

Don’t think so. Papa’s got some visitors today—you gotta stay here with Mama.

What about you?

Papa’s showing me the ropes of everything, so I gotta go with him.

Can’t I come?

You can’t.

Why? ‘Cause I’m a girl?

No, ‘cause you’re a child.

I’m sixteen!

And I’m eighteen, so this farm is gonna be mine someday. And you’ll marry some nice man from town, and everything will be all okay. Joshi patted Malaika’s head. Now go comb your hair and help Mama.

Malaika scowled to herself and pulled on a few of her curls before letting them bounce back into place. My hair is fine. We’re not kids anymore. When she was a child, Joshi used to chase her with a razor, threatening to cut her curls. Only when he ended up cutting his own hand did their parents finally hide all the blades.

She retired to her room to change out of her nightgown, then tiptoed down the stairs to the kitchen. Her mama sat at the table, sorting through a collection of dragon eggs, while Joshi pulled his boots on by the front door. Malaika glowered again in his direction as she sat down with her mother at the table.

Pam laid three eggs last night, her mama said with a grin. Didn’t think the ol’ girl had it in her.

I think Pam’s got a few years left in her. Malaika took one of the eggs from her mother and stared at its scaled shell. Shame they don’t have any life to them.

Joshi interjected as he opened the front door, We don’t go having these eggs to breed dragons. They’re what fetch us money so we can live like we do.

I know that, Joshi! Malaika barked.

Yeah, doubt it.

I know things!

Joshi chuckled as he left, the door swinging behind him.

Malaika crossed her arms and sank into the chair. Her upper lip twitched.

Her mama placed the eggs to the side and took Malaika’s hand. Don’t let your brother get to you, alright, girly? He’s trying to get you steaming.

He doesn’t get me steaming!

Oh?

Malaika sank deeper into the chair, frowning more.

You and Joshi never got along. I know he can be—

A self-righteous prick?

I was going to say a handful.

That’s a mild way to put it.

Her mama laughed. I suppose it is. But you can be the better person and not play into his games.

But it’s not fair, Mama! All my life, I’ve helped around the farm and behaved, but Joshi gets to inherit the farm. He just messes things up! Malaika argued.

Once you marry, you’ll have to move, Malaika. You know that.

I told you before, I’m not marrying!

You just haven’t met the right man—

I don’t like no one!

That’ll change, girly. Trust me. I was like you once… until I met Abedi.

Malaika groaned. She’d heard her mother’s story plenty about how she fell in love. It didn’t encourage Malaika to be excited about marriage. Rather, she squirmed at the thought of marrying any man in her town of Emrys. After being taken from her home, she would become the woman of some house, surrounded by her own children.

It contradicted everything Malaika had ever imagined.

She wanted to fly like Ol’ Pam. Was that so hard to believe? Was that such a ridiculous dream?

Her mama smiled at Malaika, then placed the three dragon eggs on the table. She rose and approached the window, staring out at the farm before them. Neither she nor Malaika spoke, letting the silence sift through the air.

Then, her mama exclaimed, Oh! I forgot!

Hm?

Joshi’s supposed to sheer the sheep this afternoon…and I planned to weave new balls of yarn once the wool is clean. But I forgot to pick up the dyes from town yesterday. I’ll have to go there unless—

I can go for you, Mama. Malaika jumped to her feet. The idea of getting out of the house held more appeal than anything.

Are you sure, Malaika? You don’t want to help clean the dragon eggs?

No, I can go, really!

You won’t get lost?

That was only… Malaika counted on her fingers. Four times. Please, Mama? I’ll make sure I don’t get lost!

Okay. But be back by sunset, okay? Don’t need your father knowing you were out there. Understood?

Malaika grinned and said, I completely understand, Mama.

Two

As Malaika promised, she traveled into town without getting lost. She ignored the courting of a few men in town, stopping by the local artisan shop to pick up the dyes. With bottles of blue, red, and yellow in her bag, she hurried back from town, taking no time to make small talk. She just had to keep on the path back home, and her father would never know she had left.

Straight on the path. No turns. Don’t get distracted. Malaika recited to herself as she hopped over a couple stones. It was so easy to get sidetracked by the different features of the forest lining the path. While her home country of Leega enamored itself with grassy plains, her papa had traded over the years for countless unique items. Baobab trees from Yilk, black and white patterned flowers from Evylain, camellia bushes from her papa’s family in Gonvernnes, and of course, dragons from Spinoza. People from across the country came to their farm to marvel at it.

Even after growing up on it, Malaika still found hidden secrets along each acre. But she had to stay focused. Now was not the time to get distracted.

She had to get home before her papa and Joshi—

She froze.

Just down the path, her papa and Joshi stood with a couple traders, arms crossed, heads together in negotiations. No one saw Malaika, and with dexterity, she vanished into the surrounding trees.

As she snuck through the trees, she kept her eyes on the path. The mere waving of branches or the snapping of twigs distracted her. Don’t get lost. Stay focused. Don’t get lost. Malaika reminded herself every few steps as her papa’s voice worked its way through the trees.

At first, hidden, she moved closer until finding a hiding spot a few paces away from them.

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