The World Walkers: Athare: Leolin: Stories of Doors

[k_a_webb]

Written for a Crowdfunding Creative Jam prompt: A door that only lost people can find.

‘It’s unsurprising, considering the number of different types of natural door, that there are stories of a door that only lost people find,’ Leolin wrote, dipping his quill into a bottle of ink. He gathered stories about the demons, the doors, and everything he could to do with the magic that had been used to create the Web. Unfortunately much of what he wanted to know was in the hands of two groups who didn’t like talking to anyone: the fae and the Walkers. The fae refused to let anyone within five miles of their settlements, while the Walkers had a habit of arresting anyone who asked too many questions.

Sighing, Leolin turned his attention back to the piece of parchment. ‘Many of them have been passed down from someone in a family who happened to find the door. One such story is of a little boy who found himself lost within one of Athare’s many huge markets and, when he realised he had no idea where he was or where his parents might be, he took a step towards someone to ask for help. Instead of finding himself where he expected to be he ended up standing right in front of his very worried mother. At first the two of them, and the boy’s father, were too happy to be together again to think about what had happened, but later they couldn’t help wondering how something so wonderful had happened.’

Leolin had stepped through many doorways himself, so he knew that travelling through the natural doors was as easy as taking a single step. Often it was the same way with the created doors, but it was the preparations that took the time, because of the restrictions the World Walkers’ Council had put in place. After using a Walkers’ door once he’d made the decision that he would never use one again. He used the natural doors instead, even though he didn’t always end up where he was planning on going.

‘No one really knows if any of the stories are true.’ Dipping his pen in his ink again, Leolin smiled. ‘Personally I think they are. The fae were experimenting when they created the Web, everyone knows that, and so many things have shown that many elements of this experiment have evolved in their own way. One example is the Walkers, who were originally nothing more than people who had the ability to walk through the created doors, and when they were demonised they were replaced by a series of tattoos that technically should allow everyone to travel from one world to another.

‘Unfortunately the World Walkers’ Council have put so many restrictions in place, not least the cost of getting one of the tattoos, that very few people will ever be able to travel. It’s really not a surprise that people protect the demons, because they have a natural ability, and pass on stories of doors that even little boys may have a chance of using. Some even view demons as lucky omens.’

Mirrored from K. A. Jones Writing.

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I really like this character. It must be frustrating to be a scholar of doors! But I really want to follow his research. He has a great perspective to explore what kinds of doors they are, how they work, all the folklore about doors, and the conflicts over controlling them.

Yeah. I think I've found the one of your characters I'd most like to take out for coffee.