by G M Archer
I looked out as the soldiers descended into conversing, passing around mugs of ale and food, “But I cannot stay and lead these people. I must go back to Joseph and Alexandra.”
“Alright,” Maul shrugged, “Name the leader in your absence.”
“You?” I said questioningly.
“Ah, but I’ve been out of the rank for so long, I don’t know how I’ll manage,” he rumbled sarcastically.
Doc came up beside us, handing me my swords in their sheathe, and then overlooking me with several inquiries about any injuries.
I tossed it over my shoulder, looking back to Maul, “I have some commands however.”
“Oh, no, you’re not the leader anymore,” he started, smirking at my frown, “What would those be?”
“Bring food and other rations to the Forsaken. As soon as possible,” I said, “And I want the continued support of this tribe.”
“You have the second already. Are you going to take us into war?” Maul asked.
“I currently have no such intentions, but just in case,” I said.
Maul nodded, turned to Hirsh, “Gather up a couple men and load your horses to the limit with foodstuffs and other goods. You can depart tomorrow.”
Hirsh groaned, taking a mug of ale from the tray that passed, “Are you ever going to let me just relax?”
“When you’re dead,” Maul inputted.
“I’m not sure whether that was a threat or a reassurance,” Hirsh muttered, turning back to his companions.
A man entered the area, walking over to me with my things and weapons. I shouldered Joseph’s swords alongside my newly acquired ones, awkwardly trying to hold everything as I stuck it all back in my pockets.
“The blacksmith wants to see you about the blue stone,” the newcomer told me, and then exited without giving me time to question.
I tied the horn to my belt where it curved over my leg.
Doc startled, looking at it, “Is that the Horn of Valor?”
“Yes,” I answered.
Doc started to ask something when Maul cut him off.
Maul looked at us over his mug, “Are you going to Phoenix Peak? That’s what that old myth said right?”
“Planned on it,” I said.
“Do you know how to get there from here?” Maul asked.
“I don’t even know where ‘here’ is,” I said.
“Do you have a map?” Maul said.
I nodded, fishing through my satchel and finding the piece of parchment folded around a compass, handing it to Maul.
He unfolded it, a map of Western Viafinis, marked with owl statue locations and the place at the base of Phoenix Peak we had intended to travel to.
Maul pointed to a wooded area to the northeast of Voltaren, “This is where you are now.”
I stooped down and picked up a piece of charcoal, marking where he said.
“Don’t spread that around, though,” he said, “what were the other markings?”
“I’m not sure you’d believe me if I told you,” I said.
Maul gave me a skeptical look and gave up on it, sighing and returning to his ale.
I looked up at the starry sky, and the almost indiscernible sliver of the moon, “What day is it?” I asked Maul, refusing ale as it went by.
“Sun,” he said.
“Only two days remain, great,” I muttered.
“Till what?” Maul asked.
“The Forsaken move,” I said.
“They may be trackable,” Maul suggested with a shrug.
“Yeah, but I ran my mouth, and now I’ve got something to prove,” I said with a sigh.
“I couldn’t imagine you doing something like that,” Maul said, voice laden with sarcasm.
“I,” I yawned, “I have to make it to Phoenix Peak,” I said, feeling more sore and exhausted than ever, “But I have to get back to Joseph.”
“You’re in no shape to do either tonight,” Maul observed, “Sleep on it and see in the morning. Go visit the smith before that, though” he turned, “Hirsh!”
“How may I execute your bidding master?” Hirsh downed the last of his ale, sauntering over.
Maul rolled his eyes, “Take Atlas to the blacksmith like he requested and then to lodging.”
Hirsh saluted Maul and I said goodbye to him and Doc, following Hirsh out and through the camp.
Chapter 11- Living to Pursue a Broken and Peculiar Fate
I tried to mentally map out the camp as we traversed it, a bit confusing considering how easily sight of the buildings could be lost to the encroachment of nature. Hirsh stopped before the mouth of a cave, lit within by a warm glow, the familiar smell of burning coal on the air.
“Good luck, I’m going to run get another tankard, and I’ll come back,” Hirsh waved.
“Have fun,” I said, eying the cave.
I entered as I lost sight of Hirsh. I was immediately surprised that I wasn’t in a building. It was a large room, walls sculpted to make it seem as such, smooth, the coolness of the stone drawing out the heat from the forge and overall making it a comfortable atmosphere. The walls were lined with unfinished weapons and other devices, shimmering steel and cast iron on stone made up the decor of the place.
A man stepped out from a doorway beside the forge, wiping his hands on an already blackened leather apron. He was tall, middle aged, his blue eyes were bright and clean on his soot-covered face, rimmed by his hair like two strips of coal on the side of his head, the only place it still grew.
“Are you Atlas?” he asked.
“Yes,” I nodded.
He smiled, sticking several rods of steel into the fire and cranking the blower thoughtfully. I watched as the smoke off the coal filtered through a mesh on the ceiling, leaving the air in the cave clear.
He stopped, leaning on a cabinet, “You have in your possession a stone a smith would kill to work with; Fairyheart, Moontear, Dragonsbane, Starstone. Legend says blades made out of it in ancient times never dulled, chipped or broke.”
I raised an eyebrow, “I’ve only heard it called Moontear,” I watched the fire, “I’m sorry, I cannot sell it to you.”
“I’m not asking you to,” he clarified, “The koras on your back, I want to finish them with it. Put it as their edge, and fill in the decorative patterns.”
I eyed the handle of the swords on my back, “If so, I could not brandish them without drawing quite a bit of attention.”
“It would make you more thoughtful of violent actions,” he started turning the blower again, checking a rod of metal.
He sounded like Joseph.
I took the koras off my back, pulling out my Moontear in my other hand, “What sort of payment would you want for such a thing?”
“The opportunity to work with an element of fantasy,” he pulled one of the steel rods from the fire and bent it on the anvil.
“You don’t want money?” I asked.
“The last I checked, you didn’t have any on you,” he crossed his arms, putting the metal back in the coals.
“No,” I trailed off, “But it still seems like an awfully demanding thing to do for someone you just met.”
“You showed up to camp and upset our whole hierarchy in a matter of hours. You’re legendary for being a false princess, but now you truly have a small army. I can sense your potential, just remember people like me when you get where you’re going,” he smiled.
I looked at him for a long moment, in thought, not knowing what to say, and held out the koras and the stone, “I want those back soon, I’m already very fond of them.”
He nodded appreciatively, took them from my hands, sitting them down, “I’ll have them on the way to Voltaren with Hirsh tomorrow.”
“Have him leave them with Joesph or Alexandra if I am not there yet. If not them, Neve. If not her, Winsland the cane farmer,” I said.
The blacksmith laughed, “I would expect you that many connections already.”
“Do you know where the Library of Souls is?” I asked, thinking about where
I could send my delivery.
“No, but Maul does. He looked into it after a group of soldiers that kept ransacking there were mauled- ha- by dogs,” the smith said.
I shuddered slightly.
He motioned to me, “Can I offer you better weapons than what you have? I despise the mass produced swords of the royal army. Heritage arts are sacrificed in the name of factory quantity.”
“These are actually the Guild’s,” I inputted, taking them off my back, looking at the roaring lion stamp on the pommel. I didn’t know if Joseph would want them back. With the limited ties he had to the Guild, I didn’t suppose he would.
The smith waved his hand dismissively, “Same difference.”
I took the knife out of my boot and handed him that with the short swords. He looked around for a while and handed me replacements, immaculate folded steel blades in dark leather sheaths. I looked at them for a moment before putting the swords over my shoulders and tying the wicked thin dagger around my ankle.
Hirsh knocked on the wall as he entered.
The smith nodded to him, “Make sure you see me before you depart tomorrow.”
“Can do,” Hirsh said, then turned to me, “Would you like to be escorted to your quarters now, Your Highness?”
“I’ll happily escort you there,” I gave him a smirk, “I’m sure you could do with my protection.”
Hirsh grumbled and walked out. The smith pulled out a melting pot as I turned back to him, “Thank you again,” I said.
He gave me a quick nod and I followed Hirsh out.
I blinked my eyes open to a cavern of unimaginable proportion, the ceiling stretching into eternity trying to encompass the limbs of a tree challenging the limits of my sight in the dim light. The only sources of illumination were random flicks of blue flame. I strained, almost thinking I could see movement in the dead limbs, when Icarus startled me out of my observations
We were in a cluster of ruins, the angel to my right. He had a spear almost double his height laid across his lap, polishing it absentmindedly.
“Don’t doubt me Atlas, I see through the corners of time and pierce the dark veil of space,” Icarus said.
“How mystic,” I looked out over the field of massive roots that tore through the dilapidated stone.
“I am a creature of such,” he said simply.
“Are you perhaps my guardian angel?” I asked, “You led me to victory.”
“No, no, Atlas, you did that yourself. You simply needed a push in that direction. I will give you guidance along your way, but you will bring yourself to great things,” He tilted his head upwards, the blue flame glinting across the gilded feathers of his helm.
“I accidentally told the bandit tribe about you,” I said after a moment of silence.
“They will never believe you,” Icarus said, “The truth is sometimes so absurd that people turn to lies for comfort.”
I turned, fully convinced I could catch a movement in the limbs far above, a slithering dark mass.
Icarus spoke before I could ask anything, “You need to journey on to Phoenix Peak when the sun rises.”
“What about going back to Joseph? Is he alright? Will he die?” I asked.
“He will be alright, as long as you do as I say,” Icarus reassured.
“I will take your word,” I said.
“Go alone. It will only come if you are alone,” he added.
“What exactly is ‘it’?” I scrunched a brow.
I could hear the smirk in his voice, “Now, Atlas, I can’t tell you everything.”
“Ah, yes, you can only tell me cryptic things. Being literal would make it too easy,” I grumbled sarcastically.
“Ignoring the sardonic element of the statement, you are right,” Icarus swished the spear through the air, the twisted tip shimmering like his armor.
“It’s nice to have you deciding my fate,” I sighed, “But I’m following you like a blind horse on the reins.”
“You will soon make impactful decisions,” he turned, face dark but voice clear, “When you’re on the throne, you will set the path of many’s fate straight.”
I froze for a moment, “What? You’re talking about the bandits, right?”
Icarus laughed, “No, I’m not.”
I started stammering, but he cut me off.
“The flames have caught. Fuel them,” He stood, his wings rustling, the dream starting to shift.
“No wait! Explain!” I called out.
Icarus shrugged, “There’s not much to explain.”
I could swear I could see his smile before I jolted awake in the cabin.
A knock quickly rapped across the door again. I rubbed my eyes, the first dull rays of the sun filtering into the single window.
“Coming, coming,” I grunted, rolling out of bed.
I opened the door, Hirsh standing in a dark sage cloak with his bow and arrows hung on his back.
“Morning, Your Highness,” he grinned.
I started to retort something when Icarus’s words came back to me, and I sit blinking dumbly for a moment.
Hirsh waved a hand in front of my eyes, “Alive in there?’
I swatted his palm away, “What do you want?”
“You’re going to the armory for better apparel. Maul’s orders. You look like a mangy peasant right now,” he crossed his arms.
“That’s the point,” I imitated the motion, “People don’t suspect mangy peasants to be runaway Princesses.”
“Yeah, but it looks stupid you need new clothes,” he leaned on the doorframe.
“I don’t tell you how to live your life,” I flung my hands in the air, gathering my things.
“Considering you’re in charge, you do,” he said.
“Ok stop making fun of me and take me to the armory,” I commanded, tying the Horn of Valor to my leg again.
“Yes, Your Highness,” he did an over-exaggerated sweeping bow. I basically pushed him out the door.
I walked with him out of the cabin, stretching as we ducked under cedar limbs. The pastel colors of the sunrise glittered on dew drops, a thin and wispy fog twirling above the ground.
He took me to a two story building connected to another via bridge, both wrapped around the trunks of huge cedar trees. We walked past two guards, through a main foyer, decorated with animal pelts and heads, and started to walk by the main stairwell.
A deep voice cleared their throat above, and I looked up to see Maul leaning on the balcony rail, a steaming cup in his hand and his hair and beard wild. He’d trimmed the latter, obviously where I’d burned it off.
“Morning, Atlas, have you decided where you will depart to?” he asked.
“Phoenix Peak,” I said.
He nodded, taking a slow sip, “I will have a horse saddled and some men ready to accompany you.”
“The horse, yes, but I- I must go alone,” I said, looking from him to Hirsh.
“Why?” Maul stopped, “It would be much safer if you had an escort.”
“No, it is something I have to do myself,” I said slowly, not sure how to explain it to him.
His confusion morphed into skepticism with a slow eyebrow raise, “Is this your decision, or that ‘dream angel’ of yours?”
I shifted, “I would like to tell you no.”
Maul shook his head grumbling, “Be cautious, he seems to get you into a lot. I guess you’ve got your other dark spirit helping out too, though.”
“That thing from last night?” Hirsh inputted, “a wanderer or whatever?”
“Journeyer,” I corrected.
Maul scoffed, “I suspected it had something to do with you.”
“What exactly did it do?” I asked.
“Nothing,” Maul rumbled, “Just popped out of the top of one of the trees like a daisy. Long enough to distract me, then disappeared again.”
“It doesn’t favor stationary positions,” I said, “I’ve had only very brief encounters with it.”
Maul muttered something else, moti
oning us on, “Take her on to the armory, Hirsh, and then get ready to head out.”
Hirsh nodded, and I bid Maul farewell.
He took me to a wing of the building, stopping before a set of double doors. He knocked and the woman that had tied me up opened the door.
I waved sheepishly.
She narrowed her eyes at me and Hirsh, “Come in, let’s find something that fits you,” she pulled me inside, dismissing Hirsh, “I’ll meet you later, have the horses ready.”
“If you tied them up I hope they’re still there,” I heard him tease as she slammed the door.
I looked around, overcome with the smell of oil and leather. Clothes and armor hung on mannequins and walls, all mostly the dark amber and stamped with the rooster brand.
“See anything you like?” she asked.
“Everything,” I said, eyes dashing over the armor.
“Good answer,” she smiled, “Considering that I’m one of the leathersmiths.”
She went to looking through apparel, going through several pieces of attire with me. I eventually settled on trousers and a shirt that had the leather armor built into them. Besides my now basic wardrobe, she supplied me with a dark navy cloak, and a bag with extra clothing, socks, and later-much to my pleasant surprise- I discovered a coin pouch in the bottom.
I exited the main building into a back yard with stables, Maul waiting for me. He stood beside a bay colored mare, fully saddled.
“At least now you look the part of a warrior But don’t worry, you’re not too conspicuous,” he grinned, “Your saddlebags have rations, wouldn’t want you to go hungry,” He patted the saddle, then looked off into the woods, “Can I talk you into an escort out of these woods? You’d get lost otherwise.”
“I prefer not to do so. Yes, I will accept an escort that far,” I gave a quick nod.
Maul found two men waiting in the stable, and I mounted my horse, a little timid when I realized how long it’d been since I’d ridden, and all the times I done so were on intensely groomed mounts, not a warhorse like this.
With eyes on me, I feigned confidence. I just didn’t know if that would convince the horse.