by A. D. Wills
“I don't like it, but the Mages in Belgdar might know something about it,” Zasha added.
“May I ask what exactly you meant by 'you don't like it?'” Snillrik inquired.
“Belgdar doesn't let anyone in who isn't a mage, and only mages know how to get there, so you can see why it might be tough to visit. But if anyone has information about something like this, it's probably them."
“Then it's settled, we're heading to Belgdar!” Caden shot up from his bed, before collapsing back down in writhing pain. “Besides....I've never met a mage before,” Caden couldn't contain his wide bright-eyed smile, completely ignoring the relic.
Chapter 33: Caden
After a night of rest in the tavern, Caden, Zasha, Sappo and Snillrik moved over to Chryssa's home to stay and rest all throughout the next day. Caden insisted they were all fine to get going, but Chryssa and the others enticed Caden to stay with the promise of a celebratory feast that night—roping them in to recover for one more night just to be sure. But they were cooking up a plan of their own before the night's events.
“So we're good with that then?” Caden asked everyone.
“Are you sure you don't want to say goodbye, or anything?” Sappo felt a little odd about it.
“It does feel a little strange,” Snillrik agreed.
“Yeah, I don't want a big sendoff or anything.”
“You just want to leave as soon as you can,” Zasha called Caden out.
“I guess you got me there,” Caden conceded with a head-scratching big bright smile. “But I wish Chryssa would get here already. Do you have any snacks, Sappo?”
“Why would he have any snacks when we haven't bought anything since getting here?” Zasha cut in.
“You never know, and I wasn't even asking you...” Caden pouted, crossing his arms and kicking back to lean against the wall in anxious waiting.
Chryssa entered, and ended what might have been a full blown argument between Zasha and Caden.
“Are you all ready to go? Everyone else is there all ready to eat,” Chryssa asked.
"Oh yea, let's go!” Caden leaped up from the corner, and dashed out the door past Chryssa on his way to the tavern before all of them.
Chryssa laughed to the shake of her head watching Caden go off on his own down the street full of hungry glee.
All of them trailed behind the warm peaceful streets. Even amid all the wreckage, it was the first time any of them felt this kind of relief in releasing tension since arriving. No stress, or lingering woes. No guards—no one at all. Instead, the warm yellow glow from the light inside the tavern shined onto the streets, welcoming them up the steps, and into the joyously raucous feast.
Everyone inside was already passing food around, tossing drinks, and enjoying themselves to the fullest—packing everyone inside with barely any room to move around. At the center of it all, Caden sat at a small table with a huge stack of meat, and freshly baked bread he tore through like a voracious predator.
“Hey, there you are, come on take a seat!” Caden mashed through his stuffed mouth—his cheeks stretching out as far as they would go like a hibernating hamster.
Zasha swiped her face in bashful embarrassment, but everyone seemed to be having a great time, and allowed the greedy mess Caden indulged in.
Everyone handed Caden haunches of meat, one after another, taking his plates and bowls away in a hurry before Zasha, Sappo, Snillrik, and Chryssa sat down to join. Along with everyone else, they feasted to their heart's content—emptying out whatever food reserves they had as a city in celebration of their renewed freedom. All their cares, worries, and woes, they were left in the quarry to stay buried for good.
Yet another round of food arrived for everyone at the table, when Caden snatched a leg of meat from under Zasha's nose. He picked it clean in a matter of seconds tossing the bone aside on the floor, all in a casual stride.
“Take what's only on your plate, and finish that instead!” Zasha smacked the table.
“Should've been quicker about grabbing it then,” Caden mumbled through his perpetually stuffed face, scanning to see what he could grab next—desperately chewing as fast as he could to swallow it down.
Zasha tore off a big piece of bread, and threw it at the side of Caden's head right as he swallowed.
Caden choked up, reaching around for some water, while Zasha full blown laughed for the first time since she joined along. Her eyes tearing up, holding her stomach in uncontrollable laughter at Caden's expense.
Caden smacked his chest, squeezed the piece of meat down, took a recovering breath, and returned the favor to Zasha by throwing some food her way amid her hysteria—sending her tumbling down off her chair.
Zasha fired back, throwing whatever was on her plate, taking cover down below the table, and in a matter of moments, the whole tavern devolved into a massive food-fight. Chunks being tossed all over the place, everyone already on full bellies, and drunk out of their trees.
“Please, don't you think this is a waste!?” Sappo shouted, taking cover, when Zasha pegged him square in the face with a fresh pie. “That could have been eaten you know!” Sappo retaliated, throwing a barrage of bread her way.
“Achi, here,” Snillrik handed little crumbs for Achi to toss alongside them.
“Hold it before this gets out of hand—” Grumli tried to stop everyone, when Caden hurled a piece of pie his way behind mischievous laughter.
None of them cared about their injuries right now in the slightest. Shouting, cheering, booze and food being whipped around—the tavern had never seen this much life before. Bright smiles, tears of joy, and relief filled the tavern with their warmth. Together, they all let out the pent up joys they've been forced to suppress these past few months, celebrating with a wild fury all throughout the night.
A few hours later, those who remained in the tavern all slept away. All that remained from the chaos was the mess they left behind to the snores and rustling rumbling in waves throughout the room. It was the perfect chance for Caden and the others took this as their chance to get up, and leave.
“Psst, hey, let's go.” Caden poked at Snillrik, Sappo, and Zasha.
Zasha, Snillrik, and Sappo opened their eyes, having faked their sleep until they were sure everyone else was out cold for the night. Led by Caden, they tiptoed around everyone sprawled out on the floor threatening to trip them up. Even stumbling over a few of the villagers though, none of them were waking up after that party.
The four of them left Chryssa, Grumli, and everyone else sleeping in the tavern as they peeled down the streets out of sight in case anyone heard the doors close. But instead of heading for the stables, Caden proceeded ahead toward the quarry.
“Where are you going?” Zasha sharply whispered out, so as to not wake the few sleeping in their homes.
“I just want to check something first, you can come if you want.” Caden carried on, hopping gingerly down the quarry's side with his friends in tow.
Caden led them up the remaining walkway toward Workal's hut sitting above the wreckage below undamaged, aside from the broken windows. Upon opening the door, they all saw the results of Workal's furious tantrum; the table smashed to bits, and everything not nailed to the floor tossed around in a chaotic mess.
“Is there something in particular you're looking for here?” Snillrik asked.
“I wanna see quickly if there's anything he might've left behind I guess,” Caden replied.
“It doesn't look like there's anything to stash papers, or any other information." Zasha joined in searching around, but all Workal had were his amenities, and a bedroom in the back.
“I don't see anything out of the ordinary either,” Sappo conceded, looking under all the ravaged furniture.
Caden searched, and came across the tiny disc trinket Workal used to communicate with Divine Lord Judocus. He held it up, immediately recognizing it as a Vessi trinket, and made sure there was a piece of glynt inside it before placing it on the table.
; “Hey Snill.”
“Did you find something?” Snillrik made their way over. “Ah, a receiver. It makes sense having one all the way out here.”
“W-wait we should probably be careful. Who knows who's on the other side of that,” Sappo warned.
“No, I want to see who it is too. It's likely Workal was communicating with the Divines somehow, and this could be it,” Zasha agreed with Caden for once.
Caden looked around for something to press on the trinket, and Snillrik came in to help—pressing the sides and activating it without so much as any preparation.
“I guess there's no choice now...” Sappo chattered nervously in waiting.
A few long and tense minutes later, a projection popped up. There he was, Divine Lord Judocus, but only with Cerros by his side this time.
“Who is this? Where is Workal?” Judocus didn't bother with pleasantries.
“Workal's dead, I kicked his ass, and everyone else out of here,” Caden replied, staring right back into Judocus' eyes.
“Oh, did you now?” Judocus wriggled his lips, holding back his laughter from bursting out. “And I'm assuming those little rats aided you in this little endeavor of yours?”
“I destroyed this city, and did this on my own. If anything, they only tried getting in my way,” Caden lied through his teeth with a stern focused face that wouldn't lend any reason to believe he was. “And I took this.”
Caden held up the relic, and Judocus' demeanor immediately shifted. His face dropped, and eyes twitched in anger behind a growing snarling nose. But he didn't say a word, and recomposed himself.
“So if you want this thing, you'll have to chase me for it. There's nothing else worthwhile here anymore, so I thought I'd look somewhere else. Who knows, maybe I'll even find another.” Caden tossed the stone ball relic up and down.
“You won't so much as get to the next city with your heads attached to your bodies,” Judocus addressed them all standing behind Caden as well. “I will have you personally chased for the rest of your days.”
“We've already heard that one before, but we're still here. If you want our heads so bad, then come and get 'em yourself,” Caden grabbed the trinket, and tossed it out into the quarry—clinking down beneath the cracks into its wrecked oblivion.
“That went...well,” Snillrik awkwardly chuckled off.
“Yeah, I guess I should've asked him about the relic or something, eh?”
“It didn't look like he wanted to even mention it when you showed it to him. I doubt a Divine would answer any of your questions anyway. We were lucky enough he bothered speaking at all,” Zasha remarked.
“Lucky...yeah, definitely,” Sappo agreed with skeptical, shaky eyes.
Finished in Workal's hut, the four of them carefully made their way out of the quarry, and back through the city. When the stables eventually came into view, they saw Chryssa waiting for them.
“So you're really going to leave like this?” Chryssa asked.
“Yep, sorry, just feel like it's better this way,” Caden didn't relent.
“Alright, then here,” Chryssa made her way around to the back of the tall stables, waving for them to follow along.
“Seriously, is this ours?!” Caden stepped back in awe, seeing their old wagon substantially upgraded.
“Is this the really same wagon?” Snillrik asked.
“Everyone worked all night while you rested at the tavern, and all day when you were at my house. It's why we tried so hard keeping you here a little longer. We upgraded it as best we could for you as a reward of some kind to say thanks. We were going to all give it to you as you left, but Caden told me you planned to leave before then so...”
"So you couldn't keep your mouth shut, even when it was your idea to leave eh?" Zasha accused.
"Chryssa's a friend, so it's not like I let our plan slip in the end," Caden used as an excuse. "But this is amazing, seriously, I can't believe you all did this so quickly,” Caden climbed inside to take a look at everything they added.
A second level was added, with a ladder leading up to it—adding more space for sleeping with hefty hammocks big enough to even fit Sappo hanging in sets of two two on either side. A mini-kitchen for Sappo's cooking, and some handy cupboards to stash his cooking utensils nailed into the walls. It was everything any adventurer could ever want in a wagon, and despite the rush job, it all looked sturdy and well done.
“Grumli even added a basket of food in there he set aside before the feast for all of you,” Chryssa pointed out behind the cupboards.
“You all outdid yourselves. Remarkable craftsmanship, really,” Snillrik observed every inch of the wagon in wonder.
Caden and the others piled into the wagon, making sure everything was all set, and ready while Chryssa waited in watching.
So this is it then..” Chryssa conceded.
“Yeah, but we'll be back someday to swing by and visit. Trust me, we're not gonna forget about you,” Caden assured with a big beaming complexion brightening the dead dark night.
“Thanks,” Chryssa sucked back any tears, refusing to cry seeing them leave. She'd rather be happy seeing them off instead after all they've done.
“Alright Sappo, ready to go? Right to Belgdar!” Caden yelled as loud as he can, pumping his fist in the air.
“Idiot quiet down!” Zasha covered his mouth before he could wake the rest of the city up.
Without any grand exit—no cheering or anything at all, the four of them wheeled on out of Qwayke down the path from whence they came in. The slow rolling of the wheels crunching against the stony ground, and the whistling of shooting steam popping off as per usual. It was now like any other night, thanks to Caden, Zasha, Sappo, and Snillrik. Finally, Qwayke could sleep in peace, and wake to their saviors long gone, already on their next adventure.
Afterword
Thank you so much for reading my book, and I really do hope you enjoyed it. Either way, I would love to hear your thoughts, and a review means the world to authors like myself.
Books By This Author
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**DISCLAIMER:** Previously published as 'Between the Veil' by A.D. Wills.
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A unique paranormal mystery like no other. Tag along on a quirky mystery with plenty of dry humor, and dialogue along the way through this tale of growth, healing, and finding your place.
Content warning: There are dark scenes that have to do with mental health, depression, anxiety, and bullying. Some might find this content triggering, so please, be warned.