by Cody Loewen
“Any info on what we are looking for here?” Rayfe asks me as we stand there overlooking the settlement. I scan the area in front of us, looking for any signs of anything amiss, and I look inside, trying to connect with the ruby on a deeper level, listening for any hints of what we have come to kill. Eventually I shake my head, seeing nothing more than the farms and houses below us, the ruby offering no guidance past the view before me. The sun has risen to its highest point in the sky, signaling that it is about time for our midday meal, and Rayfe slips his pack off his shoulder and lowers it to the ground.
“Let’s stop here to eat and watch for a little while, so we aren’t walking in blind,” he says. Without being able to see a clear threat in front of us, as was the case with our last group of enemies, it is impossible to prepare, or even know who we are supposed to be hunting here.
We sit on the path, still able to see the whole village in front of us and enjoy our meal. Time passes mostly in silence as we watch the scene in front of us, but we realize the longer we sit there that nothing out of the ordinary is occurring below us. Several members of the community tend to the fields around the houses, cutting down weeds and picking vegetables. Some women fill water buckets from a well in the center of the settlement and distribute them to each house, where they are greeted by a person at the front door, who graciously accepts the offering. I catch sight of a handful of children running through the group of houses and out into the fields, yelling so loud while they play that I can hear traces of it from here.
“I think we need to go down there,” I say to Rayfe, fully convinced that there is nothing to learn from up here. “We need to find out what is going on here, and who we were sent to hunt, but we aren’t learning anything from sitting up here and watching. It all seems so normal.”
“I agree,” Rayfe answers. “But we need to be subtle. We can’t give our intentions away until we know what is going on. We don’t know who we are after, and we don’t want to tip them off and risk setting the whole community against us. You may be turning into a halfway decent fighter, but you’re not that good!”
He grins as he says the last part, and I reach over and slap him on the arm, trying unsuccessfully to keep the smile off my face. I shake my head as we gather our things and rise to our feet.
“I would just rather not have to kill a bunch of innocent people if we are after one evil one,” I answer back as we walk.
“Yeah, yeah,” he replies, his eyes shining brightly, a playful expression on his face. “Whatever you say, Lykara.”
I shake my head, smiling, his never-ending humor keeping the atmosphere light and fun, even while on this serious mission. As we descend the path leading down into the farming settlement, a man tending one of the fields catches sight of us and makes his way back into town to meet us. He is dirty from his work in the fields, arms covered in a layer of soil to his elbows, and the knees of his pants are caked with mud. He sports a thick, dark beard and his hair hangs long, resting on his shoulders. He stands and waits for us to approach, resting on the hoe he was using as he worked.
“Good afternoon!” he announces with a smile once we get close enough to be able to talk at a normal volume. “What brings you two into our little village?”
I am unsure of how to answer, our true intentions here the only thing in my head. I did not take the time to come up with another reasonable explanation for being here, and I stammer a few times trying to find the words to answer, but Rayfe saves us by speaking up.
“We were just passing through on our journey and were hoping to rest in your town before continuing on our way,” he declares. We now stand right in front of the man, who seems to be acting as a makeshift guard. He talks kindly, and his eyes are warm, but he is blocking the path until we answer his questions. “If we could share your hospitality for a night, we would be on our way first thing tomorrow morning.”
The man seems to straighten up awkwardly at Rayfe’s words but recovers quickly and flashes a fast smile and a nod.
“We would be delighted to share our village with you for the evening. We have plenty of food, but unfortunately, our space is limited and we don’t have any extra rooms to accommodate guests over-night.”
Rayfe nods as he talks.
“We understand and appreciate any hospitality you have to offer,” he replies. “We will accept your offer of a meal and be on our way long before it is time to settle in for the night. Can we offer our services to help with anything to repay your kindness? My traveling companion has much experience with the tending of fields, and I am a quick learner.”
“The help would be much appreciated!” The man answers and hands me the hoe in his hands, as he leads us back out toward the field that he came from. “We are clearing weeds today. I will grab another hoe, and we will get back to work. I am Edgar, by the way. And you two are?”
“I’m Lykara,” I respond, finally hearing a question that I have a good answer to. “And my friend here is Rayfe. Nice to meet you, Edgar.”
Once we have both been equipped for the job, Rayfe and I are directed to a freshly harvested field, full of the remains of whatever vegetable were being grown there, along with dandelions and a ground covering of clovers. We start at the back of the field, far away from the houses and work independently of the village’s residents, slowly tearing up the ground, leaving the fresh, fertile soil clear and ready to be planted. Separated from anyone else working, we find ourselves able to talk freely about the real reason we find ourselves in this position.
“I have a strange feeling about Edgar and this whole place,” I say to Rayfe as I work at a stubborn patch of weeds. I am beginning to feel sweat building on my forehead, and my shirt clings to my back from the moisture there. “Something isn’t as it seems here.”
“Maybe they were just freaked out by the sight of you?” Rayfe suggests with a grin. Somehow, he is not breathing hard at all and does not appear to be sweating anywhere, even though he has covered as much ground as I have. I scrunch my face up and sneer at him, grabbing a clump of dead grass on the metal point of my hoe, and launch it at him, taking satisfaction in my aim as it explodes in a dirty mess in the center of his chest. He lets out an exaggerated gasp, clutching his chest as if mortally wounded, and sinks to his knees. I laugh loud enough that I am sure the other people working in the fields can hear even though we are far away and shake my head, grinning as the hoe falls out of his hands and he “dies” the rest of the way.
“Ok, so if it isn’t you, then what is it?” Rayfe asks as he regains his feet. “There is something they don’t want us around for that happens at night.”
“That has to be why we were sent here,” I say, feeling as if I am stating the obvious, but still needing to get the thoughts out in the open to get our plans in place. “Whatever they are hiding has to be the evil we are hunting. Somehow, we need to find out what it is and who all is involved with it here.”
“I agree. We will keep working out here until it is time to eat, and we can take that time to try to get some clues about what we are looking for. Once we get kicked out for the night, we can make camp past the fields and sneak back in to find out what is happening, and then deal with it once we know for sure what we are looking for.”
I nod in agreement, trying to imagine what could be going on in this seemingly simple, little farming community that could be bad enough for the gem to send us here. I reset my mind to the task of clearing the fields, making steady progress back toward the cluster of houses as the hours pass by. While I am sweating, and the exertion has me breathing hard, the work comes naturally, my body almost moving of its own accord, performing the same movements that I had spent years doing what seems now like a lifetime ago. The low drone of a hunting horn carries across the fields, and I look over at Rayfe, who meets my eyes and gives me a nod.
“I guess it’s time to get to work,” he declares and leads toward the village. Using the handle of my hoe as a walking stick, I fall in line behind him, more than rea
dy to learn the truth of this strange place.
Chapter 19
We fall in with a couple of other farmers as we move from the back of the fields in toward the cluster of houses. They offer friendly smiles as we walk beside them, but no words are exchanged during the short walk, and we quickly find ourselves standing in the middle of the little village. A long, rectangular table spanning the distance across the makeshift town center has been set with cups, plates, and dinnerware. The farmers begin to take their seats as they filter in from their work. Rayfe and I stand there, waiting until the residents are finished sitting down, unsure if there is a designated seating arrangement.
Edgar motions for us to join him where he is seated toward the middle of the table, across from where we stand. I quickly move toward the familiar face, grateful for the invitation and feeling awkward just standing in front of the massive table. We take our seats in the simple wooden chairs, and as the last of the town’s residents sit, a procession of children carrying plates piled high with food comes out of one of the houses. Each one places their plate down the line in the center of the table before taking their seat as well.
“Before they are old enough to help in the fields, we give our children the job of helping prepare and serve the food,” Edgar explains to us. They mostly wash the vegetables, stir the cooking pots, and then bring the food out when it is ready.”
Once the last of the children finds their seat, food is passed around, and the meal begins. I dive into my plate, ravenous from our travels and the physical farm work. Most of the other people around the table do the same, so focused on their own food that there is no place for idle conversation.
After clearing half my plate, hunger abated to where I can think about something other than food, I lock eyes with Rayfe, suddenly remembering the reason that we are here. He gives me a subtle nod and scans the residents of the village, looking for signs of anything out of place. I follow suit, sliding my eyes over every person at the table one by one, but no one is doing or saying anything out of the ordinary. Without being able to talk to them, or hearing their words, I will have no idea who we are looking for. The entire village appears to simply be a normal farming community.
The gem wouldn’t have guided me here if there wasn’t at least one person who was evil.
I make a visual pass over each person again, but still nothing jumps out at me. Once the majority of the food has been consumed at the table, the children stand back up and begin collecting dirty plates. They stack as many as they can carry before walking them back into the same house they brought the food out of. None of them return to the table once they enter the home, and I assume that they must be getting to work on cleaning the dishes. Once the table has been cleared, the farmers stand, taking their chairs with them, and disperse from the table, moving back toward the surrounding houses.
Rayfe, Edgar and I remain seated until the last person has exited the table. Eventually, Edgar stands, and we follow suit. I grab my chair in both hands as Edgar does the same.
“After dinner, each family usually retires to their own homes for the night, using the remaining time before bed to relax and spend time together,” Edgar explains to us as he leads us toward a house on the outer edge of the village, chair held easily in one hand. He turns the doorknob and pushes the door open, revealing the inside of his home. We follow him inside, depositing our chairs where he motions for us to, and I try to take in every detail of the single room, looking for any signs of the evil the gem wants me to destroy. Once again, I come up short, finding nothing out of the ordinary.
“Edgar, thank you for your hospitality,” Rayfe announces as we move back to the door. “We are incredibly grateful for your kindness on. The food was excellent.”
“You more than earned the meal,” Edgar replies with a smile. “We appreciate the hard work you put in back in the fields. My wife and boys will be back any minute from the kitchens, so I wish you well on your travels. Safe journey, and I hope you find what you are looking for!”
“Thank you,” I say to him as he ushers us out of the house and firmly shuts the door behind us. We turn and leave the village, walking on through the same field we were working in shortly before. We wait to talk until we are far outside of the group of houses, worried that someone might overhear our conversation. Once we are a comfortable distance away from the settlement, we both start talking at once.
“Well, that was useless,” I say to Rayfe, a little frustrated with the lack of information we gained from our day. “The gems tells me we are supposed to be here for some reason, but how are we supposed to complete this quest if we don’t even know who we are after, or what they did that is considered evil?”
“Hopefully, with nightfall, we will get that information,” Rayfe replies. We reach the end of the fields, far from the village, and set our bags down. “Let’s make camp here and set up for the night. Once darkness falls, we can sneak back in close and investigate. Obviously, something is going on here. Why else would they kick us out after dinner? They are hiding something, and we will find out what it is.”
We quickly set up our small tent and unroll our blankets for the night. Once camp has been made, we sit and wait for darkness to completely set in. As the lights fade around us, obscuring the buildings across the fields, we continue to wait, hoping the citizens of the small village were turning in for the night, unaware of our presence so close to them.
“I think it's been long enough,” Rayfe states after what feels like hours of sitting in silence. “Let's head back in and see if we can find anything out now.”
I nod my head in agreement, instinctively touching the handle of my sword as I rise to my feet. We begin to close the distance between us and the cluster of houses, trying to make as little noise as possible. I realize that I am holding my breath as we walk and immediately take in some air, my cheeks flushing in embarrassment. The blurry outline of the village in front of us comes into view in the moonlight as we continue to creep forward.
Suddenly, the silence around us is broken by a low snarl. I whip my head around instinctually as I try to catch any sight of any movement where the noise seemed to have come from. Another low growl from behind me causes a moment of disorienting confusion. Continuing to turn in a slow circle with my sword already gripped in my fingers, I try to make sense of the noises around us and identify this unknown enemy. Rayfe also stands ready with both of his swords raised, scanning the area in front of him and listening intently.
“Back to back,” he mutters under his breath to me, moving to assume the defensive Reaver position we prefer. I nod in agreement even though I know he cannot see from behind, and take my place guarding his back as he does the same for me. We slowly turn together, peering out into the night for the source of the noises that seemed to be coming from all around us. Suddenly, shapes begin to come into view, armed men—no, not men, humanoid, but shorter and wider. I squint, trying to get a better idea of what we are truly up against. A figure in front of me stands several inches shorter than I am but is much more muscular and broader, almost like a barrel. It holds a large club easily in one hand and lets out another animalistic snarl, staring right at me. The face I look back at seems to be more canine then human. A short snout gives way to a row of razor-sharp teeth bared in an expression of ferocity and brutality.
Ok. So, this is new. Just what are these things?
“Gnolls,” Rayfe whispers as if reading my mind.
I remember him talking about gnolls during one of our long days of walking. While shorter than most humans, they are much faster and stronger. Their ferocity causes them to be formidable foes in combat, only limited by their reduced intellect. As is true for this group around us, gnolls generally travel in large packs and are more animal than human.
I quickly scan left and right, taking note of the two other gnolls in front of me, outfitted with large, blunt weapons and aggressive expressions.
"Three on my side," I mutter under my breath behind me.
"Same back here," Rayfe answers quietly. I adjust my grip on my sword, knuckles white with fear and anticipation. Knowing that we are outnumbered, and not sure how best to engage this new enemy in combat, I set my sights on the first one standing directly in front of me, needing to take him out of the fight as quickly as possible. I transform my sword into a long, spear-tipped pike, hoping that the extra length will aid me against these far stronger enemies.
Not wanting to break our two-person formation, we stand ready, waiting for the dog-creatures to make the first move. The gnoll standing in front of me, who I guess to be the leader of the small pack, let's out a loud snarl and rushes forward. I focus on his charge and mentally prepare myself to defend against the onslaught. The red mist of rage that I experienced against the bandit group washes over me, blocking out everything but the foe I now face. I stretch my pike out in front of me, batting aside the club before its wielder is able to put any real weight behind it. Quickly spinning the handle of my weapon in my hands to readjust the angle, I come down in a diagonal strike that my opponent barely has time to avoid. With my choice of weapon successfully maintaining the distance between me and my foe, I am able to bring the pike back in close and thrust forward with a stab that the gnoll leader is unable to avoid, taking him square in the chest. His of pain quickly turns into a watery gargle, blood beginning to flow from his mouth. He falls to the ground, and I pull my spear free, ready to engage the remaining two enemies in front of me.
The stupid creatures, just now reacting, move forward together, clubs extended. Their expressions flash from surprise at the death of their leader, to wicked grins as they come at me, two against one. The red mist in front of my eyes deepens, and without thinking, I move forward, away from Rayfe's back to engage the two of them. Gripping my spear with both hands near the end of the handle I let loose a wide horizontal sweep, causing both gnolls to hop backward in response. Stepping forward into the motion, I reverse the momentum, coming back the other direction in a diagonal swipe to the gnoll on my left. It brings its club up in defense, catching the heavy blow with the thick wood, and I barely manage to hold on as the shock extends up my arms. I let out a growl of my own, focusing all my attention on the enemy causing me my pain and launch a flurry of short stabbing strikes that immediately put him back on his heels. I increase the ferocity of my barrage, and his defense begins to fail, letting my strikes break through to cause numerous small wounds.