When Seelios woke, he found himself enveloped in a swaddle of thick blankets. He blinked at the wooden rafters above, his mind feeling much sharper than before. Despite this, he felt exhausted to a point where he questioned whether he’d be able to move. His neck was sore, pleading him to keep his head still, but his curiosity got the best of him. He braved the throbbing ache and slowly turned his face to take in his surroundings. The room was small and simple. He was on a bed pushed into the corner, his feet pointed at the door. There was a wooden desk and chair against the wall to his right, underneath a window that revealed a clear blue sky.
Seelios jumped when he saw the figure of a man sitting beside the desk. The motion sent a shiver of intense pain radiating from his leg.
“You scared me half to death,” Seelios said, wincing.
Gregory gave a chuckle. “I scared you?” he said with inflection. “I believe it hardly compares to what you put me through. We all thought you wouldn’t make it through that first night.”
The exhaustion of Seelios’s muscles forced him to lie back down. “What happened?”
“It would appear your body refuses to let death get the better of you.” Gregory smirked. “Or perhaps the God of Light.” He nodded toward Seelios’s hand.
Seelios shifted his head and saw that he clutched the rejuvenation stone. He brought it up to his face and saw the faintest trace of glowing runes etched onto its surface. The artifact was no longer just a cold smooth stone, but alive and pulsating with a small aura of energy.
“The sacred glyphs of Ophanim sparkle upon its surface. Such a glorious sight to see its power returned.” Gregory smiled brightly.
“But how?” Seelios asked with a mystified look.
“In your brush with death you activated the artifact and used its power to mend your leg. Not entirely, I should say, but enough to drive away the infection and stop most of the bleeding.” Gregory’s smile faded. “But I’m afraid your leg still isn’t well enough to travel.”
Seelios looked down at the artifact. “Can’t I use this to finish the healing?”
Gregory shook his head. “You’ve already used much of your own mana. You would risk death to mend a bone? Here, give it to me,” Gregory said as he beckoned with his hand.
That explained why his body felt so tired. Seelios handed over the stone.
Gregory took the artifact in his hands and closed his eyes. Color seemed to drain from his face as his brow furrowed in concentration. Droplets of sweat streaked down from his forehead, wetting the neckline of his robe. He slumped forward and let out a long, laborious breath. “Here,” he whispered as he held up the stone with a shaking hand. “Take it.”
Seelios took the rejuvenation stone back and felt a noticeable warmth, as if it’d sat in the sun all day. The lines of light now twinkled with a distinct brightness much stronger than before.
Gregory sat back in his chair, chest heaving up and down as if he’d sprinted a mile. His eyes were half open and his face looked pained. “I hope that it is enough.”
Seelios looked from the stone, then to Gregory with a face of concern. “What have you done? You look ill.”
The disciple took a moment to still his breath to an even pace. “I’d heal you myself, but you appear to be much more skilled with the thing than I. I gave the stone a bit of my own mana so that you may use it.”
“But you look as if you can barely keep yourself together. We could’ve waited until I was stronger.”
Gregory turned his head toward the door and narrowed his eyes. He reached into his robes and produced something that looked like a small metal scroll fashioned with a large glass orb at the end. Shiny strips of orichalcum swirled and curved over the sphere’s surface, meeting at the top. It emanated a terrible power that intimidated Seelios to his core.
“What you have in your hand . . . that’s the runic artifact you used to attack the God of Earth?” Seelios asked.
“Indeed, the Lumastra. Never use it unless you’ve been properly trained,” Gregory said, his eyes still focused on the door. He leaned forward as if he were straining to hear something.
Seelios tried to listen, but heard nothing. “What is it?”
“We must escape. I’ve too little strength to focus my senses, but I believe we may be in danger.”
A forceful knock at the door made Seelios jump.
8
“This is your last warning,” an angry man said from the other side. “If you don’t leave, we’ll be forced to remove you ourselves.”
Gregory stood up on unsteady legs and straightened his robes. “We?”
There was a moment of hesitant silence, followed by the incomprehensible grumbling of men talking.
“I’m here with four others, well-armed. If your boarding debt can’t be paid, you’ll be imprisoned.”
Seelios looked from the door to Gregory with concern. “What debt?”
“We’ve been here for three days now and only had the coin for one. I could tell them of my courtly position at Paloise and be extended a bit of credit but, given the circumstances, I think we want as few people as possible to know who we are.”
“Three days?” Seelios nearly shouted. “I’ve been asleep for that long?”
Gregory pursed his lips. “Consider yourself lucky. No one survives an infection the likes of which you suffered.”
Another knock came, even louder than before.
“I can hear your muttering about in there. You best not be standing at the door when we break it down!” the angry voice said.
“Is this the danger you sensed?” Seelios asked.
Gregory watched the door with suspicion in his eye, holding out the wand-like object level in his hand. “Only peril seems to await on the other side. What do you propose we do?” Gregory turned with an expectant look.
“You’re asking me?” Seelios asked, dumbfounded.
Seelios jumped at the noise of something hard striking the other side of their door.
A muffled voice said to another, “Have some care you brute. I'd like the frame intact.”
Light sparked to life within the orb of the Lumastra and runes appeared down the orichalcum bands. If a decision wasn’t made, Gregory would blast whomever came charging through that door.
Another loud bang came and a few splinters of wood fanned out from a bulge in the center.
Seelios’s thoughts were racing. If only there were a way to get a sense of how dangerous the innkeep and his men were. Realization came, and he slipped off his ring. Without even having to close his eyes, the runes sparked to life with a certain eagerness, as if it were waiting to be noticed. It was a surreal experience using the artifact ring. When activated, it turned into a ghostly window that revealed the world in a different, truer light. He brought the ring to his eye and looked through the wispy cloud that fluttered inside the band. Through it, he saw the silhouetted shapes of two men standing at the door. One was hefting a large object with two hands while the other stood by. They had auras that flickered with a light shade of gray. There were uncertainties about them, but nothing about their energies said they were overtly evil. As far as men were concerned, they were likely good natured and had some of the closest auras to pure white he’d ever seen.
Seelios lowered the ring from his eye and the runes faded away from its surface. He felt his heart go shallow and breath draw short, the last bit of his energy seemingly used up from the artifact.
Gregory looked at him with concern. “I tried to warn you. You’re likely within an inch of your life now, as if you had any vitality to spare. Perhaps you’ll believe me when I tell you these things.”
Seelios gave a tired nod, perspiration dripping off his blond hair and down his face. He looked back toward the door. “I think we should reason with them. They don’t seem to be dangerous.”
Gregory looked uncertain for a moment, but nodded and withdrew his weapon of light back into the sleeve of his robes.
Another loud bang at the door bulged the
door even further. Movement could be seen in between cracks that had formed between the planks. Two more good hits and they’d be able to reach through and open the door themselves.
“We best not keep them waiting then.” Gregory walked over and unlatched the iron bolts. He stepped aside just as the ram struck again, causing the door to swing open so violently that it crashed into the wall.
Standing in the doorway was a large man with a thick log wrapped in chains. He let it drop to the floor with a thunk and reached for his sword.
A smaller, middle-aged man stepped into view. “Finally came to your senses? Would’ve preferred you open the door the first time.” The man looked at Seelios for a moment and narrowed his eyes. “Don’t think that I’m fooled by your mockeries,” he said as he gestured toward Seelios’s leg.
Seelios looked down at the bed, then back up. “Pardon?”
The innkeeper ignored Seelios and threw a seething look at Gregory. “I need the three golds I’m owed and for the lot of you to leave this town for good.” He glanced at the door, barely hanging on its hinges as if it were charged by a large bull. “Make that six golds and five silvers.”
“We don’t have any more money,” Seelios said. “But I’m sure we can—”
The innkeeper spat onto the floor and raised a finger. “You listen here and you listen good, boy. Hurt or not, you don’t come and take advantage of the folk of this town, lurking about and causing a ruckus at night!”
Seelios and Gregory exchanged confused looks.
Gregory put up his hands in an appeasing manner. “Walter, there must be some misunderstanding. Aside from our shortcomings in paying you, I can assure that we haven’t been been causing any—”
“Don’t you say it. Don’t you dare!” Walter shook an angry finger at Gregory. “I won’t stand here and be lied to by the likes of you and your strange lookin’ eyes! After all the hospitality my family and I have shown you. I’ve seen the both of you, yes even you, boy, wandering about.” He walked up to Gregory and shoved the finger in his face. “You have the nerve to lie to me like this? After I chased you over here from the trees by my house?”
“By your house? I’ve been nowhere but this very room all day,” Gregory said.
Gregory looked up, thoughtful for a moment, then his eyes widened in a look of terror-filled realization.
“What is it?” Seelios asked.
Gregory looked back up to the innkeeper. “When you saw us, can you describe what we looked like?”
Walter smirked and crossed his arms. “I can say this; you’re good. How you managed to get here and get so cleaned up after being filthy from head to toe is a mystery to me. Damn near look like you rolled around in the dirt road. Where did you stash those muddy robes? If they’re dirtying any of my fine linens I’ll be having you pay for that, too!”
Seelios looked at Gregory and realized his perception of danger was misguided, but real.
Seelios turned to Walter. “Everyone needs to leave town.”
This only seemed to enrage the innkeeper further. “Don’t think that sort of trickery will work on me, boy. You lot may have swindled every honest businessman across Inf before you got here, but the fun—”
A cry came out from the larger man outside the room. “Gods be good. You snuck up on me!” His head was turned down the hallway. “You, but wait, how can—” He looked at Gregory with bewilderment, then back down the hall. “Do you have a twin brother?”
Walter turned his head to look over his shoulder. “Well? Who is it?”
“It—it’s him!” The larger man pointed at Gregory. “Except . . . .”
Walter gave a huff and stomped out into the hallway with a look of annoyance. His face dropped to disbelief and grew pale, doing a double take with Gregory’s face.
The larger man raised his sword but something that resembled an arm knocked it away, sending it sliding across the wood out of view.
“Gregory,” Seelios whispered with a slight quiver in his voice.
The old disciple nodded as he pulled out the Lumastra from his sleeve.
Walter began backing into the room with Seelios and Gregory. “H—hey now. We don’t want any trouble from you.”
A tall cloaked figure stepped through the doorway, crouching down to avoid hitting the frame. It leered around the room with wide eyes that didn’t appear to have lids. Its chin was long and misshapen on one side and had almost nothing for a mouth. It had white hair and a beard trim similar to Gregory’s. It was a figure that seemed hastily made to resemble a human, but clearly missed the mark. Its visage was locked into a perpetual look of surprise and hunger, near terrifying to make eye contact with.
Seelios tried to squeak out to Gregory to attack, but fear rendered his vocal cords silent.
“You confuse me with this monstrosity, Walter? Surely you think I’m more attractive than this foul thing.”
It shambled toward them, scraping along the wood floor. Walter ducked out of the way, screaming, as a blast of light sent the monster flying in a ball of flame. It hit the wall with a heavy thud and crumbled to the floor to the sound of a small landslide. It lay at the foot of Seelios’s bed in a pile of charred and melting mud. Bits of burning robe and chunks of earth were scattered about the room and scorched holes into the bed sheets.
Gregory snatched the bedding and battered the flames of the clay man’s remains until they were extinguished. A misshapen arm reached up from the amorphous pile, prompting Gregory to give it a swift kick and shower a screaming Walter with clumps of mud.
“Now you believe us, I assume?” Gregory asked Walter.
Walter crouched in the corner, panting. He looked up to Gregory and nodded as he wiped spots of dirt from his face.
“Good, then help me with Seelios,” Gregory said.
“What was that thing?” Walter asked as he stood up, looking down at the burnt remains of the clay man.
“Something sent by the God of Earth,” Seelios said.
“God of Earth? But, we’ve done nothing.” Walter frowned, then brightened as he looked at Gregory. “But you could help us! You could use that thing of yours.”
Gregory shook his head. “If he comes, I would only be able to delay him. Everyone must leave before it’s too late.” He gestured toward Seelios’s legs. “Can you move?”
“I think so,” Seelios said as he flexed his knee. It felt weak, but the pain was gone. It took all of Seelios’s strength to get off the bed. His leg was wrapped in fresh bandages and splinted on both sides with wide pieces of wood. He slowly stood on his good leg, steadying himself on the nightstand. The motion took so much effort that his shaking body nearly knocked over a flower vase in the process. The pain was nauseating and he began to sway. Walter and Gregory ran to his side and braced him before he fell.
“Easy there, boy.” Gregory threw Seelios’s arm over his own shoulders.
“Thank you,” Seelios said.
They began to walk across the room together, but something compelled Seelios to stop. “Wait.” Seelios looked back at the night stand. “We might need that.”
Gregory gave him a peculiar look. Seelios hopped over and grabbed the vase, leaving the wet flower stem on the night stand.
The three of them hobbled down the end of the hallway and found a group of curious onlookers gathered at the bottom of the staircase. The debacle must’ve created quite the ruckus and attracted the attention of folks from the bar area on the first floor. The crowd parted when Seelios reached the bottom step with the help of Gregory and Walter.
The tap room looked similar to the Withertree, just only about half the size. The bar was in the corner with but a few stools, occupied by two men and a mustached bartender. A small scattering of tables held a mixture of traveling merchants and local villagers. Almost ever single eye in the room was staring at the three of them.
“This town is in great danger. You must leave immediately,” Gregory said to the crowd.
The villagers’ reactions were con
fused and unsure, looking to each other for clues of understanding. They began to whisper among themselves and throw suspicious looks, eying the sun emblem on Gregory’s chest.
“Listen to the man, he speaks the truth!” Walter said.
Seelios saw a hooded figure rise out of a seat. Gripping the neck of the flower vase, he watched the figure clamber toward them. Gregory pulled out the Lumastra, ready to fire another beam, when Seelios sloshed the figure with the vase water. The man reeled back and threw off his hood in the process, showing a misshapen face that looked like Seelios. It stumbled, clutching at its cheek. When it pulled its hand away, half of its face fell off and broke apart in clumps on the floor.
Half of the tavern was on their feet and backing away from the scene. Some drew swords while others looked on with fear and confusion.
“Well done,” Gregory said as he stashed away his weapon.
Another hooded figure stood from one of the tables and raced out the door.
Seelios cursed beneath his breath.
“My wife and child, I must go to them,” Walter said.
“Go. Take them away from here and keep them safe,” Gregory said as he threw Seelios’s arm back over his shoulders.
Walter ran out, following the stream of panicked people that were exiting the bar.
9
Seelios and Gregory emerged from the tavern into Alnerwick’s village square, a patch of hard packed earth that centered around a stone brick well. Most of the village’s shops and homes surrounded the plaza with a few more huts scattered through the neighboring farmlands.
The ground began to shake and large cracks formed in the earth.
Gregory pulled the Lumastra from his sleeve. “Go to Paloise and find the other disciples.”
“I can’t just leave you—”
“Go now, boy! Use the stone to mend your leg and run.”
The shaking of the earth grew more violent as the cracks widened into deep fissures. Panicked villagers fled their homes and filled the streets.
As the Earthen Stag Walks (The Simulacrum Book 1) Page 7