Starfall (The Fables of Chaos Book 1)

by Jackson Simiana

  Even if it meant dying.

  The beers came and Tomas took his tankard gleefully, filling his belly with the warm, bitter drink. It was a soothing rush for his insides and made his head feel floaty.

  Rilan struggled to grasp the tankard because of his severed finger. Instead, he stuck his fingers through the handle and guzzled the beer gleefully.

  “That’s some good beer,” Rilan said, his sunken eyes focused on the drink. Alcohol always cheered him up a bit.

  “Glad you’re talking a bit more, now,” Tomas said to him. “We were beginning to miss your awful jokes.”

  Rilan smirked. “They haven’t disappeared yet, don’t you worry. Just, um… haven’t been feeling quite myself, you know?”

  Tomas noticed his shaking hand. He could empathise with the feeling- the night that Ref and Styna had attacked him was chilling. Such a thing did not leave someone’s mind unwounded.

  “I know how you are feeling, Rilan. It’s alright to feel scared,” Tomas said reassuringly. “I would have been terrified. I was terrified.”

  Rilan shook his head, speaking softly. “No, I’m not scared… I’m just angry. And I’m embarrassed. What sort of man lets that happen to him?”

  Tomas and Landry looked at one another with expressions of uncertainty. It was hard to formulate what to say.

  “Most men would not have even attempted to fight off two huge thugs like Ref and Styna, for fear they’d be killed. You tried, Rilan. You weren’t going down without a fight and I think that’s admirable,” Landry said.

  “If it were not for you two…” Rilan could not finish his sentence. He bowed his head under the emotional weight of recalling such a frightening night.

  “Let’s not dwell on what could have happened,” Tomas said.

  Tomas could feel a deep, unsettling pain in his gut as the boys conversed. A truth Tomas refused to confront. He thought for a moment.

  “Maybe we should tell the Captain what happened. Perhaps he could-”

  “No,” Rilan interjected. “I don’t want anyone knowing. I want to forget about it.”

  Tomas suspected that Rilan would respond in such a way. He was the sort to always put things behind him and forget about what was bothering him. It was half the reason he had been so eager to leave Brittlepeak with Tomas in the first place.

  Nonetheless, it was worth an attempt. Tomas knew that if they told Gharland what had happened, he would do something about it. The man was cold and sometimes cruel, but he would not stand for unruly behaviour within his company.

  “They were going to…” Rilan gasped. He took another swig of his beer.

  “Rilan, it’s alright. We stopped anything from happening,” Tomas said.

  “I shouldn’t have been in that position in the first place.”

  “You went out for a piss, it’s not your fault.”

  “I shouldn’t have needed your help. I feel pathetic.”

  Tomas patted his friend on the back as Rilan lowered his head once again. “There is no shame in getting help from those around you.”

  “We all need a little help sometimes,” Landry added.

  Rilan nodded. His conscience said one thing, his emotions said another. Tomas knew of that internal battle and could see it in Rilan’s face.

  “We need to look out for each other, otherwise none of us will make it. Just like we agreed when we were conscripted. Just like we agreed when we signed on with Gharland,” Tomas said.

  Landry leant forward. “How about I give you two some lessons on how to use those?” he said, nodding at the sheathed swords they had placed on the tabletop. “Every night after we set up camp, we can run through some practice drills, like my master-at-arms did with me when I was growing up.”

  Tomas and Rilan looked to each other with intrigue in their eyes. It was a good idea.

  “Aye. I like the sound of that,” Rilan said with a little more confidence in his tone.

  “I don’t see why not? We can learn to properly defend ourselves,” Tomas added.

  “If you had seen Tomas fight in the battle at Barrowtown, you’d know he’s a lost cause already, though,” Rilan murmured with a smirk.

  Tomas elbowed Rilan and took a sip of his drink.

  Landry sat back with a smile. “Alright, starting tonight, we will practice.”

  The barmaid arrived back with three bowls of steaming rabbit stew, mixed with herbs, green beans, mushrooms, onions, and cabbage.

  “My lady, you are a champion,” Landry announced. “My stomach has been grumbling so much, I thought it had taken on a life of its own.”

  The barmaid grinned. “Enjoy, boys.” She refilled their tankards, glancing back at Tomas with a gorgeous smile. “Second round is on the house.”

  “That’s very generous of you,” Tomas thanked.

  “Oi, barmaid, get over here,” Ref shouted across the room, licking his cracked lips.

  The girl turned and glared at them, then sat down at the table beside Tomas. “I’m Hila, by the way.”

  Tomas couldn’t help but smirk at Hila’s purposeful ignorance towards Ref and Styna. It seems she had taken onboard what Tomas had said to her.

  “I’m Tomas, this is Rilan, and that there is Landry.”

  They all shook the barmaid’s hand politely, making sure to avoid eye contact with the grimacing Ref and Styna from across the room.

  “Eat up, boys.”

  The three began to feast on their hot stew. The warmth of the meal was the best part, after riding for so long in the bitter cold. It was enough to make them forget about the blistering snow and chilly winds outside.

  Tomas picked out the chunks of rabbit meat from his meal with his spoon, handing them over to Rilan and Landry’s bowls for them to eat. He would not eat the meat, but still did not want it to go to waste.

  “Not a fan of meat, are you?” Hila said.

  “Actually, I don’t eat it at all, funny enough,” Tomas said.

  “Out-of-towners are always so strange!” Hila laughed.

  Tomas practically inhaled the rest of the broth. The herbs added some tang to the flavour, while the vegetables were crunchy and sweet.

  Landry spread some butter onto the warm, crispy bread slices, handing one to Tomas and Rilan. Hila watched them eat with a delighted smile.

  “It’s delicious,” Rilan said with his cheeks full of food.

  “Thanks, I just cooked it up fresh this morning.”

  It felt good for Tomas to have a full stomach. They’d rationed their supplies over the trip, meaning that every meal had been a small meal the last several days.

  “How long have you worked her for, Hila?” Tomas said.

  “My father owns the Pickled Kraken. I’ve worked for him since I was a little girl.”

  Tomas saw an older, balding man in an apron helping work the floor; he guessed it was Hila’s father.

  “What’s it like?”

  Hila shrugged, scrunching up her face. “Truth be told, I’d rather be out exploring the world, not freezing away in this dump. But I won’t be leaving Winterglade any time soon. Father needs my help as he gets older. His bones hurt more than they used to, especially in these colder months.”

  Tomas nodded. He heard a lot of himself within Hila. The urge to be free, to run. To explore.

  “I wouldn’t be so quick to leave your home,” he said. “I used to feel the same way, about wanting to run and never return. Fight as a knight in some king’s magnificent army, or adventure across the kingdoms with a caravan of entertainers. But the truth of it is far less glorious.”

  “The world’s a dangerous place,” Rilan added.

  “Don’t be so hasty to forego the comforts you already have. Sometimes, the greenest pastures are the ones you already sow.”

  Hila listened intently and considered Tomas’s words.

  Tomas did not know what he wanted anymore. Once, he thought he did. But it was as if the last several weeks had taught him more than he had learned his whole life. His v
iew of the world was not as pristine as it once was. He felt as if pulling the reins on his dreams was the right thing to do in order to stay alive and stay safe in this twisted existence.

  Tomas took another swig of his drink.

  “So, what brings you boys to Winterglade? Haven’t seen you ‘round here before,” Hila asked.

  “We were a part of the garrison sent to defend Barrowtown against the invasion.”

  “Oh, I see. A lot of folk have fled their homes and are holding up in Winterglade. Business has been booming because of it. Apparently, those Imperials have been landing up and down the coast,” Hila said.

  Hila had uncertainty in her eyes, Tomas saw. He looked around- all the townsfolk in the tavern looks uneasy. A time of potential invasion was a time of doubt for the people of the Broken Coast.

  “Couple of farmsteads to the north of here were burned down not two days passed. They found the farmers and their kin hanging by the neck. Those Imperial bastards,” Hila whimpered.

  Tomas shook his head in disgust; it reminded him of the family they had ridden across, hanging above the road, on their way to Winterglade.

  “And just yesterday, a traveller came through claiming he’d seen an entire herd of cows butchered and dismembered, but not eaten. Huge, bone-deep gashes on their bodies, grass painted red with blood.”

  Hila broke some more bread and passed it around, taking a bite into a piece for herself.

  “Probably wolves,” Landry said.

  Hila raised an eyebrow. “I’m not so sure. Wolves only go for one animal at a time when they hunt, never a whole herd. And the cattle weren’t eaten, only killed.”

  “Why would the Akurai invaders kill livestock and not eat the meat?” Tomas asked.

  “Maybe it wasn’t the Imperials who did it?” Landry said.

  “Or maybe they don’t eat meat, like you, Tomas,” Rilan joked.

  “Pardon me for asking,” Hila said, “but if you were a part of the Barrowtown garrison, then why are you all the way out here?”

  The boys looked at one-another, unsure of how much information to divulge. Landry peered over to Gharland and Britus to ensure they could not overhear, before responding,

  “Um, we’re on our way to the Grand Repository, actually. To help out the Magisters.” A little truth was better than none, it seemed.

  “What do you want with them?”

  “We will be running scout patrols around Mooncrest Mountain and helping with their defences. With the invasion and all, the Imperium needs the extra protection,” Tomas said.

  “Hm… Well, I’d be cautious around that lot,” Hila warned, leaning in closer to whisper. “Bunch of old, crazy child-stealers, those Magisters are. They come ‘round every once and a while to take a child for their wicked experiments, I hear. Every time a child goes missing in Winterglade, they say they’re with the Imperium now. For good!”

  “Our village tells it the same way, too,” Tomas said. “I think any time a child goes missing on the Broken Coast, it’s blamed on the Magisters.”

  “Aye, because their minds have grown afoul from drinking that black poison around their necks,” Rilan added.

  Landry did not contribute further to the conversation. He looked as though he could not take their words seriously, as if they were just peasant rumours. They had to be…

  But Tomas wasn’t so sure, he had always had his suspicions growing up, and still held some fear of the Magisters. No one really know what they did up in their Repository, all alone atop the mountain.

  Hila’s balding father walked up to his daughter with a grimace, smacking her on the back of the head so hard it made the boys jump with surprise. The Valkhor men at the bar looked over but said nothing.

  “Get up and help serve this instant, young lady,” the bald man barked. He had an unappealing gap between his front teeth and stunk of stale wine. “Lest you cop the back of my hand again.”

  Hila stood up, rubbing her head with a frown. Tomas saw a hint of fear in her squinting eyes.

  “Enjoy your stay at the Pickled Kraken,” she mumbled.

  Tomas wanted to say something to her, to her father, but felt it was not his place to do so. It may only make things worse.

  “Looks like Tommy’s found himself a lass!” Rilan joked, quiet enough so that she wouldn’t hear him.

  “She’s pretty, you could do a lot worse!” Landry added.

  “Time to find that toadstool of yours a new home, Tommy,” Rilan said.

  Tomas blushed with a laugh, nudging Rilan. “Shut up. Don’t be so crude.”

  It made him uncomfortable to hear Rilan and Landry make jokes about a girl who had just been threatened, let alone someone as lovely as Hila appeared to be.

  But as they continued their meal, Tomas could not take his eyes off of the barmaid.

  ※

  After some more eating and drinking, Tomas took himself out the back of the tavern to use the outhouse. It was a small shack with a mud floor and a few used chamberpots, full of buzzing flies. The smell was overwhelming enough to almost convince him to find somewhere else to do his business.

  Tomas strode clear of the horrific odour once he was finished, standing amongst some swaying juniper trees. He looked up at the cloudless blue sky, feeling the cool breeze kiss his skin, hearing some sparrows singing to each other amongst the branches.

  He took in a deep breath of the crisp northern air, feeling it enter his chest and spread out through his body like a relaxing aura. It felt pleasant to be away from everybody else, even just for a short amount of time.

  Tomas watched as the flock of small birds took flight from a nearby pine tree, soaring into the air together. It was then he realised that the strange red star in the sky he’d seen the night before. It shimmered like a large star. Strange that it is still visible in the daytime.

  Tomas heard snow crunching from behind him. He turned to see the barmaid Hila approaching, peering up at the sky where Tomas had been staring. She smiled with him, twirling her fingers through her curly hair.

  Together they locked their eyes on the mysterious red star and the misty trail flowing behind it.

  “Father says the bleeding star is an omen,” Hila said.

  “An omen? What’s that?” Tomas asked.

  “Like, a message that something bad is coming. ‘A celestial warning of blood and death’, he claims.”

  “That’s rather ominous,” Tomas said.

  “Maybe it’s a warning from the Creator of the invasion.”

  “But the invasion is already happening. Bit late for a warning now, isn’t it?”

  Hila shrugged. “Perhaps the worst is still yet to come, then.”

  “Perhaps.”

  The thought undoubtedly made Tomas uneasy. Such a strange occurrence must have meant something. He had never heard of, nor seen, a red star flying across the heavens so slowly, so bizarrely. It appeared still when he watched it, but every night it was in a different spot in the sky compared to last.

  What did it mean?

  Tomas looked deep into Hila’s pure eyes, seeing the wonder and turmoil within. Her eyelids quivered.

  “What do you think it is?” he asked softly.

  Hila rubbed her chin. “Hmm…well, my father is a traditional man. He knows not how to read, but he memorises whole passages of the Words of Power, read aloud by Winterglade’s priests each night when we go to chantry. He lives each day by the 12 Laws. To him, everything is a sign from the Creator, or a lesson to be had to avoid eternal damnation.”

  “Our village didn’t have a chantry,” Tomas replied.

  “And what village are you from?”

  “Brittlepeak.”

  “Never heard of it.”

  Tomas laughed. “Few have. It’s only small, sits in this serene, sheltered valley beside Mooncrest Mountain.”

  “Sounds divine.” Tomas saw a twinkle in Hila’s eye.

  “But it’s such a small village that I guess they never thought to build a chantry t
here! We were never taught the words of the Creator. We had no priests. Never even had a copy of the Words of Power, let alone someone who could read it. I know barely anything about transcending, the æther, and all that.”

  Hila chuckled. “Consider yourself lucky, then.”

  “You’re not a religious woman?”

  She shook her head. “Unlike my father, I’m not the type of person to believe in superstition.” Hila’s eyes did not leave the star as she spoke. “Every night, when I was a little girl, I’d come out here, look up at the sky, light a prayer lantern, and beg the Creator to take me away.

  “I didn’t care where, so long as it was away from this freezing pile of mud and snow. I would dream of Ember’s beaches, sailing the oceans with Tekawa nomads, exploring the jungles of the western lands. I always wanted to swim with an emerald sea turtle. I hear they grow to the size of cows in some places! I wanted to look into its eyes as we swam side by side, try and work out what it was thinking.”

  Hila shook her head as her words slowed. Tomas listened intently.

  “At some points in my life, I would even pray to be taken to the æther.” Hila shrugged with a pout. “And every night I was ignored. I think that different people across the world interpret signs differently, to fit in with their lives and experiences. I believe that things mean whatever you want it to mean. A red star could be a blessing, a curse, an omen, or a gift. Or… it could just be a red star.”

  Tomas could not help but smile at the poetic way that Hila described the ideas flowing through her mind. He had never heard someone speak so elegantly, all from a seemingly simple barmaid. Hila was speaking from a deep place, and Tomas was finding himself fascinated with the way she viewed things.

  She noticed him staring and grinned.

  “I used to wish for similar things as you,” Tomas agreed. “I would beg to anyone listening to take me away from Brittlepeak. Travellers, tradesmen, soldiers. But my father is…he’s a possessive man. Forbade me from leaving.”

  Tomas attempted to conceal the hate that nearly spilled from his mouth as he spoke of his father. Hila shut her mouth and nodded, as if prompting him to continue.