by Lee LaCroix
“Captain!” the giant of a man called out with a loose wave of his arm as he descended the plant towards Garreth.
“It’s commander now, Behn. You’re the captain now,” Garreth replied as he reached out his hand towards his old comrade, glad to see Berault had sent a familiar face.
Like the distinctive claymore that hung behind him, the man’s spiky black hair and jaw like a gravestone were unmistakable. Instead of the suit of steel-plated armour he had worn for most of the Blackwoods campaign, Behn now wore a uniform of overlapping leather with reinforced plates of steel on the surface layer of the chest piece, shoulders, and battle skirt. Behn gave him a strong shake of the hand followed with a snappy salute and turned to wave the rest of the soldiers off the ship.
“Disembark!” Behn called out before the members of the Crown Aegis began to approach.
With Behn’s motions practiced and at ease and his authority absolute and unquestioned, Garreth watched as his ally waved the Malquian soldiers into formation on the width of the dock. Garreth remembered when Behn had first joined up with the Crown Aegis; they were nothing more than rebels trying to defend the courtyard where they could make their last stand against the strangling grasp of the Blackwoods’ power in Amatharsus. It was the death of Behn’s brother, Mont, in that decisive battle that drove the captain, and many others like him, to join the ranks of the newly-revived Crown Aegis. In time, after assisting Garreth with dismantling bandit camps and rescuing Kayten from her imprisonment, Behn was rewarded with command over a unit of the Crown Aegis. Eventually, he led an division of hundreds of soldiers as the Crown Army marched upon Deepshine that fateful day. Aside from being a friend, Garreth was glad to see such a seasoned soldier in Nacosst.
The last man to come off that ship was a familiar face to Garreth as well and put his mind completely at ease. Tall and lean, but in no ways scrawny or weak, the weaponmaster Eyrn made his way down the gangplank quick and light. His black hair, pale complexion, gently-curved jaw and chin, and light blue eyes made him well known as a paramour towards the ladies of Amatharsus. To the men, however, his skill with an unending amount of weapons made him a force to be reckoned with. He had been with Berault since the very beginning of the resistance and before Garreth had returned to Amatharsus following the King’s death. He had personally seen to the tutelage of Novas and Kayten’s swordsmanship, which had served them so well in the battles to come. He wore a black chest plate of leather over red cloth that was trimmed at his shoulder, leather gauntlets and stretching bracers that protected his hands and forearms, and short leggings that freed his knees with boots that covered his shins. Across his back sat two double-edged swords. The light weight of his equipment was apparent as he paced down the plank; he was an agile fighter who avoided strikes instead of blunting them with thick armour.
“So, this is where you have gotten off too. Awfully hot, don’t you think?” Eyrn spoke as the two exchanged handshakes and smiles.
“The old man saw fit to send you too. This must be quite important,” Garreth surmised.
“He does not take the Vandari lightly, nor do I. I’ll be around, keeping the troops in shape and perhaps persuading a local or two to pick up a blade,” Eyrn explained.
“Good, there’s a garrison filled with weapons just waiting for strong arms. Now, if you’ll all follow me,” Garreth explained as he walked to the front of the troop, and he was followed by Berault, Eyrn, and fifty of the Crown Aegis soldiers.
Curious heads and faces peered around gates and over walls as the soldiers marched into the garrison courtyard. Behn dismissed the Crown Aegis to become familiar with the garrison and the prison. The interested citizens hurried off when the soldiers marched towards them but resumed their spying when the Crown Aegis had proceeded the other way. Garreth took the two officers inside the garrison building and into the commander’s office where a narrow window was the only light until Garreth had lit a torch. Garreth had a seat behind the commander’s desk, and the two others pulled up chairs and made themselves comfortable.
“I’ve no doubt you’ve read my message. As I feel time is of the essence, I will be brief. With the help of Raldeen and the rest of the elders, some of the natives have taken the Vandarian uniform and are keeping watch for any patrols or caravans to the city. They have agreed to bring any wandering Vandari to the docks where they can be dealt with. All of the residents, save some of the merchants, want to be free of the foreign influence that seems to affect them to some detriment. Gaining their help shouldn’t be impossible. Behn, I want you to keep Nacosst secure. There are some siege placements around the courtyard if there is an attack from sea or land. Just do what you do best and keep these men alert,” Garreth stated, and Behn nodded.
“Eyrn, I’m going to take you to Raldeen in a moment. With his help, we should be able to form a militia with some of the more willing citizens. There are plenty of blades and few sets of armour in the hold to be distributed to the needy. The more people we have to stand against the Vandari, the greater chance we have at maintaining the town. With your training, the people of Nacosst and the Crown Aegis should be a formidable force,” Garreth continued to explain.
“Also,” Garreth said with a wince and a pause, “Novas and Kayten have not been seen since the shipwreck of the Amberclast. It would be kind if you could keep an eye out for them and send a scout or two up and down the beach to search for them,”
“Aye, we’ll do that,” Behn replied with a bowed head.
“Alright, let’s get out there,” Garreth concluded with a nod and followed Behn and Eyrn out into the courtyard where the goods from the ship were being unloaded.
As Behn called the surrounding soldiers to order, Eyrn and Garreth left the courtyard and made their way into the market. A new Malquian, especially one so pleasing to look at, was soon a point of gossip in the busy place of trade, and Eyrn tried to smile and play friendly as much as possible. They were soon at the house of Ayden and Raldeen, and Garreth knocked upon the door. Raldeen massaged his stiff neck as he looked up at the two visitors and waved them inside.
“Hello darling,” Ilsa said as she sat next to Ayden, reading over some text. “Ayden is teaching me some old tongue lettering,”
“Excellent. That sounds handy,” Garreth encouraged as he and Eyrn followed Raldeen.
Raldeen lit a jar of incense and leaned back into a chair, offering seats to the surrounding table to his visitors. He leaned forward and breathed deep.
“So, the boats have arrived, and the Malquians are here. I heard of the ships and the many troops you have brought. Even though many have welcomed you with my speech, how do I know you are not similar invaders?” Raldeen inquired.
“I will not make you any promises or try to fill you with rhetoric, but remember what we have done. We have removed the Vandari from your town and have left your language, culture, and people unmolested by their power. We have given you back your docks, and while you may have to share them with the Crown Aegis, they will not bogart them with violence.” Garreth explained.
“Ah, very true, very true,” Raldeen replied and leaned back in his chair.
“But, there are times when violence is appropriate. When it comes to defending the ones you love or the things that you care about. While I have brought many soldiers to your shores, there are only so many. My comrade, Eyrn, and I will find the Kal’reth with the will to fight,” Garreth spoke.
“It is quite unfortunate, but true none-the-less. Yes, there are those amongst who wish to join you. They wanted to don the Vandarian armour but were left without,” Raldeen stated.
“Eyrn is one of Malquia’s finest instructors. He will turn your men and women into formidable soldiers in no time. Please, go with him and rally as many as you can find,” Garreth asked.
“Very well, but one last thing. I had a hunch your quest to find this killer would take you out of Nacosst. I have gathered what pittance I could find from others, and we give this to you as a wish for good fortune,�
� Raldeen said as he sat up out of the chair and fished a pouch out of his robe.
As Garreth unwound the drawstring on the pouch, the jingle of coin was unmistakable.
“They are raluns, the coin of Vandar. Use them to barter with the Kal’reth,” Raldeen spoke.
Garreth removed a bronzed coin and looked over the image of a mountainside forest on one side and the portrait of a regal man on the other. Garreth thanked the elder, and he watched Raldeen take Eyrn out of the house and disappear down the street.
“Alright Ilsa, it’s time to go. Farewell, Ayden. Thanks for your help,” Garreth offered.
“Not a problem. Did I hear something about training in the other room? I’ve always wanted a sword,” Ayden piped up, saw the guests out of his home, and then followed them out the door.
They said their farewells, and Ayden sprinted after his grandfather and Eyrn. Garreth and Ilsa chuckled and made their way through the streets towards the market. The first thing they purchased with the foreign coin was a sizable pair of canteens from a skins trader and then made their way to the same stable as earlier. The stable master was refilling his animal’s troughs as they approached.
“Back for with more questions? I’ve thought about it, but I can’t seem to remember any more,” the stable master admitted with a shrug.
“No no, nothing of the sort this time. We need something fast and durable. Directions to Erawal if you have them, too,” Garreth explained.
“Ah, off to Erawal? I hope I’ve sent you in the right direction. Well, these bay horses are the best I’ve got, and I can loan you them on the cheap. I am no fan of the Vandari myself, no,” the stable master rambled as he went into the horse stall.
“As for Erawal, it’s a ways southwest. If you continue at a trot, I think you could reach there well before sunset. It’s an oasis city, so you just have to look for the green hill on the horizon’s rise. Just keep heading southwest, you’ll see it eventually,” the stable master explained as he threw the saddle onto the horse and led the animal out of the stable.
The horse had just had its fill of fresh water and felt invigorated as it whipped its head around. Garreth threw his feet into the stirrups, mounted the horse, and then pulled Ilsa up.
“Easy travels, Malquian!” the stable master called out, waving as the horse trotted away.
Ilsa waved back, and they left the city gates, standing at the precipice of the enormous sand sea that lay before them. Garreth stared high into the sky and saw that the noonday sun was nearly overhead. He tried to remember the orientation of the sun when they had first traveled up the beach. As he put his back to the sea’s eastern shore, they headed southwest.
Chapter Nine
The horse was just as lively as the stable master had claimed, and it seemed to plod along at a comfortable trot without tire. It rode the downslopes with glee and skipped along the soft sand, running the arid winds through the hair of those three. By the time the two had begun to sup at their canteens, Garreth was scanning the horizon for the leafy hill. For a time, he did not see it but did not want to betray his worry and kept the horse at an even speed even while its wide tongue lapped at the air. Garreth was met with a chilling and pleasant surprise when Ilsa poured water down his back. A while later, Garreth spat a mouthful of water into her face, which she responded to with a playful slap. Nothing was more relieving than seeing that hill of green though. When he saw it, Garreth urged the horse on towards the final stretch. As it came into view, the pond shimmered from their place atop of a nearby dune. The two drank at their canteens, quenched their growing thirst, and then gasped for air.
Ilsa was the first to spy the Vandari on the far shore of the pond, surrounding a large wagon with giant barrels. The soldiers moved buckets of water from the pond and poured them into the rounded containers. By the time, Garreth and Ilsa had made it down the final dune towards Erawal, the Vandarian transport had made its way up the hill and headed north in the direction of a dark plume of smoke that Garreth had thought had come from the town at first.
They tied up their horses on a post outside the walls, drew up their hoods, and waited near the horses for more people to arrive. When a caravan of traders began to load their goods into the market, the guards at the gate were completely unaware of Garreth and Ilsa’s passing. Garreth found the market without too much trouble. As Ilsa watched the movement of the Vandarian patrols, Garreth began to inquire about the killer’s whereabouts. They did not have to ask long before they came across a shaded display of succulent dates, almonds, melons, figs, and pomegranates where a produce vendor gave them a lead.
“Yes, I have seen a man like that, with a white and black robe and red eyes. He bought some fruit from me just yesterday. I think I saw him walking around today,” the woman described.
Garreth thanked her and continued to ask around. Soon, Garreth had found a second vendor nearby who had seen a similar looking man.
“We should wait somewhere inconspicuous and see if we can spot him. This town is only so big, and if he came here for food yesterday, odds are he’ll be back today as well,” Garreth explained.
She agreed, and they took up shelter under the canopy of a café and stared out into the market. Garreth and Ilsa barely had time to finish their chilled cups of water before a merchant pointed them out to a pair of Vandarian guards, who soon rushed towards the two Malquians. Garreth and Ilsa finished rest of their drink, hopped over the café railing, and dashed into the alleyway where they gave the Vandari little chase before losing them in the maze of corners and sidestreets. They returned to the market but were frequently forced to hide due to the increased amount of Vandari there.
“I think we should search elsewhere while the things are stirred up here. Do you remember the Vandarian wagon headed away from the city towards that tower of smoke? Because of the width of that plume, either there’s quite a large fire happening there or its origin is quite close. And where better for an assassin of Vandar to hide than such a camp?” Ilsa explained.
Garreth smiled and agreed with her, and they made their way to the city gates. Waiting in a nearby alley for more pedestrians to walk by, they snuck between a pair of camels on their way into the town and hugged the wall as they made their way to the pond to fill up their canteens.
Craving more shade after a brief exposure to the desert heat, they decided to make their way north with a short detour through the nearby forest. Ilsa and Garreth made their way up the northern hill across the same leafy slope they navigated towards from Nacosst and came to its peak. They looked beyond and saw that the plume of smoke seemed to originate in a valley at the end of a nearby slope. However, their vision was brought low by another sight all together. Overwhelmed with curiosity, Garreth paced into the crimson forest and turned about at the sight of it. The bloody-veined bushes, the barkless trees with rashy skin, the water with red crust and scabs at its borders perturbed him. At the sight of the abandoned huts, he could obviously see something was wrong here. He did not dare to touch or drink the water as something reminded him of poison, and something else twitched inside of him that reminded him of the devastated forests of Deepshine.
They made their way up the final dune before standing at the top of the valley and the smoke’s origin. Garreth and Ilsa went belly down into the sand when they saw the movement of people, machinery, and more. Against his wildest imagination, another mine and accompanying refinery sprawled across the valley. What drew his attention first was the mine itself, which looked like a rotted wound to him. On three separate tracks, serfs pushed mine carts filled with blood red stone out of its gaping mouth and into the refinery. Garreth could see the end result; a neat piling of closed crates and an open wagons filled with bright red sand on the far side.
“We have to get a closer look at this. This is all too much like Deepshine for me to be comfortable with,” Garreth explained as he peered at the buildings below.
Ilsa agreed, and they made their way to the refinery, sprinting towards the fir
st of the empty wagons parked at its southern side. Garreth looked around to scout out any Vandarian soldiers and was surprised when he found the camp to be lightly guarded. There were only two watchtowers, one near the mine and one near the receiving area, and there only seemed to be one lookout in each. He surmised that perhaps the people of Erawal did not venture here under threats of punishment, or the Vandari had gone unchallenged long enough to merit this type of loose security.
Garreth led Ilsa up towards the refinery window, and they found one that was clear enough to look inside. The refinery was filled with stone barrels, molded with a filtration system of two sections. Filled with bloodfire ore, the central chamber had slats mid-level to allow for water to enter freely and release into a secondary chamber. The barrel’s labourer would fill the central chamber with water and then press upon the ore with a fitted weight, pushing the water out into the second chamber and crushing the ore down into dust. As the labourer released the pressure foot, the water would flow in, extinguishing any of the dust’s explosive power. When the ore was fully crushed, the barrel would be drained, and the dust would be scooped out and set out to dry, packed by crate or wagon, and then sent around Kal’resh or Vandar.
Garreth watched as crushed ore was scooped out of those barrels and began to fill a wagon to its brim. The frothing, bloody runoff poured out of the wagon’s corners and into the cracks in the stony floor. The red water that flowed from the wagons and the crimson pools he found in the forest were the same, he thought. This must be the reason for the forest’s malady, Garreth surmised. Garreth watched as three barrels poured out at the same time. As the cracks in the floor flooded, the water was be pushed outside into the sand, marking the refinery with a foaming ring of red. He grit his teeth and made his way to the drying carts.