Descent Into Darkness (Book 2)

by James R. Vernon

  On the other hand, all of them, minus the boy of course, were fairly terrible. Ean had been surprised to hear about how horrible those men really were, even if he didn't actually know which men in the caravan were which. Killing your brother because a girl liked him more? Bran wasn't even family and Ean couldn't imagine hurting him just for the chance to be with Jaslen.

  Bran and Jaslen. He hadn't thought about them the past few days. Should he even bother? They had made it clear how they really felt about him before Azalea had chased them off. Ean was better off without them and their false kindness towards him. He would return home, powerful enough to kill Rottwealth's monster, and show them he had worth. Even with his anger towards them, a part of him deep down inside hoped that they were okay.

  Shaking his head, he turned his thoughts back to Azalea. They had to figure out some way to get along or they would kill each other. Literally. No, he wouldn't kill her, but he would send her back to the Abyss, which sounded like it was worse. He couldn't imagine how to fix things. Clearly he was not good at ignoring her. He spent the rest of his morning shoveling dung and thinking about this problem.

  By the time the sun was well overhead, a supervisor--thankfully not Gaiden--and another worker came and relieved him for the day. Free of his duties, Ean walked off to the side of the road and sat down. It was nice to be off his feet for a little bit, and Wil's wagon was well behind where he had been shoveling. He took advantage of the break and sat in the grass, watching the wagons loaded with stone amble by, their wheels creaking under all of the weight.

  WIL'S WAGON ENDED UP being the second to last of the wagons hauling stone, his large form easy to make out on the driver's seat. The man gave him a friendly wave as the wagon approached, and Lyde reached down to haul Ean up onto the seat next to him. As Ean took a seat, he waved at Baird and Phil who were moving about in the back, securing lines and talking quietly.

  "Well," Wil said, his eyes watching the road ahead. "How did you like your first day of shoveling?"

  "It wasn't that bad. I didn't get any more than I could handle, and it never got hot enough to really get the stuff to smell."

  "That's good. My brothers and I started as shovelers for this caravan. It's honest work and if you save your money, one day you'll be able to afford your own wagon like me. Wagon driving is much better money and very little physical work. Plus the Hawkpurse family that hires you covers most of your expenses. It's a good life. If you're interested, I could probably get you assigned as a shoveler behind my wagons."

  Ean grimaced at the thought of shoveling dung for years on end, then immediately regretted it as his eyes caught Wil's eyes.

  "I really do appreciate the offer," Ean said quickly. "It's just that I already have a profession. I'm a Healer."

  "Mmhmm," was the only reply he got.

  "Honest. I know all about plants, at least the ones that can be used as medicine, and I can set bones and stitch wounds."

  "That true? Well, that is a good skill to have, but you'll still need some money to get your own place all set up. I'm guessing from the fact that you had to work to pay your way that you don't have a great deal of money. A few years of working for the caravan would put you right on your way to owning your own place."

  "Thank you. I will certainly keep that in mind."

  Ean tried to sound as sincere as possible, but the look he got from Wil told him he hadn't been that convincing. He needed to change the subject before he found himself walking.

  "I've been meaning to ask...who buys all of this stone that you're carrying, and what do they use it for? I've never seen more than a few buildings made out of stone in the villages I've visited."

  "Then I suppose you haven't been to Lurthalan yet, lad." The man's tone was cold as he kept his attention on the road. "More and more buildings are being made of stone, at least along Merchant's Circle. The temples have been funding the construction of a wall to protect the city as well."

  "The temples fund the building of the walls? Why is that?"

  "You really don't know that much about what you're getting yourself into, do you?" Wil gave him a hard look, then let out a sigh. "I guess I best educate you then. That way I can have a clear conscience and won't worry so much about you and your sister. Here Lyde, take the reins so I can give the boy my full attention. It's about time for your turn to take over steering anyway."

  Why did everyone insist on calling him "boy?" If it wasn't for the fact that Ean completely agreed with the man about not knowing anything about the capitol, he would have given him a piece of his mind. Instead he held his tongue and waited for Wil to educate him.

  "I've already talked to you about the Hawkpurse families and how dangerous they can be, but the High Priests and temples of the gods are even more powerful. They practically own the capitol and make every single decision regarding what goes on in the city. Thankfully they always seem to be at odds with each other, so that keeps many of them from gaining too much power. They usually don't bother with average folk like us, so as long as you're careful not to anger anyone, especially the followers of Alistar, you'll be fine."

  Memories like nightmares flooded Ean's thoughts. A thick man, a beautiful woman, and a dangerous looking man standing around an older gentleman. The glimmer of the thick man's blade right before it pierced the old man's chest. A chase through the woods. The dangerous man nearly killing Ean, Bran, and Jaslen. Seekers.

  "Yes, I know about the Seekers." Ean didn't even bother to hide the disgust in his voice. "I've seen what they do to innocent people."

  "Hush boy!" Wil growled, taking a quick look around. There was no one other than his brothers and future stepson of course, but Wil still gestured for Ean to lower his voice. "It's dangerous to talk about the Seekers in such a tone. You never know who is a devoted follower of Alistar. All it takes is the wrong words in front of the wrong person, and you'll be snatched up and taken to the temple. Most people that are taken there by force never leave. Branded as followers of Ze'an, locked up, and forgotten. Best not even to mention the Lord of the Abyss in the city either. That's another way to get carted off to the temple."

  "If the followers of Alistar are so bad," Ean said, keeping his voice low for Wil's sake more than his own fears. "Why do the people put up with them?"

  "For the same reason that people flock to the city without possessions or even the promise of a place to sleep. Security, my friend. As much as people may curse the Seekers in private and groan about the laws put in place by the temples, they all know that the city is the safest place in the land. Too large for even the largest bandit parties to raid, and there hasn't been a Scar sighted within a day's walk of the city in years." Leaning in, he lowered his voice again. "Which means that the Seekers are rarely in the city, which of course is an added blessing."

  Finally something Ean found interesting. "Scars have never opened up in the city? I would think with how big I've heard the city to be, a Scar would have opened in the area at some point."

  "Very true, very true. With all of the stories of small villages having Scars open up nearby and that poor village that was completely destroyed a while back, you would think that a place as large as Lurthalan would have had a Scar open up nearby eventually, but it hasn't happened. Some say it's the gods keeping the area safe, others say it's only a matter of time before a Scar finally appears. It doesn't matter much to me; I enjoy the security just like everyone else."

  "A village was completely destroyed by a Scar?" Ean didn't even bother to hide his interest now. A whole village destroyed. It must have taken either a large amount of creatures escaping from the Abyss or one particularly powerful one.

  "Yes, a sad story, that. Coriana was a small fishing village that sat on the river flowing south from the city and Lake Melcoi. Every single person torn apart, or so the story goes. I can't imagine what the small trade caravan who found the village that way must have thought. Body parts everywhere, so the rumors say, and not a single survivor." Leaning in again, the man
's voice took on his conspiratorial tone. "Except some said there was a survivor, and he's now the head Seeker."

  Returning to an upright position, the man shrugged as his tone return to normal. "But of course, it's just rumors. No way to actually prove it as no one would be stupid enough to actually approach the man. Heard he is seven feet tall and wears armor brighter than the sun. Haven't actually seen him before, but that's what I hear."

  That was an exaggeration compared to the man Ean had seen in person. He was starting to wonder more and more if Wil actually knew anything or just repeated every little story that he heard in a tavern. It was important to know what to expect in the city, but it was also important not to worry about things that were not true. He would just have to let his own judgment decide the truth from gossip and rumor.

  "Anything else you think I should know?" If he got the man on another topic, he could get through his stories faster and hear something that would be useful.

  "Plenty, my boy, plenty. It's a good thing we have a few more days until we reach the city. I'll need that long to properly educate you on the different groups and places to see or avoid once we reach Lurthalan. So get yourself comfortable and we'll see how much information I can stuff in your head today before I have to retake the reins."

  So they spent the rest of the day talking about the capitol. At one point, Wil tried to retake the reins, but his brother Phil took over instead saying that he should keep educating Ean. By the time the caravan pulled off the side of the road for the night, Ean thought he knew plenty, but Wil said it was just the tip of the mountain. Ean spent a good part of his night with Wil and his family around a fire, although the talk changed to more pleasant things. Once again, when the conversations turned more into a collection of yawns, Ean called it a night and slipped back to his tent.

  He didn't find Azalea there, or Zin for that matter. Both were probably off somewhere, up to their own brand of mischief, which was fine by Ean. He had an early day of dung shoveling and didn't mind being able to drift off to sleep.

  AND THAT'S HOW THE next three days went: work in the morning, Wil's "education" during the day, and a nice meal and rest around a campfire at night. Zin visited him most mornings, mostly to complain about being bored, while Azalea enjoyed making an appearance whenever Ean was working. She would go on about the different people she met and the horrible things they had done. Ean did his best to ignore it, but eventually he would get frustrated enough to chase the Yulari off. But even she didn't really bother him that much, as he had to admit that he was enjoying his time traveling with the caravan. It was as if nothing else mattered in the world except the journey, and he enjoyed feeling like part of a community.

  Which was why, on their fifth day of traveling in the late afternoon, Ean couldn't help but feel bittersweet as they came over a hill, and he finally caught his first sight of Lurthalan. Their trip was almost to an end, and part of him was sorry that it was over. But only a small part. The rest of him was overwhelmed by the enormous city looming on the horizon.

  The city, which wrapped around the entire south end of Lake Melcoi, could have fit dozens of Rottwealth villages inside of it. Even from as far away as they were, Ean could make out a dozen large buildings sticking out of the masses of smaller ones spread throughout the city. He also saw the construction of the wall that Wil had mentioned, large stone blocks like the ones in the wagons, four or five blocks high in some places and absent in others. There was a good amount of open land in the area it looked like the wall was going to encircle, which Ean didn't expect. Of course, there were probably a lot of things about the city that he wasn't going to expect, but that just made the wait until the following day that much more exciting.

  THEY MADE CAMP THAT night, which Wil said was due to the fact that most caravans had to be checked and logged when they entered the city so that the temples knew what supplies were coming in. That meant each person, all of the cargo, and even the Vilathos and their owners all had to be recorded. The temples could then appropriate whatever they needed, at a discounted price, before the rest of the materials could be sold off. It all was very official sounding, but it seemed like a giant waste of time to Ean, and Wil agreed.

  Getting up early the next day, Ean was surprised to find Trait standing by the wagon where Ean had been retrieving his shovel from each morning. As soon as the man saw Ean coming, he shuffled about in place for a moment and looked as if he was about to walk off, but finally something made him stay in his spot and wave Ean over.

  "You did some good work for me, lad," the broad man said, rubbing his hands together. "I didn't receive a single complaint from any of the wagon drivers or the shovelers behind your position. I know you offered to work for your ride, but I never let good work go unrewarded. Here."

  Reaching into his pocket, the man pulled out a few coppers and a silver piece. "Now, that's not what a normal worker would make for a few days of service, of course. If you are looking for a job, I could handle hiring you on full time as a shoveler. You would make a great deal more as an actual employee of mine."

  "Uh, thanks. I'm a healer in training, but I could use some extra money. Let me think on it a few days," Ean said pocketing the money. With the man finally in front of him, Ean couldn't help but ask about the conversation he had wanted to have with him the first time they met. "Trait, you seemed a bit put off before about the fact that I'm from Rottwealth. Why is that?"

  The man looked at him for a few moments, rubbing his hands together faster now. He looked around a few times before putting an arm around Ean's shoulders and drawing him in close. When he spoke, his voice was low.

  "Listen lad, I don't know what got you to leave your little village, but out here, things are a lot more dangerous. Especially if you go around telling everyone where you're from. Lots of rumors about Rottwealth, most of them created by the temples, and none of them good. Very few of us know the actual truth, which is far less shocking, but certainly serious since all of the temples are behind it."

  "Well," Ean said, letting the frustration show in his voice. "Can you tell me what the big secret is then? I met a few people in Rensen that didn't seem bothered by the fact I came from Rottwealth."

  "Sorry, but as a Hawkpurse, I'm sworn to secrecy by my own temple. If I were to break that and anger the deity, Drenks, it could mean the ruin of my entire family. Just listen when I say it's in your best interest not to bring up your village, alright?"

  "Fine, thanks, I guess, for the advice."

  Not knowing what else to say, Ean started walking him towards the supply wagon. Trait reached out though and caught his arm.

  "No need to work today, why don't you just sit and enjoy the view as we make our way down. Now if you'll excuse me, I have a lot to do." Trait walked off, shouting orders as he went. With nothing else to do, Ean headed off towards Wil's wagon.

  He found Wil and his family just as they were climbing up and securing the oxen.

  "Don't have to shovel today?" Wil called down to him. "That's nice. Nothing beats riding to the edge of the city. You get to appreciate how big it is compared to the lake, and at the same time how small of a city it is compared to the Unyielding Wall."

  Gesturing towards the impossibly high wall far in the distance, the older man chuckled lightly to himself.

  "It might be a foolish thought, but I would love to head out east some day and actually see the Wall up close. Touch it, you know? Actually experience something so great that it's even supposed to keep the gods out of whatever is on the other side. Can you imagine that?"

  Phil reached down and helped Ean up onto the wagon. Wil was still considering what mysteries dwelled beyond the wall as the wagons started to move, prompting Phil to take the reins. Once the wagons reached the road, Wil seemed to shake away whatever thoughts had been taking up his attention.

  "Now Ean, you remember everything we've been talking about these past couple of days, correct?"

  "Yes, everything," Ean said, nodding to Will. "I'll m
ake sure that my sister doesn't do anything stupid as well." It wasn't likely that he could stop her, but hopefully she would behave for however long they were in the city.

  "Good, good. Than instead of bothering you any further, I'll let you enjoy the ride." Leaning back, the man placed both hands behind his head. Ean copied the movement and watched as they approached the city.

  This close, and framed by the morning sun, Lurthalan seemed even more impressive than it had the evening before. The first thing you saw as you approached was the construction of the city wall. In some places it looked finished and in others only an outline of its foundation or a few stones marked where it would continue. Where the road met the path of the wall there was a completely constructed gate with two small towers off to each side.

  Sitting to the left of the tower and outside the wall was a four-story building constructed of pale unpainted wood. The walls appeared to be covered in a variety of animal skins, making up a patchwork of different colored pelts. No windows or any other identifying marks were visible, only the hide coverings. Scattered around the building were various tents and a large gathering of people moving around them.

  Pointing, Ean nudged Wil with his other elbow. "What's that building?"

  Following the direction Ean was pointing, Wil grunted.

  "That's the temple of Avien'zia, and a place you should avoid."

  "Why?"

  "The Goddess of the Hunt attracts all kinds of hotheaded followers trying to prove how tough they are to each other."

  "Tough?" Ean's ears perked. After all, the purpose of leaving Rottwealth was to find someone tough enough to face the mine monster. "Tough as in Heroes?"

  "There's probably a few, but mostly you'll find hunters, sell-swords, and those who think they got something to prove." Wil glanced over at Ean, looking him up and down with slight disapproval. "A fresh-faced kid like you wouldn't last ten minutes in the crowd around Avien'zia's temple, so take my advice and stay away from there."