With the energy of the Abyss still flowing through him, Ean was hardly surprised to feel the familiar presence of either Zin or Azalea not too far away. It was probably Zin. The imp certainly wouldn't let Ean too far out of his sight while in the company of a goddess.
Ean saw the blur first, moving along the ground quickly. Crossing his arms, Ean waited for the imp to reach him. A few paces away, the imp became visible and marched right up to Ean. Normally the appearance of the imp in public would have made Ean nervous, but a quick look around showed him that no one was visible on this side of the lake. Probably because of the formerly haunted temple.
"Well, let's hear it," the imp said, his breath coming quickly. "Your pretty little friend whispered in my ear that she was done with you and pointed me in your direction. What exactly did she say and had you do?"
"Have a seat," Ean replied, taking one himself on the bit of grass between the temple and the road. "This is going to take a while."
BY THE TIME EAN had finished his story, the sun was just starting to touch the tips of the mountains to the west. Zin remained silent the whole time, occasionally shifting about or scratching at himself. The imp's expression darkened at a few parts, the worst being when Ean mentioned promising to pray every now and then to Kaz'ren so she could keep an eye on him. With his story finished, Zin shook his head before speaking.
"I don't like this, Ean. I don't like it one bit. At least Kaz'ren," he paused, looking around quickly as if just saying her name would make her appear again. When she didn't, he continued on. "At least that goddess was honest enough to tell you that she was going to use you. That doesn't mean that she was open and honest about everything else. I've been thinking about our, I mean your, situation quite a bit and trying to hunt down my old master's lair isn't the best idea. We've been doing alright so far. Maybe we should just leave well enough alone."
"Zin, saying we've been doing alright is being awfully generous. I turned one bandit into a monster, which he probably deserved, but since he survived, he might be worse now. I almost got myself, Bran, and Jaslen killed twice. Once by the Seekers, which was only partially my fault, and the other time by Azalea, which was absolutely my fault. These are not the actions of someone that is doing alright."
"Ok, ok, so we've hit a few little bumps, but--"
"Little bumps that have gotten us almost killed. Plus, I don't want to end up like your former master, drunk on the power the Abyss can provide and causing death and destruction. If it was this power," he held out his still exposed right hand, the tattoos glowing softly in the late afternoon light, "that turned your master evil, I need to know sooner, rather than later."
"Ean, I'm sure you won't turn into the creature my former master became. I've known you for years now, and as much as you might talk about not trusting or caring about most people, you certainly go out of your way to make sure you don't hurt anyone."
The comment took Ean aback. It was rare for Zin to compliment him. The imp was basically saying that no amount of power would ever go to Ean's head. Zin had no idea about his dreams though...
"Zin, there is something I have to tell you. I've been having dreams, horrible dreams."
The imp shrugged and picked at one of his ears. "Yes, I know. You've told me. You had that one vision of you as a Hound, and another as a Crux. It could have something to do with the tattoos I suppose, but I don't see how that could--"
"Zin, there have been other dreams," Ean interrupted, the words tumbling out of his mouth, "darker dreams where I'm no longer human. Where I'm hurting people I know. Dreams that involve me doing terrible things."
A speck of fear appeared in Zin's watery black eyes. Throughout everything, even when they fought, Zin had never acted afraid of Ean. Ean's chest tightened as he realized that his closest companion, his partner in crime, would now always see a bit of his old master whenever he looked at Ean.
"Zin, I won't become him."
"Never said you would."
"You're looking at me like I'm going to turn into your old master."
"You're imagining things," he said. Zin turned away for a moment and acted like he was looking across the lake. When he turned back around, he seemed like his usual self. "Those dreams of yours, not saying I'm concerned about them, but from here on out you need to tell me whenever you have one."
"Ok."
"And it's very important that you tell me all of the details, no matter how insignificant or how repulsive. What you are doing in the dream, how you're feeling, what you see. Can you do that for me?"
Ean took a deep breath.
"Zin, I'd rather not. Some of the things I've dreamt...they are horrible. I feel like I'm going to throw up sometimes just thinking about them."
"Well we can worry about that the next time you have one." Zin's voice had returned to his normal, sarcastic tone, but the imp still wasn't looking at Ean. "Anyway, we have more important things to focus on, things that we can control. Specifically, getting a ride on that caravan heading into the Deadlands, and we won't accomplish that just standing around this disaster." He gestured at the temple.
"You're right. We need to push on." Ean hoped the despair was gone from his voice. "We still have time before the sun sets. Hopefully, at least one of Ciantar's businesses stay open late and we can find out who to talk to about joining the caravan."
"Then let's not waste any more time." The imp took a few steps down the road before turning and waving Ean on. "Let's go already. If the crowds are just as bad at this time of day as they were earlier, we might not make it in time if we don't hurry."
Ean joined the imp and headed down the road. Try though as he might, he couldn't find an answer to the question stuck in his mind. Was it the power itself that corrupted or was it the weaknesses of the man wielding it? Zin's former master had been able to summon armies of creatures to do his bidding. That kind of power had to be seductive. Of course, Ean couldn't control a single creature at the moment, so it wasn't as if he had anywhere near the same amount of power. That fact didn't make him worry any less though.
Zin wasn't helping his fears either. Every few steps Ean would catch the imp looking at him with contemplative eyes. The imp would quickly look away when he realized Ean caught him at it, but a few steps later, Zin would be looking at him again. Eventually Ean grew tired of it and simply stared at the imp, whether he was looking at Ean or not. When the imp realized what was happening, he laughed nervously.
"Well, going to be people around soon. Best if I'm not seen, huh?"
Disappearing to that bluish blur that only Ean could see--and apparently deities as well--the imp remained at his side. Which made Ean more nervous. The imp could be looking at him with those judgmental eyes and there was nothing he could do about it.
By the time Ean and Zin reached the road leading into the Merchant's Circle, the sun was halfway behind the mountains. The crowd had dropped to a manageable level, letting Ean move down the street without being knocked around. The added freedom let him finally take in how amazing the Merchant's Circle really was.
Brick and stone shops of various sizes, most between two and four stories tall, ran along the street. Windows adorned every floor of those buildings, with brightly colored shutters framing each and one large window on the first floor showing off the stores' wares. Banners hung over the doors of most, brightly colored pieces of fabric that were meant to catch the eye, with detailed pictures of the items sold inside.
An elaborate picture of wheat and bread made the baker's store obvious. Pictures of plants and bottles of different colored liquids were stores of his own profession of Healers. Many of the shop banners showed off different styles of clothing. Practically all of the shops close to the entrance of the circle had wooden placards hanging out, more detailed animals depicted on each. Those were the signs of the Hawkpurse families, so it was just a matter of determining which ones belonged to the Ciantar.
After being flat out ignored by a few people, one older gentleman informed h
im that the Ciantar family's sigil was that of a bear and that most of their stores could be found further down the street across from the entrance to the Temple of Drenks. Giving the man a quick thanks, Ean began to jog down the street.
Ean glanced at a few of the signs at the end of the street and was surprised to see banners whose meaning he couldn't decipher. One depicted a sword covered in ice crossed with what looked like a gardening hoe with lightning coming out of it while another showed two people connected by wavy blue lines.
Each of those stores had the bear emblem, and each one was closed. Most of the stores with the bear emblem seemed to be closed, but Ean finally found a small one tucked away between two much larger buildings. The banner on the front showed off the hammer and anvil of a blacksmith. Ean found the owner snoring behind the counter. After spending more time than Ean thought necessary trying to wake the man up, he was finally informed of what he was missing-- Caravan passage was booked at the Ciantar family estate and only occurred in the mid-morning hours.
After getting directions to the Ciantar home, Ean decided the best thing to do was to head back to the inn and try to find Azalea. With barely any money, they would need her charms in order to book a passage with the caravan. How quickly he had changed his opinion about the Yulari's skills. It was only days ago that he was frustrated with her manipulation of men, and now he was relying on it.
Loud growls kept escaping from his stomach, reminding him that he hadn't eaten anything all day. A few pieces of bread and a drink, just one drink, would make for a fine end to this exhausting day. Upon reaching the inn, he realized things were not going to be as peaceful inside as he had hoped.
A large group of people were gathered around both entrances to the inn, all of them pushing at each other while two burly thugs kept everyone out. One man tried to push his way past the guards at the front door but received a quick and violent blow and collapsed in a heap. The crowd passed the unconscious man back until he was deposited on his face at the outskirts of the crowd. The side door seemed to be less crowded, so that was the one that Ean walked towards.
By the time he had made it to the side door, his body was sore, both of his feet had been stomped on multiple times, and he had received a few smacks to the back of his head. On top of that, judging by the way the thugs were eyeing him up and down, those might be minor injuries compared to what the brutes guarding the door might do to him.
"Inn's full for the evening, boy," one of the thugs said before Ean could open his mouth. "Children are not allowed in anyway when a Sparkteller is performing, so you might as well just turn right around and get out of here."
"I'm renting a room here," Ean said between clenched teeth. "I'm sure your boss wouldn't want you keeping out a paying customer, especially one with a room on the top floor?"
Ean was hoping that fact would matter, and by the reaction of the thugs, it did. They glanced at each other and then the one to Ean's left stepped inside. Down to one man watching the door, a few of the people on the inside edge decided that now would be a good time to try and rush past. Two quick strokes of the bouncer's cudgel put an end to that. As the two unconscious people were carried out of the crowd, the remaining thug rounded on Ean.
"You're causing me a lot more trouble than I would prefer on a busy night. I actually hope my buddy comes back and tells me you're lying. It'll make what I've done to these other fools seem like a slap on the wrist compared to what I'll do to you."
Ean knew that wouldn't happen, but he still shuffled about nervously. The crowd immediately around him grew quiet, all of their eyes locked on him. Ean had no idea what a Sparkteller was or why all of these people were trying to get in to see him, but those stuck outside now seemed to be interested in a different show. One that involved him getting beaten badly judging by the glare he was receiving from the thug. Ean hoped to disappoint them all.
When the second guard finally returned, the entire crowd grew still. The thug at the door grinned in anticipation of the impending violence.
When his buddy returned he announced, "The kid ain't lying. Let him in."
A collective groan of disappointment escaped the crowd as the first thug reluctantly waved Ean inside.
AS SOON AS EAN walked into the High Horse Inn, his senses were assaulted with braying laughter, ashy smoke, and the strong scent of ale. The bar was packed, with the stools full and people standing in-between them. The two areas with tables did not have a single empty seat, with extra chairs placed near the round tables and people crammed into the benches around the longer tables near the stage. Even the path that ran through the middle of the bar was full of people standing and resting their drinks on the partitions.
As he searched in vain for a place to sit, a hand grabbed his arm and spun him around.
"There you are!" Azalea's words were slurred and her eyes were only half open as she swayed slightly in front of him. "I thought you had abandoned me here, which I suppose wouldn't have been the worst thing with all the wonderful people to feed on, but I would have been very mad at you. You wouldn't leave me behind, would you?"
Ean didn't know if it was because she was drunk off of all the people here, but Azalea actually sounded a little sad at the mention of being left behind. Was there a softer side to the Yulari? He almost felt sympathy for the woman, but then her usual smirk appeared.
"Of course you wouldn't leave me behind." Reaching over, she patted him not so gently on the cheek. "You wouldn't survive long without me. Now come on, I've saved us a seat right near the front of the stage. I wanna see why so many people are all worked up over this Sparkteller person."
Azalea dragged Ean into the crowd. The people made way for the two of them, although Ean was sure they had no idea they were doing it. Waves of what seemed like heat emanated from the Yulari, and Ean was sure she was using the same trick she always used to get her way.
"Gentlemen," she said as they reached one of the long tables in front of the stage. "Thank you for holding our seats. You can leave now."
Three imposing men that looked like they would be good in a fight, quickly rose and moved out of the way. One even went as far as to offer Azalea a bow as he shuffled away. With the men gone, Azalea and Ean took a seat on the bench with plenty of space between them. Azalea seemed to like the space and gave anyone that tried to sit with them a look that made them turn right around. Ean decided that now was as good of a time as any to talk to the Yulari about what he had planned.
"Azalea, I need you to do something for me..." Ean said, leaning in so he could be heard over the roar of the crowd.
"Oh, little one," she replied, patting his leg with her hand. "I've decided we're never going to 'do' anything. If you develop feelings for me, which you most certainly will, I'm sure it will just complicate our little arrangement. Don't you agree?"
Ean stared at her. What did she mean? How would doing him a favor make him fall for...
"No, no, I wasn't talking about that," he said hastily. "I mean, I need you to... well... do whatever you do that makes people do whatever you ask. We need to get a ride with another caravan, and with no money, the only way that will happen is if you charm our way onto it again."
Letting out a musical laugh, Azalea patted his leg again as she leaned in closer to him.
"Oh, well that I can certainly handle. I just need to know who to talk to and what demeaning job you would like to perform during the trip this time. Maybe instead of shoveling horse dung, you can help with digging the latrines." Laughing again at her own joke, or what Ean hoped was a joke, she nudged him playfully with her shoulder.
Ean decided to ignore the jab. "I don't know the exact person you need to speak to, but it's the Ciantar family that owns the caravan. They allow booking of passage at their home, which is a little ways down the street past the inn. We have to be at the home sometime during midmorning in order to arrange to ride with them."
"Say no more. I'll take care of everything tomorrow".
"You mean, we wi
ll take care of everything tomorrow".
"No. I know I'm a bit giddy at the moment, but I did mean 'I.' You can't help with what I do, and you'll probably go and say something dumb that will make it harder for me to get what we want. Best for you to stay out of my way."
"I still think--" her hand covered his mouth before he could get another word out.
"I said, say no more! Now if you don't mind, I would like to drink in a little more of all this excitement before the man comes out and does his little show." Turning around on the bench so that she could lean back against the table, Azalea took in a long breath and sighed happily. Not knowing what else to do, Ean moved into a similar position and slowly surveyed the surrounding tables.
It seemed that the inn took a first-come, first-served attitude when it came to who had been allowed in for the show. The crowded was an interesting mix; fancily dressed citizens sitting with workers still in their dirty clothes, bakers and cooks still covered in bits of food sitting with hunters and butchers still covered in... other things. It was a unique collection of people, both human and even a few Taruun, making up the crowd, and they all seemed to be getting along, regardless of their profession.
With Azalea ignoring him and nothing else to do, Ean decided it wouldn't hurt to order one mug of beer. Waving a serving girl over he ordered two drinks, one for himself and one for Azalea, which were quickly delivered.
Ean managed to get a single sip out of his drink when the inn staff began moving about the room, lowering the lights. As soon as the last lantern was snuffed, the crowd grew silent in anticipation. When two men stepped out onto the stage, one carrying a drum and the other some kind of flute, the excitement intensified. Were these two the Sparktellers?
A third man walked out, dressed in a red coat with golden designs twirling about the sleeves and running down his blue pants. The crowd erupted into applause. The man moved to the center of the stage and made a few bows towards the crowd. His long gray hair waved about as he bowed and he was forced to move it out of his face each time. After he had finished bowing, he stood there smiling broadly as he surveyed the audience. Chants of "Tremain the Sparkteller" and "Tremain the Amazing" started up amongst the crowd, which only seemed to make the man's grin widen even more.
Descent Into Darkness (Book 2) Page 14