by Dave Oliver
“You mentioned that before. What’s a Juris?”
“Juris is a group of towns that like to make their own rules. They call themselves homesteaders or independents, but they’re just anarchists, really.” He spat. “Lots of towns that far north don’t accept Halefort rule, but only the Juris like to venture out and make trouble for other folk. Every now and then they make a caravan and head south for loot or people to take back with ‘em. If the one that snatched you had gotten up north to their settlements, they’d have indoctrinated you into their hillbilly life.”
“That’s terrible! Why doesn’t your…suzain?”
“Suzerain.”
“Yeah! Why doesn’t she go up there and deal with them?”
“She’s tried before. That’s tough country up there, though. It’s not well mapped, and she lost a lot of soldiers just trudging around all the mountains up there.” He shook his head as he remembered all the stories and rumors about that campaign. “Juris folk are weird, too. They climb trees, ambush folk, dress to blend in with nature. She was losing forces ten to one, so she pulled back and never returned. Instead, she tries to keep solid patrols on all the routes down, but they always find new ways.”
“Gotcha. Sorry for interrupting. You were talking about being up there to make new friends?”
“Yeah, the deal for steel. Well I get up there and I chat with them. Pretty agreeable folk, if a bit guarded and suspicious. We come to an arrangement and have just started working out how we’ll make good on deliveries when the attack hits.” Fierd huffed with a grimace on his face. “Juris folk found out these steelsmiths were dealing with a Halefort town. Took offense to the whole thing and came after us.”
“They sound like bullies.”
“That they are. But they made a mistake attacking that particular village. Some powerful fighters up there.” He sighed. “Juris had the numbers, though. Given time, they probably could’ve taken the town. It’d have been stupid since they’d have lost so many to take it, but I’ve never put being stupid past Juris. Anyway, that’s when it first happened.”
“The mad thing?”
Fierd nodded and grunted. “Got cornered by some wide-grinning bastard dressed in a mix of animal furs and fancy vestments. He came lunging at me with a couple of bent longswords. Then this heat just dives into me. That’s what it felt like—like something poured into my body and set fire to me from the inside. I shoved the fella back and grabbed at some nearby weapons. Before I knew what was happening, the guy was in pieces and I was already tearing into a group in the town center.”
“Do you not control it?” she asked.
“Sort of. I can see it all happening, but it’s like I’m sunk back in my own head and watching from a distance. In that first incident, I was too surprised and scared to even think about controlling it. I just watched as my body killed everyone in that village on its own, whether they were Juris or not.” His head sank and he went quiet.
“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to—”
“It’s fine.” His head rose and he looked at the horizon again. “I’ve done things I’m not proud of, but that’s all the more reason I want to start over. After the fight up there, I took the finest weapons I could see from their steel foundry.” He tapped on his hatchets. “Took all these little knives from there too. Steel from Mount Relict is supposed to be the toughest in Hejira. Even if there’s some puffery in that, these weapons really are exceptional.”
“So then what happened?”
“Happened? Life went on. I went back home and told everyone that the Juris attacked and botched the whole deal. The heat stayed at bay as long as I didn’t get angry or in a fight.”
“Sounds boring, but probably better than fighting all the time.”
Fierd chuckled. “Everything was normal for a time, but we started hearing about Rasend shortly after that. Then when they showed up in Camston, nobody could have really been prepared for what they were like. Except me, that is.” He looked at the healing scratch on his arm. “You know I never took a wound from fighting since the heat came?”
“Until that Rasend scratched you? That’s why it weirded you out so much?”
“Yeah. It’s been years since I’ve seen my own blood. I wonder why a handful of animal people were able to get to me when swarms of the things weren’t able to before. Or when well-armed bandits couldn’t even dream of touching me.” He looked back up. “Maybe I’m just getting old.”
Karedess started fingering through his hair. “I do see quite a bit of gray back here.”
He swatted her hand away. “That’s silver, and it’s distinguished.” The pride in his rationalization was so absurd that they both chuckled.
***
Less than an hour later, they reached the edge of the forest. For the first time in Fierd’s life, he looked straight ahead and saw nary a tree. There were some small towns and a few isolated houses, lots of farmland with large plots for crops, and a few lakes and small rivers. It was a breathtaking view. He felt like he could see to the ends of the world. He looked east to see if he could see the river Scarum, but they must’ve been too far away. He looked west to see if he might spot the coast or—
“Whoa,” Fierd said.
“Hey, that’s it!” Karedess shouted. She stood up on the bench, using Fierd’s shoulder for balance. “Down there!”
Fierd stared, disbelieving. Even though it was remarkably far away, a tall mountain stood by itself on the northern coast of a peninsula, and an absolutely gargantuan shining city splayed out from its southern face. “Is that…”
“It’s home! We’re almost there!” She started dancing where she stood.
Fierd swatted at her, unable to take his gaze from Ildia. “Sit down. You’re spooking the horses,” Fierd mused. “Reckon we still got a few days left before we get that far.”
“Can’t we just gallop there today?”
Fierd turned his entire torso to look at her. “These horses have carried us all this way, behaved the whole time, and saved our feet from falling off. And now you want to blow them out for one extra day?” He frowned as he leaned forward and patted one of the horses on the backside. “They deserve better than that.”
Karedess dropped her head. “Sorry, I just got excited.”
“I know.” Fierd grinned. “I was being hard on you.”
She smacked him and he smiled. Then she bent down and rubbed one of the horses too, whispering, “Thank you.”
Fierd nudged the horses into action and they drove down the foothills. The air was different here already. Without all the trees, it was easier to smell the salt air blowing in from the west. There was also a complete absence of the ever-familiar pine smell. He’d been so used to it his whole life, it took him a moment to realize what was off about how the air smelled. He couldn’t keep himself from gazing off into the distance and seeing the endless green and gold of the fields ahead. They found a small stream near a large field of farm land.
“Seems like a good place to camp for the night,” Fierd said. “We can wash up in the stream, refill our water skins, and easily start a fire without worrying about animals stalking us in the woods.”
“Sounds good to me!” She jumped off the horse and ran straight to the water. It was cool, but not nearly as frigid as the Irenic. It was so refreshing, she lay in it for a bit. She’d be home soon, where she could bathe proper. She smiled and relaxed. Fierd made a mental note that he should do the same soon.
He set up a small fire and unpacked some of their remaining meat. They had more than enough food to see them through the final leg of the journey, so that was reassuring. Fierd wouldn’t know where to begin with getting food out here on the plains. He looked around but didn’t see any game, and even if they could sneak onto the farms, the crops weren’t ready yet. There weren’t big farms like these up north, but he’d visited smaller ones during trades. He knew that crops weren’t ready to eat until autumn came.
Either way, they were well-off. He hadn’t
set out with the plan of providing for two, but he was feeling pretty proud at how well he’d made it work. It was more than worth it having the company. He’d have gone nuts without someone to talk to, as much as he tended to like his solitude. He was starting to feel uneasy, though. He didn’t want to cause trouble in this new town, and he really wanted to find some peace.
“You’re sure I won’t get caught up in any of that warring in your city?” Fierd called to her.
“Definitely not,” Karedess said without hesitation. “The war’s probably over by now anyway. But even if it isn’t, it’d be too late for you to join. They took the whole army across the ocean to fight the holy people last year. Even if things got bad, they’d come back home before they started making regular people or Wardens into soldiers.” Her voice hardened a little. “There’s no way a bunch of worshippers could beat us, so don’t even worry about it.”
“I’ll try not to.” He poked at the fire with a stick as he waited for it to burn hot enough to start cooking. Perhaps this wasn’t unease so much as simple nerves. He’d never been out of the north before, and a giant city like Ildia… What would it be like? He’d been to the Halefort once or twice, but would it be anything like that? His mind kept flipping the emotional coin over and over, nervous on one side and excited on the other. He shook his head to stop thinking on it. He spitted the first piece of meat he had laid out.
In the middle of his cooking, he saw a silhouette approach in the haze of dusk. It was big and square shaped—looked like a traveling cart. He stood and crossed his arms, ready to drop his hands for his hatchets.
The traveler wore a simple cloak over an uncomplicated jerkin and slacks. He looked plain enough, but his disguise was betrayed by a few details. First, his cart was unworn. He wasn’t a trader or even a traveler. That cart hadn’t been used for hard travel at all. Second, his horse was likely the best-bred animal Fierd had ever seen. Big and sharp black, it was way too expensive for someone of meager means. Lastly, his boots. You can tell a lot from a person’s footwear if you give it enough mind. Those were military boots, not all-terrain traveling boots.
The mismatched equipment put him on guard. Maybe he was paranoid since they had just been talking about the Juris earlier, but something didn’t smell right here.
The man on the cart waved his hand. “Ho, stranger,” he called.
“Ho yourself,” Fierd called back, doing his best not to sound hostile.
He brought his small cart to a halt nearby and sniffed at the air. “Dinner smells mighty fine.”
Fierd shrugged. “Just some buck meat. Nothing fancy.”
“Ah. Well, I won’t take up too much of your time. I just wanted to ask if you’d seen a group of outlaws in your travels. You look like you’re from the north. You run into any bandits coming from the south into your lands?”
“Just so happens I did come across a group like that. What’s your intent with them?”
The man’s eyes narrowed as he looked Fierd over. “I have…business with them.”
Business. He did his best not to glance at Karedess, who was lying in the stream. “Yeah, last I saw ‘em was way up north near the Helve. There’s lots more of those types way far north past the Halefort too. Best check with them for your…business.”
The man tipped his hat at Fierd. “Much obliged.” He snapped his reins and moved his cart onward, taking a turn toward the north.
Once he was a safe distance away, Karedess called to Fierd from her spot in the stream. “Why didn’t you tell him that you fought them? Or that you found me? He could have been from Ildia.”
Fierd hadn’t taken his eyes from where the man and his cart had faded away. “Sounded like he was looking to deal with the Juris, or join ‘em. Either way, I figured it was best him not knowing you were here. Might’ve tried to take you again.”
Karedess was quiet for a moment. “Good point.”
Fierd turned back to his fire to see that his meat was now thoroughly charred. “Aw, shit. I guess that one will be mine.” He spitted another piece of meat.
***
Fierd had an impossible time falling asleep that night. It was mostly his excitement keeping him awake, but his dread certainly wasn’t helping. Something about this Ildia was so fascinating. He might find a new peaceful life there, but part of him kept nagging that things were amiss. There was something boding ill about that place. It was likely just nerves, though. He’d never been in a city that size, so it was no wonder he might be a bit scared about what to expect. When sleep finally took him, he dreamed of the north.
He stood on the edge of the Dybok crater, looking down. There were people all around him doing the same. Everyone was in some kind of trance, unable to take their eyes away from a dark light shining in the middle of the gaping hole in the world. He turned and spoke to the person next to him, but they didn’t respond. A nervousness crept through him, and then people began to howl.
Some dropped to all fours. Others started scratching themselves aggressively. A small group off to his left ripped their clothes off and fucked furiously. Fierd stared back down at the light.
“These people are lost.” A heavy stone hand rested on his shoulder. He wanted to turn around and look in the face of the speaker, but his body refused to move.
“What’s wrong with them?” Fierd asked.
“The influence. They’re too close to this place. It tears away what makes them human from their minds. They are little more than animals now.”
“Why not me? Am I stronger?”
The voice gave a small gravelly chuckle. “No. You are just as weak as they are. But I am with you.”
The hand tightened and Fierd dropped to one knee in pain. He retched and threw up a small pile of searing magma. It steamed in the fresh snow on the ground and burned through the soil underneath.
The voice continued. “I will always be with you.”
Fierd’s insides burned hot, and it felt like he was going to erupt.
He woke in a terrible sweat. He looked over at Karedess, who was lightly snoring in her pile of furs. He breathed deep and tried to collect himself. He stood up and walked over to the cart, fiddling with the ties and knots that kept things from rattling around when they traveled. It was a useless act, but it took his thoughts away from whatever that dream was.
Then he heard the stony voice in his waking mind. “I will always be with you.”
CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
Merrik was huddled on the right end of the riding bench, completely covered in a blanket and not moving save for the jostles and bumps of the trip. As much as Al had freaked out about it, the blood from the other night wasn’t as serious as they’d feared, but bloody coughs weren’t a good sign either. Especially since Merrik had just recovered from an infection. And as if that weren’t enough, now he had lesions opening up all over his arms for no apparent reason.
Fortunately, Merrik had been able to sleep for most of this last leg of the trip. Midden rolled into sight at long last. It had taken just a couple days to get there by cart, so whatever had come out of that gateway could have made it there on foot before succumbing to the desolate coast. When they arrived, Alregon woke him gently. Merrik’s spirits rose as he looked around and some of his vigor seemed to return.
“It could be here, Al,” he said. “Somewhere in this crappy thrown-together hovel may be my solution—my destiny.” He glanced around the town, eyeing every drunk and harlot. He saw a filthy young boy, probably ten or eleven years old, sifting through piles of garbage. He slid off the cart, nearly falling over when he hit the ground. He hobbled over to where the young boy was tearing through trash.
“You there. Transient.”
The boy looked up at him and cowered a bit. He raised his hands up to defend against an expected strike.
“Ten plats for some information.”
The boy nodded emphatically and smiled wide, revealing only three teeth, all crowded in the front of his mouth.
“Have you seen
or heard of anyone particularly fantastic entering your little town here?” Merrik asked. “It would’ve been recently—maybe in the last month or so—and they may be able to do extraordinary things.”
The boy gave a few quick claps and his smile grew even bigger. He pointed over to an out-of-place, ostentatious tavern on the other side of the square. He shook his finger up and down to punctuate that they were definitely looking for whatever was there.
Merrik looked at the garish tavern, then back at the pleased homeless boy. “You’ve been a great help, gutterpup.” He reached under his robe and pulled out a small coin pouch. “Did I say ten plats? I meant an ozz.” He flicked the small silvery-blue coin at the boy, and he grabbed it from the air. “That should be enough to buy you whatever life you want in this town. Don’t waste it.” The boy stared at the coin in wonder. He’d probably never even seen one of those coins before. Hopefully he knew what it was worth and wasn’t about to trade it for dinner.
Merrik and Alregon made for the tavern. Bish and Puma jumped out of the cart and tied it off before following.
“Mighty generous of you,” Alregon noted.
“Meh, let the young man have a taste of the good life.”
They arrived at the tavern entrance. Merrik had been in the patronage since he was born, and he’d seen some horribly flashy crap in his day, but nothing quite like this. Purple and gold cloth was draped over the building making it look more like a tent than a solid structure. The cloth billowed and bloomed against the wind, which gave it an uncomfortable mystique. Smells of typical bar food drifted from the main door, and a loud burst of laughter came from inside.
Bish and Puma stepped up behind them.
“We lookin’ to kill someone in here?” Bish asked, scratching his belly.
Merrik didn’t bother to look back at him. “The opposite, actually. We’re looking for someone particularly special in here. Once we find them, we need to talk with them. Keep your eyes open and your sword sheathed.”
Bish shrugged. “I’ll just get sauced and let you do whatever it is you came to do.”