Nature Abhors a Vacuum (The Aielund Saga Book 1)

by Stephen L. Nowland

  “What, because I defended your honour?” Colt exclaimed, turning to face her again. “I'm not a regular bloke, Mona. Sure, I'm a little rough around the edges, but don't ever doubt that I love you.” The uncomfortable silence descended upon them again as Mona locked eyes with Colt. “Did I just say that out loud?” he muttered with embarrassment.

  “You can be quite endearing when you want to, Dante, so much like a little boy in some ways, yet you can't hide what you are deep inside. More than once, you've proven yourself to be just as brutish as your predecessors, and striking Commander Armin just because he was being nice to me was so very human. I couldn't even voice how disappointed I was, Dante.”

  “I never asked to be put on a pedestal, Mona,” Colt grated. “And I've never tried to hide who I am. So I'm gonna ask you a question, and I want a straight answer. After that, we'll know where we stand.”

  “I'm listening,” she replied, a hint of anticipation in her voice.

  “Do you love me enough to forgive me?” The question hung in the air for a long moment as the attention of everyone present centred on the tall elf-maiden.

  “I do forgive you, but Armin has made his intentions to me clear,” she answered. “I've started seeing him on a regular basis. I'm sorry Dante.” Colt nodded, evidently not trusting himself to speak. Aiden saw the look in his eyes though, and could see he was barely holding himself together.

  “Armin is a kind, stable man,” she continued, “and frankly he's a little closer to my age. I mean, when you think about it, you and I being together is almost like robbing the cradle, right?”

  “Yeah, makes perfect sense,” Colt replied unemotionally. “Well, if you’re happy, I’m happy.” She smiled faintly, then stood and reached for her equipment.

  “I’ve hurt you, I can tell. Now that you and your friends are recovering, I shall take my leave. Commander Armin is still quite put out with you Dante, so I suggest you steer clear of the area for another week or two. If you find it within you to apologise for knocking two of his teeth out, I’ll put in a good word for you when it’s time.”

  “I’ll consider it,” Colt said with a shrug, as stubborn as ever. “Take care of yourself Mona.”

  “Be well,” she said with a husky voice. On her way out the door, Aiden thought he spotted a tear rolling down her cheek, but he couldn’t be sure.

  “You knocked his teeth out?” Pacian blurted as soon as the door was closed.

  “He was moving in on my woman, what’s a man supposed to do?” the big man grunted.

  “Use words instead of fists,” Nellise advised, clearly unimpressed with his actions. “Alright Aiden, that’s as much as I can do for you now. Just take it easy for the next day or two and you’ll be fine.”

  “Thanks,” he replied, distracted by the growling in his stomach. He dressed in his dry clothes and together, they ate the stew Mona had left for them, with Sayana putting away more than double what anyone else managed. All things considered, everyone seemed to be in fairly good shape as they finished off the contents of the pot and rested next to the fire.

  “That hit the spot but our supplies are ruined and there’s nothing else to eat,” Colt grumbled. “If we're all able to move now, I think we should get back to Bracksford right away. I dreamed of roast pork last night and after what we just went through, I'll be damned if I'm going to sit around here all day and go hungry.”

  “I suppose they'd have fresh supplies coming in by now,” Aiden mused. “Maybe we can have a drink in the memory of Clavis MacAliese, without whom we wouldn't be sitting here right now.”

  “In more ways than one,” Pacian added caustically. “And before you get cross with me, just remember that he tricked us into going with him, with lies.”

  “You wouldn't have that axe without him,” Aiden reminded him, pointing at the gleaming axe lying next to Pacian’s bed. “You know it's going to be worth a fortune when you go to sell it, so don't try telling us you didn't benefit from all this.”

  “I don't even care about the axe,” Pacian shot back, “it just seemed a waste to leave it there, that's all. His family might like it back maybe.”

  “I'm sure you wouldn't try selling it to them for a King’s ransom,” Colt growled sarcastically.

  “You know what? I don't even want this damned thing anymore,” Pacian yelled with a rising temper. “I didn't take it to get rich, but you don't want to believe me? I'm fine with that. Here Sy, have a priceless heirloom.” He grabbed the axe and passed it over to the wild girl, who was starting to look like she wanted to run away from this heated argument.

  “Okay,” she offered weakly, clutching the magnificent weapon, while Pacian glared at Colt.

  “There, happy now? Oh wait, I forgot who I was talking to for a moment there,” he remarked, becoming more sarcastic by the minute.

  “What the hell does that mean?” Colt growled dangerously.

  “I think we should just cool things down a little,” Nellise offered, becoming distressed by the direction of this discussion.

  “You know what I mean,” Pacian continued. “Pining away over a woman so far out of your class you wouldn't have a shot with her even if you had a thousand sovereigns to your name.” Colt's answer came in the form of a fist, smashing Pacian in the nose with a loud 'crack', causing him to stumble as Nellise moved between them, arms held high to keep them apart.

  “Enough of this!” she ordered. “We're all tired from the ordeal we just went through, and this is not the time to be throwing around wild accusations, or fists.”

  “Good point, we did just go through an ordeal,” Colt agreed, but with an edge to his voice as he turned to look at Aiden. “You were in favour of it from the beginning, weren't you Aiden? When we fought those bloody borer things and were thinking about turning around, you were quick to make us keep going.”

  “Colt, this isn't helping,” Nellise chastised.

  “You were up in that little room for a long time, Aiden,” Pacian added, his voice sounding odd because of his broken nose, which he was tending to with a bloodied piece of cloth.

  “Hey, you were looking for something, right from the beginning, weren't you?” Colt accused Aiden. He glanced briefly at Sayana, who slowly nodded her head in answer to the unasked question – it was time for an explanation.

  “Settle down, it’s not a conspiracy,” Aiden calmly assured them. “I had come to Bracksford to buy a book from the local antiquities shop. In this book, I had hoped to find some answers to a problem that’s plagued for me for years. Instead, I found clues which indicated that what I was looking for was deep within Ferrumgaard. Once I heard it was a long-abandoned city, I knew I'd have trouble getting in there without help. Clavis offered to join up with us, for his own reasons of course, but I'm afraid I haven't been completely forthcoming with my own.”

  Colt took an ominous step towards him, which was disturbing in itself, but made even more so by the fact that Nellise didn't try to stop him.

  “So yes, I was striving to get to the information I sought the whole time,” Aiden admitted, “but like Clavis, if you were all adamant about not pressing forward due to the risk, I would have gladly turned around and left with you. I'm very sorry for not sharing this with you at the start.”

  “You cold bastard,” Colt spat. “This kingdom is starting to tear itself apart, yet you have us on some wild goose chase in an old abandoned city, on the slim chance you might find some musty old book that tells you... what exactly?” This was the part Aiden had been trying to avoid mentioning in the first place.

  And so Aiden told them of his thirteenth birthday, the day he had fallen down into that strange cave, discovered the glowing orb that let him see the Battle of Fort Highmarch, but not as it appeared in the historical records.

  “So, all of that was traumatic enough, but the recurring dream I’ve been experiencing every few days since then ensures I will never forget it,” Aiden finished.

  “Except, that it isn't a dream,” Sayana added,
speaking for the first time in a while. “That shard of crystal he wears around his neck carries a strange power. When he has that dream it glows, and I was unfortunate enough to be drawn into his vision.”

  “Regardless, the writing I’d seen on the orb before it shattered is unique,” Aiden continued, trying to keep things grounded in reality, “I spent years researching languages and arcane tomes looking for a clue, so maybe I could find out what the orb was, and why I see what I see.” The only sounds to be heard after he'd finished speaking were the crackling of the fireplace and the wind blowing through the trees outside.

  “This is all very dubious,” Nellise said after a long minute of digesting this information. “Fascinating, certainly, but to risk all that you have over a dream? And one that isn't even accurate, either, for nobody has seen a dragon in these lands in centuries, and definitely not at the Battle of Fort Highmarch. I'm sorry to say this Aiden, but this is more likely due to the trauma you suffered in that cave than any other factor.”

  “But what gets me,” Colt added with a disappointed voice, “is that you risked our lives over this, and you didn't even have the guts to tell us what was going on.”

  “As a boy, I told people about this after it started happening,” Aiden countered, “but they all thought I was crazy, even my parents. So you'll excuse me if I don't go around telling people that the dragon in my dreams wants to eat me, and that I have to get it out of my head.”

  “You should have trusted us, Aiden,” Colt muttered, heading back over to his bed and grabbing his gear. “You don't go risking people's lives, friends lives, without telling them why. It just isn't done. I'm going to head back to town and get drunk, and I'm not interested in anything any of you have to say about that.”

  With his gear strapped on, Colt opened the door and stepped out into the bitter cold of the Calespur ranges. Nellise turned and started to tend to Pacian's broken nose, while Sayana looked to Aiden for what to do next. He didn’t have an answer.

  By the time they had packed and left the warm confines of the cabin, none of them were really talking to anyone else. Nellise was cross with Pacian for his behaviour, Aiden for his duplicity, and Sayana for all that weird dream talk that seemed to impinge upon her sensibilities.

  In the end, Aiden could see that everyone was tired, stressed, and trying to cope with everything they had barely survived. They probably just needed some time apart to rest and recuperate, but then again, there was no real reason for them to stay together after this either.

  Unsurprisingly, it was raining the entire journey, a steady downpour that did not abate as they reached the outskirts of the town at twilight. The gates were still open, and the militia guards welcomed them on their way through.

  A number of large merchant wagons were parked nearby surrounded by townsfolk busily buying up everything in sight, indicating a return to normal life for the men and women of the small farming community.

  The alluring smells of roasted meat wafted along the wind as the people of Bracksford made up for weeks of sparse rations with their own little celebrations. It made Aiden's mouth water, and put a spring in his step as he pictured a huge, hot meal laid out before him.

  “Do you smell all that great food?” Pacian said to Aiden when he approached the front of the Bracksfordshire Arms. “I’m going to eat until I burst.”

  “You're talking to me again?” Aiden answered as they stepped through the doorway. I thought you were upset with me.”

  “Why would I be upset? You told me most of that dream stuff before, remember?” Pacian shrugged. “And I'm pretty sure Sayana wants to have your children, so she's not going to stay mad at you. So yeah, we're good. Just give Colt and Nel a chance to cool down before you speak with them, yeah?”

  “I don't think we really need to talk at the moment anyway,” Aiden agreed, seeing Colt sitting at the bar nursing a large pitcher of beer. There was no sign of Nellise or Sayana. “But what about you? You did kind of cross a line back there in the cabin.”

  “I'm sort of counting on the beer to erase Colt's memory. As for Nel, well... she'll come around. No woman can resist my charms forever. The only question is how will she survive without me in the meantime?”

  Aiden grinned, shaking his head at his friend’s unshakable cockiness. He looked around, taking in the simple splendour of the common room and its familiar sights and smells.

  “Now if you'll excuse me,” Aiden said, “I have to eat everything in this building right now.” Pacian laughed, and the two friends sat down at a nearby table to enjoy the first decent meal they'd had in some time. When they were finally finished eating, Aiden bid his companion good night and went up to their usual room for a proper night's sleep.

  As he stripped down to climb into bed, Aiden glanced at his belongings and to the sack containing the recovered treasures. He was tired, but the same curiosity that led him to the depths of Ferrumgaard refused to let him rest until he'd at least examined the contents. He lit a few candles and then carefully upended the contents of the sack over the bed covers and sat down to sort through it all.

  The largest of the items before him was a metal rod, nearly two feet in length, and capped with a large, ornate head, much like a mace. Like everything else he had taken, it was covered in a layer of dust so Aiden used his torn shirt to wipe it down.

  After only a few moments of cleaning, he could plainly see that the rod was encrusted with gems near the base and tip, and arcane writing was etched into the metal along its length. His heart beat excitedly as he began to examine it, eventually drawing the conclusion that it was a weapon of sorts, able to focus ambient energy into a tiny focal point. With a little more study, he could probably figure out how to invoke its power.

  It occurred to Aiden that the real reason he was searching through his acquisitions this late at night was because he was afraid to go to sleep, as the dragon in his dream seemed to be changing, becoming more alive since Sayana had shared the vision.

  A small pile of delicate parchments drew his attention next. The first one he picked up was still intact, despite its apparent age. It was folded over several times, and upon closer inspection, turned out to be a large map of Feydwiir, the vast island they lived on.

  As he picked up the next piece of parchment, Aiden was surprised to receive a small electrical shock, as if he'd been rubbing his feet on thick carpet and then touched something metal. More curious than scared, he carefully looked at the contents of the page, and within moments his suspicions were confirmed – it was more arcane writing, the symbols of power covering the page from top to bottom. He could understand most of what was on there, and concluded that it was an incantation of some sort.

  Aiden had read of scrolls like this, created by wizards to indefinitely hold a spell on the verge of being completed and invoked when the page was read aloud. The skills to create such magicks were beyond Aiden, but he knew enough of the runes before him to figure out how it was supposed to work.

  Precision was an absolute must for this kind of thing and if he mispronounced any of the words, it would likely explode in his face. Leafing through the pile, he found several other pages just like it, and rolled them up together to keep them separate from the other papers.

  The next item to pique his interest was basically two small, circular pieces of glass encased in leather straps. Aiden wasn't sure what to make of this contraption at first, but he did notice a few arcane runes etched into the casing around each piece of glass that had something to do with sight. Curious, he put the leather strap over his head and fitted the lenses over his eyes.

  What had been a dimly lit room suddenly became clearly visible to Aiden, although absent of colour. He glanced around a little and suddenly noticed Sayana crouched near the door, her eyes shining like a cat's. He gasped in surprise and took the lenses off, noting that without them, she was practically invisible in the near darkness of the dim candlelight.

  “Sayana, how long have you been there?” he sighed with a mixtu
re of relief and mild annoyance.

  “All night,” she replied quietly. “I thought you would have noticed me by now, but you were so wrapped up in your studies.”

  “Yes, I - wait, did you see me undress?” Sayana stood and walked over to the other bed and sat down.

  “I didn't want to disturb you,” she whispered, ignoring his question while gazing at the items upon his bedspread. “Have you made any interesting discoveries?”

  “A few, but nothing yet that would answer any of our questions,” Aiden remarked, gesturing around at the pile before him. “Here, take a look at this. These lenses allow the wearer to see at night, which I can think of roughly a thousand uses for.” She examined them curiously for a few seconds, before fitting them over her eyes.

  “Oh,” she cried, pulling them away again almost instantly. “It's so bright, they hurt my eyes. How can you stand it?”

  “Really?” Aiden said, taking the lenses back and looking through them, puzzled. “Maybe they don't work well on people who already see well at night. Anyway, there's not a lot else of interest here, just a few scrolls and pieces of parchment. Oh, that reminds me...” Aiden carefully leaned over and fetched his gloves from the floor, paying particular interest to the formerly enchanted one, its gemstone still glittering in the faint light.

  “The shield magic seems to have stopped working for me,” he mentioned, handing her the glove. “I first noticed this when I was being stabbed with spears down in Ferrumgaard.” The sorceress examined the crystal closely, able to see things others could not.

  “The crystal has been damaged,” she finally surmised. “Quite badly, too. I would suggest that this device has not been working properly for a long time.”

  “That can't be,” Aiden objected. “I definitely used it when we were down in the city, it just didn't last very long.” Sayana seemed to think about this for a long moment, and then she handed the glove back over to him.

  “Put it on and invoke it,” she instructed. Aiden looked at her dubiously.