by Rhys Thomas
I pulled up but felt the rock shift and give way an inch with my weight, so there I stayed breathing hard in excited terror. I was stretched out precariously like a sausage on a makeshift torture device where they stretch your limbs outwards, elongating them.
I made small minute movements testing my weight and balance. Blowing out a breath I leaned my head back and looked up and to my right. Ariana was peaking over the rise staring at me. She grinned in amusement as I held for dear life.
Then a wide feathered head blocked my vision, Marisa’s orange haloed eyes looked at me from a few inches away. “What?” I asked the dragonling.
*What’re you doing?* She thought to me blinking 0wlishly and I sensed an undertone of annoyance in her thoughts.
*I’m going down there,* I replied and flicked my head at the river below. Marisa turned away and peered down, *yeeaah. You have fun with that.*
*I mean it’s not as if I want to fall,* I replied as Marisa leapt off of me, springing as she whipped about her body coiling against the tree’s arching trunk. She then bounded off and unfurled her wings and flew up above me. “Even you abandon’s me,” I shook my head.
An ominous groan tore through the ground and tree beneath me, a sounded like tearing cardboard ripping as the trunk when slack and dipped. The roots tearing through the earth made a sharp cracking sounds as the they popped and snapped. Then the entire tree fell; and I was along for the ride.
I was suspended for but a moment as I held onto rock above my head, but the pull of weight and the sudden increase draw of gravity made it so that the rock crumpled out of the ground, raining wet soil onto my head and shoulders.
“Oh, Shhhhhhiiitttt!” I yelled in terror.
My dive ending with my heels drumming heavily against the back of my head like a scorpions tail. I floated on by, the world becoming a murky and bubbling current, I floundered about; struggling to tell which way was up. The river was surprisingly shallow nearer the steep bank I had tried to climb down.
I heard several muffled shouts, as focus tried to return to my dreary existence. I once had a tutor in college, who believe mermaids were real and were an offshoot of humanity that had been isolated to an island during a disaster.
According to his crack-pot theory, the stranded humans became mermaid’s by adapting to their surroundings; forming gills and fin’s, and the like to survive.
I was currently, desperately, trying to adapt myself. My mouth opened and I flailed, splashing about as arms cupped beneath my own and dragged me bodily out of the river. I was dropped unceremoniously to the rocky ground with a resounding thump that wracked my body with a spasm of pain. I breathed, or at least moved my mouth in the motion like a magikarp Pokémon.
The motion reminded the crowd of people suddenly gathering around me that I was stunned and obviously wasn’t thinking correctly. Someone then lean over; and I was rolled onto my side. Water spilled out of my mouth as I coughed wetly, it tore out through my throat like I had swallowed sand and grit.
After a while of this the blur’s and drowning sounds around me became clearer and were replaced by the soothing flow of water. I heard a thunk from behind as small pebble’s dashed against my back. Second later hands pulled me onto my back, and I saw Ariana frowning down at me.
She leaned away and nudged me with the tip of her boot.
“Imoguh, imguh,” I groaned groggily.
Something froze inside me and melted the daze I was in away.
A sense of shock, surprise and fear came through my bond from Marisa.
“Marisa?” I exclaimed bolting upright.
“Relax outworlder, your feathered friend probably went to feed,” Ariana said quietly, trying to cajole me to calm down.
“No, I just sensed fear from her Aria, somethings spooked her.”
“Well, where is she?” Aria asked quietly, we were talking in hushed tones, the villagers on the river bed had spread out but stayed back away from us.
I shook my head clearing it and blinked to our shared sight, only to dodged out of the way, “what the fuck?” I exclaimed aloud as an arrow sailed by just missing and clipping the feathers along my wing. I seethed and climbed to my simmering with anger.
“Are you alright young man?” An elderly fellow his skin tanned and leathery, an eyepatch covered his right eye. He wore what I imagined to be a fisherman’s getup, with thick suspended leggings and a woollen jumper.
I inhaled counted, and exhaled. “Yea… Just didn’t see the damn drop,” I explained forcing a smile, though I felt sick to my stomach.
“Say, you people don’t happen to have an inn nearby? I think I could use a rest and a hot meal,” I asked. “Somewhere to dry my clothes,” I fake-smiled.
“Of course, dearie. We’ll get ya set up. That was quite the fall ya had, come along then you; and ya friend.” An old woman said patting the elderly-man on the shoulder.
She wore a thick cotton grey dress, with a muddy equally grey apron. A thin white handkerchief was tied and cover her hair.
Everyone seemed to relax, all smiles and concern for me. Immediately trusting I wasn’t some serial cannibalist. “So, you travelled far?” The old woman asked us as we followed her. “Me and Len used to travel a bit back in the day. Though we were young then, when that nasty business with the Elves happened. I’ve seen Aegis their great central city, quite the sight those tall spiralling towers and all. And yourselves dear’s, explore much?”
I shared a look with Ariana who just raised a thin eyebrow at me like ‘go on then’ and I remember that she couldn’t properly speak the language. Haroxian? Now to construct a lie. I cast my mind back to the wagon’s I’d seen outside Bastion.
“We are—or at least were, caravan guards, escorting trader’s to Bastion. Unfortunately, some nasty business has occurred at the settlement, the guards there were amassed and robbing all the traders that arrived of their goods. Brigitte and I here managed to escape the range of their bows but most of our equipment and papers were lost. Oh, I’m Jonas by the way.”
“Well, sounds like you’ve an awful run of thing’s. We at Melancholy don’t do much trade with Bastion. No, we set out in the early days and escape that convoluted mess. Like living in a slum, I tell ya, but no matter. If ya coin, we’ll see ya up in our inn. Haven’t had many travellers in the last couple of months.
“Though we did have a short fella who left a few days back, heading north for the Dale Mountain’s and Sar’raqs Peak.” She laughed then, “he spent the night’s drunken on our stores, grumbling about some missing arm he’d lost. Though the man had two, so I worry.”
“We’re actually heading north ourselves. See if there are any opportunities out that way.”
“Well I don’t know much about the north just stay away from the coast and don’t journey to Farland’s and you’ll safe. We’ll set you up with a bed and a hot meal like ya asked.”
“Thank you, Mrs?” I started.
The old woman looked over her shoulder at me, her eyes thinned slightly as they slid to Ariana, but she smiled gently. “Catherine Horrigan, and welcome to Melancholy dear’s.”
An odd name for a village. An odd name for anything really. *Marisa? Can you hear me?* Several heartbeats passed.
*Alaric? Yes, I can hear you. What’s wrong ?*
I breathed a sigh of relief at hearing her voice flow along our connection. My smile firmed into a frown though. *What do you mean what’s wrong? Someone was shooting bloody arrows at you!* I thought back to Marisa.
*Yeeesss. They tried but weren’t successful. I’m trying to track… Squirrels are dick did you know that? One threw an acorn at me when I surprised it, caught me right in the eye as well.*
*Yeah well from now we don’t separate from each other without telling one another where we’re going,* I sent to the dragonling who sent back a huff of annoyance.
*You do realised I’m older than you right. I can go where I please Al, you’ve been gone long enough that I had to survive on my own.*
*Aww, are you worried about me love?* I scowled, my temper raising. *I know love, I know. I’ll be careful from now on and forewarn you of any further exploit’s I might venture, okay?*
I felt genuine worry from her as she tried to reassure me, I blew out a frustrated breath. *Yes, that’s all I ask. I don’t know these land’s or people yet, you’re the closes thing I have in terms of normality, as weird as it seems at times.*
She snorted in my head,*Al- hon. I can assure you that there is nothing about us that is normal. Especially you. Now hush, I must hunt and your distracting. I’ll come back later tonight, I think I know which building the inn is, just keep a window open for me. Ta-ta for now.*
We arrived at the village proper in no time, a small crowd had appeared at the entrance and the gate sentries stood stiffly as they shuffled out to block the entrance to Melancholy. Great!
“Halt!” The lead-guard shouted at the three of us. Catherine propped her hands onto her thin waist and shook her head, “Jessel ya coot, these are my guest’s, now shove off.”
The lead guard, Jessel ignored the old woman and stepped toward us. I felt Ariana loosen herself and get ready for a fight. Though nothing out toward of us changed, we were prepared to do anything. Even take Catherine hostage if needs be.
The man approached as the other’s stretched themselves to fill the gap his leaving made.
“Jessel Luric. If you don’t stop this; this instance, you’ll be banned from the inn,” the woman snapped, and the man step’s actually falter at that. “Don’t even think about talking to Len either or I’ll just throw him out too.”
Jessel stopped several feet away from us and stared dagger’s at Catherine. “They could pose a threat to us if not checked,” he hissed at her.
“Oh, like the fella a few nights ago. It’s no wonder Melancholy is in the stick’s on supplies when ya running everyone off.” I saw this going nowhere so decided to interject myself.
“It’s fine Mrs. Horrigan, honestly. They’re just doing their job and if they have to search and question us all the more reason to move this along so that we can have that hot meal.” I waved dismissively at their arguing, Catherine sighed and glared at Jessel before turning to me with a small smile.
“Get it on with then Jessel,” she grumped impatiently at the guard.
He cleared his throat and moved passed her and came to me. He was shorter than I by just under a foot.
It can be intimidating being tall, which is odd when I consider that I spent the majority of my childhood and school years being the shortest person.
“Damn, your tall,” Jessel exclaimed quietly as I straighten before him idly scratching my cheek. “Arm’s out,” he said gruffly. “Are you carrying any concealed weapons?”
“Yeah beneath the cloak on my left, a short-sword.”
Jessel grunted and removed the falchion from its scabbard on my belt. He whistled in appreciation, “huh. Been a long while since I’ve seen an Anarist blade, a bit rusty, where’d you get it?” He asked suddenly suspicious.
Shrugging I replied, “found it in an abandoned house. Damn place became a broods-nesting ground.” The mere mention of the brood had everyone spitting on the ground as several others made mark’s and sign’s to whatever supposed god they worshipped.
Jessel handed my falchion off to his left where one of the guard’s with the sword and shield stepped up to hold it. “Any other’s you might have or forgotten about?” I shook my head, “other than the short, I’ve obviously got the one on my back.”
I pointed out and Jessel twirled a finger in the air motioning for me to turn around, once spun Jessel went about removing my longsword of my back and making noises.
My eyes found Ariana whose steely violet eyed gaze watched the proceedings with agitation. Her eyes then flicked to mine and I gave imperceptible nod, just a slight tilt of my head. She huffed in annoyance. I could imagine that in her training she’d probably been taught to never give up her weapons for anyone or anything.
Yet, here I was telling her to. Once I’d been checked, Jessel nudged me off to the side dismissively and I recollected my gear rather forcibly. Aria dropped her pack and the sack that had carried her bow to the floor between her and Jessel stopping him from coming further.
She then reached up behind her back withdrew her axe and planted the half-moon blade in the dirt with a dull thud. I watched Jessel’s eyes follow the axe down, I saw no signs of recognition on his or anyone face’s in the crowd that now gathered around us.
“What’s in the bag?” Jessel said in an authoritative tone, Ariana just stared back unmoving. “Tell me, what’s in the damn bag?”
“Why don’t you take a look yourself guardsman,” I said waving towards the bag near his feet. “What?” He asked me confused, as if the idea hadn’t registered with him.
“Take a look inside the bag,” I repeated in an inviting tone. “And I wouldn’t try frisking my companion either. I don’t imagine she’ll allow that,” I said and popped a thumb at Ariana who nodded as if understanding.
“Are you threatening me?” He asked incredulous.
“No,” I shook my head and stepped closer. “Just a friendly warning, my friend here is ridiculously dangerous even without her axe, so you either take a look in the bag and allow us inside or you try an antagonize my friend further,” I explained. “Besides, she only talk’s to me.” I was closer now standing two feet to the right of Jessel and the left of Ariana.
The Valakharian scout gave me small smile as if to agree to my statement. “Jessel will you hurry this up. I’ve a pot of lamb stew waiting; washing that needs to be done, and a room to be made,” Catherine said with a huff.
“Fine,” he seethed. I nodded to Aria and she retrieved her axe and clapped it to her back.
He bent down and started ruffling through Aria’s pack. A few large crinkled leaves about a foot long’s layered atop most of Ariana’s possession’s which included a small knife, and pouch of coins. Jessel actually took the pouch out and tossed the weight slightly in his hand. When he started to undo the draw string, I got annoyed. “Is that really necessary for the safety of Melancholy village?” I asked dryly.
Jessel’s expression soured as he threw the coinage pouch back in the bag and kicked it off to the side where It contents strewn about. “What’s this? You’ve a quiver, a single arrow but no bow I can see.” I watched as he pulled an unadorned black leather quiver.
“Like I said, we lost a few of our possession,” I answered immediately. He moved the quiver out further.
“We’ll take this as a toll for entering Melancholy,” his word’s caused a stir in the crowd, I guess that the village had no actually toll in place; this asshole was trying to sleaze us.
“No,” I said firmly, “and if in fact you try to take our goods off us for this imaginary toll, I’ll cut your hands off for thievery.” I scratched my cheek as the crowd and the surrounding wood went shockingly quiet.
“But, you’ve no bow. What good is an arrow you can’t even shoot,” Jessel said with a gruff laugh but I stared at him. My head was starting to fucking ache and this man was trying to take something of Ariana’s. Yes, it was something piteously small, a single black shafted arrow. But It wasn’t his to take.
“If we were even considering parting with that, it’ll be for a price and because of your attempt to commandeer them we’ll definitely not be selling it to you,” I said calmly, though I roiled inside. Jessel stared at me as if I’d gone crazy. His gaze flickered between Aria, the quiver and then back to me.
A part of me understood his need to add to his stockpile.
I saw the moment; his spine stiffened his eyes drifting to the hilt of my longsword his mood calculating. Jessel’s nostrils flared, his men encroachin
g to form a loose semicircle, his hands tightened around the quiver.
“You know, we could just kill you and take what we need,” he hissed quietly at us.
I shrugged. which just seemed to piss him off further. “You could try banditry if you so desire. But know that I’ve already killed six men since last night and they tried the same.” Though the first three were accidental and technically not killed by me. Jessel and his men tensed.
I had just conversationally admitted to killing six people and now they were cautious, idiots. This whole situation was stupid; and my headache was growing worse.
My shoulders, ribs, back and legs were tingling with pins and needles
The woman with the bow—whom I suspected of shooting at Marisa—tightened her grip on her weapon.
“How many bows are there in the village?” I asked her directly. She seemed unsure, her eyes darting nervously. “N-none other than mine,” the archer replied, and I nodded.
“If you so much as draw, I’ll cut your hands off and destroy your bow. Then Melancholy will have lesser hands and no range to their name.” My words hung in the air, Jessel and his men growled, and the archer cowered away.
I paid them no mind and looked to Catherine Horrigan. “I must apologies Mrs. Horrigan. It would seem we shall not be staying after all. Our reception so far hasn’t been exactly comforting,” I said and gave a dismissive wave at the gate guards.
Catherine snorted and shook her head, “these clouts are all show dearie, ya coming to my inn as I’ve already stated. The fools we just have parade themselves outside without food or drink for a while.” I heard a small muted groan escape one of two shield bearers.
“Catherine! you cannot allow these people in. First the Zwerc a few nights ago and now two armed strangers. You can-not and will-not bring people in to my village. It’s because of your generosity that we’ve been burgled and lost a few of our number to raiders.”
“You mean your brothers generosity, Jessel,” Catherine spat back at the man, she said ‘brother’ with enough venom that I felt and saw every person in the crowd cringe away.