by Rhys Thomas
We quickened our pace but kept our heads on a swivel just in-case the fucker that massacred these people was still around. We came upon Marisa after having turned the corner around a squat wide house, which leaned precariously too far to the left.
An old woman sat on the steps leading up to the house’s entrance, she seemed remarkably fine with only a bit few mud and grass stains on her grey dusty dress. But as we moved passed the house, I could see that the back half of her head was in fact divided into slices and blood coated the entirety of her back.
Shaking my head at the incomparable and needless slaughter. “Why would anyone do this?” I muttered as we stop by Marisa. She was hunched over the ground as if ready to spring on an unsuspecting prey. But her attention was focused skywards. I was about to ask her about what she meant when she said she had found evidence.
But the words were cut short when I glanced at the house we stood in front of. It was a small shack of a home, one where all the necessities were within arms-reach. But what caught my attention was the elderly man nailed to the wooden door of the shack.
But by nailed I meant a two-foot-long misty blue and light grey quill protruded from the dead man’s sternum. The daylight shone on the quill and affixed the colours in such a way that they played across its surface. I had seen such a quill before, in fact I had used a similar quill to killed the fodraca-fuck, that attack me back on earth. Only a few days ago. So, the sight of this quill definitely made me shiver in moderate terror and apprehension.
“What is it?” Ariana asked from beside me. I heard Marisa growl deep in her small chest, but otherwise neither of us replied immediately. A part of me had wanted to hunt down the son of a bitch that had so badly taken away these people lives.
“A fodraca—that’s a fodraca’s quill- spine, whatever they’re called.” I turned and began searching the sky. But it was a cloudy day, though bright in certain areas the clouds cast a grey shadow over most of this hamlet.
*See anything Chick?* She shook her head when I looked at her but kept scanning. *No flying alright?* I thought to her, concern weighing heavily on the mere thought of one of those beasts grabbing my dragon.
*I won’t, don’t worry. We’re not even close to a stage where we can fight a single fodraca without casualty.*
I nodded, *I know what you mean all too well,* I replied down our bond as a shiver crept along my spine. The scar’s it had inflicted on me ached at the thought of fighting another so soon.
Rubbing my neck were it had chopped on me I looked to Ariana as she finished surveying the quill.
Only half of the two-foot quill was showing out of the elder’s body and Ariana moved the door gently to see a solid half-foot of the quill was protruding from the other side. She let out a disbelieving whistle at the sight.
“We should move,” I suggested, eager to get away from this place, but Ariana looked thoughtful.
“We should searched the houses-” She started and quickly held up a hand to stop my stern refusal. “We need warmer clothing Ally, and they cannot use it any longer. We’ll also need more food soon. We’ve enough left from the supplies Catherine gave us, but they’ll only last another day or so,” she stated, and I couldn’t help but agree with her logic.
*There is also the distinct possibility that the fodraca is still about. If we’re in the hamlets confines, we’ve more likely hiding places. But the fodraca will have full manoeuvrability, where as in the forest, the tree and such should prevent it from attacking us from the air,* Marisa offered with a draconic shrug.
“Okay we move quickly and no dawdling about. In and out,” we dispersed quickly and moved off. About half an hour later we met back up at the entrance of the hamlet and I deftly avoided looking towards the fur blanket that covered the small dead girl behind me.
Every so often I’d cast a quick look over my shoulder, just to make sure she hadn’t decided to go all cerulean eye on me and start nipping at my ankles. There was definitely something frightening about how humanity could turn in on itself in a cannibalistic undead nightmare. Somehow, I felt that in the near future I would have the unfortunate pleasure of encountering such sort’s and just knew the instant I did, I would be pissing myself and running away. No one smart fought against a horde of undead.
Games and crappy T.V. Shows had taught me that much at least. That and always aim for the head. I shook away the idle and nonsensical thoughts.
Ariana strolled up to me, a small smile on her face that was an odds with the utter carnage strewn about us. Her skin was a little sweaty and she huffed a breath and plopped her rucksack down on the ground in front of me.
“God damn, what did you take, the kitchen sink?” Her bag was so full to bursting that the straps and fastening cinching her bag tight were in fact slowly loosening under the pressure.
She gave me so coy a smile that made my heart hum in my chest. She double over her bursting sack and loosened the straps. Inside, caffeine heaven stared back. Wakeful mornings and sleepless nights here I come. Xhant jars for days glinted reflectively in the mid-afternoon light.
But beneath that was a hard chunk of a bread loaf, solid like a brick. I could probably shape it with a chisel and kill someone with it. According to Ariana this bread was meant to be extremely hard and durable. Usually used as rations back on Pyhronia when the clans went to war and skirmished against one another.
She explained how the bread’s outer layer was thick and dense, but the inner layers were sweet like shortbread. And yes, Ariana mentioned shortbread and I couldn’t wait to try some. Buttery shortbread had always been a weakness of mine since I was young.
It was also one of the many comfort foods I had obsessively gorged myself on during my early teens. I had to give it, and various other treats up once I started exercising after seeing and feeling how hideously overweight, I had been.
I warped the xhant and the bread loaf to my inventory, Aria had offered up the few coins she found but I wave it off. I did happen to stumble upon a small fortune after-all on my first day here. From what I saw of her hand she had found 8-silver coins and 9-copper, which brought her total up to 15-silver which she pocketed quickly.
“You know I could warp your money to my inventory, it’s completely safe.” I offered but she shook her pretty head vehemently.
“No, I’d rather keep a hold of my money thank you,” she said in a huff.
“Okay, just let me know if there’s anything you do need taken care of and ‘poof’ it’ll be gone.” I clicked my fingers for emphasis, and accidentally warped one of the xhant jars to my hand. Ariana shook her head and mumbled something I couldn’t hear. I guess I had been subconsciously thinking about the wakeful brew.
The small things helped to keep my mind off the bodies. It wasn’t exactly easy to ignore the rancid and putrid smell of the dead. We walked out of the hamlet back through the entrance and skirted around the walls towards the rear, to continue on our journey.
Marisa flew low behind us and took her place on my shoulder like a raven would to Odin, but which of the ravens would she be. Huginn for thought, or Muninn for mind.
*I prefer Goddess of sex, fire and rebirth. Thank you very much.*
I smiled at her haughty tone, *what? Not a fan of birds, Chick,* she huffed heatedly against my neck.
*Not a fan of earths celestials actually, they’re left to their own devices. An extremely violent lot, especially the Norse mythos.*
“Wait, so are all of earth’s gods real?” I asked aloud to which she nodded against me as she rubbed the top of her head against my chin.
*Yes, they’ve a different substance to Ra’al unseen ones. They have more freedom for starters, as the domain leader for Sol-System hasn’t been present for some time. So, Earth and the others are sort of left alone, till ‘Mother’ returns.*
“Mother?” I queried.
*Oh, not my own, god no. Our petulant niece. No, Mother is just a title she took for herself. She’s one of the oldest and wisest but the least powe
rful. Where Ra’al is young and powerful but certainly not wise.*
“Oh?” I said stunned slightly at her blunt words. “I would’ve thought you’d be all for backing Ra’al,” I noted.
*He’s not my father. No matter how you may consider it, that was more for his own comfort and amusement than mine. I needed him and his connections to find you my love. If he had listened to me in first place about finding you, and if he had taken my warning about the white more seriously then maybe we could’ve prevented this sooner. It did work out better for you though I might add, now we’ll have a Dominion’s power within our hands soon enough.*
With that chilling note she went to sleep. I always got mixed message from Marisa like she was constantly working towards some insurmountable goal that was belied in dark undertones. And she would destroy anyone who got in her way.
Our way, I amended.
Chapter Eleven
Wheldrake village was more of a town in size compared to the likes of Melancholy village and the unnamed hamlet. Plus, it had a trade hub where vendors and traders sold their goods. It seemed more like the end of two roads really.
One end was Wheldrake, the other was the Glen’dal coven. Which as I was finding out may be more than a simple coven location, but an actual city.
We had just finished cresting I believe the 100th rise today when the density of trees had grew even more sparse, and before us now was an enormous clearing busy with traffic and workers labouring away. Behind them was a thick manned town wall, built with a combination of both stone and lumber.
None paid us any mind as breached out of the forest and onto the bustling path, so we passed by practically unnoticed. Some spared us a glance and a friendly smile, but all seemed busy with their daily tasks and chores.
Evening was fast approaching, and we had been walking uphill for seemed to be most of the day. A light wind heralded a short flurry of snow at one point and the further we climbed the more evidence we found of frost and snow.
“Well this is a far cry from Melancholy,” I stated quietly to Ariana who nodded her head in agreement.
“Yes. more so,” she replied just as quietly. Marisa remained under my cloak and nestled against my neck like a comfy feathered scarf. The weather and temperature were becoming increasingly chillier, and after having no luck searching the destroyed hamlet for warmer clothing, Wheldrake could well be our last stop before the mountain trek.
I noticed several wagons were parked outside in a fenced off area filled with tents; just to right of main entrance. People moved within, rustling about in preparation for the new coming day. A travellers market, I thought. A few wagons were leaving, pulled by four eyed and four horned oxen, they were massively bigger that the usual seen on earth. Just like the red gemmed rabbit I’d seen through the shared sight with Marisa; the oxen also had a gem at the centre of their heads, but it was muddy brown colour that swirled cloudily.
The hulking animals strained slightly and then eased into it, as it pulled the wagon fastened to its harness. Other wagons trailed behind heading up a curving road leading out and towards the north of the town.
“Declare your business in Wheldrake?” A gruff voice said from our left and I stiffened slightly realising I had been staring after the wagons. I turned and found a cleanly dress guard with a polished steel pommel on a sword on his hip. He wore a tabard of neutral grey over his chainmail torso and belted tightly so that chainmail lowered like a small skirt beneath his waist.
I half expected someone like Jessel but when I looked into the man’s face, he smiled kindly at us. He was an older man most likely in his forty’s, with a salt and pepper beard that hid the majority of his face. His was bald with a small patch of old burnt skin just off centre of his forehead. “Do you have business in Wheldrake?” He reiterated and I nodded.
“Of a sort sir. We’re looking for warmer clothing and a night out of the cold,” I answered and thought back to the wagons something tickling my mind, the guard nodded.
“You have coin?” He asked and I nodded. He glanced to Ariana once but otherwise ignored her; seeing as I was the one speaking with him.
“Well we’ve plenty a ware’s and the Venyin’s travel market should be open come the morning.”
“Thank you. Say, are any of the wagons heading north?” I asked the older man and he let out a slight huffing laugh.
“All wagons go north, boy. Wheldrake used to be the Venyin’s and other traders mid-way point between Glen’dal and Bastion, down south. But from what we’ve heard of the nasty business going on, Bastion is ambushing travellers right at their gates,” he explained.
I nodded, “we know. We’ve seen such evidence just outside of Bastion wall’s ourselves. Emptied wagons and wares litter their main gates.” He nodded quickly and I assumed that he’s heard much the same from others.
“Also, the guardsmen of Melancholy, have practically turned to banditry,” I started but the man held up a hand cutting me off.
“I’ve heard such already, that imbecile Jessel is running the guard down there. He’s mainly been taking weapons off travellers to horde and arm his own ragtag men,” the man said, and I sighed in agreement.
“He tried much the same with us. The innkeeper there help us out.”
“Catherine?” He asked and I gave him a smile. “Cathy could never stand the man and his family.”
“You know her well?” I asked surprised.
“Yes, I do. She’s my sister in law,” the guard laughed slightly. “Lens my older brother, it’s been years since I’ve seen them both.”
“Well, they’re both well, and their Inn is doing fine.” He smiled gratefully at me and clapped me shoulder. I stiffened instinctively old wounds slowly trying to re-emerge, but I squashed flat.
“Thank you. If Cathy and Len helped you then you must be good folk.”
“Do you happen to know of a trustworthy Inn?”
He nodded at my question, “we’ve two here in Wheldrake. Weldon’s Fourth and the Busted Tap. Busted Tap is bigger but the Venyin are probably crawling the place by now, so Weldon’s your best bet. He’s a grouchy fellow but just tell him Jaric at the gate send you along,” he informed me, then stuck his gloved hand out. “Jaric Horrigan is my name by the way.”
I gladly accepted the hand and shook it, “Wyatt Rosen.” The words flowed from my mouth so fluidly that it left a pit of sickness in my stomach and I almost spluttered out my next words as I introduced Aria. “T-this is Ariana Rosen,” I gulped silently.
He smiled and nodded his head to her, Aria for her muted part returned the gestured with a stoic nod.
“Well, be seeing you both. I’ll see about popping in Weldon’s, the man has a good stout on tap.”
I smiled gratefully to the man and was about to turn away but paused, “you don’t happen to have a money changer in Wheldrake do you?” I asked.
He shook his head, “no. Not in Wheldrake at least, maybe someone amongst the Venyin can help you there.” I gave him a thankful wave.
Quietly to Ariana I said, “sorry. looks like you’ll be paying once again Aria.” I heard her grumble under her breath. “Don’t worry I’ll pay you back.”
“You better Ally, or we’ll be having a serious discussion on the nature of favours,” she replied smoothly.
“Oh, I’m sure we will,” I replied with a grin. I was starting to grow fond of her nickname for me.
We moved within Wheldrake town proper and I gawked at the bustling streets. A Light snow shower flaked the air as people packed up their stalls and closed shop for the night. Children played tag or fought with sticks off to the side of the street. I caught a glimpse of Ariana sighing with a bemused smile at a group of 8-year olds as they argued as if they were on trial for defending the legitimacy of their hide and seek game.
From what I could hear; someone had been caught out hiding, but then went back to hiding instead of joining the seekers. Simply scandalous. It made me wistful for a childhood I never had.
I felt Marisa shift wakefully on my shoulders, *we’ll need to talk later. Something is up,* I communicated to her and felt her silent agreement as a mental nod through our bond.
We moved through the town and bypassed several interesting storefronts. Each had hanging board outside them. A goblet with a golden snake coiling around the brim of the cup except instead of the usual serpent head, it was a red eyed goat. An apothecary of some sort, I guessed.
I knew this world was fantastical in nature, what with magic, beasts and monsters. But what about the other aspects of fantasy should I start expecting mana and health potions? Do I run the cliché and start calling the power I wield, mana and magic?
My thoughts were nonsensical and utterly pointless musings. A butchers shop, a barbers and a tailor’s shop were the only store’s still, that we saw; were open.
Though the butcher I saw, looking through the glass window was ordering his assistants around in preparation for the morrow. The tailor was in a deep discussion with a customer as she adjusted a few measurements on the sleeves and hem of modelling woman’s dress.
I heard Ariana make a noise of disgust at the sight, and I grinned in amusement. She was certainly not the fancy-dress type I imagined. Though it was a shame.
The bar was actually the inn Jaric had mentioned, as the sign read Busted Tap and the board depicted a barrel with a cracked and broken spigot, ale pouring excessively out from the break. Shaking my head at such an obvious design, though I was coming to like how the people of Viria marketed and displayed their businesses. We pushed through a sleepy crowd of patrons, stumbling drunkenly in hushed whispers and giggles.
Prostitutes flaunted their overly painted bodies that were squeezed into tight corsets and thigh-high lacy stockings. They crooned and beckoned the drunk and the needy. I felt my own flush of desire for their sweet flesh but couldn’t help the revulsive shudder at the possible disease’s they were carrying.
I did not come to Viria just to itch my way through crabs to fight the Shi’en. That shudder quickly divulged into a full body itch, and I had to refrain from practically dancing with the need to scour my whole being till I was clean.