“I'll take my chances.”
My smile is mocking, as I turn from the Nameless and start walking. His glare bores into me from behind, until the Stevedores Guild blocks his view of me.
The fires are sweeping further north. Even if most Bogwater's buildings' walls are made of stone, everything combustible inside those walls is going up in flames. There is no indication that anyone is trying fight the fires or stem their advance. I find it hard to believe that everyone in Bogwater is just writing off their town this way.
Garion is in the street outside his small church, when I reach it. His worried eyes turn toward me, when I approach. As I move closer, his lips turn downward in a distinct frown.
“You used far too much of your ki. Your healing has been set back by a considerable amount.”
I shrug. “There was no real choice. I needed to finish off fifteen DokkAlfar soldiers and three archers quickly.”
Garion's eyes open so wide that the whites visible all around the irises. Coming from his half-open mouth, his voice is barely above a whisper. “Eighteen? You fought eighteen DokkAlfar at once?”
I stare at my human hand, as I clench it tightly into a fist. My voice is harsh, from the sudden surge of anger and resentment. “What's the big deal? When I had a real body, I killed DokkAlfar by the thousands, dozens at a time. If I had even half the strength of my old body, I wouldn't need ki at all.”
When I returned to the Labyrinth, I was not sure of what I would do. Now, I am. The Bohemian Cats and Deathmeister will suffer before they die. I will not give them release, until they beg me to end their lives. The Nameless will be destroyed by my hand. If I am still alive after that, I will see if I can kill Yggr and his Jotun Lords just for kicks.
Garion's face is pale, as he stares at me. He gestures toward the sparks in the air. “The fires are getting close. We should get your woman and escape, while we can. The Merchant Council has probably diverted all the resources of the town to defend their own properties. Maybe, they will try to save some of their supporters assets as well, but you never can tell.”
As I enter the church, I sense Garion shiver slightly behind me. Perzey is lying on the small bed, dressed in a loose smock. The bracelet I left with Garion is on her wrist. She mumbles incoherently in her sleep, when I lift her off her cot.
Picking up Perzey, she seems to be much lighter than when I carried her here. It seems that I have become much stronger than I was a few days ago. I did not notice it wielding my swords, but I stopped being aware of how much they weigh, before returning to this place.
Garion is stuffing potions, herbs, and medical instruments into a shoulder bag. It has to be a dimensional storage bag, considering how much it is holding. Glancing in my direction, Garion rushes towards the exit.
Outside, the smoke filled air is heavy with drifting sparks. The fire is only two or three roads from Meadowlark Street, where we are standing. The billowing smoke, with flames flickering under it, looks like the gates of Hell. I cannot repress a shudder. Being this close to the raging inferno, my memories of the agony of being burned alive are all to real.
“Brand, hurry up!” Garion's voice drifts to my ears from forty or fifty yards down the street.
I rush to catch up with Garion, and he leads me on a twisting course, through the winding streets of Bogwater. In less than ten minutes, we have reached the northern part of the western wall. A gate lies only a few hundred feet further north.
There are still hundreds of Bogwater citizens trying to escape the burning town through this gate. This is probably the last one that does not have fires surrounding it. Most of the people fleeing are loaded down with their life's possessions. The only watchmen are outside the town walls. The merchants in charge have given up on saving anything beside their own property.
Outside the north-west gate, I find thousands of Bogwater residents. Some people are milling about aimlessly, and others appear to be in shock, sitting with blank expressions. Many of them are suffering from burns or broken bones, but none appear to have battlefield injuries.
“I need tend to the injured. You should find someplace relatively quiet and let her sleep.” Garion is looking around, his eyes lingering on the people with the worst injuries.
“How long before the sedative wears off?”
Garion quickly examines Perzey. “By morning at the latest. She is already showing signs of waking up.”
“Thanks for taking care of her, but I'm leaving now. I don't like large crowds. You never know when someone will put a knife in your back.”
Garion puts his hand on my arm, as I turn away. “Brand, you should really rest for the night. You need it more than she does at this point.”
A couple of big men, who look beast hunters, stare at me. They do not appear even slightly friendly. When one whispers to the other, the second man quickly start pushing his way through the crowd.
I stare a Garion. “Saying my name like that wasn't the smartest move. Unless, of course, you were trying to set me up.”
Garion pales, his eyes widening. “No. I wasn't thinking. I did not mean any harm.”
“Whatever. I'm leaving.”
I start towards the north, and the hunter that stayed moves to block me.
“Where d'ya think yer goin', Brand?” His voice is loud, pitched to carry across long distances.
Circulating ki through my mind, I half-turn to glare at the hunter. My eyes promise him death.
“Fuck off.”
Too loud whispers and clearly enunciating voices rise from the surrounding crowd of refugees.
“Brand?”
“He's the one responsible for this?”
“He escaped from the DokkAlfar?”
“It was really DokkAlfar that were hunting him?”
“My neighbor saw the DokkAlfar walking across the river.”
“Where are the watch?”
“Fuck the watch! Just kill him!”
The hunter's face pales, and he glances around nervously. Hundreds of people are watching our encounter, and the hunter's face flushes with rage. His hands reach toward the hand axe and hook knife hanging on his belt.
I let my ki flood outward, filling the area with my aura. My voice is pitched just loud enough for the hunter to hear. “Do you want to lose your life with your pride? If you pull a weapon, I will kill you, just like I killed the DokkAlfar. Go away!”
Shame, rage, and fear battle within the hunter's eyes, and fear wins. His hands hovering near his weapons, he backs away. The mumbling of the crowd carries more fear than the hunter's eyes. The hunter is an adept, but they are mostly mundane. Some shaking in terror, the survivors of Bogwater back away, making a path for me.
Continuing north through the fields surrounding Bogwater, I enter the forests, disappearing from the sight and lives of the citizens and transients. With luck, I will never see that place again.
Walking for several hours, I reach a small meadow along the bank of the Bogwater River. I take out some blankets and lay Perzey down on them. I sit next to Perzey in the lotus position, not bothering with a fire. The light would attract unwanted attention. I make a meal out of dried meat and very hard travel bread.
I never did have a chance to learn the basic exercises for strengthening my mana and psi. When I find someone who knows what they are doing, I will have to take the time to learn.
Using too much ki has damaged my body again, but ki's greatest benefit is restoring and strengthening the body. Slipping into a light trance, I use small amounts of ki to accelerate the rate of my natural healing. It is much slower than externally promoted healing, but at the same time the ki heals it will continue to reconstruct my body.
*** Swamp of the Lost - Battleground of the Damned ***
Return: Day 14
The sun is well above the horizon, when Perzey's stare draws me from my meditation. Her brilliant silver-grey eyes are clouded with confusion. As she stares, Perzey sometimes opens and closes her mouth, as though wanting to say someth
ing but being unable to formulate the words.
After a long time, she tremulously voices her thoughts. “Brand saved Perzey. Perzey does not understand. Why?”
“You tried to kill me, and I spared you. I own you. You are my property. Perzey belongs to Brand. I will not let you die, until I tire of you.”
Slipping my hand behind Perzey's neck, I draw her face close to my own. “You will live and die by my will. I will use you when and how I choose. I will show you the path to become strong, but you will have to walk it. If you are too weak, I will cast you aside.”
As I withdraw my hand from from behind Perzey's head, she presses her cheek against my palm. “Perzey will be strong. Perzey will make Brand admit Perzey is strong.”
Perzey strips out of her smock and tears off the bandages underneath. On the inside of her left breast, a small white scar draws her attention. Tilting her head and prodding her tit with her fingers, she grins.
“No more wounds. Perzey is healed.”
*** Swamp of the Lost - Battleground of the Damned ***
Return: Day 16
Across the Bogwater River, the ruined city is overgrown with trees and vines. It is impossible to tell how big it was in the past or know who built it. Time has taken its toll, and much of the city has crumbled and been completely subsumed by the forests.
A row of mana-cannons faces the ruined city, and others are scattered about in strongpoints facing the river and forest. The denizens of the city are far more dangerous than anything likely to come from any other direction. Filled with the living dead, the depths of its vaults have never been fully explored, but thousands have died trying.
If the teleport gate in the center of the mana-cannon emplacements was not the most direct link to the Seventh Tallifer Trade Corridor, the location would be abandoned. There is another gate five days to the north-west, but it does not have easily accessible links to Tallifer. It is also not near any river or body of water. The valuable beast parts and herbs from the Swamp of the Lost are all shipped up the Bogwater River, after being collected in Bogwater.
This gate is closed to me. There are at least forty DokkAlfar standing watch or wandering around the gate compound. Rows of tents have been pitched in a staging field near the gate, and human soldiers from Bogwater and Tallifer are standing in fearful groups. The humans are still armed, but they are obviously subservient to the DokkAlfar. Judging by the design of the DokkAlfar armor and the white eye badges pinned to their left breasts, they are the followers of Yggr.
If I were alone, I could probably slip through the gate, or in the worst case, fight my way to it. With Perzey in tow, there is no way to make it through to the next zone. We are going to be taking the long route through the badlands.
*** The Seventh Trade Corridor Badlands - Battleground of the Damned ***
Return: Day 21
The kaleidoscopic radiance disappears, and an ocher-brown land stretches out before us. The coarse gravelly sand is ocher-brown. The spires of barren stone are ocher-brown. Even, the sky has an ocher-brown tint, from the dust in the air. The cactus like plants and sparse scrub brush are more yellow than green. This is the Seventh Trade Corridor Badlands. I do not know of a single settlement, anywhere within the Badlands. This place is inimical to human life. Even races like orcs and goblins would have a hard time surviving in the Badlands.
Even though the Badlands are not on the actual trade corridor, they are named after it, because the Seventh Tallifer Trade Corridor is one of the few named entities that is well known. Tallifer and the Twelve Tallifer Trade Corridors are known almost everywhere. In the Southern Reaches, many unpopulated or sparsely settled zones are named after the nearest trade corridor. There are only few dozen settlements in this part of the Battleground of the Damned, and Bogwater is one of the largest and best known. Still, Bogwater is not well known enough that its name is recognized throughout the Battleground.
“Perzey does not like this place. The air smells bad.”
My laugh is grim. “Don't drink the water, or you'll wish it was just Mexican water.”
“Mexican water?” Perzey's voice is hesitant and confused.
Turning to face, I see a blank look on her face, except for her eyes. Her eyes are filled with fear, nearly insane fear.
“Mexico, the country to the south of the United States, don't you remember it?”
Perzey shakes her head violently, with her hands over her ears. “Perzey does not remember Mexico. Perzey does not remember United States. Perzey does not want to hear those words.”
“Who is Helen?”
Perzey's eyes open wide, and her pupils contract. Still shaking her head, she tries to keep her vision focused on me. “There is no Helen. Helen does exist. Helen is a coward. Helen is dead.”
I cannot keep the malicious smile off my lips. “Who is Rachael?”
“No. No. No. No! No! NOOOO!”
Perzey draws her swords, swinging wildly at me.
Crack!
“Ooofff!”
Perzey is bounced off the sand drifted stone, with the force of my slap. Turning her head towards me, she has blood flowing from her mouth and nose, and tears fill her eyes.
Flipping her onto her back, I keep her down, with a hand around her throat. My grip is not forceful enough to choke her, but she still tries to shrink away from me, fear driving all other emotions out of her eyes.
“Tell me, Perzey! Who is Helen? Who is Rachael?”
“Helen is a nightmare! Helen is dead! Rachael is dead! Perzey is Perzey! Perzey! Perzey! Perzey! Perzey! Perzey! Perzey! PERZEY!”
Her hands desperately clutching my wrist, Perzey sobs helplessly. I pull her up from the ground, and she wraps her arms around my chest. Despite the mail covering me, Perzey buries her face against my chest. Her body shivers, as she draws gasping breaths between piteous wails.
“Perzey, listen to me. If you forget the nightmare, you will become weak. You are Perzey, but you can never forget Helen and Rachael. You have to remember how pathetic and weak they were. You can never let yourself become a coward like them.”
“Perzey doesn't want to remember. Perzey hates them!”
“Hating them is good. Hating Earth is good. You have to remember how weak and disgusting everything about Helen and Rachael is. If you live like them, you will die like them.
“You are going to fight and kill, when I tell you to. You are going to learn to use all the skills and abilities lying dormant in your body. If you listen to me, you are going to become strong.”
Perzey's death grip around my chest loosens, as her crying eases. “Brand owns Perzey. Perzey will follow Brand. Perzey will become strong like Brand.”
I cannot keep from grinning.
*** Tallifer (City of Tallifer) - Battleground of the Damned ***
Return: Day 51
The gleaming white walls and colorfully painted towers of Tallifer fill the horizon. Home to more than two million people, it is the largest trading hub in what is called the Southern Reaches of the Battleground. As the residents say, all trade comes to Tallifer.
The main harbor might be bigger than the Port of Los Angeles, and it is certainly busier. Dozens of ships are arriving, as I watch, and dozens more are departing. Tallifer is another merchant city. This one ruled by the Council of Five, made up of the leaders of the five greatest merchant houses in the city.
Our ship is from one of the Tallifer merchant fleets. After crossing through the badlands, we had an uneventful trip through a small mountain range to reach a trade station on the Seventh Tallifer Trade Corridor. After an easy three day sail through two teleport gates, we should have finally caught up with Jinmu's group.
As the ship nears the harbor, we should be nearing the range of the party chat.
*Jinmu, do you hear me?* I use the raid channel, in my party charm.
After fifteen or twenty minutes, we are sailing past the defensive islands, into Tallifer's harbor.
*Jinmu, are you here?*
*Br
and! We heard rumors about a DokkAlfar attack on Bogwater. Was that what delayed you so long?* Sigurd sounds agitated.
*Shit happened, and we had to take detour.*
The Secrets of Steel
*** Tallifer (City of Tallifer) - Battleground of the Damned ***
Return: Day 51
As soon the ship is docked, I disembark, with Perzey following at my heels. This harbor alone has more people working or engaging in business, than the entire population of Bogwater. The huge warehouses lining the docks are nothing more than the antechambers of the real storage areas. Dug into the bedrock of Tallifer Island, some warehouse have ten or more underground storage levels.
Sigurd told me that Jinmu is not in Tallifer at the moment. They have recruited more former players, who Jinmu is training in tactics on a nearby island. Only Sigurd and Xenia are currently in town, waiting for my group to show up.
The only thing that bothers me more than being swarmed by people is fire. My carefully controlled aura keeps the masses from getting too close. There is a buffer of a few feet around Perzey and myself. Some of the people affected by my aura look at me askance, but most of them do their best to not see me.
Even with the warehouses only a few dozen yards away, the cylindrical towers of Tallifer still soar into the skies above them. One of Tallifer's nicknames is The City of Cylinders, because of those towers. They are tall enough to rival the skyscrapers of Earth.
Around half a mile ahead of us, there is an extremely large, pink warehouse, where Sigurd is supposed to meet us. That obnoxious pink is the house color for one of the families on the Council of Five, and they paint everything owned by the house in that shade. It reminds me of the hideous color known as “Boca pink” on Earth.
Path of Transcendence 1: Ultimatum of the Nameless God Page 32