I wish I could say the same for the smaller ones.
With a quick flick of his arm, he slapped at a sharp biting pain on his neck. The reward for his quick hand—a gooey substance squished between his fingers. Grimacing, he wiped his hand on his already soiled pants. Though they had walked only a few short aurns this morn, mud oozed between his toes inside his boots with every step.
As if his brother read his mind, Arderi looked over and grinned. “At least this path is dry. For now, anyway.”
Rohann, the maniacal glint in his eyes stronger than ever, rubbed his hands together. “This was once the main road into Sar’Xanthia.” He waved a hand at a few indistinct stones. “You can still see the paverstones sticking up.” He had spoken this way for two days now—as if he saw things differently than the rest.
The large Kithian pulled the boy, Charver, closer to him when Rohann spoke. Klain had overcome his feelings of shame for having nearly let the boy drown, and once again kept himself between the boy and his father. Alant, unsure how he felt about the merchant, doubted the man would hurt his own son. Still, other than that brief bout of sanity following the boy’s near drowning, the merchant had lost all interest in Charver, and Alant could not blame the Kith for being protective.
The man is disturbed.
Elith acted as at home here in the muck as she had on the streets of Mocley. Striding along the slippery, uneven path as easily as if the paverstones still lay firmly in place, the gray-skinned woman looked at peace. At least, she would look peaceful had he not known how explosive and violent she was. She used her black onyx staff as a walking stick now. The bottom end had flattened out into a round disk about the size of his palm to stop it from sinking into the damp ground. Alant longed to get his hands on that staff. If only for a moment. He had looked at it with the Sight several times, and the patterns it held took his breath away. Never before had he seen the Essence so—vibrant, as it was inside that staff. He could not figure out how Elith changed the staff into new shapes. He never felt her Melding, if that is what she did. Still, it was a mystery he would love to solve.
Probing her for answers proved a dead end. She claimed she did not know how it changed, just that it did. Her evasiveness frustrated him.
Glancing over her shoulder, she graced him with one of her tight-lipped smiles. It reminded him of a cat smiling at its prey. He suppressed a shudder until he locked onto her silver slit eyes. Her smile looked feral under them.
At a laugh from Arderi, Alant’s face grew hot. His brother was the one smitten with the strange girl, though he delighted in insisting that she only had eyes for her Mah’Sukai. Alant, himself, still had no clue why Elith had agreed to come on this journey with them. Her presence scared him almost as much as her protection comforted him. With all her talk of her Priests of Fatint, he still half-expected her to stuff him into a sack and cart him off to Komar. The gods only knew what those fanatical people wanted with him.
“Whatever this strip of land used to be, I am thankful for it.” Even after all their time together, it still shocked Alant to hear the large lion-like creature speak. Alant did not think he could have reached up and touched the top of its fur-covered head. “I have grown weary of mud between my toes.”
“There!” Rohann’s strangled whisper sent a shiver of terror cutting through Alant until he realized the man pointed to a large marble archway surrounded by the remnants of what might have been an outer wall. Wall and archway stood covered in thick vines, rendering them almost invisible. In one spot, a gnarled tree grew through an area of debris that may have been a building long ago. Continuing around the bend in the road, one ancient building after another sprang into view through the canopy of trees. Each damaged structure lay covered in thick jungle growth.
Passing under the main arch, Alant noticed a coin lying in the center of the path. Bending down, he picked it up. Though old, the gold it was made from still shone. It looked about the same size and weight as a ta’narian. On one side, he made out the head of a woman, her long hair flowing toward the edge. The other side showed the picture of an unfamiliar bird. Markings surrounded the edges on both sides, though he did not recognize any of them.
“Hmm. It seems you have found the lost treasure of Sar’Xanthia after all.” His brother peered over his shoulder. When Alant glared up at him, Arderi grinned. “Can we go home now?”
“Here.” Alant handed the coin to Arderi. “You keep this one. I will take the next.”
Shrugging, Arderi took the coin and flipped it in the air. Snatching it as it fell back down, he slipped it into his belt pouch. “Done is done, brother.” Adjusting his sword belt, he pointed deeper into the city. “It seems our party is leaving us.”
Looking up, Alant saw that his brother spoke true. Rohann had picked up his pace in his frantic attempt to get to wherever he was leading them to. It was odd that the man had a destination in a city that had been lost for millennia.
Although, I as well need to find someone now that we have reached this city. Not that I have any idea how to find her.
Waving his brother on, the two moved to catch the rest of the group up. Once they did, Alant found them walking down a street that was surprisingly intact. Large and wide, it wound its way between buildings that had collapsed into ruin. Foliage had grown and taken command of the area. Ornately carved paverstones, however, still lined the way with only an occasional one missing. Planters lined the center of the boulevard, though he doubted the broad-leafed plants that grew in them now were the original decorations.
There was no doubt the city had fallen long ago. Everywhere he looked he saw the massive jungle trees, which created the thick canopy a hundred paces or more overhead. If these trees had had the time to grow that big, who knew how long ago the people of this city abandoned it.
Following the wide boulevard, it first curved in a gentle arc one way then bent back upon itself to curve the other as it weaved its way through the center of what Alant now realized had been a major city.
Mayhaps one even larger than Mocley!
They walked for the better part of an aurn before Charver complained of hunger. Finding what must have been a park—a stone table with one intact and one smashed bench being the only testament to this—they stopped for halfmeal.
As was the norm, Rohann continued without them. He would return, or at least he always had. Klain pulled the boy off from the group, leaving Alant, Elith and Arderi some privacy.
Staring after the merchant, Elith cocked her head to one side. “There is something bad stirring within that man. It has increased these past two days. He will need to be dealt with soon.”
Her statement, said in such a matter-of-fact manner, took Alant aback. “You will do no such thing!” His startled statement caused the lion-man to glance their way, and Alant lowered his voice. “Elith. I do not trust Rohann any more than Klain does. Still, that is no reason to kill someone.”
“She will do as the Mah’Sukai wills.” Her stiff back said that she did not agree. Spinning on her heel, she stalked away, disappearing into a ruined building on the opposite side of the park.
“You better watch yourself, brother.” Mischief laced Arderi’s tone. “That one bites.”
Rounding on Arderi, Alant shook a finger under his brother’s nose. “You better watch yourself, Arderi!” A shocked look on his face, Arderi threw up his hands. Alant pressed him. “You have been acting the fool. This is serious!” Waving a hand, he indicated the entire jungle. “People have died here and you act like we are on a spring walk around the walls of our stead! Just because you now wear a sword and seem to know how to handle it, is no reason to go off and lose what little brains you have in that head of yours.”
“All right. All right.” Arderi glanced around. “There is no reason to get in an uproar.”
It had not occurred to Alant that he yelled. Now that it was brought to his attention, he cringed
at how loud his shouts were against the overall silence of the dead city. Looking around, he noted that everyone else now stared at him. Even Elith had returned to peer out from the building she explored.
Feeling the fool he accused Arderi of being, he pulled his pack off his back and sat down on the stone bench. Keeping his head down, he searched for something to eat.
His brother hovered over him. With a heavy sigh, he sat down next to Alant. “You are correct. I have been acting the fool.” Arderi’s admission came unexpectedly, and Alant paused in his digging to look up. Before he said anything, however, Arderi continued. “I am scared, Alant. Right down to my bones.” Turning his head to the right, he stared out into the jungle. “This place is terrifying. And if I do not laugh at it, I fear I will run off screaming like a little girl.” He chuckled. “Well, not like the little girl who travels with us. I do not think she is afraid of anything.”
Despite his anger, his brother’s jest made Alant laugh. “Aye, if I did not believe she was with us, Elith would frighten me more than all the monsters in this jungle.” Pulling out a piece of stale bread, he broke off a hunk and offered it to Arderi. “Still, I do not wish to die because you are joking around and not paying attention.”
“Oh, I am paying attention, brother.” He took the bread and bit into it. “This jungle could not hold any more of my attention if it reached out and slapped my face.”
Looking in the direction Arderi had stared, Alant shivered. “Aye. This place…it is eerie. Too quiet. Have you noticed?”
“Have I noticed that all the sounds of the jungle are behind us, as if nothing living will enter this dead city? It is kind of hard to miss. The further we travel, the further we leave life behind.” Arderi stood. “Aye, brother. I have noticed. And it has my full attention. I promise you.” Stuffing the last of the bread into his mouth, he turned and walked toward the Kithian.
Alant watched him go, trying to force down the awful bread. His brother had grown so much since he had left him at their home stead a few short winters gone. Broad of shoulders, Arderi looked taller and stronger than their papa. And the sword at his side, the one he named Dorochi, did seem as if it belonged there.
The Kith stood and welcomed Arderi as an equal, which Alant saw as another astonishing thing, considering the tension between them just a few short days gone. Even Elith treated his brother with more respect than she showed to him.
How does he do it? He has not even reached his eighteenth naming day and everyone sees him as a man. An equal.
Rohann came trotting up to the group, an excited glee filling him. “We are close! I know the way! Hurry, hurry. We must not wait!”
Standing, Alant snagged his pack just as Elith walked up. Nodding his head toward the others, the two joined the group. “Close to what?”
“The tree! The one I was told to find.” Rotating his upper body, he pointed down the boulevard. “It is not much further!”
Arderi cocked his hand on one hip. “Wait. All this time, you have been leading us to a tree? I thought you were looking for someone.”
Waving a hand to dismiss Arderi, Rohann did not take his eyes from Alant. “Aye, I am here to find true redemption. Yet, it is the tree I was told to bring you to.” Raising an arm, he pointed at Alant. “It is he who will know what to do next.”
Not being able to stop himself, Alant took a step back. “Me? What do I know of trees?”
A wicked smile spread across the merchant’s face. “Oh, I think you will know this one. ‘Black as death with blood red leaves, it reaches to the heavens for forgiveness’.” He spoke as if reciting something.
Alant felt as if he had been kicked in the stomach.
A Chandril’chi tree? That cannot have been what I have felt! Yet, why would there be one here?
The fact that the Mah’Sukai was upset put Elith on guard. She did not trust Rohann Vimith and could not understand why the Mah’Sukai would defend such a man. It was obvious that the man was insane.
Yet, she had no idea how a tree could upset anyone, even one as Rohann Vimith described.
She is unsure if she will ever understand the actions of others.
“It is this way!” Rohann Vimith spun and started down the road. As he left, the two brothers glanced at each other and did not speak until the man was out of earshot.
It was Arderi Cor who shrugged and spoke first. “We have followed him this far. I do not see any reason to stop now. Unless this tree is dangerous?”
The Mah’Sukai reached up and rubbed the back of his neck. “I do not fully understand the Chandril’chi tree, nor what it represents. However, above the Chi’utlan I told you about, the one the Elmorians made me enter, sits one of these trees. I think it feeds off the Essence, for its roots were buried in the Liquid Essence pool of the Chi’utlan.”
“So, you think there is an Essence Node here?” Arderi Cor looked to where Rohann Vimith had rounded the next bend in the road, disappearing from view.
“Mayhaps.” The Mah’Sukai shrugged. “It is possible that this is the power I have felt leading me here. Though, I do not remember feeling this…draw on the Essence when I was near the Chi’utlan in Hath’oolan. After my transformation, however, I admit I was not near it long before I Traveled home.”
“I still say that we should not go further into this accursed city.” The Kithian’s growl gave both brothers a start. “This place is evil. Even the animals avoid it. No good will come from us continuing.”
Elith still longed to test herself against the large Kithian. His words, however, were ones she agreed with. “The Kithian is correct. She has noticed this as well. This place feels….” She could not come up with a term that accurately described what she felt. There was something wrong here. She shook her head instead.
Hitching his pack over one shoulder, the Mah’Sukai cleared his throat. “Well, I have not discovered Rohann’s reasons for being here. Still, I have come seeking answers. Good or bad, I have a feeling that my answers start with that tree.” With that, he walked off after Rohann Vimith.
A quick glance and shrug was all Arderi Cor gave her before he too walked off.
The low rumble deep in the Kithian’s chest, and the glare in its eyes that should have killed anything they fell upon, told her all she needed to know about his mood.
Undaunted by the beast’s threatening posture, the young boy, Charver Vimith, slipped his tiny hand into the Kithian’s clawed paw. “You cannot let Father go off alone, Master Klain. Please, we must follow him.”
This was not the first time the small child had pleaded with the beast. Elith suspected it might be the only thread tying the Kithian to the merchant. As she did with any weaknesses she discovered, she filed this into her memory for possible use later. After another moment’s pause, the beast’s shoulders slumped and he nodded his head. “Aye, little cub. You are correct. We cannot let your father go off alone. Come…” Reaching down, he picked the boy up, settling him on one hip. “…let us go and see this tree, shall we?”
As Elith stood alone in the center of the ancient street, a feeling crept up her spine, causing the hairs on the back of her neck to stand on end. Eyes were upon her. Yet, wherever she looked, she found none. Only broken stone structures, half-fallen into rubble, and the jungle—bushes, vines, broad leaves, and the thick trunks of the tall trees that formed the majority of their sky. The sensation remained, however. Someone or something had turned its full attention upon her. Studied her with great intent. The feeling was so overpowering, fear tugged at the corners of her mind. The terror of her memory failing her, here in the middle of nowhere, took hold of her and she shivered. Thankfully, her memory did not flee her. She stood there, swiveling her head, trying to catch a glimpse at what watched her, like a frightened rabbit. Yet, she held onto her mind.
“And the power and might of the gods will reach out and touch every living being. None shall be ab
le to escape their wrath.” The quote from the first chapter of the Book of the Twelve, spoke of a time when the gods had first come to power, reshaping the Plane into what it is now. She did not know why the passage sprang into her mind. Yet, it was how she felt—as if a god had turned all of his attention upon her. The feeling of being unworthy, small and insignificant, washed over her. Falling to her knees, she wept. The sensation crushed down upon her ever more. Ever more.
The pressure is too great! She has failed!
At a touch on her shoulder, she shrank back with horror. Flinging herself away, she scrambled back across the broken paverstones.
“Hey, hey! It is all right.” Arderi Cor stood before her. He took a tentative step toward her, his hands held out.
Glancing around, she still found no eyes watching her. The feeling gone, her breathing settled.
“What just happened?” Concern filled Arderi Cor’s voice. “Are you all right?” He took another step closer.
“Aye…” Once more, she looked around, peering into every open window or doorway. “She…” Taking his hand, she stood. “She is fine.”
At her words, Arderi Cor tilted his head to the side. “Is she?” Reaching out, he wiped a tear from her cheek. “Because where I come from, most people do not fall down in the middle of the street and weep for no reason.” He grinned. “I mean, it happens. Just not often.”
Forcing herself not to look at anything other than Arderi Cor’s face, she nodded. “Yes, she is fine now. You should hurry. Before the others are too far ahead.” To show him she did not intend to continue this line of talk, she brushed past him and walked. Caught up in her own thoughts, she did not notice whether he followed her or not.
Is this another affliction attacking her mind?
Standing in the middle of the boulevard after Elith walked away, Arderi Cor scanned the area. As far as he could see, nothing was any different from a few moments gone. Still, something had shaken the strange girl.
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