by Eric Vall
He nodded grimly, offered me the bottle again, and let out a low, shuddering breath that was almost a growl. “I’m sick of all this death. Imagine what humanity could do without the monster threat.”
“We will find out one day,” a voice said next to us. I turned and found Nia next to me. She offered me a shy smile, and I smiled back. She wore her blanket around her and clutched it to her chest like a robe.
Renuad cracked a smile. “Aye, I think we will, thanks to people like you and Gryff here.”
“I like to think you’re right too, Nia,” I added. “I think it’ll be a lot of people pitching in, but we’ll win in the end.”
Nia came beside me and draped the blanket over me too. We huddled beneath it where she laced her fingers with mine and rested her head against my shoulder. With a grin, I offered her the bottle of rum. She eyed it warily before she knocked back a shot of it. And then she sputtered and coughed.
“Goodness,” she said, her cheeks flushed.
That made Renuad and I laugh. She passed the bottle back to me, and I passed it along to Renuad, who took it greedily and finished it off. He punctuated it with a loud belch.
We stayed silent for a while longer, allowing the alcohol to settle over us and the warmth of the fire to cradle us in its embrace. We eventually sat against the ground, our legs still tired. Nia’s heartbeat pounded steadily against me, a gentle rhythm that made me want to fall asleep right there. She cuddled into me, her face in the crook of my neck. I shifted against her and kissed the crown of her head. I could feel her lips curl into a smile against my collarbone.
“Do you think this is happening elsewhere?” Renuad asked suddenly.
Nia and I lifted our heads to look at him. “What do you mean?” Nia asked.
His eyes glowed in the light. His face was hard and blank. “I mean, do you think the magic of the walls has failed at the other Enclaves? If it could happen here, couldn’t it happen everywhere?”
That was a deeply disturbing question that I will admit had plagued me a few times. And he was right to speculate. It had already happened on a smaller scale in Varle when the rift opened at the Academy. There was a real possibility that Varle was in the same situation as here. I immediately thought of Layla and Braden and all the other students and teachers at the Academy. All the people that called Varle home. Were they all dead? Had the monsters finally found a way to get us for good?
I shook my head to myself. No, no, I couldn’t believe that. Those type of thoughts would drive me mad if I dwelled on them.
“Let’s pray that it isn’t the case,” I said thoughtfully, “but even if the walls are starting to fail, we’ll find another way to protect ourselves. That, I am sure of.”
We all nodded together at that.
Despite the lateness of the hour, I watched all the people working. A horse-drawn carriage pulled into the circle with an escort of tired men who immediately unloaded the wounded. Earth and water mages farther up the hill shored up cracked buildings and put out one of the last fires that stubbornly clung to life. I could hear the distant sounds of workers moving rubble, digging and breaking rocks.
Bedima wouldn’t sleep, wouldn’t give up.
Renuad must have sensed what I was thinking about. He looked thoughtfully into the fire. “We’ll bounce back from this,” he said in a low voice. “We mountain folk, we know how to get back up when we get knocked down.”
I drew the blanket tighter around me. “I’ve traveled these lands with my mentor, Renuad, and I know what you say is true.”
He smiled. “Aye, Gryff. We fight. We survive.”
His words made me think about that speaking monster and its threat, its warning. I told it we wouldn’t quit, that we would hold off the horde again and again, that we would fight until we had victory. After seeing the way the people of Bedima have persevered, I knew that humanity wouldn’t be defeated.
We were strong, and nothing would knock us down for long.
Chapter 7
I woke feeling infinitely better the next morning. I had a slight hangover, but the residual soreness from the fighting and the fatigue of mana drain had been wiped completely from my body. It was a nicer day too. The sky was clear, and it was warmer, without the piercing mountain winds that had assaulted the town the day prior.
Nia’s bedroll was empty beside me, though her gear was still there. One of the nurses walked by, so I grabbed her attention.
“Could you tell me where the ashen-haired girl I was with went?”
This nurse, younger than the others, shrugged. “I haven’t seen her. I’d try the cathedral though. They’re giving out breakfast, so maybe she went to grab a bite to eat.”
“I’ll check that out. Thanks.” I nodded and the nurse went on her way.
Once I was up, had stretched, and had my coat and uniform buttoned properly, I marched over to the cathedral. I noticed that there were just as many people around the triage tents as before if not more so. Carriages still rolled through the circle with freshly found bodies. I imagined it would be a slow process. An agonizing and heart-wrenching process.
People were up and about doing what they could to rebuild and clean up. But I could tell the people of Bedima were strong as I began to hear small patches of laughter amongst those struck by grief.
Heartened by that display of strength, I entered the cathedral through the huge open doors. Inside, most of the pews had been pushed aside to make room for beds. I walked past the rows of beds down the center aisle until the cathedral widened around the central altar. That area had been cleared so that numerous tables could be set up. In the back was another table where the priests were handing out bowls of food, oatmeal, from the smell of it.
There was a long line for the food, so I got in line behind the last person and waited patiently until I got my gruel. Once I did, I scanned the tables for a minute, hoping that Nia was in fact in here as the nurse had suggested. After a moment, I found her in a seat across from Varleth. She waved me over when she caught sight of me.
“Good morning,” I said to them as I went and sat beside her.
“Morning, Gryff,” she said with a pleasant lilt to her voice. It was great to see her in a good mood.
“Hey,” was all Varleth offered. No surprise there. He looked better, now that he’d slept for more than half a day. The color had returned to his skin, and his eyes were alert. In fact, he was practically glowing.
I shoveled a few large spoonfuls of oatmeal into my mouth. It was lukewarm and slightly runny, but the spices were good, and the flavor was decent. Under the circumstances, I could hardly complain.
“Any news?” I asked after I swallowed.
Nia shook her head. “Unfortunately, no. No one knows anything about what might be happening outside of Bedima. We will simply have to wait and see.”
I nodded, though that wasn’t what I wanted to hear. While I hoped in my heart of hearts that Arwyn and Orenn were safe, that Varle still stood strong and Layla and Braden were hale and hearty behind its walls, I couldn’t help but wonder about them, and most especially, I wondered where the strange flying worms had scattered off to.
When we returned to Varle, I was determined to tell everything that had happened to us to the Headmaster. If anyone could deduce the right course to take from here out, it was him.
I was so wrapped up in my thoughts that I didn’t even notice when the room became silent as an entourage of soldiers and officials strode down the cathedral’s center aisle towards us.
There were five of them, four men and a woman. The man in the lead was large around the waist and had a long and distinguished gray beard that sported a twirling mustache. He had a kind face with prominent laugh lines and warm brown eyes. He wore a sporting blue coat over a black silk vest.
On his left was an attendant in a white uniform with a clipboard and quill in hand. His bespectacled gaze barely looked up from the clipboard as he walked. On his other side was a middle-aged woman with bright blonde hair tie
d up neatly under a military cap. The crisp dark gray military uniform adorned with the colorful buttons, and the golden cord around the shoulder denoted her as an officer. Two soldiers flanked the trio.
They came to a halt in front of us. My companions and I stood as this was clearly important. The large man in the lead stared coolly at us for a long moment as he took in our appearance. Then, he cleared his throat and adjusted his neckerchief.
“It is my understanding that you are the three, along with mister Porter, that closed the rift that plagued our Enclave.”
I nodded. “You are correct sir.”
He nodded back and brushed his hand through his beard. Then, he bowed low, his head nearly on the table.
“Then let me add my sincerest gratitude in saving Bedima. We are forever in your debt.”
His attendant, the officer, and even the soldiers bowed as well. That kind of recognition and admiration made me squirm since I wasn’t used to it, but it wasn’t unappreciated in the slightest.
“We are happy to help,” Nia added sincerely.
The entourage stood back straight. The man with the mustache smoothed out his collar and adjusted his coat, then he put his hand out for me.
“I am Vay Franken, mayor of Bedima Enclave.”
I shook his hand. “Gryff. It’s an honor to meet you, sir.”
“No, the honor is all mine.” He shook Nia and Varleth’s hand in turn, and they introduced themselves. He stepped back and gestured for us to follow him. “Come, I’d like to thank you publicly if you don’t mind. Then afterward, we can speak in private. Yes?”
We didn’t protest, so we followed him out along with his people. I noticed that the cathedral had emptied out as if the people knew what the mayor had planned. When we exited the church and stood at the top of the steps, I found Renuad standing beside the door, arms crossed with a smile on his lips. He gave me a small nod.
Mayor Franken stepped forward and put his hands out. “Attention, everyone. Lend me your ears!” He had a surprisingly booming voice that carried well over the circle, drawing most of the civilians’ attention. The people slowly joined together in front of the cathedral and looked at us. Once they were gathered, the mayor continued.
“Our great Enclave has suffered a devastating tragedy, one that we will have to fight hard and work harder than ever to overcome, but today, I would like to recognize the brave mages who saved us from the brink of total destruction.” He looked back at us. “Step forward as I call your names.”
“Varleth Prost of Varle,” he called first. Varleth stepped forward, arms folded behind his back and his features betraying no hint of emotion. No surprise there. A round of applause followed.
“Nia Kenefick of Varle.” She stepped forward, and that elicited even louder applause, most likely due to her Kenefick heritage. They were the most famous family in the world after all.
“Gryff of Varle.” I stepped forward with a smile and inclined my head to the crowd. They cheered loudly, though not as much as for Nia, but that was fine. They didn’t know me or what I could do, and I didn’t expect them to.
Finally, “Renuad Porter of Bedima” He got the loudest applause, unsurprising as he was from Bedima. The native son always got the most love.
“From the bottom of our heart,” the mayor said, “we, as a community, would like to extend to you our sincerest gratitude.” He bowed his head. “Thank you.”
The crowd erupted into the loudest of cheers yet, a sound so joyful that the air shook, and it made my heart swell. If this was what it was like to be on a response squad, then maybe I could do this for my whole life. I was happy to see everyone so excited. The hardships to come would be great, but these people would persevere.
Eventually, the tearful applause died down, and everyone went back to trying to pick up the pieces of their lives. Renuad gave us a curt nod and went back to work as well. The mayor and his entourage led us back into the cathedral and to one of the back rooms that the priests lived in. For now, he had commandeered it. It was a spare space, very lightly furnished and decorated, as priests of the Maker preached modesty and humility, and recommended living a lifestyle with few earthly possessions.
There was a small leather couch, plain and brown. The mayor offered it to us, so the three of us squeezed onto it, Nia in the middle with Varleth and me on either side of her. Mayor Franken took a seat in the wooden chair across from us.
He smiled and clapped his hands together. “Okay, now we may talk freely.” He bowed his head low. “Again, I cannot express how grateful I am for your assistance in saving our fair enclave. I am loath to think about what might have happened if you had not come.” He shivered at that thought.
I cleared my throat and offered him a smile back. “It’s just part of our job, sir. We were happy to help.”
“Indeed it is, thank the Maker.” Mayor Franken nodded as he ran a hand down his face and through his beard. “Now, is there anything at all that I can help you with?”
Varleth was the first to speak. “Have you been able to get word to or from any other Enclave? Is this an isolated incident?” His eyes were deathly serious
“Ah, yes, this has been a popular topic of speculation the last day, and rightfully so.” He smiled warmly. “We have gotten word from most of the other Enclaves, and from what we can tell, ours was the only Enclave that was targeted. Everywhere else is safe for now.”
We all let out a long sigh of relief that we hadn’t known we’d been holding.
“Thank goodness.” Nia leaned her head back against the couch as she folded her hands in her lap. “That should at least lift the spirits of everyone here.”
“Yes, yes, it should, Miss Kenefick.” The mayor stood and folded his arms around his back. “I’m afraid though, that I do have some bad news for you.”
My heart sank. I didn’t like the sound of that in the slightest. His voice was too somber. “What is it?” I asked.
“We found your airship in the middle of the night, and it appears to be badly damaged from the depredations of some of the roaming monster hordes while you were in the rift.”
I blinked and had to fight back the urge to let out a sigh of relief. It was indeed bad news, but compared to what I thought he might have said, it wasn’t so bad. Nia grimaced, clearly not happy with the news. It was as if the beasts had damaged her personal property. I supposed, in a way they had. She had flown it here after all.
“Now, before you worry overmuch,” the mayor added quickly, “Bedima is a popular airship waystation for ships traveling from west to east and vice versa, so we have the facilities and mechanics to repair the damage. Of course, it is quite likely a military run will come through sooner to take you back to Varle Academy before we are finished, but either way, you will be back home before the week is out.”
Nia’s mood turned back at that, and she smiled. “That is good to hear. Thank you.”
He nodded with a smile. “In the meanwhile, I have taken the liberty to procure you temporary lodging at The Napping Nag Inn. You’ll have to share a room, but it’s a master suite so there should be room to at least be comfortable. With so many people displaced, rooms have filled up everywhere.”
“Thank you, sir,” I told him. “We appreciate your hospitality.”
“Of course, it’s the least I can do after what you have done for us,” he enthused. “And as far as a more proper reward, I have an idea, but it won’t be money, and it may take time to acquire,” the mayor said, his face twisting up in a smile as he twirled his mustache.
He stepped up to us, and we stood, in response as it was clear that this meeting had come to an end. “Well, I must get going. As you can imagine, I have a lot of pressing matters to attend to.”
“Of course,” I said.
He offered his hand to each of us, and we all shook in earnest. His grip was surprisingly strong, stronger than before. He held our gazes with a quiet determination and sincerity that took me aback and warmed me.
“Aga
in, I cannot express my gratitude well enough. You will always be welcome in Bedima. Thank you.”
Then he and his men left us.
I slumped back onto the couch and rested my head against the wall. Nia slumped her shoulders, tired, and Varleth sighed.
“Well, we have a lot of time to kill before we can get back to Varle,” the banisher said. “What should we do now?”
“We should try to help out in any way we can,” I said. “This city needs all the help it can get.”
“I agree,” Nia added with a determined grin. She crossed her arms, which looked odd with one arm in a sling. Nia looked at the door, her eyes still lingering where the mayor had been. Then without another word, she strolled on out. I looked at Varleth. He closed his eyes, shook his head, then followed her out. I guessed that was that then.
We spent the rest of the morning doing all we could to help. Nia worked in the triage tents with the healers. She had some rudimentary medical knowledge and skills she’d learned from a cousin because of course, she had. That was no surprise to me. Nia Kenefick was good at just about anything she put her mind to. Though one of her arms was in a sling, I had no doubt that she would still be effective with only one hand.
Varleth hopped onto one of the nearest rescue carriages and rode off into the enclave to find more of the lost and injured. As for myself, I had spent all my youth working with my monsters to build, to mine, and to do all manner of honest labor and construction. I cracked my knuckles, cinched my bandolier of essence crystals, and got to work helping Bedima rebuild.
By the time lunch rolled around, I was drenched in sweat and sore. While I had spent a lot of time using my cementrolls to patch holes in the streets, used axe goblins to gather wood to repair gates and fences, and used fire imps to burn away debris, I’d done my fair share of work too. Sure, my trolls had helped to carry larger objects around town, but there were some tasks that required a more human touch, and because of that my hands were scraped and cut all over. That, combined with my other bruises and injuries from the day before, caused my body to protest, but I didn’t mind it. I always enjoyed hard work, especially when it came to helping people.