Dreamers Do Lie

by Megan Cutler

  Arimand turned his back on the shore. He had no desire to watch the demons' wanton destruction. “We have no proof they're looking for her.”

  “Do we need some? I've worried about this since Blalt, but they would never have wandered that far.”

  Arimand worried about it too, and he couldn't think of anything else which would cause such a stir. “We don't know what may have happened in Hell's other circles.”

  Eselt gnawed his bottom lip for a moment. “It doesn't matter. We don't dare go ashore with demons prowling.”

  “Supplies are dwindling,” Arimand protested. “Especially the water.” They hadn't anticipated the evaporation caused by the river's excessive heat. “It's going to be increasingly difficult to acquire as we move deeper into Hell. If we can't get food, we need water to sustain our strength.”

  “We all knew we'd have to go without at some point. It'll just be sooner than we anticipated.”

  “If we were beyond the wall, I'd agree with you. But we need our strength to get past it. We know there will be demons there in great concentration. We need every man in fighting condition. We won't be able to lift our swords if we spend the weeks of our approach wasting from starvation and dehydration.”

  Plenty of souls went hungry in the outer ring of hell. They became shadows of their former selves, lethargic lumps, lost in a personal nightmare. Perhaps it granted them detachment from the monotony of the afterlife. But if it happened to their crew it would jeopardize their mission.

  Eselt's answer was an incoherent mumble.

  “We're going to have to risk the city,” Arimand insisted. “If we enter just on the other side of the border, the danger won't be much greater than stopping here. We might be able to hide in the crowds. And if the demons think Kaylie is in Ethilirotha, they might not look for us there.”

  Eselt scanned the shore again, then gave Arimand a dark look. Despite his protests, he agreed. He motioned for Arimand to follow and headed below deck.

  Thail grabbed Arimand's arm the moment he reached the base of the stairs. The newcomer had spent the last several weeks avoiding him, casting suspicious glances from the opposite end of whichever deck they occupied, and muttering to himself whenever Arimand glanced his way. Still, Thail seemed more comfortable addressing him than the clan's leader.

  “What is it?” Arimand asked, trying to mask his annoyance with concern.

  The answer was a wild wave in Wardel's direction. The quiet northerner knelt not far from starboard wall, gently prodding the floor with his fingers. “There are flames beneath our feet,” he said. “The walls appear to be fine, but the fire has eaten through the floor's outer hull in several places. It won't be long before this layer starts to burn.”

  “As if the demons weren't enough for one day,” Eselt growled.

  “I see no reason to worry.” Wardel straightened. “With strategic repairs we can make the second hull easy to split when we reach the wall.”

  Arimand tried to keep his tone light. “If each ring of Hell is smaller than the last, we might be right on schedule.”

  “If the wood supplies last,” Thail hissed, shrinking when Arimand scowled.

  He jerked his arm free of Thail's grip and motioned for Eselt to resume his prior trek. Wardel had this problem under control.

  Kaylie and Dwenba were shut in the small room they shared. Arimand pressed an ear to the door and caught muffled snippets of conversation before he knocked.

  Dwenba opened the door, took one look at their grim faces and hurried them inside. Arimand tried to smile. Eselt made no such effort and Kaylie instantly took notice.

  “What's wrong?”

  “We've been hoping to go ashore and resupply,” Arimand said. “But three times this week, Eselt and I have seen demons roaming the port towns on both sides of the river. They don't seem interested in our course, but if we pull into port they might take notice.”

  Kaylie swallowed hard.

  “We can't stretch what we have for more than a couple weeks,” Dwenba replied, glancing between both men.

  “We're aware.” Eselt crossed his arms over his chest and scowled.

  Arimand bit the inside of his lip to keep from grinning. Sometimes, he swore those two had been married for centuries. “We agreed to wait until we enter the city. The crowd will shield us while we search for supplies.”

  Both women looked at Eselt, perhaps expecting him to erupt. “I don't like it. But if demons are searching for souls to drag across the border, they won't be looking in the city. I'm sorry, Lady Kaylie, but you'll have to come with us.”

  Dwenba gasped. Kaylie's eyes bulged.

  Arimand almost choked. “Are you sure that's wise?” They hadn't discussed this aspect of the mission. “Wouldn't she be safer hiding down here?”

  “Only if the demons come looking for us,” Eselt countered. “We don't know how many ships they've got in the second ring. For all we know, the crossing is going to draw the attention of those demonic marauders. If they attack and we ain't here, we'll still have a chance to cross the city by posing as citizens.”

  Eselt had a point; the regular movement of ships on the river in Ethilirotha provided camouflage they might lose the moment they entered the city. But Arimand still didn't think Kaylie should leave. “She'll be harder to protect in the open.”

  “She'll be safest with me, and I'll be looking for water in the city.” The set of Eselt's jaw and the fire in his eyes warned he wouldn't back down.

  Kaylie cleared her throat. “I would prefer if the two of you didn't discuss me as if I wasn't standing right here.”

  Arimand's ears burned and Eselt had the sense to look contrite.

  “If you both agree that it's best, I'm willing to go,” she added. “I said I'd do what I could to help and I meant it.”

  Dwenba laid a hand on Kaylie's arm. “We'll make you a disguise. Plainer clothes and a way to hide your face should keep anyone from realizing you're special. And I'll be right there with you, of course.”

  “Out of the question,” Eselt roared.

  “What are you on about?” Dwenba demanded, hands flying to her hips.

  “You'll wait safely below deck for our return.” Eselt stomped a foot to make his point.

  “Is there an intelligent thought in that empty head of yours? If it's safest for the lady to go with you, then it's safest for me as well. And another thing; if there's bargaining to be done, I'm the one to do it. You can't bully everyone in the city into granting your way. You'd draw too much attention. Or a dagger in your gut.”

  Arimand half expected her to dance a jig when she finished. She hadn't even paused to breathe during her tirade.

  Eselt shifted his jaw, cleared his throat and moved his lips, but couldn't manage to turn any of his sounds into words.

  “We'll let you know when we've located a suitable location,” Arimand said, considering the matter settled. “You may only have a couple of days to prepare.”

  “Don't you worry about us.” Dwenba flicked a wrist in dismissal. “You'll have to abandon the dress, my lady, but it will give us plenty of fabric to work with.”

  Arimand clapped a hand on Eselt's shoulder and turned him toward the door, hoping to save them both a second lecture. The clan leader squared his shoulders and stalked from the room.

  Neither woman paid any attention to their departure.

  ~*~*~*~

  The city sprouted in a straight line across the wasteland of Ethilirotha, like stolid landscape driven upward by earthshakes. The towers, built from smooth grey stone, varied in height, dotted with windows at irregular intervals. Clusters of crooked huts huddled at the base of the massive forms, which formed a solid, unscalable wall. No gates or roadways granted passage from the city. Even the windows, though open to the elements, were too narrow for a body to pass through.

  Only the river flowed unbroken between rings. But who would risk the flames for a chance at slight leniency?

  Kaylie watched the transition from beneath th
e hood of her new cloak, the result of combining her efforts with Dwenba's. With the help of an extra blanket, her disguise became a pair of torn and faded pants and mismatched shirt. The cloak's hood was deep enough to hide her face, a welcome blessing even among friends.

  Like a dead forest, the square towers rose in dense clusters, threatening to block out the sky. They were connected by a series of brick-lined streets, crowded with people day and night. They swarmed the rare courtyards, jostling against the throng to reach their destinations. Either the population of Hell's second ring was far greater than that of the first, or its design forced them to inhabit less space.

  It was common in the badlands for souls to band together. There had been confrontations. Kaylie spied them from between the gaps in canvas in her tent and wagon. Always the clan leaders swept in to resolve them.

  In the city, brawls filled the streets daily. Sometimes two participants fought in the center of a circle of onlookers. Sometimes gangs formed on opposite ends of the street to fall on each other in all out war. Sometimes the victors tossed the defeated into the flaming river.

  While Arimand and Eselt scoured the riverbank for signs of a safe market, Kaylie's trepidation grew. Was it worth the risk of wading ashore if they saw no sign of the wares they sought?

  On the third afternoon, Arimand laid a gentle hand on her shoulder. “You shouldn't watch too much, my lady.”

  “I just don't understand. Why do they treat each other that way? They're only making themselves more miserable.”

  “Of course. The souls you met in Ethilirotha were far from evil. Most were damned by circumstance. While some may have been proud of the things they did to survive, none would have chosen theft or murder if they had alternatives.

  “Those who dwell in the city are true thieves and swindlers. The greedy and the arrogant. They spent their lives enjoying ill-gotten gains wrung from the hard effort of others. If they didn't hesitate to harm others for their own benefit in life, why should they hesitate here in Hell where the resources are rarer and the luxuries fewer?”

  Kaylie couldn't think of a response. She couldn't fathom treating another person with such cruelty. Had she experienced similar during her life?

  On the their fifth day in the city, Sulard located a makeshift dock and the crew steered toward it. They had yet to locate a market, but couldn't risk delaying the journey further. They had to brave the city now or allow their supplies to diminish. At least the demons had disappeared.

  Kaylie donned her cloak and pulled the hood over her head, concealing her face in shadow. Half the crew flooded the upper deck, forming a protective barrier around the women as they descended the ramp to shore.

  Arimand paused when his feet touched the brick-lined path. His head snapped upward and he gazed into the distance, eyes narrowed on a point Kaylie couldn't identify. She laid a hand on his arm.

  “What is it?”

  He shook his head. “Dark things move through this city.”

  Kaylie hesitated. Entwining his arm through hers, Arimand drew her away from the ramp so the others could finish their descent. “Don't worry,” he murmured in her ear, “I'll protect you.”

  Heart hammering in her chest, throat too constricted to speak, Kaylie nodded. It was too late to turn back. Even if they wanted to return to the badlands, to their old life, the river current was too strong. They could only move forward and hope for the best. Arimand had yet to lead her astray. She trusted his judgment, and his skill.

  Eselt forced his way through the crowd at the base of the ramp, pausing only to glare at the arm Arimand had threaded through hers. Arimand relaxed his arm to his side, but Kaylie remained beside him, hovering close. Behind them, the crew withdrew the plank. Dwenba, Kaylie and Arimand shuffled near the center of the group while Eselt pressed ahead. The crowd paid them little mind, more interested in the burning ship.

  At the far end of the harbor, the mob thinned. A haughty woman waited, blocking their path. With a smirk and a swagger, she approached. Her once-fine clothing hung in ragged, burnt tatters. A thick coating of grime failed to conceal her scars. If she bore status within the city, it had been hard-won.

  The moment the woman turned her wicked, gap-toothed grin in their direction, Kaylie distrusted her. “Welcome,” she proclaimed with a wide, sweeping motion, “to our city. The demons name it Jhagjaw, but we who live here simply call it Discord.”

  Her eyes raked the group. When her words garnered no reaction, she lifted her chin and sniffed. “That's an impressive ship you arrived on. Are you certain you want to wander away? It might not be waiting when you get back.”

  “Traffic on this river only moves one way,” Arimand countered. They had passed several rafts since they entered the city. They barely made the river crossing before they disintegrated.

  The haughty woman licked her lips. “Which begs the question of why you've come?”

  Eselt opened his mouth to answer. Dwenba shoved him aside. Her clothing was threadbare and stained, her bearing less regal than the city woman's, but her expression was every bit as imperious.

  “Our business is our own and we'll thank you to tend yours elsewhere.”

  The woman blinked, aghast at this reception. She recovered quickly, plastering a false smile across her lips. “Well, well. If you wish to do business here, it'll have to be with me. The name's Iwora, a well-known figure in this region of the city.”

  Dwenba's lips curled with disgust. “Why didn't you say so? We've no interest in frivolous conversations. We're here for supplies. If you know where we can find them, stow it and lead the way.”

  Beneath the hood of her cloak, Kaylie bit her lip to keep from grinning.

  “Now, now,” Iwora breathed. “Nothing in this city is free, my dear, if you want my services, you'll have to pay the price.”

  “Name your fee,” Dwenba snapped.

  “Passage on your pretty ship,” Iwora purred, unveiled hunger in her voice.

  Dwenba dismissed the request with a flick of her wrist. “Granted. Though I assume you heard my man; our course is upriver, away from your base of power.”

  “Oh?” Iwora quirked an eyebrow. Kaylie shuddered. “We'll see, I suppose. In that case, a cut of your catch will have to do.”

  “We'll see what your services are worth,” Dwenba replied.

  Scowling, Iwora spun and led them through the crowd. Anyone who didn't give way received a shove, slap or kick. The press of sweaty, unwashed bodies loosened as they moved away from the dock.

  The stone monoliths loomed on either side of the narrow roadways, their bleak surfaces worn smooth by age and elements. Imposing faces peered from the glassless windows with violence in their eyes. Shadow-shrouded alleys cut between streets. Strange shapes moved through the darkness.

  Their guide led them on a winding path, and Kaylie quickly lost track of their route. Every building and crossing looked the same to her; the structures were splotched with the same stains and the streets clogged with the same endless crowd, every face and bearing sinister. We must be wandering in circles.

  Finally, the road opened into a wide, square courtyard, dominated by an angry mob. On the far side, a man stood atop an overturned crate, calling orders above the din. Water skins passed through the doorway of a building behind him toward several pairs of waiting hands. Each exchange produced an argument, though somehow the yelling, cursing and shoving never devolved into outright combat. Someone always appeared to shoulder the customers back in line.

  Kaylie inched closer to Arimand as they approached. Dwenba and Eselt exchanged glances. Iwora took the opportunity to attach herself to Arimand's arm.

  “Tell me, Warrior, how'd you come to be a part of this suicidal band?”

  Before he had a chance to answer, silence descended over the square. The sun's meager light vanished. All eyes turned upward, seeking the massive shadow's source.

  A red and black blur descended from the water distribution building. The ground shook as it landed, knocking
several observers flat. Slowly, the demon rose onto its hind legs. It towered over the onlookers, three times the size of a man.

  Its head resembled an odd cross between a goat and a horse. A pair of black horns sprouted from the top of its head, forming circles around its long ears before they terminated in wicked points. Large, intelligent eyes sat above the thick, fur-covered nose. A pair of curved fangs protruded from the mouth, dripping saliva.

  Screams split the air. The city dwellers collided in their haste to flee, trampling those unfortunate enough to trip. Even some of their own group fled, diving into alleyways or through open doorways in their panic.

  Kaylie couldn't tear her gaze from the beast. Its fiery eyes cut across the chaos, locking with hers. There was something strikingly human about those eyes that made them unsuited to its monstrous face.

  Something seized her arm. A scream died in her throat when Arimand hissed next to her ear, “We have to move!”

  His sharp jerk unlocked her feet. She stumbled in his wake, legs wobbly, head spinning, trusting him to guide her way. Eselt and Dwenba cut through the crowd to meet them, along with the rest of the men who hadn't fled.

  Arimand pressed her hand into Eselt's, closing the smaller man's fingers around her palm. “Take as much water as you can and get back to the ship,” he called above the din.

  “We'll never get there,” Dwenba protested, her face whiter than Kaylie had ever seen it. “We have to get past that thing-”

  “I'm going to take care of it,” Arimand interrupted. “I'll take Sulard and half the remaining guard. We'll distract it.”

  “Who the hell left you in charge?” Eselt jammed his finger against Arimand's chest. “Besides, we need you, lad!”

  Arimand did his best to spin them all urgently in the proper direction. “And I will meet you back at the ship as soon as we get rid of this demon. If all of us run, it will only follow.”

  Kaylie's heart pounded in her ears, threatening to drown out the conversation.

  “You can't fight that thing,” Eselt insisted.

  “I'm not stupid enough to try to kill it,” Arimand retorted.