by J. Stone
The vespari took out his third cigarette and lit it. “Good luck, Wynonna. I fear you’re going to need it.”
She sighed. “As do I.” After a pause, she added, “I’ll see you around, Rohan.”
The two vespari departed the park, and Wynonna returned to the Black Tea Tower, while Rohan went back to whatever hiding place he’d found, the trail of smoke following him on his way. By the time Wynonna got to the tower, it was beyond late, and she saw no sign of life within. She considered stopping in and letting Autumn know that she was okay, but the quartermaster’s lights were all off. The library was much the same, but Wynonna didn’t have as strong a desire to see Spencer anyway given his potential involvement in the sketch.
With no one on the first floor to speak to, Wynonna took the stairs up. When she got to the third floor, she remembered Rohan’s story of arriving late one night and seeing strange lights and hearing unusual sounds from the elders’ chamber. Stopping on that floor and walking past their door, however, she saw nothing. Whoever had been the one performing rituals with a cultist of the Eternal Night had decided to be more careful. Finding nothing further for her, Wynonna continued to the third floor, found an empty room, and lay down. She knew Petronila would make another attempt that night, but she felt ready to face the soul eater.
***
Wynonna slept in her bed, tossing and turning, plagued by Petronila’s nightmares and completely oblivious about what came for her. A green mist crept out from the golden queen’s tomb, through those ancient tunnels, and then rose out of Alexandria’s sewers. The fog stalked the streets, winding its way toward the Black Tea Tower, following the vespari’s path to a place she thought was safe. The few scarce people it passed paid the green mist no attention, as if entranced by it to look elsewhere and ignore it entirely.
When the strange vapor arrived at the vespari tower, it crept up the stairs with purpose. Rather than float up to the upper floors, it crawled up each step as if it had millions of little arms and legs pulling itself along. The mist continued up to the third floor with clear intent and a strange knowledge of the vespari tower’s layout. Whatever mind controlled this green cloud knew exactly where Wynonna slept, and it keyed in on getting to her for some malevolent purpose.
The fog slipped easily under the door, which the vespari had closed tight, and she had even wedged a chair under the knob in an attempt to keep out any unwelcome visitors. It would do nothing to stop this green vapor, however. As the cloud arrived at the bed, it split apart, forming two smoky tendrils. Each of these tendrils coiled around the bedposts at Wynonna’s feet. They rose like snakes, until they arrived on the mattress and reunited together again, as the cloud formed on top of the vespari, hovering just over her.
The fog crept up her body, until it arrived at her face. Once more, the cloud formed a thin, smoky tendril, and it reared back like a snake about to strike. And that’s exactly what it did. The green mist struck Wynonna’s face, but rather than hurting her, it simply seeped into her. It slipped into her nose and the slender crevice her lips formed. It undulated and writhed, as it moved deeper inside her until the entire cloud had disappeared entirely.
***
Wynonna shot up, nearly screaming, and clutched at her throat. She felt as though something had attempted to crawl inside her, but as she inspected herself, she saw nothing. The chair was still wedged under the knob, and no one could have entered her room. She took a couple minutes to calm herself, and then she sat on the edge of the bed, trying to remember what Petronila had made her experience that night. Nothing certain came. It was all a hazy, green blank.
The vespari wondered if perhaps the soul eater was waning in power. Maybe she couldn’t continue to plague Wynonna’s nights. She didn’t know, but she certainly hoped so. Regardless, she had other concerns to tend to. First and foremost, she needed a bath. Sleeping in the filth she’d acquired in those sewers had left a greenish brown stain on the sheets and pillows. New in the tower, she wasn’t sure how they handled dirty sheets, so instead of dealing with it, she just sheepishly pulled the sheets and blanket up to conceal the stains.
She then got partially dressed, enough to roam the halls, and carried the rest of her things with her, as she moved the chair from the door and left the room. Wynonna walked to the bathrooms and found one unoccupied. Entering and dropping her things on a countertop, she closed the door behind her and, just like the bedroom, she wanted to wedge something against the door to keep Ernest or anyone else from bothering her. Since this was a bathroom, she didn’t have a chair available to her, but she did gather a series of towels and wedge them up under the bottom crack of the door. It wouldn’t stop anyone from getting in, but it would at least slow them down and give her a better chance to react.
Wynonna then ran the water, stripped down, and finally submerged herself in the warm waters. This time, the vespari managed to clean herself without worrying about any intruders, and when she finished, she pulled the plug and dried herself off.
Returning to her clothes, Wynonna could smell the sewer’s odor wafting off them even from there. Frowning, she didn’t know where she could clean them, so for the time being, she just decided to ignore it. The vespari threw her clothes back on, strapped her gun belt around her waist, and slipped her shoes and hat back on.
Prepared and feeling marginally cleaner, Wynonna left the bathroom and started down the steps. She needed to meet with the elders, but there was one more pressing concern she needed to deal with. She knew what it was to worry, and she didn’t want to cause someone she cared about to feel that kind of fear and dread, not knowing where she was. Ignoring the elders’ chamber on the third floor and moving past the mess hall on the second, Wynonna continued until she arrived on the first floor.
The vespari could hear the sound of metal hammering against metal as she approached the quartermaster’s room. Wynonna turned the knob and swung the door open to find Autumn working at her little forge. She held a hammer in one hand and a set of tongs that gripped whatever bit of metal she was working on and shaping in the other. She wore a pair of black goggles over her eyes and had thick leather gloves over her hands. Hearing the door open Autumn saw Wynonna and smiled wide. She put aside her tools and raised her goggles up to her forehead.
“Wynonna!” Autumn exclaimed. “You’re okay!”
The vespari took the spitfire off, set it down on one of the quartermaster’s tables, and continued forward. “I am. You worried for nothing.”
When she arrived at the auburn haired quartermaster, and the young woman had turned her chair to face her, Wynonna leaned down and attempted to hug Autumn.
“Oh my,” Autumn said, pushing Wynonna off her. “Don’t take this the wrong way, but you smell terrible.”
The vespari stood upright, adjusted herself in those dirty clothes and said, “Yeah, I know. I took a bath, but I think I need to wash my clothes too.”
The quartermaster nodded and waved a hand in front of her face. “Yes. Yes, you should definitely do that.” After she blinked her eyes a couple times, she rubbed her finger under them, clearing welling tears away.
“Are you crying, you’re so happy to see me?” Wynonna asked with a grin.
Autumn shook her head. “I am happy to see you, but this is the smell.”
Wynonna frowned. “Come on. It’s not that bad.”
“It really is,” the quartermaster said with a smile and nod.
She placed her hands on her hips and put all her weight on one foot. “Well, is it so bad that it’s ruining your appetite?”
“I could eat… so long as you don’t sit right next to me. Let me sort some things here, and I’ll meet you upstairs.”
Wynonna nodded, while Autumn turned back toward her forge. Before she could roll away, however, the vespari leaned down and snuck a peck on her cheek.
“Oh!” Autumn exclaimed as if prompted by the kiss, twisting around to Wynonna. “I almost forgot.”
“What?”
The qua
rtermaster smiled and rolled back toward one of her cabinets. “I made you something.”
Wynonna grinned and followed her. “Oh? And what might that be?”
Autumn pulled a drawer open and fished something from it, pulling out a silver orb and brandishing it for Wynonna. “A grenade,” she explained, her eyes flashing wide with excitement.
“Really?” the vespari asked, taking it from Autumn. “I’ve never used one of these before.”
“It’s pretty easy. Just pull the pin, throw, and get cover.”
Wynonna shook it around in her palm. “What’s in here?”
Autumn raised her hand over Wynonna’s. “Let’s not do that.”
The vespari smiled and nodded. “If you say so.”
Tapping the side of the grenade, Autumn explained, “There’s some chunks of silver, a bit of runic water in a vial, and the interior casing has been runed too.”
“Wild,” Wynonna said, raising the grenade to her eyes.
Autumn smiled at Wynonna. “Maybe I’ll worry a little less about you now.”
The vespari dropped her new grenade into her pocket. “Thank you, Autumn. Hopefully, I don’t need to use it.”
“I hope not too.” She rolled back and said, “So, anyway, like I said, let me finish up a few things, and I’ll join you upstairs for something to eat.”
“Alright. See you soon,” Wynonna told her, turning and leaving the quartermaster’s room.
***
“So, how did it go?” Autumn asked her, as they sat down in the mess hall and started to eat their breakfast.
“The naga?” Wynonna asked after swallowing a spoonful of whatever gruel the vespari cooks had concocted and passed off as food that morning.
Autumn reached across the table and slapped Wynonna’s arm. “Of course the naga! What happened? Did you use the spitfire? Did it work? How did it handle? Was there much kickback? Did it burn through the scales? Tell me everything!”
Wynonna just paused a moment, smiling at the excited woman across from her. “You’re wild,” she finally replied.
The quartermaster waved her hand in front of her face, dismissing the comment. “Would you just tell me about the spitfire? I need to know!”
Keeping the smile on her face, Wynonna told her, “The spitfire was good. Saved my hide in fact.”
“Really? It worked well?”
“Burned one of the naga’s scales clean off. She had no choice but to shed her skin and grow a new set.”
Autumn smiled wide. “So, it burned right through her?”
Wynonna nodded.
“What about the kickback? Was it any trouble?”
She shook her head. “Hardly noticed it. There was one problem though.”
The quartermaster leaned forward and looked at her intently. “What was it?”
Wynonna grabbed the collar of her duster. ‘I didn’t get this smell just from wandering around down there.”
“What do you mean?”
“One of them dragged me down under the sewer water.”
“Gross,” Autumn replied, leaning back in her wheelchair. “But, what does--” She paused, thinking about the implications and then finally frowned. “They misfired?”
“Yeah. So did my revolver. Had to do some improvisation.”
The quartermaster’s nostrils flared, and she shook her head. “It’s a flaw, I know. I keep trying to come up with ways to keep water from ruining the powder, but I--” She paused again. “Wait, wait, wait. You keep saying one of the naga. Was there more than one down there?”
Wynonna nodded.
“I thought they were supposed to be solitary. I thought you were just after one.”
“You and just about everyone else thought the same, but these were sisters. Twins, I think.”
Autumn’s eyes opened wide. “You killed two nagas?”
Wynonna smiled and leaned back in her chair. “Impressed?”
“Of course I’m impressed! Nagas aren’t easy targets!”
“Well to further impress you, I also ran into a couple banes, one of which also happened to be a vargulf.”
“What? That’s… that’s…”
“Wild?”
“Nuts!”
“Are you sure you’re okay?”
Wynonna nodded. “I’m fine.”
“Well, that’s good. I don’t know too much about banes though.”
Nodding, the vespari said, “Me either.”
“You dealt with them though?”
Wynonna shrugged. “Sort of. Didn’t know how to kill them, so I just sealed them back up where I found them. They shouldn’t be able to do any danger though.”
“Hm. You sure do find trouble.”
The vespari frowned, thinking of how someone had set her up. “Maybe.”
Autumn tilted her head, catching more than Wynonna meant to convey. “What do you mean?”
“Oh, no, it’s nothing,” she replied shaking her head dismissively.
“You’re not telling me something. What is it?”
“It’s nothing,” she reiterated.
“Wynonna,” Autumn said, leaning forward again. “I know that we haven’t… talked about any of… whatever this is.” She gestured back and forth between the two of them. “I know you don’t owe me anything, but I want you to be honest with me. I hate being lied to.”
The vespari wormed her lips to the side, unsure what she should reveal. “I don’t want to put you at risk,” she finally replied.
“I can take care of myself, Wynonna. I’m not some helpless thing you have to coddle.”
“No,” she replied, shaking her head. “That’s not what this is. I… I don’t know everything yet, but someone in this tower is dangerous.”
“What does that mean?”
Wynonna now leaned in too and whispered, “I think that one of the elders is… corrupt.”
“Corrupt?” Autumn asked, matching the vespari’s volume.
“I can’t tell you everything yet. I just don’t have enough information, but one of the elders broke their vows. They were performing rituals - something with a swirling portal.”
“What? That’s something the Dawning of the Eternal Night does. How do you know an elder did that?”
Wynonna shook her head. “I can’t tell you that, but you should be careful. When I’ve got this all figured out, I’ll tell you everything.”
Autumn nodded and, not saying anything, returned to her meal in silent contemplation. After a few minutes, both women had finished their breakfast, and Wynonna took their dishes toward the kitchen and walked the quartermaster out.
When they reached the hallway, Wynonna turned to her companion and said, “I’ve got to go talk to the elders.”
“But you said--”
“I know,” the vespari said, interrupting Autumn. “But I have to play along. I know that only one of them is in league with the cultists. Until I find out who, I can’t act.”
Autumn nodded. “Well, you be careful too. And let me know what happens.”
Wynonna smiled. “I will. I’ll see you soon.”
The two separated, Autumn taking her pulley system down to her room, while Wynonna took the stairs up to speak with the elders.
***
Arriving on the third floor and approaching the elders’ chamber, Wynonna stopped when she heard someone behind her shouting.
“You!” a man with a thick accent she didn’t recognize yelled. “You! Woman!”
Wynonna turned around to see a mountain of a man pointing his finger at her. He was at least two feet taller than her, and scars covered most of his face. He had thick brown hair, which stood upright and scruffy in a few places but shaved in others, giving him a haphazard, wild look. On his shoulders hung light metal pauldrons, held in place with a leather strap that ran across his chest, over a simple brown tunic. Another leather strap crossed the other over his chest, but this one held an enormous axe on his back.
The man started across the way toward her. “
You must be new vespari I hear of!”
“Uh…” was all Wynonna managed to utter, still baffled by this man’s sheer size and finding herself a little intimidated by him.
“They speak of new vespari in ranks being of feminine type. This is you, yes?”
“Uh…” she repeated before managing to finally say an actual word, though her hesitancy to respond to that particular query turned her answer into more of a question of its own. “Yes?”
The enormous man’s face shifted from his flat, grizzled expression to almost the complete opposite. A smile large enough to match up to this behemoth of a man stretched across his face, and he flung his arms out before wrapping them around Wynonna. She made a gasping sound, as he lifted her up off the ground and hugged her so tight she could hardly breathe. Her hands were pinned to her sides, and the only thing she could do was release a steady puff of air and tap his arm.
He eventually got the message and loosened his grip on her before setting her down. “I apologize,” he told her. “Just happy to have new vespari. I welcome you here.”
“Oh,” Wynonna said, taking in heavy breaths of air. “Well, thanks.”
The large man extended his hand down to her. “My name is Magnus Volkov,” he told her.
She reached and grabbed his hand with her own. His nearly engulfed hers, but she shook it regardless. “Wynonna Lockhart,” she replied.
“Very good to meet you,” he said, still shaking her whole arm up and down.
“Yeah,” she replied, managing to loose his grip on her and pull her hand back. “Good to meet a vespari that doesn’t hate me.”
His smile turned to a surprised frown. “Why would I hate you? I just met you.”
She shrugged. “Hasn’t stopped the others.”
Now Magnus’s face shifted again. Anger this time. “Who? Who bothers you? I will stop them.”
Wynonna chuckled. “That’s okay. I can handle it.”
“Vespari should work together. Not against. Enough foulness in world.”
“On that, we can agree, big buddy,” she said, lightly slapping his shoulder. “But I haven’t been confirmed as a vespari just yet.”