The Holtur Enigma (The Holtur Trilogy)

by Cameron Wayne Smith

  “Next time you’re in town, we should try again,” Kallum said. “Definitely need to up the quota though!” His grin continued to grow, as it did when talking about deadly creatures.

  Vivian laughed, he was not sure he wanted to be out and about with the shroud ever again, but decided to entertain the idea for Kallum’s sake. “Next time I’m in town,” he said with a wink, “we’ll aim for twenty of the clawed bastards!”

  “Only if you’ll pull your weight peddling,” Rigst puffed. He had been running down the footpath alongside Knoch.

  Vivian reached into his pocket, pulling out a golden flint lighter. He threw it to Kallum with a smile. “And you’ll need this, just in case those bloody candles die out!”

  Kallum caught in his hand, flicked it open, then sparked the flint. “Thanks Vivian.”

  “Somethin’ tells me ya cardio has improved.” Knoch grinned, then looked to where Vivian’s arm should be. “Or maybe ya just lost weight.”

  “Thanks?” Vivian didn’t know how to take the possible compliment. He was unsure why they were running, but their weapons weren’t with them. “Why are you two running?”

  “Like Knoch said, cardio!” Rigst nodded. “Can’t get slack during the off season!”

  “Off season?” Vivian questioned.

  “The frozen suns.” A smirk appeared on Sonja’s face. “Once we’re rid of you, we won’t have anything giving us shit until it gets warmer.”

  Knoch gave a nod. “And there’s no need for us scouts constantly runnin’ all over the place, when there’s nothin’ botherin’ us.”

  “Of course. Well, good luck with the cardio.” Vivian waved as they continued on their run. It felt odd to him, he had always seen the warmer suns as a time to relax and unwind, but here, it was quite the opposite.

  “We need to get moving soon,” Orad called out to Vivian. “The frozen suns are short, and we’ll need to make our first checkpoint before first moon.”

  “We can’t leave without Donna,” Vivian responded. It was because of her he had stayed in Holtur this long. “If she doesn’t get back soon, we’ll just leave next sun.”

  “I would much rather get away sooner.” Orad’s face wobbled as he shook his bald head. “The frozen suns will only get shorter.”

  “Here I am!” Donna nervously appeared from a crowd. She was wearing a light-blue robe that covered her entire body, just like the one the apothecary that healed Vivian’s shoulder wore. “Sorry it took me so long.” Her face twitched into a smile. “I’m all clear now.”

  “Oh Donna, I’m glad you’re yourself.” Vivian hugged his assistant. He’d never done that to her before, but after hearing her scream in fear, or pain, or whatever it was back in the warren, he was happy to see her better. She flinched and became stiff as a board, maybe she wasn’t completely better, but she wasn’t worse. “You wouldn’t believe the things I’ve been though.”

  Donna’s green eyes flicked towards where his arm had been. “I wonder who has had it worse?” She was shaky and seemed void of confidence, understandable given what she had been through.

  “We have plenty of time to talk on the way back to Silverton.” Vivian tried to help her up to the cart with one hand, prompting Sonja to assist as well. “Only if you want to talk of course.”

  “Yeah.” Donna’s lips were now hard and cracked, they flickered to a smile momentarily. “I’d like that.”

  “Don’t mind if one more tags along?” Ivan had leapt onto the wagon before an answer was even given. He still had that crazy vibe about him, but at least he was now wearing more suitable clothes for the weather.

  “You want me to take Ivan?” Vivian asked Sonja, then spoke even quieter. “After he went crazy from my deal with the Eye?”

  Sonja nodded as Ivan reached down and patted Vivian’s shoulder. “I’m not jealous of you or anything, well, not really.” The dark-haired slayer laughed. “Sorry if that hurts your ego! I am just interested in meeting these serpents of yours. Might even bring a couple back for the Bristrunstium.”

  “The lovely Ivan Griswald is yours for a year.” Sonja laughed. “And he’s your responsibility, just as you were mine. Be sure to have him back here before the next lot of frozen suns.”

  Ivan growled upon hearing those words. “Take me to where the grasp of ice can’t reach!”

  “The Krone Divide where the serpents are invading is never that cold.” Vivian assumed that Ivan wanted a place where he’d never have to wear clothes. He’d heard of Silverton folk being frightened off beautiful beaches at the sight of dark Kronians, as well as the lighter Rocklaar and Lachoroin folk getting about stark naked. “I think the locals aren’t against complete nudity there either.”

  Ivan didn’t say a word, he just nodded with a content smile.

  “They don’t mind at all!” Orad was double checking the reigns. “I head there after every trip to the south, to balance things out you see. No one minds my beautiful body spread out on the sands.”

  “That’s lovely…” Sonja shook her head, she was possibly fighting bile back down her throat.

  “It’s times like this I hate having a good memory.” Kallum looked as though he was about to puke. “And a vivid imagination…”

  “Well, it’s about time we get moving.” Orad sat down on a decorated fabric chair at the head of the wagon. “You are all ready to depart, yes?”

  “Yes,” the people within the wagon responded with mixed levels of energy.

  “Then depart we shall. Eeeyaah!” Orad whipped at the reins, and the wagon made its way out of the Holtur gates.

  Vivian stood at the back of the wagon, waving back at all the people he had met from Holtur. He hadn’t been there long, but they felt like friends. Racing to meet up with the group was an apothecary, the one he assumed had tended to his wound. She was waving furiously fast, and Vivian returned the gesture. Once they had made their way outside the walls, he saw Commander Fin Maver, Bernard, and a bunch of other slayers waving them off from atop the wall.

  “You’re a popular one!” Ivan laughed. “I doubt they’d bother waving me off like that.”

  “It’s been…” Vivian thought for a few moments. “Interesting, to say the least.”

  The voices seeing them off faded away, then Holtur shrunk smaller and smaller until it melted into the snow. It wasn’t long until all Vivian could see was a vast white landscape in every direction. Even the hills in the distance were harder to make out with all the white. The only sounds were that of the horses and the wagon. It relaxed Vivian to know he was making his way back to Silverton, back to his family.

  ***

  “So you want to know the real reason I went a little over the top?” Ivan interrupted Vivian and Orad’s conversation. He had been pretty quiet since they left, keeping an eye on Donna and the other merchants who had all fallen asleep in the back. Vivian found it odd, but figured it was part of his crazy attitude.

  “A little over the top?” Vivian turned away from Orad. “I hadn’t noticed, but now that you mention it, leaping onto a flaming wyvern without armour, is a little over the top.”

  “And running down a bargetier warren isn’t?” Ivan laughed, then rather than explain his situation, he did the same thing he did with Sonja. He put both hands over his face, then brushed his black hair away from his forehead, revealing a deep gash—he was marked.

  “That explains the year thing.” Everything became clear to Vivian. “So, monsters won’t fight back? But how? Why you?”

  “I was out in the mist that sun.” Ivan sighed. “Bastard must have claimed me then. I’m no fucking farmer, and knowing I only have a year to live—and that nothing would try to kill me—I began having a little fun!” He gave a mischievous grin.

  “But if you are going to kill something…” Vivian paused. “Why would it avoid fighting back? Surely better to live a little longer than die immediately?”

  “You don’t understand the way these monsters and horrors work do you?” Ivan laughed. “Af
ter all this time, I thought you’d understand by now.”

  “Understand what?”

  “Fear.” Ivan smirked. “Fear keeps wyverns, beasts, humans, even horrors under control. No one knows what Glacious does to the marked he consumes, or those that harm his marked. Surely by now you’ve realised some things are worse than mere death.”

  Vivian thought of the sound the marked kuhvi made when Glacious consumed them. It was terrifying, but was it possible that it did much worse to those who crossed it? Then he thought how it would feel being drained by a leech, pulled apart by a horror, or used by a bargetier. “Yeah…” Vivian released a laugh that fused with a sigh. “Death really isn’t the worst thing that could happen.”

  “Remember that.” Ivan looked at Donna. “We might need to deal with her soon too.”

  “What?” Vivian’s eyes expanded. “Touch Donna and I’ll—”

  “Settle down there hero!” Ivan’s lips curled. “I’m just messing with you. As long as she was scrambled, we have nothing to worry about. So, tell me more about this Silverton place.”

  Vivian and Orad took turns describing Silverton to the marked slayer; the massive shining towers, industrious ports, glorious markets, food, drink, and trinkets.

  Despite the coming of the serpents, Vivian was excited to be heading home. He longed to see his family again, and to make sure they were still safe. He was also excited to help formulate a way to combat these serpents, a way to destroy them and send them back where they came from. He wasn’t going to stop fighting, not until the serpents begin having nightmares about him.

  ***

  It was warm hidden under all the blankets in the rear of the wagon. The other merchants smelt pretty bad, but that wasn’t too much of a concern. Donna was finally heading back home, back to Silverton.

  A bump in the road stirred her for a moment, and she felt something kick at her ribs. “Shhhhh…” she hushed affectionately, while gently rubbing her stomach. “Don’t worry, you’re safe now.” A deep breath filled her lungs with cold air. “You’re going to love it in Silverton.”

  Preview: The Holtur Curse

  Sonja released a sigh, then returned the brass looking glass to her belt. “Only one?” she asked herself under her breath. A single flame wyvern was not something the slayers of Holtur had to worry about. It was the creature’s intent that had her worried. Why would the wyvern throw itself at Holtur alone? Surely the creature would be smart enough to realise it as a suicidal action.

  “Maybe we can let it live? Let it leave?” The freckles on Volk’s white face beamed bright, and his light-blue eyes watched the inferno dance about the sky.

  Sonja had loaded the ballista turret and aimed it west, towards the oncoming wyvern. “A quick death would be a kindness,” she spoke softly, her eyes met with his. “Much better than letting Ivan get his hands on it.”

  Volk shuddered at the thought. “Thankfully, Ivan’s not here… he’s still off dealing with the northern serpent problem.”

  “He’d be on his way back by now.” Sonja shook her head, and neck-length, curly, blonde locks danced about her ears. “And if the red leaves us alone, no doubt it would run into his wagon.”

  Volk shuddered again. “You don’t know that for sure, Captain.”

  “Fine,” Sonja grunted, “if it leaves us alone, we’ll leave it alone.” She shook her head once more. “Just know, your appreciation for the thing may have caused it more harm.”

  “Thanks Captain,” Volk said with a smirk.

  Sonja held her hand out to a group of nearby slayers. They too were guarding the northern wall, arrows ready to fly on her command. “No one fires their weapons unless it displays hostility first,” she said in a dry tone.

  The slayers all looked to each other in confusion. Most of the Holtur townsfolk knew the chaos and devastation a wyvern could leave behind. None seemed to share the appreciation Volk had, and none had the understanding that Sonja did.

  “Captain,” Arnis challenged, “but it’s a wyvern. A wyvern! We should take it out first!”

  The older Bernard buried his elbow into Arnis’ ribs. “You heard the captain, if it attacks, it dies!”

  “Thank you Bernard,” Sonja said with a smile. Her face then turned to Arnis, and she narrowed her eyes. He wasn’t showing insubordination, that wasn’t like him. He was just afraid. Afraid of not killing that which can kill us, before it has a chance.

  “I think this one looks different…” Volk was still staring at the oncoming wyvern. It’s flight path was heading directly for Holtur, directly for the north wall. “What do you think that is, strapped to its chest?”

  “Strapped to its chest?” Sonja repeated the words. She hurriedly brought the looking glass back to her eye, stared for a moment, then questioned, “Tequidi?”

  “Te-what now?” Volk asked.

  Sonja laughed. “Tequidi, a timid little Altkrugan girl.” She looked Volk up and down. “You would really like her, she’s a wyvern rider!”

  “A flame wyvern rider?” Volk struggled the words through surprise and excitement. “How do you know her?”

  “I met her up in Aestridge, when I took the bargetier’s victims to that resort to help them recover. I went flying with one of her wyverns!”

  “Kuhvi-shit!” Volk swore. “Why didn’t you tell me?”

  “You wouldn’t have believed me!” Sonja snickered. “Now, the question is, why has she flown all the way to Holtur. I told her what we do to wyverns…”

  “Maybe she misses you, Captain!” Volk had a hopeful look upon his face.

  “At ease slayers,” Sonja called out, “it’s a friend.” She turned to Volk. “You stay up here for now. I’ll go meet her beyond the front gates. Last thing I need is townsfolk freaking out over a wyvern perched atop the wall!”

  “Can’t I come meet her too?” Volk whined.

  “No!” Sonja felt like she was dealing with a child. “Seeing your face will scare her off!”

  “Damn it Captain, you know my family originated from Altkruga.” Volk crossed his arms, and furrowed his brows.

  “I’ll organise the opportunity for you to give it a pat!” Sonja couldn’t help but laugh as she made her way down the stairs.

  By the time she had made it out the front gate, the large flame wyvern wasn’t far off either. It flared its wings, gliding low across the lush green plain. The wyvern landed metres away from her, attached to its chest was an A-frame with an insulated sack. Like a butterfly from a cocoon, the short woman stumbled from the sack, and clumsily fell to the ground.

  “Tequidi?” Sonja cautiously asked.

  “Y-you remembered me!” Tequidi said with enthusiasm as she stood up. She was a tiny, little thing, Sonja thought it was insane how such a small, timid human could command such a large wyvern.

  “Well, of course…” Sonja ruffled her curly hair. “It’s not every sun you fly a wyvern, enter freefall, and almost die! I don’t think I’ll ever forget that experience.” It was a terrifying ordeal, but the wyvern Sonja had been attached to, one that looked identical to the one before her right now, saved her from falling to her demise.

  The wyvern exhaled a puff of dark smoke in response. “Oh, y-yes, sorry about that. Raithia remembers too, don’t you girl!” Tequidi removed her goggles, then stuffed them into a pack that was strapped to the A-frame. She looked back at the wyvern, which gave a slight flick of its head.

  “I thought she looked a little big,” Sonja said with a smile. It was, in fact, the same wyvern that had saved her in Aestridge. A good thing they didn’t shoot her down! “So, why are the two of you here? Do you have any idea how dangerous that was? The two of you flying unannounced towards Holtur.” She glanced at Raithia’s eyes, and the black slits seemed to grow wide. She then returned her gaze to Tequidi. “I told you what kind of problems we have to deal with here. You were close to being knocked out of the sky!”

  “Oh, s-sorry. Umm…” Tequidi paused, put her thick glasses upon her face, then took in
a deep breath. “I-I think there is a lot of trouble coming for Holtur. A large group of men had gathered together in Altkruga, th-they are hurting people for no reason. Th-they are heading east, towards Holtur.

  “You think a few men are going to hurt Holtur?” Sonja shook her head. “You don’t quite understand exactly what we have to deal with here in Holtur. A few men won’t cause much of an issue.”

  “N-no, there’s a lot of them.” Tequidi stretched her arms out wide. “A r-real lot of them! They are hurting lots of people! No one can stop them!”

  “Why?” Sonja crossed her arms. “Why would a group of men want to come to Holtur, to try and cause us harm?”

  “Th-they are searching for something,” Tequidi said while fidgeting with her spectacles. “Th-their leader, Crispin, is a powerful man. He is the brother of Asof, I mean, Lord Turice.”

  “Just what I need…” Sonja slapped her hand up against her face. “Another bloody bureaucrat trying to get his way.”

  “H-he is not a bureaucrat…” Tequidi paused. “His brother had him exiled from Altkruga. Cr-Crispin is a bad man, a strong man, an influential man. A-and he will do anything to get what he wants.”

  “I’m sure he would.” Sonja folded her arms.

  “D-don’t underestimate him Sonja.”

  “What should we do when he comes?” Sonja entertained the woman, she did travel quite a distance to offer this information after all.

  “G-Give them whatever he wants,” Tequidi said softly, “and hide all your women. Hide them good. D-Don’t let them get a scent of them, say they are away or something.”

  Sonja sneered at that, she didn’t like being told to hide. Then she noticed a single tear escape Tequidi’s eye. “What did he do to you?”

  “He?” She looked up at Sonja. “It’s what they would do, if they get you! And nothing, no one did anything to me, Raithia saved me.” The large flame wyvern exhaled a puff of smoke.

  “What about…” Sonja paused, trying to remember the name of the smart arsed jerk who tortured her through her piloting course. “Ace, what did he do?”