by Sever Bronny
Leera glanced at Chaska. “Know how to make a splint? Because I don’t.”
Chaska wiped his sweaty forehead with a beefy hand. “Uh, I think so.”
“Let’s switch again then.”
Haylee looked like she was going to protest but said nothing as Chaska kneeled before her, passing off the cloth to Leera.
“So, uh, where’s the, uh, break?”
Haylee grimaced with a stab of pain. “You haven’t been around many girls, have you?”
Chaska’s milky face went pink. “’Course I have,” he stammered.
“Chasing and beating them up doesn’t count,” she said.
“I would never—” but then Chaska saw the genuine but fleeting smile Haylee wore. “Oh, that was a joke.”
“It’s the right leg. Please don’t do anything dumb, because it hurts. A lot.”
“I’ll try.” Chaska hesitated. “I mean—”
Leera cleared her throat lightly. “Maybe you should fetch some wood to make the splint from.”
“Right, of course.” Chaska, cheeks still beet red, climbed off the table.
“You are silly creatures,” the beast said, shaking his head. He was at the smaller stone table, butchering a goat for supper with a giant cleaver.
“Who are you?” Leera asked.
“Is that your way of asking my name?”
“Sure, I guess.”
“It never ceases to amaze me how rude you lowlanders can be.” He chopped off the goat’s head in one slice. It fell from the table and hit the ground with a splat. “My name is Raptos.”
“Our names are—”
“—Haylee, Bridget, Leera, Chaska and Augum. Contrary to what you lowlanders believe, we wolven do have ears.”
“I didn’t even know big wolf creatures existed,” Leera replied. “Where are you from?”
Raptos almost dropped the cleaver. “Was that a serious question? What kind of paltry education do those academies bestow?”
“Solia is having a few … problems right now.”
“I imagine so if you do not even know where Wolven come from, and to answer your question, raven-haired lowlander, we are from northern Ohm, just like the Henawa.”
“That’s where my people come from,” Chaska said, chopping some logs with his axe.
“’Your people’? But you are not really Henawa, are you?”
Chaska, chest heaving from the exertion, stopped chopping and glanced up at the wolven. “Of course I am—”
“You are Solian first. Tell me otherwise. Go ahead, lie to me.”
Chaska hesitated.
“Indecisive, stupid, a little bit fat, shorthaired. But wearing a war shirt, possessing a war axe and a traditional Henawa bow. I would say you are most certainly not Henawa. Your people and our people may have relations in the north, but here, you are nothing more than a vagrant. A castaway. Perhaps the son of a thief, cast out from the tribe and forced to take care of his son in the idiot southlands—”
Chaska hurled the axe aside. “DON’T YOU TALK THAT WAY ABOUT MY FATHER!”
The wolven watched Chaska a moment. “You do not obey the traditional honor courtesies as observed by our peoples when meeting. Then you have the impudence to take my wood without asking. Listen to me closely, Chaska, so-called Henawa—if I hear you speak one more word in my cave, whatever that word be, I will mutilate you in the old way. Do you understand?” His great furry arm holding the cleaver flexed, bulging sinewy veins.
Chaska opened his mouth to reply but caught himself. He said nothing, fetched his axe, and returned to chopping wood, keeping one angry eye on the wolven.
“We are taught the lowlander common tongue from cubhood,” Raptos said in a calm voice, returning his gaze to Leera, “whereas you lowlanders do not know a single wolven word. Somehow you breed on pure ignorance.”
“Now who’s being rude?” Leera said. She sighed. “Will the Golden Vitae work on broken bones?”
“Flesh only. The golden-haired lowlander will have to bear the pain.”
Haylee whimpered.
Leera closed her eyes in resignation. “Can we keep the rest of the Golden Vitae?”
“If you want to pay for it, yes.”
“Put it on our tab.”
“As you wish.”
Leera shoved the Golden Vitae into her rucksack. Half of the vial’s contents remained.
Chaska dumped a pile of sticks onto the table and climbed up, face red with anger.
“You’ll need a blanket,” Augum whispered.
“Don’t speak—” Haylee said quickly through gritted teeth.
Chaska, who had opened his mouth to reply, glanced at Raptos, who watched him silently. He nodded a thanks to Haylee, reached into his rucksack for a blanket, and began tearing strips off.
Haylee lay back, breathing hard. “This is going to hurt, isn’t it?”
Leera left the damp cloth on Bridget’s forehead and crawled over to Haylee, grabbing her hand awkwardly. “It’ll be all right.”
Haylee gave her a weak smile.
Chaska fiddled with the blanket a bit, as if unsure what to do next.
“Wrap her leg tightly,” Augum said, making an effort to sit up only to experience a narrowing of his vision. He immediately lay back down. “Then tie sticks to it …” He made eye contact with Leera and mouthed, “Distract her.”
Leera nodded. “So, uh, why exactly are you so far from your home?” She asked Raptos. “Are you in some kind of trouble with your kind?”
Raptos tossed a few logs onto the fire like they were twigs. “I am a scout for an upcoming invasion of Solia.”
“What—!”
Raptos growled a chuckle. “A wolven joke, but I suppose I cannot expect you to partake in our humor.
Haylee screamed as Chaska began binding her leg. The wolven flinched and growled at her. Leera immediately placed a hand over her mouth. “Shh … it’ll be all right.”
“I do not like you, raven-haired lowlander, but you seem to have some common sense.” Raptos place a massive iron frying pan over the flames. “The real reason I am here is to gather information on your Legion.”
“They’re not ‘our’ Legion,” Leera said.
“Are they from Solia?”
“Yes, but—”
“Then they are yours. The Legion has been choking off the Iron Pass, the most important supply route to the north.”
“Why are you in the mountains then if you want to investigate the Legion?” Leera asked, holding a squirming Haylee. “Aren’t you a bit far from the action?”
“Your lowlander ignorance continually astounds me. How is it your kind know so little outside of your borders? We wolven are a mountain people—highlanders. We come down only when absolutely necessary. We are far too honest and honorable for lowlanders, who we find treacherous and deceitful. My brethren monitor the pass and various locations among the northern peaks. I have been posted to the Muranians, along with two others. Besides, I would rather conduct all my research by interrogation. I have already subjected one Legion scout group to the question. I hope to find more.”
“Where did you find the group?” Augum asked weakly. He wanted to say that all lowlanders weren’t so bad, that there was hope for them still, but he didn’t have the strength.
Raptos threw the chopped goat onto the frying pan. It immediately began to hiss and sizzle. “On the plateau, three of them were in search of Bahbell, or rather, what’s supposed to be inside it. I gathered quite a bit of information before dispatching them to the great beyond. It appears I can confirm the rumors—a lowlander has awakened the Dreadnoughts somehow. Not only is he trying to acquire all seven scions, but he is also trying to find a way into Ley to bestow his followers with eternal life—or so he says. Lowlanders are, after all, notorious liars. Yet if he is telling the truth, he and his people must be fools, for every wolven knows that the Leyan lifespan is only for the Leyans.”
Leera flashed Augum a knowing look. Haylee had ceased struggl
ing in her arms, passed out from the pain. Leera gently pushed Haylee’s blonde hair away from her sweat-sheened face and sighed. Chaska looked on with a worried expression.
“She’ll be all right,” Augum said weakly. “Finish the tying.”
A delicious aroma filled the cave as the goat meat sizzled away. Augum’s stomach rumbled.
“So what’s supposed to be inside Bahbell?” Leera asked.
“Ever curious are the lowlander younglings …”
“We’re almost fifteen years old, and Chaska’s sixteen—”
“Well you all look the same to me.”
“So you don’t know what’s inside Bahbell?”
“The scouts were not given that information, therefore I do not know, but if the Legion wants it, then so do we wolven. We suspect their ambitions will eventually lead them to invade Ohm.” He swirled the pan around and the goat crackled in its juices. “Since you are young and ignorant, I do not expect you to know that every faction in the north—the mountain monks and their seers, the Henawa, the wolven, and all the others—would be no match against a force led by a lowland necromancer wielding seven scions and an army equipped with Dreadnought steel. And that is even if said forces banded together. That is why I am interested in what is in Bahbell—we will need every bargaining chip possible against the Legion. Anyhow, we do not care what happens to the other kingdoms. We only care about Ohm, the source of all knowledge and reason.”
“Then the kingdoms must band together,” Augum said.
Raptos growled a laugh, sounding almost like he was panting. “Your naivety astounds me, lowlander. In all of known history, the kingdoms have never banded together. Even when Occulus threatened their destruction, they still bickered. It took Leyan intervention to save the mortal world, though to be fair, it was Ley itself that was primarily under threat.”
“Why are you telling us this?” Leera asked.
“Because you will all be dispatched to the great beyond soon anyway.”
“What! What do you mean—?”
“You will not survive your debts.”
“What are our debts?”
“I have helped you three significant times. Therefore, you owe three debts. I have already thought them over. They will be impossible for you to acquire, so it is more a source of amusement for me.”
Leera crinkled her nose and opened her mouth to reply.
“Leera—” Augum interrupted, sensing she wanted to say something sarcastic. When she glanced at him, he shook his head in warning. She swallowed and nodded, allowing the wolven to continue.
“The first is to procure an Occi horn, for I am in need of an aerial scout. And while you are there, you shall acquire bloodfruit, as its herbal properties are highly prized—it is worth its weight in gold in the north. The third is to discover how I can get into Bahbell. The two most injured lowlanders will stay here as hostages until the debts are paid.”
“And what if the debts aren’t paid?” Augum asked.
Raptos withdrew the pan from the fire, picking up a chunk of meat. “Then I shall enjoy dispatching the lot of you treacherous, rude lowlanders to the great beyond.” He sucked the meat off the bone, licking his snout with a large pink tongue.
Augum, feeling a little better after smelling the delicious cooked goat, finally sat up. “We won’t fail.”
“Then you would be the first.”
“We have a map, but it’s hard to tell where to go from here,” Augum continued, withdrawing it from his robe.
“Are you asking for another debt? Because I really think you ought not to.”
Augum examined the map. “Never mind,” figuring they could find the rectangle on their own. They just had to strike northeast from here and keep their eyes peeled.
While Raptos devoured his supper, Leera dug out some food from their rucksacks, distributing it between herself, Augum and Chaska. Haylee and Bridget remained unconscious.
“How are we going to get those things?” Leera whispered, keeping an eye on the wolven.
Augum shook his head. “No idea, but we’ll have to pack light, take only what we need.”
“You and I will go tomorrow,” Augum said to Leera. “Sorry, Chaska, but we need someone to stay here and take care of Bridget and Haylee.”
“Besides, we’re trained arcanely,” Leera added, “and where we’re going, that will be crucial.”
Chaska glanced down at his hands and nodded.
After supper, Raptos returned to his carving while Chaska and Leera tended to Bridget and Haylee. Later, Augum, having sufficiently recovered, joined Leera in quietly practicing their spells. After that, they secretly listened to the Orb of Orion, hoping for some word from Mrs. Stone. None was forthcoming. At dusk, they erected two tents on top of the table, for there was no door at the cave mouth, and it was cooling fast. When the sun touched the western horizon, they watched the red hues slowly turn to purple, then darken to night. The stars twinkled overhead in a vast sea, clearer and brighter than Augum had ever seen. Raptos eventually curled into a ball, allowing the fire to die, and everyone fell asleep.
The Fall
Augum woke late to a damp and cold tent. Bridget slept on beside him. Raptos had already disappeared, leaving instructions with Leera not to be treacherous, for he would know. The thought did cross Augum’s mind to call for Mrs. Stone’s help, not that he’d be successful—she hadn’t been paying attention to the pearl, either because she’d been too busy or simply unable.
After breakfast though, a quiet voice came from the orb. Augum and Leera scurried over and placed their ears to it.
“Hello, can anyone hear me?” Mrs. Stone asked, voice distant and muffled by what sounded like wind.
“Yes, we can hear you, Mrs. Stone!” Leera replied, smiling at Augum for the first time in too long.
“Good, I can hear you too. How are you making out?”
“We’re all right, Nana,” Augum replied. “Bridget and Haylee are injured, but we think they’ll get better.”
“Injured? How?” There was serious concern in her voice.
Augum explained everything that had happened up to that point.
“Be careful of the wolven, they can be quite callous. They are not like us.”
“That’s for sure,” Leera muttered.
Augum was tempted to ask her to come save them. “How are you, Nana, is the portal destroyed?” he asked instead.
“Lividius tracked me to Arinthian Castle, but he was unsuccessful. The portal is indeed destroyed—”
Augum and Leera exchanged victorious looks at this news.
“—and Oba is back in his homeland. He will pass on today. Let us never forget his sacrifice.”
“We won’t, Nana, ever.” He’d always remember the valuable training Oba administered in Ley.
They could hear a loud gust through the orb. “I am far away right now, somewhere it would take Lividius a long time to get to. I believe he thinks you are all with me. Be warned, however, for I hear they have sent an entire company in search of Bahbell.”
“That’s two hundred men—” Augum said.
“—and the commander has a speaking orb, so do not let them see you. It is impossible for me to help you at this time, but I will try to monitor the pearl often. I hope to do some training through it soon. Good luck to you all.”
“Bye, Nana!”
“Thank you, Mrs. Stone, and we miss you!” Leera gave Augum a grave look. “We better go quickly.”
Augum gave his palm a tender rub. “Agreed.”
“How’s it feeling?”
“Fine. Let’s finish packing.”
Chaska gestured that he’d help. Despite the wolven being absent, everyone agreed it would be safest if he remained silent.
“Inventory check,” Augum said.
Leera pawed through the rucksack. “Orb of Orion, two blankets, a tent, the lantern, flint and steel, rope, the remainder of the Golden Vitae, the map, and some rations.”
“Goodbye, Bri
dge,” Augum whispered to her sleeping form, squeezing her cold hand. “Get well.”
Leera kissed her forehead and swept her hair away from her pale face. “Bye, Bridgey-poo, see you soon.” She poked Chaska in the chest. “Take good care of her.”
Chaska nodded.
“Good luck, you two,” Haylee said in a weak voice.
“We’re going to need it,” Leera replied. “And take care of her too.”
Chaska again nodded.
“Good luck to all of you as well,” Augum said, feeling his chest tighten. Would this be the last time they saw each other? Would he and Leera live through this impossible quest the wolven had assigned?
“We’ll be back soon,” he said.
Haylee closed her eyes. “Promise?”
“Promise.”
The pair of them climbed off the table and strode off, giving a final wave. Chaska, hunkering in his wolf hide, waved back, milky face grim. He looked small against the outline of the cave, small and lost.
“This is going to suck,” Leera said, leading.
“But we will succeed,” Augum replied, as determined as ever to make the impossible a reality. He had no idea what lay ahead, but he swore he’d do his best not to fail the others.
Leera gave him that familiar look of resolve. “Agreed,” and marched ahead. Eventually she put quite a bit of distance between herself and Augum, who still hadn’t fully recovered from losing so much blood the day before. He didn’t mind too much, enjoying the tranquility of the epic view.
They avoided the ridge this time, walking horizontally along and around the mountain, two specks on a white vastness. The steepness steadily increased, but there was no point going higher since the marked rectangle was somewhere to the north and east of the mountain.
Augum placed a hand above his eyes and squinted, looking up at the peak. It stood clear against a vivid sky. Directly below it, an enormous snowdrift ledge cast a long shadow. He recalled being buried in the avalanche and quickened his step; Nana wasn’t around to save them should it happen again.
The distance between he and Leera increased over the hours, aggravating him. He wanted to shout at her but feared starting an avalanche.