by Jena Rey
The travel that day was soggy. The roads were caked with mud and grime, and the paths they were driven to were worse, leaving thick burrs in clothing and horse manes and tails. The war horses bore the rough terrain without complaining, but Ephema still felt bad for them. She was grateful when they finally reached the last way station before the city, and fed her share of apples to the tired mounts.
The morning when they would finally reach Eoth, Tabor allowed everyone to sleep in an extra hour. The ride was only a half-day’s effort, and even with the additional rest, they hoped to make it to the city by noon.
As they crested the last hills leading into the plains of Kathaaw, the forest gave way and blessed them with a fantastic view. The harbor town was in sight, standing tall against what looked like the end of the world. They came around another small bend and the ocean came into view, glimmering in the sunlight with ships showing as distant shadows traveling up and down the coastline.
Ephema’s breath caught, and she leaned around Darian to get a better look at the glittering expanse as they descended toward the city. A variety of expressions played over her face, somewhere between awe and fear. “It’s like the world just ends. Is that where the edge is? Is there nothing beyond but the water?”
Darian laughed and waved his hand wide to cross the expanse that they could see. He had grown up with the ocean at his doorstep, and he always forgot how overwhelming it could be to those who hadn’t been soothed to sleep by the sound of the waves. “No one really knows if there is an edge, but there are lands far beyond that water. Ships come into port cities like Eoth and Hawthan from far, far to the west carrying trade goods and sometimes people unlike any who live in our cities. When I was a young, my father and I would sometimes sail for five or six days straight out until we couldn’t see the land anymore, just the waves and the ocean.”
His voice took on a wistful tone. “He’d tell tales of creatures that lived in the water; creatures big enough to eat the boat in one bite, but so gentle they’d simply swim on past. Pods of huge fish would swim right up to us, making this squeaking noise that you could hear above the water. They’d be chasing smaller fish, and would leap out of the water and come crashing down, like they were playing. They were always good luck.”
She made an odd noise, almost a squeak of her own. “You went where you couldn’t see the land anymore, and where there were giant monsters? And with only a wooden boat between you and them? WHY?” She shook her head, looking away from the glittering sea. “That is a lot of water, Darian. A very lot of water. I am not sure this is a good idea.”
“People travel across the waters every day.” Ianel brought his horse up beside them, matching their speed. “And at least the power of the Lich doesn’t expand to the waters. His forces cannot swim, though they can capsize a boat in shallow enough waters, so the docks are well protected. If a person dies aboard ship, they won’t rise, though we never bring someone back from the sea. The waves are as safe as fire for carrying the dead to Osephetin’s Halls. Everything about water travel is safe. As long as you don’t get caught in a storm, there is little to fear.”
Ephema arched her eyebrows at him and took a deep breath. “If you say so. It seems very big and flat and wet to me. I miss the mountains.” She glanced back at the forest, and Darian felt sorry for her. He kept forgetting just how many new things she’d encountered in so few days. Knights and soon-to-be Knights were trained to be flexible and traveled all over the lands. He couldn’t imagine staying for so many years in one place. She tugged her cloak tighter around her, as though she needed the protection in the quickly warming day. “I guess it is too far and too late for regrets or returns. So, we must look forward.”
“Indeed.” Darian reached back and touched her knee before the sound of a loud horn echoed from the city below them. “That’s a good sign. That horn means all is well. It’s used by many of the coastal cities to alert those approaching that the guardsmen on the city walls do not have any undead threats in sight. In other words, no Hunters here.”
“At least not yet.” Ianel grinned, taking any fatalism out of the words. Sometimes Darian wondered if Ianel was truly serious about anything. The Knight stretched, looking out over the city. “I’m looking forward to a night in a proper bed, at a proper inn, with a proper wench to keep me warm. It’s been far too long.”
Tabor snorted from behind them. “Priorities, Ianel. Priorities.”
Ianel laughed and put his heels to Star’s side, leading them down the road.
As they drew within visual distance of the city, a set of guards clad in brown and yellow rode out to meet them. The guardsmen greeted Osephetin’s warriors warmly, inquiring about their travel and the purpose in Eoth. Darian didn’t speak, leaving it to Tabor to decide how much information to share. Talk of the scroll and Ephema’s presence never came up, but warning of the Sisters did.
“Aye, Sir. We’re well aware of the encroachment. They’ve been haunting that area for the last few months.”
“We heard nothing in Tallet or the other cities beyond.”
The leader of the men shrugged. “I don’t know that any messages were sent beyond. The council has brought the issue up several times, but without conclusion.”
Tabor snorted, cocking his head, a look made menacing by the helm and visor which covered his dark features. “Sending a message that the problem exists is the first step and not one which should be difficult to agree upon. There are tinkers and merchants who need that road.”
“Well above my pay scale, Sir, though I’ll relay the message that they’re still there to the Captain. Too bad there ain’t a way to just kill the beasties and be done with it.”
Darian glanced at Ephema, but said nothing. He was certain the Sister’s she’d killed weren’t coming back, but they had more important things to address, and he didn’t want the city to try to convince them to go back to the ambush point. Maybe if she could enchant other weapons it would be different, but given she didn’t know what she’d done it wasn’t worth mentioning.
“Will you be staying in Eoth, or moving through?”
Tabor grunted, but answered the question readily enough. “We’ll be in the city a day or two at best. We’re looking to book passage to Hawthan.”
“Ah. A bit of a bumpy voyage this time of year, Sir Knight, but doable. There’s always a ship or two headed that way. Trade waits for no storm.”
“Bumpy. Lovely.” Grumbling, Tabor let the conversation lapse.
Darian peered at his Brother, unable to help himself from poking at the issue. “Don’t like the sea, Knight Tabor?”
“No, Journeyman. I do not.” Tabor harrumphed in displeasure. “Besides the fact that the smell of the sea is wretched, this armor ensures that I would sink straight to the bottom were I to fall in. Though I yearn to serve the Lord Osephetin in his halls for eternity, I would prefer that my journey to him not be completed through drowning.”
Ephema shuddered, nodding her head in emphatic agreement. “Are we sure the ride across land isn’t a better idea?”
One of the guardsmen gave her a sharp look. “Nay, m’lady. The journey south is a horrible idea by land. The city is fortified well enough, but there is wilderness between here and Hawthan. We’ve been hearin’ reports of something new, some new kind of undead freak no one’s seen before chasing merchant trains that dare that path. I talked to one survivor. He said it’s worse than Sisters.”
“Worse than the Sisters?” Darian leaned forward in the saddle; his gaze intense. “Worse? How exactly can something be worse than those monsters?”
“I don’t know for sure. There have only been a few survivors. Whole caravans who have made it through despite the challenges before have been slaughtered. A Knight went with the last one, but he never came back.” The guard motioned to the waves in the distance. “Bumpy or no, this way is the safest and the fastest.”
Ianel frowned at the news, tilting his helm slightly and gazing out across the valley. “It’s
probably best not to put too much stock into rumor. There is a large temple here. The Brothers will know what is truth and what is exaggeration.” He shrugged, settling back into his saddle. “Either way my seat thinks it’s time to get off the road.”
“Let’s go.” Tabor nudged Valor and with a motion to everyone, they were on their way.
Chapter Ten
Eoth was the largest city Ephema had seen, bigger than Tallet and many times the size of Aserian. It was a sprawling mecca that appeared to have been laid out by two toddlers arguing over a large mass of building block toys. There seemed to be no rhyme or reason to how the city streets and buildings were arranged. Roads and streets ended abruptly and started elsewhere on a whim. Shops and marketplaces were strewn almost accidentally in corners, sometimes stacked on each other with stairs or simple ladders leading to the shops that were in higher locations. When the world couldn’t build out, it built up.
The walls of the city were the one thing which had been planned and cared for to the last stone. The fortifications were well-built and tall enough that any approaching undead would have to reach fifteen feet up to breach the top. It was thanks to these walls and the access to the ocean that Eoth prospered as a city for trade; the port here was an important hub for travel both north and south from the coastline, and for larger boats heading west that didn’t want to stop in Hawthan further south. So, the city enjoyed a level of prosperity and luxury not often seen elsewhere in the world.
Once they passed the main gates, the guardsmen left the Knights to their own business. They rode into the city, the horses picking their way slowly through the crowd. They were surrounded by the sound of commerce. Shouting people hawked their wares, though from the calls and smells in the air most of the goods in this part of the city were fish and cooked foods. People milled about, looking over various products and haggling on prices in loud voices that were met by even louder arguments from the shopkeepers. It seemed to Ephema the winner had much more to do with who was loudest than who was in the right.
Ianel grinned as they rode down the main road. “I’ve missed this place. It is always good to come home.”
Ephema glanced at him, but her gaze didn’t linger, too busy trying to take in all of the city at once. The noises and smells were overwhelming, even as the bright colors adorning people and buildings drew her attention. She was curious, but the chaos scraped on her nerves, and the pull of the living essence around her was already playing havoc with her innate senses. Even in the height of celebrations, things were never this loud in Aserian. Someone grabbed her leg, thrusting a string of smoked fish where the riders could see the catch. It smelled burned, and Ephema jerked her leg back, grabbing onto Darian to keep from falling and shaking her head until the man let go, looking for an easier sale.
Ephema ducked her head, taking in a deep breath. Darian’s cloak smelled of earth and rain and his unique scent, all of which she found comforting. “I don’t like this. There’s too much to see and hear.”
Darian placed a hand on her leg, the gesture comforting and strong. He wouldn’t let anything happen to her if he could help it. “Hawthan isn’t nearly this bad, I promise. Eoth is a bit…what’s the word I’m looking for?”
“Barbaric.” Tabor waved off another vendor as he snarled. “That’s the word you’re looking for. Why they don’t have a proper market and contain this is beyond me.” His voice rose. “No! Dammit! I do not want any fish!”
“In all fairness, it’s probably fresh caught and might be quite tasty. If we buy something, they may stop trying so hard.”
“Then you buy it, Journeyman. I am not carrying fish, raw or cooked, around with me.”
“I will.” Darian motioned to the vendor and held up two fingers. The man happily wrapped two large fish and handed them over in exchange for a few copper coins. “Once we find a place to stay, I’ll see if they’ll let me cook these up. If not, I’m sure the local temple will appreciate the donation.”
Ephema wrinkled her nose at the smell of the bundles he handed to her. It was a strange smell, even if the fish was freshly caught. She peered through the tangle of people, men and women and children all involved in their own business, hoping to see the local temple and a refuge from the onslaught. “How many people will be on the ship? It won’t be like this will it?” She hoped not.
“Depends on what vessel we can find that’s headed south.” Darian patted the war horse on the neck, the animal seeming as antsy as Ephema felt. “There are common transports that run between the ports routinely, but they tend to be pretty crowded and hard to book passengers and horses on at short notice. We might be able to find a transport schooner, which would be a safer bet for the horses and considerably less crowded.”
“And uncomfortable as the nine hells.” Ianel grimaced, turning in his saddle to look at them. Ephema wasn’t sure how he’d heard the conversation at all. “If we can avoid it, I’d prefer not riding in one of those death traps, even if they’d have space for the horses.”
Darian nodded in agreement. “I hate to say it, but Ianel’s right. A transport schooner in heavy weather wouldn’t be as safe. Our best bet would be a steamer. If one happens to be at dock. Those are less expensive for Faithful since the travel fires are lit from the Eternal Flame at the High Temple.”
Tabor cupped his head over his eyes and looked to the sky. “We will hope for that then. There may even be time to go to the docks tonight. We have a few hours still before sunset.” He gestured off to the left where a dark grey marble towner jutted into the sky. “There’s Eoth’s temple.”
Ephema’s gaze locked on that spire as a guiding point, and a hope for quiet and safety.
It took longer than one would have guessed to arrive at the Eoth Temple. The spire – easily seen from anywhere in the city – was much more difficult to reach in the tangle of streets and people than it looked. Things had changed since either of the Knights had last been to the city, and they kept coming to dead ends. Tabor finally resorted to paying for directions, and their impromptu guide swung up onto Star and led them to their destination in a mostly direct way.
The Temple’s towers stretched high into the sky, the stonework adorned with the skeletal artwork typical of Osephetin architecture. Bits of bone and silver were worked into the façade, many of the faithful donating shards of departed loved ones as a sign of their devotion. One tall pillar smoked faithfully away -- the Eternal Fire within dutifully burning the city’s dead. The Temple was extremely busy, and the doors of the place of worship never closed.
As they approached, an elderly woman hobbled down the seven steps of the temple. Wisps of grey hair escaped the bun at the back of her head, but her hands were clean and her eyes kind. She drew her hands across her body in a complicated formation which was at once greetings and blessings, ending with a deep bow. “Greetings to the faithful of our Lord Osephetin. I am Bishop Lisse. I pray your journey has been much blessed by our Lord, and your hands dedicated to his righteous calling.”
Tabor bowed from the saddle, and even Ianel didn’t smart off, both of their faces touched with a soft reverence. The rites to attain the Priesthood of Osephetin were difficult and exhausting. There were many women who achieved Knighthood, but fewer who became Bishops and Temple leaders. Those that obtained those heights were revered for their kindness and knowledge.
Darien remembered his mother explaining once that Lord Osephetin held a special fondness for women because they were closest to him. Each time they walked the path to create life, they stepped into the valley of death to do so. Choosing death, even for a moment, to ensure life continued was at the very core of Osephetin’s teaching.
“How can the Temple serve you today?”
“We’re looking for lodgings, Bishop Lisse.” Tabor explained. “Just for a few days until we can book passage on a steamer.”
The aging Bishop slowly shook her head. “We’ve a large family staying in the temple at the moment. They have petitioned to stay with us until th
ey can catch a deep-sea ship, based on the wishes of their father to have his ashes given to the sea. That, along with the arrival of the winter celebration, means our rooms are unfortunately full. Our stables, however, have much space. Your mounts would be welcome there, and prone to do a lot less damage than they might do in the small stalls at the local inns. You would be welcome if you wanted to sleep in the stalls, but it is not exactly comfortable for Knights.” A humored smile touched her wizened face. “Personally, I would recommend the Half-Full Tankard down the street. They are close. Their beds are comfortable with no rodents, and their wine is excellent.”
Ianel grinned and inclined his head. “That sounds right up our alley, good Bishop.”
Tabor nodded, absently thumping Valor on the side of the neck. “That will be our lodging then, and we will leave the horses here. You are sure they will be no trouble?”
“Bah. They will be as gentle as lambs, at least for me.” Bishop Lisse winked at Ephema. “It’s been years since I worked in the stables, but I remember how, and we have a full staff with time on their hands. Your mounts will be fine. Spoiled, in fact, if I do not miss my guess.”
The men dismounted, Darian pausing to help Ephema, though she mounted and dismounted better now than she had just a few days ago. He enjoyed assisting her. It seemed odd that it had only been a few days over a week since all of this had begun. He felt like they’d been on the road forever.
Bishop Lisse glanced at the doors of the Temple where two junior priests waited. At her nod, the young men came swiftly down the stairs and took the reins of the trio of warhorses, leading them down a large alleyway on the side of the Temple and back to their stables. They exchanged a few further pleasantries and promised to return later in the evening to discuss issues of the faith and receive any updates Bishop Lisse had for them.