by Tiger Hebert
The kind lady then went about busying herself so she didn’t have to face any more compliments.
Renlar turned to Vacinne. “She’s as fine a folk as we could hope to find this side of the mountains. I bet she’s always been a good woman, long before she ever set her stars to Lady Sudana.”
Vacinne agreed, but she didn’t enjoy all the talk about the pantheon, the constellations, and the patrons they had come to represent.
“Renlar, you know I don’t believe all of that,” she said in a voice that was nearly a whisper.
Renlar reached over and patted her on the thigh. “I know. In your eyes, it is blasphemy and a great disservice to the Light. I understand where you’re coming from, and I’m not asking you to believe differently. But you need to understand that there are millions of people in this world who have beliefs that they hold just as dear as you. Their beliefs are just different.”
“But their beliefs are wrong,” started Vacinne.
Renlar’s reply was quick, but gentle, “Perhaps. She could be wrong. I could be wrong. You could be wrong. Hell, we could all be wrong. We all have varying levels of faith, including those who choose to believe in nothing at all. I’ve come to think that perhaps they’ve got the most faith of any of us. For them to believe in nothing despite all the evidence to the contrary is remarkable.”
Renlar leaned close, his tone still soft and his eyes gentle. “But Vacinne, even if you have all the evidence in the world that what you believe is true, even if all the shadows are gone and there is no place left for doubt or unbelief to remain, we must still treat all people with dignity and kindness. If there’s one thing I’ve come to learn in this life, it’s that conviction without compassion is one of the most dangerous weapons there is, and it is far too commonly wielded.”
Vacinne felt the warmth of his hand lightly resting on her thigh, but the warmth of his words, his compassion left a far greater impact upon her.
She nodded as she thought for a few seconds. Then she said, “But you are not suggesting that truth is subjective, are you?”
“No, I am not.”
“So, are you suggesting that we withhold truth from those that do not know it?” she asked, one eyebrow raised.
“No Vacinne, I am suggesting that you carry your faith with you to the grave. That you stand on everything you know to be true and right, stand firmly in the face of doubt and fear and every other thing that this life will throw at you. Be a bastion, a standard bearer for what you believe in. Always. But bear that standard with uncompromising compassion. That is how you connect with people. It may or may not change what they believe, but they will at least believe in you.”
Every time I think I know you, I realize I know nothing, Vacinne mused.
Vacinne placed her left hand on top of the hand he rested on her thigh. “Who are you Renlar Demass?”
Renlar slid his hand out from under hers. He stood upright and said, “Just an old innkeeper.”
Then he turned away and walked to Mae’ella who was cleaning up the kitchen.
“Ms. Mae’ella, you’ve given us a home away from home. You’ve given us warm beds, hot food, and great kindness. May all the blessings you need in this life find you,” said Renlar with a modest bow.
At this rate, the middle-aged woman’s face might be red for the next week. She just offered a big cheerful smile.
Renlar stood upright, turned, and walked out the front door with his pack on his shoulder. Vacinne shoveled more food in her mouth as she rose from the table. It was indeed time to go, no matter how good the accommodations were. They had a demon to track down, and if it wasn’t too late, a Warden to find.
Vacinne washed the bite of food down with the tall glass of apple juice. She hurried across the room to give thanks to Mae’ella. The older woman turned to her with a warm smile. Vacinne reached out her hand to shake, but the heavyset woman engulfed her in a warm-hearted hug. It was a mother’s hug. The kind Vacinne hadn’t had in a long, long time. She was caught off guard, but her defenses melted in that kind woman’s embrace. Vacinne found her arms quickly taking hold of the woman, pulling her in tightly, and before she knew it, she was sobbing.
“Dearie,” said Mae’ella as she patted Vacinne lightly on the back, “Whatsoever is the matter?”
Vacinne wiped a tear from her eye. “It has just been a really long time since I’ve had a hug like that.”
Mae’ella looked at Vacinne’s pretty face, and she wiped some of the tears away. “I don’t know your mother, but I know she would be very proud of the young woman you’ve become.”
Vacinne wept. It was as if those words were the secret key to a door that had been long since forgotten. The pain of her mother’s death all those years ago and the pain of loss all hit her. The thought of her mother being able to see her now and possibly even being proud of her was overwhelming. Vacinne’s emotions ran wild inside of her, and for a time she wept. The big woman wrapped her arms around Vacinne as if she were her own child and she rocked her in her arms, offering the young warden a comfort she hadn’t found anywhere else.
Vacinne took a good while before she left Mae’ella’s embrace and got herself fully dressed in her armors. Then she did everything she could to make sure that it wasn’t a tearful goodbye. She nearly faltered and her vision blurred for a second, but with a deep breath and a joyful smile she held strong.
“Vacinne, my dearie, I’ve only just met you, but I feel like you’re family to me. If you and Renny pass back through here on your way back, do be sure to stay for the night,” pleaded the kindly woman.
“That sounds lovely,” admitted Vacinne with a smile before turning and heading out the door.
Renlar sat at the edge of a nearby well. Vacinne wondered how she’d explain why it took her thirty minutes to get out of the house. He never asked. He simply stood up and pulled his pack over his shoulder and onto his back.
Renlar pointed north. “Trader’s Haven is only a few miles from here. Drenamere is just another four miles beyond that. With a steady pace, we could easily be there in under two hours.”
Vacinne adjusted the strapping of her belt to make sure her sheathed sword hung properly from her hip. Then she hooked her shield onto her back, right over her pack. The clever, yet simple design allowed it to rest there and still be retrieved quickly should the need arise.
She turned to Renlar and said, “To Drenamere.”
The two traveled out of Braegen’s Hold. The town would have never caught her attention before, but after a night in the little makeshift town, she realized that it would probably always hold a special place in her heart. The people were not refined, they were not educated, and they certainly would be considered poor by any standard she’d known. But there was more to this town and to the few families that lived there than any of those other things could account for. She looked over her shoulder as she said goodbye to the town.
I hope to see you again, Braegen’s Hold, and to you, Ms. Ma’ella, and you, Danel, and to you, Turmin, to all of you.
Renlar’s smooth voice woke her from her silent reverie. “They are good people. It’s up to us keep them safe. Let’s find this damned demon and kill it.”
Vacinne nodded. That is exactly what she intended to do.
“Renlar,” she said, “I know the demons enter our world through the rifts, but I still don’t understand any of it.”
He shot her a questioning look. “What do they actually teach you in Rift Warden school?”
Vacinne’s face reddened with embarrassment. “Clearly not enough.”
“I’m sorry,” conceded Renlar. “It’s just hard for me to understand the Wardens.”
Vacinne asked, “Why do you hate us so?”
Renlar scoffed before throwing a stone he’d apparently been carrying since the Light knows when.
“As a child, I dreamed of nothing more than being a Warden. It didn’t work out for me, and I’m the better for it,” replied Renlar.
Vacinne said, “Bu
t you didn’t answer my question.”
A hard edge set in his voice. “If you want to know about rifts, fine, but this conversation is over.”
“But—”
“It’s over,” he snapped.
His words were harsh and abrupt, and Vacinne wasn’t ready for them. She’d felt that they’d made some progress between the two of them, but it felt like she was right back where they started.
Renlar’s words interrupted her silent thoughts. “The mortal realm that we exist in is sandwiched between the realms of Heaven and Hell. The walls between the worlds can be opened under certain conditions. While it is a supernatural phenomenon, we have discovered that powerful angels and demons alike carry within themselves powerful runestones, called Immortal Hearts. They may have some other names as well, but that’s not important. What’s important to understand is that they do exist.”
Vacinne asked, “So not all angels and demons have them?”
“I’ve gutted a demon or twenty, and it’s safe to say I’ve never found one.”
“Why would you want one?”
Renlar replied flatly, “Money. They are incredibly rare. Surely there are those with the interest and means to afford to add such curiosities to their collections. Anyways, I’ve never found one myself, but they do exist. The larger, more powerful demons and angels are the ones said to have them. Those runestones—Immortal Hearts—are what allow the rifts to be opened.”
“How does it work?” asked Vacinne.
“I don’t know for sure. What is known is that when a rift is opened, a tremendous amount of energy is released. Despite everything that you’ve been taught by the Wardens, it is the release of that volatile energy that changes us. That is what makes us riftborn. Whether it be a demon or an angel is irrelevant.”
Vacinne shook her head. It wasn’t necessarily that she thought Renlar was full of crap, but it just went against everything that she’d been taught her entire life, even before she became a Warden. It was just understood that their powers were gifted to them by fate.
Renlar continued, “Well, you may not like it, but that is what has been discovered over many, many years. And I can prove it.”
Her eyes widened and she looked at him in an uneasy mixture of excitement and alarm. “How can you prove anything?”
Renlar replied, “The Wardens only take in Lightborn, right?”
“Of course. They’re not going to bring in someone with the taint of demonic power.”
“Riiiight,” said Renlar before rolling his eyes. “Let me guess, you got your awakening on the fifth month of your sixteenth year.”
Vacinne, clearly unimpressed laughed. “Lucky guess. That’s no proof. You can guess at my age and you know I was awakened in my teens. It’s not hard to make an educated guess as to the general time frame.”
Renlar’s grin only widened though. “You are completely correct, which only helps make my next point even clearer. So, you’ve been a Lightborn for five years then, but when was the last time a Heaven Rift was opened? When was the last time an angel was seen in this part of the world? Hmm?”
Vacinne grew silent.
“Vacinne, the logic is pretty straightforward and simple from here on out. If no Heaven Rifts have been opened, and no angels have been seen, how in the Light’s name could you be a Lightborn? If that is even such a thing.”
Vacinne said nothing. Her mind raced about. He was right. The logic was simple and straightforward, but it gave her a lot to consider. If what he said was right, it would change everything.
No, there’s got to be some logical—
“No, there is no other logical explanation Vacinne. You were lied to. I was lied to. We all were. Lightborn and Hellborn sound ominous and can be used to inspire confidence or fear, but they are just words. Untrue words,” replied Renlar as he read her thoughts.
“Then what, who am I?” she asked.
Renlar stopped walking for a moment and he turned to her. “What are you? You’re an incredibly gifted Riftborn. But as for who? That’s for you to figure out.”
Renlar turned away from her and continued walking. Vacinne’s mind was flooded with hundreds of questions and dozens of implications that arose from the answers to those questions. She questioned her family, her acceptance into the Rift Wardens, and all of her training at the Kothari Temple.
It can’t be, she thought. But he’s right. How could it be anything other than just as he said? Dammit!
“Renlar, this changes everything!”
“It changes nothing,” he said, brushing her comment aside.
“What?” her expression was incredulous. “How can you say that. You just proved to me that everything I’ve been taught about our giftings is wrong. How does that not change everything?”
Renlar’s tone carried a dangerous edge once more, “Because it doesn’t change how the rest of the world sees us. Most of the civilized world sees you as a Lightborn and me as Hellborn. It’s that simple, and until the world learns that it’s all a lie, nothing will change.”
Vacinne was quiet as she contemplated what he said. “Well, if change is required, let the change begin here, with us.”
Renlar chuckled. He went to say something, but then he bit his tongue.
“What? Say what you’ve got to say,” said Vacinne.
Renlar shook his head, “No.”
“Why?”
“Even I, on rare occasion, have enough foresight and wisdom to know when what I’m about to say is wrong,” replied Renlar with a smile. “And I’ll not let you be the only adult here.”
Vacinne laughed.
Time passed quickly and before they knew it, they were closing in on the ramshackle slums of Trader’s Haven. The town was made primarily of wooden structures, some of them towering as much as two or three stories. It was a very crowded and rough looking place, and yet it still bustled with all kinds of activity. Women hung clothing on lines, children chased one another on the city’s outskirts, and men peddled wares along South Road which passed right through the heart of it all.
“This place is a dump,” remarked Vacinne.
“You think this is bad, wait till you meet some of the folks that call this place home. There are some shady characters in these parts, some of the worst in our entire region. A lot of those folks just pass through, but it’s not a place you want to visit, unless you’re looking for unsavory folks.”
“Sounds like you’ve made your fair number of trips through here.”
“In my line of work, it’s not uncommon to need information that can be found in places like this. But it’s always best to keep your purse hidden and your blade ready,” warned Renlar.
Vacinne took his warning to heart, and her hand rested easily upon the pommel of her sheathed sword. She hoped that they’d just pass through this little place without any trouble or any delays. She also sped up her pace enough to make sure that she was shoulder to shoulder with her hired sword. Renlar might not always be the best company, but he’d proven to be quite handy to have around in sticky situations.
Shouting children raced past them in a fun-filled game of tag. Vacinne watched a little dirt-faced, red haired boy doggedly chase after his friends, which were all clearly a bit older than him. His tattered and stained clothes barely covered his body and threatened to fall off if he ran any faster.
Her heart was filled with compassion as she watched these poor, filthy children play. Their faces, all their faces, were filthy covered with dirt and soot. Their clothes were either too small, too dirty, or they were falling apart at the seams. And the children were scrawny. Bony little arms flapped about as they ran. These poor innocent children probably hadn’t had a bath or a clean pair of clothes in weeks, and they were borderline starving.
“This is awful, these poor children!” she said. “They can’t all really live like this do they?”
Renlar nodded.
“We’ve got to do something,” she added. “They don’t deserve this.”
&nb
sp; The running children turned and ran back past her, several of the older ones darting between her and Renlar as they fled their pursuer. The determined red-head, who couldn’t have been much older than six or seven, turned and sprinted after his playmates as they mocked him loudly. He tried to dart between the two of them, like the others did. He didn’t leap cleanly and he collided with Vacinne, hitting her in the side. The impact partially spun him, and he landed with tangled feet. He tried to get his feet under him, but he tripped and fell down on the street. He tumbled a couple feet before he stopped. His friends all stopped running, and naturally pointed and laughed at the little guy.
Vacinne gasped and turned to see if the little boy was okay.
He snapped back toward her, his bright green eyes meeting hers. “You stupid heifer, keep your fat chuff out my way!”
Vacinne’s eyes grew wide and her jaw fell open. “That little bastard! Where are his parents?”
Renlar laughed, “This is a whole different breed out here. It’s best we keep moving.”
She protested, “Did you hear what he said to me?”
Renlar placed his hand on her back, guiding her forward. “If he were our child, he’d have only spoken to you that way once.”
Our child? Never.
Renlar changed the subject, “I’d like to spend as little time in this hellhole as possible, but we will have to gather some information before we make our way to Drenamere just to make sure we are still on the right trail.”
“Where else could they have gone?”
Renlar said, “Lots of unsavory folks from all over Durghast have found this nasty little hovel. Because good folks don’t want to come here, it’s a great place to hide from the law, while... enjoying certain indulgences.”
“Why here though?”
“Well it’s kind of this hidden little place. I mean, everyone knows about it, but it’s not easy to get to. With mountains all around, you either came through the tunnel as we tried, or you’re taking South Road out of Drenamere. With Esboralis being naught but ruins, only dangerous folks travel that way, and a lot of other races just aren’t that fond of dwarves. So, it just sits here quite isolated,” explained Renlar.