The Ryle of Zentule

by Michael Green

  They were almost ten feet off the ground, peeking over the sides of the cart.

  “You don’t think he’ll try to sell us off somewhere, do you?” Emma asked.

  They shared a tense silence before Dean shook his head. “He just lost his escorts, and we witnessed it. He genuinely needs us.”

  “If he plans to arm us, we can rest assured that he will honor the agreement. We’ll need to be on guard, until then,” Letty reasoned.

  “My Lady?” A small voice queried.

  Letty nearly leaped out of the cart. It was Fidelio. The mouse was abashed, tugging on a whisker.

  “Yes—oh, God, what about the mice?” Letty asked.

  “Yes, indeed. I already spoke to Ahmet,” Fidelio said sadly, “and he considers us too great a security risk, as there are few mice further sur, and never a large force like ours.”

  “But we might need you in Degoskirke,” Letty said.

  “And what if we need to fight off raiders or something worse? The mice could be handy in a pinch,” Quill added.

  “More than handy, sir,” Fidelio replied, “But as it happens, we have a plan.”

  “Oh?” Letty asked.

  “Indeed. Since we will be a hindrance on the road, I have considered how we might be of use instead. After deliberation with my lieutenants, we have decided to found a new settlement in conjunction with the goblins here at Steustace. We are close to our lands, and we know that others would abandon the Vychy if word got out that Seers walk the scape again. We also know that many of our older brothers, the mice from Sentinel’s Watch, are nomads now. If we could get a message to them, they might join our new endeavor.”

  “Well considered, Fidelio, but what did the mayor say? Will he welcome mouse neighbors?” Quill asked.

  Fidelio nodded. “I have a mouse working out a contract with him now. We would receive pay, like the mercenaries, for defending the town. They don’t know that sphinxes and mice have a long history, and that keeping the town safe won’t be an issue. We learned the goblins are lax watchmen; they simply failed to close the gate when she approached.”

  “What if the Vychy get word of what you’re doing here? Won’t they come and attack?” Staza asked.

  “It is likely, but they won’t know what to do with walls this size,” Fidelio gestured at the wooden palisade around the city. “And any small, mouse sized, access ways through the walls will be sniffed out and filled or guarded on our first day. I can promise you that,” Fidelio closed with a flourish.

  “Combined arms,” Quill responded. “It sounds like they have given it thought. They will be doing their people good if their plan succeeds.”

  “Indeed, we can only hope that our old brothers can forgive us. They may never allow a former Vychy into the Occidentus Obscura, but at least the order will have a place to put down roots again.” Fidelio concluded, looking down, as if ashamed.

  “I’m sure the others will accept you, especially if they see your commitment. We wish you the best of luck, and we’ll be back to check in on you as soon as we can,” Letty said, patting Fidelio on the head.

  “Thank you, my Lady, for your kind words, and for helping to give us a new start. If it weren’t for you, we’d still be on patrol in that traitor’s land.” Fidelio was about to leave before he stopped short, “There is one other detail. I didn’t want to bother you with it, but we captured a prisoner a few hours ago. He is one of our kind, so I felt it unnecessary to raise the issue, but he is from Degoskirke by birth, and claims to have met your ally, the boy Andy.”

  “What!” Letty cried. “Where is he?”

  “Andy, or the mouse?” Fidelio shrunk under the noise.

  “Andy!”

  “He doesn’t know, but I’ll bring him to you,” Fidelio rushed off, his ears flattened.

  “Off we go!” Ahmet called out, grateful to be leaving.

  Letty popped her head out of the cart and said, “Just a minute please, we still have business.”

  “Absolutely not,” Ahmet answered with a smile, as his daughter raced up to one of the moving carts and hopped on.

  Fidelio reappeared on the grass near the cart, he was running alongside a blue mouse, who appeared angry at first glance.

  “Come on!” Letty called out to them.

  The mice leaped aboard, and Fidelio helped the other, who was less mobile, due to his chains.

  “Here he is, my Lady,” Fidelio said, leading the other mouse by his chains.

  “Hands off, traitor!” The blue mouse spat, pulling away.

  “He is a handful, as you can see. Should I leave him with you or have him executed for spying?”

  “For God’s sake, leave him with us—but take those chains off, please,” Letty implored.

  “As you wish.” Fidelio freed the blue mouse. “Fate will argue in your favor, young surfacers and Caspians, I see it in the sky.” Fidelio bowed deeply.

  “Fate and argument, very cute,” the blue mouse sneered.

  Fidelio ignored the jab, came out of his low bow, and leaped over the side of the cart. Letty looked over and saw him rejoin his mice.

  “Fool’s venture, founding a new town without me. I have more experience with goblins than any mouse alive. And that Fidelio, unfortunate choice for a leader too, all pomp and no circumspection,” the blue mouse said harshly.

  I’m seeing why Fidelio dumped him on us, but I better be polite.

  “Hi, I’m Letty, and this is Emma, Dean, Staza, and Quill. We’re all friends of Andy’s. We’ve heard that you have met him. Is that true?” Letty asked.

  “Met him! I taught him everything he knows—well, Clang and Martin helped, a bit. The boy was a fool when he fell in with the teeth, but he’s a damned killing machine now. He butchered a ryle lord in his own fortress, with some good calls from myself, of course.”

  The humans shared a sidelong glance.

  “Name’s Blue, former executive officer of the Broken Teeth: mercenaries and fixers extraordinary. We were recently contracted by your Mistress,” he gestured to the Caspians before continuing, “It’s been a while since I’ve seen the Teeth; could be anything has happened by now.”

  “So, when did you see Andy?” Letty asked.

  “We were together for the assault on the Nicomedian Ossuary,” he paused at the blank looks on everyone’s face. “It’s an important Juncture between the surface and the Netherscape. I had been working on cracking a back-way into the fortress for weeks, before the lad came along. With a bit of the silversight, he figured the last, and tiniest, piece of the puzzle. We stormed the place, took out the occupiers, and then watched Andy leave with Pythia, deeper into the fortress.”

  I wonder what happened to him there.

  “Andy returned alone. We managed to get him past the other goblins, who weren’t with the Teeth. They had standing orders to hold Andy if they saw him. That’s Pythia for you. We got past her loyalists and had Andy through a portal to Caspia. He was off to meet—” Blue paused and pointed questioningly at Letty. “Are you the one?”

  Letty nodded, her face stern, yet slightly red.

  “Hmm,” Blue grumbled, staring her way. “Well, not long after, Pythia returned from the Juncture, quite furious. One of the unaffiliated goblins found out what had happened and let loose that we helped Andy get away. Of course, we lost our contract. Though I expect she was even angrier to find a few of her pets missing,” he looked over at Quill and Staza.

  “You’re lucky she didn’t cast you all into the sea,” Staza said snidely.

  Blue only nodded before continuing, “We signed on with a schooner that works the lanes between Degoskirke and the Yyonvere tributary. Martin and Clang, de-facto leaders of the Teeth, deiced to send me on a mission to mouse territory—which I’ve never seen before in my life by the way—I’m born and raised in the free city. They wanted me to find Andy.” He scoffed before continuing, “I managed to find a human trail outside the ruin of Sentinel’s watch, and following it led me to your unsavory rear-guar
d. It’s for the best that we’re leaving them behind; those Vychy types have traitorousness in their blood.”

  “Wait, back up for a moment—how can we trust that you worked for our Mistress?” Quill asked.

  “There’s enough you don’t know about your Mistress to fill a library, lad. She has deals going on every side imaginable, cross-scape, even on the surface, and has for centuries uncounted.”

  “Let’s just stick to the facts, please,” Staza said, annoyed.

  Blue considered her with a cruel look. “You’re just her little lapdog, aren’t you? She must really mold her students with care to make them so obedient—”

  “Watch your tongue, mouse,” Quill interrupted, “or I’ll throw you so high, you’ll wake up embedded in the ceiling.”

  Blue was about to rise to the insult, but Letty stepped in first, “Peace, please! We can’t start fighting, there is too much at stake. Let’s just agree to be courteous. Can we do that?” She looked to the two offended parties.

  Quill narrowed his eyes, and so did Blue.

  “Well,” Blue spoke, taking another tack, “we delivered you the lad and you lost him. Anyone care to explain that?”

  There was a long pause. Letty looked around, but no one met her eye.

  “Yeah, Letty, what exactly did happen?” Dean asked.

  Letty shook her head. “We almost got away, but Ziesqe was ready for us, and had an ambush waiting at the circle of portals.”

  “Andy fought them off with the Argument before he was captured. He bought time for us to escape. If he hadn’t, none of us would be here now,” Staza finished.

  “Sacrificing one to save many,” Blue muttered.

  “We need to go over our plan,” Letty insisted. “New information has come up and we need to discuss it.”

  “One second,” Dean interrupted. He looked pale, and then stuck his head over the side and threw up.

  “Really?” Staza asked in a demeaning way.

  Quill and Blue abandoned their posturing to snicker at Dean.

  “We’ve only been moving for a few minutes; we have days to go yet,” Quill said to Dean’s back.

  Dean raised an index finger, calling for them to wait, and heaved again.

  Even Ahmet was laughing.

  “That’s it, just shut up all of you!” Emma yelled, her face contorted in rage.

  The bullying ceased, and they remained quiet until Dean returned. Staza passed him a canteen full of water and he took a few sips.

  “Sorry about that. Let’s get back to the plan: escort duty with the trader and then Degoskirke to hunt down Andy,” Dean croaked, trying to reset the conversation.

  “You know that he’s in Degoskirke?” Blue asked.

  “We know he’s with Ziesqe, and we know Ziesqe is probably keeping him in one of his palaces. We learned where those are, to a degree, and the plan is to use Degoskirke as a base to search out those palaces, and question anyone who might work for Ziesqe,” Letty replied.

  “Well, that is a plan,” Blue said, tugging the whiskers on one side of his face.

  Is he being sarcastic?

  “It has good and bad points.” Blue continued, “The good: You are with an Elazene chief, whether you know it or not, and they have ways across the Nomarky. Also good: You have me, and I know Degoskirke. The bad: Your eyes are still colored, that means enslavement out here, and likely death in the city. You also don’t know where your target is, but Degoskirke is the proper place to start; there are portals and means of travel to almost everywhere in the reachable scapes, but they are quite expensive. I hope you have something worth trading in these bags.”

  “What exactly is the Nomarky? And who is the Elazene chief? Do you mean Ahmet?” Letty asked.

  Blue laughed. “All that surface ignorance. What good are your automats and victrolas now, when you know so little?”

  Automats? Victrolas?

  Blue had expected a laugh from the Caspians as fellow Netherscapers. There was only silence.

  Blue huffed before moving on, “The Nomarky covers the bulk of the land in the central portion of Pansubprimus. Pansubprimus, also known as the part of the Netherscape we’re in right now—we’re clear on that much, right?”

  There was another protracted silence.

  He knows too much. I can’t just kick him out. We’ll have to get used to his bad attitude.

  “Well, the Nomarky consists of over one thousand domains, each commanded by a fortress or fortified settlement. The ryle have been warring against each other for this land since the shattering. Ancient human clans still live on and work the land, yet they do so beneath an ever-shifting series of ryle warlords. These clans are the Elazene. They are technically outlawed, but, since they add more to the value of the land than any other tenant, the ryle warlords have come to accept them. The concession being—can anyone guess?”

  “The Elazene have to wear brutox plate armor,” Dean said, unsure.

  “Well guessed, sick boy. Yes, the chitin armor is now the human uniform in the Nomarky. I expect the caravaneer remarked at your being unclothed, or some nonsense, when first he saw you.”

  They nodded.

  “The only problem with this charade lies in the capitol of ryle-controlled Pansubprimus, the city of Yyonvere. It is ruled by an abort-ascend ryle who has set up her own cult in recent decades. The failed ryle who couldn’t secure a fiefdom or domain in any part of the scape or the surface have always had little to do but live as mercenaries. The ruler of Yyonvere,” he bowed and flourished with his hands sarcastically, “her highness Supthoi, offered them a chance for riches and glory. They have only to hunt the Nomarky for the local Elazene. This makes it difficult for us,” Blue concluded.

  Hearing this unnerved them. Letty felt that the comfortable hull of the large cart wasn’t as safe as it had felt moments ago. She peeked over the top and looked out onto the wooded hills. There was no sign of civilization, save the rutted path. The brutons lazily scraped up a mouthful of grass or a shaving of bark from nearby trees as they went.

  “Well, I’m glad we know what to look out for,” Staza said, also looking over the edge. “Local warlords will likely let us pass, but cultists from the capitol are a problem.”

  “He is very astute for something so small.” Everyone nearly jumped at Ahmet’s deep voice.

  “You won’t call me small after I claw out your eye, Elazene!” Blue growled, shaking a fist at the man, who had suddenly appeared, crouching, at the head of the cart.

  “Fiery, this one,” Ahmet replied. “But he is quite correct. We will fly local colors and present local papers to the Nomarks. May the Voice protect us from Supthoi’s cultists. Keep a sharp eye on the horizon for banners bearing a golden face with eyes of crescent moons and bursting suns. They are—” he stopped short, his eyes pinched in apparent pain. A moment later he stood and was gone.

  “He must have had a run in with them,” Emma said.

  Quill nodded. “That’s probably why he was so insistent on an escort.”

  “Speaking of Ahmet, do we know on what side of the Argument they rest? They are persecuted by the ryle, but does that mean we are allies? Ahmet knows what we are, but he hasn’t said much about it, unlike the mice,” Letty said.

  “Overly religious mice,” Blue rolled his eyes and sneered. “We do it best in Degoskirke, where faith is personal and we avoid the endless, cringe-inducing statements about the blood. I could never tolerate the O.O. and their sermonizing.”

  Staza raised a brow. “She asked about the Elazene, and they are a controversial topic. Pythia dislikes them. Our stance is to only do business with them, and no more.”

  “Why?” Letty asked, “What could Pythia have against them?”

  “They failed to join Caspian in his revolts against the ryle, even though it is suspected that they possess great wealth,” Quill answered.

  “They sound like merchants, more than crusaders,” Dean commented.

  Quill nodded. “Though they have risen in
occasional revolt, they are known for being cowards,” he muttered quietly.

  Blue made a disgusted face. “There’s a good pet, vomit up your master’s drivel.”

  Letty leaned in and glowered at him.

  Blue took a moment before going on, “Can you even imagine living out here? Hordes of rampaging ryle coming from every direction, some want to clothe you in the dead skin of insects and tax you for the privilege, while the others want to execute you for no other reason than your species being on the wrong side of a war lost centuries ago. I’d bet my tail that you couldn’t make a living out here like the Elazene do.”

  Quill’s fist tightened, but he listened.

  “Blue,” Letty said, hoping to calm the mouse, “would you take a look at this map? I found it at the sphinx’s library.”

  “Sphinx?” Blue muttered as Letty laid the map down on top of a chest for him to examine. “Hmm, it’s a very basic map of the sewers in central Degoskirke. No, wait. It isn’t the sewers at all.” Blue leaned in. “These tunnels are too few to be sewers for the whole city. Perhaps they are something else altogether. Cache? That’s interesting. I wonder if it’s still there. And there’s something here about a mouseport.”

  “Do you know what that is?” Letty asked.

  Blue shook his head before answering, “A way for mice to get in possibly, or maybe a security measure. If we ever make it that far I’ll try to sort it out.” Blue flipped the map over and read the old message on the other side. “You say that you took this from the library?”

  “Not exactly, it was stuck into a column outside.”

  Blue nodded, his eyes narrow. “Old mice tell stories. I heard once that the sphinxes guard written histories, artifacts, and other, more ethereal treasures. They supposedly devour interlopers.”

  “That last part is true; Aleta kept me from leaving with a manual on how to work with the Argument.”

  That satisfied Blue’s suspicion. “The mystery of this map aside, our plan is set. Are any of you decent fighters?”

  Quill and Staza were both confident as they raised their hands. Letty produced the Argument.