by Bryant Reil
“Jail? Me? Never. Well, just that one time, if you don’t count last month. Just an over-nighter. Follow me.”
The crowds thinned as they moved away from the markets, and Faron seemed deliberate in his choice of poorly inhabited streets. From atop the pyramid the city had looked lovely, but now the stench and piles of garbage and refuse lining the streets revealed a less pleasant aspect of the town. The heat and humidity did nothing to help, with brown juices running from piles of waste along the edges of the streets.
“This place smells like a sack of rotting crab-apples.” Kyla gagged from behind her shirt, which she had pulled up over her mouth and nose.
Faron shrugged and tossed the pit of his fruit into one of the piles. “You get used to it. I’m not taking you through the nicest part of town. This is a short-cut. Hi, Loni!” Faron waved at another curupira who was dumping a bin of garbage out a window. Loni had the same bright hair and eyes as Faron. Kyla spotted a couple others around a corner. Same hair and eyes. Must be a pain to tell each other apart.
They came to a canal that flowed between steep stone walls. She peered down to watch the murky water flow below. Unidentifiable clumps floated past. Not a place she’d care to go swimming.
A wide stone bridge was the only visible way across, and Faron led them to it. The portion of the city across the canal looked wealthier than the side they were on. And greener. And cleaner. The buildings were made of the same stone, but the doors and window sills were painted and many of the homes had colorful curtains. Trees and other plants marked the center of the roads, all trimmed and weeded. The people were nicely dressed, mostly in bright colors. There were more of the serpentine folk here, as a percentage. Few of the cat-folk, and Kyla saw no curupira.
A booming voice made Kyla jump. “And where do you folks live?”
A muscular man with bronze skin and teeth of iron stood at the foot of the bridge. He wore a thin black toga trimmed in white, which bore badges and a deep blue sash. He held a long pike with its butt planted on the ground.
Kyla approached and offered her wrist, but he didn’t receive it. She knew by now that the Elvish manner of greeting was not universal, and casually dropped her arm back to her side. “We’re going to Anima Point. I hope that’s okay.”
The man forced a smile. “I wasn’t referring to you, my lady.”
Kyla blushed at the ‘my lady’ reference.
The man pointed his pike at Faron. “This hooligan isn’t supposed to be in this part of town.”
Faron smiled and gave a dismissive wave. “Just passing through, Officer.”
“Last time you passed through, I’m told you made off with one of the magistrate’s rings!”
Faron pursed his lips and thought. “No, that doesn’t sound familiar. Truth to tell, I’m new to town.”
“Faron,” Kyla scolded, “you really are a charlatan, aren’t you?”
“Me? Of course not! I work for my keep, nowadays. Sure, I had a rough past, but we can’t all be born on this side of the bridge! Some of us had to eke our way through childhood and fight for scraps! That led to a few poor choices, but I’m an honest guide, now.”
Kyla squinted and leaned in so her nose was only an inch away from Faron’s. “You were born on the other side of the bridge? But you just said you’re new to town! I don’t want some crook leading me willy-nilly into the jungle. Give me my money back.”
Kyla held her hand out, and the officer laughed. Faron stepped back and put his hands up defensively. “Okay, wait, full disclosure. Truth be told, I come from the jungle. I wasn’t born here, but now I live in the so-called Hive. These officers call everyone over there a criminal, just for breathing! I wouldn’t do you wrong, miss. I’ll get you to Anima Point.”
The officer stooped and put his mouth by Kyla’s ear. “You want me to take him in before he steals the shoes off your feet?”
“No,” Kyla sighed. “I mean, I doubt he could actually harm anyone.”
“Hey!” Faron objected. “I’ve been in a dozen street fights and came pretty close to winning two of them.” He paused. “I mean, I stayed conscious.”
The officer stood tall and glared at Faron. “I’ll be watching for your return.” He put a hand on Kyla’s shoulder. “If he does you any harm, let me know. I’ve been looking for a reason to lock him up. Might even be able to work out a reward for you.”
Faron bowed. “You’ll never find a grain of dirt on me. Honest and true, is what I am. Come, let’s get moving. You wanted me to get you there in three days. We need to hurry.”
“A reward, huh?” Kyla pressed a finger to her lips. “If he doesn’t do a good job, I’m sure I can find something you can throw him in jail for. Though I might just feed him to Castor.” She pointed a thumb at the tiger.
The guard shrugged. “Either way, I’ll see that you get paid.”
Kyla sat with one arm wrapped around her knees, which were tucked to her chest, and her other waving off mosquitos. It was the third night in the jungle, and she had barely slept. She had to sleep with her head tucked into a spare shirt, and her arms in the legs of her extra pants, and still they got in. And if it wasn’t mosquitoes keeping her awake, it was the terrifying cackles and shrieks from the jungle, which were louder at night. And the night prior, Kyla had awakened with a giant centipede scrambling up her leg. Now she twitched whenever something brushed against her.
Poor Aspen had it worse. She claimed the trees here were angry and hostile. They wouldn’t let the dryad meld with them, and so she wasn’t getting her proper nutrients. And they hadn’t come across a river to find any fish, which was the only food Aspen would eat.
“How much farther is it?” Kyla groaned at Faron, who was casting his eyes along the perimeter of the firelight.
“Oh. Sorry, I wasn’t looking for it.”
“Looking for what? You didn’t even hear what I said.”
“Yeah, sure I did.”
“Well, then, you answered it wrong. How far is Anima Point?”
“Oh, we’ll get there tomorrow afternoon.”
“You look nervous. Is there something out there?”
“In the jungle? Oh, not really. Animals. Snakes. Trees. That sort of thing.”
“Well, you’re driving me crazy looking around all nervous. Cut it out.”
“Just need to be watchful in the jungle. Things can creep up at you.”
Kyla sighed. “Yeah. Wonderful place, isn’t it?” She opened her bag and pulled out some dried elk meat and a bag of carrots. She was going through her food more quickly than expected, though she ate more from anxiety than hunger. The jungle was too dangerous to wander off on her own, and she had no idea what was safe to eat around here. Faron said even the frogs were poisonous. With no foraging to be done, she had nothing to do but sit by the fire and daydream about sleeping.
“Hey Aspen. Aspen! Are you there?” Kyla hoped a nice chat might keep her mind off the troubles of the night.
“Yes,” Aspen’s voice squeaked from the shadows.
“What’s wrong?”
“There’s someone in the branches of the trees.”
“Who?”
An arrow thudded into the ground at Kyla’s feet. She yelped and rolled away from it.
Faron stood and smiled. “Ah! It’s about time!”
Chapter Eleven
Unwelcome Company
Carmin breathed in the scent of the ocean. She had a single memory of being at the coast with Marik, having a picnic. He had brought some Liafin, a honey-wine he had claimed to make himself, though she recalled doubting it even then. They had eaten goat cheese sprinkled with herbs, and Visali, and strange red seeds from a tasty but unfamiliar fruit. He had been smiles and laughter then. That was all Carmin remembered of him: happiness and joy and laughing.
“Did we ever fight? Argue, I mean?” She interrupted him during a story to which she had not been listening.
He paused. “No, not really. We disagreed on what to eat for dinner quite a bit
. My fault, I suppose, as I can be fussy.”
Hajar walked several paces behind, her head down and hands clutching the skirts of her dress. Odd wear, for such a journey.
“Come on!” Carmin waved. “Walk with us.”
Hajar looked uncertain, but Carmin beckoned again. Hajar smiled and trotted forward, stepping between Carmin and Marik, who scowled.
“Have you been to the sea before?” Carmin asked, to keep the conversation light.
Hajar shook her head. “Never. We xana live near the mountains, where the water is fresh. I have heard the oceans and seas are filled with salt and other impurities, and that the scent is frightful.”
Marik snorted. “Then why did you come?”
Carmin gently pressed the back of her hand against Marik’s chest. “Hush, love. That is the aroma of the sea. Fresh, and brisk. You don’t like it?”
“No.” Hajar wrinkled her nose. “I used to manage a pond in the woods, before Mokosh tricked me away. It was clear and clean. I imagine it is frothing with scum, now that I’ve been gone so long.”
“Perhaps you could find it again, and clean it up,” Marik suggested.
Hajar’s eyes looked briefly panicked. “I do not wish to go alone. And Carmin’s magic is soothing.”
Carmin raised an eyebrow. “Magic?”
“It swirls about you, like Kyla’s ring, though a different color. Her ring has a purple aura. Yours is yellow, and bright like the sun. Both are ancient. They follow the same pattern.”
“What does it do?”
“I don’t know. I’m not a wizard.”
Marik sighed. “She was returned from the dead. It is probably Sophrosyne’s magic.”
“I don’t know. Perhaps. I have never met anyone risen from the dead. To be honest, I didn’t know it was possible. Now I fear Mokosh might return. Of course, if he does come back, his head and his body have become separated.”
Carmin wondered what this Mokosh might have done to Hajar. He did seem to be the cause of some emotional damage. “I have never met anyone who could see magic. Not that I remember, at least. What other magic do you see?”
“None, here, but I have magic of my own. It only comes out when I sing, in swirls of green and white. Would you like to hear?”
“That would be wonderful!”
Hajar began with a low note, which slowly rose in pitch and volume and broke suddenly into a melody that seemed to freeze the world in place. The words were unfamiliar, but the sound penetrating and sweet. Nature itself, the trees and grass, though soundless seemed to respond with an energy that made the air pulse and tingle. It was music to be both heard and felt, and Carmin’s heart flowed with peace and joy. She stopped, her body wishing to bask in the soothing melody, but a pull at her hand kept her walking. She looked at Marik with a newfound affection. Not only for him, but everyone. She wanted only to love, to seek the best in others, to find ways to make them feel as wonderful as she felt right now.
With all this beauty, and joy, and peace surrounding them, Carmin was startled at Marik’s face twisting in pain.
“Stop it!” he shrieked. He took a moment to calm himself. “Maybe you should find a different hobby.”
Carmin worried the poor girl was offended, but her expression was more of fear. She snapped her mouth shut and backed away. As they continued walking in silence, Hajar once again fell behind, though Carmin noticed she kept her eyes planted on the back of Marik’s head.
***
A quick scan told Aspen no one was hurt. Kyla, who had fallen onto her back, scrambled behind the log on which she had been sitting. Eunoe was quick to move behind a tree, dragging Castor into the foliage, though the tiger was growling.
Only Faron didn’t move. Rather, he smiled and waved into the darkness. Aspen had liked the little fellow, but it was now clear he was a trickster and a traitor. She wondered if, perhaps, her instincts about people weren’t as reliable as she had always thought?
A voice dropped from overhead, in the shadows of the canopy. “Stay where you are.”
“It’s me! Faron! Is that Ceiba? You know me. Brought you some marks! They don’t have much gear, but the elf has a bag of gold.”
Kyla poked her head up and chucked the sack of gold at Faron. “Take it, you lousy sack of crab-apples!”
Aspen shook her head. Elvish insults lacked the sting of those hurled by orcs and demons.
A figure dropped to the ground, a fall that would have crippled most, yet he planted firmly as he landed, his long white hair flipping as he spun his head to move it from his eyes. His limbs were lanky, and his skin rough like bark. Aspen could feel his connection to the trees, though he was no dryad. It was not a connection of love and empathy, but one of dominance and fear.
“What are you?” The words slipped out and her heart skipped as his eyes darted to meet hers.
“Hello, fair dryad. You have not seen my kind before?”
Aspen shook her head.
“I have never seen a dryad so far from her tree. You are tied to this one.” He gestured at Eunoe with his chin.
Two figures emerged from the shadows with bows drawn. The man with the white hair raised a hand and they lowered them.
“I am an ada. I am tied to nothing.”
“You are the one hurting the trees. They won’t survive if you don’t take better care of them.”
His grim smile bared straight but yellow teeth. “Nor will you, for long.”
The ada motioned with his hand and several more figures stepped from the shadows, encircling the camp, including two behind her.
“Hand it over,” the ada said, looking at Faron and pointing at the sack of gold on the ground. “I’ll take it from here.”
Faron handed the ada the sack. Denzig wouldn’t fault them for being robbed, surely, but Aspen couldn’t help but try and think of ways to make it up to him.
The ada looked at Faron’s own purse: a small rawhide bag tied around his waist. “All of it.”
Faron’s mouth fell open. “What?” he gasped. “I brought you a whole bunch of people! Some beautiful women! Let me keep my pay, at least!”
“I never asked you to do this for me.”
“But…but I thought—"
“Whatever lonely thought has been rotting in your skull should have killed itself. Now hand it over, unless you’d rather feed Ori.”
“Ori?”
“Yes, Ori.” Ceiba gestured to a figure in the shadows, who took a few steps toward the cowering curupira. Aspen had never seen his kind before, but he had gray skin and a wide grin lined with rows of sharp teeth.
Ceiba walked around Faron, whose eyes bounced between the ada and the toothy Ori. “Curupira is his favorite meat. And he’s such a good hunter, he’s nearly cleared the region of them.”
Faron’s legs were shaking and his lips trembled. “Never heard of him.”
“Of course not,” Ceiba grinned. “No one’s ever gotten away.”
Faron dipped his fingers into his coin purse and withdrew the gold Kyla had given him earlier. “I thought you wanted more people in your gang. You could use someone like me.” He dropped the coins into the ada’s hand.
“More people is more mouths to feed. My gift to you is your life. Now run, before I re-gift it to Ori.”
Faron, his eyes wide and jaw still hanging, looked about to flee when Eunoe laughed in an unfamiliar chortle. Her stance as she stepped out from behind her tree was that of Aias.
Ceiba strode toward her with his arms behind his back. “You find this amusing now. We’ll see how you laugh when we insert marabunta in your eyes and under your skin.” His grin cracked his face. “Those are ants, if you don’t know.”
Eunoe shrugged. “Abis antolo va hasrem.” There was a familiar cocking noise, a sound that Aspen hated and made her stomach twist, and Eunoe’s hand pulled a gun from her waist and pressed it to Ceiba’s temple.
Aspen yelped and covered her mouth. “You brought a gun?”
“Gavam sleo ek hylam mar
.” Aias was in control, and Aspen felt Eunoe receding into the background.
Ceiba appeared more amused than afraid. “What’s this? You expect me to be afraid of this?”
Eunoe spoke between clenched teeth. “Amalsin eks-ka dae solem.” She swung the gun toward a pod growing from a nearby tree and pulled the trigger. Aspen covered her ears as the pod exploded into pellets and fibers that clattered against neighboring trees. The sudden noise caused a mild panic among Ceiba’s bandits as well, some of whom began to run until they looked back to see Ceiba standing his ground.
Faron, cringing, stepped forward for a look. “It’s a human weapon. A gam? No. Gun.”
“Quiet. I know what a gun is.” Ceiba gestured at the trees, and sure enough Aspen noted one of the surrounding figures was a naked human male with a bow pointed at Kyla. “He has a gun in his village, but I don’t care for it. I prefer the silence of a bow. A gun tends to give away your position.” He raised an arm to grab Eunoe’s wrist.
“Ot!” Eunoe shouted.
Ceiba put up his hands and took a small step backward. “I don’t understand your language. I’m not sure if you understand mine. However, if you fire that thing off again, your friends here will die.” He gestured to his men. “You won’t get more than one shot before you’re all dead, so make it count.”
Aspen sensed a struggle in Eunoe as she fought Aias over control of her body. Eunoe won and lowered the gun. Ceiba gestured to the human to take it from her.
“Very well. I see no reason to harm you or your friends, if you don’t cause any more trouble. This one, of course, has no value.” Ceiba pointed at Faron, whose eyes widened as an arrow whistled from the trees and planted itself in his chest. His hands clutched around the arrow’s shaft as his legs buckled and he dropped to the ground. The archer – some sort of wolf-man – dropped from a tree branch and drew another arrow.
“Oh, that was a cheap shot,” the curupira groaned. “Why?”
Ceiba didn’t change expression. “That’s gotta sting.”
Aspen rushed to Faron’s side and knelt over him. She wasn’t sure what to do but grabbed the arrow with both hands and prepared to yank it out.
