“Hannah and I are traveling to a few different farms, directed by Ezekiel to ask for help. There are about two hundred souls living in the abandoned tower. Well, I guess it’s now the once-abandoned tower. None of us expected it to go down the way that it did in the city streets, and there aren’t enough provisions for even twenty people to last there much longer. We’re just looking for whatever anyone can give. I overheard you talking to the Guards. I know they tax you, and that times must be tough. But without food, a lot of people are going to suffer.”
The old farmer rubbed his beard and nodded as he listened. He stood as soon as Maddie finished. “I guess while you were eavesdropping on my little chat with those Guards, you didn’t get a good look at where you were hiding.” He motioned for them to follow, and they walked back to the corner of the kitchen. Henry stepped through the wreckage of the secret door and pushed a candle inside. What Hannah saw blew her mind.
The reason their little hiding place was cramped was because it was filled with food. Rows and rows of salted meats. Large clay jars filled with what Hannah assumed was wheat.
“But... but…” Maddie stammered. “You told the Guards you didn’t have much food left.”
“You think I’d tell those—what did you call them, douche nuggets? —that I had all this? My parents were born during the Madness, darling. They always taught me to prepare for the worst, and to keep your shit well hidden. I think this should go a long way toward feeding your little army, eh?”
Maddie shook her head. “It’s too much, Henry. You have your granddaughters to feed. And what if Guards come back looking for more food?”
A hint of sadness played in Henry’s eyes, but nevertheless, he waved away Maddie’s concerns. “I should probably be there in the tower with you, fighting those damn bastards. They want to make the world a worse place. This is really the least I can do.”
Hannah pursed her lips and nodded. “It won’t be used in vain, Hank. I promise you that.”
Maddie chimed in. “We’ll use it to make Irth a better place for you and your granddaughters.”
Henry’s eyes grew glassy, and he pinched their inside edges with his thumb and forefinger in an attempt to hold back the tears. “Well, enough of this bullshit. What do you say we eat? And then we can figure out how to get all this food back to your tower. You don’t think your dragon-thing would mind if we hitched a wagon to it, do ya?”
Sal looked at them, and it seemed to Hannah like he was raising a non-existent eyebrow.
Hannah smiled. “I think that’s a splendid idea.”
****
Ezekiel took up the rear as Gregory and Laurel walked shoulder to shoulder on the narrow path leading back toward Arcadia. The previous day, Gregory had spent most of the time listening to her ask an overwhelming number of questions of the Founder. Half the time he got lost in watching her muscular figure walk the trail ahead of him.
Once, Laurel looked over her shoulder at him when his eyes happened to be trained on her rear. “Enjoying the view, Boy Genius?”
“Oh, no, I was… I mean, yes, but I…” Giving up, Gregory fell into a red-faced silence.
“I’m flattered,” she had said with a smile, dimples appearing in her cheeks. “In the Forest, we’re taught to appreciate natural beauty, not be ashamed by it.”
But with their first day in the druid’s company behind them, Gregory was starting to feel like himself again. Not the old self— the shy, timid boy from the Academy—but the new self, the one Hannah had helped to shape.
“What’s it like, living in the Dark Forest?” he asked after walking in silence for half an hour.
Laurel gazed into the distance with a faint smile on her face, as though she were remembering her entire childhood. Finally, she spoke. “Life in the Forest is…amazing. Nature surrounds us, and it helps us see the connections in everything. I mean, you need to remember that I have nothing to compare it to. But we druids are all very close.”
“You mean your family’s close?” A lump formed in his throat as the words brought back memories of his own family’s dysfunction.
Laughing, she replied. “Yes. I mean, by your standards. But I forget that family for you is a small word, while for us it is expansive. My family is not just my father and mother, it’s everyone, including the Chieftain and Elysia, his daughter. This is taught to us from birth, and the entire community helps raise each of the children.”
“Sounds cool.”
She pursed her lips and nodded. “Cool, but a little stifling. I wasn’t like all the other kids. They were content with life in the trees, but I always imagined the world beyond the Forest.” She motioned around them, “The world out here. Something in me always wanted to explore.”
“So, this is what, like your vacation?”
Laurel slowed her pace, glancing at Gregory. “Yes and no. Part of me wanted to leave to see what lay beyond the trees, sure. Like I said, I had always wanted to. But it was really his words.” She motioned to Ezekiel. “If what he says is true, then I had to come.”
Gregory furrowed his brow. “How so? If what he says is true, then druids have every reason to stay put, safe behind that thick hedge of yours.”
Her eyes were lost on the horizon again. “If there is one thing you learn when you spend your life in nature, it’s that beauty matters. Beauty always matters. Evil anywhere is an affront to beauty everywhere, and I think the Chieftain is wrong. If Adrien loves ugliness, as Ezekiel says, then he will have no choice but to spread it, and what would be a more tempting prize than the Forest? The rest remained behind because of their love for our home. I am leaving for the same reason. That’s why I took the Versuch.”
She read the look of puzzlement on his face. “You don’t have a Versuch where you come from?”
“Not that I know of. Is it a disease?”
She stared at him like his face was melting, then kept walking. “I’m going to pretend you didn’t say that.” She straightened her winter cloak as she continued, “One of the vows the druids take is to remain in the Dark Forest. But every so often, there arises a need to send someone into the world. It happens seldom, because generally everyone is pleased with things as they are.”
“But here you are…”
“Patience, City Boy, I’m getting to that. But in order to leave, one must be tested to prove that they can defend themselves and navigate the world beyond the shade of our trees. This test, or rather series of tests, is called the Versuch. Pass the Versuch, you can pass our borders. I passed, and I got these to symbolize it.”
She raised her arms and let the sleeves of her green cloak fall to her elbows, exposing a set of wooden bracelets extending three-quarters of the way up her forearms. Ornate designs of trees, vines, and animals were carved into their surfaces.
“Whoa,” Gregory exclaimed, raising his brows.
“I know, right? They’re made from a rare tree that we grow in the heart of the Forest. Almost unbreakable once they’ve been crafted. They’re meant to remind me of my home, wherever I go, and they keep me connected to nature, which is very important when it comes to my casting.”
“Like Ezekiel’s staff,” he muttered almost inaudibly.
She shrugged. “Guess so. Rumor has it the Chieftain gave him that staff, but he’s the only outsider I know of who’s ever been given the symbol. He’s a mystery to me.”
“Join the club,” Gregory mumbled. After a pause, he asked, “So you’re on a political mission?”
She nodded. “Of sorts. I’m driven, as I said, by the fight for beauty. You and Ezekiel asked for our assistance, and I answered. But also…”
“Yes?”
“Like I said, I’m not like the others.” She stole a glance at him. “This is a chance for adventure I just couldn’t pass up.”
Gregory laughed. “So we’re just an excuse to get away from home?”
She grinned, and her dimples grew deeper. “Your arrival was convenient, young Arcadian.”
“I fee
l like a piece of meat,” he quipped.
“If the shoe fits…”
They laughed, enjoying each other’s company for a while. Gregory had one more question. “What the hell was up with the bear?”
“Zobig?”
“Yeah. He was pretty big, but then I haven’t seen many in the wild.”
Laurel giggled. “No. Zobig. That’s his name, though, now it makes a bit more sense.” She pulled her cloak on again, making another adjustment. “It’s his familiar. I guess you might call it a helper.”
“Like a pet?”
She frowned. “Not at all. More like a partner. Every druid has one.”
Gregory glanced around. “Where’s your bear, then?”
Laurel clicked her tongue on the top of her mouth, and her cloak started to move. “We don’t all have bears.” She smiled as a tiny head with beady black eyes pushed out of the back folds of her garment. With another call, the squirrel wiggled out and sat on her shoulder.
Gregory snorted in glee. “Let me guess, that’s Zosmall?”
Laurel laughed, covering her mouth. “That was terrible. Good, but terrible. Her name is actually Devin.”
Devin, Gregory thought to himself. He opened his mouth to ask about it, but decided against it.
“Well, it’s nice to meet you, Devin.” Gregory reached out and petted the squirrel on the head, and she almost purred with pleasure. Laurel smiled at the sight.
The two fell into a comfortable silence as they continued walking. Keeping pace with Laurel, Gregory felt something he hadn’t for a long time.
Peace.
But he knew it wouldn’t last long.
****
Gregory’s feet were throbbing by the time they made it out of the woods and onto the tower lawn. Ezekiel transported them the last few miles, but it was a long journey nevertheless. Certainly the longest he had ever taken on foot. Hannah was waiting on the steps, and he grinned at seeing her there. Although it had only been a few days, he and Hannah had spent so much time together recently that it felt like an eternity apart from his first real friend.
He and Ezekiel picked up the pace. Apparently the wizard was also happy to see her.
As he climbed the steps, Hannah waved and said, “It’s about time you two came back from your bro-cation. I thought that maybe we lost you in the—” her words fell short as the men stepped apart and she saw the young woman walking behind them. “Who the hell is that?” she barked without thinking.
Gregory ignored the question and pulled his friend into a hug. “Good to see you too. Can’t wait to tell you about everything that happened.”
She stepped back from his embrace and nodded. “How about you start by telling me about the extra baggage you brought home.”
Ezekiel cleared his throat. “That is no way to show hospitality to our new friend, Hannah.” He tilted his head toward the girl. “But since you’ve asked so politely, this is Laurel. She’s a druid. She’s lived in the Dark Forest all her life. Until now, that is.”
Looking the girl up and down, Hannah stepped toward her and offered her hand. “Sorry. Any friend of these two douche nuggets is a friend of mine.”
Laurel looked at Hannah. “Thank you. I’ve heard a lot about you already from this one.” She pointed at Gregory. “He’s your number-one fan, even if he is a douche nugget, whatever the hell that is. Is it something that grows in the city?”
Hannah laughed, realizing that the girl was going to fit in just fine. And it would be good to have another young woman her age around. “You got here just in time. Everybody’s assembled, waiting for the meeting.”
Ezekiel tapped his staff on the ground. “Good! You got my message.”
Tapping her temple with her index finger, Hannah replied, “Loud and clear.”
She turned toward the tower and pulled its broad doors open, then led them toward the meeting room. When Gregory laid eyes on the assembly, his heart leaped. Seeing each of them, the people with whom he had survived so much, he felt like he was home. Really home, for the first time.
They stood as Ezekiel crossed the threshold, but their eyes were on Laurel. Attempting to keep the questions to a minimum, Ezekiel introduced her.
Many of them smiled uncertainly, but it was Karl who mumbled, “Great, another kid to babysit.”
Feeling his face flush, Gregory lashed back at the rearick, “She isn’t a kid, and we don’t need babysitting.”
A grin formed on Karl’s lips as his eyes moved from Gregory to the shiny red apple he had been about to sink his teeth into. “Someone found a big set of balls on his trip to the Dark Forest, eh?”
A flash of movement that caught everyone off guard. Laurel whipped a flint blade toward the stout mountain dweller without hesitating. It whistled as it flew through the air, and what looked like a leather tail trailed after it.
Karl shouted in alarm as the weapon pierced his apple, and with a flick of her wrist, Laurel pulled the fruit back and caught it in her hand.
Laurel looked it, clicking her tongue on the roof of her mouth. Something stirred under her clothes, and everyone stared wide-eyed as a squirrel with a long black streak down the center of its back popped its head out. It sniffed the air for a second, then ran down her sleeve and began feasting on the apple in her hand.
Sal, sleeping in the corner, opened one eye and let out a deep growl before falling back into slumber.
“I think I’ll be ok without your supervision, rearick.” She winked in Karl’s direction. “Hungry?”
Everyone in the room burst into laughter, including Karl.
His bushy brows twitched as he chuckled. “Looks like ye’ll fit in just fine here, lassie. And hunger has been me companion since the Battle of the Boulevard, so ya best keep an eye on yer furry friend there.”
“Give it a try. Devin is just a little more ferocious than her master.”
“What the hell kind of name is Devin for a squirrel?” Parker asked.
“It’s her name,” Laurel said, stone-faced, and everyone in the room could sense that that conversation had ended. Gregory made a mental note not to bring it up again, since it seemed like a fairly touchy subject.
Ezekiel cleared his throat. “Trust me that Laurel and...Devin have the best possible qualifications: a willingness to help. Now, if we’re finished with the introductions, we might as well get to work. We’ve got a fair amount of ground to cover, and not much time. Parker, we’ll start with your report.”
The group settled in and began discussing the days since Ezekiel had left the tower and all that they had accomplished. They talked long into the night, and by the time they had finished, their plan was as settled as it was going to be.
****
Adrien stood impatiently next to the table as he waited for his final cabinet member to enter. The team had dwindled, if only a little, and he knew he would have to replace Amelia before too long. But currently, a Dean of Students was the last thing he required. He needed fighters, not teachers.
He exhaled as the mahogany doors of his private conference room swung open. Standing in the doorway was a figure from nightmares. She was tall, slender, and strong enough to better almost any man in the Pit, in addition to being a wizard of the highest caliber. Yet any other aspects of Alexandra’s beauty had been taken from her by her accident in the factory.
Her hair, now missing in random patches, had been turned stark white, altered by direct contact with his airship’s magitech core. Her skin, mostly covered by a tight black bodysuit, had been burned, but her face was exposed to the rest of the group, who stared in disgust. Parts of her lips had been burned away, leaving her with a permanent snarl. Her right eye was covered by a patch, and the left was barren of lashes or a brow, giving it an intense, unwavering aspect.
The rest of the cabinet cringed as she entered, except for Adrien, who didn’t break eye contact once. “You’re late,” he said curtly. “You have kept me waiting.”
She walked across the room, her saunter as sexy
as ever, but it didn’t make up for her disfigurement. “Had to repack the wounds,” she replied. Her voice, once smooth and alluring, was now gravelly, as disfigured as her face. “Burns over ninety percent of your body are a real bitch, take my word for it.” She leveled her gaze on Adrien, her lips drawn into a sneer.
Adrien sat. Doyle, Captain Dickerson, and Alexandra followed suit.
“Where is the engineer?” she asked, looking at the empty seat.
Elon was the only other person in the factory who had survived the fire after Adrien had left them behind in the airship. The Chief Engineer had made it out with less damage than Alexandra. He often wondered if they would have left him, gone to the other side or just fled the city. But their hunger for power was as strong as his, and they were placing their chips on the best bet in Irth.
“He’s going to be working around the clock getting the airship up to spec. Our little test run showed us some areas for improvement.”
Dickerson snorted. “A quick walk through what used to be the Boulevard would seem to indicate that the weapon worked just fine.”
“A start, Dickerson,” Adrien’s eyes cut to the newest member of the team, sending a chill up the man’s spine, “but taking out the Boulevard was like getting lucky in a whorehouse. We can brag about it all day, but it was the easiest thing a man could do. I mean to rule, and I will not leave that to chance. Now, let’s get down to business. You start, Dickerson.”
He looked down at his hands, which were balled into fists on the table. Adrien could see that they were trembling. Dickerson had a reputation as one of the best leaders in the Capitol Guard, having conquered countless foes beyond the walls before being called back for duty, but he wasn’t immune to Adrien’s presence in the room.
“Yes, well, the Guard continues to grow. We have sent emissaries throughout the lowlands, offering higher wages for service than ever before. They’re strong men, many already trained in martial combat. It ain’t pretty out there.”
Adrien nodded. “Or in here. Why don’t you tell us about that?”
“How do you mean?” Dickerson asked. His eyes remained glued to the table. He knew precisely what the Chancellor was getting at.
Revolution - C M Raymond & L E Barbant Page 15
