by Donald Brown
Storm’s face dropped. “That long?”
“If we’re lucky,” Jasper told him.
A minute later, Dan arrived. “Good morning!” he greeted loudly, making them all flinch. “Rough night, hey?” he asked, glancing at Jasper.
“Where is your boy?” Jasper replied, ignoring the question.
“Oh …uhm,” Dan said, looking around, red-faced. “He will show up eventually… Excuse me.” He turned to head up the stairs. His son was probably in for a rude awakening, Storm figured.
The servant, a plump woman in her early thirties, returned from the kitchen and placed bowls of steaming lamb stew and platters of freshly baked bread on the table. “Enjoy,” she said, throwing her long auburn hair back over her shoulders with the flick of a wrist.
They ate while listening to Dan yell at his son upstairs.
When everyone was done, Jasper told the two brothers to go outside and they stood up. While Jasper paid for everything, they walked to the stables where Jenny and Jamie had slept.
The stable boy greeted them and told them that he had given Jenny hay and water, while Jamie had been provided with goat’s milk and fried rice. Then he brought Jamie out, still bound and covered in bruises, although his head wound had stopped bleeding by now.
After a few moments, Jasper came strolling out, followed closely by Daniel, who was still putting on his pants, bare chested. His father stood at the door watching them, not happy at all. It looked like he had ended up chasing Daniel out of bed.
Once he had successfully pulled on his clothes, Daniel walked over to the party, as if nothing strange had just happened and introduced himself, smiling. “Hello, I am Daniel,” he said, sticking out his hand to Storm.
Storm was caught a bit unawares. Because there was no individualism in Sanctuary, there was no custom to greet each other like this, with a handshake.
Jasper intervened as Daniel stared at Storm in confusion. “This is Storm,” he said, “Hadrian, his brother,” he continued, pointing at Hadrian, “and I am Jasper,” he concluded, holding out his own hand, which Daniel shook. Daniel just nodded at the bound Jamie. Apparently it wasn’t such a strange sight in this part of the world to see a teenage prisoner.
“I will give you an additional horse for all Daniel’s belongings,” Dan said and told the stable boy to bring the horse.
Seconds later, the stable boy handed the horse to Daniel. The saddle was already equipped with everything he needed for the voyage. Clearly his father had thought it was necessary to prepare properly for his trip.
“Now be a good boy,” Dan said roughly, reaching out to grip his son in a bear hug, a tear rolling down his cheek.
“Don’t worry about me, Dad,” Daniel said, pushing his father away after a short while. “It’s only Pandemonium, you will see me again someday.”
Dan nodded, brushing away tears from his cheeks with his sleeve.
Just then there was a sudden ring of a bell. They all looked around as a trader came running up towards the tavern. “Sanctuarians!” he yelled. “Thousands of them!”
“What?!” Jasper and Dan shouted in one voice.
The party raced up the path to the crossroad, the horses galloping along, and saw to their shock that the trader was right. A large army of Sanctuarians, led by Red Cloaks, were marching towards them. Storm recognized the leader, his red armour shining in the sun. It was the Blood Captain. In front of them, Selfless were already moving in and about defenders of Brill, in eerie silence, taking them down with their bare hands.
Dan turned on Jasper. “You have doomed us all!”
It was the first time that Storm saw Jasper genuinely concerned. “No, no, no,” he kept on saying. “No, this isn’t normal, they should not be beyond the mountain. Not so many of them.”
“Never mind that now!” Dan hollered. “You bunch have to be off!”
With fat Dan leading the way, they charged back to the inn. They quickly shot past him, as it seemed like he was running more today than he usually did in an entire year.
When they were all back at the tavern, Dan told them to leave, still hunched over, catching his breath. “You… have… to go,” he wheezed. “There is… nothing you can… do here.”
Jasper agreed and they began to lead the horses away, but then he stopped. “What about you?”
Dan shook his head. “This tavern has been in my family’s possession for ages, Jasper. I won’t let some filthy Sanctuarians take it. Besides, I need to organize the resistance.”
“Father…” Daniel began, concerned.
“Go boy!” Dan shouted, upright now and angry. “I have the latest machine gun from the Republic. They won’t get past here in a hurry.”
They needed no more encouraging and ran as fast as they could with the horses. Storm certainly did not want to go back to Sanctuary. At the back of one of the houses, they saw the same young man with the dreadlocks, now hunkering down in fear. Clearly he had never been in a battle in his life.
“Are they coming?” he whimpered and Jasper only shook his head in disgust, indicating for the rest of the party to keep following him.
They kept on moving as fast as they could to the outskirts, following a bunch of refugees, who most had clearly just snatched everything they could before running away. Storm heard gunshots and knew that any resistance Brill might have was putting up a fight.
When Jamie realized his fellow Sanctuarians were here, he started struggling furiously. They all stopped on the outskirts of Brill where Jasper – whose patience was already wearing thin – gave Jamie a single whack on the head with his gun, which sent him into unconsciousness once more.
“Why are you still keeping him alive?” Hadrian grumbled.
“Keep talking and I will club you as well,” Jasper snapped, manhandling Jamie’s body onto Daniel’s horse.
“I guess he isn’t a friend of yours then?” Daniel remarked, pointing at Jamie with his chin.
Nobody replied.
“So, there are Sanctuarians attacking Brill,” Daniel wondered out loud. He brushed a hand over his curly red hair. “Something that has never happened in history… and there was a rumor that these two are from Sanctuary.”
Once again nobody replied, but the three exchanged meaningful looks.
“Look, I am not stupid,” Daniel told them. “I know this can’t be a coincidence. I am walking with danger and I simply can’t do that. I should return to my father,” he added dismissively, turning to go back.
But Jasper grabbed him by the arm. “You are definitely stupid if you are planning on going back there!” he snarled, still in a sour mood. “Look behind you, did you see that army? Do you see your town burning? Go back and you will die!”
“Perhaps he should return,” Hadrian remarked softly, but Jasper shot him a dark glare.
“I can’t stay with you!” Daniel shouted. “You guys are a walking target. I know those madmen are after you.”
“Just come with us to Pandemonium,” Jasper insisted. “Once we get there you will be safe, O.K? I promised your father that I would get you safely to the Blue City.”
Daniel considered this for a moment and then nodded. “We have to take the route through Oakheart, though.”
Jasper looked at him as if he was crazy. “Have you lost your mind? Besides, that will take too long, nobody travels on that road anymore.”
“Exactly,” Daniel said, grabbing hold of Jasper’s arm now. “They will expect us to take the main road, that is why going through Oakheart will be far more effective.”
“Look at all these people,” Daniel added, pointing at the rows of refugees in front of him, as Daniel still didn’t look sure. “They are just going to hold us up.”
Jasper sighed. “All right, then. Let’s do that.” He shook his head. “This trip has just become much more than I could ever have imagined.”
Daniel grinned. “They also say the best women are located in Oakheart.”
“Oh. for crying out loud,” Jasper moan
ed, as Daniel went past him with his horse.
“What is this Oakheart?” Storm asked Jasper, when Daniel was out of earshot.
“A mining town, but it has quite an unsavoury reputation since the mine closed and after numerous raids from the Horde,” Jasper replied
Storm didn’t like the sound of that.
But at least it couldn’t be worse than what happened to Zion.
Could it?
39
They reached Oakheart by sunset. This they had done by veering left and following a crusty old road that was completely deserted.
Storm was quite frightened and Hadrian even more so. They considered Jasper a fearless leader and if he was wary of this place, they had good cause to be as well.
On the outskirts, beside a grassy mound with a natural fountain, they quickly noticed that something was wrong. According to Daniel and Jasper, there were still a lot of people living here, but from the outside it now seemed completely abandoned. At least the few intact houses were vacant and the streets were deserted.
Jasper held up his hand for them to halt. He glared at the town. “This was a mistake,” he muttered and then looked at Daniel. “This isn’t normal right?”
“Not at all,” Daniel replied, squinting against the setting sun. “The town is usually very busy.”
“Maybe it is a trap,” Hadrian remarked, his hair blowing in the wind. He seemed to be looking for any excuse not to enter the place. “We should never have come here.”
“If it is a trap,” Daniel said, “it is a very poor one.”
Jasper continued to watch Oakheart, then shook his head. “I don’t like this one bit.”
“Oh come on,” Daniel moaned. “They can’t possibly be here already… and even if that is true, would they really set a trap just for the five of us? That’s a bit of an overkill, don’t you think?”
“Those Sanctuarians would do anything to get hold of them,” Jasper qualified, cocking his head in the direction of the two brothers.
Hadrian shared a look with Storm before they broke contact. Storm turned his attention to the city again. He felt bad that he was being a constant harbinger of bad luck.
“I am going in,” Daniel said, determined. “I will let you know if it is safe.”
“No, wait!” Jasper commanded, but he had already left.
“We should never have brought him with,” Hadrian remarked.
Jasper slapped him over the head. “Be quiet!”
Hadrian grunted while Jasper continued to peer at the figure of Daniel, becoming smaller in the distance. When the figure reached the city gates it briefly vanished.
Storm had to admire Daniel’s courage. He knew for sure that he would never attempt such a risky stunt. Not even in Sanctuary where he knew his way around.
Just when Jasper appeared to be contemplating leaving Oakheart, Daniel suddenly re-appeared. He waved at them, signaling that it was safe and so they walked towards him. The outside of the town was completely bare, sand and ground stretching for miles, with a few withered trees dotted here and there.
When they finally reached Daniel, he said. “There is no one here; not a single soul.”
Now, from up close, they looked around and could see for themselves that there was indeed no activity and that some of the doors of the houses were even open, swaying and squeaking in the ever-present warm breeze.
“Let’s check out one of the houses,” Daniel said and before Jasper could reply, he walked right up to a house, one where the front door was half open.
“Perhaps we should knock first,” Jasper began, but then he cursed as Daniel walked in without asking for an invitation, knocking or otherwise.
When it was clear that nothing had happened to Daniel on the inside, the rest of them followed.
Once they entered, they immediately noticed that all valuables and any other items of worth had been removed. Someone had definitely fled this house somewhere along the way. It was dusty and deserted and smelled like mold.
Storm, now feeling a bit braver, went outside and walked over to the next house, ignoring Hadrian’s whelp of indignation. He peered into the open door and saw the precise same thing as with the previous house.
“Do you think everyone is dead?” Storm inquired as he re-joined them.
“Unlikely,” Jasper replied. “Where are the corpses, then? Where are the signs of a struggle?” He scratched his chin. “No, these people must have left voluntarily or at least without a fight.”
They decided to abandon the neighborhood of houses and to venture further down the road, towards something that looked like a town square.
At building in the center of the city, they found their answer. On the front door there was nailed the following proclamation:
ALL CITIZENS OF OAKHEART ARE ENCOURAGED TO EVACUATE, DUE TO THE RISE OF THE THREAT OF SANCTUARY. HEAD FOR THE SAFETY OF PANDEMONIUM. ALL TRAVELERS LOOKING FOR PEOPLE FROM OAKHEART WILL FIND THEM THERE.
- MAYOR HARPER.
FOR THE LAST ENEMY THAT SHALL BE DESTROYED IS DEATH.
“The last enemy that shall be destroyed is death,” Storm read out in wonder. They had substituted death with life all this time.
Hadrian shook his head. “That does not sound right,” he muttered.
“Head for the safety of Pandemonium,” Daniel scoffed. “That’s a first.”
Jasper nodded absently. Storm felt a slight pang of guilt wash over him, because of what his former people were putting the outside world through.
“Well, seeing as nobody is here, we might as well make ourselves at home,” Jasper said, pointing at the house nearest to them. “Let’s go stay there for the night.”
They walked over to the house and began to unload their belongings. Well, not all of them. Daniel had the bright idea to run to the tavern to find if anyone had left any alcohol behind.
He soon came back dejected. “Nothing.” he told them, shrugging.
Jasper chuckled from where he was standing on a worn carpet.
“Serves you right,” Hadrian said quietly.
“What is your issue with me?” Daniel snapped at him.
“That you are an idiot, who continuously finds ways to waste our time,” Hadrian retorted.
Daniel looked ready for a fight and suddenly advanced on Hadrian, who was reaching for Jamie’s sword (which he had liberated for himself by now) but Jasper quickly jumped between them and intervened. “Enough of this!” he shouted.
They stopped at the sight of Jasper, also with a sword in his hand; a falchion to be more precise. It was the first time Storm witnessed Jasper with a blade in his hand and he clearly seemed to know how to handle it.
The boys decided not to mess with him and went their separate ways to calm down. However, Daniel was still sullen by the lack of alcohol and girls he’d been looking forward to. He started rummaging around in the house, perhaps still hoping to find a keg of beer or a bottle of wine, while the rest of them tried to make themselves comfortable in one of the many rooms.
Daniel, bored, began rummaging with various items. He pulled on a lever in the kitchen and, amazingly, a funny side chamber opened, revealing a young woman who had been hiding in there. She seemed as startled as they were at this turn of events.
“Don’t kill me!” she pleaded. “I just wanted to remain behind at my home, I was hoping the Sanctuarians wouldn’t find me here.”
Everybody came running into the kitchen to see what the disturbance was about. They all shared a look of surprise. The girl was somewhere in her mid-twenties and was dressed in a cream-colored nightgown with no shoes on her tiny feet. She had a fair skin with golden hair, pushed back by an Alice band, and a fragile-looking body.
Daniel was suddenly a lot more attentive. “Of course we won’t hurt you,” he said, smiling. He stepped forward and held out his hand for her to take. “We are but mere travellers, also hiding from the Sanctuarians… I didn’t catch your name by the way,” he added smoothly.
“Jane,” she replied
, staring him up and down in distrust, not taking his hand.
“Can I make you feel at home, Jane?” Daniel said, scrambling to get one of the dilapidated chairs around the kitchen table ready for her.
Jane smirked. “I am fine. I know perfectly well how to get comfortable in my own home, thank you.” She had probably now ascertained that they were no threat and had decided to send out a clear message. It was her property and they were trespassing.
“We can perhaps move to another house?” Daniel offered, eager to please her.
“Please do,” she said. It was remarkable how quickly she had gone from innocent bystander to haughty. “I don’t think you will find it difficult. It looks like you’re pretty good at breaking into other people’s houses.”
Daniel was flummoxed by this. He was having a hard time keeping her happy.
Jasper was smiling at the exchange. “Can you tell us what happened here, Jane?”
She fixed her gaze on him. “Everyone cleared out… Didn’t you see the sign? There were travelers coming through, warning that Sanctuary had been emptied. Everyone has fled to the city of Pandemonium.”
“And you stayed behind,” Jasper replied. “Why?”
“Well I thought I could hide here and still… Where are you from by the way?” she suddenly interrupted herself in a suspicious tone of voice. Her eyes moved over Hadrian and Storm and then settled on Jamie, who was sitting on the floor in the adjacent dining room, his hands and feet still bound.
“We are from Pandemonium,” Jasper told her.
Daniel gave him a cold glare. “Oh, just stop saying that,” he said. “I am from Brill, Jasper over here is from Pandemonium and the other three, Storm, Jamie and that one,” he added, pointing at each one as Hadrian scowled at him, “are from Sanctuary.
Jane seemed to do a double take. “They are from Sanctuary?” she said, her eyes flickering between them, as if Daniel was making a bad joke.
Storm nodded as Daniel confirmed confidently: “Yes, milady.”
“Then what are you doing with them?” Jane inquired. “Haven’t you heard what these people did and what they are capable of doing?”
“Yes, we do,” Jasper said, “but these boys are different. They escaped from Sanctuary after they were sentenced to death. Well, at least two of them.”
