Saviors- Duty and Sacrifice

by Devon Vesper

  The Patron Priest righted himself as the paper ignited on its own. It burned to ash in almost the same moment. The power that blasted out was so intense that it had the short hairs on Valis’ arms and the back of his neck standing on end. It erupted from the altar and seemed to travel up and out until Valis couldn’t follow it anymore. Had it really gone into all the shields in Arlvor? The residual sensation made Valis shudder and his ears pop, and then it was gone. “There. Done. You may go about your business unhindered now, young man.”

  Valis opened and shut his mouth several times, unsure what to say or do. Snorting, Cazho waved him away. “Run along, little fish, before you drown. Get the poor smelly thing into a bath, Brother Hakas.”

  Hakas chuckled as he ushered Valis out of the room, closed the door and patted his back. “That went better than expected. He must be having a good day.”

  Still in shock, Valis only huffed a half-whimper, half-laugh and nodded. “For a moment there, I thought he was about to hack off my hand.”

  “For a moment there, so did I.”

  The half serious note in his amused tone made Valis shiver. The guard led him back through the building, down another hallway, through an inner courtyard, and into another corridor. In the dining hall, he saw where Kerac and Darolen waited for him, both leaning against a wall close to the door.

  “He’s still whole,” Kerac mused. “That went better than I expected.”

  Hakas snickered. “I think he’s missing a little of his sanity. Poor kid about crawled into my armor at one point.”

  Valis had a good grasp of Arlvorian by then, but that word stumped him. “What is ‘sanity’?”

  Without hesitation, Hakas answered. “Something you will lose completely before the monastery is done with you.”

  The two Aesriphos laughed. Kerac shook his head and retained his grin as he repeated the words ‘sane’ and ‘sanity’ in both Arlvorian and Evaki so that Valis could learn them. He talked as he went to the serving line and poured something into a wooden cup and brought it back. “I think Hakas has spent too much time with Brother Cazho. The monastery is actually a peaceful place... though not without fun.” He handed the cup to Valis, and the moment he saw it was milk, Valis downed half the cup, gasped for breath, then downed the other half. It barely had time to settle before Valis went to the serving line himself and refilled his cup. The milk was blessedly chilled, and felt good going down, even though it was freezing outside.

  “I’ll take my leave of you, Brothers,” Hakas said. “You know the routine.”

  Darolen and Kerac both nodded and when Hakas left, Valis tilted his head. “Routine?”

  Kerac shrugged and led the way out of the dining room, pausing only a moment to poke at the wetness on Valis’ upper lip. He spoke as he searched for a handkerchief, found none, and used the soft inner layer of his own cloak to wipe away the milk mustache on Valis’ face. “We must find an empty room, unpack, check on the horses, bathe, tender dirty clothes, tents and bedrolls to the laundry, and relax. By the time we are done, it should be time for the midday meal.”

  Valis groaned. “I really don’t feel like carrying water, but I want a bath so bad.”

  Both men chuckled and Darolen bumped shoulders with him, nearly making Valis slosh his milk out of his cup. “We have running water. No need to carry it.”

  Running... water... Valis tried to wrap his mind around that concept. It churned, and Kerac tapped his cheek. “Don’t let it break your mind.”

  “How does it work?” Valis asked. I don’t have to carry water? Does this mean never again if I stay in Arlvor? Is it a magic stream? He blinked at that and grinned. “Is it magic?”

  “Partly,” Kerac said, then expanded on it. “We have filtered rain cisterns under the slightly concave roofs of each building, as well as those in the basements for water that rises from underground aquifers. A spell engraved in the bedrock creates steady pressure in the aquifer below to make the water rise and fill the cisterns. The rainwater funnels into the cisterns from above. Another spell engraved into the cisterns creates enough pressure to push the water through pipes to bathing rooms, sinks and fountains. Almost the entirety of Arlvor rests atop a vast series of aquifers with the purest water in Peralea.”

  Darolen let out a low chuckle at the look on Valis’ face and whispered in his ear, “Some of the cisterns are heated. No need to wait for boiled water.”

  Valis squirmed and whimpered at all the possibilities that brought about. He sipped his milk as his mind spun. Hot baths every day whenever he wanted them? No more having to boil water to make it safe for drinking? Things flitted through his mind so fast that he couldn’t latch onto a single one anymore.

  Shaking his head to clear it, Valis tried to push those wonderful thoughts aside and changed the subject. “You abandoned me to a crazy man...”

  Kerac clapped a hand over his mouth and snorted. He shook his head and waved it off to Darolen to explain. Darolen’s eyes twinkled with amusement, but he sighed. “You got hazed, Valis. He isn’t crazy. They do that routine to all foreigners who come to this garrison. Cazho has been here for fifty years, and it has become a necessary tradition.”

  “It... was all a joke?” Part of him was amused by that to no end, part of him was annoyed, and the third part was confused. He let all three emotions cross his features in succession and sighed with only mild annoyance. “I take it they get bored out here.”

  Now that he’d calmed down, Kerac nodded, though he still had trouble keeping the grin from his face. “That, and it helps to break tension once the hazing is made known, since most foreigners who travel to this garrison have just come from Isrivo, and that country has been in disrepair and antisocial to strangers for almost three generations of rulers.”

  Darolen rolled his eyes, then reached behind Valis and gave Kerac a rare playful shove. “It is mostly to test your mettle. If you become violent during the hazing, you are generally expelled, jailed, or kept under heavy guard.”

  That made more sense, and Valis nodded. “I was surprised and intimidated. Brother Cazho mentioned something about opening an artery, then rather acted like he was going to dismember me with a dagger. I just didn’t know what to make of it.”

  Darolen nodded. “Those were the tests. As Hakas left you to us without any instructions, it means you passed like we knew you would.”

  “Oh.” He frowned and looked up at Darolen. “So you didn’t abandon me, but weren’t allowed to go with me so you couldn’t influence the test?”

  “Correct.” A warm arm about his shoulder and a fond squeeze came as Darolen’s silent praise. “It means you shouldn’t be harassed if you are seen without us. You can now come and go as you please.”

  When he looked back over at Kerac, the Aesriphos seemed normal again and only smiled at him. “Then why was Kerac so amused?”

  “Mostly the look on your sweet face,” Kerac said gently. “You resembled a frightened and confused fawn—all eyes and trembling limbs with a slight pale cast to your complexion.”

  “He was terrified,” Darolen corrected. “It was either mother hen you into a room, or try to get you to laugh. I wouldn’t let him do the former, and the latter didn’t work.”

  Laughing, Valis hugged Kerac’s arm as the man dropped his chin to his breastplate. “Aw, Kerac! I’m okay!”

  The younger of the Aesriphos pressed a kiss to his temple and lingered there a moment. “After what you have been through, I feared such a thing might have been too soon. I apologize for my lack of faith and dishonesty.”

  Valis nuzzled into the kiss and sighed. “You’re forgiven. Good thing you have Darolen to be your conscience.”

  “Indeed,” Kerac said with such love that Valis’ heart clenched. “That is one of the many duties required by the Ezhav. Darolen has never failed me.”

  “Nor have you failed me,” Darolen murmured.

  The sob from the immense surge of emotions almost choked Valis, and he cleared his throat so his voice woul
dn’t waver. He nudged Kerac once he had better control of himself. “Room. Bath. We all stink. It’s been two days since we last saw an icy river.”

  Chapter Nineteen

  Outside the smaller communal building that housed offices, officer’s quarters, the dining hall, a library, a large common room, laundry, storage rooms, and Gods knew what else, Darolen eyed the other five larger buildings, ignoring the stables. After what seemed like careful consideration, he headed for the easternmost building. Valis glanced at the buildings, too, finished his milk, and startled, thanked the guard who took his empty cup away as he headed for the communal building. All the buildings looked the same, with the communal building being the only deviation of size and shape. How Darolen picked this direction baffled him, so he followed without a word.

  More hallways and closed doors went by without a glance by the older of the Aesriphos. They went up the stairs, around the halls, back down and into another building before Valis got the idea. Apparently, closed doors meant the rooms were occupied. When they exited the second building, Darolen huffed a breath and said, “Wait here. I’ll go search.”

  As he went off, Valis turned to Kerac. “Since he’s gone off to look for rooms, why don’t we check on the horses so we can go straight to baths after we unpack?”

  Kerac’s brow shot toward his hairline and he barked a laugh as if Valis had startled him. “Good idea. Let’s go.”

  Falling into step, Valis bumped shoulders with him. “I’m going to check on your work. No slacking on the brushing. They deserve good care.”

  “Slave driver.” He sighed and turned a rueful grin on Valis. “I’ll do my level best.”

  “I have five to do,” Valis pointed out with a teasing smile. “Don’t make me drag you into one of the pack horses’ stalls to show you how to groom a horse properly.” He thought a moment then, tilting his head as he checked on the tarp-covered wagon to make sure everything was still there. Darolen and Kerac both promised nothing would happen to anything within the cart, but he still had his doubts. Trusting his friends didn’t mean he had to trust everyone else. They’d earned it, everyone else had to, too. Right? He cleared his throat and turned his head back to Kerac as he dropped the edge of the tarp, satisfied that everything was safe for now. “How bad do the winters get here? Are we due for worse?”

  “Light snow, freezing temperatures for most years, though we have been known to get heavier on occasion, why?”

  “Heavier snow means I’m not shearing them,” Valis explained. “Their coats are getting a little shaggy, but they’ll need it if the winter gets much worse.”

  Kerac nodded. “Yes. Unfortunately, we have missed the splendor that is Arlvor in autumn. The snow came as a complete surprise this year.”

  That got a laugh. “You have no sense of seasons, have you?”

  Looking honestly perplexed, Kerac stopped before the stable doors and stared at Valis as if he’d just started clucking, his left brow inching toward his hairline. “What do you mean?”

  “Do you even count full moons?” he asked, ignoring the question for now.

  “…No, I do not.”

  “The full moon happens every twenty-eight to twenty-nine days,” Valis explained. “There are six days left before the next full moon.”

  Kerac’s brow lifted further. “All right…”

  Valis grinned and shook his head. “Sorry, Kerac. I grew up sowing and reaping. It’s habit for me to keep track of the moons so that I know when to begin harvest, or prepare the soil for planting. The full moon before last was the High Moon. That means the sun was in the lowest position in the sky, and the moon in the highest. It usually marks the longest night of the year which usually happens in the month of Peace. The next full moon is the full snow moon, which generally coincides with the heaviest snowfall in Compassion. So, my original question was silly.”

  Light dawned in those golden eyes and Kerac nodded. “Ah, I see, now.” He paused as he turned toward the stables and beckoned Valis inside. “I suppose I rely too much on Darolen for such things. Judging by what you say, we are indeed due for heavier snow. This month usually brings the most bitter of our winters.”

  “More than likely, though I don’t know the region.” He talked as he searched the stalls for their horses, and when he found them, went on as he checked the feed and water troughs. “In my region, the snow comes heavy fast and blizzards snow us in often due to the large nearby lakes. In this region, it isn’t as bitter yet, so I’m just glad we haven’t frozen to death. I was just hoping your winters were far milder.”

  Kerac’s almost forlorn voice became muffled as he spoke from a few stalls over. “I’m glad, as well. When we are abroad, the snow makes me miss the warm rooms, gentle hearth fires and warm scents of Avristin.”

  Valis’ heart plummeted through the floor and he frowned as he searched for his grooming brush in the saddle bags. “I’m sorry, Kerac.”

  The Aesriphos’ smiling face peeked around the stall wall. “It’s all right. This year, I have you and Avristin to look forward to. Though I wish we could have arrived in autumn.” He strode over and pulled Valis into a tight hug that Valis reveled in. “I so wanted the rich colors to be the first thing I shared of Arlvor with you.”

  Instead of tucking his face into the curve of Kerac’s neck as he usually did, Valis pulled back just enough to smile up at him. “Too late.”

  That brow lifted again. “Oh?”

  Valis nodded. “You already shared the best things.”

  “And what are those?”

  “You and Darolen shared your hearts.”

  Kerac’s breath hitched, and a shudder rippled through his large frame. For a moment, Valis thought he might cry, but instead he smiled and pressed a fierce kiss to Valis’ forehead. “Ah, but I truly am guilty.” His eyes shimmered, and he blinked rapidly as he looked to the horse to change the subject. “What was this about teaching me proper horse care?”

  The abrupt change of subject made Valis chuckle. He kissed the man’s cheek and shoved the grooming brush into his hand. Rather than working separately, Valis first showed Kerac the ‘proper’ ways to groom a horse, then fetched another brush. Each taking a side, they worked through all seven.

  When they finished, put everything away, grabbed their gear and headed out, they found Darolen leaned against the door frame just outside. “You two were adorable,” he said, deadpan. “I found us rooms.”

  He shared a look with Kerac over Valis’ shoulder, and Kerac frowned. “What’s wrong?”

  “Nothing,” Darolen said with a small shrug. “I just had to kick someone out of their room. It is settled now.”

  Valis blinked and stared. “You… kicked someone out their room so we could have a room?”

  “Correction. I kicked someone out their room and into one down the hall so you would have a room next to the one I will share with Kerac.” He paused when Valis made a face and chuckled. “Don’t give me that look. I made her think it was her own idea. She and her partner were all too glad to vacate the room and then clean it for us while I came to fetch you.”

  The look didn’t mean what Darolen thought. The idea of having his own bedroom had Valis’ stomach in knots. All morning, he knew they would share a room, just as they had shared a tent the last month. He knew he wouldn’t have to sleep alone. Now, he knew Darolen meant for him to sleep alone, in an unfamiliar room, in a strange bed.

  But Darolen and Kerac deserve time alone. He sighed to himself. They’ve catered to me for so long.

  Darolen gave him a suspicious look, and Valis did his best to smooth out his expression. If nothing else, he determined it necessary to ignore his feelings on the matter for now. Dealing with them later sounded like a good idea.

  Let it be a visual reminder to burn in your mind of what happens when you keep your feelings locked away and lose control of yourself, he heard Kerac reiterate in his mind for the second time that day. Sighing, he scrubbed a hand over his face. I won’t lock it away. I’ll
just deal with it later.

  “Are you all right, Son?” Darolen asked quietly.

  Squaring his shoulders, Valis put on a worry-free smile and nodded. “I just really want that bath… and possibly a nap. I’m still tired from this morning.”

  Understanding sparked in Darolen’s eyes and he nodded. “Then let’s go get unpacked and we’ll go bathe.”

  “Why unpack when we’re only staying the night?” Valis asked as they walked toward the westernmost building.

  Darolen snorted and rubbed the end of his nose with a naked finger. He’d apparently ditched his gauntlets in their room. “Do you want clean clothes, or would you rather stink when we arrive at the monastery?”

  “Oh.” A blush flared Valis entire face and neck with heat and he grinned. “Good point. We are rather disgusting.” He looked down at his stained clothes and wrinkled his nose. “Thankfully I have some things that haven’t gotten quite as bad.”

  “You are the only one,” Kerac said with a pained smirk. “Darolen and I must lounge around in towels until our clothes are brought to us.”

  “As if either of you are complaining!” Valis snickered. “With me in your tent, you haven’t had any time to yourselves.”

  That thought tempered the anxiety of having his own room. His stomach still knotted and roiled, but Darolen and Kerac needed time alone. They deserved time to themselves. With that thought firmly planted in his mind, he followed Darolen and Kerac to their rooms.

  Valis entered his own once they got there and set about unpacking his clean clothes and doing the sniff test. He groaned as each smelled either of stale body odor from being mixed in with dirty clothes or mildew from being packed in humid weather, or worse yet, both. With a sigh, he picked the ones that smelled the least musty and tossed the rest in a neat pile on the floor.

  Then he re-thought that decision and tossed what he was going to wear in with the dirty clothes. If Kerac and Darolen could go around in a towel until their clothes came back clean, so could Valis.