Dragonvein

by Brian D. Anderson

  “I can start small fires with magic, remember? Burning through a bit of rope wouldn’t be much of a challenge.”

  Ethan looked again at the shackles and grunted with frustration. “This is just the sort of thing Markus would know how to handle. There wasn’t a pair of handcuffs anywhere in the world that he couldn’t get out of.”

  “I don’t suppose he showed you how to do it?” asked Jonas.

  Ethan’s head drooped. “No. He was going to, but there wasn’t time.” He pictured his friend’s smiling face. “Right now, I’d give anything to have him here.”

  “Right now, I’d settle for the street urchin,” added Jonas, chuckling softly. “I bet she could get you free.”

  “Maybe, but Markus would never have run out on us. I wish I knew what happened to him. It breaks my heart to think about him here all alone.”

  “I’m sure he was all right,” said Jonas.

  “I hope so. He was the best friend I ever had.” A sad smile formed. “One time, right after we got to England, he saved my life in a South London pub. One of the locals tried to kill me.”

  “Why?”

  “He thought I was hitting on his girl. And let me tell you, this guy was huge – literally twice my size. Anyway, I was trying to explain to him that I had only asked her if she knew the bartender’s name, but he didn’t believe me. Actually, I think the guy just didn’t like Americans and wanted an excuse to fight.”

  “What’s an American?” asked Jonas.

  Ethan couldn’t help but laugh at the question. “I guess it doesn’t matter. It’s a dumb story anyway.”

  “Finish it,” said Jonas. His voice was unusually kind. “I want to hear it.”

  “Okay, if you’re sure.”

  Ethan sighed before continuing. “First of all the guy pushed me up against the bar, so I hit him as hard as I could. But like I said, he was really big. It didn’t have any effect. He just smiled at me and pulled out a knife. Markus was using the bathroom at the time, so I was all alone and scared out of my wits. I tried to apologize, but this freak giant just spat at me and called me a Yank bastard. He had me by the throat and was just about to stick the knife in when Markus ran up behind and busted one of those big heavy beer mugs over his head. Must have hit just the right spot because it damn near knocked him out cold. Three of his mates jumped up from the bar, but we were already out the door and away down the street before anyone could stop us.”

  He smiled broadly while picturing the moment.

  “It sounds like he was a good friend,” said Jonas. “I am truly sorry you lost him.”

  “I swore I would never let him down,” said Ethan. “But I did, didn’t I? I left him to die in this God awful world.”

  “You know that’s not true,” said Jonas. “What happened to him was beyond your control.”

  “I know. But I still feel like I should have done something.”

  The sound of footfalls halted their conversation. Specter appeared and stood over them for a moment. He said nothing, but there was anger still burning in his eyes.

  “Come to your senses yet?” Thaddeus called over.

  Specter moved away and sat down alongside him by the fire. “Yes, I think I have.”

  Thaddeus was still smirking over an imagined psychological victory when, in a motion too quick for the eye to follow, Specter thrust a long dagger up under his chin and deep into his brain. The man’s muscles seized instantly and he toppled stiffly over onto his back.

  Ethan and Jonas stared in stunned horror.

  After a few moments Specter got up and walked over to Ethan. Still gripping the bloodied dagger in his free hand, he grabbed Ethan’s shackles and jerked him forward.

  “Don’t!” pleaded Jonas.

  “Quiet, old man,” Specter growled.

  He buried the blade in the ground and produced a key from his belt. “You must be losing your memory,” he told Ethan sharply. “I hit him with a wine bottle…not a bloody beer mug.”

  Ethan blinked and stared, his mouth agape, scarcely noticing that his shackles were being removed.

  “Markus?” was the only word he found himself able to utter.

  His old friend stood up and turned his back. “My name is Specter.”

  Chapter Eight

  Markus stalked over to the body of Thaddeus and rubbed his chin. “Now, what to do with you?” he mused casually.

  Ethan began to rise, but Jonas caught his arm.

  “Cut my bonds,” he said.

  Ethan picked up the dagger and carefully severed the ropes. He then moved toward his friend. “I don’t understand,” he began. “How is it you are here?”

  Markus’ hand shot out, halting his approach. “Twenty-five years,” he spat out. “That’s how long I’ve been in this shit hole of a world. Twenty-five years!”

  “I’m…I’m sorry,” Ethan stammered. “I…”

  “It wasn’t his fault,” Jonas cut in. “You have no cause to blame him.”

  “Don’t I?” barked Markus. “Do you know how long twenty-five years is to wait? I kept telling myself that you’d come. But you never did.” His eyes bored into Ethan. “I’ve had a long time to learn to hate you. Now here you are. Not a day older. And me…well just look at me.”

  Tears welled in Ethan’s eyes. “I’m so sorry. I swear I came to find you as fast as I could. It was the portal…it’s…well…I’m not sure how it works.”

  “It’s corrupted,” Markus said. “I know all about it now. It was forbidden magic, even in the time of the mages. But the old man here used it anyway. Didn’t you?”

  “That’s not how it happened,” Jonas protested. “I only used it to save Ethan’s life. And I never intended for you to come here at all.”

  Markus sniffed with contempt. “No one ever intends anything. But here we all are anyway. You two – lost and helpless. And me – body scarred and life wasted.”

  Ethan took a cautious step forward. “What happened to you?”

  Markus stared at him for a long time, but made no attempt to answer the question. “There’s more food in the wagon,” he finally said. “Get it out while I dispose of Thaddeus.”

  Before Ethan could protest, he grabbed the corpse by the arms and dragged it into the night.

  Jonas retrieved a sack of food from the wagon and began sorting it. “Not much here,” he muttered.

  After a few minutes Markus returned and took a seat by the fire. Ethan sat opposite, staring at his old friend. His heart ached when he thought of the many hardships Markus would have been forced to face. The scars alone bore testament to how difficult life must have been.

  “What happened to you?” he eventually asked.

  For a moment Markus said nothing. He gazed into the crackling flames, his eyes distant and unreadable. Then he began.

  “When I got here I was quite badly injured. That damned German potato masher that blew me through the portal had filled me with a thousand bits of rock and metal. I was bleeding pretty badly and didn’t know where I was. The bloody portal dumped me in a field somewhere up north…Ralmaria I think. Anyway, I crawled for as long as I could before passing out. I don’t know how long I stayed unconscious, but when I woke up I was in a cage with about twenty other guys. Someone had treated my wounds, but all of my gear had been stolen.”

  He shook his head. “I was naked as the day I was born and scared out of my wits.”

  “Why were you in a cage?” asked Ethan, shock showing clearly on his face.

  “For the same reason you were,” he replied. “Bounty. When the Emperor detected the portal opening, he sent his men to check it out. I couldn’t have moved very far away from where I first arrived. They must have found me lying there and put two and two together. I was taken to a garrison and interrogated for weeks.” He breathed a sardonic laugh. “The thing is, I would have told them anything they wanted to know. I just didn’t speak their bloody language.”

  “So they did that to your face?”

  Markus shot
him a furious glance. “No. And stop asking about it.”

  “I’m sorry,” said Ethan.

  Markus sighed. “It’s not something I like to talk about. People who know me quickly learn it’s better to keep their curiosity to themselves.”

  He leaned back on his elbows and drew in a couple of deep breaths. “So anyway, I don’t know for sure how long I was held there, but eventually they gave up and sent me to work in the mines. That was a hellish tough time, but I survived. I learned to speak the language, and picked up a whole lot of other useful knowledge. Eventually, I saw my chance to escape and grabbed it with both hands. After that I made my way south and joined the Hareesh.”

  Ethan expected him to continue further with the story, but after a few seconds of silence it was clear he was done.

  “That’s it?” he asked.

  Markus shrugged. “What more do you expect? I was alone and having to fend for myself. I ended up in Miltino and did what I had to do to survive.”

  “So how did you know I was here?” Ethan asked.

  “I was at the garrison collecting a bounty when word came in. At first I didn’t think too much about it. But when I heard the word portal mentioned and that orders to apprehend any new comers to the area had come directly from Shinzan himself, I felt pretty sure it had to be you. Of course, I had a big advantage over the others searching because I was the only one who knew exactly what you look like. Even so, I knew I needed to find you before they did.”

  Ethan nodded. “So what happened next?

  “The rest was sheer luck, actually. I was too late getting to Jaobin, but after I got back to Miltino I went for a drink in the Hanging Man tavern and spotted the old guy collecting those useless false papers. After that, all I needed to do was follow him.”

  “Why didn’t you tell me who you were?”

  “Because he intended to turn you over to the Empire,” Jonas cut in. He plopped down beside Ethan and handed him a piece of dried beef and an apple.

  So far, Ethan had chosen to ignore this fact. Now he was forced to deal with it. “Were you really going to turn me in?” he asked.

  “Of course he was,” snapped Jonas. He shot an accusing stare at Markus. “Tell him.”

  Markus spread his hands. “Can you blame me? I was so damn angry with you.” He tilted his head and smirked. “I changed my mind, didn’t I?”

  “But they would have killed me. You knew that. Whatever happened to make you this way?”

  “You still have no real idea what I went through. The hell I experienced.” His smirk vanished and his voice became hard and dangerous. “The fact that I didn’t kill you the moment I saw you is a miracle. Just be thankful you’re still alive and free.”

  There was a long period of silence. Ethan could see the pain dwelling behind Markus’ eyes. Maybe he was right to be angry, he thought. How would I have felt if it had been me?

  “Perhaps it would be best to leave the past behind you for the time being,” suggested Jonas. “We have more pressing matters to attend to.”

  “The old man’s right,” agreed Markus. “Now that I’ve killed Thaddeus, it won’t take the Hareesh long to figure out what happened. And the Imperials are looking for the two of you as well.”

  “What should we do?” asked Ethan.

  “We need to reach the dwarves,” Jonas told him. “There was a cave your mother was trying to reach on the southernmost edge of the Gol’Shupa Mountains. We should head there.”

  Markus gave a short laugh. “The dwarves? You can’t be serious. They’ll kill you the moment they see you. No one goes there…ever.”

  “We do,” corrected Jonas. “Ethan’s family has a special relationship with the dwarves. A blood oath was sworn between Praxis Dragonvein and King Vidar. They will honor it.”

  “A blood oath?” mocked Markus. “You must be joking? Dwarves won’t honor anything except gold. And you’d need a fortune.”

  “I’m not joking,” said Jonas. “And I assume that since you’ve decided not to turn us over, you’ll be coming along.”

  “Into the mountains? Not a chance in hell.”

  “Then we’ll go without you,” Jonas said.

  Ethan reacted instantly. “We’re not going anywhere without Markus.”

  His old friend let out a long sigh. “You can’t stay with me, Ethan. I’m not the man you once knew. Things have changed.” He pulled a coin purse from his belt and tossed it at Ethan’s feet. “This is the gold I took from you. I suggest you make for San Leon. No one would look for you on the coast. At least, not for a while yet.”

  “I’m not leaving you,” said Ethan. “Not again.”

  “You won’t have to,” he replied. “I’m leaving you.”

  “Well I’m not,” came a voice from just beyond the firelight.

  The trio leapt to their feet, Markus instinctively drawing his sword and preparing for an attack.

  “Kat?” called Ethan, recognizing her voice.

  A second later she stepped into the light, a devilish grin on her face. She removed the small pack hanging over her shoulders and tossed it next to the fire.

  “He can run away if he wants,” she continued, nodding at Markus. “But I’m still coming with you.”

  Markus let out a groan and sheathed his sword. “So this is the girl who Jared was so upset over.” He scrutinized her for a moment. “A bit young to be working for the likes of him, aren’t you?”

  “I don’t work for Jared,” she stated flatly. Her grin had vanished. “In fact, no one does anymore.” She flashed a glance at Jonas, who was already scowling. “And before you say I can’t come, you should know that there are twenty Imperial soldiers less than an hour behind me.”

  Jonas’ eyes widened. “Are you sure?”

  “Yes. And if you don’t move fast they’ll catch you.”

  Markus responded quickly by racing over to the wagon and tossing out what little he had brought. “Distribute the provisions equally and douse the fire,” he instructed. Without waiting for a reply, he led the horse further away from the road until both it and the wagon were completely hidden by the darkness.

  The other three set about doing his bidding. He returned just as the fire was finally extinguished.

  “We should go east toward the Traxis border,” he said. “I have friends there.”

  “No,” Jonas argued. “We need to make it to the mountains. Regardless of what you think, the dwarves will honor their oath.”

  Markus shook his head. “You’re a fool, old man. I’ve been in Lumnia for twenty-five years, and I’m telling you – whatever oath you think they made…”

  He paused. Even in the dim light of the moon he could see Jonas’ resolve. “Fine. I’ll get you as far as Tulani. But from there you’re on your own.”

  Ethan reached out and touched his friend’s shoulder. “Thank you.”

  Markus brushed his hand away. “Let’s just get moving.”

  He led them southwest for a time. The moonlight gave very little assistance in navigating the rugged terrain; the thin forest was riddled with small rocks and roots that sent both Jonas and Ethan stumbling to their knees on several occasions. Kat, however, stayed at the rear and seemed to have no trouble at all in avoiding the obstacles.

  After half an hour of progress, Markus stopped and listened intently. For a few minutes they could hear only the rustle of the wind through the leaves and the chirping of insects. Then, in the far distance, the sound of rapid hoof beats echoed through the forest.

  “If they don’t smell the campfire we should be fine,” he said.

  They waited anxiously until the hoof beats faded before moving on.

  “How far is it to Tulani?” asked Ethan.

  “Two weeks on foot,” Markus replied. “Unfortunately, we don’t have anywhere near enough provisions to last that long, so we’ll need to go into Masi to resupply. As for now, we’ll stop in a few miles to rest a while.”

  Jonas offered no objection to this when Ethan glanced
back at him. There were still several hours to go before dawn, and he desperately wanted to talk to Markus some more. So far though, each time he tried, he’d come up against a brick wall.

  “Can’t you get it through your thick head?” Markus snapped at him after the third attempt. “I’m really not the man you knew before. And if you keep pestering me like this, I swear I’ll leave the lot of you alone in the bloody forest.”

  Ethan opened his mouth to speak, but quickly saw the truth of these words in Markus’ eyes, and instead settled for a sharp nod of acceptance.

  The rest of the time was spent in silence. When they did eventually halt, Markus made a point of bedding down several yards away from the others.

  “What can I do?” Ethan asked Jonas. “All I want is to make things right between us.”

  Jonas looked away, his eyes suddenly distant. “Some things can never be made right. Best you remember that.”

  His words only made Ethan even more guilt ridden. Lying on his blanket and staring up at the unfamiliar night sky, he felt truly small and alone.

  The part of him that was still a young boy wanted to weep, but the proud soldier he had become kept his tears at bay long enough for sleep to take him.

  Chapter Nine

  The rumble of thunder shook Ethan awake. Though the sun was breaking over the horizon, the sky to the west was gray and promising a miserably wet day.

  “We should find shelter,” said Jonas as he hurried to gather up his belongings.

  Markus laughed. “Shelter? There’s no shelter where we’re going. No soft beds either.”

  Jonas scowled and eyed the approaching storm. “Why does that not surprise me?”

  Kat was the only one who seemed to be in high spirits. She sniffed in Markus’ direction and pinched her nose. “Maybe the rain will wash some of the Hareesh stink off you.”

  “Better the stench of a Hareesh den than a rundown whore house,” he shot back. He turned to Ethan. “Why are you taking this girl along with you anyway?”

  Kat’s chin jutted out. “He’s not taking me. I’m choosing to go.”

  “She’ll just slow us down,” Markus continued, ignoring her remark.