The Last Empath of Doctsland

by Leah Putz

  “I’m not sure. The majority of what I sense is good, but I feel a slight dissension,” I explained.

  “How slight?”

  “Very slight. Before I could not detect it even at all, but as we get closer it grows a bit stronger.”

  “How concerned should we be?” he asked soberly.

  I stopped walking, knowing that we were very close. “I can’t answer that. Make sure to station the backup soldiers as close as possible. We’re almost there.”

  He gave me a curt nod before gesturing above the group to Jion and Siofra. As soon as they joined us up front, he explained the situation to them. Siofra argued for keeping the soldiers with us the whole time, but the Prince overruled her. I described the location and distance of the destination to Jion, who then scouted a location to leave the troops. Once that was complete, we were ready to enact the plan.

  Again, Siofra went out first. I trained my mind on the town, which seemed to be about the same size as Loch. It was bustling, and it seemed as though no one noticed the lone female warrior in their midst. “The town center is busy. They don’t even know she’s there,” I whispered, offering an update to the Prince by my side.

  “She’ll figure something out,” Viktor replied with a full sense of confidence in Siofra that I shared. We waited in a silence choked with tension until we heard the distinct signal from Siofra, at which point we breathed a collective sigh of relief.

  When we entered the town I was shocked to find it looked fairly empty, despite how full it had seemed in my mind. Siofra stood speaking with a tall man surrounded by a small group of people. When Jion, Viktor, and I joined her, she introduced him as Merek, the town leader, and the group of men surrounding them as his personal guard. Viktor was introduced as an envoy once more, and Merek let us to a small tavern nearby.

  Once inside, Viktor paid for a round of ales for us, Merek, and the guards in his company. As soon as we were seated and settled, Vik launched into his pitch. Merek seemed engaged the whole time, and I sensed that the prospect of rebellion excited and encouraged him. His guards for the most part shared his sentiment, though I felt some discord from one or two of them that concerned me. Being much less hesitant to commit than Ailee, Merek agreed at once to assist us. “I, and most of the townspeople of Cessam, are very unhappy with Siglind’s rule thus far. As you probably saw on your journey, his soldiers and his crews from Nul have been destroying our countryside, the farmlands that many of our people rely on. We would be happy to join your cause. I will have one of the members of my guard distribute a call to action to the townspeople to gather as many to your cause as possible. We are no Nul, but we are a rather large village. I’d imagine you could get at least a hundred soldiers on your side.”

  Viktor grinned widely. “I am so happy to hear that, thank you. We will wait here while you spread the word, and in an hour or two we will lead those who wish to join us back to our camp.”

  Merek agreed to this plan, and he and his guards departed the brewhouse, leaving Jion, Siofra, Viktor, and me on our own for the moment.

  “This seems to be going just as well as the last trip. I couldn’t be happier,” Jion said, grinning with relief.

  “Yes, I agree,” said Vik. “However, I’d like to hear how Lisalya feels. What sort of read did you get from Merek?”

  “Merek spoke with absolute sincerity,” I said. “And the majority of his guards shared his sentiments.”

  “The majority?” Vik asked.

  “There was a hint of dissention that concerned me. I fear one or more of his guards may side more with the King.”

  “One or more? Do you have any idea of how high that number could be?” Siofra asked.

  I shrugged. “One at the least, no more than three or four, though I doubt it is that many. What I felt was only a small hint.”

  “I don’t really think we have anything to worry about, then. We’re bound to run into loyalists eventually, one or two in a group of fifteen that are willing to fight for us is not so bad. It could be worse. Most likely they will just choose to not join our cause, or attempt to fight us, in which case they will be grossly outnumbered.”

  Viktor seemed deep in thought, mulling over the information I had presented as well as Jion’s words of dismissal. After a while, he spoke. “I agree with Jion. The vast majority here are on our side, we needn’t worry about such a small number of king’s men.”

  Siofra shifted uneasily, clearly uncomfortable with the verdict. “All it takes is one person to reveal our location and our goal to Siglind. I think we should proceed with caution, if not outwardly trying to identify these dissenters and let Merek decide what to do with them.”

  “I don’t want to disrupt the bond we’ve already begun to form with Merek by immediately accusing his men. We’ll proceed like normal. As Jion said, they will be outnumbered. We don’t need to worry,” Vik said, too thrilled with the possibility of success to want to head Siofra or I’s warnings.

  Siofra huffed but stayed quiet, not inclined to argue with her leader. Instead, she stood. “I’m going to order some food. Does anybody want anything?”

  I shook my head, still feeling too uneasy to eat, but Viktor and Jion both supplied orders. We sat in relative silence as they ate, and it wasn’t long after they finished that Merek returned. “We were able to amass a rather large group for you. They are currently waiting in the town’s square for you to lead them to your camp.

  Viktor immediately stood and bowed. Merek then led us through Cessam to a large square that was filled to the brim with men and women, all seemingly dressed for battle. “Soldiers!” Merek spoke with a booming voice. “This is the envoy I spoke to you about, Viktor.” He gestured to Vik, who stood tall and regal beside him.

  Suddenly I felt a sharp twinge of alarm. I yelled Viktor’s name in warning, grabbing his arm and pulling him towards me all at once. Just as he was yanked in my direction, an arrow whistled right past where his head had been only a moment prior.

  Chaos erupted. The crowd raged, and made such a booming noise that it almost drowned out the anarchy in my mind. I couldn’t make sense of anything, as Viktor and I crouched in a circle of our defenders.

  Siofra made her way over to me, screaming over the noise. “Lisalya! How many are we fighting here? Should we retreat, or stand and fight?” I tried to focus on who this traitor with the bow was, and how many may be on their side.

  “There are not many,” I shouted back, drawing my weapon to signal we should fight.

  Siofra nodded, determined, and we both jumped into the fray together. Most of the crowd had been eager to join Vik’s cause, and thus to jump to his defense as well. They seemed to have parsed out the group of loyalists, who had banded together and were almost completely surrounded. It felt as though my body had gone on autopilot, snippets of my training flashing through my mind at top speed as I slashed through my enemies. I tried not to feel too overwhelmed, but the rush of people actually trying to kill me was much different than sparing on a boat or in a camp with a single opponent. Jion fought beside me, protecting my rear from a man I hadn’t even known was there until he was cut down by my comrade. I flushed, embarrassed to have been caught unawares when he and Siofra had always taught me to be on guard from all sides. I gave him a smile to signal my appreciation before raising Gaisgea to block a quickly oncoming attack.

  The battle was over almost as quickly as it started. Though the Loyalists were grievously outnumbered, they had fought bitterly, refusing to surrender even to the very end. I assumed that was the sort of stubborn stupidity that we would be facing with Siglind and any who followed in his train of thought. Merek’s men were able to restrain the few that had survived, and he had them marched off to Cessam’s small prison.

  As soon as the fight ended, Siofra rushed to the prince, ascertaining if he was alright.

  “I’m fine,” he replied, glancing up at me, gratitude bright in both his eyes and his smile. “Luckily Lisalya pulled me out of the way just in time.”
As soon as I was close enough, he lowered his voice to ensure his words didn’t make it past mine and Siofra’s ears. “Are we safe now?”

  I nodded, feeling confident for the first time that day. “Yes, I believe all those loyal to Siglind in the area have all been defeated or imprisoned. Though I can’t be too sure until I’ve met them individually. There’s too many right now, the overall sense could mask those that disagree.”

  “I see,” Vik replied. “Well, we’ve got the march home. Try to investigate as many as you can as we walk. Let Jion know of those you weren’t able to get to, he’ll take the others hunting or something and leave them at the camp so you will have the opportunity.”

  Once I signalled my understanding, he turned to Merek and raised his voice. “Merek, many thanks to you and your men for the protection you have just offered us. We greatly appreciate all of your assistance today.”

  Merek strolled up and held out his hand for a shake that Viktor accepted. “I hope that your mission succeeds. It will allow myself and everyone else in this town the opportunity for more freedom and a better life. Thank you for giving us the chance to fight for that.” He glanced at the sky before continuing. “It’s getting late. You best be heading back, or you won’t beat the sun. I wouldn’t recommend walking through these woods at night… or any woods in Bushand for that matter.”

  Bowing, Viktor showed his respect and thanks. Siofra, Jion, and I followed suit before saying our goodbyes to Merek and those of his men that were staying behind with him, so as not to leave the town without defense. Once we were ready to make our way back to the camp, Viktor spoke in a commanding, kingly voice that surprised me with its charisma.

  “Soldiers!” he addressed the men and women grouped around him. “We are so happy to have you joining us. We have a few hours walk together as we make our way to the camp we have set up. During that time, we would like to get to know you as much as possible. Your background, your fighting experience, as much as we can learn so we can integrate you into our group as seamlessly as possible. If you can any questions or concerns, please bring them to Siofra, my guard.” Siofra rose her hand to identify herself.

  Viktor continued, “Now, are you all ready to fight for your freedom?” A roaring cheer burst forth, and I almost felt the need to cover my ears. The encouragement wrapped up in that cheer brought a smile to my face, one that was mirrored on the face of our leader. Viktor and Jion, the designated leaders of the troupe, then turned and walked into the forest, the group following suit.

  Almost immediately I began the work that I had been tasked with. It took a minute or two to get my mind in the correct state, not fully open, for then I would hear every person making up this large company. Rather, I focused on keeping my mind mostly closed, only allowing a sliver to open up. My time training on the ship was well spent, this was something I would never have been able to attempt prior. This sliver allowed me to hone in on only the person nearest to me. I practised a bit on Vik, walking beside him and sensing his uneasiness at our attack wither, being replaced by appreciation and hope at the number of new followers we had gained and who had come to our aid. I noted with curiosity that it was getting increasingly difficult to get a read on him, though I felt too preoccupied with my task to dwell on it. Once I felt confident in this method, I began moving throughout the group. I tried to appear as casual as possible, making chit chat as often as I could to seem as though my movement through the group was natural.

  I moved swiftly, trying to make sure I could get a reading on as many people as possible. The work was exhausting, and rather dull if I’m honest… nearly everyone had the same fire within them, stoked and ready to fight, burning with a hatred of Siglind. Until they didn’t. There were two members who rose a red flag in my mind. Nothing overtly proved to me that they were loyalists, but the blaze igniting everyone else wasn’t there. In fact, nothing was there. Rather, they seem filled with an iciness I had not experienced and couldn’t explain. For the moment, I pushed it aside and continued on my mission, making a mental note of their names and faces to report to Jion and Viktor.

  Surprisingly, I was able to make my way through everyone. I had grown more efficient in our exploits thus far, and hardly even felt the stirrings of a migraine, which was exciting. I closed my mind. We were quickly approaching camp, so I made my way back up to the front of the group to make my report to Vik.

  “How close are we to camp?” I asked, sidling up between the prince and Jion.

  Jion shrugged. “I’m starting to recognize the landscape; I think we’re already approaching the edge. Probably only about another twenty minutes of walking until we’re at the center.”

  “Have you finished canvasing the group?” Viktor asked.

  Nodding, I made my reply after making sure we were far enough ahead to avoid prying ears. “Yes, and I have some information to report.” As Vik and Jion listened solemnly, I explained to them the strange icy feeling I had gotten from the two particular members that concerned me.

  “Have you felt this before, from anyone else?” Jion interjected.

  “No, nothing like this before,” I answered.

  “And did you feel anything else from them? Or just this… nothing?” Viktor asked.

  “Just the nothingness. An icy nothingness.”

  Jion and Viktor shared a glance, and both appeared to be deep in troubled thought. Finally Viktor turned to me. “Is it possible that maybe there are some people that are…” He seemed to be struggling to find the right word. “Some people that are immune to your abilities?”

  I paused, taking a deep breath and considering the possibility. I’d never come across someone I couldn’t read before, and though it seemed a likely explanation, something in my heart told me it was not accurate in this case. “To be honest, I had not thought of that, but-”

  “Surely there are people in the world with unique minds you cannot read. It seems the most likely explanation for this nothingness you felt,” Jion said.

  “I-uh-” I stammered, trying to figure out how best to explain to them why I disagreed. “Something in my gut just tells me that is not the case. They could be spies. They could reveal our location or our plans to the enemy. They could do anything, and we would have no warning because I can’t get a read on them.”

  Viktor stopped, and it suddenly dawned on me that we had reached the heart of the camp. He jerked his head towards his shelter, and Jion and I followed him inside. “I’m sorry Lis,” he said, taking a seat at the small table in the corner. “What would you have me do, here? We’re desperate for men. I can’t send them away just because of a gut feeling.”

  “Plus,” Jion chimed in. “They fought on our side in the skirmish in the town center. Don’t you think if they were loyal to Siglind they would have fought against us back there?”

  “Jion raises a strong point.”

  I sighed, leaning up against the wall. “I can’t argue, I can only tell you what I felt from them and what I feel myself. And none of it feels right.”

  “I think the best we can do is try to keep a close eye on them. I’ll assign one of the men from the first trip to watch over them. Does that seem fair?” Viktor replied.

  “If that’s the best that can be done, fine,” I said, trying to ignore what felt like a boulder in my gut.

  Chapter Eleven

  Lisalya

  The camp began to take on a lively, almost celebratory feeling when the new comrades joined. It was bustling with activity, and each person fell into their own unique role in contributing to camp life. Teams of hunters, builders, scouts, and training squads formed and took a fair share of the weight of subsistence off of our original crew. Multiple new shelters cropped up to avoid overcrowding in the original ones, but per Viktor’s orders, none came within several yards of mine.

  Just as before, we waited a few days before planning our next venture to allow the newest team members a bit of time to acclimate. During that time, I ventured out with my mind, trying to make sure I
had our next target pin-pointed to ease our preparation time. It was getting more difficult, the noise of the camp grew louder as it grew in size, and blocking them out was becoming a problem, increasing with each raid. I also had to start reaching further- there were no other towns or villages in relative proximity to the camp. We were going to have to make our next trip an overnight one, at the very least. It took some time, and at one point I had strained so hard to try to locate someone that I gave myself a migraine, something I had not suffered since our arrival. But soon, just before Viktor called us for planning, I discovered a town ripe with unrest.

  “I’ve found it,” I said, closing the door behind me as I entered Viktor’s shack. Siofra and Jion were already present, seated with Vik at a small table. One chair was left for me, in which I took my seat between the Prince and Siofra. “I’ve located the next town we should target, though it is not close by any means.”

  Viktor smiled a boxy, handsome grin. “Wonderful. I expected we’d have to start venturing out further. How far would you say it is?”

  “I believe it should be approximately a day and a half walk from here. We could perhaps make it in a day.”

  “We should bring provisions enough for two nights away, one there, one back, to ensure we have enough supplies for the journey. I’d rather have too much than not enough,” Siofra said, as always the practical one. “And how large is this town? How many soldiers shall we bring in addition to the four of us?”

  “It seems smaller than Cessam, but it’s hard to say for certain given the distance.”

  “It will be so much harder to travel with as many people as we brought with us last go round,” Jion reasoned.

  Siofra snapped back immediately. “Yes but they came in handy, didn’t they?”

  Jion rolled his eyes. “We could have handled that on our own. Merek’s men jumped to our aid at once.”

  “We can’t just rely on who we may meet along the road that may or may not help us!”