by CM Raymond
“Still sore, are we?”
“It was a technicality,” Parker grunted. The sound of footsteps drew his attention toward the city. Hadley was striding down the slope toward him, and a little blond girl jogged at his heels to keep up. He raised his hand and shouted, “Where’ve you been, pretty boy?”
Hadley laughed as he got close. “Just teaching my friend Leah here about the Heights.”
“It sounds awesome. Way better than here,” she whispered, half-hiding behind Hadley.
He reached up and wiping a line of lycanthrope blood from Parker’s face. “Where have you been? You two look like you’ve been wrestling half-slaughtered pigs all day. You’re OK, right?”
“Lycanthropes,” Parker informed him. “Nothing I couldn’t handle.”
“Nothing he couldn’t handle with me there. I killed two of them,” Laurel added. “Ask Parker how many he killed.”
Parker shook his head. “She cheated. The third was mine and she knows it.”
“My mom calls that being a sore loser,” Leah said.
Laurel patted the kid on the arm. “I like you.” She put her hand out and Leah shook it. “I’m Laurel.”
“Do you know magic like him?” she asked pointing at Hadley. “I know magic but not like him. Mine is different. He said you’d show me yours,” she said, her eyes pleading. “Will you?”
“Sure,” Laurel replied. She searched the ground by her feet. “Let’s see…” She found a simple weed growing from between two rocks that had once been part of New Romanov’s mighty wall. “Here we go. Watch carefully.”
She dropped the weed into her left hand and hovered her right hand over it. Her eyes turned green as she continued the motion. Slowly, the common weed twisted in her hand, causing Leah to squeal in delight.
“That’s not the trick,” Laurel said. She twisted her fingers, and out of the end of the weed’s stem popped a bud. It grew to the size of her thumb before bursting into a perfect pink flower.
“Shit!” Leah gasped.
“Language,” Parker and Hadley said in unison.
Laurel passed it to the girl. Her smile was nearly wider than her face. “Thank you!”
She smelled the flower and then looked up at Parker. “Are you going to do your magic now?”
Parker laughed and shook his head. “Mine might not be as spectacular, but it is very necessary.” He looked down the length of the damaged wall. “I’m going to rebuild this thing, and your entire town is going to help me.”
CHAPTER SIXTEEN
Standing in the middle of the city square, Parker looked over the men and women of New Romanov. Fifty in all had come out to build and another group of thirty would run support. The builders—men and women of all ages and sizes—were of strong stock.
“Friends, you know that Olaf, Hannah, and the others are out there putting their lives on the line for this city. Their task is dangerous and, we can presume, vital for our survival. But today I have called you all together for something just as important—the rebuilding of the southern wall.”
The citizens set up a clamor, some talking to one another, others simply snickering. Finally a man with cropped gray hair spoke up. “Arcadian, with all due respect, I’ve watched the wall go up many times, and each time one of those Skrima comes through from the bowels of hell they destroy it again. We gave up that fool’s errand years ago. If you want some fruitless exercise, just run around the perimeter a few times. It’ll get your heartrate up and leave your hands soft.”
People laughed and nodded.
“Trust me, I didn’t come here for busywork. But I’ve learned a little about why you came here, or at least why your parents or their parents came here. It was because New Romanov was a safe place. Olaf and Lilith made sure of that. They protected you during the Madness, and they protected you from the wars that came before. But now it’s our turn. Our turn to keep them safe.”
That got a few of them grumbling. He noticed several heads nodding in agreement.
Parker continued, “And you’re right. Building a wall that may just be knocked down again probably is a fool’s errand. But this world has always been violent. It’s always knocked things down. If it wasn’t for the heroes that came before us—good men and women who committed to fighting no matter the odds—there would have been nothing left of this world. If we leave this wall in disrepair, if we let New Romanov slide into decay, then we dishonor the ones who came before and we disadvantage the ones who will come after.
“And besides. Ezekiel and Lilith are working to figure out how to stop those monsters. They’re making this world right again. And if there are two people I’d like to work beside, it is the Oracle and Ezekiel. Don’t you agree?”
This time his words were met with affirmative shouts.
Parker’s heart skipped a beat at the enthusiasm of the people. “That’s what I want to hear! However, restoration won’t be fast and it won’t be easy. Not in New Romanov. Not anywhere. But I don’t think that any of us have made it this far by looking for the easy way out.”
He paused, watching the proud people of New Romanov shake their heads. They had committed their lives to the city, and moreover, to Lilith and the welfare of Irth. Strength resided in this place, and Parker knew it was his job to now direct it at rebuilding the wall.
“I didn’t think so. Today we begin rebuilding the wall. Hannah, Olaf, and their team will find the Skrim, and they will kill it. But the monsters from the Rift are not our only problem. According to Olaf, the lycanthropes are becoming increasingly aggressive, and if what Laurel and I saw today is any indication, they are growing in numbers. Something is pushing them north. Work with both eyes open, and keep one hand on your trowel and the other on your sword. Be diligent. Be watchful. Now let’s rebuild!”
The crowd cheered, and Parker knew he had won them over. He divided the people according to their talents and sent them out in groups for different tasks with instructions. He took the strongest magic users and the burliest men and women to work with him to erect the center of the wall. Within no time, the work was underway.
Parker grabbed the man with the short gray hair by the arm and pulled him closer as they walked toward the wall. “They listen to you,” he said, matching the man’s long strides.
He nodded. “Yeah. I’ve been around a while. Damn, kid, that was one hell of a speech.” He gestured around the perimeter at people getting to work at various tasks. “I’d say they’re listening to you as well. The name’s Curtis.” He stuck out his hand in Parker’s direction.
“Parker.” The man’s grip was like a vice, and Parker hoped that its bite wasn’t evident in the wince that crept across his face. “Curtis… That name isn’t like the rest of the theirs. And where are your bright blue eyes?”
The man laughed. “I’m an alien of sorts. My parents came here from a ways away, along with Ezekiel’s. Everyone was trying to escape the Madness, and somehow my old man’s shit luck paid off. So here I am.”
Looking the man up and down, he asked, “Are you a Were?”
Curtis laughed again. ‘Like Olaf? Hell, no. One-hundred percent human, all the time.”
“Sorry. You just seem too young and strong…” Parker trailed off, wishing he had never asked in the first place.
Curtis squeezed Parker’s shoulder. “You’re wondering why I’m not as old as Ezekiel. He came with his parents during the Age of Madness. Mine had me years later, and I was the youngest of a dozen.”
“Damn,” Parker sighed.
“I know. My father always said that my ma was as fertile as a rabbit and he was as randy as a lion. So here I am.”
“Strong as a lion too, no doubt.” Parker paused when they got to the wall, and they turned to face one another. “Listen, I need your help out here. We’ll get the team moving together, but once we get things rolling, can you manage the site?”
“With my eyes closed and my dick tied behind my back. Been working as the city manager for years.”
; Parker laughed. “Well, all right. You must be the man for the job.”
After explaining the work of moving and restacking the stones for the wall, Parker handed the reins over to Curtis and let him do the job he was born to do. Only then did he turn west and walk down the wall to where it turned north.
There he found Laurel, who was working with some of the older children and weaker citizens. The wall here was still mostly standing, but it lacked the integrity necessary to defend against a full-on attack. She had directed her team to fill gaps with smaller rocks while she directed the vines outside of the city to move the bigger rocks into a secure framework.
He watched as she turned her hands. An army of tendrils twisted, rotating a block the size of a Sal’s body into its rightful place. Then the vines locked themselves in, adding to the barrier.
“Nice work.” He kicked a stone as he waited for her to finish the task.
Laurel’s eyes turned back to their normal color. Sweat dripped down her forehead, and he realized just how much using magic wore her out physically.
“My friends here,” she waved at the vines and her workers, “are doing all the heavy lifting.” She glanced at the sun, which was moving toward the west, and held her hand up horizontally—a trick to judge the amount of daylight left. “I imagine we can get another thirty feet done before we all drop from hunger and exhaustion.”
“Good. You need anything else from me?”
“I don’t think so.”
Parker nodded and turned to check up on Hadley.
“Wait,” Laurel called. “There is one thing.”
He spun and smiled. “Anything.”
“Tell me I won our competition fair and square.”
Parker laughed. “Screw you. Get back to work.”
“Seriously though, Parker, really good job here today. You gave them something they haven’t had for a while.”
“What’s that?”
“Hope.” Laurel put her hands on her hips, smiling at her friend. “And for these folks, that’s more valuable than all the magic in the Forest.”
Parker felt his face flush. He wasn’t used to Laurel being sincere and offering kindness.
“It’s why Hannah left you behind,” Laurel added. “She knew you could do this. And I do too!”
He awkwardly thanked her and turned to find Hadley.
****
The party had pushed for miles, and Karl’s stomach had rumbled the whole time. His feet ached and sweat drenched his back, among other less comfortable places, but he hadn’t been happier in a long, long time. He felt as if he was truly in the company of noble warriors. Karl hadn’t marched with true fighters, true soldiers at heart since he was a youth—before the rearick had gone soft on Arcadian coin and Adrien’s endless demand for amphoralds.
As much as he loved the kids who crewed the Unlawful, it was nice to be around people of experience again.
Conversation had turned to war stories, particularly ones in the “I almost died” category.
“This one isn’t about me,” Mika said.
“Here we go,” Olaf sighed. “Just know before she begins, Karl, that this one is primarily fiction.”
“Is not,” she said with a slap across Olaf’s broad chest. “It took place four years ago, almost to the day. New Romanov was dealing with a significant rise in remnant attacks. A disturbance to the south was pushing them toward the city. Our dear brethren were in trouble, so, of course Urai sent a cohort to aid in the fight.”
Olaf cleared his throat. “More like, ‘New Romanov was all that stood between the hungry assholes and Urai, so they thought they ought to see if they could secure the barrier.”
“Your quibbling over this point is indicative of a weak character,” Mika quipped. “Our aid was purely altruistic.” She glared at her man. “Anyway, we were securing the southern perimeter, helping to keep the remnant at bay. Days later, a runner came from the outpost at the Rift. Said they needed help, and fast. Something about some dude named Olive.”
“You already knew who I was, dear. I’ve known you since you were a child,” he interjected.
She ignored him. “I was on the western side of the city, so I was the closest to run to the aid of this poor defenseless soul. Thankfully for the chap in trouble, there were horses close by. I grabbed one and sped to the rescue. As I approached, I saw the red monster. It wasn’t as large as the ones we’re seeing today, but it was still a freaking beast—literally. Probably seven feet tall, with horns shaped like a goat’s growing out of its head.”
“Twelve feet, at least,” Olaf said.
“Now who’s peddling fiction?” She looked back down at Karl, who was listening in rapt attention. “You can imagine my surprise when I found the thing straddling a body on the ground, delivering blow after blow. But it wasn’t a man that hell-monster was destroying; it was a bear. Poor little fuzzy thing was screaming in fear and pain, helplessly flailing its arms and legs.”
“This is the part where her imagination takes over” Olaf chimed in.
“Hardly.” Mika patted him on the back. “I drew my sword and directed the horse to the fight. I mean, I’m an animal lover, after all. Couldn’t let that cute defenseless little cub die.” She winked at her man. “I got a shot across the beast’s back, but the thing was fast. With a swipe of its arm the creature knocked me off my steed, but thankfully my strike was enough to give the poor little bear a chance to wiggle out of the Skrim’s grip.”
“In truth, Karl,” Olaf said, turning to the rearick, “the fair lady from the north did provide enough of a distraction for me to nearly gut the thing with my claws. For that I am thankful. After its insides were on the outside and the beast was nearly beaten, Mika strutted over and relieved him of his head.”
“It was a fine stroke of the sword,” she agreed.
“And ever since then,” Olaf groaned, “she has told everyone we meet that she saved my life. Including you now.”
“You’re welcome, dear.” Mika gave a sly grin. “And there is no need to repay me. It was simply my duty as a warrior.”
Karl laughed, enjoying the warm afternoon sun on his face and the tales of war on their lips.
“Here here,” he said. “We rearick are no strangers to tall tales.”
“You have one for us?” Olaf asked.
“Aye. The question is, which story about nearly gettin’ killed would ye like to hear?”
“Dealer’s choice,” Mika said. “Besides, if we walk long enough we just might make it through your greatest hits.”
Karl laughed, smoothing his beard with his calloused hand. “Scheisse, I’ve got a good one, all right. Happened on my first trip out to the Madlands with Krayton.”
“Krayton?” Mika asked.
“Aye, lass. He’s a legend, and a damned hero in the Arcadian Valley. Maybe the only truly great rearick who ever lived.”
“Except for you, Karl,” she responded quickly.
“Scheisse, I’m just a guy with a hammer tryin’ to do what’s right.” He blushed and kept his eyes on the horizon. “Anyway, there I was, just a freakin’ kid, thinkin’ I was goin’ out for glory and honor and all that bullshit. It was me first time off the heap of rocks I called home. We marched northeast, most of us pissin’ our britches the whole way. All eyes were on Krayton the whole time. As long as I was with him, I knew I’d be safer than the gems in the farthest depths of the Heights.”
“Krayton was that good?” Olaf asked with his brows raised.
“Best ever. He pissed vinegar and shit fire. Nothing could touch the son of a bitch.” Karl paused and looked at each of them with a straight face. “Yeah. He was that good.”
He unslung the wineskin from over his shoulder and wet his lips with a taste of the Archangelsk ale before he continued. “So, it was two days across the lowlands that sat at the base of the Heights to where we were goin’ to enter the Madlands where the remnant came from. Thankfully—or so I thought—there were some kind farmers who put us up
for the night. They gave us this stew they called ‘mutton.’ Never heard of mutton before, but it was damn good. I filled me teenage belly and fell asleep not thinking of the remnant for the first night in weeks. Next day, an hour or two into the hike I got the…”
“Shits?” Mika asked with a cute smile.
Karl’s cheeks turned pink. “Aye, lass. I got them all right, or worse, they got me. I kept scrambling off the trail to drop trou. Soon all them older rearick started making fun of me. Guess it was me hazing. The day wore on and I started to get a little chafed down under, if ye know what I mean.”
Mika laughed. “Nothing like the squirts to ruin a day-long march.”
Karl’s mouth dropped open. “Never thought somethin’ so foul could come out of such a pretty mouth.”
“Just wait until I throw a fat-ass pinch of chaw in, rearick.” she said, and kept walking.
“Yeah. Anyway, I knew I needed to do a little maintenance down in the nether region,” he motioned toward his ass, “and we were gettin’ close to a thick stand of trees. So, when Krayton called fer a halt and rest, I hobbled out to get a bit of privacy. Bad thing was, I was an embarrassed little prick, so I went a little too far.”
“I see where this is going,” Olaf said.
“Yeah. Bet ye do.” Karl grinned. “With my britches around me ankles, a group of remnant eight or nine strong came crashing through the trees. And there’s me, bits hangin’ in the breeze and a rash in me crack.”
Mika snorted a laugh, another surprising sound to come from the beauty with the ice-blue eyes. “I bet you shrunk up pretty quickly.”
“Let’s just say me turtle went back into his shell, but I was more concerned with livin’ than me pride at this point. I barely got the belt fastened and me hammer up, when the first one was on me. I swung this little sweetheart,” Karl patted the hammer at his hip, “like me first day in the mine, then I swung her again. Crazy thing was, I kept knocking the bastards down, and they just kept on getting back up. Over and over and over again.”
