by Matt Wilk
“Stay right there.”
Kane mocked m. He left me frozen in the victorious pose, knowing full well I felt the pain.
“I cannot believe this worked. Congratulations, little Monster Hunter.”
Caliya followed her father to the east. Two days’ worth of memories were replayed separately from within the tree line. The Lantos examined the Opa, who had actually been examining me the whole time. When they were finished calling observations out to their notaries, they marched in on me with hungry eyes.
“No surgeon, no stitches, and no sun light.”
“Sir?”
“How did you survive?”
His voice shook through the dream state. Another bolt of light and pain dropped me to my knees. I was kneeling before a fire. Major Swiftblade was looking away. Wine poured all down my front. Kane was slapping through the image of Dooza and demanding answers. Try as I might, I had no control over the memory. However, Caliya realized that I was conjuring it in the front of my mind and she moved us on to the healing pools.
“Eighty one years I’ve lived in Embraun! Eighty one years you hid this from me!”
“Father, she is an ally.”
“This is how the Clovus exact revenge. Look at the power of this secret grove.”
“Please, be quiet.”
A hush fell over the council, but the Princess did not fear her father the way they did. She knelt down next to the head of the pool. Reaching in and grabbing hold of my hilt, she brought forth Dooza to initiate the memory.
“Show me what was written in the Lexicon. Show me Gojinus the Devil.”
They gasped from the lack of color. I rejoiced from the ability to move.
“Three Island Summit, Vacation Home of the Swillian royals.”
“Goja- by the gods- he looks just like Goja!”
“How beautiful.”
There were only three instances of color shining through all of the dull grey. The Emperor's eyes were glowing red, as was the entire body of Gojinus out in the field. And his mother, the crown jewel of the empire. She gave birth to only one son, and never wanted for more. Her golden hair was brighter than the sun that day. Her eyes, a mesmerizing blue that caused half the council to stare. Kane and Sillah McCallus were busy investigating the palace for holes in security. I spent the time observing my father in his movements. He was handsome and confident, walking with his chest out and jaw raised. If the circumstances were changed, we would have made a fine team, fighting in the streets for gold and food and respect. My spots were his spots, and the spots of the Emperor. But, the guile and thirst for knowledge, they were special attributes that only we shared. And, of course, we were plenty different as well. He took on the role of a power hungry lunatic at the ripe old age of ten. In that way, he was just like every other Swillian royal, and I was merely a peasant from the slums of Ulfbar South.
“Why have I never heard of her before?”
“News of her son’s passing broke her. She leapt from a cliff to the rocks below.”
“I see a pattern emerging.”
“Indeed.”
The council turned its eyes my way. I too saw the pattern. I had had no will power before, however, mentioning Leiza with a roll of the eyes changed that. I held out my arms and wiggled my fingers the way Dooza had done. They looked unimpressed, until the waves washed the memory away. We were standing on the mountain next to the healing pool, all of us.
“Finally. What took you so long?”
Kane wanted to glance right over the fact that his new machine failed to control the Swillian runt. Sillah squinted suspiciously, unconvinced that I was ever supposed to resist. We raced forward to a time when Kane was mentioned in a positive light. Scaring Jyetta into getting the sickness over with made him appear strong. After listening to the speech I made on his behalf, he clapped.
“That Crow is going places. He will always remember this day as the day the truth was revealed to him by an honest man. The Chron will hold you down for days to ink your face in a display of power. King Kane will simply make you disappear from existence.”
The council joined him in his slow clap, and the memory shook itself apart. My body was still being drawn to the statue when my eyes opened in real life. The Lantos removed their hands from the pools on their desks, freeing the hilt from the machine. Kane curled his little finger, summoning me to his side.
“Listen, Cadet.”
The Lady McCallus and the other Matthius got up to leave. They all nodded to one another. Kane rubbed at his face, not from the interruption, but due to a lack of words.
“I’m not sure, how best to say...”
The princess held up her finger to me and whispered his way. He nodded, seemingly relieved.
“Let this be the first and last time you ever hear these words. On behalf of the Logistical Operations Division, allow me to offer an apology. You did not deserve the mark. I am so sorry that happened to you Matthius.”
“That’s fine, Princess. I was surprised that I did not earn it sooner. Besides, now normal people will leave me alone. I am a freak, the freaks are my people.”
“That is an excellent attitude to have. However, there is a process for making amends. Please accept this offering and stay at the Weary Lamb tonight. Bathe and relax for a day before your long journey back to Ram’s Peak.”
Caliya held out her hand and gave me three silver. It was more money than I had ever had before, and the look on my face told them so. Kane could not apologize, but his daughter more than made up for that.
“One day, my dear boy, you will understand. Every man has a purpose. You may live for that purpose and never achieve it, and you may die for that purpose without ever having known.”
“I understand now, sire. The gods are always watching, always judging. Everything in life is a test, and must be treated thusly.”
I unwrapped the long tooth from its hiding place. The tooth rested on my chest and all of my hair fell down after it. They nodded, and I saluted. Then, they got up to leave.
“Wait. I mean, excuse me sire. You usually allow me a single question.”
“Apologies, dear boy. What is it that ails you?”
“Do you know what happened to Kru?”
Kane looked at his daughter with a quizzical tilt of the head. Caliya smiled and her face flushed. She knew to whom I was referring. The last notary, presumably hers, giggled at the ridiculous nature of questioning the King and Commander about a dog that was never mine.
“Matthius, he was sent to Kowena for war dog training.”
“How long does that take?”
The notary excused herself before losing control. Kane followed her out, rolling his eyes around as he did. Caliya did not mind the tone because she shared in the joy of our memories.
“The gods played the trick on that one. As it turns out, he was not a runt at all. In fact, he is the first of a smaller and smarter brood. So, he was selected for breeding.”
“Good. Thank you. Good for him- just like Jyetta.”
She covered her face with her hands, cringing and shaking her head.
“That’s not the same thing. You are such a savage.”
“Thank you for your honesty Princess.”
I bowed to her. She shook her head some more and waved goodbye to go and giggle with her friend. I did get somewhat lost trying to find the Weary Lamb. However, I was much too hungry to give up. With three silver coins in my vest, I lowered my head no more. The mark of shame was a mistake that I could proudly bare just above my lion’s tooth. I was glad to be called a marker. It seemed, to me, to be the one insult worse than any mention of my Swillian spots. And so, it did not hurt my feelings one bit.
Outside of the slums in south Ulfbar, the Weary Lamb was the single oldest brick and lumber construction that I had ever seen. They had a side yard cleared for expansion, but, especially given the outdated name, right about twenty years ago the Goat Pox convinced them otherwise. The rear corner of the yard was repurposed for a smal
l private bath house and the rest was scattered with tables and chairs. The bar just inside the entrance was sparsely populated. Thankfully, they were all peasants and freaks like myself, so no one bothered to make a scene of my mark.
“Bar Keep. Sir, you have a room for Matthius.”
“You got yer chock son?”
I looked around in an exaggerated manner, knocking my shells together loudly.
“Do you have any idea the price for donning this uniform as an impostor?”
The attendant behind the bar rolled his eyes, but the older man knew what I said to be true. I turned full around and parted my hair to show my hilt. The room was not exactly pleased by my display of Lantos related authority. The whispers fell so quiet that I could hear the crackling fire and the squeaky rag wiping the inside of a glass mug.
“Alright son, calm down.”
The Bar Keep pulled a chock from under the bar. A keyed loop was run through it with the number eight carved into the wood.
“Yer room eight. You got from mid-day to mid-day. You break anything, the guards will hear of it.”
“Thank you sir.”
“Run along now. Yer scaring my customers.”
I nearly did run- right out of the place. The other patrons were giving me the dirtiest of looks. In my best act of misdirection, I moved quickly to the stairwell across the room and stopped loud. I turned, pretending to be lost in a question, scratching at my face. The mark of shame became so obvious that people turned to look without worry that I might catch them staring. Then I walked up the stairs listening to the noise level return to normal. Some of the women folk suggested that I must have spoken out of turn to Kane or his daughter and my term as a Commando would soon be terminated. They also loudly floated the question about the monthly amount of pay I received. It was the most open display of harlotry imaginable, and it had me smiling from ear to ear. My mood changed upon reaching my room and finding the door to be unlocked. I could feel a presence on the other side. I quietly lifted off my shell and spun it around front for a shield. Then I kicked the door open and rolled in to take a defensive position in the far corner.
“Are you drunk already?”
My face turned red so deeply that I could see it with my own eyes. Waiting on my bed was the Lantos women who had replaced Bratley at the front gate. She had a bored look on her face, despite my surprising introduction. Her short black hair did not fool me, as her green eyes, pale skin, and bright red freckles looked to be a gift from her fathers.
“Another McCallus? I did not know there were so many. I am Matthius, and you are?”
“Ugh, marker. I am Jee. That is all you need to know.”
“Well met, uh, Jee.”
“We did not meet. You do not know me, especially in public. I don’t know what the princess see’s in you, a teenage barbarian savage.”
“Yes ma’am, understood. Thank you for the many insults. Good bye.”
“Excuse you? I am in charge here.”
“Will you be getting to the point then?”
“I will. Once you lower your voice, close the door, and lock it up.”
I rolled my eyes at her and locked the door, waiting for the secret message. The room was so plain that I mistook a chest for a foot rest. She was pointing to it, but staring at the open space under the door.
“Your primary mission is to deliver the chest to Major Swiftblade. Don’t open it!”
I moved it to the bed and looked inside immediately. Jee kicked my hand with her little foot but it did not hurt at all. Under some hay, I found fresh powder bags and my stomach rejoiced. Digging a little deeper, I found a set of three brand new Nitrosus cartridges. Jee kicked out again, digging her heels into the lid. The chest slammed shut with my fingers still inside.
“Owie!”
Jee slapped me with one hand, and put a finger over my lips with the other.
“Oh my, you big brute. You didn’t pay for all that.”
Her ploy worked well. Whomever was listening, just outside of the door, walked off giggling with the fool in her company.
“Your secondary mission, idiot, is to infiltrate the drug smuggling ring based out of the Weary Lamb.”
“Ugh. I should have known.”
“Shut up- shut up- shut up!”
I folded my hands and forced a courteous smile. While Jee fumed at me, I sat on the bed and waited patiently for her to regain her composure.
“You have experienced the Root of Colors before. Someone in Embraun is distributing this drug.”
“Oh no, someone will walk all wobbly and see funny colors. Where am I, in the White Coal Nation?”
“They are not here to amuse anyone. This drug is poisonous, especially mixed with alcohol. No one is seeing funny colors you idiot. The people are suffering through horrible waking nightmares and then their organs begin to fail. Are you concerned now?”
“Yes ma’am, I’m sorry for interrupting.”
Jee straightened her clothing and bounced her wig. Satisfied with having established dominance over the young man many times her size, without a word, she hopped off the bed and left.
“Well, now we have soap.”
Jee did not wait downstairs in the bar, however, I knew that the Lantos would not leave me to uproot a drug smuggling operation on my own. The hour grew later and the patrons filed in. I was well hidden at the far side of the bar, shell tucked under the bed with the chest stuffed inside. Only one other man bore the mark on his chin. His bearded face was so heavily inked that I did not notice until he was wiping away a spill caused by the giggling harlots. His mates all joined him in exposing the massive arms of a metalsmith and comparing sizes. Their odor convinced the bar back to open the window on their side of the room.
“Bar Keep, one beer please.”
“We don’t take teeth for pay son.”
“Wait, I have one whole silver.”
The older man took my silver coin and inspected it for flaws. When he slid the thing into the closed safe, he nodded to the bar back. The younger man was barely older than myself, and clearly jealous of my hilt. He could ignore me no longer. Just like Priest Sloan, the status and the service meant nothing to the boy, he only cared for the regenerative capability and the unnaturally long life. He kept his words short and his tone ugly with disrespect.
“So, a beer is three copper- or four?”
“Four. That leaves you enough for two, and a tip as well.”
“Oh my, thank you. Of course, here you are.”
The bar back was uninterested in becoming friends, or so much as revealing his name. I knew the price of a beer to be two coppers. His face did not flinch at overcharging me and he took his tip with another expressionless nod. I did not possess any of the power exhibited by Princess Caliya, but still, I tried to make him choke his self with all my might. Before I could slip the five copper into my vest, a harlot sat down beside me and stole one.
“Hello there.”
“Um, hello stranger. I believe that was mine.”
“You still got enough for another beer, eh Jullo?”
“That’s right, hon.”
The woman had such bright golden hair that her brown eyes struck me as odd. Out of instinct, I checked every bit of exposed skin for spots. She looked a stranger, and I had certainly never met her before, but she smelled familiar.
“You like what you see?”
“Oh, sorry. I thought I recognized you.”
“And here I thought the Lantos didn’t hire eunuchs.”
The bar back, Jullo, laughed with the girl. Their little trick went unnoticed by the head Bar Keep, mainly because he too was distracted by a red headed harlot with her breasts spilling out of her too tight blouse. When I looked back to my right, the girl was already walking back to her table. She was shaking her hips with every step and Jullo was fully enjoying the show. I, however, was more concerned with her tightly wound bun. The knot of hair was held together by two throwing knives. I closed my eyes and felt my way outwa
rds with the hilt.
“I knew it.”
“Knew what?”
Jullo was quick to react to my statement, as if I had figured out that he was a crook.
“That harlot just took my coin. Can you believe that?”
“Ah, worth the show. Go and get it back, I dare you.”
I took my mug of beer to the other side of the bar. It was heavier than I thought. I was so focused on not spilling the hot poison on my hands that I got lost from looking down. My feet carried me to the window that looked out onto the courtyard. I turned my back on everyone and pretended to play with my lion’s tooth. The harlot that had robbed me was simply doing whatever she had to do to gain the trust of the bar back. When I had focused on it, I felt her hilt humming a calm tune outward. Over and over, I heard her name, ‘Captain Besha, Captain Besha.’
Since the Bar Keep himself had to be distracted, I knew he was not at fault. Against the noise of the travelers and off duty workers, I did not hear the excess coin slid into the safe. Jullo kept them hidden in a secret pocket in his belt. Staring at him would have been a mistake, and the same went for approaching Captain Besha. I sighed from being all alone. What followed was a collective drawing in of the breath from every harlot in the room. The sound of loneliness- their call to arms. I thought a phoenix had come to save me, but, he was only there to ignite the lighting globe in the courtyard. The poor sod that had melted on the low wall was taken by surprise. He was so drunk, when the light exploded from all around him, he slowly stood to check his seat for the fire that he had not noticed. I laughed at his stupidity, especially given his proximity to the stinking bath houses. I raised my mug to him and took a deep swig. I spit half of the nasty stuff back into the mug as politely as I could muster, and was promptly busted by Jullo.
“You don’t like it?”
“Sorry, I’m used to freezing cold water from the stream. Just burnt my tongue is all.”
