“I only wanted some recognition,” the Goddess of Chaos whimpers. She sprouts several pairs of eyes around her body to cry multi-colored tears. “Do you know where the toys came from?”
“No.”
“I heard people mention Everthorne.”
“That dump?”
Yola grins and bounces on her toes while a gleeful idea forms in her head. “We can go to the city and cause trouble for the champions. Then the people behind these toys will have to make a figurine of me. Please help me, Trinity. I really want this. More than anything else I ever wanted or thought I wanted. Even more than that bunny you got me last year. It was delicious by the way. I promise I won’t ask you for anything else and I’ll take the blame when the master gets angry.”
“You’re just going to do it without me if I say no,” Trinity mutters, silently wishing she could trade places with Nyder. Rising to her feet, she grabs Yola by the shoulders and stares deep into her kaleidoscopic eyes. “Focus on me. We’re going to do this my way. These dolls might be more dangerous than we thought. The champions can rally a massive army against us if their fame spreads and turns people into crazed followers like it did here. I’m going to send a few of these toys to Nyder, so he can tell the Baron what’s going on. That way we don’t get into much trouble. We’ll come up with a plan to find the place that is making these, but we’re going to be cunning here. No crazy stuff.”
The goddess hugs her friend and spins into the air, both of them disappearing in a burst of black energy. Seconds later, another figure appears out of the roses and crawls to where Yola once stood. This naked woman with red and silver hair sniffs at the ground, practically burrowing her face into the dirt. Her spindly limbs thicken and contract as she stands and licks the mud off her narrow nose. Eyes of every color appear around the woman’s head to scan the area, most of them popping like bubbles when they do not find what they are looking for. The only pair left are a dull gray that gives the illusion of absorbing any moonlight that touches her face. Grabbing the edge of the flower patch, she yanks it up and over her to body create a black dress that is covered in roses and thorns.
“Keep running, little Yola,” the woman whispers to wind. “My time in your shadow is coming to an end.”
4
The narrow road to Everthorne cuts through a vast briar forest that makes journeying north a frustrating challenge. Travelers are forced to walk in single file as their appointed guide makes sure the solitary road has not been overgrown. It is a grueling path with painful barbs attacking anyone who strays too far to the side, which can be anywhere from a yard to a few inches. Large creatures are in greater danger of being injured, which is why Timoran has covered every speck of exposed skin with the exception of his nose. Even with the green moonlight, the area is dark and using torches runs the risk of the entire forest igniting and killing everyone on the road. So the slumbering barbarian remains entombed in layers while Fizzle rests on his chest, the pair filling the night with a chorus of snores. The others are more comfortable, but not by much as every movement makes them jolt back to consciousness. Nyx and Sari are tied to each other, the gypsy using her powers to prevent them from rolling into the briar during their restless slumber. Delvin lies between Luke and Dariana, who are carefully watching the warrior. Both of them are able to use bouts of meditation to recover their strength, so they switch every hour.
The emerald light from Canst gives the surrounding briar forest an eerie atmosphere that is routinely broken by the deep breathing of their guide’s mount. Ahead of the adventurers, the blue-skinned ice goblin tenderly brushes the hair of the large beast that has been widening the path with its girth. Nearly twelve feet tall, the brown-furred creature is exhausted from stomping and devouring the plants that have grown onto the path. Sharpened tusks stick horizontally from the mount’s mouth, curving inward as if designed to hold whatever they catch. With a yawn, the beast raises its twin trunks into the air where the goblin can scrub them with a soft brush. The noise that comes from the massive creature is a pleasant rumble that reminds the meditating champions of a dog laughing. It is an oddly calming noise since it drowns out the serpentine shifting of the ever-growing briars.
“I can see why Everthorne has a trading problem,” Luke mentions as his eyes open. He moves Delvin’s outstretched hand away from some thorns, crossing the limb over his friend’s chest. “I heard their docks are surrounded by dangerous rocks, so only small ships can get through. That’s why it’s weird that these toys would come directly from them. Even as one of the Sister Cities, Everthorne has always been on the financial brink.”
“Then why are they so important and how do they survive?” Dariana asks, glancing over her shoulder at the goblin and his mount. “That shaggy creature makes me nervous. I remember hairless types in the jungles and plains. They only had one trunk and the tusks weren’t as deadly looking, but they would attack without provocation.”
Luke watches the beast as it stretches one of its trunks toward a bushel of bananas that its rider is holding. “The alconeri have been tame for a long time, so I wouldn’t worry. To answer your question, Everthorne is a foothold on the northern coast. It sits between the Swamp of the Sun and the Ice Fields, but it’s a mild temperature zone. A few hundred years ago, people believed it was blessed during the Great Cataclysm, so there was a race to claim it. The calicos won even though they’re originally from Cerascent. This makes Everthorne their only city on Ralian, which gives it some influence. The city is kind of like an alliance between Serab and the Calican Nation.”
“I never had the stomach for politics,” Dariana replies as she carefully stands. She stretches her arms over her head, her white eyes watching the coiling briar. “I don’t understand why either side would let the city suffer. There must be something that can be done.”
“I assume they send what they can, but Everthorne has a strange system when it comes to politics and economics. My father tried to deal with them when I was ten and he eventually gave up,” Luke explains while rubbing his legs. He goes into a crouch when it looks like Nyx and Sari are about to topple over, but relaxes when they move back into a safe position. “They have these nobles called Pillars. I haven’t heard much about them, which isn’t surprising. These people wear masks when in meetings with local and foreign politicians. I’ve heard that even they don’t know the identity of every member. My dad ran into the common problem of some Pillars agreeing to a trade agreement and others saying no, which created a confusing stalemate. This happened during a period where one side wasn’t talking to the other or something childish like that. He couldn’t figure out who he was supposed to talk to, so he gave up and settled for using a middle man to get supplies through their docks. I’m dreading the mess we’re walking into if we have to deal with them.”
Dariana sits down again, placing Delvin’s booted feet in her lap. “So how do they survive? Why not change the system?”
“Pillars fight, but they come from all life,” the ice goblin interrupts from atop its mount. She rubs the icicles that grow from her chin and flashes a toothless smile. “They have great insight and push for what is right for their life. When city on edge, they find common ground. City will always survive even if it not thrive like siblings. Be warned that one does not insult Pillars within Everthorne. Never know if talking to one.”
With a friendly cackle the ice goblin climbs onto the alconeri’s back and nestles within the thick fur. Luke and Dariana go back to their meditation, a fraction of their attention remaining on Delvin and his attempts to move in his sleep. Within minutes, they have fallen into trances where their thoughts drift together and they find themselves standing within an open field. The knee-high reeds whistle in the wind, screaming whenever a griffin passes overhead. Stiletto bounds around the area, happily barking at the snake fiend that is hiding in the branches of a solitary tree. The serpentine creature hisses at the friendly dog before leaping to the ground and burrowing out of sight.
A cold b
reeze traps the reeds in a layer of frost that cracks at the slightest touch. Two ghostly forms float out of the earth and climb to the sky where they hover. When one of the figures punches the other, Luke is knocked to his knees by a sudden pain in his chest. The specters brawl among the clouds with every blow being felt by the confused half-elf. He tries to get back to his feet when he hears the griffin crash in the distance and sees Stiletto cowering beneath a tree. The snake fiend reappears in agony and thrashes among the icy reeds, nearly striking Dariana with its poisonous tail.
“Silence!” the silver-haired woman screams. Images of Sari and Kira rush into her mind when she freezes the feuding ghosts. “This isn’t an accident. What are you doing to yourself, Luke?”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” he gasps, avoiding her piercing gaze. The half-elf stumbles over to where the griffin has landed, a swath of crushed reeds showing him the way. “I guess I picked up a few random spirits while meditating. I’m sure they won’t be a problem again. I can only change into beasts anyway.”
“Please don’t try to trick me. I know those are phantoms of Kira and Sari,” Dariana calmly points out as she dispels the squirming beings. The field regains its warmth and roses bloom from the tops of the reeds, but half of the flowers are a disgusting green. “I can taste the guilt and fear that created them. You’re blaming yourself for their pain and locking it away in your subconscious. People can’t do this to themselves without causing damage. Why do none of you understand what happens when you let your mind suffer in silence?”
“Shouldn’t you be apologizing for invading my thoughts,” Luke snaps. He leaps away from a disembodied limb that kicks at his head and blocks an ice-covered knee that leaves his hands aching. “What do you want me to say? They know I blame myself, but they continue to pursue me because they also know I’m in love with both of them. I ruined their lives and locked them in this stupid game. It may have been Kira’s traditions that set things in motion, but I could have refused Sari and stuck to my own culture. I thought going along with things would make Kira happy and help Sari heal from losing her clan. I was wrong. Now both of them are suffering because of me. I can’t even stay by Kira’s side when she needs me and I’m sure she’s worried that her absence is giving Sari an advantage.”
“You had to leave her side because you have a destiny to follow.”
“We’re chasing down a toymaker! Not going after a temple or battling the Baron’s minions!”
“Attack me and release your negativity.”
“What?”
“Please do so or I will attack you. This is for your benefit.”
The half-elf stares at his companion for a few seconds before he feels a sickening rage roil within his gut. Realizing that he has to cleanse his mind, Luke charges Dariana to throw an awkward punch that she catches by the wrist. With a flick of her arm, she flips the warrior onto his back and pins him to the ground. Stiletto hurries to help his friend, but is rendered unconscious by a blast of energy that erupts from an eye in the back of the woman’s head. The other beasts remain where they are, confused about if they should help Luke or stay where it is safe.
“I agree that this is a deviation from our true purpose, but it is still connected,” Dariana calmly states, easily keeping the half-elf restrained. She plunges her hand through her friend’s chest and the earth beneath him, the wound leaking black ooze instead of blood. “You know that we cannot do this without your help. It never crossed your mind to leave for Gaia and abandon us, so don’t tell me you’re not concerned about these toys. Something about this mystery has your interest.”
“I don’t know what you want from me,” Luke says as he stops struggling. He relaxes as he feels his guilt and pain ebb from his body, the negativity being replaced by a soothing calm that brings tears to his eyes.
“I want nothing,” the telepath replies before releasing him. She revives Stiletto and creates a leg of lamb for him to devour. “You should figure out what you want. I sense you already made a choice, but fear that it will change after you make it.”
The forest tracker stays on his back among the rose-topped reeds and stares at the darkening sky. “If I choose one then I crush the other. Maybe it’s better if I choose neither and get them to hate me. Then again, there’s a downside to that too. It would be tough traveling with Sari after that, which could put all of us in danger. I’m also not sure what Kira would do since she claims to have nobody else.”
“I know very little about relationships, but I’m realizing a few things by watching all of you,” Dariana claims while rubbing her throbbing temples. Her form becomes transparent as her distant body is touched by the dawning sun. “Nyx and Delvin are not together, but they talk about their feelings. Him directly and her inadvertently when he’s standing behind her. I don’t know why that is. He knows her reasons for distance and is being patient, which is why there is no pain there. You keep everything pent up, releasing it in spurts whenever cornered. Sari is trying to figure herself out while worrying about you. I sensed Kira was doing the same while reveling in being with you when she needed you the most. They are more than willing to be honest and open like you were at the beginning. From what I’ve seen, it was when you confessed to Sari that you became emotionally conflicted. Not only about them, but about your own journey. You exist between two lives and the woman you choose will determine the overall path you take. Just like your grandfather and your father. Maybe it is part of the Callindor wanderlust that your beloved sets the pace for your future. Still, you will find yourself alone and broken if you continue to keep things hidden.”
“Maybe I deserve it,” Luke mentions before a painful slap wakes him from his trance. He stares at Dariana as her eyes open, her fingertips bleeding from blindly scraping against a coil of briar. “You’re really taking this seriously.”
“I’m sorry to have struck you, but you are my friend,” she replies as she wraps a strip of cloth around her hand. “You have been very kind to me, so I refuse to watch you get hurt even by your own hand. Please find some time to talk to Sari and be honest. You owe her that and I feel you have much to say to her.”
“Please time it for when we get out of the briar forest,” Delvin adds, startling the pair. Luke and Dariana move away from the groaning warrior, noticing that the others are already awake. “I think I speak for all of us when I say we’ll give you two some privacy in Everthorne. After business of course.”
Luke turns to see Sari staring at him from behind Nyx, the gypsy’s eyes filled with curiosity and fear. All the embarrassed half-elf can muster is a silent nod, which she returns with a half-hearted smile. He tucks his hands into his pockets and flips over the others, drawing his swords to slash at the thorny plants that lance up to grab him. A burst of air guides him safely to the path and he moves to follow the plodding alconeri as it continues along the path.
*****
A dark tunnel covers the last mile of the briar forest, the damp path leading under the immense fortress that acts as the government building for Everthorne. The adventurers emerge to the sight of icy hills to the east and the glow of a murky swamp to the west, which is both beautiful and disorienting. As they walk along the poorly paved streets, the champions expect to be hit by a blast of cold or a wall of heat. Instead, they are greeted by pleasant weather as they are led by a white-tailed calico named Jani, the friendly girl dressed in the gold shirt of a city greeter. With her glittering top and well-pressed pants, their cheery guide stands in alarming contrast to the drab appearance of Everthorne. Most of the buildings are two-story structures with bare walls of hardened mud and crudely thatched rooftops. Symbols and numbers are painted above the wooden doors to identify the place as a business or residence. Within minutes, the citizens are timidly approaching the familiar figures and extending their cherished toys to be touched. Unlike the mob in Gods’ Voice, the people act with a sense of calm reverence and child-like awe. The loudest noise that they make is a barely audible thank you
before they return to their daily life.
When the adventurers reach the simple docks, Jani brings them to a four-story restaurant that has been decorated with flags from around the world. Bringing them inside, the young calico waves to the bartender who points upstairs. The champions are softly cheered as they walk through the busy public bar and take the simple stairs. Following their guide, they climb to the top floor where they find a single room with a finely crafted table and matching chairs waiting for them. Two suits of recently polished armor flank the doorway and banners of red silk run along the rafters. The windows are wide open on the ocean side, giving the adventurers a clear view of the craggy bay and splashing mermaids. It is a beautiful and comfortable room, which the champions sense is a rarity in Everthorne.
“The Pillars will send for you when they have gathered at the fortress,” Jani announces while bowing at the waist. She hands out menus and lingers at Nyx before turning to reveal a battered figurine of the channeler that was hidden beneath her long shirt. “Please relax and order whatever you want. I’d recommend any of the seafood because the merfolk catch it fresh every morning. For drinks, we have a wide selection of ales and wines.”
“I take it each greeter works for specific businesses,” Delvin casually mentions as he examines one of the suits of armor. He catches the smell of tobacco from the visor and wonders if the helmet has been thoroughly cleaned or only made to look nice. “You guide visitors to the inns and restaurants that hired you. That’s actually a pretty smart tactic. I’ll have crab legs and whatever Dwarven ale your bartender keeps hidden in the back. A cup of coffee too if you happen to have any.”
The Merchant of Nevra Coil (Legends of Windemere Book 8) Page 10
