The Innkeeper's Son

by Jeremy Brooks

  “Are you trying to get us all killed?” Farrus shouted behind him. Sim turned around and faced him unsurely.

  “You can’t go around walking in a bubble, Sim,” Enaya said in a raised voice, though not as vociferous as Farrus had been.

  “You told me to make a warm bubble. That’s what I did.” Sim didn’t understand what had gotten them so upset.

  Enaya shook her head like a mother trying to explain a simple thing to a toddler.

  “I meant that you should make the air around you warmer.” She frowned. “Sim, I’m sorry if I didn’t explain that well. I suppose this is my fault. But you need to understand something. You have a power. Perhaps you’re not a trival like me, but that’s how you’ll be perceived by others who see you use your power. Sim, it is illegal to be an unregistered trival. That means that you can only use your power to perform the task that is allowed to you. If someone happened to be watching us from the distance and saw you walking around in a bubble, it would raise questions and bring us some very unwanted attention. We’re trying to avoid that kind of attention.”

  Sim realized she was right. He imagined himself standing in the distance watching a man walk around encased in a bubble. It was a strange thought.

  “Alright. Give me a break. I’m new at this.”

  Enaya nodded. “You are new at this. I don’t mean to seem so upset. Why don’t you try again, only this time, change the temperature without altering the way you look.”

  Sim tried again. This time he made an image in his mind of walking around in a warm pocket of air. It didn’t seem as hard this time. In only a moment he could feel the warm air all around him. Nothing looked different, it was just warmer. Even the wind that touched him was warm. He looked at Enaya who smiled with approval.

  “It worked,” he said, with satisfaction.

  “Did it, Sim?” she asked. “Are you warm now?”

  “Yes. This is perfect.”

  “Well done,” Enaya said, then drifted close and fell in beside him. She snuck her arm under his and looped him at the elbow. “You don’t mind if I walk with you like this, do you?” she asked sweetly. “I was feeling a bit cold, myself.”

  “I don’t mind.” He liked the way she felt holding his arm, her hips occasionally brushing up against his own.

  They smiled at each other and walked on. For some time they were quiet. Sim looked out at the countryside, trying to take it all in. Everything here was so foreign and different. The fields around them were covered with the tough yellow grass, long and stiff like straw. The trees were sparse and bare, and rock outcroppings dotted the landscape, black piles of boulders like warts festering on skin. It all looked so desolate and deprived of life. He wondered if it was just a by-product of the season. Though the temperature was nearly constant year round, it was considered spring in Caramour. Was it the same here in Perth?

  “Is it always like this here?” he asked.

  “What do you mean?” she replied. Over the last several moments, she had taken to gently rubbing his arm with her free hand. He liked it.

  “It’s so dreary here. It feels like we’re walking through a graveyard.”

  “Not all of Perth is so bleak.” She motioned across the landscape with her hand. “This place is known as Kenneth Fields. About fifteen years ago it was the sight of a battle. A rebellion was defeated by Desirmor’s army on the very grounds we walk. Nearly twenty thousand men, women, and children were killed here, their bodies left to rot. At one time this was a lush green pasture with trees bearing wonderful green apples. Nothing grows here now.”

  Sim sent up a silent prayer for all of the people who had died that day. It didn’t seem right to him that an act of violence could damage the earth itself. He looked out over the rolling yellow fields with regret. I must hold on to this, he thought. He would hold onto every injustice and use it as fuel. His parents murder, the death of Enaya’s father, and this field would all help forge his resolve to stop Desirmor.

  A vision took hold of him. He fell to his knees, releasing Enaya’s arm so he wouldn’t pull her down too. He could feel her rubbing his back. She called his name, but her voice was so far away. The vision began to focus. He closed his eyes and tried to control himself, to remember everything he would see. Unlike the vision in the barn, when he’d seen the sun encircled in a crimson ring, he didn’t feel a sudden onslaught of debilitating sickness. This time he just felt an unbearable weight pressing him down, forcing him to lay flat on the road.

  He saw the field around him change. All of the grass slowly began to turn a vibrant shade of green, standing tall in the fresh, gentle breeze that caressed the land. The trees began to grow leaves, and saplings suddenly emerged from the ground and stretched their limbs quickly reaching their full height beside those that already stood. The leaves burst into life on the branches, green and bright, and apples soon began to appear all over the branches. Little white birds flew about a dazzling blue sky, dancing on the wind, and deer ran in herds across the now lush plain. There was life everywhere, vibrant and real, but something was still wrong. The vision began to change. The landscape shifted and suddenly, Sim could see beneath the earth. Deep under the ground ran a river of white liquid, shining pure with the light of life and existence. A trickle of black abruptly appeared, dripping down from the ground above. It merged with the white river turning it gray, and gradually black. The vision pulled back, and Sim was back in the verdant green pasture once again. The leaves fell away from the trees which in turn deteriorated and fell to the ground. The grass shriveled up and died leaving behind a barren muddy field, devoid of even the yellow tufted grass that grew in the real world. Everything died. The birds fell from the sky, their bodies hitting the ground and decaying in seconds. The sky itself became overcast and gray, the clouds heavy and loud, like a thunderstorm preparing to break. Sim stood up amongst the death and rot. He looked down at his feet and saw blood, crimson and thick pooling around his boots. Then in the distance he heard a sound like children singing. Against the gray horizon, a beam of light shot up into the sky -- one solitary ray of light, pure and true, alone amongst a world of dark.

  The vision melted away, and Sim found himself lying on his back in the middle of the road. Farrus, Givara, and Enaya hovered over him, concern worn plainly on all three faces. He slowly sat up, aided by Farrus who took his hands and pulled. The vision had been vivid, and he remembered all of it.

  “Are you alright?” Enaya pleaded with him. She looked as though she might burst into tears at any moment. She held his face in her hands and searched his eyes. He tried to smile but felt too exhausted to move. The pocket of air he’d created must have vanished when the vision hit because he found himself nearly shivering again.

  “Speak, Sim. What just happened to you?” Farrus implored.

  “I’m fine,” he managed to say weakly. “It was a vision, that’s all.”

  “That’s all!” Enaya practically shouted. “That’s all. You fall to the ground. Your eyes roll back into your head. You start shaking and convulsing, and all you have to tell us is that it was just a vision.”

  “I’m sure it wasn’t that dramatic,” Sim argued. Convulsing?

  “Sim, you’ve been out for nearly five minutes now. We didn’t know what to do.” Farrus steadied his back with a firm, reassuring hand. “Givara was certain you’d been bit by a dagger snake. Apparently they’re native to these parts.” He fixed Givara with a grimace of annoyance. Givara merely snorted and looked away, her arms folded.

  “Are you weak? Can you stand?” Enaya asked helplessly, still holding his face.

  “I feel like I just came out on the losing end of a fight with a mansabull,” he told her. Before he could protest, she wrapped him in the trivarial power. He could see a white glow surrounding her, and he could feel the energy flowing within him. It lasted for only moments, but it took his breath away. When she let go of his head, he felt better. Still weak, but certainly able to continue walking. A long nap would have done
him nicely, though.

  “I’m alright,” he said, getting to his feet. “Let’s keep going.”

  “Now hold on a minute.” Farrus stopped him. “You said you just had a vision. Aren’t you going to tell us what you saw?”

  They all stared at him with great anticipation. Enaya looked especially eager to hear what he’d seen.

  “Well, like most visions I have, it didn’t really make much sense.”

  “Why don’t you tell us, and see if maybe we can make some sense of it then?” Enaya said.

  “I was in this field,” he began, “and it started to burst with life. Everything became green. The grass and trees grew and bloomed, even birds were there flying around. Then I saw under the ground. There was a white river flowing deep down there.” He pointed to the ground at their feet. “Then there was a black liquid that started flowing into the river, and it turned black. When that happened everything died -- the field, the birds, the trees, everything. I was standing in the road, and I looked down and saw blood around my feet, like a big puddle. Then in the distance I heard singing and a beam of light shot into the sky. After that, I woke up.”

  He looked around at the blank confused stares of his companions. Each was deep in thought, trying to decipher the meaning of the vision. Farrus didn’t waste much time on it. He shook his head and shrugged, regarding Sim with an expression of doubt.

  “Doesn’t make a lick of sense to me,” he announced. “But then again, I never was much good at riddles.”

  Enaya and Givara appeared to be having one of their silent conversations. Farrus and Sim waited for one of them to speak. After a moment, Givara turned and began walking down the road. Enaya gestured for them to follow. Farrus merely shrugged.

  “Nothing to offer then?” Sim asked as they began to walk again.

  “I will think on it,” she answered and marched forward.

  Right away Sim warmed the air around himself. It took almost no effort this time. He’d barely grabbed the orange stone and begun to think when he felt the warmth surround his body. Enaya didn’t seem to feel like talking, so Sim amused himself by practicing his new trick. Every few steps, he would force the warmth away, and then will it back. Each time it became easier. After nearly a half an hour of practice he found that he didn’t even need to touch the stone. He could make the air warm simply by willing it to happen. It became boring, so he decided to try something else.

  At first he held the orange stone seeking out small rocks by the side of the road to pick up with his mind and levitate. He kept them low to the ground and let them float along beside him. Enaya’s eyes held the horizon ahead of them. He knew she was lost in her examination of his vision. Keeping the rocks floating low was unobtrusive, and he didn’t think he was risking a passing pair of eyes noticing anything unusual. Just as with the changing of air temperature, Sim found the task of levitating the rocks easier and easier with every attempt. He felt a thrill of excitement, wondering what else he could do. At some point he hoped to have some time alone to really use his imagination.

  “Tell me about Maehril?” Enaya suddenly asked. He hadn’t even realized that she was once again walking at his side. The rock he’d been floating dropped with a soft thump.

  “What? Have you given up on deciphering my vision?”

  Enaya smiled in spite of her obvious frustration. “I never quit, Siminus. Remember that,” she told him, poking him in the chest for emphasis. “Visions are never clear. I just need more time. But for now, tell me about her.”

  “What do you want to know about her?”

  Enaya gave him one of her laughs that indicated he’d asked something foolish. “Everything. Everything you can tell me. Sim, Maehril has the Creator…THE CREATOR…existing within her body, her soul. Your sister is the most important person on the planet not named Siminus Kelmor.”

  Sim thought about Maehril before he spoke. When he considered the way he had acted toward her his whole life, he felt ashamed. Enaya must have read the pain in his eyes because she took his hand in hers and gave it a reassuring squeeze.

  “You have to understand, Enaya," he began, "I didn’t know she was my sister. I didn’t know she was special. When Maehril came to our inn, I was about eleven years old. Sarimus just showed up one day with her, and that was that. Maybe I should have known something was going on. My mother kept her at her side constantly. I just assumed she was an orphan that was coming to stay at our inn. The truth is…I never paid any attention to her. She was always this annoying little girl who followed me around everywhere, always staring at me. I thought she had affections for me. I feel like a fool now. All that time I was trying to avoid her, and all she wanted was for her brother to show her some love.” He could feel the tears coming on. Enaya’s eyes were watering up, making them shimmer as she let him speak.

  “The saddest part was the day the city was attacked. The night before, Sarimus told me to protect her. ‘Take care of Maehril,' he’d said, 'at all costs. The fate of the world may one day depend on her life.’ I ran into her in the hallway just before the explosions started. I knocked her over. She’d been carrying some linens so I stooped down to help her pick them up. When I looked at her, she was different. I mean she was the same girl, but there was this light shining around her. All around. It was so pure. I’d never seen it before. Now that I know who she really is, I wonder if I was seeing the part of her that held the Creator. Like it was the Creator’s light. I know that sounds like madness, but it was so real.”

  “I don’t think that sounds like madness, Sim," Enaya said, regarding him with a gentle look that Sim had never seen from her before. It felt as though she was seeing him for the first time. “I think you may be right.”

  “Maybe,” he said, “but I failed her anyway. Sarimus and my parents told me to guard her, and I failed. I’m worried about her, Enaya. She can’t protect herself. She’s so small, and she’s a mute. Did you know that?” Enaya shook her head. “She is. Maehril’s never spoken a word.” They walked quietly for a moment as Sim continued to think about his sister. “You know…when I think about it, I’ve never seen her upset. She always has a smile. No matter what. I wish I’d noticed that before. Do you think that has something to do with the stain? You know, because she was born pure. Maybe she’s always happy because there’s no darkness in her, only light.”

  “I think I’ve been wrong about you Siminus,” Enaya said with a devious smile. “I keep thinking of you as a bumpkin. And to a small degree you are…though it’s not your fault. But every now and then you say something very wise, as you did just now, and I see you for what you are.”

  “And what am I, Enaya?” he asked with a smirk.

  “You’re an honorable man, Siminus.” She gave his hand a playful squeeze. “A man I think I can believe in.”

  They walked hand in hand smiling at one another, when they came to the top of a small rise and saw the city looming suddenly in the distance. It lay on the horizon, shimmering from the smoky haze of industry. Tall towers reached high into the sky at its center with smaller buildings fanning out to its outer reaches. A sheer cliff ran off the north side of the city dropping down into the ocean that stretched out to the world beyond. To the east of the city, there looked to be another town altogether. It looked like a sea of tiny white houses with thin lines of smoke rising into the air from at least half of them.

  “Is that a Cortella?” he asked, pointing a finger in its direction. Enaya nodded. “It’s so big.” Were that many people really suffering with poverty in this part of the world?

  They continued to follow the road, every step bringing them closer to the city. The sun was slowly beginning it’s descent toward the horizon, and Sim expected that they had maybe a few more hours of daylight.

  Then up in the road far ahead, he noticed a man standing alone. Enaya noticed him as well because he heard her curse softly under her breath.

  “Master Farrus,” she called behind her. Farrus grunted a reply. “There’s trouble up ah
ead. Keep your wits about you. Let me know if anyone tries to challenge our backside.”

  “He looks to be a beggar, my Lady,” Givara announced from ahead.

  “Perhaps, but I don’t want to take any chances. Keep your eyes on the sides of the road. This smells like an ambush to me,” Enaya ordered, with a fierce edge to her tone.

  As they drew closer, Sim got a better look at the man. He appeared to be middle aged, but very raggedy. He had greasy gray hair that seemed to stick to the sides of his dirty, bearded face. The brown coat he wore was torn and frayed, and his gray trousers were visibly tattered and ripped. He stood calmly, almost too relaxed, with his hands folded unthreateningly in front of him. Sim didn’t notice a sword of any kind hanging at his hip, but that didn’t mean he wasn’t concealing a dagger or two. Though he didn’t look like a threat, Sim still felt apprehensive as they came to a stop in front of him.

  “Good day, my Lady,” he called out cheerfully, with a grin that showed a mouth missing several teeth. The teeth that remained in his mouth were all yellow and gray.

  “Good day, kind sir,” Enaya replied politely. “Is there something we can help you with?”

  The man scratched his scraggly, gray beard. “This road here is a toll road. You need to pay up.” He held out a gnarled, dirt covered hand and smiled.

  “I don’t recall the Governor of Nal’Dahara making that declaration. Was it made recently?”

  “Yes. Yes. Ah…just a few days ago, actually. I’m the new toll collector.” Sim noticed the man shifting about uncomfortably as he spoke.

  “Very well. What do I owe you today?” Enaya asked pleasantly.

  The smile slipped off of the man's face, and his eyes took on a faintly wild look. He licked his lips several times and pointed at Enaya.