by David Greer
Chapter 21
Rolling golden hills made up the landscape as the hunters traveled further north. Colored by wild poppy flowers, the hills were bright and colorful and seemed to literally radiate golden. Nestled on one of these hills was the town of Khurt, a small town just a few miles south of the Windy Pass and the last settlement the three hunters would come by on their trek north.
“You know for a town surrounded by flowers you'd think it'd look nicer.” Grimey said as he observed the aged wooden houses and shops. The town wasn't run down like the southern bank of Greenwater, in fact it was rather well maintained. There weren't any boards used to patch up holes or broken windows in Khurt. The town was simply old with a rustic feel, which clashed with the liveliness and brightness of the flower-covered hills.
“It has its charm.” Kane said.
As usual, Grimey did a double-take at the sound of Kane's voice. It had been days since he last heard the muscular islander speak. Grimey had grown fond of the quiet fellow. At first he had been unsure of Kane's character. He was only known as the large silent guy that accompanied Leo when the two would pass through Quarry Town. Never heard to have spoken a single word. Somebody so quiet wasn't easily trusted. Now, he was Kane, fellow hunter and traveling companion. Grimey recalled the standoff between them the first time they left Quarry. The tension ran so high between the two it could be cut with an axe. While the two had not grown into friends since then, there was an amiable respect between them. What did it for Grimey was the massive deadling attack on Quarry. The reason was simple: Kane was one hell of a hunter.
The deadling attack all those days ago was the first time Grimey saw what sort of skills Kane had. The way he wielded the spear and controlled the distance between himself and the beasts was masterful. Even though surrounded, there was no point at which Kane was in any real danger. Well done, Grimey thought, well done indeed.
As the three followed a path that sloped upward toward the town Grimey's attention shifted to what was ahead of them. Another new place. Another chance to discover new monsters and ways to hunt them. Another chance to discover new ales. The bearded hunter smiled. Maybe this traveling business wasn't all that bad.
“They got anything like exploding rats here?” Grimey asked.
Leo turned with a smile, “If you thought the rats were strange just wait until you see what inhabits the hills behind the town.”
Kane had walked ahead of the others without looking back. He soon disappeared in the small town. Leo shrugged at Grimey. “I guess we'll stay here for a night before moving on. Hey, where are you going?”
“Find me some ale!” Grimey hollered back without turning.
Not wanting to be left alone, Leo followed the bearded hunter into Khurt. It was an uphill walk. The entire town was built on a hillside so the only way to go was up. The two hunters passed by small houses which steadily grew in size as they climbed further up. The main road curved, the hunters passed another group of houses that seemed to be closer together than the previous group. In fact the buildings clustered closer and closer as they neared the center of town, which made their road narrow as well.
Grimey, however, was little bothered by the cluster of houses and narrow road. He was driven by a usual thirst for a refreshing mug. By some innate instinct he navigated to the center of town and found himself in the town square. The buildings and houses opened up into a courtyard with a small fountain at its center. Similar to Port, there was an inn, and shops, one of which was marked with a wooden sign etched with the unmistakable image of a beer mug.
His palate grew anxious. The bearded hunter charged through the doors on a mission for ale. It had been too long since his last drink at Greenwater. Leo, who didn't share the same enthusiasm for ale, reluctantly followed.
“Leo. Haven't seen you in a while. Where you been?” The bartender said with a less than friendly tone.
“I went home and then had some traveling to do.” Leo answered. Grimey raised his eyebrows in surprise. The bearded hunter hadn't seen Leo do anything so far to suggest he frequented a bar. Borland in Port never heard of Leo and Gus in Greenwater had only known of the islander but had never seen him. Regardless, Grimey still wanted some ale.
“Hey lad, can I get -” Grimey started but was silenced when the bartender raised a finger.
“You have some work to do hunter. In the hills.” The bartender said. His eyes never left Leo.
“Well we're heading through the Windy Pass. I suppose we can do your town a favor and take our time.” Leo said. Grimey cocked his head to the side. He had never heard Leo speak with hostility in his voice before.
“Very well then.” The bartender turned an eye to Grimey, “And what do you want?”
“Ale.” Grimey said.
“That'll be two coin.”
“Two coin? In most places that gets you four pints.” Grimey said.
“Well here it gets you one.” The bartender replied. “So you want it or not?”
Grimey put two gold coins on the bar. The bearded hunter's eyes narrowed when the bartender turned away. He was not used to being spoken to so shortly in a tavern. When the bartender turned back he flicked a mug of ale toward Grimey without looking at him. The amber liquid sloshed and some of it spilled. A scowl formed behind Grimey's beard and he took the mug and what was left in it to a table away from the bar.
Leo spoke with the bartender for several more minutes. The expressions of both men never turned friendly. It was a conversation of short sentences that went straight to the point. Not a single smile dared reveal itself.
“Looks like we have some work to do. We better get a room for the night.” Leo said when he joined Grimey.
“A room, really? No camping this time?” Grimey said.
Khurt was one of the few places Leo chose an inn over the outdoors. The two hunters took a room at the town square inn uphill from the tavern. It was a two-story building. The ground floor was a large common area where meals were served to guests. The second floor held several bedrooms. There were plenty of vacancies and Leo was able to talk the innkeeper into giving them a low price. A small consolation for the over-priced ale across the square, Grimey thought. He still had a bitter taste in his mouth from both the ale and the experience.
The two sat in the common area. It was a rustic room comprised of wooden tables and benches, all coated with a light layer of dust. A fire crackled in the stone fireplace at the far end of the room. The two hunters sat at a table accompanied with a hunk of roasted beef and a loaf of day old bread and cheese. The cheese was a stale yellow and cut in an irregular shape, probably shaved to remove mold. They avoided the cheese but luckily the meat was well roasted and tender.
Two other men occupied the common area. One sat a few tables across from the hunters and kept hunched over his plate as if protecting his meal from attackers. The other sat in a corner near the fireplace. He was an elderly man with wild white hair that shot out in every direction. His unblinking gaze shifted sporadically between the two hunters and the other man. Grimey found him odd but tried not to look his way while Leo kept the man in his periphery.
“What's with him?” Grimey asked without looking up. Leo shrugged. “So tell me lad, why are we at an inn and not making camp?”
“Kane goes off on his own here. It's just safer to stay at an inn rather than camp on my own.” Leo answered.
“Safer?” Grimey said doubtfully. He found it hard to believe Leo wasn't capable of taking care of himself in the wild.
“It's just always been that way. We've been traveling throughout Arlynd for many years ever since I was young. There was no way I could camp on my own back then. Whenever we came here to Khurt Kane would make sure I was settled in at this inn and then go off on his own.”
Their room was plain with two beds. Grimey was just able to fit on his. Between the two beds was a nightstand with a dusty oil lamp on top of it. Along the side wall was one solitary window overlooking Khurt. Leo immediately opened it to a
lleviate the musky air.
“Only two beds.” Grimey said. “I guess Kane's out of luck when he gets back.”
“We likely won't see him tonight.”
Grimey's brow furrowed but he quickly shook off any implications that may have formed in his head. He didn't care because this would be the first time he would sleep in a bed in weeks. His muscles ached from constant travel and sleeping on the hard ground. It was tolerable and he never complained, but it was uncomfortable nonetheless. The mattress was firm but it didn't matter. It beat the dirt. Relaxation poured over the bearded hunter as soon as he laid down. It wasn't long until muffled snoring filled the room.
He roused a few hours later. The room was dark with a faint orange glow. The oil lamp was lit with a low flame. A draft tickled the hunter's beard and drew his attention to the window where Leo leaned into the frame, head up gazing skyward. Starlight reflected in his eyes and the faint glow from the lamp gave an orange outline to the black tattoo on his face. The islander's gaze was hard. He let out a short breath.
“What you looking for lad?” Grimey said, his voice raspy from waking.
“News from above.” Leo answered. He gave Grimey a quick glance and saw one of his eyebrows raised. A clear sign the bearded hunter had no idea what that meant. “I'm seeing if the stars show any signs about what's happening in the world. Star gazing, sky reading, whatever you may call it has become a lost art nearly forgotten in the world. So much that it's considered magic by many. But it's not magic. It's just a skill. Knowing where to look and knowing what you're looking at. Not magic at all.”
“So what's the news?”
“Not good. Orion is fully ignited. His stars burn brighter than any other in the sky. The hunter is watching. And he sends a warning. More concerning is his companion, Canis. The hunter's dog with the shining eye of Sirius, the brightest star in the sky. It's said that Canis's vision was so keen he was able to peer into the near future, allowing him to warn Orion of coming danger. Sirius burns a bright blue, almost white, when things are normal and balanced. But its color is fading. Darkening. He's peering at the world this very moment. If his eye turns red then there will be no question. A great beast has risen.”
Grimey leaned forward and craned his head to look out the window. Leo gestured to the group of stars that formed Orion and the nearby stars that formed Canis. Grimey could clearly make out the outline of a canine figure and spotted the bright star that represented the eye. “That's not red. More like a deep blue.”
“True. It's not red. A great beast has not risen. But the star is darker than it should be.”
“What's that mean?”
“I'm not sure. Perhaps it's on its way.”
-** --*
