Soul Catcher

by E. L. Todd

  Roslyn Pass

  5

  Aleco released the last slave from his bonds. The emaciated man stared at his unbound wrists with eyes full of tears—he was finally free. He reached down to grab the bloody rope that had restricted his body for so long, and caressed it with his fingertips before he threw it across the field. The slave watched it disappear into the grass, then turned to his rescuer.

  “Why are you doing this?” he asked.

  “I have no use for you,” Aleco said as he released the next captive.

  The slave was quiet for a moment. “You’re a good man.”

  “You should get to know me better before you make such flattering comments,” he said. He sheathed his small dagger onto his belt.

  The man looked at Aleco. “I am indebted to you,” he said. “If there is ever anything I can do to aid you, I will.”

  “That won’t be necessary.” Aleco laughed.

  “I am Von.” The slave outstretched his hand. “What’s yours?”

  Aleco shook the man’s hand. “You really don’t need to thank me. I have done nothing for you,” he said. “Now you are stuck in the middle of the Continent, dressed in rags, with no food, water, or coin. You were better off as a slave, if you ask me.”

  “I would rather die as a free man, than as a man who belongs to someone else.”

  “If you say so.”

  Von turned toward his fellow prisoners and they rejoiced in their newfound freedom. Families embraced one another, brothers hugged brothers, and parents held their children tightly. There was an equal amount of laughter and tears. Aleco watched them. “Von,” he called.

  Von turned away from the other captives and looked at him. His skin was weathered and worn from exposure to the sun. Aleco could see the tan lines around his wrists from his bonds. The skin around his eyes appeared empty and hollow, giving him a haggard appearance.

  “They call me Aleco.”

  “Wake up,” Aleco growled into the woman’s ear.

  Aleco was alarmed at her extended sleep. She remained unconscious through their hasty exit of the city, the rugged trailer ride across the desert, and a whole day later, she still had not awakened. He feared the worst.

  Aleco thoroughly examined her body for injuries. Although her heartbeat was weak and her breathing was deep and shallow, outwardly, he saw nothing unusual; no broken bones or severe blood loss. Then, Aleco realized the source of her prolonged unconsciousness. She had been poisoned.

  Although it was uncommon to intoxicate the captives of the Prisoner’s Circle, that was the only conceivable explanation for her behavior. Aleco opened the capsule that hung from the chain around his neck, removed the life-sustaining leaves, then inserted them into her mouth and forced the plant down her throat.

  “You better be poisoned,” he growled. “Otherwise, I just wasted one of my lifelines for nothing.”

  Aleco sat beside her and waited for her to stir. He monitored her heartbeat and breathing patterns and noticed they were improving. Finally, after several hours, her eyelids fluttered and she awoke. Her eyes opened and she looked at Aleco, whose face was concealed and his body cloaked and covered in weapons. Aleco knew his first impression wasn’t a good one because she screamed.

  “Shhh,” he hushed her. “Shut your mouth and be quiet.” He covered her open mouth with his gloved hand. “I mean you no harm.” Aleco pulled the treasured necklace from the inside of his cloak and revealed it to her, attempting to calm her. Her body stiffened and she fell silent. Aleco released his hold.

  Her hand flew to her own neck where she grasped the matching necklace, and clutched it within her palm. Reassured that it was still in her possession, she sighed. “Who gave you that necklace?” she asked. Her voice was beautiful and strong. Aleco was surprised she found her voice so quickly since she was unconscious for so long. She stared into his hood, focusing on where she believed his face to be, and waited for a response.

  “Father Giloth,” Aleco replied.

  She nodded in agreement and confirmed the truth of his words. She looked around and examined the surrounding trees, trying to figure out their location. The woman had no idea where she was. She sat up and placed her face in her palms, which were streaked with grime. In fact, she was covered in so many layers of mud and dirt that her features were difficult to distinguish. “I don’t understand,” she whispered as she shook her head. “I should be dead.”

  “So you did poison yourself?” Aleco confirmed. He had suspected it when he discovered her affliction, unable to provide a more suitable explanation. He didn’t question her decision to end her own life. He would do the same thing if his existence was unbearable. “At least it wasn’t a complete waste,” he said to himself.

  She looked at Aleco. The disbelief on her face was enough to confirm his suspicions. She was surprised he had figured it out. “What wasn’t a complete waste?”

  He opened his capsule, which was now empty.

  Her eyes widened in surprise. “You saved my life,” she said, astounded.

  “Twice, actually,” Aleco said. “If we’re keeping score.”

  “I can’t believe you used your Rhine Remedy to spare me—”

  “You didn’t give me much of a choice,” Aleco snapped. “It would have been useless to whisk you away from Morkarh, just so you could die all the way out here.”

  She didn’t speak for several minutes as she processed all the events of the past two days. Aleco stared at her and waited.

  “I owe you my life,” she said finally.

  “No, you owe your life to Father Giloth,” Aleco explained. “He’s the one who sent me to retrieve you.”

  “But you—”

  “Only because I owed him,” he interrupted. “Believe me, rescuing poor souls who want to die isn’t on my list of exciting hobbies.”

  She glared at Aleco then stood up and walked away from him, wanting to put distance between them. She was spared from death by a man made of nightmares. As the cold wind stung her skin, making her hairs stand on end, she took notice of her poor attire. Two thin rags barely covered her body, leaving her arms, legs, and torso open to the elements. She was suddenly aware of her nakedness.

  “Here.” Aleco threw the stolen guard uniform at her feet. “No one wants to see that.”

  Her emerald eyes lit up in fury at his words, but she kept her angry retort to herself. She donned the uniform and felt the warmth of the clothes seep into her skin.

  “Thank you for rescuing me,” she forced herself to say. “I know the risk must have been great.”

  Aleco nodded.

  “Goodbye,” she said. “This is where we part ways.” She started to walk away.

  “What? You don’t even know where you are,” Aleco said. “Good luck going from point A to point B if you don’t even know where the former is.”

  “Yes, I do,” she said without meeting his gaze.

  Aleco recognized the tone of her voice. She was lying.

  “Well, the forest is that way.” He pointed in the opposite direction she was walking. “So I guess you just prefer the longer route.”

  Her eyes shined a brighter shade of green. “Even if I didn’t,’ she said, “I don’t need your help to figure it out.” She continued to tread on. Despite everything he had done for her, she couldn’t stand to be around the mongrel a moment longer. The few exchanges with the man were enough for her to realize one thing—she hated him.

  “Stop,” Aleco demanded. “I am obliged to deliver you to Father Giloth. I am bound by my oath to finish the task.”

  She didn’t stop. Aleco grabbed her by the elbow and forced her to stop in her tracks.

  “Let go of me,” she said. She yanked her arm from his grasp but he wouldn’t release his hold. Every time she tried to break free, Aleco held tighter. The constriction around her arm was making her heart race. She felt afraid. “Release me!” She kicked him in the groin but Aleco moved away with lightning speed and avoided her blow. She tried to punch him, but
every effort she made was useless—he was too fast. “Let go!”

  He ignored her. “We can do this the easy way or the hard way. I have proved I am not a threat to you,” he growled. He squeezed her arm and felt her pulse quicken under the stress of his grip. Her eyes glanced down to his grasp and she knew she was no match for him. Aleco saw fear in her eyes and released his hold. “You have no reason to fear me. So, please let me guide you.”

  She jerked her arm away. “Stop being an asshole and I will.”

  Aleco sighed to himself and bottled his annoyance and frustration; the woman was infuriating. He forced his voice to sound pleasant.

  “I’ll try.” He smiled.

  Roslyn

  6

  They spotted the city of Roslyn by mid-afternoon. A circular stone wall surrounded the entire city, making it visible even from great distances. The keep was located in the center of the city and reached high into the sky. It was the marvel of the province. Citizens traveled across the Continent to gaze at its beautiful architecture. The magnificent tower was composed of a rare, metallic element that glistened in the light of the sunstar. The precious metal was so rare that even Duke Artremian was ignorant to where his ancestors had found it and in quantities large enough to build such a relic.

  “I need to enter the city,” she said.

  “Why?” Aleco demanded. For him, going into another city was foolish.

  “I need clothes.”

  “You are already wearing clothes.”

  “I cannot continue to wear these guard clothes while we travel. Eventually someone will see us, and my attire is nothing but suspicious.”

  She had a point.

  “Please.” She smiled. “Besides, I am in desperate need of a bath.”

  “No arguments there.”

  They entered the city, camouflaged by a swelling flock of citizens bringing their goods through the opened gates. The large oxen, wagons and horses gave them adequate coverage from the prying eyes of the guardsmen. They slipped into the city with ease. The woman watched Aleco with suspicion in her green eyes, aware of his need to go undetected, but she didn’t question him.

  They entered the marketplace, where sellers displayed beautiful antique jewelry, women and men’s clothing, fruits and vegetables, and field tools. The woman turned to Aleco. “Can I borrow some money?” she said as she extended her hand.

  “Am I your lover now?”

  Her green eyes widened at the insult.

  “I’ll lend you the money if you tell me your name.”

  Her face was set in a scowl. “Accacia,” she admitted. Aleco handed her a small bag of coins.

  “Being a rescuer doesn’t pay much, does it?” She smiled as she held out her hand, expecting more tenure.

  Aleco reluctantly added more currency to her palm. “These clothes better be worthy of the duke.”

  “It’s not just for clothes.” She smiled again.

  Aleco went to a nearby tavern, The Bow and Arrow, and ordered a pint of the Roslyn lager while he waited for Accacia to complete her shopping. He sat outside so he could keep an eye on her. She never left his sight as he watched her move through the market, going from vendor to vendor as she purchased clothes and other accessories. The marketplace was crowded with people. They tightened their cloaks and wrapped their exposed necks with heavy scarves in response to the chilled air. Aleco could feel the sting of the dry draft burn his lungs as he inhaled the cold breeze, and he watched as the moisture of his body vaporized in a cloud of smoke as he exhaled through his nostrils. He sat alone at the spacious redwood bench, sipped his lager in silence, and glanced at the surrounding tables that were overflowing with people.

  Men rubbed shoulders against their neighbors as they squirmed in their cramped positions. They elbowed each other as they shoveled food into their mouths and knocked over full glasses of ale as they reached across the table.

  Two bulky men grabbed their steaming soup and chilled beer from the counter and looked for a place to sit. They spotted the table where Aleco sat alone, but chose to sit at an already congested table after seeing his glare of intimidation.

  “Wise choice,” Aleco said as they walked past his table, the smell of sweet potato soup wafting out to him.

  “No finer ale you’ll find elsewhere,” a man said, approaching Aleco.

  The unexpected man clanked his pitcher against Aleco’s and took the seat across from him. Accacia and the two men receded to the back of Aleco’s mind as he focused his gaze on the intruder. He continued to drink his ale and retained his aura of indifference.

  “Devry,” Aleco acknowledged.

  The man was about Aleco’s height, with a thick build and a black ponytail. His weathered face was covered in gray stubble, and when he smiled, a dimple formed on each cheek. He looked at Aleco with a friendly gaze and continued to drink the citrus ale.

  “What brings you here besides the ale?” He raised his tankard.

  “I’m babysitting,” Aleco replied. “I assume you are here on guild business?”

  “What other reason would I be here?” he asked. “If I escaped, I would be hooded and cloaked as you are—but I’m no such idiot.”

  “Not from where I’m sitting,” Aleco said.

  “They are still searching for you, Aleco, and eventually they will find you.”

  “I’ll take my chances,” he replied.

  Aleco looked back into the crowd and spotted Accacia moving through the market, close enough to reach, if need be. Devry followed his gaze.

  “That’s what you’re babysitting?” he asked in surprise.

  “Unfortunately,” he said, returning his gaze to Devry, but letting his peripheral vision track Accacia’s movement. “What is your mission, De?”

  The guildsman continued to stare at Accacia. His brown eyes followed her as closely as Aleco’s. “I was sent to examine the keep of the city,” he said.

  “They have plans to storm it?” Aleco asked with surprise. The idea was ludicrous.

  “Not at all.” He laughed as he tore his gaze away from Accacia and back to Aleco. “Don’t tell me you’ve never noticed the unusual properties of the stone walls? The way it shines and flickers must indicate some greater power; at least, that’s what the Chief says. He thinks the element has some supernatural ability to absorb the rays of the sun and be converted to—some other form,” he said. “Lord Aleutian is giving us a few to harvest. The Chief wants me to investigate further.”

  Aleco hid his interest. “What kind of form?”

  “Don’t know.” He grinned as he swallowed the last of his ale. “But you know the Chief as well as I do, better so, perhaps, and he wouldn’t impart that information unless it was necessary,” Devry said. “The further we are kept in the dark, the longer it will take us to crawl out of it.”

  “What are your theories?”

  He chuckled. “I have no theories. I do my job and take my cut.”

  “So you choose to stay in the dark?”

  “Perhaps.” Devry smiled as he shoved his empty tankard across the table and returned his stare to Accacia, his new muse. “Introduce me to the kid.”

  “She’s busy,” he said.

  “I’ve got time.”

  Aleco stared at Devry’s expectant face. The pair had been close, had even been friends during their servitude within the guild. Despite the content of their missives, Aleco considered him an honorable man. However, Devry’s fascination with Accacia irritated him. “Don’t you have somewhere to be?”

  Devry smiled as he rose from the table. “She’s all yours,” he said, as he backed away with his hands held up in surrender.

  Aleco knew it would be only a few minutes before the guild was upon him. They would either slice his throat right where he sat, or they would restrain him and return him to the hideaway, a sinister location where they would do things far worse than kill him. “How long do I have?” Aleco asked.

  “I have no such interest in turning you in. I just care about my cu
t—it’s that simple.”

  “Thank you,” Aleco said.

  “Your gratitude is unnecessary,” he said. “If your head came with a reward this would have played out differently.” Devry disappeared into the crowd.

  Aleco remained where he was and focused his gaze on the wandering Accacia. Male shop owners stared at her as she strolled by, so preoccupied by her features, they failed to notice an elderly man shoplift their goods as he trailed behind her. He flashed his toothless grin as he snatched the precious items from the dark, wooden counter, and laughed to himself as he moved onto the next piece of expensive merchandise. He had successfully stolen a red ruby necklace, three grapefruits and an antique dagger. Aleco chortled into his tankard at the sight.

  A young boy, with tussled black hair and grime ridden skin, ran across the market, kicking up dust with his bare feet, as he darted to Accacia and tugged on her trousers. She turned away from the gray stone bracelet she was admiring and smiled down at the boy. He was thin, much too skinny, in his ripped shirt and baggy pants, but he still bounced at her feet with energy. Accacia turned to the middle-aged clerk and asked to purchase a grapefruit. When she handed him the shining coin, the elderly man brushed it away and offered it to her freely. Aleco was relieved at the turn of events; he wasn’t going to let Accacia piss away his coin on a brat. She smiled at the clerk and handed the pink fruit to the famished boy. He accepted the juicy fruit in gratitude and then hugged her before he sprinted across the square towards his sister, who he shared his meal with in a nearby alley. Accacia smiled as she watched him go.

  Aleco didn’t understand the appeal of children with their uncontrollable behavior, running mouths, and the seemingly constant stench of filth that accompanied them no matter how often they bathed.

  Accacia resumed her shopping and Aleco saw her enter a women’s powder shop where she paid for a hot bath. Aleco began to worry when she didn’t come out of the shop after an hour. He was just about to leave the tavern when she walked right up to him. He didn’t recognize her.