by P. G. Thomas
For a land lacking modern high-speed communications and plagued by trollmares, John was surprised how fast the conflict had traveled. When they had first arrived at Ironhouse two weeks ago, the united dwarves focused on one common enemy. A week later, the unknown friction had emptied Ironhouse of all the clans hosted. Now in Alron, a trip that took several months of travel from Ironhouse, the discord had arrived here faster than if it had traveled on wings, and he began to wonder if Father was somehow aiding in the campaign of dwarven disharmony. “Didn’t any of them say something?”
“Felt like I was in foster homes all over again. I never liked the taste of rejection, and thought I left it with my Uncle, but the clans would just leave in the night, not even saying why. Any ideas?”
“I have one, but you won’t like it. They’re going to war. I overheard an angry conversation at Ironhouse, something about a throne.”
“The Morning King?” asked Zack.
“What or who is that?”
“While you might not believe it, if you hang around with dwarves long enough, they start running out of stories to tell. Even though I never thought it was possible, after a few years, I had heard most of the great sagas and even the less popular ones. One night I challenged them to tell me a story I had never heard before, no T.V. here after all. They told me the oldest story they could recall; the Legend of the Morning King, when one dwarf would rule all.”
“How did it go?”
“It was a long time ago, both for when I first heard it and when it began. I don’t recall much, as it might have had something to do with how much I had to drink. They talked about the real old days when dwarves fought dwarves, but it was an unusual story, unpolished like the rest. It didn’t flow, names were forgotten, and it almost seemed like they were pranking me, making it up. When I asked how it ended, they told me that it wasn’t finished and that the final words were absent.”
“I heard another clan arguing outside the forge room, talking about how they thought Father favored Ironhouse, the other dwarfs’ thinking it was a bad idea. Ironhouse suggested a vote, offering to withdraw from it, but the other clans wanted no part of that idea. How have things been here in Alron?”
“The attacks are becoming less frequent, which is a good thing since the dwarves have left. Over the last week, there has been nothing but normal sized ones, I mean a lot smaller than the last. We think the tree Logan left out front has destroyed all of the flying ones, as it’s been a week since we’ve seen it take flight. Even the reports we get from the north and south say that things are quiet.”
John smiled since it was good news for a change. “Let’s go visit Nur, so I can tell her about your children and the missing triplets.”
Zack shook his head, “You can’t tell her that. She thinks they’re staying with Evesnight. Jesus, if you tell her they’re in the Bright Coast, she would crucify me.”
“Okay, just the triplets.”
*******
That morning after they had left the school, Gayne took Lauren and Eric on a tour of the town. Stopping first at Jedimac’s, who was displeased, as he had heard about the changes to the derelict building, and while knowing Gayne had conned him, he suspected Lauren was responsible. Even though he was impressed by the teacher, it did leave him with a bad taste. During that conversation, Lauren asked about the next segregation vote, which would happen within the week. Jedimac predicted that the attendance from Calicon would be the same as the last, and Gayne could offer no suggestions on how to change that trend. After they had left the guild, they found the two young Earth Daughters and their protectors, taking them to the pizzeria to meet Iljam. As they walked through the three upper levels, Lauren advised Krisp to heal enough to fill the rooms, and those who wished to remain free from the Sun would find both shelter and employment. However, she also warned them that any who returned to their old ways would once again return to the street.
When they entered the lower level, Iljam had a pot of tea waiting for them, and Lauren asked Krisp, Croy, and Eric to sit with her, “What happened the other night?”
“Daughter Krisp healed a young child, whose father is a servant to a Darkpaye family,” began Croy. “When we went back to check on her the next day, he offered us gold for saving his child’s life, but his daughter was not that sick, and it seemed odd.”
Krisp looked down at her cup of tea, “With gold, we could feed so many. I thought it was—strange, but we would be able to help so many more.”
“If he had wanted to reward us, why didn’t he do it the first night? Since Daughter Krisp insisted, we went back.”
Eric looked at Lauren, nudging her with his foot.
She sighed, “Daughter Krisp, you need to listen to your protectors and follow their instructions,” but she was glad Panry was absent when she spoke those words, wishing that she had learned the same during their last visit.
“Croy, what happened exactly?” asked Eric.
“We went to his house, but before we could enter, Darkpaye soldiers stepped out of the shadows, surrounding us. We had knives, they had swords. If we resisted, someone would have died, so we entered the jail cart as ordered, but I knew the Bastards would free us.”
“How?” asked Eric.
Living without hope, while it crushed some, for others, courage blossomed.
Even though Croy was barely five feet tall, he was lean and muscular. Having been on the streets a long time, he had always thought it was his role to protect others, including their secrets. Trust earned through fights had left old scars, which talked about his education on the cruel streets. “Since the Bastards have a bounty on their head, I will not tell you how I know.”
Eric picked up his sword, “The last time I was here, I was called the Champion of the People, and I can assure you that I’ve no interest in collecting any bounty.”
“I recognized the sword,” Croy began, “but Earth Mother asked me to protect those who needed it, and to me, that includes the Bastards.” Then he turned to Lauren, “If you want me to stop being an Earth Guard, I will tell you, but until I do, I will protect all.”
“No, I would never ask that of you.” Then she turned to Krisp, “What happened after you were captured?”
“Croy was comforting me, saying everything would be fine. Even though he told me the Bastards would help, I had no idea on what to do.”
Lauren nodded. Been there, done that.
“I heard Bilork crying up front, he’s the youngest, big for his age, but he was scared. I heard him praying to Mother and went up to comfort him. It was shortly after that when the Bastards arrived, and I guess you as well.”
It was at that moment, Lauren realized she had bestowed more than names to the young children. While it may not have been a command to Mother, she had recognized the fear in the Earth Guards voice, taking action with the nearest resource—the only Earth Mother in the Bright Coast. However, the thought that Mother woke, even briefly, caused her to smile, “Is there anything else?”
“The garden you planted, it is dying.”
Eric walked over to Gayne, borrowed a handful of gold, and gave it to Croy, “Buy some weapons with this. If anything is left over, then help those who suffer.”
*******
For the next four days, Mirtza drove the SHET wagon through the streets of the Bright Coast with the otters and Logan at his side, and in the back, Steve with Ryan. Each day the tension grew, the hours slowly eroding away with the segregation vote looming closer on the horizon. Over those days, they visited the garden that was starting to whither, as the soil was unable to retain the enchantment. Recharging it, Lauren knew they would have to find a forest that contained Mother’s ever-present magic. They tried to cross the Key River one day, allowing her to see the council house, but the Darkpaye Watch refused passage, insisting they needed to hire proper transport. However, there was no way that she could get in another; not with her dwarven protectors present. As Ryan slept at night, tired from his long days of searching, s
he sat alone wondering what to do next. The two Earth Daughters had begun to fill the top three levels of the pizzeria, so Iljam was busy training his new staff, and Krisp had suggested four girls that would be good candidates for Earth Daughters. The original two had a small but loyal following of people who helped them, providing shelter and food, which allowed them to continue the work of Mother. Lauren knew the addition of four more would help speed up the process of waking Mother, which in turn would help in finding the triplets.
For a change, with it being a cloudless night, she had wandered down to the patio, and she was staring at the stars when Eric walked out with a bottle of a spiced apple cider and two glasses, “Want some company?”
“What I want are answers. The vote is in two days, and even though Ryan has been trying for so long, there’s no sign of my daughters. They’re hunting the Bastards and my Earth Daughters, and then we have the detoxed youths to worry about.” Lauren took a long drink, “I wish this was stronger. Too many things are happening in too many directions. I was hoping I would’ve been able to wake Mother by now, or Ryan would’ve found out something, but—nothing.” She turned to Eric, tears beginning to form in her eyes, “What am I supposed to do?”
“Prioritize and focus. The pizzeria is under control, and your Earth Daughters are doing what they can, like Ryan is. Our number one obstacle will be if they vote for segregation, so we need to do something about that.”
“That won’t help Mother.”
“It’ll help one.”
Lauren shook her head, “You heard Jedimac, the councilors are hiding, and from the sounds of it, death threats hang over their heads. We couldn’t find them or change their minds even if we wanted to.”
Eric refilled his glass, “When we were in Alron, there was a bounty on your head, and the traitors were in hiding. You called them out, so can’t you do the same now?”
“Use an Earth Bond?”
“Why not? Tell them to show up and vote.”
“If they do that, they may be killed.”
“You run one play at a time, and our first objective is to maintain control of the ball. To do that, we need to stop that vote. After that, you can use another to tell them to go into hiding, but I don’t think you’ll have to. I can visit Jedimac tomorrow, telling him what’s going to happen. See if he can provide protection to the councilors until they’re safe. After all, it would be in his best interest if the vote failed.”
“The staff, it doesn’t know who the councilors are.”
“They do, just like the traitors did.”
Lauren set down her glass, grasped the heavy staff, and looked out over the Bright Coast, “Calicon councilors, in two days you vote at the council house.”
“It might have been better if you told them to vote against it.”
“I thought of that, but they should still have free will. Otherwise, I could control the council.”
“Only half. There are still the Darkpaye members that we have to worry about.”
“I need a way to get to the other side of the river so that I can be present before the vote happens. Maybe I can find a way to stop them from attending.”
*******
John, wearing the first cloak filled with the gold magic, stepped through a portal into Gayne’s house, being surprised at what he saw. The house servants were busy cleaning up the dining room, as the table had been overturned, and broken tableware was scattered across the floor.
Gayne’s anger was in his voice when he talked to Lauren, “I know he is upset, and while I understand, that is no reason for him to destroy my house.” The Granite Guardians had formed a tight circle around Lauren with their weapons drawn, but even the fierce determination they showed failed to make Gayne back down. “I have been a gracious host, having done everything I can do to support your causes, and this is my reward? If he does something similar today north of the Key, he will put all in jeopardy. Earth Mother, get control of your husband, as I will not tolerate such behavior under my roof,” then he stormed off to his office.
“So, what’s new?” asked John.
Lauren headed out to the patio.
“Ryan exploded this morning,” advised Eric. “With the vote tomorrow, he’s frustrated.”
“Did the—”
Eric shook his head, “The rage is back, not his magic, but we’ve been here almost a month. It could reboot any day, and if it does, he might just go through each house north of the Key, one-by-one.”
John nodded in agreement, wondering if there was a way to stop that much rage. “Is there any good news?”
Letting out a weak smile, Eric nodded, heading into the front room, away from the house staff. “Last night, Lauren issued an Earth Bond to make the Calicon councilors show up to the vote, and Gayne said he could open a portal north of the Key, so we can get her there in a carriage. While though I thought Ryan was holding it together, I guess I was wrong.”
“If they vote, what happens?”
“I was going to visit Jedimac today to tell him what was going to happen, seeing if the guilds could help protect the councilors after it, at least until they find a safe place to hide. It was either that or Logan burns the place to the ground.”
If they haven’t found a scent by now, there is no— John pushed his thought to the side, “Sure, I’ll go with you.”
*******
It was the last meal of the night, and the dining room was once again back to its normal appearance. Eric advised the group of what Jedimac had said, and that he would pass the news to the other guilds to encourage their participation. John then told them about Nur and Zack, and that the attacks of Alron had become manageable, but he never mentioned the mass exodus of the dwarves. However, not all heard the news, as those who rode the SHET wagon had stayed out as late as possible that day, as per the strongly worded suggestion of Ryan.
It was late into the night when John heard the front door slam. With his mind plagued with so many problems, the desired sleep had avoided him, and he went downstairs to find out how bad it was. In the dining room, he found Mirtza asking the house staff to provide for Sam and Hope, but then he quickly left to return to his own residence.
Logan just shook his head, “There’s a new Bastard in town,” and then headed up to his room.
When John looked at Sam and Hope, both just stared at the table, avoiding his gaze, and hearing Steve and Ryan on the patio, he reluctantly went out to join them.
“Kid, you’re losing your damn cool.”
“It’s not my cool I’m searching for.”
“I hear somebody is a little bit upset,” John quietly stated.
“An effing month we’ve been here. A month!” blurted out Ryan. “What do we have to show for it? Nothing, absolutely nothing.”
John wanted to advise Ryan that they had new tableware, but he ultimately thought against it.
Steve, reaching his breaking point, needed to make an adjustment, and slapped Ryan’s face so hard, he could see the imprint of his hand. “Do I have your attention now? Because if I don’t, I’ll find a way to knock some sense into you before this night ends.”
Ryan began to rub the large red welt forming on his cheek, “You do that again, and you’ll be sorry.”
“Yeah, I’ll add it to my list. Although it might take me a few decades before I feel this particular regret.” Then he thought back to what Eric had said on the Ironhouse terrace, about mentioning Lauren if Ryan ever raged for the wrong reason. “Even though you’re one of the luckiest guys that I know, that luck is only exceeded by your stupidity today. You have a wife who loves you, and daughters who need you. What do you do? Take the highest dive that you can, right into the pool of despair, and I have to tell you, there’s no bottom. Dive deep enough, and you’ll never make it back to the top. I’ve been in those murky depths, and while I somehow managed to survive, I lost two wives and two kids. You can learn from my mistakes. Crap, I wish I had. Your wife, she’s trying to heal this Mother character, and if that
works, then we find your daughters. You going all nuclear, it just puts everybody else on edge. Then mistakes happen, bad mistakes, because everybody starts watching you. When that happens, the entire mission craps out, and trust me, as you really don’t want to be the one counting the body bags in that situation. Now I don’t care how you do it, but before you get angry again, you’ll think of your wife and daughters. Then consider how your actions affect them because, Kid, right now, nobody gives a crap about you.”
Ryan stood, wanting to scream at Steve, needing something, anything, but he just wanted the frustration to end. Wanting to hold his daughters, to do that, he would need his magic, which should have arrived by now. John could see Ryan’s anger as he approached, stepped to the side, knowing that Ryan would not change the direction of his path.
John walked over and sat down, “Can you think of anything we can do to find the triplets?”
“Here? No. Back home we relied on media, amber alerts, and the news. Maybe offer rewards, or see if we could find informants. I thought when those children picked up the trail, we would be able to find it on the other side, but it’s going cold. Can’t paste their faces on milk cartons since we would need to invent them first. We can’t put out an APB or BOLO, well, because—”
“Yeah, I know, they don’t exist here,” John nodded, “but there must be something else we can do?”
“Last time you were looking for an army. They’re easier to find.”
*******
“Anything, did they tell you anything?” asked Hope.
“One took me to a pile of garbage,” replied Sam, “and the scent was there from all three. I tried to ask her where it came from, but I was unable to understand her. I have no idea on how Dad does it.”
Hope lowered her head, “Uncle Ryan scared me today, and it has been so long.”
“I have one idea. Maybe they can show me.”
