The Ice Lands

by William Dickey

  James was a lot younger than Dustin was, though to a casual glance he wouldn’t look it. His pseudo-desiccated body looked the same as Dustin and only the lack of facial hair revealed that he was a teenager.

  Both Dustin and James had the same pure white complexion shared by all New Fallen, but neither had the same physical shape. While both were thin to the point of looking sickly, neither were at the point that it looked monstrous.

  This was because of Truant. He had found the two New Fallen relatively early after their arrival and had given them some food in exchange for answering his questions. Truant had been enamored by stories of a foreign world filled with peculiarities. He’d hoped to use some of the amazing things from the stories to help him seize power in Doraga, but unfortunately, Dustin had been a housepainter and James a student. Neither of his New Fallen had a deep understanding of how the marvels of their world worked. Still, it wasn’t all for naught for the regular albeit small feedings kept the two from completely losing their minds. Then, after the rumors of how the New Fallen acted and operated were confirmed, Truant found another use for his pets.

  “Food,” Dustin and James both repeated.

  Truant ceded to the two New Fallen’s demands and handed over a bag of scraps he’d scrounged up in Doraga. Truant couldn’t help but grimace in disgust as the two men hadn’t even bothered to untie the burlap sack but instead ripped it open with their teeth. Both gorged on the contents, barely stopping to breathe until it was all gone.

  “More,” said Dustin as he rubbed his newly fat protruding belly, which looked strange next to his thin bony arms and fingers.

  “Yes, more,” James agreed as he licked the bag in the hope of mopping up a few more crumbs.

  The food had been enough to feed two men for several weeks, yet despite their altered existence, the two always seemed to have an insatiable hunger that Truant used to control them.

  “You know how this works. You will get more food when the job I give you is completed,” Truant insisted.

  “What this time?” James asked.

  “I have two things for you to do, so you will have to split up this time. One of you will pull all of your ilk in the area and move north in pursuit of a dozen people who recently left the village,” said Truant.

  “No, north is bad. Never good food north,” said Dustin. Dustin and James were both immune to the cold, so the only thing that kept them or any other New Fallen away was that little else could survive in the Ice Lands.

  “That is why I feed you,” said Truant a bit frustrated.

  He had used the two of them a couple times in the past year with mixed results. The pair could mimic the shrieking calls of the roaming New Fallen, allowing the pair to draw in and manipulate them. Truant had used this to help deplete the food sources near Doraga, making the clan more desperate and more open to new leadership, and to set a bunch of New Fallen on the path to Doraga after he received word that Izusa had passed through Dewpoint. Both had worked to a degree but in the end failed to go far enough. Jutmaek still clung to power and while it had delayed Izusa and her human, they’d still made it to the village.

  “I was not going to tell you this, but these tasks will also be the last ones I will have for you,” said Truant.

  “Then food end after?” Dustin asked.

  “No, if you complete this there will not be a need for you to do anything anymore. I will have everything I need. I will be able to provide the two of you with as much food as you could want,” Truant offered. Of course, Truant wasn’t serious, once he got what he wanted he would lock both of them up for as long as they existed. It wasn’t as if he could kill them, Dustin and James would only come back.

  Dustin and James chatted with each other in a language Truant couldn’t understand. After a minute, the two quieted down, they’d reached a decision.

  “One will go north,” Dustin agreed. “What other do?”

  “I want the other one to go south, gather as many of your kind as possible and bring them all back here,” said Truant.

  After a few clarifications, both New Fallen departed, Dustin going south while James went north. As James went, he emitted the bloodcurdling shriek of those pale monsters. The sound would carry for a dozen or so miles, drawing all the New Fallen wandering in this region to this spot. Truant quickly fled. As he went, Truant briefly considered if he was doing the right thing. He saw nothing wrong. This must be done.

  Ch. 19: Titania

  Congratulations! †Riding† has increased to level 10.

  I couldn’t help but compare my experience riding on the back of a wyvern to the only other times I had leveled up this particular skill, a brief stint where I‘d ridden on a horse and the time I’d spent on Izusa’s wolf. All were terrible in my mind and I’m not sure which was the one I preferred. Horseback was consistently bumpy and had the added bonus of involving a wild animal. While riding I was consistently fearful of messing something up, causing the beast to throw me off and trample me. I didn’t have to worry about that riding an Othan beastform, but Izusa’s wolf was even more rough than the horse, riding while it zigzagged through the forest was more akin to a rollercoaster than a form of transport.

  Finally, there was riding the wyvern. It was a lot smoother than the other rides and I didn’t have to worry about steering, but instead I had to worry about slipping off and falling to my death. It wasn’t as if I had an especial fear of heights, I’d flown on airplanes many times on Earth, but a wyvern was quite different from an airplane.

  In an airplane, you are seated in an isolated chamber. You see the ground far below, but you can’t feel the gust of the wind against your face or the increasingly thin air as you climb to greater altitudes. If the windows are all closed, you couldn’t even tell you were in the air. Being on the wyvern, you felt everything and consequently you were more cognizant of a potential ten-thousand foot fall to your death.

  Despite the anxiety it provoked, I have to admit the view was glorious. A full moon and a sea of stars filled the clear night sky providing just enough light that with only a minor enhancement from Mai the thickly forested hills below were clearly visible.

  We flew through the rest of the night and in keeping with beastmen nocturnal preferences, landed as the eastern skies lightened. The whole time we’d moved northwest over relatively uniform mountains and forest. We were close to the coast. The next day we’d follow the coastline north, continuing that way as far as Wy-1 and Wy-2 could carry us. The wyverns could only carry us so far before the air became too cold for them to continue.

  This territory once belonged to Nest so Wy-1 and Wy-2 had an easy time finding a grassy hill for us to set down.

  “Isaac, pull out what we need to set up camp,” Izusa began giving orders even before I got out of my seat. I quickly jumped off and started scrolling through my inventory as she continued issuing commands.

  “Wy-1, Wy-2, you two have already been working so hard, go ahead and rest. We can handle everything from here,” said Izusa and the wyvern twins started returning to their human forms. “Bearballs, Talia, Bullseye go ahead and start shifting. You will join me in scouting to make sure there are no major threats in the area.” Wy-1 and Wy-2 had known the area to be relatively peaceful, that’s why they selected it, but it had been several years since Nest fell and the changing climate had caused many migrations, no one knew if that still held true.

  “Isaac, after you find the tents, start preparing the food. As for Zelus, Rose and Titania, you three can set up them up,” Izusa finished.

  By that point, I’d already finished pulling out all the materials they’d need to construct the tents. Titania walked over and looked at the tent parts.

  “I do not understand what many of these are or how they are used,” said Titania as she looked down at the tent parts. “My clan used a different design.”

  “Your clan? You never belonged to a clan,” Bearballs mocked Titania’s turn of phrase. Technically, all Othan youths didn’t join a clan un
til they acquired a beastform. So as a Fallen, Titania never belonged.

  “Truly useless. She should just be sent back south,” said Wy-1.

  “Perhaps, but it would be best if she realized it herself and soon,” said Wy-2.

  The brothers spoke quietly to one another so no one would overhear, but with Mai’s enhancement, I heard it. I was glad others couldn’t hear it, but the inner thoughts of the brothers troubled me. ‘Was this what they were all thinking?’

  It wasn’t as if she should have known how to set up these tents. Since we knew we were going to be traveling across a ton of frozen terrain, we had special tents to maximize their efficacy in such an environment. In addition to the normal external tarp, these tents had more robust posts so hammocks could be hung inside for us to sleep in. This way we weren’t in contact with the frozen ground for our heat to dissipate into. Zelus, Rose, and I received specific instruction on how to set them up properly.

  “It’s fine. I can help set them up this time. It’s not like it takes any time for me to ready the food, it is sort of already done,” I said. I had many things in my inventory already warm and ready to eat. “Titania can watch this time and next time she will be able to do it.”

  “Fine,” Izusa agreed.

  The problem was solved and everyone set about their assigned tasks. Even taking our time to explain everything to Titania, within half an hour, Rose, Zelus, and I finished setting up the three tents needed to house our party of ten. It was around that same time that the other group returned from scouting. The area was clear of any major dangers and Bearballs even came back dragging a large buck.

  Nest fell because complete devastation to the northern part of its territory rendered the clan unable to sustain itself. Since we were in the southern portion, there were still resources to be had. In fact, hunters from Doraga regularly worked in abandoned Nest territory and without the benefits of such hunts, Doraga would be in far worse shape.

  “Hey Isaac, take care of this for me,” said Bearballs after he dropped the deer at my feet and shifted back to human form.

  “Why?” I asked.

  “Izusa assigned you to do the cooking so cook, or else grow some balls so that you are assigned real work,” Bearballs chuckled.

  “Izusa’s orders were for me to get dinner ready, that does not mean that I cook,” I said.

  “Ughhh, you mean you plan to feed us over-salted meat from the clan stores. It is our first day. Make something good and fresh. I almost prefer eating this thing raw,” said Bearballs, pointing to his recent kill.

  “Go ahead if you want, but I feel that you would probably regret it,” I said.

  I quickly scrolled through my inventory and selected a large iron pot.

  †Fragrant Soup†

  Durability: 32/32

  Freshness: 100/100

  Effect: Triple health regeneration for six hours, can cause temporary paralysis from over-satisfaction with its taste

  Description: Simple soup made by boiling a mixture of wild mushrooms, grass, fruits, and nuts commonly found in the forest. Created by a burgeoning expert in the survival style of cooking.

  “Bon appetit,” I said as I set the pot down and extracted enough bowls and utensils to serve everyone.

  A mysteriously savory scent, mysterious since the soup contained no meat, wafted through the air, quickly suffusing the nostrils of the exhausted travelers. Albert’s soup was amazing but soup alone wasn’t filling enough after we expended so many calories, so I added a bonus.

  †Bread Roll†

  Durability: 45/45

  Freshness: 100/100

  Effect: Triple stamina regeneration for four hours, can make girls fall in love with you if you add cream

  Description: Simple bread, a rare delicacy in the part of the world in which this one was made.

  I had Albert make the bread during our week together in Doraga with some flour I had stored in my inventory. Wheat doesn’t grow in the forest so none of the Doragans had seen it before. I had to work hard to keep these rolls from ending up in an enthusiastic taster’s stomach.

  “What the balls?” Bearballs shook his head. “Never mind, it does not matter how you did it. Give it here.” Bearballs rushed over to my side and reached for the basket of bread rolls.

  “Stop right there, Bearballs,” I yelled, stopping Bearballs a few inches short of his goal.

  “What is it, don’t think you’re going to keep me away from these,” said Bearballs as he continued what he’d been doing. I pulled the basket back to keep it away from him.

  “Don’t you dare reach in with those dirty hands,” I explained.

  “What?” Bearballs looked at his hands. He’d just been running around the forest in his bear form and they were covered in muck.

  “Go wash your hands,” I insisted. “It’ll take all of thirty seconds and you won’t contaminate any of the food.”

  “A little dirt never hurt nothing. I’ve stuck my dick in things dirtier than this,” Bearballs complained as he scraped his hands against his armor to clean them. It didn’t help much.

  “Over there, Bearballs,” said Izusa pointing to a small stream 100 feet away. Water dripped from Izusa’s hands. She’d just come from there. “It is the first day, I cannot have you get sick this early in our journey and slow us down.”

  “Ok Capsain,” Bearballs sighed as he left his position in line and headed towards the river. Bullseye quickly took his place.

  I scooped him a bowl of the soup, which was gratefully accepted along with a bread roll.

  “Great job, this is delicious,” said Bullseye after his first sip.

  “Thank Albert when we get back, I did nothing,” I said.

  I served two more people before Bearballs returned from the river and had to go to the back of the line, which had grown substantially. Only Wy-1 and Wy-2 hadn’t come to get their food. They were still resting.

  “Come on, this is not fair,” Bearballs huffed as he eyed the line and the diminishing basket. “Should there not be some sort of priority based on our performance today. That thing did not do anything. It deserves to be in the back and be grateful we are providing it with whatever it gets,” said Bearballs, indicating Titania two positions ahead of him.

  Bearballs left his spot in line, it wasn’t as if it could get worse, and went up to Titania. He grabbed her wrist and made to pull her out of position.

  “Enough, go back and wait your turn,” Izusa insisted. She was right behind Titania.

  “But Captain…” Bearballs started to argue but gave up under Izusa’s wrathful glare. Bearballs went back to the end of the line, giving Titania a dirty look as he went.

  I continued serving until I reached Titania.

  “Two servings please,” she said mid-pour.

  I froze for a few seconds, trying to process what I’d just heard.

  ‘I like this girl’s style,’ said Mai. At first, I thought that Mai was simply relishing in Titania’s audaciousness. It was her style, but it definitely wasn’t Titania’s. Titania was normally quite reserved. She wouldn’t do something that could start a fight, especially not in our current circumstances.

  I decided to trust Titania. I didn’t know what she was up to, but I went along with her request and provided her with two bowls of soup and two bread rolls.

  “Thanks,” said Titania, accepting the food.

  “Hey, how come she has double portions? That is not fair.” Of course, Bearballs noticed what happened and took the opportunity to file more complaints.

  “Capsain?” said Bearballs, asking for Izusa’s judgement. Izusa was standing right there, between Titania and Bearballs in the line. Izusa didn’t immediately do anything.

  I don’t know why she didn’t do anything, but can only infer that she too thought the occurrence bewildering and wished to see how it played out.

  “Women, it is like I always say. They will suck a man dry in a bad way, take his food, his ale, his self-respect, his everything,” Bear
balls whined as Titania departed, but she didn’t saunter off and find a place to sit and enjoy her meal, or rather meals.

  Instead, Titania walked over to where Wy-1 and Wy-2 were sitting. The brothers hadn’t come over when food was called, but it wasn’t for a lack of want. The brothers were exhausted and didn’t feel like moving. Once everyone else was served, I would have gone over to do a personal delivery, but Titania beat me to it.

  “Here, I thought you would want to eat,” said Titania, handing the bowls to the two brothers.

  “Thank you,” said both brothers as they graciously accepted their soup.

  Bearballs could do nothing but wince in frustration as Titania returned and rejoined the line behind him. He should have been happy, in the end things had gone his way. The useless Fallen was in the back of the line, but it wasn’t because of anything Bearballs had done. If anything, all the incident served to do was make him look bad. He’d almost blocked Wy-1 and Wy-2, the night’s real workhorses, from getting their food delivered to them. Dissatisfaction and embarrassment over being bested by a Fallen festered in Bearballs as I continued serving, first Izusa than Bearballs himself.

  Bearballs seized the soup the moment I extended it towards him and was already busy slurping it straight from the bowl when I passed the bread. Since he had his food, Bearballs got out of the way but he didn’t go far. Bearballs didn’t bother going through the waste of finding a place by the fire to sit and enjoy himself, instead indulging in his meal where he stood.

  “Here you go Titania. Good idea with Wy-1 and Wy-2,” I said as I finally provided her with her portion.

  Titania silently took it, nodding her head slightly in thanks but trying not to make a big deal out of what she had done.

  In retrospect, I should have seen what came next ahead of time. I’d lived among the beastman quite a while. Competitiveness in their society caused many Othans to possess a need to prove themselves superior. Titania was a Fallen, yet she had outmaneuvered Bearballs.