Lingering Haze (The Elusive Strain Book 1)

by James Berardinelli

  “So this is a Summoner!” he said by way of greeting. His voice was a bass rumble, surprisingly deep for one with such a lean form. “Prettiest one I’ve ever seen!” His sapphire eyes sparkled with mischief.

  “Likely the only one you’ve ever seen,” grumped Father Backus, who had joined me for this visit. Like most of the villagers, he knew the tinker from his numerous past visits. He was one of several itinerant merchants who visited Aeris regularly. “This is Janelle.”

  “Name’s Gabriel. I’d offer my hand but I’m afraid I misplaced it.” His tone was playful but I sensed it was a front for deeper feelings. Distress? Anger? Anxiety?

  “Can you tell me what happened?”

  “Not much to tell, is there? I left West Fork like usual for my twice-a-year trip north. Had some good trinkets this time along and some exotic seeds. Things went about as expected in NewTown. Spent several days there trading and visiting friends, then set off for Aeris about five or six days ago. Hard to keep track of time. There were rumors in NewTown about strange goings-on to the north but no one knew anything firm and I wasn’t going to let innuendo keep me from a good profit.

  “The attack came on the second day out of NewTown on a part of the road almost no one travels. I wasn’t paying much attention - just letting the horses pull the wagon. They knew the way. I was dozing when all of a sudden there was a loud buzzing like a hive of killwings and the wagon was struck by what felt like a whirlwind. I lost the hand as I was falling. Something clipped me and sheared it off. Killed the horses too. Made another pass and smashed what was left of the wagon into tiny pieces.

  “I know what you’re going to ask next: What was it? Wish I could say. It happened so fast I never got a good look at it. I can tell you this much - it was big and had wings. Bigger than the biggest bird I’ve ever seen and black as the night. It brought the wind with it. That wasn’t anything natural. I’ve been all around the world and I’ve never met with something like that.

  “Anyways, I found a wad of clean cloth and bandaged up the arm as best I could and made the rest of the trip on foot. I kept expecting the thing to come back but it didn’t. The one night I spent out there after the attack… let me tell you, I didn’t expect to still be alive come morning. It’s only by the providence of the gods that I’m here today.” He turned to Backus. “Isn’t that right, Father?”

  “It is indeed, my son,” said the priest, his tone solemn and pious. “Tell me, Gabriel, do you have any thoughts about what the creature might have been?”

  “At the time, I wondered if it could be an air reaver. I know that sounds crazy but, while I was recovering, the healer told me earth reavers had attacked here recently and it no longer seemed impossible. Never heard tell of anyone meeting one before. Or maybe it’s just that no one survived an encounter to tell others about it. Either way, guess that makes me lucky.”

  Backus nodded. “When you were in NewTown, did you hear anything about the potential danger to Aeris? We sent messages by bird to NewTown and West Fork informing them of our situation.”

  “Like I said, there were rumors. One innkeeper I know said if he was me, he’d steer clear of the northern road this year, but he couldn’t say why. Said a messenger got a day north and turned back because he didn’t like the ‘feel’ of things. I doubt any of the birds made it through, though. Mayor Galbreth would have sent men if there was a threat. Even though Aeris is independent, he’s always viewed it as NewTown’s northern outpost.”

  We spent a little longer with Gabriel but he didn’t have more to say except that he wanted to get back on the road as quickly as possible. He was worried about how he was going to “rebuild” now that he’d lost his horses, wagon, and goods. As a tinker, his life was on the road although he had a small cottage in West Fork that he shared with a few others. He assumed he’d have to hire himself out to one of his “brothers” for a time - at least until he made enough to buy a new wagon and team.

  As we were leaving, I paused to ask Healer Drabek about Gabriel’s condition. “He’s got a strong constitution. It was touch-and-go when he got here but, as soon as the fever broke, I knew he’d be okay.”

  “When will he be able to travel?” I asked.

  Drabek was surprised by the question. “The man’s just lost a hand. That’s not like losing a fingernail. It’s going to take a while before…”

  “When will the danger be past of the wound reopening? Of the infection returning?”

  “There’s more to his recovery than a healed wound and clean blood.”

  “I understand but I’m not sure he will. Do you think he has the temperament to wait around in Aeris while his body gets used to having only one hand? He’s itching to get back on the road.” And I need a guide - someone who knows the terrain beyond Aeris’ immediate environs.

  Drabek was quiet for so long I thought he wasn’t going to give me an answer. Finally, reluctantly, he said, “Ten days. At a minimum.”

  “He leaves in three days. Do what’s needed to get him ready.”

  Chapter Fourteen: The Long Road Beckons

  There were six of us. Although the elders had advocated for a larger force, Backus had advised that a small company would be more mobile and better able to avoid an attack. I also hadn’t liked the thought of bringing too many of Aeris’ healthy fighters with me. If another offensive came, they would need every bowman and sword-arm available. So, in addition to myself, Samell, and Esme, the group included Esme’s friend Alyssa, and Samell’s compatriots Stepan and Octavius. Gabriel was accompanying us as a guide (after all, we were going his way) but it was unclear how long he would remain. I’m sure the consideration of traveling with a Summoner as protection was an inducement.

  Aside from Gabriel, who I didn’t know, I felt comfortable with my choice of companions. Outside of Samell and Esme, I knew Alyssa the best, having spent time with her doing chores. She was a shy, sweet girl of Esme’s age with short blond hair and piercing blue eyes. The seeming fragility of her thin form was belied by her stamina and tenacity. She was adept with almost any weapon - nearly as good as Esme with a bow and superior to any of the other party members with a stave. Given time, I hoped she could offer me lessons.

  Sandy-haired Stepan was the oldest of the group, three years my senior. A natural-born leader, he had to curb those tendencies on this trip, acknowledging that I was in charge. He was good-natured about the “demotion,” however, not taking offense at playing the follower’s role. Like almost everyone in Aeris, he was in excellent physical shape. His conventional good looks made him one of the village’s most eligible bachelors. I knew of at least three girls who would have said yes to a proposal but Stepan hadn’t made a decision where a wife was concerned. I wondered if going on this trip was a way to put it off. Although not as good as Samell with a blade, he was competent and would be an asset in a fight.

  I knew Octavius the least. Although he and Samell were friends, I hadn’t spent much time with him so it surprised me when he lobbied hard to join the group. With Samell playing his advocate, I couldn’t refuse him. He was short but muscular and the only one among us capable of using a two-handed sword. His black skin and square jaw betrayed an ancestry beyond the immediate environs. (Samell said his forebears likely came from the deep south.) He never talked of his past but he had apparently arrived in Aeris as an orphan and had been reared by the man and woman he called “father” and “mother.” Without knowing him, I felt a kinship. Both of us lacked blood connections to our past - something everyone else in Aeris took for granted.

  Our path, as identified by Father Backus on a map in his cottage, would take us on The North-South Road through NewTown and as far as West Fork, where we could re-provision. From there, we would head southwest, skirting The Rank Marsh - and careful not to venture into its environs lest the pockets of sucking sand and inhospitable fauna prove troublesome - and heading toward The Southern Peaks. Backus’ “understanding” was that the reclusive Summoner Bergeron lived in the foothill
s.

  “He’s not the most accommodating of hosts,” the priest had warned. “By all accounts, he prizes his isolation and discourages visits. However, he may react differently when he discovers you’re a Summoner. There are so few magic practitioners left that they rarely reject one of their own. Of course, it’s possible that Bergeron was the one who summoned you. In that case, you’ll find a corpse and you’ll have to go all the way east to the cities to find another.”

  As for more specific directions, Backus had been unhelpful. “I’ve never visited him personally nor do I know anyone who has. As I said, he’s a recluse. Wouldn’t serve his purposes if his house was marked on every traveler’s map, would it? When you get close, you should be able to send out magical feelers. They’ll lead you to him… if he’s still there.”

  Gabriel hadn’t been able to offer much in the way of help. “Everyone in West Fork knows of Bergeron but I doubt you’ll find anyone who’s met him. He’s four or five days west of the town over some rough terrain. The direct path leads through The Rank Marsh, which is home to some creatures almost as unsavory as earth reavers, and it’s said that trolls roam the high passes of The Southern Peaks. Not exactly inviting country.”

  I wasn’t pleased about the ambiguity of the journey’s route. My hope, and it was admittedly a nebulous one, was that we could find a guide in West Fork who might (for a few coins) take us into The Southern Peaks. The elders of Aeris had provided a generous allowance for that purpose. As Rickard, their newest member, had suggested, “Your status as a Summoner will result in a lot of bowing and scraping but little in the way of meaningful help. Gold coins from the cities, however, will serve you when it comes to procuring aid.” Gabriel’s eyes had widened when he had seen how much had been entrusted to us.

  The warm morning sun beat down on us as we wended our way south on the hard-packed dirt road, which was actually little more than a wide trail. Little consideration had been given to riding. Horses were scarce in Aeris and I didn’t want to deprive the village of one of their resources. Plus, I didn’t know how to ride, my last experience on a mount having been ten years ago on a pony at a birthday party. I could think of few things less dignified than a mighty Summoner falling off her faithful steed or hobbling around with sore buttocks. Walking would take longer but it was preferable. And we didn’t have to worry about feeding and watering the horses.

  The scents of the road enveloped me - from the fragrance of small wildflowers thriving so close to the Blight to the sweat of my companions. Once awakened, the sensitivity of my sense of smell had not abated. If anything, it had become more acute. If I closed my eyes, I would be able to pinpoint the location of each member of the group by his or her scent.

  A cycle out of Aeris, I was already wistful. I hadn’t realized how important the concept of a “home” had become until it was behind me. Now, I was a wanderer. There was no telling if or when I would return to Aeris. I suspected that if I ever saw the village again, it would be as a visitor. There was something sad about that. Although three of my closest friends were with me on the road, I missed Lissa’s kind, knowing smile, Brin’s youthful enthusiasm, Rickard’s gruff manner, and even Backus’ inscrutability.

  “Something wrong?” asked Samell, dropping back to walk beside me. Gabriel was leading the way, followed by Esme and Alyssa then Stepan, with Octavius bringing up the rear.

  My lips quirked upward at his perceptiveness. Sometimes it was almost scary how well he understood me considering that we hadn’t known each other for very long.

  “I don’t like goodbyes.” I guessed it was true although I couldn’t recall any specific memories to confirm it. Maybe it was just this goodbye I didn’t like.

  “Father Backus was sorry to see you go. He never shows regret but there was some this morning. My guess is that he’ll miss your morning sessions. By now you must be the second-most pious person in all of Aeris.”

  “I guess I know the basics about the gods. There are four of them, right? Sovereign the sun, the moons Concord and Ire, and Vasto the void. I’m afraid Backus’ theological teachings were lacking.”

  “What were you doing all those mornings? We assumed he was giving you a detailed history of religion and indoctrinating you into the inner workings of the priesthood.”

  A priest alone with an 18-year old girl… Where I came from, it would have incited gossip but in Aeris, no one would even consider the salacious possibilities of such daily meetings. Was this almost charming naiveté a characteristic of this world or merely the result of Aeris’ isolation?

  It wasn’t my secret to tell but, on the other hand, how could I keep something important from Samell? “How much do you know about Father Backus’ past?” I asked.

  “His past? You mean that he’s lived for a very long time and never seems to age? Everyone knows that. A gift from the gods.”

  I suppose that’s one way to see it. “It’s a bit more complicated than that. Do you know there are two kinds of people who can use magic?”

  Samell nodded. “Summoners and wild-wizards. Everyone knows that.”

  “Backus is what you call a ‘wild-wizard’. He was brought here about ten generations ago but never learned his skills from another Summoner. Now, his magic is mostly burnt out, although there’s enough left for him to prolong his life.”

  Samell was thunderstruck. “Father Backus…a wild-wizard? Are you sure?”

  I nodded. “My sessions with him weren’t about the gods. They were about learning how to use magic. He taught, or tried to teach, some techniques. But his limitations were obvious and he knew that if I didn’t go on this trip, I’d end up like him.”

  Samell was quiet for a while as he absorbed what I had told him. I was content to wait for him to speak.

  “Why tell me? Why now?”

  “Because I trust you. Because I think it’s something you have a right to know. But it’s not my secret to tell and, as long as we were in Aeris, I didn’t feel it was my place.”

  “So, by telling me now… You don’t think we’re going back to Aeris, do you?”

  I phrased my response carefully. “I’m probably not going back. Or, if I do, it won’t be for long. My immediate goal is to find another Summoner. Beyond that, I don’t know, but if Backus is right, the earth reavers’ attack may just be the first offensive in something much larger.”

  “And the rest of us…?”

  “That will be up to you. I hope at least some of you might want to stay with me for a while but I can understand if you want to go back to Aeris. It’s your home and it may need defending.”

  Samell smiled. “You still don’t understand our ways, Janelle. Those of us with you, except Gabriel, are pledged to you and your cause. We’re your coterie. Aeris is no longer our ‘home.’ We’re with you until you dismiss us. I thought you knew that.”

  The revelation surprised me. I hadn’t realized… I had assumed my companions from Aeris were with me as guides and possibly protectors for the immediate journey. I had underestimated the depth of loyalty associated with their commitment, giving up everything - a town, a lifestyle, families, future marriages and children - to accompany someone they barely knew. Along with the flood of warmth and gratitude, this spawned a twinge of anxiety. The responsibility was enormous and I wasn’t sure I could live up to it. It was much to ask from someone untried.

  “None of us did this on a whim. We’re with you because we believe in you. We think you’re important - important enough to give our lives if necessary. The only way we’ll go back to Aeris is if you go back there.”

  I spent the rest of the morning traveling in silence, processing what Samell had told me, coming to grips with what the other five had surrendered to be here. Had I been aware of this before leaving Aeris, would it have made a difference? If I was honest, the answer was no. I needed them. Alone, I never would have undertaken this journey. Being by myself in this wild country was a frightening proposition. I still remembered my first days in The Verdant Blight.<
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  The others chatted among themselves, gossiping about things of little consequence, almost as if they were on a day trip rather than a long, uncertain quest. I marveled that they could be so calm, so matter-of-fact about it. When we stopped for a rest and to eat a light meal of traveler’s rations (nuts, dried berries, cured meat, and lukewarm water), Esme approached me.

  “Are you okay, Janelle? Did Samell say something to upset you? He does that without realizing it. He’s not always the best with words. Sometimes when he tries to say something, it comes out almost the opposite of what he means.”

  “No. I’m just thinking. The enormity of what we’re doing is sinking in. It’s madness, believing we can find one of the few people in the whole world who can answer my questions.”

  “Summoners can do the impossible.” She said it with such earnestness that I almost believed her.

  “What about you? Won’t you miss Aeris?”

  “Of course I will. I lived my whole life there. But Alyssa’s with me and it softens the blow to have my oldest and dearest friend along. We’re all with you to do what we can to keep Aeris safe. This isn’t about abandoning our home; it’s about saving it, if that makes any sense.”

  It did.

  By mid-afternoon, the road slipped into the fringes of The Verdant Blight. The great, green forest which had been a constant presence to the right crept closer until we were under the canopy. I guessed this was the general area where I had first met Samell and Esme, although that had been to the west. There was a several-mile gap between the river and the road, although I had been told that the two generally paralleled each other all the way to NewTown, where they diverged.

  My normal senses found the Blight to be as strange as on my previous visit. Other than us, nothing moved. Nothing lived. The plants were healthy but there were no buzzing insects, no burrowing animals. I reached out with my mind-sense but found nothing. No earth reavers or air reavers. I could feel the forest’s magic but there was nothing inherently malevolent about it. It wouldn’t harm me and, assuming my companions were careful, it wouldn’t harm them either.