by CM Raymond
Taking his hat off, the man spat on the ground. His brow furrowed. “Damn shame. Eve was one of the best. If all of Arcadia was made of folk like her, there’s a chance I wouldn’t have left.” He gritted his teeth and placed his hat back on his balding head. “But I apologize for making you stand here in the cold. What kind of shit host am I? Come now, come to my house. We will have tea, and if it suits you, something a bit stronger to take the chill off.”
Hannah looked back at Sal, mostly to shield her eyes flashing red, as she took a moment to step into the old farmer’s mind. His thoughts were dark with sorrow.
Turning back to him, she said, “We would be honored to come under your roof…”
“Henry. Names Henry, but most folks call me Hank.”
He led them toward the house, walking with a slight limp from a lifetime of fighting the hard ground for nourishment. Glancing over his shoulder at Sal, he asked, “That thing housebroke?”
Hannah giggled as her dragon groaned in the back of his throat. “Sal’s a perfect gentleman, Hank.”
“Good. I’ll let em curl up by the hearth as long as he don’t bug the cats any.”
They stepped over the threshold and into a tiny kitchen that also served as the dining room. As tidy as the fields, just the feel of Henry’s house set Hannah at ease.
The old man stoked the fire, dropping more dry logs onto it, causing the flames to crackle and dance. A kettle, black with soot, hung on a cast iron hook, which Henry gave a push and settled into its place over the fire. He waved at the chairs around the oak table, worn from service to an honest family for decades. The women took the invitation and sat. Hannah chose the seat facing the door.
She trusted him—mostly, but she didn’t know anything about the man, or who else might be on the property. With this in mind, she asked, “Are you alone then, Hank?”
Pushing a cat off another chair, he sat. “Nah. Don’t know if I would make it out here on my lonesome. The open Lowlands would drive a man like me crazy as a remnant. My granddaughters are here, but out on the back forty mending the fence.”
Hannah nodded and glanced over at Maddie, who still had glassy eyes thinking of her aunt.
“Now,” he said grabbing a bottle from a side table along with three glasses, “let’s drink to Eve before we have a proper cup of afternoon tea.” He grinned widely as he poured a thick stout into each glass. Raising his own, he said, “To Eve and to Arcadia, may she forever stand.” He tilted his glass and took a long swallow, wiping his mouth with the back of his hand when he finished.
Hannah and Maddie raised their own and followed his lead. The taste of the stout was like nothing she’d ever tasted. The flavor was thick and rich, but the liquid went down her throat with an alcoholic burn that tore like one of her fireballs. “To Eve,” she coughed.
Henry laughed a deep laugh. “Good, right? Oh, I don’t let the girls have any of this. Would knock ‘em on their little asses faster than they could say Queen’s Boulevard. But I like it strong. Make it myself. And I figured if you two wandered all the way out here on your own, you must be tough as nails.”
“It’s, ah, good,” Hannah wheezed, still burning from the brew.
The farmer eyed Hannah. “I know she—” he jutted his chin toward Maddie, “—is kin with Eve. But who the hell are you?”
“I’m… just Hannah.”
“No one’s just anyone. Who’s your father?”
“Arnold, from the Boulevard.”
Henry looked up at the rafters as if he could see right through them. “Doesn’t ring a bell, but I’ve been gone so damn long, I probably wouldn’t recognize Adrien if the fool kicked me in the ass. But how’d a Boulevard girl meet Ms. Maddie here?”
“Well, that is a long story, sir. I guess it all started the day I met Ezekiel.”
Spitting out his brew, he nearly jumped from his seat. “Ezekiel! No shit? You know old Zeke?”
Hannah laughed, finally hearing someone else call him that. She nodded, beaming with delight. “I do indeed. He has become my teacher.”
Henry took another long drink, emptied his mug, and poured himself another. “Who hasn’t been taught by the Founder?” He made air quotes as he finished the sentence. “I knew that old badger when we were both barely had hair on our unmentionables…” Henry turned red and glanced over at Maddie. “Pardon me, miss. The brew takes my tongue first.”
She smiled back at him. “No problem, I have friends that could curse that tongue of yours under the table.”
“Well, I’ll try not to take that as a challenge, then. How is Ezekiel? Wait, don’t tell me he’s dead now, too.”
“No,” Hannah shook her head. “Very much alive. In fact, he’s the reason we are here.”
The three of them settled in, the ladies with a cup of tea made of dried herbs, and Henry with another mug of the hard stuff, and Hannah told the entire story, as concisely as she was able. Henry asked questions along the way and interjected his own commentary.
“Adrien,” he finally spat. “That good for nothing son of a bitch. Should have seen this coming when he was just a kid.”
As if on cue, when Henry said his name, Sal sat up with a jolt, knocking a bench by the fire over. He cocked his head and craned his neck to look out the window.
“Someone’s here,” Hannah said with a start.
Maddie rushed to the window, tilted the curtains back slightly, and peered out.
“Probably just the girls back from their chores,” Henry said with a wave of his hands.
“Don’t think so,” Maddie replied. “Unless your granddaughters are also Capitol Guards.”
Hannah was on her feet in no time, taking in the house more carefully. Her eyes cut to Henry, and she couldn’t help but wonder if her mystical magic betrayed her—if he had actually somehow signaled for them.
Henry shuffled to the window, pulling the curtain wide open. There was real concern on his face, and it didn’t take a mystic to see that he was not expecting this. Spinning on his heel, he grunted, “Those assholes. Quick, come with me.”
He grabbed Maddie by the arm and led her across the room with Hannah close behind. Eyeing up the barnboard walls, he found the perfect spot and pushed. A hidden door instantly replied to the force and sprung open. The chamber was small, hardly big enough for the three of them.
“Get in, and bring your…” his eyes cut to Sal standing at attention, “thing with you.”
Hannah gave a whistle and pushed Sal in first. Hannah and Maddie squeezed in behind.
Henry’s slurred speech was gone, and he looked as sober as one of the Prophet’s Disciples. “Whatever happens, stay in here. I’ve dealt with them before; today is no different.”
Before they could protest, Henry closed the hidden door and shut them into the darkness.
****
Light streamed through the cracks in the door of the hidden chamber. Hannah’s hands shook as she second-guessed her choice to trust the farmer. She didn’t know him from the Patriarch, and her mental arts were mediocre at best. If the Capitol Guard on the property were in fact in collusion with him, they were already imprisoned and prepared for deportation back to Arcadia and into the hands of Adrien.
The muffled sound of pounding on the front door made its way into their hiding place. She could feel Maddie flinch with each knock of the guard’s heavy fist.
“Open up, Hank,” a gruff voice shouted.
Hannah closed an eye and shifted her body to the left. She could just barely make out a portion of the room through the sliver of space between the boards. Watching Henry exhale and pace to the door, she held her breath.
“Keep your pants on!” he shouted as he reached for the latch.
The latch snapped open, and the door creaked, followed by the sound of multiple boots entering the house without being welcomed by its owner. She could hear one man walk the perimeter of the room, as though to take in the scene. Pausing by the hidden door, she could hear him breathing.
“Hank, we’re early this month, as you can see.”
Henry forced a grin and ran his hand across his unshaven face. “Hard not to notice, when you’re standing in my damn kitchen. We had an agreement. I don’t have enough to give you right now.”
“Come on now, Hank. Let’s be friendly about this whole thing. Sometimes agreements can flex, and even bend. Better than breaking, don’t you think?” the lead guard asked.
Hannah’s mind was racing. She tried to configure what exactly this agreement was about, and what the old farmer or his two granddaughters might have to offer the Capitol and its Guard. It was no matter, they were there, and Hannah and her friends were screwed. She shifted her weight, sliding her one open eye back and forth across the plane of the door. Each crack between the boards gave her a new perspective on the room, and as far she could tell, there were three guards—inside at least.
“Besides, we're not here to collect your tax—we just want some information. Not sure if you heard, but since last time we came, there was a bit of a scuffle in Arcadia.” There was a hint of sarcasm in the man’s voice. He certainly wouldn’t mention to the people in the outlying lands that Adrien had a flying death machine that he used on his own city.
Henry raised his brow, trying to look surprised. Hannah hoped that he was a skilled actor. “I don’t hear much from the city these days, Lenny. What kind of scuffle you speaking of?”
“The kind that could lead to a greater insurrection.” The man’s voice grew harsher as the conversation continued. “Seems some radicals have decided it was time to try to overthrow the Chancellor and the Governor. Sometimes, people just can’t admit how good they have it. Didn’t get very far before their plans were foiled, but we’re combing the countryside, hitting up the farms and villages—a few of the scum are still on the run.”
Removing his hat, Henry smoothed his bald head with his right hand and then scratched his chin. “Well, damn. Haven’t heard of any insurrection or any news at all for that matter. It’s been pretty quiet out here.” He let a nervous laugh. “But hell, that’s why I moved out here in the first place. Arcadia never was a place for me. I prefer the simple life to the hustle and bustle of the city. Bring in enough people over the years and eventually something like this was bound to happen.”
It was the guard’s turn to laugh. “Which is exactly why it’s important that we find these rebels—before things get out of hand. We wouldn’t want to disturb the peace, after all.”
“Well, I got my peace right here on the farm. It’s enough for me and the girls.”
“Where are those little darlings?” a different voice, this one shriller, replied.
Henry narrowed his eyes. “You leave them out of this.”
“You ever imagine, Hank, that maybe those girls don’t really want to be here, living amongst miles of nothing with their old grandfather the only man in sight? Or maybe that’s the way you like it.” The man sneered.
Henry kept his voice low, but Hannah could hear the strain in it. “I said, leave them out of this.”
The man cackled a disgusting laugh. “Maybe they just don’t know their options, Hank. Give me a couple hours with each of them; I’ll show them what’s available back in Arcadia, if you know what I mean.”
A third man interjected, “I think you mean a few minutes, Gus. Word about you and yer stamina is all over the Dragon’s Lair.”
From her vantage point, Hannah could watch Hank tremble. She knew the guards were trying to get under his skin, and she hoped that it was thicker than Sal’s. It wasn’t a secret that they were taught certain approaches to try to break people and get information out of them. These bastards were trying to do just that—and it seemed to be working.
“Close your filthy mouths,” Henry finally snapped. “Do to me what you will, take what you want, hell, beat me to a pulp and drag my body back to Arcadia, but not another damned word about my granddaughters.”
“Now, now, let’s not get brash,” the lead guard said. “We’re not here to start any trouble… Them boys just having a little fun with you. Henry, I just need to know, have you seen anybody cross your property over the last few weeks?”
“No, sir,” Henry croaked, his face red with rage.
“Anybody stop in here, asking for help? Food? Anything?”
“Haven’t seen a single face other than your ugly mugs in over a month, and that’s the honest truth.”
Hannah cringed, knowing that you never trusted anyone who felt the need to proclaim that anything was “the honest truth.” She glanced over her shoulder. In the dim light, she could see that Maddie’s eyes were closed, her lips muttering something—probably a prayer to the Matriarch and Patriarch. Hannah did her own kind of meditation, clearing her mind in case she needed to act. She would be ready.
The guard pointed to the overturned bench by the fire. “What’s with the toppled furniture, Hank? You on an early bender or something?”
Glancing at the bottle and glasses on the table, he cursed to himself. “You know a man’s gotta—”
The sound of a fist hitting flesh cut the old man off.
“What’s this here? Three glasses?” The lead guard’s voice was loud and angry. “Quite a bender when one mug ain’t enough. I know those granddaughters of yours don’t drink the swill you make in your bathtub.” His eyes scanned the room, looking for anything else out of the ordinary. He nodded at the guard with the shrill voice. “Check the back bedrooms.”
The sound of footsteps moving down the hall told Hannah that one was gone. She considered her opportunity to strike while they were one guard short—for the time being—but she knew they might just still make it out without taking the chance.
She held steady as the man returned. “No one back there, sir.”
“Hank, Hank, Hank… We’ve always had a very clear understanding, you and I. Where are they?”
“Who?”
“Stop the charade. It’s like talking with an imbecile from the Boulevard.” He shook his head. “You’re not an imbecile, are you, Hank? Tell us where the rebels are, and we’ll be out of your hair—even turn a blind-eye to your lies. But, keep your mouth shut, and bad, bad things are going to happen to you… Hell, those girls of yours might just find themselves orphaned… again.”
Hannah got ready for the moment that he turned. In the end, she wouldn’t blame him. The wretch in his kitchen was giving him a choice: a couple of rebels he just met or the two darlings working out in his fields.
Hank looked down at his feet and then back up at the guard. “I don’t have a clue what you’re talking about. Now, if we’re done, I’d like you to get the hell off my property. I’ve got nothing more to give ya.”
The head guard laughed and stepped in close to Henry. Leaning in, he whispered, “There’s always more to give, you damned fool.”
In one quick motion, the guard grabbed Henry by the hair and swung his head down, smashing it on the table. Curling into a ball on the floor, Henry moaned as a leather boot landed on his ribcage. With blood pouring from his face, he begged the Arcadian to stop.
“It stops when you talk!” he screamed with another kick to the gut.
“There’s no one.”
“No one? Come on Henry.” Another kick landed on his side.
Maddie bit her lip so as not to scream as she squeezed Hannah’s arm. “Do something.”
“All right, Gus, go find those little girls,” he said, turning to his second, “but no funny business… until you get back.”
Hannah’s blood boiled as the devil’s words coursed through her brain. She took a step back and kicked the door with everything she had. It didn’t just open, but shattered, sending shrapnel around the room.
“This is the last girl you’re ever going to see,” she screamed as she pushed her hand toward the man already moving for the door.
A blue stream of pure power hit him square, shooting him across the room. Gus hit with a horrific thud, his body dropping lifelessly to the ground.
>
Hannah turned in time to see the head guard, who was faster than she expected, draw his magitech on her. Twisting her hand, she placed it palm out just as the blast came. Blasts careened off the shield and out into the room.
“You!” the guard yelled.
“You got that right, asshole. Picked the wrong farm to visit today!”
Twisting her hand in a fast but complicated pattern, she flicked her wrist, and the bottle of stout launched off the table, crashing against his head. Hannah wasted no time. She was across the room in a second, landing a boot to the man’s knee, dropping him to half her size.
He looked up into the face of justice. Her eyes burned red, and he knew it was the end.
“Adrien is going to slaughter you,” he said with hate in his eyes.
Hannah shrugged. “Maybe. But you’re the one who’s bleeding today.”
Hannah placed her hands together, then pulled them apart. A large chunk of ice formed, which she shaped and molded into a spear.
“Go to hell—” But before the man could finish his curse, ice and blood filled his mouth, pinning his head to the floor.
“Hannah—” Maddie cried from across the room.
She turned as the last guard ran at her with a long, silver dagger in hand. Just before it struck its target, a green blur flashed across the room. Sal’s long, hard tail snapped like a whip against the man’s torso, knocking him across the room. Hannah heard the sound of his neck breaking.
Grinning, Hannah looked her creature in his beady, black eyes. “You might be worth the trouble, after all, ya brute!”
Sal shot his lizard tongue out of his mouth and back in. He stepped toward his master and nuzzled her hip with his head. She gave him a scratch on the head before moving across the room to kneel by Henry’s side.
“Screw him,” Henry said looking from the dragon to Hannah. “What the hell are you?”
“I’m what happens when a group of douche nuggets do evil shit.”
Henry struggled to his feet, turned his chair upright, and lowered his aching body into it. Drinking Maddie’s stout, which she barely touched, he said, “Always thought that Ezekiel would pick someone a bit more refined.”
