Fallout (Tales of the Other Universe Book 2)

by J. G. Taschereau

  “How can this be happening, Greg?”

  He didn’t have an answer for her. All he knew was that his suspicions had been validated, but that brought him no comfort at all. The optimism that Dee had brought back to him was already beginning to erode. He gripped Dee’s hand tighter and picked up his pace, leading her out of the crowded streets to a place where they might find some sanctuary. All the while, he did what he could to block out the sound of Seb Ommati’s cold laughter echoing in the back of his mind.

  The Creator shut his eyes and tried to clear his head. He sat alone in a room where he had just finished projecting his face and words to the entirety of the Other Universe. It was a terrible task, but it was done. There was no undoing it now, and he accepted that he had turned his back on Adam and Dee forever. He only hoped that when all was said and done and his leash had been cut that he could try to make amends to Dee. The Creator could live with resigning Adam to die, but he wanted no harm to come of Dee and wished nothing more than to go to her now, pluck her to safety, and go back to the life he had with her before he left her in Magid. It was going to take a lot for her to forgive him, and even with her near infinite patience, he wondered if she would accept that all he had done was for her own good.

  There was a slow clapping behind him, disturbing him from his thoughts. He opened his eyes, knowing without turning around that Mr. White had come to pay him a visit and ensure that the Creator had gone through with the task.

  “I’ve got to say, that was pretty convincing,” he said coolly. “I don’t think I could have done better myself, if I was pretending to be a supreme deity.”

  “Leave me alone,” the Creator told him.

  “I’m sorry, I know that was probably very hard for you to do,” Mr. White said. “Selling out Adam Evans is one thing, but you actually care about that woman. I can only imagine how she must feel to be lumped in with the likes of Adam Evans.”

  The Creator bolted up from his seat and stormed over to Mr. White, getting very close to his face. “Let me make something perfectly clear to you. I don’t care who you are, or what you know. If anything happens to Ms. Gatti because of this, I will find a way to destroy you. I’ll make you regret the day you ever decided to cross me.”

  A smug grin crossed Mr. White’s face. “Finally, Daniel, you’re getting some bass in your voice. Keep that up. It’s going to make things a lot easier for you later on.” He stepped back and got out of the Creator’s way, pacing towards the door. “Why not take a rest? Put your feet up. We’ll be giving the mice some time to scurry around before we set the next trap, so relax and wait for the pot to come to a boil.”

  “Iilil-ja and Dee are in the city,” the Creator said, making Mr. White stop in the doorway. “He went to the Khazaki’s headquarters and was almost engulfed in despair, but with a few kind words Ms. Gatti undid all the evil you caused. You won’t break either of them so easily.”

  The Creator could pick up on Mr. White’s aggravation even as he tried to hide it. “We’ll just wait and see, won’t we Daniel?”

  He left the room, leaving the Creator alone with his own frustrations. The Creator took his seat again and closed his eyes, letting his mind drift through the infinite cosmos at his disposal. Yet his thoughts returned to the scared young woman who was in the process of fleeing the city with the man who had proven to be one of his biggest mistakes. The Creator reached his hand out, grasping helplessly at the last hope he had, watching her in his mind’s eye as she ran with Adam into the fire that he had just ignited.

  Within this hollow cavern hung

  The ready, swift, and tuneful tongue;

  If falsehood’s honey it disdained,

  And when it could not praise was chained,

  If hold in virtue’s cause it spoke,

  Yet gentle concord never broke—

  This silent tongue shall plead for thee

  When time unveils Eternity.

  Chapter 22

  Wensfell

  In the coolness of the night, a caravan of horse drawn carts rolled along the dirt roads near the border of Leapador. The sleepy passengers inside huddled together under thin blankets to help keep each other warm. The creaky wooden walls of the carts did little to block out the late October winds that nipped against bare skin once the temperature dropped after sunset. Enough people were packed inside that the radiant body heat helped balance the interior temperature even as their warmth disappeared through the cracks in the walls. Most of the travelers slept to ignore the cold and boredom that came from the long trip, but the bumps in the road kept some of the passengers awake. One of those still awake was Adam, keeping some semblance of alertness as Dee dozed beside him.

  He was not surprised that she slept so soundly even on the bumpy road. The last month had been a trying experience for the both of them, especially the last few days. Neither of them had expected the trouble of their fugitive status, but ever since the Creator declared them his enemies, each day had been a series of close calls and living in desperation. In her past travels, Dee had no problem going through towns, using what little money she had for food and supplies, and sometimes spending the night in an inn. At present, she and Adam were obligated to camp in the wilderness as far from people as possible. They had foraged their own food and more than once gone without. After spending weeks hiking through the Opal Kingdom, they neared the border with Leapador hungry, dirty, and in low spirits. It was by some miracle that they had found a caravan travelling to Leapador, and after concealing themselves well they joined the other nomads.

  The cart that they rode in hit a deep hole in the road, shaking the inside of the cart and jarring Dee out of her sleep in a quick panic. She gripped Adam’s arm, which she had been leaning against, and with dazed eyes she moaned softly and looked up to Adam. In the safety of the night he had removed his face covering but kept the hood of his cloak covering his head. Dee too had left her face exposed, but had adopted a silk headscarf that covered up her restrained hair and draped around her neck. Finding herself taken from her dreams and back in the grim reality she had been living, she lowered her head and nuzzled it against Adam’s arm to get comfortable again and slip back into sleep. Adam envied her ability to fall asleep so quickly, especially with the constant danger all around them.

  He understood her exhaustion, and he was beginning to wonder if Dee had made the right choice by going after him again. Had she stayed at home, she might have enjoyed a warm meal of savory pork in the company of family and friends instead of having a meager ration of bread surrounded by strangers. She would be sleeping in the comfort of a cozy bed instead of propped up against him while sitting up on a hard wooden bench. He struggled to understand what had driven her to make her decision. Surely he was not worth all of this trouble, but Dee seemed to think he was.

  Dee shifted again, already asleep, and gripped Adam’s sleeve tighter in her slumber. He felt her gentle breathing on his arm. Against the wheels rolling over the ground outside he listened to the soft sound she made each time she exhaled. He found some relief in the fact that Dee was so comfortable with him that even in the midst of this hostile situation, even though they were hungry and cold and utterly lost, she could still sleep like a baby when he was near. Adam used his free hand to grab the edge of the blanket that was slipping off of Dee. He pulled it over her shoulders and sighed, resting his head against hers as he closed his eyes and tried to find the same peace through sleep.

  Their journey into Leapador continued to hit many bumps in the road. The whole caravan was stopped when it reached the border. Armed guards walked up and down the length of the line of carts, speaking with the drivers and verifying the intent of their passage. Leapador and the Opal Kingdom lived in a shaky balance with each other, often on the edge of war. There was always a risk of enemy soldiers or spies sneaking into the country, so the border guards were careful to inspect any group passing through. There had been a steady period of peace between the countries, due in part to the return of the k
ingdom’s rightful heir to the throne. As such, security at the border was more relaxed, something Adam was thankful for.

  The door of his wagon opened and one of the guards stepped up to review its passengers. His face shrunk as the acrid smell of the interior hit him. Many of the nomads had not bathed in days or even weeks, and most worked with animals while not travelling. The guard made his inspection quick, peering through the collection of homely looking foreigners. He paid no particular attention to Adam and Dee in the back of the cart, who now kept their faces covered with veils. After a few words to the driver, he moved along to the next cart and within minutes the caravan was on its way through the thick border wall and into the kingdom of Leapador.

  Adam and Dee travelled with the caravan for another two days until it took a turn towards the western coast and they parted ways with it to head south. Their destination was the capital city of Wensfell. They made steady progress along the way now that the terrain they crossed had shifted from the forests of the Opal Kingdom to sunny fields of golden wheat. Although the open space made it harder to hide in than the forests, there were fewer people in this part of the country and the expansive supply of grain eliminated the hunger that had slowed them down all month. Adam and Dee’s spirits seemed to lift, which only helped them progress even faster to Wensfell four days after parting with the caravan, forty days after their flight from Magid.

  The capital was an expansive castle city surrounded on all sides by thick stone walls that had survived more than a few sieges over the centuries. From the countryside around the city, nothing but the upper levels of the castle could be seen over the wall. Adam and Dee looked ahead towards their destination, Dee seeing the grand city for the first time and Adam being reunited with it after leaving half a century earlier. They took a moment to rest by the road and eat a ration of bread and wild fowl while planning what their next steps would be.

  “There won’t be an easy way to do this,” Adam said. “We can probably get into the city without much trouble, but we’ll be searched and identified when we try to get into the castle.”

  “Can’t we just tell them to bring us to Mathias? He would vouch for us.” Mathias Silvos, the former bounty hunter who had accompanied Dee with the Creator’s rescue group to Kyoto, had returned to his homeland after the ordeal and assumed his rightful place on the throne. He had proven to be a respectable man who would have no objections with helping his friends in need. Given the Creator’s decree, however, such an assumption was not certain.

  “It’s risky,” Adam explained. “Suppose they don’t even bother bringing us to him and just lock us in the dungeon? What if they try to start a fight on the spot and we have to defend ourselves? There are just too many things that could go wrong.”

  “What if we try sneaking in? Do you know of any other entrances into the castle?”

  “It’s been over forty years since I was last there, and my memory of this place is already pretty spotty. I wouldn’t want to risk it.”

  Dee finished chewing a bite of bread. “What can we do then? We need to get to Mathias somehow, and unless we storm the castle I don’t know how we could get to him directly.”

  “We need to get as much attention off of us as we can,” said Adam. “The more people who know we’re here, the worse things will get. The Creator expects a riot to be incited, and that’s exactly what’s bound to happen.”

  Dee sighed. “I don’t think we have a choice, Greg. They’re going to realize who we are sooner or later. Our best chance is to get as close to the inside of the castle as we can. I can use magic to help hide us, but getting to Mathias after that won’t be easy.”

  Adam finished his small meal and wiped his hands. “Well, I didn’t expect any part of this to be easy. We’ll just have to roll with the punches.”

  Dee reluctantly agreed and followed him along the road towards the city. The outermost gate was open and freely allowed citizens to travel in and out of the city. It would be the inner gate of Wensfell Keep that would prove the most difficult to get into. First, they would need to travel through the streets of the city to get to the castle at the far edge.

  Dee was impressed with the clean and orderly streets of the busy city, which while less advanced than Takuda Central was much grander than the dirt streets of her home village. Cobblestones lined the ancient paths and stone buildings that stood the test of time were packed together along the roads, offering amenities to the citizens of Wensfell. She realized that they must be in the market district as people left the shops with handfuls of goods. A massive store with an outstretched awning had dozens of swords, axes, and other quality weapons on display as the proud shop owner stood outside and awaited customers.

  “It seems like a thriving city,” Dee pointed out. “Mathias must be doing well in his role.”

  “The city has always been one of the most stable in all of the human kingdoms here,” Adam said. “Even when Mathias’ father had just reclaimed the throne, the city flourished despite the troubles caused during the revolution.” Still, Adam was happy to see that the city had not fallen apart with Mathias at the helm. All in all he was impressed with Leapador upon his return, and he realized he hadn’t given the old bounty hunter enough credit. He thought back to his parting promise with Mathias in Kyoto, feeling a sudden pang of guilt for not being able to be as good a king to his people as Mathias was for his.

  “So you knew Mathias’ father?” Dee asked.

  “I fought on his side when his family was taking back the throne from a rival clan who had been in power,” Adam said. “I was just passing through, but I ended up getting involved until the end and Richard asked me to help command his military on the border with the Opal Kingdom.”

  Dee hummed with interest. “You didn’t meet anyone named Duncan Cairn by any chance, did you?”

  “I met a lot of people here, Dee, and it was a long time ago,” Adam said. “I don’t really remember most of them by name.”

  “Ah,” Dee said, letting the thought pass.

  There was a commotion up ahead. People walking through the streets were pushed aside as a scrawny looking man bolted away from his pursuers. Adam spotted a bag tucked under his arms which revealed an assortment of sparkling jewelry lined with gemstones and silver beads. It was clear what had happened, and as the thief bounded away he decided to intervene. With an unnoticed flick of his fingers, a rock shot up from the ground just in front of the thief’s foot, tripping him and sending him face first into the cobblestones. The stolen jewelry scattered across the road, drawing in those standing nearby to scoop up what they could before they too were caught.

  The thief rolled over and jumped to his feet. He realized that there was no way he would reclaim his bounty and that all he could do was run. As he tried to flee, he found he could not move his feet. Looking down, he found that the cobblestones had somehow crept upwards and surrounded his ankles. He tried ripping his feet out from the trap but found himself wedged in. Confused, he stared at his feet until the authorities pursuing him caught up and restrained him. As his hands were bound, he felt the pressure around his feet loosen, and another inspection found that they were free of their bonds. Stupefied, he could only question what twist of fate had affected him as he was led away by the guards.

  Other guards arrived on the scene and stepped into the cluster of people trying to get what jewelry they could from the spilled bag. Those standing nearby were ordered to step forward and empty their pockets to return any jewelry they had taken. Adam and Dee attempted to sneak away in the midst of this, but one the guards caught them and called them over. Dee gave Adam a worried look from behind her veil, but he assured her that it would be worse if they attempted to run. They stood in the line and emptied their pockets, showing no sign of stolen merchandise. The guard’s view fell towards Dee’s neckline, where the blue gemstone of the necklace given to her by her master hung below Dee’s wrapped headscarf.

  “What’s that?” the guard inquired.

  D
ee’s hand shot up to cover the gem. “That’s mine,” she explained. “It’s not stolen.”

  “Oh yeah? Prove it.”

  “How can I prove it?” Dee asked. “I’ve had this necklace for years.”

  “Sure you have.” The guard reached for Dee’s neck, but found his hand stopped as Adam grabbed his wrist.

  “Look, we don’t want any trouble,” Adam said. “She’s telling the truth, so why not go back to questioning the rest of those honest citizens?”

  The guard scowled, angered by Adam’s lack of respect. “Smart guy, huh? Let’s see some identification.”

  “We’re nomads passing through the city,” Adam lied. “We don’t have identification.”

  “Then let’s see your faces,” the guard pressed.

  “Sorry, but we haven’t got the time,” said Adam, putting his hand on Dee’s arm and guiding her away. “Thanks for doing a terrific job,” he told the guard.

  Adam and Dee started to hustle away. The guard reached for his sword and planned to pursue but found himself unable to move. Just as with the thief, Adam had fixed the guard’s feet in place with the cobblestones. The guard couldn’t believe his eyes, but he knew even with himself stuck he couldn’t let the strangers escape. He called to his cohorts, pointing to Adam and Dee who were now running to distance themselves from the scene.

  “After them!” one of the guards called, abandoning the pile of pilfered jewelry and the unscrupulous crowd to give chase as Adam and Dee now found themselves the ones being pursued. They managed to get far ahead, only to run into another group of guards on patrol. The new group noticed Adam and Dee with covered faces seeming to run away from something and put two and two together as the first group of guards closed in.