by Rosie Scott
“I am impatient, Kai,” he replied, his red eyes still scanning over the city, as if overwhelmed with the thought of searching through everyone for volunteers. “You are the only one who has agreed to join me in this so far. The last thing I want to do is leave here without numbers, and I don't want to stay in Misu for very long when you are on a time limit.”
“Do not concern yourself with that,” I encouraged him. “A few days in Misu is nothing compared to the lengthy detour my fickle golden eyed friends sent us on.”
Calder managed a chuckle, despite his stress. He reached up to his face, pulling a hand over it with a hefty exhale. “I'm sorry Cyrene was suspicious of you, Kai. You have been a great friend to me, and if I would have known she'd be so opposed to our idea, I wouldn't have gone with her.”
Suspicious? Cyrene had been nearly hostile with me, but Calder hadn't been there to see most of it. “If I worried about what people thought of me, I'd never accomplish anything, friend.” I reached over, patting him on the back. “Come on. We have volunteers to recruit.”
Eighteen
Misu was left behind us within the week. Two dozen beastmen recruits followed us, some encouraged by the perks of learning more magic, and some of them motivated by blood lust. Because so many of the escaped Alderi came from the underground entrance near the rain forest city of Silvi to the north, many of them had similar backstories to Calder and Koby. The beastmen of the wildlands accepted escaped Alderi with open arms, offering them reprieve from both the slavery of the underground and the judgments of the rest of the world. Few Alderi had settled in Misu, but only because it was the farthest city from the tunnel entrance in the north. A high percentage of those Alderi men who had called Misu their home now followed us. If Calder's memory served him correctly, we would have better luck recruiting in the northern cities. Not only were they much larger than Misu, but the Alderi were more plentiful. In the case of Silvi, it was so close to the underground entrance that its populace was used to intercepting and killing the female assassins who would often come after escaped slaves. Perhaps, then, the beastmen there would be more willing to join us to travel underground than they had been in Misu.
Calder and I were both determined to recruit as many beastmen as possible, so we were headed next to Tenesea. The swamp city was much larger than Misu and was located to the northwest along the edge of the largest lake in the wetlands. Calder claimed he had friends there, but then again, he claimed to have friends all over the wildlands, and so far, the one woman who had clearly been a good friend to him in the past hadn't joined us. It surprised and disappointed me that Cyrene hadn't chosen to join us in Misu, even after giving it some thought. She had kept her distance from Calder since the two had had their argument in the gathering hall, and as far as I knew, Calder hadn't really said goodbye to her before we left.
People everywhere had different opinions—I respected that. Cyrene had every right to choose not to join her friend on his quest, but that didn't mean I couldn't be disappointed in her for abstaining. It was the first time I had experienced resistance to my cause other than from my foes, and I would have been lying to myself if I didn't admit I experienced some self-doubt in those first few days of travel after leaving Misu. Nahara had welcomed my ideals and alliance with such open arms that perhaps I now expected too much from the underground and Eteri.
My usual confidence came trickling back before long, however, thanks to the very subject that had been the reason for its temporary absence: Cyrene. There was a reason I had people who were willing to follow me and fight for me. I had a loyalty to my friends and my cause that few—including Cyrene—could match. That loyalty, among other traits like my motivation to change things that few people felt were worth trying to improve, was the reason people could learn to so quickly look up to me. Right now, I had the world against me and posing a massive challenge, but I forged ahead anyway, determined to mold it to my will.
Cyrene was right—this war was a suicide mission. Perhaps that was why I was the first to try waging it.
Our journey to Tenesea from Misu took longer than we'd initially expected. Our group was now just under fifty people, so we moved more slowly through the wetlands than a handful of people would. The more we added to our cause, the safer we were whilst traveling the wildlands, for we came across all manner of beasts. For the most part, we dispatched of them quickly, using the brute force of the transformed beastmen, the swarming masses of undead, and the varied skills of my friends and I at our disposal.
With safety, however, came the inconvenience of traveling with so many people. Our trek was interrupted by the slower pace of the beastmen's preparations. Unlike the armies of Nahara, these men and women had never traveled as one unit. If they had ever fought, it was sporadic and mostly defensive, to protect themselves from the wilds or to slay a beast for food and supplies. These were outcasts and rebels, not uniformed soldiers. In a sense, that also gave us an advantage. The beastmen were used to the intense pain and chaos of transformations, so little seemed to faze them. Foes were often seen as little more than an inconvenience. The beastmen's personalities tended to contain a juxtaposition of both open-mindedness and audaciousness. It was, perhaps, a mix indicative of both their rebellious backgrounds and their years spent living in a community which shared everything it had with people of all different cultures.
Out of all of the types of people I'd traveled with thus far, then, the beastmen were the most comfortable to be around. They had been forgotten by all manners of civilization across the globe, so they cared little for the politics behind the identities of my friends and I. The fact that I had god blood did not sway them, for they felt abandoned by the gods and held none in reverence. They were welcoming to Anto, because most of them had never seen an orc before, and judged him only by how he presented himself. Cerin's Icilic blood intrigued them, but only questions were thrown his way, not accusations. Nyx was the only one of us many of the beastmen regarded with an ounce of suspicion, since many of them knew personally the treachery of the female Alderi. Any animosity this could have caused was quickly squelched from existence, since not much time passed before she had bedded a majority of them.
As the days left in Red Moon began to be numbered, the trees in the swamps grew larger. We were near the center of the wildlands, now, where the brush was so thick it sometimes served as a barrier. The once knotted trees stretched toward the skies above us from trunks as thick as small buildings. Vines and thick moss clung to damp tree bark in shades of emerald and olive green. Though the land here wasn't as patchy and damp as it had been closer to the coast, the air was still heavy and humid. Above us among the canopies, blankets of moss hung from branches and stretched between trees, blocking out much of the sun and keeping its rays from evaporating the moisture out of the trapped air. The weather this far into the year made the humidity a little easier to handle, since it had grown cooler. However, much like Nahara, the wildlands were still in the southern hemisphere of Arrayis, so when Dark Star finally came, it would not be as harsh as the cold weather had been in Chairel.
It was late evening on the 8th of Dark Star, 419 when we finally reached Tenesea. We had traveled farther in the day than most others, because as the sun sank beneath the wall of trees and thickets and darkened our surroundings, the city's lights became visible from through the slivers of brush. It had been nearly forty days and nights since leaving Misu, and we were all desperate for comfortable beds and a bath. So even though we were fatigued with a full day's travel, our pace quickened through the dense plant-life, desperate to reach civilization once more.
Tenesea was magnificent. The city was almost entirely built in and around one large, ancient tree that towered above the rest in the midst of a clearing where thick wetland forests opened up to a lake that spanned far off into the distance. The tree's trunk was a width that would surpass many small villages and was surrounded by walkways and built additions alike, some of the buildings popping straight out of the bark as
if the entire city was in the tree. Of course, given its appearance, I was now sure that if someone spoke of Tenesea, they basically meant the tree.
Lights from fire and the lesser schools of magic alike lit up the swamp clearing around the city, making the tree appear like a beacon for those who were lost amongst the wildlands. If it weren't for the fact that the wetlands were so thick with plant-life, I was sure the city would have been visible from all directions for a long while before we could reach it. To the northeast, the walkways around the foot of the trunk led into docks, where small fishing boats were coming and going on the lake. Given that it was nearly black outside from the enshrouding nightfall, I wondered why any of the boats were leaving. Then I remembered that many of the people here were probably Alderi, and used to seeing clearly in the dark. Maybe the nightlife here would be enthralling.
Ambient noises floated to my ear from along the lowest walkways, where supplies were being sorted and prepared from a day's worth of hunting and fishing. Wooden crates were stacked beside railings full of tools and gear for various professions. Most of the men and women sorting through them were Alderi, confirming my suspicions that many of them preferred to work in the dark. Though the exterior of the tree had its fair share of people still out and about, it was clear to me that most of the city had moved inside for the night, because I could hear the muted murmur of voices, music, and laughter alike from through thick, moist bark.
Calder led us down the main surrounding walkway and to a ramp that led up to the interior of the tree over a few feet of shallow water. Once we walked inside of the giant plant, the outside chorus of insects faded to silence. The entrance to Tenesea was simply a large hallway made out of carved wood, and it led to a main communal entry room where all manner of people were hanging out, on their ways to and from various destinations. Most of them noted our presence here with a passing curiosity, nothing more.
The room was so large that I had to assume it spanned the entire width of the tree. To keep the plant from collapsing or dying, however, the builders of this place had left thick pillars of the wood unblemished at regular intervals across the distance of the room for support. Sconces aligned these pillars, covered in calcint to keep the flames burning for a long time. I noticed, however, that the flickering flames swayed away from the wood, as if the people here had figured out a way to keep the fire from burning down the tree. Perhaps like calcint was used as an accelerant, there was an alchemy recipe that could be used to have the opposite effect.
The interior of the tree city had the same ambiance as many of the locales in Nahara, since the golden-brown tone of the wood which served as its walls, floors, and ceilings mimicked the sandstone of the desert. Despite the coolness of the night outside, it felt warm and comfortable in Tenesea.
Anto came to my side as we continued to follow Calder into a carved stairwell that led farther up into the tree. The orc leaned down a bit as he spoke, making sure I could hear him over the chatter of the populace. “I was just telling Jakan about how this city reminds me of Celendar.”
“I didn't know you'd been there,” I replied. Anto had grown up near the Cel Forest, but while Celendar was within it, the city and its forest were not one and the same.
“Ah...forgive me. I haven't, really,” he explained. “I could see it from the mountains when it was dark out. The entire forest is massive, but the lights of the city glow into the sky at night, much like they do here. It is a beautiful sight. I would often catch glimpses of it at night and try to imagine what it was like there, because my father often told me stories of growing up in the forest. I would say that I'd like to see it for myself, but given that tensions between us and the Celdic will probably forever be high, I doubt I will get the chance.”
I frowned at that, since I felt for the first time like my decisions had caused someone to miss out on something. With my mind on this initial reaction, I said, “I'm sorry.”
“What for?” Anto's tone indicated he was legitimately confused.
“Our war might keep you from experiencing that, and I feel I'm responsible.”
“You are not responsible. If anything, it is because of you that I can feel this nostalgia. I would rather make memories in Tenesea than still be wasting away in the dungeons of T'ahal.” Anto paused as we turned a corner of the stairwell, before we moved together up the next. “I plan on traveling with you until this war is through, Kai. If I cannot ever visit Celendar, then neither can you, and I know you wish to. It is why I shared this with you.”
My heart warmed with that little bit of information. Anto was such a sweet man. Unable to help myself, I reached over, grabbing him in a friendly embrace at the top of the steps. “I don't know how you could know that, Anto, but thank you.”
One of Anto's large hands patted me on the back. “Because every time you speak of the city or of Silas, there is longing in your voice. I'm sure Silas spoke of it to you. I have never met a Celd who wasn't proud of their roots.”
We separated, and I nodded as we tried to keep up with the rest of our group. “Yes. Silas loved his home. I have to imagine he is back there now.”
Over the next few minutes, I couldn't get Silas out of my head. Anto had said we wouldn't be able to visit Celendar, though that wasn't entirely correct. If this war didn't kill me before I could return to Chairel, it was probable I would have to contend with the Celdic in order to take over or keep Sera. I could not take over Sera without the rest of the country getting involved, and in order to set foot in Chairel, I would need an army. If things ever got that far, then, Chairel would force Celendar's hand out of necessity, if nothing more. Silas had already left my side due to our ideological differences; I had no doubt he would not agree with the actions I'd taken against Chairel since.
I would lose friends in this war. I already had, and I was too much of a realist not to expect more to die, regardless of what I could do to try to stop it. The difference with Silas was that when it came time to see him again, I doubted it would be a happy reunion, so I didn't think I would be able to even try to protect him. More likely, I would be his enemy. And to think such a way about a man I'd once shared my bed with was heart-breaking.
Calder finally diverted from the staircase, walking beneath an archway carved out of the wood with a sign that read Traveler's Dormitory hanging on one side. Within, the room was once again as large as the tree itself, supported by wooden pillars and dotted with small cots. For now, only a few Alderi men took up beds, perhaps having just gotten here from their escape, or maybe even staying here temporarily before moving on to Misu. In the midst of sleep, their blue arms hanged off the sides of furniture, and snoring rattled through the air above their heads.
It was amazing to me how disorderly the Alderi slept, for being such a stealthy race of elves. I had once thought Nyx was a loud and chaotic sleeper, but then I'd met Calder. After he kept waking the others up during our trip with his snoring, Nyx had offered him her tent to help mute his noises. That hadn't fixed his problem, however, since his sporadic kicks throughout the night had collapsed the tent over him multiple times. We'd ended up simply keeping him farther away from the others. It made me thankful he'd had his own cabin back on the ship, because otherwise, none of us would have gotten any sleep at all during our voyage.
Calder motioned toward the other cots, and looked to our mix of followers. “This is where we'll be staying. Pick a cot, and watch your stuff. If more travelers come tomorrow, they're allowed to take whatever cots look empty. Baths are over there,” he added, pointing to one side of the room that was haphazardly sectioned off with a divider made out of dark navy blue fabric and wood. “There's a mess hall one floor down. If you get lost, ask pretty much anyone around you for directions and they'll help you get back here. We'll probably be here for a few days, so make friends and be useful, yeah?”
Calder's red eyes scanned over our small group, and I smiled. I couldn't hope to give the beastmen information and orders like this in a place I was new to myse
lf, and I didn't want to be the one to handle that, anyway. Calder would need his confidence if he was going to convince more to join us, and it appeared to have come back to him over the past few weeks. Perhaps it was the reassurance that he could gain followers at all. One of his friends had rejected him, but many more had decided to follow his lead.
“Any questions?” Calder finally asked, when the sailors and beastmen had said nothing.
“Yeah,” one Vhiri man held up a hand casually. “Are you all staying here, too?” One finger circled in the air toward my friends and I.
“Ah...maybe. Probably.” Calder glanced back toward the doorway distractedly. “There's someone I'd like to catch tonight if at all possible. It all depends on whether he's here or not.” He held up one blue finger, the copper of his ring glinting in the nearby fire light. “Regardless, we'll be back through here often. We won't forget you, promise. Some of the politics of the situation are just a little boring to have to drag everyone into.”
“Yeah, leave us out of the politics,” one Alderi beastman commented gratefully. “All I care to do is spill some assassin blood.”
“Hey,” Nyx protested in jest.
“'cept you, Nyx,” he added, giving her a seductive wink.
Calder nodded toward me, before gesturing with a hand back toward the doorway we'd come through. “Kai?” He inquired.
“Coming,” I said, waving for the others to follow.
“I don't know that I'd get that excited,” Calder mused, making me second guess my wording. When I understood the innuendo I groaned, and the Alderi only laughed.
The six of us left the dormitory together, and continued up the trunk of the massive tree, passing doorways that led to halls and various rooms etched straight out of its heartwood. In a way, Tenesea reminded me much of Whispermere in its set-up. The two locales were simply chiseled out of two very different materials.
