“What’s our plans for dinner?” Harva asks. Every face in the small circle lights up at the mere mention of food. After a long day, any food is wonderful.
At that moment, a loud cry bursts out of the rain. A crashing sound follows. We all jump to attention, grabbing our weapons. To our relief, and a minor annoyance, it’s only Zero. “You will never believe what Zero found,” he exclaims, a bright smile on his face.
“Please, spare us from the games,” Queen begs. “Just tell us what you found, or shut up and leave us alone.” He ducks to the side, avoiding a flying chisel.
“If that is how it is, then Zero won’t tell you about the village he found.”
“What?” everyone exclaims. A satisfied grin bursts onto his face.
“Are you sure?” G. asks.
“Would Zero lie?” No one agrees with him, but they don’t challenge him either. This news is too amazing. We charge back out into the rain and follow Zero toward the village. The first sign is closer than we expected. A chopped tree is near the road. The instant his eyes fell on it, David hurries over, staring at the jagged cuts with merry twinkles in his eyes. He didn’t have to say a thing, because even Harva knew what this meant. In our travels, I’ve seen smashed trees. Monsters destroy trees with just a swipe of a paw, but a chopped tree is something different. A smashed tree means that a monster is around. It’s a warning. Meanwhile, a chopped tree means that people are nearby.
Within an hour, we stand at the edge of a large downhill grade. It’s a mile down. This grade travels along this mountain range, creating a circular gulf, perhaps the only one of its kind. At the very bottom of this gulf, there is a small village. Turning from this welcome sight, I see the smiles breaking across my companion’s faces. We’ve taken another step forward. It is only now that I recognize the greatest miracle of all, the rain stopped.
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
Holding Out for Heroes
13
“Finally,” Queen breathes as we reach the road approaching the town. “Roofs over our heads and beds to dream on.” The thought of a clean, soft place to sleep is enough to lighten my spirits, even more than they already were.
“Don’t assume anything,” G. replies, bringing reality back into this dream, but there’s still relief in his voice. “I’ve been to plenty of towns in my day. Most don’t have as much as you’d like them to. Best to not get our hopes up.”
She frowns, grumbling, “You don’t have to rain on my little parade.”
The road to the village wasn’t too difficult to reach. We had to scale over some rocks to cut over to the main road, a little dirt path leading straight to the village gate. “Hurry, Maris,” Harva calls. I turn to find our tag-along standing on a rock, looking up to the sky. She neither pays no attention to Harva’s request nor that everyone was climbing down to the dirt road, leaving her behind. Sighing, the little girl puts her hands on her hips.
“Come on,” I tell her, climbing back up. “She’ll listen better if two people confront her, right?” She flashes a smile, joining me. Wish that Maris was the kind who walked ahead of everyone. It’d make reaching her easier because this is a simple path to walk down, but not so much getting back up. When we reach Maris, she’s still staring at the sky, unaware of us.
“Maris,” I call, panting a little. “C’mon.”
“Strange,” she murmurs, not looking our way.
“What’s strange?” Harva asks, wiping sweat off her forehead.
“The sky,” she answers.
“What about it?”
Turning away from the sky, she plods down the rocks. “It’s not raining,” she replies. Harva and I stare at one another, confusion on both of our faces. I glance at the cloudy sky. My eyebrows raise as soon as I see nothing different about the sky. It’s dark and looks like it might rain. This is the best day we’ve had in over a week. Having a day without rain is the second-best thing about today, only beaten by finding a town. What’s the point in staring at the sky as if something is amiss?
Harva shrugs, “As long as it makes sense to her, I guess.” I shrug too, and we both hurry along. Once we reach the road, it’s easygoing. With almost a skip in our step, we make it to the village by midday. My excitement vanishes the closer we get to our destination. From a distance, it seemed a perfect town, but now, all of its imperfections are clear. It’s a ragtag, almost Aliyah-like, place.
The townsfolk made the buildings of rotten logs with dried-up tree branches for the roofs. Every single one of them is rundown and looks close to falling over, many of them leaning. It’s great that it isn’t raining. How could these structures withstand those conditions? I can’t imagine the roofs keeping any water out. When we reach the gate, I realize that the entrance is between two houses, and nothing blocks us from walking right in.
The streets are dirt. There are around twenty houses, but they don’t appear to be singular dwellings. All of them look longer than any small home I’ve seen so far, which isn’t too much for comparison. Like Aliyah, the town centers on one point. Here that point is a well. As we enter, I feel as if someone is watching us, or rather, perhaps more than one someone. While the others keep walking, I pause, imagining the map in my mind. This has to tell me something.
The town’s layout appears on it, and small dots, far greater than eight, scatter across it. “We’re not alone,” I call, but it’s already too late. The doors of the houses fly open, and lines of people rush out of them. Of the towns I’ve visited, I’ve seen nothing quite as pitiful as this. Every townsperson, from the eldest to the youngest, wears discolored rags. At some point, those clothes might have been any color. Each garment looks like they could fall apart at any moment.
There are comparisons between this place and Aliyah, but it’s not fair to compare them too much. The citizens couldn’t be more different. I expect to see them stand at a distance, glaring at us for being the Outsiders, but the opposite happens. The locals swarm us. They run amongst us, dividing our team. I have two older women and a boyish man grabbing at my armor. Their mouths open and close fast. I know they’re trying to say something to me. The spittle flying from their mouths is proof, but I can’t hear a word of it. All the villagers talking at once creates a roaring din, where one word isn’t distinguishable from another.
I try to say something, but I’m too flustered to string a sentence together. This sudden attention is too much, in particular, after not seeing other people for so long. I try to break away from the trio, and I end up catching a glimpse of Queen, who has two children hanging off her with an older man patting her head.
“Um, nice to meet you,” Queen yells, but it’s as if she’s muttering to me.
“A-a-Felix!” Harva’s voice cries. Spinning around, I see her burst out of the crowd as an old woman pinches her cheeks. The child’s confused face doesn’t know what to make of this situation. She’s not the only one. An old man catches her from the other side, and they all disappear into the crowd again.
This is ridiculous. There has to be a way out of this. My hand strays to my staff. I shake my head free of that idea. That’s unacceptable. It’s clear that they don’t mean any harm. If they did, the red tint would appear. That doesn’t mean that I want to stay in the mass of swarming people either. I keep trying to get out, with townsfolk trying to catch hold of me.
I almost bump into Aurora, who looks like she is taking this in stride. Five people have caught her by the arms. “Hello,” Aurora says to them in a kind, yelling voice. I can’t say a word to her. “What can I do for you?” The crowd whisks her away again.
Looking around, I wonder if there is any way to calm them. I spot G., his head and shoulders above the crowd. He raises his dark hands to the sky, trying to gain their attention. The grin on his face clarifies that he’s dealt with similar situations in the past. “Greetings, kind townsfolk,” he announces to the masses, but no one pays him any attention. The frown that replaces the grin means he’s not had this problem before.
Desperate to escape, I put both of my hands on a larger man’s shoulders. With a single push, I throw myself above the crowd, hoping to toss myself outside of them. There are two things I realize. The first is that Maris is standing outside the crowd. They seem not to even notice her. She didn’t seem to mind because her eyes point to the sky again. The second is that this crowd is larger than I thought, and my jump wasn’t enough to clear them.
I fall on top of a few people who lift me in the air. “Put me down,” I scream, but they continue passing me around. They lift me over David, who stands amongst the crowd, a blank expression on his face. Twisting my head around, I look for Zero, but as usual, he’s gone. No doubt, he’s watching from afar and laughing at us.
To my surprise, the hands are no longer touching me, and the clouds seem to get a little further away. My head hits the ground before I realize that anything has happened. I fight losing consciousness, and once my vision clears, I almost shout for joy that I’m outside the crowd. My bar lowered a bit from hitting my head. I don’t care. Springing to my feet, I prepare to run for it, but a newcomer stops me.
An old man stands near me. The title of Elder appears on his shirt. He wears faded old clothing like everyone else. His wild white hair drops almost to his wrinkled nose. Can he see where he is going? I wonder. Leaning on a gnarled cane, his old muscles strain to hold himself up. Bending forward, he limps a few steps closer to the crowd but doesn’t walk into it. Guess he can see just fine. He raises the cane off the ground. His lips move, and he brings the cane down hard. The Elder used Thunderous Clap, the Voice announces.
When that cane hits the ground, it’s as if Zero caused ten coins to explode. The noise is so loud that I cover my ears, and I see others do the same. An echo of the explosion reverberates through the village and into the mountains. When it dissipates, silence falls on the village. The Elder smiles, saying, “On behalf of my family and friends, I apologize for this warm, howbeit overwhelming and forceful, greeting.” He bows his head low. When he looks up again, he frowns. “Would all of you fools get out of the way?” he exclaims, waving a hand. “I can’t tell who I’m talkin’ too.”
At his request, the crowd scatters, and our group of eight, excluding Zero, stands with exasperated expressions on our faces. The Elder takes his time looking at us. Nodding, he says, “Well, you are a strange bunch. Very peculiar.”
Queen, quick to get over her initial shock, retorts, “And just what’s so odd about us, huh, Pops?”
A gasp escapes from a few in the crowd. I shoot Queen a glare and hope that someone will tell her to watch what she says. The only one unconcerned by her comment is the Elder, the focus of her reply. “We don’t get many visitors. So, that, in itself, makes you strange.” At this, Queen says nothing. “You must forgive if we say or do anything that could be an offense. We are so unaccustomed to dealing with the sensibilities of anyone not of our home.”
In the swirl of people, an old woman steps up. Her ragged clothes struggle to cover her girthy hips. She licks her trembling lips. Glancing at her, I see the title of Midwife on her shirt. Those near her draw back and remain quiet in respect. “Who are you?” she asks. Her hands grip the sides of her dress.
I glance at the others, wondering what we should say. On the way over, G. said that it’d be best that we don’t tell anyone who we are. “In Raka,” he explained, perhaps for the third time today. “We’re unwelcome intruders. The last thing they want is people from Sorin running around.” A brief glint came to his eye every time for this next part. “But if we don’t tell them who we are, then they won’t know, right?”
“Just travelers,” G. answers.
The midwife’s jaw drops. “That’s all?” she exclaims. “But you have weapons. You can’t be mere travelers.”
“I’m sorry to disappoint you, ma’am,” Queen says, picking up on the lie. “These are only for our protection.” Queen and G. exchange a quick glance, approving of each other. Why can’t they get along all the time?
Who knows how long it would’ve taken to convince these people we were travelers? It didn’t matter because something ruined our plan; to be more accurate, someone ruined it. “Don’t let them fool you,” Zero exclaims. Everyone turns to find the oddly dressed man standing on a nearby roof. When did he get up there? Or was he there the entire time?
“Allow Zero to enlighten you.” He whirls his staff around him. “We are no mere travelers. Would mere travelers be able to do this?” He hurls his staff high into the air. Backflipping, he propels himself high enough that he kicks the staff higher with his foot. Landing back on the roof, he cartwheels back, posing on the edge of the roof. Standing with one leg raised and his hand covering his eyes, he waits. Everyone watches him with bated breath. The staff falls out of the sky, and he catches it without looking. An awed gasp passes through the crowd.
“We are great warriors!” he yells, shaking his bo over his head. “We’ve traveled many miles to slay the monsters plaguing our world. Yes, even those that are at your back doors. Look no further for the greatest heroes this world has seen. We will never rest until this land is set free from its demons and bring about a new era of peace. Cast all of your problems into our capable hands and believe in us. We are your champions.”
He stuns the crowd to silence. Queen rubs her forehead, sighing. G. stands with his fists clenched at his sides, gritting his teeth together. David stares off into the distance, as if he didn’t hear a word of it. Aurora’s mouth hangs open at Zero’s bravado. Harva looks around, not knowing how she should react to this. Looking at the sky, Maris murmurs, “Looks like the cat’s out of the bag.” What is he thinking? Doesn’t he know how to shut his mouth?
The crowd bursts into a frenzy of applause. They surround us again. Just like before, dozens of people talk at once, but I can’t distinguish what anyone is saying. Their voices run together in a whirlwind of pleads. The only thing I can make out is a single word: monster.
This lasts far shorter than the first one because the Elder is quick about ending with his normal method, which the Voice announces again. The booming breaks up everyone again. “The Phoenix,” the Elder says. With those two words, he silences the entire gathering. For what feels like an eternity, the only sound is a slight wind. No one dares challenge the awkward stillness that has fallen on everyone. All the while, I don’t have to look at my companions to know that they’re glaring at Zero right now. Our boastful friend doesn’t pay attention to us. Instead, he sits on the edge of the roof, looking disappointed at the short praise.
The Elder looks at the villagers and gestures off to the side with his cane. “All of you, make yourselves scarce. Lydia and Jonah, if you will please prepare my table. I believe we have some important matters to discuss with our guests.” A red-haired man of short stature and a dark-haired woman, who stood almost as tall as G., nods at his request. They walk toward the house at the far side of the village while the rest of the townsfolk return to their own dwellings. Some remain outside and watch us, wanting to see what the Outsiders will do next.
The Elder turns his attention back to us. “Please, take a moment and recover from our zealous greeting. When you are ready, please join me.” He leans forward on the cane, as if he was about to whisper something, but he talks at the same volume. “I am serious about having much to discuss.” He turns away, having said what he needed.
The first of us to find their voice is Queen. “Do we even want to know whatever he plans to discuss with us?”
“Zero would like to,” Zero calls from the roof.
“You’ve done enough today,” Aurora bites. Zero raises his hands in defense. No one else has an answer for her. I turn to ask David, but to my surprise, he still stands by himself. He scuffles his feet back and forth. The blank expression remains on his face, but his eyes are wild, darting nervously around the town. What’s wrong with him?
I’m not the only one who noticed this. Harva grabs G. by his sleeve. The big man turns at her bidding, and he se
es his small companion’s dilemma. Without hesitation, he walks over to David, who turns away from the town. He pats the boy’s shoulders, saying something that I can’t hear. They stand together, addressing no one else. After a while, David nods, wipes his face, and turns around, looking calmer.
“Let’s go see what they want,” G. decides.
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
What to Do?
14
The inside of the Elder’s home is better than I thought, but not too far from what I expected. Beams of light filter in through the holes in the branch roof. A draft passes from time to time through the open places in the wall. The old man, and his two attendants, sit on the floor with a few bowls of food sitting out. In the room, he has no furniture, except for a few thin cots, which they had piled in the corner. If we stay in this village overnight, we won’t have any comfortable beds.
A small fireplace, placed in one wall, warms the room. Above it, on a rickety mantle, a sword rests. That weapon holds my gaze. It is the nicest object in the room. Its sheath looks freshly cleaned. I step toward it, wanting a closer look. It is black with red and yellow lines running down it. My eyes narrow at the blade’s hilt. It comes to a sharp point as if it were a fang. I bump into something, and my attention redirects to Queen. “Watch where you’re going,” she hisses up at me.
“Sorry,” I mutter, a little embarrassed at myself. We’re not here to look at swords. As everyone else gathers on the floor, a thought occurs to me. Why was I staring at a sword anyway? That’s something I must worry about later because we have more important matters to discuss.
The Elder gestures to the food. “I know it’s not much,” he apologizes. “But please eat what you will. It’s against our customs to not show kindness to strangers.” Zero is quick to grab a piece of fruit from a bowl and spring off by himself, eating as if it were his last meal.
Mind's Journey 2: Of Monsters and Men (A Gamelit Fantasy Adventure - Book 2) Page 17
