by Han Yang
Bell shrugged and said, “We want to be rich and intend to do so on our accord. Tell ya what. We plan on taking a river about five days out. Accompany us to that point. If you change your minds, we pay one gold then. We’ll pay a second if you keep going.”
“Nothing today?” Jark asked.
“Nope, unless you contract for the whole trip. This trip is about leveling our skills and about earning Z, not gold. A whole lot of Z. And trust me, we’re not the charge in type. Tomorrow morning, you ride in the wagon or stay here. When we reach the river a gold either way, staying or leaving,” Bell offered. I noticed her hand enticing Jark. He licked his lips. “Where ya staying?”
“We don’t have a place for tonight,” Tarla admitted.
“Damien doesn’t snore. If you accept our ‘to the river’ offer, a silver each, and a room key,” Bell said, dangling the key in front of them.
The two glanced at each other, and I saw them reach a conclusion. They really didn’t have a huge choice.
“Accepted on the contingent we can see if anyone else wants to join us,” Jark said. Bell and I were about to retort when he continued, “For the full journey, assuming you approve.”
“Deal. Now, get out of here. I need to talk to my partner,” Bell said, handing them each a silver. The twins eyed each other, grabbed their ales, then left. She spun to face me. “You need to not do that.”
I raised a single eyebrow and asked, “Do what?”
“Get all pouty because I’m wooing another man,” she said.
“Bell, I… I understand you have needs and resent me. I thought we covered this. Also, I didn’t pout,” I said, defending myself. “Consider the topic closed. Thoughts on the duo?”
“We need them. I’ll get more information out of them, but I think I can convert them into disciples,” she said.
“They won’t have anyone to tempt and I certainly don’t want them being deviants to us,” I said.
“Time will tell, and yeah, good point,” Bell said, and then ordered more food. “I think they’ll not follow us anyway, or maybe he will, and she won’t.”
“To a successful day and to Benny?” I toasted when her ale arrived.
“Aye, I’ll drink to that. Tomorrow will be a new day. Hopefully, it goes smooth,” she said.
We didn’t drink for long. When we retired for the night, the twins followed us up. They asked a thousand questions in our room and received a thousand half-answers.
I figured they were trying to decide to give us back our room key and silver. No one else was interested in traveling to any parts of the unknown. In the end, they resolved to travel to the river, and when they left our room for the night, I set up a bed on the floor.
Bell didn’t argue or fight with me about it. We had slept beside each other on the wagon bed before. This just seemed like the right way to give her space and still say I’m sorry. She could have taken Jark into a room if she wanted to. He clearly eyed her with desire.
Our compromise sated our egos for the evening, and I read to her about all the gods until she drifted off to sleep.
That evening, I had some terrifying dreams about the Ostriva sections of Nordan.
CHAPTER 13
Foothills of the Targee Mountains
Four days later, we sat around a late campfire. The stars shone bright against a cloudless night sky
The crackle of the fire soothed my being while the flickering flames lured me in with their hypnotic dance. I happily sighed.
“Here ya go, my mother’s special tea,” Jark said, handing me a steamy tea.
Dinner wasn’t even on me to cook that night, and after the long ride on the wagon, it felt great to not have my seat jostle.
“Thanks. Sorry we struck out,” I said and meant it. “At least we found the old miner’s road to make the trip quick.”
Tarla frowned with a sad sigh. Out of the group, she talked about the potential wonders and rewards the most. The trip up to that point had highlighted a difference in the siblings. Tarla evidently loved nature, and I figured Jark had come north for her.
“There’s gold for you in the morning. You should really help us build a barge first,” Bell grumbled, likely feeling I was being too nice.
“I was just getting to that. You’ll get a few silver pieces to help build the barge, depending on the complexity,” I said.
“That’s fair,” Tarla replied.
Her brother rolled his eyes. “It is fair.”
I sipped the tea, noting it was delicious with a tangy aftertaste. “Are you sure we can’t convince you to change your minds?” I asked.
“Tarla and I talked it out. If you had a map to a new realm, a plan, supplies for winter, and well, anything needed maybe, just maybe.” He shrugged, delivering Bell her tea after his sister. “And for a whole lot of gold.”
“Yes, we appreciate a gold each for an escort mission. The payday will give us a chance to stay in Tafo. I, for one, will gladly help you build your barge for your crazy mission,” Tarla said politely.
She sipped her tea, eyes flaring wide. Tarla turned on her brother who smiled.
Bell wobbled and then slumped down. I frowned - or tried to. Bell breathed, and my body tensed. I - I felt feverish.
Tarla spit out her tea.
“What did you do?” she asked.
“Drugged them, clearly. Only three hundred and fifty Ostriva points. Worth every coin. Did you know they have raw Z on them? Margg said he saw it when Bell bought supplies,” Jark said, without showing the slightest remorse.
It added up quickly for me - we were being robbed.
I grew dizzy until I swooned. My shoulder slammed into the rocky terrain, and I rolled next to the fire.
“I’m so sorry. I promise I didn’t know,” Tarla said, rolling me away from the flames.
“How could you?”
“We’re going to Litroo with a proper purse. Because we’re not poor, we can wait for the big groups or pay the entry fee to a proper company. This time will be different. We’ll be rich, and I’ll have three wives and ten mistresses,” Jark said, walking over with a pinch of green substance.
He kneeled beside my head, squeezing my cheeks. My lips popped open like a fish, and he shoved the herbs into my mouth. My body refused to respond to inputs.
I hated this with a passion.
He reached into my robe and extracted my purse. I tried to curse him and failed. He walked over to Bell. She slept softly, not even noticing when he cupped a heavy breast on his way to her purse.
“I asked her if she’d be willing to go to Litroo with me instead of into the wilds with you. She scoffed at the notion. Guess she won’t be a wife after all.” He left her robes open, leering. He probably was having vile thoughts. Eventually, he turned to me, deciding not to defile her unconscious body further. “You should be out cold. I’m honestly surprised you’re awake. That nilroot won’t hurt you, but I will if you try to take this back,” Jark said, coming to loom over me.
He dangled the purse and slid a finger across his throat.
“You wouldn’t dare,” Tarla said.
“Sis, ease off. I gotta threaten him, else he’ll run after the wagon and mares. What’s another three hundred points to knock him down twice? I’ll leave you out cold again if you follow us,” Jark said. “Not like a healer is a threat.”
Jark left, heading for the wagon. He tossed out our packs, not even bothering with the supplies besides the books. He then removed the wagon blocks and hopped onto the seat.
“Come on sis,” Jark ordered.
Tarla froze, not even five feet away from me.
I heard something, but I wasn’t sure what she said because I finally succumbed to the nilroot.
∞∞∞
Hands pushed me. A stinging slap hit my cheek, and I felt like death itself. I groaned, seeing Tarla shaking me awake.
Bell vomited from where she rested.
“Heal yourself,” Tarla said. “Something is happening in the distance.�
��
Crack!
Boom!
The sounds of lightning and then thunder spurred me on. I placed a hand to my stomach and willed a heal self.
Green aura pulsed through my being, and I vomited a second later. I roiled as my body fought the poison. I felt my mana fading and stopped the process.
Another round of vomiting led to bile ejecting through my nose. While the burning sensation soared, I regained full use of my limbs.
I saw Bell struggling to grab a bow from her pack and knew I needed to help her.
With a swift motion, I checked my orb.
Mana: 3/22
Mana Recharge: 2
Time to Mana Replenishment: 1 days 19 hours.
Zorta to refill: .043 (YES) - (NO)
I selected yes quickly. A second wave of healing left me back to normal. I ran to Bell. She barely required any healing to recover.
“He put enough in your mouth to almost kill you,” Tarla said when I grunted in confusion.
“What was that noise?” I asked, glancing at the area I heard the lightning coming from.
“Fate,” Tarla said. “I refused to rob you and now my brother is fighting something alone.”
A mighty roar rang loud in the air. I managed to rise, yanking my blade free of its home. The steel shone in the firelight, and I saw the honed edge ready for battle.
Crack!
The sound of the wagon splitting into bits and the dying scream of two horses pierced the night.
“Help!” Jark cried, his voice gurgling.
I could just make him out, running from the distant miner’s road. Behind him, a bear the size of the wagon illuminated against the dark background.
A mighty paw shot forward. Jark tried to dodge, but he was too slow. The bear smashed Jark down with a loud crack. His body crumpled and tumbled, most of his limbs at broken angles.
We stood transfixed, knowing he had died. The bear loomed over his body, sniffing the corpse as if daring him to get back up.
The flames flickered, causing the mighty beast to see our silhouettes.
The bear reared up, standing over twenty-feet tall and unleashed an ear ringing roar.
Twang!
An arrow zipped out of Bell’s bow, arcing high before diving down. The bear watched us with shock.
The arrow sunk into its gut and Bell cheered, “I hit it!”
“I wish you hadn’t,” Tarla said sourly.
I readied my sword, not sure how this would play out. I knew I could die. I certainly wouldn’t go down without a fight. Unless…
A plan quickly formed, and I belted out a war cry, charging a dozen paces forward. When the bear realized his minor injury wasn’t a problem, it kicked up grit in a mad dash.
The maw peeled back and snarling teeth at least a foot long dripped blood.
The right side of the road dove down toward the river. The embankment was steep and what I figured was our best bet.
I averted my charge when I saw the bear racing for me. I cut for the river, trying my damndest not to trip and fall as I ran downhill at night.
A massive flame illuminated the dark. I glanced over my shoulder, seeing the top of the fur keep going on the road, avoiding my decoy.
“Shit!” I cursed my luck, figuring for sure the bear would have pursued me.
I spun, running back up the hill. The trip up burned my thighs and was slower than my stampede down.
Another brightening from a magic spell highlighted the night at the crest of the ridgeline.
A second later, Tarla came over the ridge at a full sprint.
I scampered up the slope and froze as Tarla almost impaled herself on my sword. Her wild red hair float as she dodged my weapon. I saw her holding both hands against her chest from a nasty wound.
“Hells!” Tarla screamed and promptly tripped after avoiding our collision.
Her head smacked into a rock, and her neck bent at an awful angle.
“Seven hells, Damien! Help!” Bell shouted from above.
Running down the hill had been so much easier than going up.
I sprinted back onto the road, seeing the bear chasing Bell with only three working legs. Fur burned, flames licking off the body as they sizzled flesh.
Grunts of pain escaped the fierce animal.
Tarla had done a number on the beast and yet it pressed on, moving quickly on three legs. I ran, my muscles screaming from how hard I pushed them.
The back end of the massive bear pivoted, trying to reach Bell when she turned.
I outpaced its run, reaching a hind leg. With a cross chop, I applied all my strength into the swing.
Thwack!
Roar!
The blade parted thick hide, slicing tendons as it carved deep.
With insane speed, the bear tried to rotate to kill me but tumbled instead.
A loud crash sent dust high, and the ground under my feet jarred from the impact.
Bell panted heavily, circling around to grab an abandoned quiver. I backed up, placing the fire between me and the collapsed bear.
“What happened?” Bell said.
“I was going for like five seconds, trying to have it crash into the river. It never followed,” I said.
“Ya think? It only took five seconds to reach us. Tarla nailed it with two perfect shots.” Her amazement didn't distract from the fact the bear was still alive and pissed off. However, the beast laid there, unable or not wanting to move. “Did you heal Tarla?”
“Ah, no, she died,” I said with a grunt.
Bell drew an arrow and fired. Her arrow sunk into the bear’s shoulder, pissing it off.
“Would you stop doing that?” I scowled.
“What? We gotta kill it somehow,” she replied.
“Do we?”
The bear had enough with the latest arrow. With a mix of a roar and cry for mercy, it mustered the strength to turn on us.
I focused on its movements, noticing the animal still had parts of its body where fur flickered flames.
Angry red eyes revealed a tiredness.
The beast spun from its resting spot to face us on the other side of the fire. With a snarling grunt, the bear found its tenacity.
With a great heave, the beast managed to stand on three legs.
Rip!
The tear on the hindquarters split and the bear collapsed. With a frustrated huff, the bear billowed a small cloud of gravely dust.
I never expected to hear a bear whimper, but it did.
“Alright, follow me,” I said, leaving the fire’s protection.
Bell followed, and I kept my blade between me and the fallen foe.
We went to the ridgeline that dove down for the river. I saw the corpse of Tarla resting by the rock, covered in her blood. Her head faced behind her body at a horrid angle.
“You broke her neck? Why?” Bell blurted.
I frowned, not liking her insinuation. “Bell, she almost ran into my sword by accident. She tripped and hit her head hard against the rock,” I said defensively.
“Are you going to make her a minion?” Bell asked hesitantly.
“Huh? No. I’ll revive her, and she can kill the bear from a distance,” I said.
“Smart,” Bell said, and I shrugged. “Right, I’ll watch the big bastard.”
“Thanks,” I said.
I sat on the sloped terrain, not wanting to risk breaking my own neck.
When I found a calm, I reached out for the colorful orb that floated over Tarla’s body.
Knowing her orb would fight, I chanted, “Power is life, life is power. Power is life, life is power.”
The magic from my hands reached out, entangling her orb. I watched the magic seducing her soul to accept my manipulation. For the first time, I felt a willingness.
Tarla’s orb danced over her body, excited to interact and I jolted with a startle.
Resurrect Tarla Starski (YES) or (NO) - Selecting (NO) will incur Ostriva points.
I selected yes, keeping my eyes c
losed. I leaned forward, feeling the golden rays of the heavens descend to perform their magic. The light lit the interior of my eyelids so brightly that squinting achieved nothing.
Boom!
A force shoved me back and into a tumble.
I groaned as scraps of rocks ripped open my skin. I came to a rest, feeling a pain in my mouth.
With a wet smack, I spit out a mouthful of blood. I must have bit my tongue that time.
“Hey handsome, try not to poke me with your sword next time,” Tarla said, coming over. She saw me struggling and reached down to help me up. Her eyes gazed down on me fondly, and I thought she was missing the big problem. “Or, just ask. You’d be surprised what happens when a man is polite.”
“I’m so sorry, Tarla,” I said, not taking her hand. She frowned, continuing to stare down at me in joy. Ah, she hasn’t figured it out yet. “The bear’s still alive.”
“Really, doesn’t seem a threat. What are you so sorry about?” Tarla asked, her red hair dangling freely.
“You sure look lovely when you're happy from a revival and the spell cleans you off all nice,” I said, trying to divert.
“Get to the point, Damien,” she said.
“I can only revive once a day,” I said, and her smile fell. An anguished cry pierced the night, and she eyed me as if it were all my fault. “Hey, hey! I just saved you.”
Bell came jogging down, wrapping up a sobbing Tarla in a hug.
The cursing of cruel gods railed out from the woman, and I stood silently.
I took the cue and walked up the slope for the bear. Consoling a woman who had just lost her brother probably was best left to Bell.
A large pool of blood soaked the gravely terrain under the bear. I approached the body, seeing a gentle rise of the chest. I kept my sword at the ready and refused to walk within reach of a sudden attack.
The bear never stirred, though. After a few minutes, I failed to hear anguished cries, and I left the bear for the slope to check on the ladies.
Tarla had just found her stern resolution to ascend the slope.
“He made a mistake and fate summoned him to a terrible ending,” Tarla said, stopping a foot in front of me. She tried to hold in her emotions and failed. A moment later she added, “For saving my life, I’ll go with you on your quest.”
