by BJ Hanlon
It was high in the air, twelve feet or more, and straddling the trees. At first it reminded him of a geometric tapestry off some rich noble’s castle wall, sans the deep reds, golds, and purples.
But then he saw what it really was.
A huge web. It was almost like a target for a giant’s archery contest. There was movement behind and Edin spun to see something else appearing in the darkness. Not really appearing at all but seeming to be the darkness. It stepped forward; the steps hissed like blazing metal in water and the ground began to fume.
Edin tried to step back, he tried to move. Nothing would work. The thing grew closer. It was massive, more than twelve feet, fifteen, twenty maybe. His gaze kept rising.
Warmth began to flow down his leg and suddenly he woke.
Edin blinked his eyes open to a dim morning. The dark ring around the sun still offered little light but he didn’t know for how long that would last. At least for now, he was happy it wasn’t fully black.
They were still against the stone wall, her head against his shoulder and his arm around her. Edin didn’t want to move. He didn’t want to disturb this peaceful place. The first time since— heck he didn’t even remember— Tor’s house maybe, or the Foci Dun Bornu’s village?
“Is it morning or evening?” Arianne whispered. Her voice still sounded tired despite the days of long slumber.
“Morning I guess.”
“A lot has changed since I last saw the sun.” She sounded sad. Depressed really.
Edin swallowed. A lot had changed and she had been through so much. He wondered what exactly that had been: what had she gone through with that demon king? But he kept his mouth shut. He wouldn’t ask her. Not while she was like this. Maybe not ever.
After a while, the family got moving and Edin and Arianne joined them. The road seemed to have plateaued as they crossed what had to be a long ridge. Off to one side there were trees and shrubs, on the other side however there was no way to tell. The light from the covered sun offered barely fifty yards of visibility and the ridge disappeared beyond that. It was a bit brighter than the day before but not what it should be. Not in spring with the flowers trying to bloom and Mother Nature trying to revitalize life.
This place seemed otherworldly. Maybe a different dimension.
The day passed and slowly they were making progress. After many miles, the road began to wind down a long and gentle slope. What was at the bottom, he could only guess.
Then there was a soft gentle breeze that began to come up from the south. Edin could almost smell the sea on it.
As they reached the bottom of the ridge a sparsely covered prairie spread out before them. There were few trees that reminded him of mossy oaks. There were others that were new to him, large leafed and small leafed.
They passed those as a soft ridge of exposed dirt appeared and then disappeared to the right.
A while later, late afternoon probably, the road cut through copses of trees and then met up and followed a wide river.
Arianne, who was riding in the cart, would not look at it. What had happened in the underground? How had she been captured?
Edin met her eye and she looked away, almost ashamed.
Slowly, homes began to appear a bit off the edge of the road. There were small cottages and others. Barns and sheds and stables. They looked burned out though there was no sign of a slaughter. That was curious.
Soon they began through a small, dark village.
“Valer,” Melian said.
There were cottages and shops on either side. A tall two-story inn with large front porches on both levels didn’t look burnt but had been boarded up. Following that there was a blacksmith, a tanner, a butcher; all were boarded up as well.
In the windows, or even through the cracks in the doors, they saw no light. There were no fires. No watch greeted them even though there were no city walls.
“No one is home,” Hotep said taking the words out of Edin’s mouth. It was a ghost town, though there was no sign of actual dead.
“They abandoned it,” Papa said from up front.
“What does abandon mean, Papa?” the kid said.
“Left the place of their own accord, Vicker,” Papa said and Edin could see him waving a hand. “They left it for good.”
After a moment Vicker, apparently the kid’s name, said, “You mean no one is coming back?”
“They might. They probably will when this trouble is dealt with,” Arianne said. She seemed to be coming around a bit.
“If the trouble gets dealt with,” Melian whispered.
“Should we stop at the butcher’s and see if there are any specials of the day?” Hotep asked, there was a hunger in his voice.
No one answered him and no one stopped. There was such a weird feeling here that Edin didn’t want to stop. He wanted to get out of this village. He wished he’d never set foot here and had followed the other road to Calerrat.
That would’ve been better.
There was a creaking sound from somewhere to the left and he glanced over to see a door swaying in the slight breeze.
The first door that was open and not boarded up. Edin paused and stared at it. He looked around, trying to see if there were anymore. But as far as he could tell that was the only one not latched. Even the shutters on that cottage were closed and there was a board across them. He slowly, carefully, drew his sword.
“What is it?” Melian hissed pulling an arrow from her quiver.
Edin said nothing as he stalked around behind the cart and up toward the door. There were boardwalks and the southern side of the road was higher than the northern by at least a foot.
Edin reached the boardwalk that was four feet off the dirt road and peered in.
He thought there had to be someone in there. It was unlikely that they’d forget to close one door out of at least the fifty he’d seen?
Edin reached for the wood of the boardwalk to hop up when he saw a flash of something in the door. Instead of hopping, he dropped as at least one arrow whizzed by.
There was a cry of pain behind him and then Edin leapt back up.
He was up and in the dark room an instant later. He felt a presence, summoned a small ethereal ball of light, and saw the shooter.
No, two shooters.
Edin let go of the light and kicked at the one who was trying to loose another arrow at him.
Edin’s foot hit the man’s hand as the arrow was shot. It slammed into the wall with a thump and a throng. Edin continued through with the kick and punched the man in the kidney with his sword hand.
He felt the hilt dig into the man’s side as he cried out. But that was short-lived as there was another clunk and the man went silent.
Edin turned back, catching a quick glimpse of the outside, and saw Hotep pulling his wife and child from the cart while Papa was running toward Edin.
He kicked the door closed and summoned another ethereal light. The second man was cowering in the corner and Edin lowered the tip of his sword at him. He held the blade on the man’s throat and said, “Who are you?”
“Faydoran… guardsman of Valer.”
The way he said it sounded a lot like Volor. Like Yio Volor.
“Guardsman? You’re actions are more like a bandit. What are you guarding?”
“The people at the manor.” His voice shook.
“Everyone is there?”
“It has large grounds.” he said, “large walls.” He paused. “You a mage, ain’t ya?”
Edin was still holding the ethereal light and he glanced toward the door. It had bounced open a few inches and he saw the old man climbing up the boardwalk.
Edin could barely see the others standing in the street around a prone body.
“Yes,” Edin said. “I’m a special envoy from Duke Sinndilo.”
“Duke Sinndilo?” he said with a nod and then there seemed to be something going on in Faydoran’s head. Something like ‘I have no idea if he is for real or not but I want to live.’
“Are there any others?” Edin asked. “Guards on this road or any other road leading to the manor?”
The man nodded. “A hundred yards up are four, the manor is another fifty yards past that.”
Edin couldn’t see it in the darkness.
The man took a breath. “They’re probably setting men on the walls. I sent a runner when you were seen.”
Edin sheathed his sword and picked up the man’s bow, then he grabbed the other one who, by the looks of it, was still breathing at least, though had a nice trickle of blood coming from his forehead. He could use some healing energy, Edin thought, but wouldn’t do it now.
The door opened and Papa was there. A sword was in the man’s hand and he was glancing around the small room.
“Are you okay?” Papa asked.
Edin nodded then turned to Faydoran. “Okay, up,” Edin said and had the man stand. They exited into the gloomy night—or day or whatever the heck it was—and onto the boardwalk. Down below him and about ten feet from the edge of the wooden planks he saw the family was around Melian. The family and Arianne.
The princess held her hands above the woman and then there was a light showing an arrow. “Pull,” Arianne said and then Hotep pulled. There was a sucking sound and Melian cried out. A pained and frightened cry with words that were not intelligible and then there was thumping. People were racing down the boardwalk from the direction Faydoran had said. There were eight at least and they carried torches.
They looked like the mob that had burned down his home and murdered his mother. They came quickly and loudly; some were shouting but Edin didn’t know what they were saying nor did he care.
He tossed the bows to the ground and pushed the guard out in front of him then he drew his sword again. Edin really didn’t want to.
“Faydoran, I will not hurt you if they do not attack.”
“Then do not let them know you a mage.”
“You either,” Edin said. “Forward.”
Faydoran moved and then he stopped when the guards were within ten feet. They carried bows and swords and cudgels and spears.
“What is this? Where is your partner?” The leader of the men said. He was abrupt and brisk like a chill winter gust.
“He’s alive, though unconscious,” said Edin. “We were coming up the road when we were attacked.”
“The village is not welcome to visitors. No trespassers, did you not see the sign?”
“It’s hard to see anything in this dim light,” Edin said.
The man in front had a thick mustache and was a bit pudgy. He wore an odd cap that had a feather sticking out from the top.
“I came here with a family fleeing the dematians,” Edin paused. “They have a child with them,” Edin said though he could barely make out the cart anymore. He didn’t even know if they were still by it or around Melian. “They are subjects to the baron’s, um barony,” he said this not knowing if that were true.
“Then they would know that the Baron of Valer’s reign lasted barely an hour. He was murdered by a Mireshka.”
“Then who is the liege lord?”
There were footsteps behind and Edin heard. “Lad, if you do not let us in, there will be big trouble for you.” It was Papa talking now and he was speaking like a true leader not just a soldier. “I am General Albe Hardal of the Duke’s cavalry.” He paused. “Retired. Bring me to your captain. If he has not heard of me then he should not be a captain.”
One of the guards stepped up next to the leader and began whispering in his ear. The leader turned to another person and they nodded. Then a moment later he looked back at the group.
“Right, come this way,” he said. “We want to get off the streets as soon as possible.”
The leader ordered three men to the cottage that Edin had taken. Then he motioned for Edin to follow.
The road was straight and after a hundred paces the homes on either side disappeared and there was a large open-air square with a few newly planted trees; each was being held up by posts with strings attached to them.
They went through the square and then, in the gloom, lit by small torches, rose a tall iron gate set in stone walls. There was ivy growing on it and it covered the coat of arms.
He glanced down the wall and saw it was a decent height though there were iron spikes inlaid on the top.
It would do no good with a battering ram or a thunderwyrm but could hold off against dematians. For a few minutes at least.
Edin closely watched Faydoran; despite him being cooperative after the first few moments, their first meeting of the minds as it were, he had to trust the man and hope that he wouldn’t turn Edin in.
There were other people further to the left and right. They were shadows, guards, that appeared and disappeared in the alleys and roads of the town.
Valer was bigger than he expected for a small southern city. He wasn’t sure, but he thought he could hear the ocean somewhere in the distance.
The gate creaked open and they passed through the entrance that was about fifteen feet tall. He could just barely see that the capstone was only partially carved. After a moment he could make out the symbols: a coin purse and a scale.
Then they were beneath it and into a wide courtyard. There was a wood structure off to the right and a cottage sized stone building being built not too far away from it. To Edin, it looked like a mausoleum.
All around though, were people. Hundreds of them around small, inground fire pits that shielded much of the glow.
People were staring and gawking at them. Some sitting on chairs or on crates, others looking up from bedrolls or from inside small tents. There was the smell, it was the smell of any mass of humanity with no proper plumbing.
Melian was grumbling something as the cart clattered on the stone road. Around them the guards muttered and hissed but they followed the leader straight toward the large entrance doors to a grand manor.
It was much bigger than Edin’s had been and far more opulent.
Hotep yelled ‘whoa’ and pulled up on the reins. The horses halted as someone ran out of the manor, a servant of some sort, and came right up to the leader. There were harsh words, clipped and angry, and then the guard pushed past the servant.
Edin looked to Papa, or was it Albe now, who didn’t look at Edin. Instead, he simply followed the man up the stairs and into a great entrance hall.
Edin and the rest of the family were just behind.
At the top of the stairs, beyond the intricately carved great wooden doors, stood a grand staircase. Then behind them, the doors were shut and the sounds and the smells of the common folk disappeared.
The servant ran up the stairs and disappeared into a small doorway.
Edin took Arianne’s hand as they looked around the room.
“What happened with Melian?” Edin whispered.
“Not now,” Arianne said but Edin had stopped paying attention.
Something on the wall caught his eye. Edin let go of Arianne’s hand and began toward it. A few feet away, he stopped. It was a picture, hand drawn and with few words and a rather large price.
Wanted Joruska, and the price, Two Hundred Gold, Dead or Alive.
He didn’t know anyone named Joruska though he knew the woman in the picture.
Edin knew her as Dephina.
Arianne tapped him. “What is it?”
Edin shook his head.
“General Albe, please join us with your family.”
Edin took a step after but felt a tug on his arm.
Arianne shook her head and whispered, “Not us.” The family started up those stairs. He wanted to follow; they were going to meet whomever was in charge here. Someone that could be helpful.
But then Edin thought that it was just as well if they slipped in and out without any real scrutiny. He thought maybe they should steal some supplies and make a quick exit of the town.
One guard already knew his secret and he seemed, at least for now, like he’d keep his mouth shut. Edin didn’t know
for how long that’d last though.
He knew others would find out soon enough.
Arianne was drawing him back toward the front door when Nona’s voice called from above. “Where are you going?” The old woman began down the stairs, her feet clapping at every step.
They paused. Arianne looked at him then her eyes went to her.
“Our destination is not here,” Edin said finally meeting the old woman’s eyes. The eyes that saw him use the talent.
“That may be so, but it is late and we’ve been travelling. Also, you have not had much to eat and there is food here.”
“My lady,” said Arianne with a bow.
“Do not ‘my lady’ me. I’m no noble. I’m a simple farmer’s wife who owes you a debt that cannot be repaid.” Edin raised an eyebrow as Nona looked at him. Then she said, “Both of you.”
Arianne clenched Edin’s hand tight, hers was sweaty. Nona knew that they both were magi…
He wanted to turn and walk away but he didn’t. He moved his other hand to the hilt of Mirage and listened for the sounds of men being mustered to chain the abomination.
There was a voice floating out from an open door to the right. A woman’s voice, harsh and demanding, as she yelled at someone then a door slammed and there was another person hushing them. That came from above but there was nothing that indicated an attack.
Nona was at their side now and she smiled with great warmth. “Come now,” she took Arianne’s arm, “the acting Baron de Valer is anxious to meet all in the general’s party.”
The acting baron was an elderly man who wore robes much like those of Master Horston. He was a flabby and fat-faced person though he held a serene look like that of a man much satisfied with his food and drink. His hands rested on his stomach in much the same way. He looked upon them from behind a wide and long desk as the three stragglers entered.
The general was seated across the desk while the others were crowded on a short couch. A loveseat as it were. The room was as richly decorated as any of the places he’d ever been. It was up there with Sandon’s townhouse in Alestow.
Though the man behind didn’t seem to exude that sort of wealth.
“As I was saying, we venture out rarely from the grounds and only with great groups of soldiers. I sent a party to Eupio two days ago, no word yet if they made it.”
