“I-I can’t accept this. I can’t put up with this. The kimera chose Johan and the God of Light chose not to revive him. I simply can’t go against that, and I won’t. Johan is my friend. The God of Light is my God; I will not oppose the decision of God and I will not question it.” Darr spoke as plainly and flatly as he could muster without his voice cracking or his speech slowing.
“I can accept that, and as such I ask a favor of you for us and for Johan. I ask that you stay here in town with Johan and with Charlotte. She has been shown a way and a place for us to go. The answer to bring him back is there,” Wandalor said to Darr, motioning for Charlotte to come over. “This place we are going is no place for a woman who is magic- born, as is Charlotte.”
The words sounded foreign to her ears as Wandalor spoke them. She repeated them, “Magic born” and knew that it was true. The book had reminded her what her soul already knew.
“I will stay,” Darr agreed.
Gadlin spoke with the mayor of the town and made preparations. The Mayor of Blackweb was named Yuri Pazo. Gadlin had learned that Yuri was made mayor due to his ability to fight and lead men. He had not run for office. The position had been thrust upon him. Yuri was a fine looking human, six feet tall and muscular, though not overly. He carried himself like a warrior who seemed to be uncomfortable in normal clothing. The mayor wore a copper collar of station, meaning that he was not a noble, nor rich man, but that he was a man of the people. He wore a sword at his belt, though it was ornamental. Yuri Pazo was accompanied by four town guards.
The apothecary was there to help and to tend to Johan. The apothecary was an older man named Alan, who wore white robes with a gray overcoat. He did not have a chain collar of station. He was accompanied by a younger man, his apprentice, named Michael. The apprentice was paying a great deal of attention to what his master was telling him, as he knew that he would have to go out and collect herbs that would be needed for the poultices.
Thalin moved from Johan and to the side of the table, where he unrolled a map from a leather case. He then marked the location on map where they were at the Wayfinders Inn. He looked at the page that was open in the black book. It was still, not shifting as before. He carefully found the matching location on the map and marked where they were going. Finally happy with his marks, he turned the map so it was visible to the others. Gadlin glanced over at the map from his discussion with the mayor, and his face fell. Gadlin excused himself from the conversation to get a better look at the map. Not there, he thought. Gadlin, Thalin, Darr, Wandalor, and Charlotte moved together to speak and look over the map.
“If we use this map and cross the Sodec at about this point—” Wandalor put his hand on the map, indicating a location, then stopped. “Gadlin, sorry. This is yours and Thalin’s territory, so I do not want to overstep.” Wandalor looked from the map to his friend.
“No, you’re correct. That’s a good place; apparently you’ve been paying attention. I know we must go there, but I’m not going to like that place. Tannath is a very quarrelsome elf; his aversion to other races makes the idea of racism look like a joke.” Concern filled Gadlin’s face as he spoke.
“Wait,” Charlotte interjected. “If you go down a little bit further the water is calmer. There’s a fallen tree you can use as a bridge.” She pointed to a place on the river that was exactly where the book had shown the crossing.
“Yes, I see it,” Gadlin and Thalin said in unison.
“I wish I could go, but I can’t. You all know where I stand,” Darr said, half expecting a quip from Gadlin, and surprised that none came.
“We do, and we respect it,” Thalin said.
“Yes, we respect it,” Gadlin agreed.
“Let’s get Johan out of the main floor and up to our room. He can rest there and the three of us can begin our journey,” Wandalor said. At that moment, as if they had been waiting for a command from the sorcerer, the four town guards stepped in and lifted the table, kicking out the supports that the weathered wood top rested upon.
Gadlin grasped Johan and knelt to the floor beside him. “Johan I swear the kindness you showed to my family will not go unpaid. I swear that I will do whatever is needed. I will sacrifice whatever has to be sacrificed; I will make sure to return you from Gehenna back to us.”
The guards hoisted the platform onto their shoulders and the crowd parted, opening a path to the stairs. Those present each took it upon themselves to pay homage to this obviously noble warrior and knelt. Charlotte dipped a deep curtsy, as if Johan was royalty.
The mayor, Yuri Pazo, followed by the other town dignitaries, moved over to the group. “We will put our best people here with One-Cut; and he has agreed to waive the room’s cost till you return,” the mayor said in general, not knowing who exactly to address.
Wandalor looked at his friends, then to the townspeople. “There is nothing more we can do here; we need to get moving. Charlotte, you and Darr keep Johan alive, pray, and we will get back here as soon as we can.” Without waiting for a response of any kind, Wandalor abruptly walked away from the group in the direction of the stables. Thalin silently grasped Darr by the elbow and Darr returned the gesture.
Thalin also moved in the direction of the stables behind Wandalor, all the while digging into his pockets. His fingers found and folded various roots and leaves together.
Gadlin looked at Darr and nodded his head one time. Then he cast his gaze to Charlotte. He let a smile creep onto his lips and into his eyes as he walked away, silently joining his friends who were already at the door to the stables.
The three men moved quickly through the stables and gathered their horses. Thalin pulled the herbs he had folded into tight small squares from his pockets. He handed one to each of his friends and said, “Normal people would take two days to travel this distance by not traveling at night and setting watches, that sort of thing. I believe by the look in your eyes, Gadlin, you mean to do otherwise and travel hard.”
“And by the oath you swore to Johan,” Wandalor said grimly.
“I do; we need to get a cure and we need to do it fast,” Gadlin said as he mounted a horse the hostler was holding by the reins.
“I don’t know what all went on inside, but I figured you would need some fast horses. Is this it just the three of you, then? I’ve got two more horses ready,” the hostler asked. Gadlin thanked him. “No, these three will do.”
“Now, what is this clump of grass, Thalin?” Gadlin asked as he looked down at his hand to the green folded packet.
Motioning to each of them, Thalin replied, “It’s a mixture of herbs that will slowly release in our bodies, allowing us to stay alert and awake since we won’t sleep for several days. When we do sleep it will be a deep, restful sleep.” Thalin shoved the herbs into his mouth as he mounted his horse. As their friend had just done, Wandalor and Gadlin followed suit and ate the herbs. The mixture tasted a bit like sweet onions and butter, Gadlin thought as his mouth went numb and his vision broadened.
“Kind of reminds me of elephant ear...” Gadlin said.
“That stuff is poisonous; you know that, right? It causes oral irritation, pain and swelling of mouth, tongue and lips, excessive drooling, vomiting, difficulty swallowing...” Thalin looked quizzically at his friend as they began to ride.
“I do know because I learned the hard way,” Gadlin said. “Some things you learn over time and some things are kicked into your face.”
“At least traveling with you two will not be boring,” Wandalor said as he spurred his horse and the trio rode out of the stable.
The group rode hard, with Thalin and Gadlin leading the way. The herbs kept them alert to the surrounding terrain. The forest was endless, dark, and ancient. The canopy was marked by hemlock, oak, and birch. The branches provided scant openings for light to pass down for a hodgepodge of saplings to reign over the flat, fertile grounds below. Solid stoic boughs suspended from the occasional tree. A mishmash of flowers blossomed brightly and added more life in the othe
rwise dark green backdrop.
A melody of wild sounds caused by birds and insects echoed in the air. Their chorus formed a chaotic orchestra with the rustling of the leaves and scraping branches of the treetops in the wind.
The trio rode all day through the forest, not stopping once. When the sun fell and the moon rose, still they didn’t stop. The herbs that Thalin gave them worked well. The cud focused their minds and expanded their abilities. The complete lack of light of evening in the forest wasn’t a hindrance. They decided to give the horses a rest since, unlike the riders, the beasts grew tired.
Chapter Twenty-Two
Charlotte and Darr settled in the room with Johan upstairs, having been moved from the table boards to a cot. The two praying watchers kept vigil as the day fell into evening. The townspeople, inn patrons, and guards of the city began to pass word of what had taken place. They told the story of the brave strangers who took it upon themselves to help the town of Blackweb, with no promise of reward. The saviors asked for nothing, nor did they ask if they were needed. They just did what they saw should be done. The people who heard the story stood outside the Wayfinder tavern with candles.
Charlotte yawned and stretched. Darr went down to the bar, collecting a tray of meat, bread, and cheese. Then he pulled two tankards of ale.
“It’s not heart of palm or a fat lot of blackberries; however, it will do,” Darr said, placing the heavy wooden tray on a table beside the window in the upstairs room. He sat in the chair and looked across the room at Charlotte, who was mopping Johan’s brow. “Woman, come. Eat. We will be here a while. No sense getting faint from lack of food. Who would that help? Not Johan.”
Charlotte sighed and sat in the chair across the table from Darr, plucking a hunk of cheese and bread off the plank. Darr pulled a piece of dried venison through his front teeth.
They sat in silence, eating and drinking, lost in their own thoughts and contemplating the current situation. Darr broke the silence, not because it was uncomfortable but rather because it was serene. “I saw you,” he said softly, looking up at Charlotte through his long dark eyelashes. His ice blue eyes pierced her conscience, causing her face to redden and her chin to drop.
The paladin didn’t have to tell her what he saw. Charlotte read it on his face. He saw her stealthily creeping back into the inn after finding the copper plate. I was not as stealthy as I thought, she mused. “I had to um...find something. Something important,” she answered.
“Listen, if we’re going to trust each other we must be honest. You don’t have to tell me all your dark feminine secrets; however, if whatever you were doing comes back to cause us—” Darr motioned to where Johan lay, “any of us trouble, you should consider confiding in me.”
Charlotte nodded. She wanted, no, she needed the help of this lot. She knew that she could have managed to get to Blackweb and find the copper plate without them. It was the future that concerned her. She knew she would need them. Wandalor and his Eldritch would help her locate the other items she must acquire. Darr and his ability to keep her eating alone was worth telling him. She munched another piece of bread, stalling, looking for the best way to tell him. Charlotte decided to let the copper speak for her.
She stood, walked over to her pile of things on the top of a trunk, and pulled out the plate wrapped in a soft piece of dark cotton cloth. She pushed the tray away and lay the parcel gently on the table in front of Darr. “Open it,” she instructed. Darr took the end of the twine tied around the dark cloth and loosened its knot. He reached for the folds of the fabric and opened the makeshift envelope. He inhaled sharply as the copper plate was revealed, lying on the field of black. “That’s...those are...” He stammered for the right word.
“Dragon Runes,” Charlotte pronounced.
“Yes. You’d better sit and start talking. Why do you have a copper? What is it? A gear? A sprocket?” Darr asked.
“It’s an ancient relic of the dragons,” she replied.
“And why, pray tell, do you have it?” he questioned. Charlotte looked at Darr and decided to tell him the truth. “When I met the dragon, Varain, it was a point in my life when everything I knew was crumbling. My father had begun to create an alliance with the land to our north, Jernmalm, and promised me in the agreement. I was not going to fight. I knew we needed the resources of the iron-rich country. It was my duty. Then I met the dragon. He asked me for help and I agreed, in exchange for him helping me get out of the alliance my father had established without breaking the terms. You’re a smart man, Darr; you know how wars have broken out over the simplest misunderstanding of a treaty. I didn’t want to be the cause of a full blown war, so I agreed to marry for the greater good of the kingdom I love.”
“That’s all very noble of you, but that doesn’t explain why you have a circular piece of copper with clearly engraved Dragon Runes,” Darr said. Is she daft? he wondered.
“I’m getting to that,” Charlotte said, in a timid tone he hadn’t heard from her since they met. Gone was the vibrant girl from the road and the fearless woman who shot an arrow at the spider, poorly aimed as it was. She looked like a mousy little girl. Darr realized that since she had begun talking about her father, her demeanor had changed.
“Were you listening?” she said. “I made an agreement with Varain. He’ll help me. For his help, I’ll find three such pieces of metal: one copper, one titanium, and one nickel. He gave me some indication as to where the first one was located. His information about the other two is limited. I will have to decipher clues and figure it out on my own.”
“Alone?” Darr asked. “You’re just a woman. How can you travel the land alone and survive? Land we have seen much of and is full of evil.” Charlotte interrupted, “I am aware. Like the spider.”
“No, not like the spider; much worse. Do you not see the man lying across the room, near death? The spider was just doing what its species does naturally. The kimera that damn near killed us all was instructed to kill. It didn’t act by nature, rather someone created it to be a murdering tool of revenge. A maleficence.” Charlotte knew what Darr said was the truth. It was his chauvinistic, arrogant way that vexed her. She wouldn’t admit to him being right.
“I’m smart enough to see that I need help. I planned to ask you and the others to help me. I wasn’t expecting you to come back with Johan near death. I’m not going to bother you with helping me now under the circumstances. Once Wandalor, Thalin, and Gadlin return, after I know Johan is saved, I’ll let you go about your way and I’ll go mine. I’m sure I can find and pay an escort to help me. Maybe a tracker or a hunter.” Exasperated, Darr threw up his hands as he stood and began to pace the room. “By all that is holy and right, you are daft!” Charlotte looked at him in confusion.
“There’s no possible way we’ll let you go on your own now. Gadlin, Wandalor, Thalin, and Johan made a connection with you. Hades! All of us have. Even me. You can’t tell me that you don’t feel that we have accepted you as part of our group, as one of us.” He sat heavily back into the chair. “I cannot let you go alone now.” Charlotte decided to stay silent and let Darr continue. Her mother had once told her that it was smart to be like an owl whose spirit gains wisdom by sitting silent, listening and observing.
Darr continued, “It’s my calling to protect others. I was taught about God and the Truth. If I take a lamp and shine it toward the wall, a bright spot will appear on the wall. The lamp is our search for truth and understanding. Too often we assume that the light on the wall is God. The light is not the goal of the search. It is the result of the search. The more intense the search, the brighter the light on the wall. The brighter the light on the wall, the greater the sense of revelation upon seeing it. Similarly, someone who does not search, who does not bring a lantern with him, sees nothing. What we perceive as God is the byproduct of our search for God. It may simply be an appreciation of the light, pure and unblemished, not understanding that it comes from us. Sometimes we stand in front of the light and assume that we are
the center of the universe. We assume that God looks astonishingly like we do or we turn to look at our shadow, and assume that all is darkness. If we allow ourselves to get in the way we defeat the purpose, which is to use the light of our search to illuminate the wall in all its beauty and in all its flaws, and in so doing better understand the world around us. Truth is a river. God is the mouth of the river. The substance of truth is that the life of others is more valuable than our own. Even the life of foolish women on quests given to them by dragons.”
Chapter Twenty-Three
Johan realized he wasn’t dead. He found himself in a familiar place in the world, though not entirely familiar. The beach was littered with bodies, wounded fighters, and destruction. Red, brown, and black were the new colors of what was once a peaceful, pure white beach. The coast had become the stage of a long, destructive battle. The air, normally delicate with the sweet salt smell of the ocean water, was thick with the scent of decay and death. The stench was enough to destroy whatever courage was left in the survivors.
When a great army from a civilized and established kingdom and a rebellion sect set on changing the status quo fight each other over the mere differences of lifestyle and belief, it is often clear who will win the battle. The dead of the losing side were spread around the beach in clumps of broken bodies. The faces of fighters were grim with gloom and despair, but the ones still with life in them forced their weary bodies to fight, nonetheless. With the thought of victory in their minds, the winning side gained a morale boost from adrenaline and fought their enemies with determination. Some succumbed to rage and recklessly charged toward the foe with only the aim to kill all. Others only thought of home and what they left behind. The toll on both nature and humanity would take ages to recover. Rubble, bodies, and debris took the place of grass, flowers, and plant life.
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