Pursuit

Polished 7.1, 7.2, 7.3, 7.4, 7.5, 7.6, 7.7, and 7.8 — 2h37m01s — 2021/06/06

The first night after his death, Brankellus found a hollow, and since he was neither warm nor cold, he laid near the trunk of a tree and closed his eyes. A deep and profound tiredness washed over his body. He hoped to cure his exhaustion in the way he always had, so settled among the debris of the forest, rested his head, and tried to relax. He listened to his breath as the night sounds drifted in the background and hoped for sleep—but the cool night air chilled him to the edge of chattering, and the pressure of the small needles under him never let up. The faint scent of his death, both rancid and sour, gathered and grew in his mouth.

With the overwhelming taste of such rancor, and in a fit of disgust, Brankellus gave up on sleep. Grudgingly, he rolled to his knees, got up on his feet and hands, grunted as he stood straight-ish, then trundled back out to the road. He concluded there was only one rest for the dead; the eternal rest—and though he knew how to enter that blissful realm—he was unwilling to take that step. Not yet, anyway. Not until he caught his quarry. Still, the stars continued their call as Brankellus sloughed along the road. There was something about them that lit the faintest hope deep in the dead man’s chest. They poked at his heart, as they stared down from above, and begged him to take his eternal rest, for theirs was the way home. All Brankellus had to do was look up and let them take him—but he would not.

On and on, he trudged. The night slipped away and the sun crept over the horizon once more. The drudgery of the day was no less and no more than the torture of the night. He felt he should be strong and capable of a steady march; but his pains and ailments shifted and overlapped, always causing his gait to be slow and jumbled. If it was not the heat of the day, then some strange nausea would overcame him, or an extreme exhaustion that sunk bone deep. If not one of these calamities, then he was limp with a sore ankle or foot, or perhaps his breath would catch, and he’d struggle for air, gasping and hacking as it finally came. His discomforts and aggravations were as numerous as they were arbitrary. Sometimes his weakness completely overcame him. He’d stumble or pitch into the dirt. There, he’d lie for several minutes, doing nothing, overcome and given the respite of knowing he’d done all he could do. Then, the slow creep of the earth came upon him once more. He remembered the deep chill of the night, as he itched, and burned with vengeance. Teeth clattering, he grumbled to his feet, and shuffled after the scent of his enemy once more.

In this manner, Brankellus drifted south and east along the road, blessed with a sixth sense for his prey. He did not understand the sensation, only that he was called south, as if by the voice of a sad and suffering people. He imagined they were the many victims of Petaerus—and others of his ilk. Their dirges helped fuel his rage as they pulled him after his prey.

How many days was he on the road before Brankellus arrived at the north wall of Rynth Falls? Was it a week? Was it more? Once, in his living years, he’d visited the small Trohl settlement. The little town was not as he remembered it, mostly because Rynth Falls was no longer little. The wall was built up, more than double what it was before.

Brankellus itched, as he tugged and struggled to work past the gate with no effect at all. He howled and cursed as his impatience grew. He was forced to stand and wait at the wall for how many hours before the gate finally opened to allow the changing of the guard. As the door swung open, as the guards stepped out, Brankellus lurched into the old city.

Beyond the familiar wall, the town was much bigger and more established than he remembered. Were there not a few small farms behind the wall the last time he was here? Now it was all houses, pressed close together. A few maintained small gardens—but they were nothing like the fields he remembered. Aside from the parade grounds, the only open space was the park overlooking the valley below, and the falls that gave the town it’s name. Near the overlook, one building stretched to the impressive height of seven stories—but then, Brankellus was far more impressed by the overlook itself. There was nothing but clean, clear granite—and then a lateral drop of some thousand feet into the valley below that broadened and stretched out into the great plains of the Noeth.

Brankellus turned to the falls as the Rynth River soared into open air. The roaring plume of the river turned to thin ropes as it fell, then these ropes of water frayed, tattered and blown as they drifted to the earth below, most of it falling in a great pool, though a broad swath was showered. Around this pool, the second part of the old town stretched out more than Brankellus remembered, all grown up, like the half on top of the cliff. He stared at the sprawl of new buildings, another wall, and a flood of tents stretched out into the patchy forest beyond.

Brankellus remembered people picnicking at the top of the falls, at the edge of the cliff. Some of the revelers stepped so close to the edge that he could not believe it. They dangled their feet, legs, hands, and even their heads over the edge. In life, Brankellus was never interested in such thrill-seeking, and could hardly stand to see others so cavalier around such a mighty drop—especially the children! It gave him a bad case of nerves. But now things were different. In the dead of night, there was no one around, just Brankellus, as he stepped along the rock until there was nothing but air before him.

Brankellus was unconcerned with the consequences, should he fall. It was not as if it could kill him—or so he thought. He knew Petaerus was below, close at hand, among the lower half of the city, or the many tents about the wall. The road down the cliff was winding and long, a drudgery of switchbacks that ran for miles. Brankellus did not have the patience for it. Wouldn’t it be so much quicker to simply step into the air and plummet as the water did? Perhaps it’d prove to be pleasant to simply let gravity pull him, instead of having to slog step after painful step—and so he dropped with the care of a feather in the wind—and impacted with the seriousness of meat hitting rock. His spirit mashed into the granite as if it were still flesh and bone. He bounced once, flopped, and rolled to a stop. The pain of it was excruciating—but only for a split second—and then he thought he’d died for a second time, as everything went black once more.

~!@#$%^&*()_+ 7.2 +_)(*&^%$#@!~

Having been relieved of their guard, the brothers Komotz and Homoth wiped sleep from their eyes as they stepped into the dark room and peeked out the window into the dark night of the garden. The younger, Komotz, leaned toward Duboha and whispered. "How long have they been out there?"

“Long enough,” Duboha shrugged. "I suspect they arrived when our friends returned."

"Will they attack, or...?"

Homoth lumped his younger brother. "They're not sneaking around for the fresh air, you moron!” He said in a harsh whisper. “It's the middle of the night!”

Komotz grumbled under his breath as he pulled on his tabard.

Homoth turned to Duboha. "How many are out there?"

Duboha shook his head, "We've spotted at least a dozen out front and maybe that many more out back. Given the ones we can’t see… forty? Fifty?” He shrugged. “Maybe sixty?"

“That’s a lot,” Komotz blanched.

“wouldn’t bring any less,” Duboha shrugged. “I might even bring a few more.”

The younger brother hissed and looked to his brother with wide eyes. "Can we fight that many?!"

Homoth grinned. “Gonna have to.”

"Is everybody awake?" Duboha asked.

"The word's going 'round; ten minutes and git downstairs," Homoth answered.

Duboha gave a nod. "You’ve got the watch. I go to gather my stuff," he said and stepped from the brothers. He gave a nod to Traust as the commander came down the stairs. Traust wore a chain mail shirt and the tabard of the Oak and Beast. He set his pack on the floor and an ornate shield next to it.

"What do we see?" Traust asked as he stepped between the brothers and gazed out the dark window.

"Degorouth. Ministrians," Homoth shrugged. "Duboha believes there may be as many as a hundred."

"That many?" Traust replied.

"I wouldn't bring any less," Homoth shrugged. "What do you think? Do we wait for their attack? Do we slaughter ‘em as they try to get in?"

“This house is tinder,” Traust shook his head. “If we hole up, I imagine they’ll just burn us out. Once the others are ready, we'll push through the back garden and fight our way free. We’ll make for the wall.”

Komotz gulped. "How long do you think we have?"

“A few minutes, maybe a couple hours…” Traust shrugged. “Let's just hope we're ready to leave before they're ready to come in—otherwise we'll have to start the fighting before we start the running.”

“Simple enough,” Homoth said.

“I should think it is too simple.”

Homoth turned to his worried younger brother. "Don’t fret. Complicated plans tend to go right out the window once the swords start swinging. We’ll stay simple, and let their plans be overcomplicated. Then, once we disrupt them, they can fall all over themselves while we march on by,” he said as he stroked the long handle of his mallet.

~!@#$%^&*()_+ 7.3 +_)(*&^%$#@!~

Andrus rushed into the room as Saleos and Toar rested in their chairs. Elpis lay in the bed, heavily bandaged and completely out.

“He'll live?” Andrus asked as Saleos stirred.

“Give him a good couple weeks and he’ll be right as rain—though I'm a touch concerned about the eye,” Saleos shrugged. “Of course, all that says nothing of his emotional state, but then, we won’t have to worry about that until after the drugs wear off.”

"And what if we have to move him?" Andrus asked.

"Like, to another room?" Toar replied as he rubbed sleep from his eyes.

"More like out of the city," Andrus answered.

Toar sat up in his chair, suddenly concerned. “You mean, now?!”

Andrus nodded.

Saleos shook his head. “He's drugged to the gills. If he has to move, we have to carry him. Why? What's going on?”

“We’re discovered,” Andrus gave a od toward Elpis. “We think they were followed. Traust wants to make for the wall."

"The wall?!" Toar stood. "What good 'll that do?! The gates won't open 'til dawn!"

"That's, what? Maybe an hour away?" Andrus noted. "If they put up half a fight, it'll take us that long to get there."

"You expect to run and fight for an hour?!" Toar didn’t like the idea. He was about to complain further when Aim stepped into the room—a massive intimidating beast of a man. At the sight of him, Toar swallowed his complaints.

"I hear we have to go," Aim said as he looked at Elpis.

"That's the word," Andrus said to the massive man.

Aim pointed at Elpis. "I assume he's not going to carry himself?"

"Not a chance," Saleos answered.

"Well then, I suppose I better bring our friend,” Aim said as he gently scooped Elpis from among the covers and placed the man over his shoulder.

Saleos helped settle the injured man, then arranged a thick blanket to cover the comatose warrior. "It'll do," he shrugged at the light padding.

"Let's hope so,” Aim grinned. “Komotz says there might be as many as two hundred of ‘em out there. Get what you need and get downstairs," he said as he left the room. "We leave immediately."

~!@#$%^&*()_+ 7.4 +_)(*&^%$#@!~

"Not you too!" Scurra fussed as Duboha stepped into her room. "Why won't you people just let me sleep!" she bawled as she leaned from her bed, picked a shoe of the floor, and flung it at the man.

Duboha brushed the flying shoe aside. "Andrus says you threw a cup at him."

"I'da thrown a knife if I had one close!" Scurra complained as she buried her head in her pillows.

"Wish I didn't have to bother you, cousin, but we have company," Duboha noted. "Degorouth. Ministrians? Either way it doesn't look good."

Suddenly aware of the implications, Scurra stared wide-eyed at the man. "We were followed?!"

Duboha shrugged. “That's what I was thinking.”

“We led ‘em right to you…” Scurra noted. “Argh!” she huffed as she rolled over on her back. “Dear Jeiju! I was finally comfortable!”

“It isn't meant to be,” Duboha pointed. He pulled a small leather pouch from his pocket. “Your brother gave me this. He told me its for anyone that might want it,” he held up the small leather pouch. "If it’s what I think it is, I wouldn't mind having a pinch myself," he noted as he offered it to Scurra.

Scurra opened the pouch and removed a slight spoon, then sniffed its contents. Her eyes went wide as she identified what was offered, “fio.” She said, as she sat up straight. “So it’s gonna be one of those nights… Alright then, let's do this," she said as she stuck the spoon into the pouch, removed a bit of fine green powder, and ate it. She wiped the spoon clean with her fingers, then passed the spoon and pouch back to Duboha.

Duboha took a dose himself. "Invigorating," he grinned as the fine herb lit up his veins.

"Never been a fan of the stuff," Scurra shrugged. "Makes me all jittery—but if there ever was a time to take it," she threw off her covers and peeled off her nightgown.

Wide eyed, Duboha turned from Scurra as she wore nothing but her small clothes. He fought the urge to take another look at the athletic woman in her near-naked glory.

"Where do you want my bow?" Scurra asked as she pulled on her travel leathers.

"Apulton and Andrus are up on the roof, if you care to join them," Duboha answered. “Otherwise, the rest of us gather in the main hall.”

"The roof it is," she nodded. "So what's the plan? Do we stand and hope to outlast a siege, or do we make a run for it?"

"We run,” Duboha said. “We make for the wall. If you get separated, make for The Copper Kettle and Rooms, six hours on the main road east."

"Six hours, eh? That's not so bad," Scurra noted.

"It's six hours on horse," Duboha shrugged. "At least a day on foot—more like four or five the way you been traveling."

Scurra frowned. “Haha,” she mocked.

“There might be fifty men out there,” Duboha noted. They don't mean to see us go peaceful. If you don’t find us at the Copper Kettle and Rooms, I do hope to see you in Hearthstone some day.”

Scurra studied Duboha with a critical eye. "Have a little faith, my friend. You never know what might happen."

Duboha shrugged and stepped from the room, "Pray for the best, prepare for the worst."

~!@#$%^&()_+ 7.5 +_)(&^%$#@!~

In the main hall, as the party crowded around in the dark, Celesi stepped close to Toar with Evereste in her arms.

"Why do you bring the baby?" Toar asked. "Why don't you give her to her mother?"

"That one is a bit of mess right now," Celesi whispered as Toar caught sight of the priestess. Wenifas leaned heavily on Krumpus as the two slowly navigated the stairs. "I'm just happy she's on her feet again."

"That bad, eh?" Toar stared at Wenifas as a wicked looking dagger dangled from the priestess’s hand. Toar turned back to Celesi. "Do you want a weapon?" He asked the former Jay.

Celesi lifted the hem of her dress, that he might see a set of blades attached to her thigh.

"Throwing knives," Toar smiled.

Celesi shrugged. "I’m not very good with ‘em, and I don’t intend to throw a single one," she admitted. "Bt I know which edge splits skin” She pulled a blade and waved it about, then placed the knife back in its sheath, among the others. "Besides, if I need to fight, we've already lost. Instead, I'll care for the baby and let the mother handle a weapon. She looks like she'd enjoy cutting someone.”

"Let's just hope it's not one of us," Toar muttered under his breath. He shook his head. "I'm not much better myself," he said as he eyed the sword at his waist. “But as you say, I know which edge splits skin.”

Celesi looked about the others. "There are a few fighters here. We'll be alright," she said, and hoped that saying so made it true. Though the fighting men all wore the colors of the Oak and Beast, they wore varied armor and brandished a wide array of weapons. Saleos carried a bow in hand, a quiver at his waist, and two short swords on his hips. Duboha was heavily armored with a shield and a long sword. Homoth was also armored, but had no shield. Instead, he had a long mallet in his hands that was nearly as tall as he was, and a pair of short swords on his belt. Komotz wore chain mail as he carried a shield and his long sword. Aim carried a long pole axe and so many additional weapons about his waist that Celesi felt she’d be hard pressed to count them all. On top of that, the large man had Elpis on his shoulder. Creigal carried a long sword in one hand and a small shield in his other. He wore thick leathers and a metal helmet. Carringten had a long spear, a large shield over his back, and Bence's short sword on his hip. Baet had Derris's sword and a long knife in his other hand. Krumpus was draped in his dirty travel cloak and carried his staff with the metal point on the end. His other arm was looped around Wenifas, as the priestess leaned against him with the wicked looking dagger dangling from her fingers. For himself, Toar carried a short sword in one hand, a shield on his other, and a large hunting knife at his side. Celesi had an arm wrapped around his elbow as she held Evereste with her other, all too happy to have Toar to lean on. Of all of them, Celesi thought Traust looked the most formidable. His armor shined as he brandished his extravagant sword. The shield bore a great tree done up in silver and jade detail with a large, hairy, wolf-like beast made of onyx as it lounged under the tree. the sword on his hip had a sculpted black hilt in the shape of a beast's head, with emerald eyes, and ivory teeth. Celesi smiled at the regal look of the man and thought nothing could happen to the party with such leader at their front.

Toar looked about the room. "We're missing a few,” he frowned. “Where are Apulton, Andrus, and Scurra?”

"They're on top of the house. As soon as we start running, they'll cover us until we get free," Saleos whispered. "Once we're free of the house, they'll cut loose and follow."

"That's not a very deep plan," Celesi frowned.

"If it’s simple, we actually manage it,” Saleos shrugged. “If you get separated, make for the Copper Kettle and Rooms. Its a good distance down the east road, maybe thirty miles."

“Thirty miles?!” Celesi stared.

“It’s probably best if you don’t get separated,” Saleos continued. Strange shadows began to grow and dance on his face. He glanced past them and pointed at front room. "Fire," he noted in a calm manner.

Celesi turned and saw flames as they crawled under the door and climbed the closed drapes.

"We go now," Traust ordered. He stepped to the back garden door while the others pressed close and pulled the door open. A barrage of arrows screamed out of the night. They shattered against the armored form of Traust and fell away harmless—all but one. One slipped just above the edge of his shield and buried itself in the slit of his visor. With a jerk, Traust backed a step, foundered, fell to the floor, and convulsed as death overcame him. Celesi watched in horror as blood poured from under his helmet, as he continued to twitch. She took half a step toward the man—but Toar pulled her back and shook his head. It was already too late. There was nothing anyone could do.

With a curse, Duboha charged through the door. Several arrows slammed against his armored form—though there were significantly fewer missiles. This time, none of the arrows caused any damage as Duboha surged into the garden. The others emptied out of the house behind his heavily armored form. With a grim face, Creigal set his small shield aside and took Traust's massive round instead, followed close by Toar and Celesi.

Celesi left the house and entered the maelstrom. There was screaming and fighting all about her. Thankfully, the only arrows that fell dropped off the roof sideways. She looked up to see arrows zip to and from the top of the house as Andrus, Apulton, and Scurra exchanged missiles with their enemies. Celesi cradled Evereste as she ran toward the sounds of conflict, with her stomach in her throat. Panic rose in her chest and threatened to overwhelm her as Toar pulled her forward, toward the growing mayhem.

“Yargh!” A figure toppled over the edge of the carriage house with an arrow in his neck. He landed with a sickening crunch a few feet away. Another slipped from view over the edge of the roof—an arrow caught in his leg as he bellowed and cursed. Pain and panic filled his voice as Celesi passed under him. A third man leaned over the edge of the carriage house and aimed among the fleeing men, but someone in front of her threw a hatchet and caught the man in the chest. He toppled off the roof into a hedge of roses, which must have lashed him in a thousand places before he slumped to the ground in a awkward heap. Celesi couldn’t help but stare at the man’s form, twisted and uncaring, as the roses snapped a swayed.

Ahead of her, metal banged against metal. Curses, yells, and screams quickly followed. If not for Toar, Celesi would have hid in the first convenient patch of shadow. Instead, she kept her eyes on the brave, young Trohl and gripped his arm as tight as she could. This was the way forward. This was the way to a new life, she told herself.

Toar led Celesi through the back garden gate as they chased after the others. She passed Saleos as he aimed his bow back the way they came. She glanced back and saw his arrow impale a shadow as it rushed to catch up to them. The attacker lost his feet. His weapon crashed to the ground, slid, and clattered to a halt near Celesi’s feet as it's former owner gargled and died a short distance away—and then she was running once again.

Toar pulled Celesi along. They passed a number of dead and injured enemies. One man sat against a fence with a rough gash across his stomach. Shock and horror danced across his face as he pawed at his slick ropey intestines in a frantic effort to put himself back together. Celesi felt sick. She pressed her mouth into the screaming form of Evereste and gagged.

Celesi followed Toar into a thin alley at break neck pace. She turned her focus to Evereste and did her best not to jar the child as she ran. They turned a corner. Suddenly, Toar stopped, and Celesi ran into the back of him. Wide eyed, he pushed off her. They reeled away from each other. Off balance, Celesi fell backward as some heavy chunk of metal split the air between them.

An axe looped end over end through the space Celesi just occupied. She backpedaled furiously, but couldn't keep her feet. She lost balance and rolled on her back, careful to cradle Evereste, as she crashed to to her ass, then flopped on her back. Her breath caught as she tried to ignore the pain that rang through her rump, spine, shoulders, neck, and head. There'd be bruises for sure.

A large form appeared from the side, and Celesi presumed it was the axe-thrower. She screamed as a Ministrian sneered at her.

Toar appeared over her. He slashed at the larger man, but the shock trooper turned the strike aside and countered. Toar deflected the blow, but was forced to step back.

Celesi hobbled to her feet and tried to get away, but the Ministrian grabbed and nearly pulled her off balance once more as he yanked her in the other direction. Celesi fumbled Evereste and almost dropped her as she tried to get at the blades buried under her dress.

Toar stepped up again and slashed at the attacker. The shock trooper turned the blow—though he was forced to let go of Celesi. She backed from the conflict, looked about for the others, and wondered where they were. Toar swung again and again with his blade, but was turned aside each time. Now he had the Ministrian’s full attention. Toar took a step back. He was outmatched and they both knew it. With a knowing grin, the Ministrian advanced.

Before the shock trooper could finish off his Trohl opponent, a long thin form with wide angular wings dropped out of the sky and wrapped about the Ministrian. The shock trooper screamed and tried to throw the beast off as it bit him again and again.

Toar took the opening and attacked. The tip of his sword pierced the Ministrian between his heart and shoulder. The shock trooper gaped at Toar, shocked by the sudden turn of his fortune. He backed away and stumbled to the ground as he continued to wrestle with the winged beast.

The serpent separated from the man—though the man continued to fight. He clawed at his own throat as he screamed in panic and terror. Blood streamed from his neck and hands as he buried his nails into his own soft skin. He jerked and convulsed, and his screams turned to a gurgle as he fought only himself. A few seconds more, and the attacker slumped to his back as his blood continued to pool around him.

Celesi screamed as the winged serpent turned toward her, fangs bared. Toar lifted his sword and stepped between them. With a hiss, the beast spread its wings and launched itself into the air. Wide eyed, Toar and Celesi stared after the creature—but it disappeared just as quickly as it came.

Scurra and Andrus appeared from out of the dark as they ran down the alley with bows ready. They glanced nervously after the unexpected beast. "What the bloody hell was that?!" Andrus asked as he took Celesi by the arm and pulled her along.

Celesi shrugged and wondered how half the city wasn't awake with so much bloody screaming and fighting. She looked about the nearby buildings to see that many windows were lit! Now that she thought to look, she noticed much of the neighborhood was awake! Indeed, people streamed out of their houses, most with weapons in hand. Panic gripped Celesi as she realized they’d never fight through all of ‘em!

"Let's go," Toar urged and pulled Celesi down the street. There were several more bodies. She only looked long enough to see that she didn't recognize them, then turned away from the pooling blood.

Celesi noticed others running in the streets, pursuing them. To her left, a shout went up, "Ministrians! Ministrians!" She turned toward the voice and saw several shadows as they bolted across the street and away.

"Ministrians!" The call was repeated and started to sound all around them. "Ministrians!"

The sounds of fighting erupted everywhere, instead of just ahead of them—but as the fighting intensified, it also drifted away. Slowly, the tension eased from the air, and Celesi felt she could breathe once more. For the first time since she stepped from the house, she thought she might live through the night.

A crowd gathered before them. It was the others, and Celesi was happy to see they no longer fought. They did not run either They were stopped in the middle of an intersection and stared down both streets. Celesi glanced about her gathered friends. There was a good deal of blood among them, though most kept their feet. She began to count heads—then noticed the armed shadows that gathered about them—that slowly closed in. She stared as a crowd of men advanced on them from every direction. A knot of dread formed in the pit of her stomach.

The warriors formed a ring, and Celesi found herself pushed to the center of her companions. She came eye to eye with Wenifas. The priestess looked just as harried as Celesi felt.

"Oh my sweet baby!" Wenifas exhaled and claimed the crying child. “Thank you,” the priestess sighed her relief as Celesi handed her over. “Thankyouthankyouthankyou!” Although Evereste whined, she seemed no worse for the wear.

"So much for making the gate," Celesi said as she pulled Toar close.

"Who goes?!" Duboha called to the men that gathered around them.

"We ask the same!" Came a reply. "Put down your weapons or perish! We are the Pan Iskaer, and you have broken our peace!"

Saleos let out a sigh of relief as he set down his bow and sat in the street. He put his head between his legs as the others sheathed their weapons or set them on the ground.

"Do we know them?" Celesi asked.

"We know 'em,” Duboha nodded. “It's their neighborhood after all."

“Wait,” Celesi began, suddenly suspicious. “You expected them to intercede—and you made me think we had to run all the way to the wall?!"

"Expected?” Duboha shrugged. "It was always a distinct possibility,” he admitted. “But, we prefer not to rest on the efforts of others.”

~!@#$%^&*()_+ 7.6 +_)(*&^%$#@!~

Claiten woke from his sleep and sat up in the luxurious bed. He considered the room as a light haze poured through the windows. The sun was about to come up. Despite the early hour, Meu was missing. Claiten was unconcerned. The serpent came and went as she pleased and kept strange hours—but she always came back. Besides, he didn't want to distract her from the task at hand. She was looking for his mother, and nothing could please the boy more.

Over the past several days, Claiten saw Meu with the Ministrians several times, but the boy was forbidden to talk with the men. She stared into his eyes and warned him of the harm that might come to himself, his mother, and even his sister, if they were found out. Claiten kept his distance and remained silent. Instead, he went about during the heat of the day, when the nagas were least likely to be slinking around. He took several coins and often treated himself to pastries and sweets while he looked for his mother, or possibly any of the others, among the many streets and shops. Once, he noticed a man with black skin and thought he must be the dark warrior—but he was not the first to find him. Several guards marched the black man away; then, as he passed, he got a good look at the midnight foreigner. They stared at each other for a long moment, but there was no recognition in this stranger’s face. Besides, he had a different shape and a sad hollowness about his expression, quite unlike the serious, self-assured, and daunting form of Carringten.

Ahh, but that was yesterday. Today, Claiten planned to wander the streets once more. He pulled on his pants and went to the balcony door, opened it and stared off to the east. The sun began to peek over the horizon. There was a chill in the air and it made Claiten feel alive to face up to a light morning breeze. For several seconds, he listened to the birds chirp as the world was painted red. He breathed in the new day as a defiance surged through him. Then he crowed, as he’d done each day since he’d escaped Golifett, long and loud, like a proud rooster should. "ERRR-AY-ERRR-AY-ERRRRRR!"

He turned this way and that to see if anyone cared for his crowing. If anyone minded, they kept it to themselves. Again, he gathered his breath and gave another call,

"ERRR-AY-ERRR-AY-ERRRRRR!"

He stared out over the city streets. He was about to crow a third time when he spotted Meu as she flew straight toward him.

Claiten pushed the balcony doors wide and stepped out of the way. Meu shot into the suite and swirled about before she settled on the bed. A darkness swallowed her and Claiten turned away. As soon as the darkness faded, he knew she'd be naked as the day she was born. He didn’t want to see it. He didn’t want to think of the strange serpentine women that complicated his dreams.

Meu stepped from the bed and whipped on a sundress. She ran to Claiten. She grabbed his hands and pulled him inside as she said the only thing she ever said out loud. "Druss meu!" She said excitedly and stared into his eyes. She’d done it! She’d found his mother!

Claiten forgot about his crowing. “You found?! Where?!” he pleaded as he turned, gathered his purse, and snagged the naga dagger from off a low dresser.

"Druss meu!" she exclaimed again. She took his hand. They ran out of the room, and from the inn altogether, then fled down the street as Claiten laughed long and loud.

~!@#$%^&*()_+ 7.7 +_)(*&^%$#@!~

A limp child hung from Golifett's arm. He'd gone through a great deal of trouble to secure the young boy and hoped it’d live just a little while longer—just another day or two—they were always better fresh. He leaned his ear to the boy's face, satisfied to hear the child breathe, long and deep.

This child was smaller than the last, and didn't come with a surprisingly large bag of coin—but it was a worthy prize, and should do as the centerpiece of his feast nonetheless. To think he'd found the other child almost by chance in the very halls of Beletrain—only to have him stolen away!

Indeed, Golifett found himself dawdling as he continued to think of the child that had escaped him several days before. At least it was kind enough to leave a fair sum of money behind—though it’s mother nearly blinded him! Still above ground as the light of day grew, Gollifet approached his exit. There was a spot in a nearby stream that was much deeper than it looked, a bolthole that would carry him down into the safety of Beletrain. The cold of the water would shock the boy awake—but then he'd be in Beletrain—and all the screaming and struggle in the world wouldn't save the child!

Still, this was a strange night for the naga, and he’d be quite happy to get home. The normal quiet of the morning was shattered just after he grabbed this child from his bed. At first, Golifett thought he was discovered and might have to fight his way free—but then he saw a nearby fire, and knew there was other trouble afoot. He turned in the opposite direction, and was more than happy to hear the fighting and craziness drift trhe other way. He slipped among the shadows and wondered if the rumors were true. Were the men once more fighting among themselves? He certainly hoped so. Let the humans fight! He thought. With luck they’ll reduce Ebertin to ash—and then the naga would return to the surface once more!

As Golifett thought his cruel thoughts, another note caught in his ear and send a jolt through his spine. It was a most pleasant and appreciated sound. Indeed, he liked it more than the sound of the fighting! It sounded as if a cockerel crowed, somewhere to the east—but he knew it was no rooster! Indeed, it was a just a young boy that mimicked the sound. He stopped and listened intently as the crowing sounded again. A grin split his lips. He was sure it was the boy he’d caught before—the one with all the gold!

He listened for a third crow, as the magic often caused the subject to call again and again, as long as they still suffered his spell. The smile curled into a frown. Two crows meant that although the magic stuck, it was not nearly as strong as he might have liked.

Still, as long as the chicken spell lasted, the child would be easy to follow. Eventually, the boy would slip the curse altogether and think no more of courage and cowardice—but for a month, a week, or maybe just a few days, he’d always identify himself as the sun rose and fell.

Golifett licked his lips and wondered if he might get the child, the rest of the gold, and perhaps the woman's infant to boot. He touched the scarred tissue of his burned face, and thought it proper to take both of the witch's children. She deserved no less for what she did to him! Indeed, he hoped to kill the witch too—and the serpent!

What was he to make of the serpent, he wondered? Aside from stew?

But day was upon him, and Golifett had yet to secure his current catch. For now, he'd go home, prepare a feast, and gather his friends. Then, as night fell, the hunt would commence once more.

~!@#$%^&*()_+ 7.8 +_)(*&^%$#@!~

The spirit of Brankellus lay at the base of Rynth Falls as if he were dead. Yet, the ghost had sworn a pact with the gods of vengeance and strife, and these gods meant to have him finish his work. Slowly, they stitched their acolyte, weaving in scar tissue that could only add to his ache and misery. They pulled him back together, as easily as a mother darns a cloth doll. Then, the howl of the dead rushed across the valley, and ignited the secret purpose deep within the ghost. There was a living man that deserved a gruesome end.

Brankellus coughed and spit dust as he rose from the earth. He picked himself back to his feet and noticed it was no longer night. Now, it was day—and Petaerus was no longer near at hand, no longer somewhere near the base of the falls. How long was he out before the itch of his hatred caught hold and he finally came back to this scratchy existence?

There were still a few tents at the edge of the city, but they would not be there for long. The soldiers prepared to march. They were thick as hornets as some loaded provisions. Others simply waited, ready to march, or simply scoffing off as they might. There were a good number of Trohls among them with some few Saot and Hebronese mixed in—even a Gressian or two. It was a mixed force, though they all wore Trohl garb, including the bulk of Ministrians. Only a few of the Saots wore another uniform, one of red and black, adorned with a bird—a sigil and style that the spirit did not recognize. To dress as Trohls and Soats, without a single soldier dressed in the iconic black of the Ministrian shock trooper—Brankellus could tell the purpose. Yet again, the Empire waged war under false pretense.

As Brankellus slogged along the road, some commander of the troops meandered down the street near him. This high officer inspected the soldiers—and just happened to match the unseen ghost stride for stride. A weather worn scout stared up at the commander as a knot of lesser officers pressed close.

“How far out were they when you left them?” the commander asked without looking at the scout.

“Eight days,” the scout answered.

“And that was…?”

“Four days ago.”

“In what condition did you find them?” .

“They were in good health; body, mind, and spirit. If they are late at all, I should think it will only be a day or two,” the scout finished.

“No troubles? No sign of Waokie on the south road?”

“No, sir. Not by me or any man I met.”

For several seconds the commander stared at the scout, then continued down the line of soldiers. Word carried on the wind before the approaching knot of high ranking men. The common troops were all engaged in a flurry of sudden activity, as they watched the officers pass, pleased to see the commander taking little notice of them, if any at all.

“Is there something you’re forgetting?” the commander asked and turned to stare at the scout.

For a second, the scout simply stared back, terrified and dumbfounded; then he remembered the letters in his bag, retrieved them, and handed them to the officer with a crisp salute.

“Thank you,” the officer said with a wave and a smile. He turned from the scout. “That’ll be all.”

The officer moseyed down the street as he opened the first letter and read it to himself. He spoke to no one in particular as he wore a pleased expression. “It seems we’ll have the second and third legions here almost as quickly as the first! They shall be here by the end of the month, with two more by the end of summer!” The gathered men all hanged on his every word. A swell of cheers and glad-handing broke out among them—but the commander’s grin quickly turned to a frown, as he continued his general commentary. “We shall need them all, since we must now fight on two fronts.”

“Then we pursue the waokie?” asked one of lesser officers.

“In time,” the high commander nodded. “The waokie war is broken. We have not seen a beast less than a day’s ride north. I should think the waokie are properly thinned and satiated for now. They will not attack again for some years. They will retreat to their tunnels, to the ruins of Salyst, and for the time, we shall let them be. Nonetheless, we shall keep half a legion here to watch the town, and also a few hundred Trohls,” he answered. “When the first legion arrives, we shall split the men. We shall need to clear the north road—especially Valcovour’s Pass. We shall need to rebuild and reopen the dueling forts, so we can continue our work among the Bouge.. We shall have to rebuild them, larger and stronger than before.” The commander stopped and turned on the gathered men, “We retake the mountains!” he charged. “And this time we take them for good! We’ll control the Bunderhilt from Wibbeley to Ebertin, from the plain of the Noeth, to Crestone Ridge! And we shall do it for the Empire!”

At this point, Brankellus outpaced their voices—and was happy for it. What did he care for the rude plans of his enemies, especially since he was powerless to do anything about it?

Eventually, Brankellus approached the far edge of the army and left them all behind. Petaerus was no longer among them anyway. He’d continued on, moving further south and east. Brankellus wondered how long he was out after his fall from the ledge, that so many of the troops had already left. Was it just the remainder of that night, and the first part of the next day? Had he lost another rotation, or maybe two or three? Did he lose a week, ten days, or a month while he was blissfully unaware? How far afield had his quarry run? He remembered nothing of the episode except an impossible pain, followed by a stretch of oblivion and a vague sense of bliss; only to slowly rise and return to the burning, itching, dreadful discomfort of his quest.

For hours, Brankellus walked. The sun rose and slowly approached it’s zenith. A column of Ministrians and Trohls appeared behind him, as they marched from Rynth Falls, on their way to Solveny. Brankellus didn’t know the city, though he’d heard rumor of its grandeur. These were Noeth lands and he did not know them at all. Nor did he notice the train of troops as it appeared behind him, and slowly proceeded to catch him. He did not notice the shake of the earth—until the first of the horsemen was immediately behind him. The beast brushed him and immediately spooked to find a spirit in its way. It reared and almost threw its rider. Brankellus stumbled aside as he feared the pain of a trampling.

The horse stared at the ghost and did everything in it's power to avoid any further collision, as the rider tried to settle the animal and coax it forward in a neat line. The mount passed to one side, as it pressed into it’s neighbor, and took several quick steps before it finally calmed under the veteran hand of its rider. Once it had passed the ghost, it gave its neighbor an appropriate amount of space—but then the next horse stamped and fussed as it veered and also gave the spirit a wide berth.

"What's up with ‘em?" this rider asked, as he too struggled to calm his mount.

"Dunno," another shook his head. They stepped around the unseen ghost, giving the spirit an ever increasing berth.

Intrigued, Brankellus stepped close to one of the horses and held out his hand. His fingers brushed the animal's coat and an electric jolt passed from him to the beast. The horse jumped at the touch and gave a panicked whinny. It collided with the next horse and caused several more mounts and riders to jumble—though none fell. Well trained, the riders managed to stay on top of their horses and slowly returned them to a semblance of order.

Now, the flow of soldiers stepped off the road to either side of the ghost for a good twenty feet. Aware that something was up, several horsemen eyed the spot where Brankellus stood with out and out suspicion—though they invariably looked straight through him. From among the whispers and murmurs of the men, a call went up. "Voressa! Voressa! See what cannot be seen!" they shouted back along the train of men.

A young page appeared. He led a donkey into the clearing with a withered old woman in sack cloth upon. The page brought her into the circle and stopped at the old woman’s signal. Slowly, she dismounted, stepped from the beast, and approached the spirit before her. Brankellus could see that her eyes were cloudy and wondered if she could see anything at all—until she stopped maybe a foot in front of him. She stared up and locked her gaze on his eyes. "Why do you trouble us?" she asked, her voice shrill and weak, though her manner was familiar, and her question unafraid.

Brankellus noted the pin she wore with two fangs, one of silver and one of gold. He did not need much encouragement to treat this old woman poorly, and the fact that she wore a mark of privilege sent him over the edge. A snarl curled over the dead man's lips. He glared and growled at the old woman, and even tried to strike her.

Voressa frowned as she raised a weathered arm at Brankellus. "Do you challenge me?!" She croaked as she pulled a charm of fine metals and delicate crafting from under her sack cloth cloak. She pointed the pendant at Brankellus, all flowers and stars knotted together. "You will learn that this is a world for the living, first and foremost!" she screeched.

Brankellus could feel a strange power radiating from five point forms of the relic. Caught in a wash of hate and vengeance, he thrashed and wailed at the old woman, in hopes of somehow causing her damage—but his strikes went right through her—though he could feel the sharp edges of the metal charm.

"Begone, troublemaker!" Voressa yelled as she twisted the amulet.

A wall of air crushed into Brankellus. The spirit shot backward into the trees, flung like a rag, caught among the thick undergrowth, a good forty or fifty feet from the road, disoriented and confused.

With a snort, Voressa waved the soldiers on as she stepped to the edge of the road and continued to glare at Brankellus. Assured there would be no more trouble, the column of soldiers proceeded once more, as the old blind woman stared through the trees at the vengeful Trohl spirit.

Caught by the old woman's uncanny gaze, Brankellus didn't dare move. He simply watched the troop pass as he wondered at the old woman’s power.

With the page’s help, Voressa struggled back on top of her donkey. Then, the page led the weary beast and its rider after the troop. Two mounted men with armor and weapons stayed back with her, and flanked her protectively as she followed the others.

With their supernatural protector at the van, the troop disappeared among the trees. Brankellus began the wearisome process of standing. He slogged after the soldiers, though they progressed quickly. Soon, he could not even hear the clomp of their hooves.

The day stretched on. The trees took on the red hue of evening for several minutes before the blue of the sky finished its transition and became black as pitch. Stars peeked out of the night. Once again, thin pricks of hope shot down from these distant lights and begged the ghost to surrender. But he ignored them, and stoked his anger, as he focused on the earth under his feet.

Near midnight, Brankellus hobbled passed the same troop as they rested at the side of the road. Not wanting to run into the old woman, he kept his distance, which was easy, since he simply had to keep the road. Indeed, Voressa was awake and near the center of camp. There was no sneaking past. She turned and glared at the spirt. "Trouble us again, and I will send you through the veil!" she yelled as Brankellus kept his distance. He wondered if she could do such a thing and thought it best not to test her. He had another fish to fry.

For two days, Brankellus played leapfrog with this column of Ministrian shock troops. Each day they passed him earlier, and each night he passed them later. Although he never stopped, they traveled at a faster clip—even as they made camp each night—and Brankellus realized he would only catch his quarry if Petaerus stayed in one place. The spirit needed something to bog the man down, some obstacle, some army... They must all be going somewhere, the ghost concluded. Eventually, the soldiers would get where they meant to go—and then Brankellus must surely catch his quarry—though he feared the destruction, the senseless carnage he was sure to find.