A frigid wind moaned as it came gusting out of the forest, making the hair on Thorace’s neck stand on end. He and the others were in the inn’s back garden on the edge of the forest that ran behind the inn. Two large wooden basins had been placed on the ground, which Denil and Liara were filling with buckets they filled from a stream that came flowing out of the forest.
The water was ice cold, and Thorace shivered profusely. His skin crawled from the foulness that had soaked into his skin, and he watched as Tavar and Lector stripped their reeking clothes off before tossing them into a pile. Violet was doing the same behind a partition that had been brought down from the house.
“What are we going to do with those?” Tavar asked, looking at his sewage soaked clothes with distaste. “Burn them?”
The doctor shook his head. “We’ll wash them as best we can and wear them again when we have to go back down into the sewers.”
Tavar turned his attention to Thorace and gave the boy a compassionate look. “I know it’s cold, but you’re going to have to take them off.”
“They’re the only clothes I have,” the boy murmured.
“You’re going to catch the plague or some other disease hitherto undiscovered by civilization if you keep wearing them,” the dwarf warned. “They need to be washed. We need to be washed.”
“Here’s the last bucket,” Denil said as he emptied a bucket filled with ice cold water into one of the basins. He then looked at the boy and frowned. “I’m afraid the mistress won’t let you into the teahouse wearing those.”
“Come on, Thorace, I’ll wash them for you,” Liara offered from the other side of the partition. “But first, you have to take them off.”
“I’ll lend you a spare set of clothes,” Denil added.
“I can’t possibly wear any of yours,” the boy protested.
“Mine will be a better fit,” Tavar offered.
The boy scowled and began to take his clothes off. He felt better almost as soon as he stripped his reeking tunic off, but a sudden gust of wind chilled him to the bone. He glanced at the others, who seemed impervious to the cold. Then, Tavar’s body caught his attention. It was covered in thick, corded muscles and numerous scars, most of which looked to have cut the dwarf deep.
“Oh, these?” Tavar asked, noticing the boy’s gaze. “Trophies from years of hard service in the Red Company. Many would have left me crippled or worse were it not for our capable doctor.”
“You are and were a reckless fighter,” Lector sighed, shaking his head.
“You must have fought ferocious foes,” Thorace breathed.
The dwarf rubbed the back of his head and grinned. “You don’t know the half of it. Infarlin was the Bastion of the West and bore the brunt of the Enemy’s attacks.”
“The Fall was five years ago,” Thorace remarked. “Why haven’t we been overrun since?”
Tavar scowled, and Lector replied. “We lost the battle but mauled the Enemy at the same time. They have been gathering their strength since. I fear it is a matter of time before they renew their assault.”
“Perhaps they have learned their lesson,” Liara said from the other side of the partition. “And will be content with what they have gained.”
“Wishful thinking, I’m afraid,” Lector said. “Our scouts have been keeping watch on the ruins of Infarlin, and the Enemy has begun to mass their forces there as we speak.”
“Then let us at least hope our corner of the world will be spared,” Denil remarked.
Tavar scooped some water from the small basin and hesitated before pouring it over his head. The dwarf gasped. “It’s bloody freezing.”
Denil handed Thorace another small bucket, which he eyed with distaste. The boy then heard Violet chant. Moments later, steam began to rise over the top of the partition.
“Oi, do that for us too,” Tavar protested.
“You should have thought to ask me before you stripped naked,” the gnome replied. “I have no intention of seeing you in your birthday suits.”
“Come on, let’s get this over with,” Lector sighed. The water rushed out of the old man’s lungs when he dunked a bucket of water over his head. He then turned to the partition and frowned.
“Do you think the Enemy will come to our town?” Liara asked. Her voice sounded worried, and Thorace wanted nothing more than to rush to her side to reassure her.
Lector hesitated before answering. “I think they are already here. That creature could well have been sent by them.”
“Then perhaps you should not have let it go free,” Liara said softly, and Thorace found himself nodding in agreement.
“Now now,” Denil said after an awkward silence. “I don’t think it’s fair to expect them to work for free. After all, they are doing our town a service and yet we are still charging them for their stay.”
“There’s a thought!” Liara’s voice brightened. “Perhaps I could convince the mistress to allow them to stay for free in exchange for free room and board.”
“I’m afraid they didn’t come all this way for free lodgings,” Denil remarked.
Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon.
“He’s right,” Lector said. The old doctor glanced at Thorace and smiled. “You don’t approve of our mercenary ways?”
“Letting that beast go is going to cost lives,” the boy pointed out.
“Well, I’m going to go see the Captain to give him an update after we’ve cleaned ourselves up,” Lector said. “You are welcome to come with me and voice your displeasure.”
Thorace arched an eyebrow. “What good would that do?”
The doctor chuckled before shrugging. “It could be cathartic.”
Thorace gave him a confused look. “What?”
“It means that going to see him will make you feel better,” Tavar said before dumping a bucket of ice cold water over the boy’s head.
From the fading light, Thorace guessed it was almost dusk when the arsenal came into view. The streets were busier than they had been before in previous days. News of the creature not striking had spread throughout the town, and people were a little braver.
“No guards?” Lector muttered as they walked past the arsenal’s door.
“Guards are expensive,” Thorace shrugged. “The Steward hired them very reluctantly under pressure from the foundry owners.”
Lector frowned. “We aren’t that far from the ruins of Infarlin… How many men at arms does the Steward maintain?”
The boy made a face. “If you include the guards at his estate, perhaps a dozen?”
Lector sucked air in between his feet violently and shook his head. “A town this size should be maintaining at least ten times that number, especially considering how dangerous the roads are these days.”
Thorace shrugged as he led them down the alley. “There are toughs for hire, of course, which is where most of the temporary guards came from. You pay them to protect your businesses or your caravans.”
“I suppose they’d be the ones robbing them if they weren’t being paid,” Lector mused.
“You’re not wrong there,” Thorace breathed before coming to a stop. “We’re here.”
Lector looked down the line of cell windows and nodded once he saw that the coast was clear. “Let’s hope that he’s not been moved.”
The doctor looked up at the window and hissed. “Captain?”
“Anything to report?” Thorace thought the Captain’s voice sounded more chipper than usual despite having spent more than a day in his cell.
The boy kept his head on a swivel, looking down both ends of the alley while Lector gave a detailed report of their expedition into the sewer. When he was finished, there was a brief pause, and Thorace thought the Captain might have fallen asleep. He exchanged looks with Lector, who held up a hand and smiled.
At length, Averal asked. “Are we sure there is only one?”
“We saw no sign of any others,” he allowed.
“What manner of creature was it?”
“I’m afraid we didn’t get a good look, but probably some indigenous creature twisted by the foul magics coming out of the west,” the old doctor sighed and paused. “We’ve seen far too many in our travels of late.”
“And what of our accommodations?”
“We’ve been put up in a Teahouse on the edge of the forest,” Lector replied, looking quite happy to talk about Fleur’s establishment. “It’s quite the lovely place.”
“Did you find out why the trees weren’t cut down for fuel?” Averal ventured. “I must admit the question has been gnawing at me.”
“It seems they’re cursed,” Lector replied.
“Elvish?” Averal asked, sounding interested now.
“I wouldn’t know,” the old doctor said. “I suppose Etsara would… it’s a shame she’s not here. The Teahouse really is quite lovely.”
“I look forward to seeing it,” Averal remarked. “And the proprietor? Can she be trusted?”
“Oh yes,” Lector said, nodding enthusiastically even though his Captain couldn’t see. “She is a lovely woman.”
“You sound quite smitten,” Averal observed.
“No, nothing like that,” Lector sighed. “It really is remarkable. Not seen anything like it since… well since Infarlin…”
“Well, you’ve bloodied the beast that’s stalking this town, and disturbed its nest,” Averal remarked. “I can’t help but feel that I’ll be out of here before long.”
“Do you think that it will go on the rampage tonight?” Lector ventured.
“If not tonight, then soon,” the Captain replied.
“Then shouldn’t we do something about it?” Thorace blurted. “Warn the people, patrol the streets?”
“Oh, you were there,” Averal observed dryly. “You should have spoken up earlier.”
“Well?” the boy demanded. “People are going to die tonight. Are you going to just sit on your hands?”
“Yes,” the Captain replied bluntly. “Because your Steward has given me no other choice, locking me in here like this.”
“Oh, don’t play dumb with me,” Thorace said hotly, clenching his fists tight. “You could order your people to act!”
“And why should I, hmm?”
The Captain’s voice was soft, but Thorace was taken aback by the venom in it. Even Lector looked disquieted.
“For centuries, Infarlin protected your borders with Red Company at the forefront,” Averal said, the bitterness heavy in his voice. “And when we could no longer stand alone and requested aid, you all stood idly by. Now that the wolves we once kept at bay are at your door, I’m imprisoned for having the audacity to demand payment up front.”
Thorace tried to protest, but the Captain would not let him get a word in edgewise.
“No, young man, I will not have my people lift a finger until we have been paid in full,” he continued. “My only duty now is to my own.”
Unable to take the Captain’s tirade any longer, Thorace stormed off down the alleyway.
“There is a lot of blame to go around for the Fall,” he heard Lector say sadly. “But none can be attributed to the boy.”
There was a short pause before the Captain spoke, his tone jovial once more. “Do you happen to have any cleansing elixirs on you? I think they served me something bad for lunch.”
“You want my elixirs, which I carried out of the burning ruins of Infarlin, to cure your upset stomach?” Lector asked incredulously.
“They only change the latrine bucket once a day,” Averal replied.
“Well, I hope you rot in there!” Thorace shouted down the alley before running off.
The boy bit his lip as he stalked down the street. He had little love for the people of Elgurid, but he didn’t want to see them killed needlessly. He looked over towards the keep that rose from the centre of town and thought about informing the Steward. However, he couldn’t see them taking the word of a boy such as himself seriously. How else could he warn the people?
“You’ll have to forgive the Captain,” Thorace jumped when Lector suddenly appeared beside him. “He was as selfless as they came, which is why they made him Captain as young as they did.”
The doctor paused to look at the Arsenal over his shoulder before continuing. “The years since the Fall have been hard for all of us, but him most of all. The experiences have humbled us and turned him… cynical.”
“Once this Demon is dealt with, I want nothing more to do with him or your group,” Thorace huffed.
“You could warn your parents,” Lector suggested. “I don’t think the Captain would object to that.”
“They’re dead,” Thorace said.
“Oh,” Lector blinked. “I’m so sorry.”
“Don’t be, I can’t remember much about them,” the boy said.
“Is there anyone else you want to warn?” the doctor ventured. “Any other family, friends?”
Thorace shook his head. “Liara is the only one keeping me in this wretched town.”
“Then your concern for its people’s welfare is all the more commendable,” Lector remarked.
“Don’t patronize me,” the boy snapped, deciding on what he could do. “I’m going to patrol the Downwater tonight. Alone if I have to.”
Lector took a deep breath. “That is your choice. I have no right to stop you.”
The boy whirled around and glared at the old doctor. “You would let me go out there to die?”
Lector held his gaze silently before replying. “Of course, I would rather you didn’t, but as I said, I have no right to stop you.”
“One of you could at least accompany me!” Thorace cried.
The doctor blinked. “I’m afraid our orders are clear.”
“Useless!” Thorace huffed before storming off.