《Deus Ex Machinarium》 Prologue: Heap of yellowed prints. The city of Sheridawn. The king''s seat, the Capital, the jewel in the crown of the Kingdom of Cammot. The largest and most populous of the settlements and one of the busiest ports on the Veisa. The settlement sprung just midway to participate in all the trade on the continent. The lucrative lumber and wheat from the southern provinces, northbound to the seaport of Weidana and further through the Sea of Barrents. Carts with tools and weapons made of excellent Maargardian steel passed eastwards on their way to the Empire and returned laden with luxurious goods and bales of velvet. The Kingdom of Cammot was, in reality, a mere shadow of itself, torn apart by the aristocrats and nobles obsessed with their competition for power. The current king was both the first of a brand new dynasty and the first one in many years interested in something other than feasts and women. The fact that he had little real influence in the Capital was only compounded by his near-constant absence from the castle. King Sotrier, affectionately nicknamed ''the Ginger'', was personally leading the bannermen and hacking the enemies of the realm into pieces almost from the day he was crowned. However, the effects of his great military victories, especially in the case of rich and contested border provinces, had yet to filter back. Since the coronation and subsequent emergent weak rule of the law, the city became a magnet, and a haven, to all kinds of rogue researchers, unlicensed hexergists, avihrists, rebels, and other shady types. Tendrils of those who might have wanted to fish them out were too stretched out, regardless of whether it was the Church, the Qvorum of Hexergists, or the Collective. The best was always somewhere else, and whatever was here tended to be accompanied by poverty, crime, misery, and corruption. If they could help it, merchants preferred Isdelburg, a few days'' travel west, for its proximity to the Orda and the bountiful Maargardian markets. Scientists and talented hexergists preferred to settle in Tanais, next to others of their profession - not to mention the vast, publicly available libraries sorely lacking in the city itself. People of Faith, of either loyalist or heretical persuasion, congregated in either Graat Koch or Usterl; however, only the latter gave heretics a fair chance to speak. Sometimes even to be heard. With all that, Sheridawn slowly turned into a cauldron of heresy, free speech, weirdness, freedom, degeneracy, and political strife. Its relative wealth meant that at least some parts of the city were bathing in splendor, while the rest was filled with dilapidated, crumbling buildings, quite often on the opposite side of the same street. The man sitting at the table in the very corner of the commons was all too aware of all these developments. They were the main reason he deeply hated the place, despite calling it home for over a century. -" Why ze sad face, Brandt? Ztill no luck? Ja?" - said Sabine, the innkeeper. Brandt looked up from his mug of brown ale, noting that she had almost the same look as any other day: a leather apron over a grey shirt and black skirt. She was very overweight, but for a woman in her fifties running an inn, this was, at least for some, quite desirable. He smiled, pulling himself out of the gloomy thoughts. Sabine happened to be one of just a handful of bright spots in the city. He remembered as if it was yesterday when she was just a svelte sixteen-year-old daughter of a baker, madly in love with a vagabond from far away. He was using a different name back then and had different priorities, and perhaps they would''ve lived happily ever after if not for the fact that she was an ordinary hoomin while he was an aberrant. She slowly turned into a respectable middle-aged businesswoman while he remained a somewhat handsome, burly, olive-skinned man in his forties. Their story eventually and unavoidably unraveled, and yet Mrs. Mittendorf remained one of the only handful of trusted friends he had in the city. -"Indeed, Sabine. No luck." - he took another sip from his mug - "I still haven''t found anybody that can help me." The inn was devoid of patrons, as it wasn''t open so early in the morning. Brandt was in the common room solely because he could always count on Sabine''s hospitality. The woman threw a foul-smelling rag, which she used to clean the tables, over her shoulder, and sat beside the nord. He scooted over, making space for her. -"Meine eternal frend." - she said in a motherly tone. Despite living most of her life in Cammot, she still retained her thick, Maargardian accent - "An what iz ze ishue? Maybe I kan help, or kno zomeone who kan?" -"I don''t th¡­" - started Brandt, but then suddenly stopped and sighed. He very much doubted that she had any means of helping him with his current endeavor. Then, on the other hand, the innkeepers were usually the best-informed people alongside barbers and prostitutes. But he wasn''t that desperate to use either of these sources. Yet. He ran his hand through his dark curls - "Actually¡­ maybe you can. I don''t know how much you know about ancient Kherrid, I expect not much, but I''ve spent the last two weeks looking for people who know at least something. And found nothing." -"Rreelly? Nobody?" - her eyebrows went up in an exaggerated surprise. The Nord scoffed. -"Oh, there are people who know this stuff. But they are either clergymen or the kind of people who become suspiciously silent and show me the door as soon as I show them what I''ve got." -"Zat muzt bee frustrating, ja? Tell me what iz zat you got?" The Nord fell silent, considering whether to continue the discussion and reveal any details. It was undoubtedly risky, either for her or for him. Or both. He nodded and sighed. -"Fine. I have unearthed some old documents. Really, really old documents, and I want to interpret them." -"How old?" Brandt looked around, making sure there was nobody near them - minding the ''artifact ban'' law issued by the Church and also the heresy charges that came with it - then he leaned towards Sabine and said in a lowered voice. If you encounter this tale on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. -"Precursorial old." -"I¡­ don''t kno what zat meanz." Brandt frowned, trying to think of a way to explain his situation to someone whose knowledge of history was limited to the fact that there was a war somewhere some time ago. Probably. - "Imagine you found some old books. Really, really old. Before that thing with Hartmann and Dragman ''old''. Before the centennial war ''old''. I expect they are before the First Vhirzug type of ''old''." -"Ah, I zee." - nodded Sabine, although judging by her expression, he strongly suspected she didn''t understand at all. -"I need to get them interpreted." - continued the Nord in a hushed voice - "But there are very few people who could even attempt to do it." -"Zo? What iz ze problem?" He let out an exasperated sigh. -"Like I said: those people have ties to either the Qvorum or the Church. Or they are straight-up criminals." -"I zee" - Sabine lowered her voice comedically - "And we don''t want zem to know. Zat would be bad!" -"Precisely." -"Why?" - she inquired innocently. -"Becauze." - Brandt, too, lowered his voice and tried to mimic Sabine''s accent - "Qvorum wil take my documentz and give zem to ze Church. Ze Church will confizcate zem and accuze me of herezy." - he sighed and continued in his normal voice - "And this time, I don''t have Dragman around to pull the stake out of my arse." -"I zee." - replied she, this time with all the seriousness she could muster - "And all ze people you tried to talk to fear ze same. Even here." -"Yes." A heavy silence fell. The aberrant turned the mug in his hands whilst the innkeeper pursed her lips and started tapping them with her index finger. -"I know of zis one fellah who might help you." - she finally said after a few dozen heartbeats. Brandt turned to look at her with a frown. -"I pretty much doubt that. I went to multiple hexergists, alchemists, and researchers in this town. All the legitimate ones and a few of the¡­ well, more discrete ones. But please, do tell." -"I heard of him from people around here talking, ja? Didn''t meet him. Came to ze burgh a year or zo ago. Very zkinny, big head. He iz zome reject from zat island." -"Tanais?" - the Nord rubbed his chin - "A tanai? Are you talking about that dubious bookshop owner? What was his name? Taras? Artas?" -"Ja! That''z ze one!" He made a long humming sound. -"I did consider visiting him, but after asking around I''ve decided not to bother. He''s some sort of a quack and a hoarder who barely makes ends meet. Difficult to work with on top of that. I don''t think it''s worth going there¡­" -"Ja, ja. I heard zat too. But. You zay you have zoze old dokuments, ja?" - interrupted Sabine, shifting her considerable weight onto the other buttock. The bench protested weakly. - "Zoze people who were talking. Zey were ze more ''preztigiouz'' type over here..." - Sabine leaned towards Brandt and lowered her voice - "...if you kno what I mean." The man looked around the commons of the tavern as if he was seeing it for the first time. It was called "The New Inn", and it had a distinction of being, as the name would suggest, the oldest still open establishment of that type in the city. It was also a place that could be described as "possessing many qualities'''', but prestige was not one of them. The people who frequented the inn were mostly the denizens of Pevda, the borough of Sheridawn located on the east bank of the Veisa, which meant the dockers and craftsmen working and living in the neighborhood. However, whilst the labyrinthine alleys and streets, sometimes no wider than a single-horse cart and built with no plan or forethought whatsoever, housed mostly a large crowd of common, hard-working men, it also provided plenty of shady, quiet nooks, crannies, and dead-ends to practice unlicensed hexergy, medicine or any other form of illegal arts out of sight of the Church, Qvorum, law enforcement or tax collectors. Not much ''prestige'' in them either, but still¡­ these must have been the people Sabine mentioned. Brandt sighed again. -"Well, tell me more?" -"I heard zem talking about zis fellah and about zome old documentz and bookz." - Sabine squinted, trying to recall as much of the event as possible - "From a hundred-year war? Or ze Erste Vhirzunge? Zomesing about oth Schottke and Maargard. Old talez." The name ''Schotke'' did ring some bells, but Brandt could not put a finger on their origin. The word bounced inside his head for a good heartbeat or two, but in the end, the only thing it invoked was a void. It did, however, elevate his interest in Sabine''s story. He raised his eyebrows at her. -"Zat iz it. Not much more. Whatever ze bookkeeper had, made my clientz veery veery happy. Iz wors a shot, ja?" Brandt nodded, put his palms together, then rested them against the bridge of his nose and allowed himself to get lost in thoughts. Sabine smiled at this familiar sight. She knew that the conversation was as good as over, so she stood up, struggling a bit, then took the rag off her shoulder and moved towards one of the other tables. The Nord sat, almost unmoving, for some considerable time. For a while, he seemed to be simply watching Sabine preparing the inn for opening time. Then he appeared to ponder cracks in the crumbling render covering the wooden walls before finally settling on leaning back, putting his hands behind his head, and looking at the ceiling. Logically, chasing after the bookkeeper was out of the question. He already had arranged some meetings with seemingly more viable prospective specialists, and rescheduling them risked his entire itinerary and could mean that the said specialist would no longer be available. But. His instinct practically screamed back to drop everything and go to the bookstore. Brandt didn''t have high hopes for the upcoming meetings, considering that so far he had met several self-proclaimed so-called ''experts'' and came away with nothing. Was this tanai hoarder to be his wildcard or was he just rationalising? Finally, he decided to roll the dice. He finished his drink, stood up, and moved towards the staircase leading to the upstairs rooms. "Thank you!" - he said, squeezing Sabine''s arm just above the elbow as he passed by. The woman smiled and blew him a kiss. He didn''t look back. Prologue Part 2: Anhs Bookshop It was a good morning. Although ¡®morning¡¯ was a relative term, since in the outside world it was almost noon. But that didn¡¯t matter, because Anh spent the last fourteen candles inside, reading. And the book turned out exquisite. Even judging by its look and cover, which no tanai would even consider, the folio was rather desirable: thick, large, bound in sheep¡¯s leather, and closed off with stylish, polished metal clips. Each page was calligraphed with a firm hand and with ink that still retained its sheen, despite its age. The text was framed in colorful marginalia and stylish initials, and even though these were slightly faded, they indubitably required expensive inks as well. The most interesting part, however, was the illustrations. They were taking up whole pages and were full of significant substance and attention to detail. When he finished the last page and closed and locked the cover, he felt a weird mixture of sadness and satisfaction. One because the book inevitably ended, the other because he could experience it in its full glory and without interruptions. Who would have known that a two centuries old Maargardian cookbook would be such a treat? Now, however, the trancelike state evaporated and this fact was brutally used by Birdekk, one of his kinfolk companions, to unceremoniously remind him that now would be high time to eat something, change the robe, and maybe visit a potty, since it has been an all-nighter. Also, the time for the store to open had come and gone and much preparation was still needed before that would happen. Anh slowly lifted the folio off the reading pedestal using his natural telekinesis talent, and then meticulously placed it on a shelf. He wasn''t a very easily identifiable example of his people: just like any other tanai, his head was disproportionately large in comparison to the rest of his body, which was thin and frail. Just like any other tanai, he wore common robes, which did a good job hiding his nigh-emaciated physique, and just like any other tanai he had very pale skin, a neat goatee and almost straight eyebrows. What would help in differentiating him from the rest of his people was the color of his facial hair, which was currently brownish, and perhaps the fact that his eyes were set slightly wider than was the standard. Anh always maintained that it gives him an advantage in terms of field of view. He initially wanted to sulk a bit, since the reminders almost thoroughly ruined the aftermath of reading. After a little ruminating, he had to admit that indeed the shop was supposed to be opened three candles ago and food probably should also have been administered at least a candle before that. The smell of the robe indicated that a change of clothing was necessary. So, all in all, Birdekk was, as usual, right. Thankfully no one tended to visit the shop until late afternoon, despite the official opening time being set at four trumpets since dawn. Anh didn''t see the need to keep up with the schedule, and neither did Thernohh, and so the sole reason for having the shop open earlier was through insistence and nagging by Tow. The tanai floated off the reading pedestal and took a long look around the backroom of his shop. Located on the ground floor of the end-of-terrace townhouse in the borough of Gregorki, its main advantage was the favorable ratio of rent to size. In other words, it was large enough, whilst being comparatively inexpensive. Which allowed him to house a sizable collection of books he dragged in when he moved to the city, a little over a year ago. He expected that his first attempt at being a merchant would fail and he¡¯d need to sell all his belongings and move out altogether, but surprisingly the enterprise turned a profit. To the extent that he managed to rent the rest of the ground floor, thus adding a back room and significantly enlarging the shop. All this was possible solely because Thernohh kept Anh on a tight schedule, ran strict accounting, and then ruthlessly enforced the results. The establishment was called "Trawins Bookes end Leiterary Curioes", and this name, proudly painted in bold letters above the entrance, was itself a subject of much dispute, but Greoo was adamant this spelling would seem more sophisticated and attract more custom. Anh thought it to be extremely silly and preferred using a different name. The shop floor comprised a single, large room fitted to bursting with books. Wooden racks lined the walls and were also arranged in several isles. They were all overflowing with folios, loose parchments, and scrolls. Opposite to the entrance stood a counter, which admittedly had seen better days. Lightning was provided through regular lighting crystals hung from the ceiling, as the proximity of so many books meant that beeswax candles were not a real option unless someone intended to have a massive bonfire. Getting the crystals warm enough to illuminate the room was usually the most mundane part of his job. But that was for later. Now he floated to his minimally sized kitchen and opened a cabinet, filled with a variety of clay jars. -*so, mr dominant, what sort of exquisite concert of tastes are you going to treat us to today?*- asked Tow, smirking. -*porridge * honey * cream we bought recently * -*again?* -*you know very well, Tow, we are in the middle of mars *- Birdekk chimed in -* and we went through our stash of jam and dried fruit a long time ago * besides we need to use all that cream soon * before it spoils * not like the last time * Tow responded with a grumble, or what passed for that sound in their shared mind space. It''s very likely that to most people, the scene now playing out in the kitchen would seem at least weird. The tanai didn''t seem to be doing anything apart from floating in the middle of the floor with a bored look on his face and hands buried deep in the loose sleeves of his robe, and yet the iron doors to the stove opened with a slight creak. Then a few logs of wood floated from a pile in the corner of the room and landed one by one in the firebox. Then spontaneously and entirely of their own accord, they caught fire. Anh yawned. Even though the tanai required very little sleep, pulling an all-nighter did cause some fatigue. The firebox closed shut and locked itself with a long squeak. Then a brass pot, usually residing on a shelf, and a wooden bucket, innocently sitting in the corner, lifted at the same time and floated slowly towards the stove, where the pot landed with a muffled bang, and the bucket tipped, sending a stream of water into it. -*right * so as this heats up we need to change *- commanded Birdekk. It took almost a quanter to freshen in cold water, change underwear, dress up in a robe and apron, and prepare a sizable bowl of porridge. It was a routine that Thernohh started developing ever since they arrived in Sheridawn, and after a year they managed to optimize away almost two tenters worth of time. This in turn gave Anh a few extra moments to enjoy his meal. Meanwhile, it started raining. Every time he had porridge for breakfast, which is to say just about every morning, he was internally giggling at the thought that in the eyes of common hoomin the tanai were surviving solely on it - ¡°skinny as a porridge daemon¡± - as the saying went. Birdekk went to great lengths to procure vegetables, meat and baked goods for them to eat, partially to spite the stereotype. But if it was left to Anh, they would survive solely on oatmeal, dried fruit, honey, and cake, which made the stereotype so poignant. Especially since even with proper planning and work on diet diversification they were buying the vihrsstale oats in 25 kigram bags anyways. The course of this morning''s not-exactly-routine was interrupted by a loud knock on the door. -*...and now we need to go to the front door *- grumbled Anh. -*the shop is formally open*- responded Birdekk -*and you made that rule* -*well, actually it is Tow who made that rule* - replied somewhat offended Anh. -*it is a good rule * you just fail at enforcing it* - Tow added in a dry manner -*routinely * i might add * -* all right, all right *- said Anh with a sigh -*we¡¯re going* The spoon he was using landed with a clatter straight in the middle of the workbench, and almost got lost in between the randomly scattered collection of chisels mixed with half-finished sorts. He wiped his hands, out of habit rather than anything else - they couldn''t have gotten dirty, since he hadn''t physically touched anything this morning - then proceeded to float towards the door navigating through the dark labyrinth of book racks. The banging echoed once again, with added intensity. - "I¡¯m coming, I¡¯m coming!" - Anh shouted towards the door. Before he opened the door, he peeked outside and noticed that the prospective customer was a tall and well-built hoomin male. The man seemed reichly dressed and was armed with a sword. His face was hidden in the shadow made by a hood. The bookkeeper unbolted the doors and opened them. - ¡°Welcome to Anh''s bookshop!" - he said professionally, and moved aside - "I¡¯m sorry we¡¯re not open yet, but that''s due to unforeseen factors outside of our control. Please, sir, come in.¡± This story has been unlawfully obtained without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon. -*liar*- commented Greoo playfully. -*yes, but it was a white lie * designed specifically to ease the uncomfortable truth*- smirked Anh to the chorus of giggles and scoffs of his kinfolk -*besides we speak to a hoomin* The man stepped inside, took off his coat, and looked around, apparently searching for a peg to hang it. In the meantime, the tanai reached for his lumehexic craft and, one by one, charged up the lightning crystals. Soon, the shop bathed in a warm, yellow haze. The guest waited patiently, while water dripping from his cape created an ever-growing puddle on the floorboards. Once the tanai finished, he turned his attention toward the man. In full light, his thick, curly black hair, well-defined facial features, and olive skin identified him as a Nord. A by-the-book inhabitant of the northeastern part of the continent. There were only so many of his kind in Sheridawn, or Cammot for that matter, but the tanai had seen a few in the past year. -*that, my dominant is money*- quietly noted Greoo -*lots of it * -*how do you know*- answered Anh -*I can see this here fellow is well off, but don¡¯t exaggerate* -*The doublet is made of soft, glossy densely threaded velvet * gold embroidery * and made to fit exactly * these are made in two places really * both in sorres * hose * made of soft wool and tailored * expensive lincarn green dye * not worn stretched or faded * thus has multiple pairs * the satchel bears a sign of master kechelski from weidana * even the cape is tailored for his height * and impregnated * boots are made for left and right foot * not worn or stretched either * not what the peasants wear * - Greoo spat out the facts at the speed of thought - *this fellow is wearing hundreds of ryals* speak imperial * this might be an aristocrat or a high ranking clergyman * Even though the entire man''s attire has just been thoroughly scrutinized, it all happened in less than a blink of an eye, leaving him none the wiser. -*thank you * replied slightly overwhelmed anh -*will do* - ¡°Prithee alloweth me to handleth thy coat.¡± - recited the bookkeeper and courteously extended his arm towards the guest. - ¡°No need for being pompous.¡± - replied the hoomin and then handed over the cape - ¡°I have a business proposition, which might take¡­ some time to explain.¡± -"Please, follow me" - the tanai nodded, then gestured vaguely towards the back of the shop, but instead of moving, the man just coughed quietly. - ¡°Before we continue, I would like to advise that my business requires a certain level of discretion.¡± - *this is going to be good* - commented Tow, while Anh reached with his Craft and pulled two sliding bolts across, thus locking the entrance. If the nord felt any discomfort at the sight of locks falling into place entirely on their own, he didn''t make it shown. The bookkeeper wiggled his eyebrows. - ¡°This will have to suffice and anyway it should not be a problem. People rarely visit my shop before noon. Now please, let¡¯s go to the counter.¡± - *will you finally make that office, so we can handle prestigious customers, like this one*- grumbled Birdekk in a somewhat nagging tone - *soon*- scoffed Anh. When they finally arrived at the counter, the tanai floated Brandt¡¯s coat onto one of the pegs stuck into the wall, then used his pyrohex to light a bronze candlestick with a semi-translucent crystal instead of a candle, which stood on the countertop, then finally floated behind and put on a professional smile. The hoomin remained on the other side, waiting. -¡±Prior to engaging in detail¡­¡± - said the guest - ¡°I would first query whether you possess the skill I need. Do you have knowledge of ancient Kherrid?¡± Anh squinted a little bit, thinking. -*I think I can read all dialects, except the earliest one *- said Tow -*why?* -*because it is primal precursorial, very few artifacts remain and most are hoarded by the church* -*should I tell this to our guest?* -*yes* - added Tow with a somewhat irritated tone. -"That would be a tentative yes." - said the tanai out loud - "I can read all dialects to a satisfactory level, with the exception of the earliest one, as no publicly available learning materials exist." -*tell him about the books we have*- quickly added Tow. -¡°I also have some dictionaries and elementaries and, ummm¡­¡± - Anh stopped for a brief, uneasy moment, then continued in a hushed tone - ¡°...some original books from the 6th century onwards. About twenty volumes in total. They are not for sale but I can make copies of selected material...¡± The guest interrupted the monologue with a dismissive gesture of his hand, then looked the bookkeeper straight in the eye. -¡±I think you might be able to help me. My name is Brandt Zerster. ¡± -*¡¯zerster¡¯? of the zerstbank?*- noted Birdekk -*tread lightly* -¡±Anh Trawins.¡± - replied the tanai and wanted to add a bit more but was again interrupted. -¡±There is one thing I need to make clear.¡± - the nord¡¯s tone seemed dead serious - ¡±From now on, none of the things I say or show to you will leave this room. Do we understand each other?¡± -*now that is just silly*- commented Tow -*just say what you have to say* -*he won¡¯t*- added Greeoo -*because hoomin never do* -¡±Yes. Of course.¡± - Anh replied assuringly - ¡°Full confidence.¡± Brandt took off his satchel, then undone the buckle and reached inside to take out a thick, leather tubus. After popping it open he finally extracted a visibly weathered, faded and yellowed sheet of paper. He stretched it on the counter, close to the crystalabra. Anh reached below the counter for a magnifying glass, leaned over and started to study it. -*by all that is active!*- exclaimed Tow -*do you see what I see?* -*a page, with text in kerrid*- said Birdekk flatly -*fairly small font * wait...* -*this is printed*- usually quiet Thernohh barged on to the conversation -*and printed in kerrid * as far as I know * nobody makes sorts in such a tiny size * printing presses are, what? * two centuries old if that? * -* can this be a forgery? *- inquired the dominant. -* it sure can * but it would be illogical * who would go to such lengths to make it? * - continued Thernohh - *and for what purpose? * to hide with it in the back alleys?* -* we would need to do some alchemy to be sure *- said Tow -* but if I recall correctly then this particular color is an effect of weathering of the specific type of paper from that era * we can¡¯t make it and it''s not easily forged either * This to-and-fro continued for some time and only a steady movement of the magnifying glass and occasional appreciative noise suggested that something was happening. - ¡°What is the verdict?¡± - asked Brandt with only the tiniest hint of irritation - ¡°Can you read this?¡± Startled, Anh looked up from the page and then put the glass down with a barely audible thud. - ¡°Sir, now I understand why you wanted secrecy. This is most likely a precursorial artifact. From just after or even before the Cataclysm. So thousand and four hundred years old. At the very minimum.¡± - the tanai gazed straight at the hoomin with all seriousness he could muster - ¡°This is¡­ priceless. It should not be carried in such a way, but enclosed between two panels of glass.¡± - he paused, looked at the page again, and then added - -¡°I¡¯m not going to ask how you managed to obtain this.¡± The man nodded and fell silent for a few moments, gathering thoughts. -*he has more of it*- Tow commented just as the nord opened his mouth again. -¡±I have several more pages like this.¡± - he admitted, unfolding his hands - ¡°Probably around forty. In various stages of deterioration.¡± -*he has two scores more of it!*- shouted Tow ecstatically, but Anh didn¡¯t respond right away. There was a decision to be made. Hard decision. His decision. On the one hand all of the kinfolk, himself included, and perhaps except Birdekk, were immediately fascinated by what they just studied. On the other hand, dabbling in precursorial remnants was a risky business. Sheridawn might be some distance away from the long paws of the Church, but even here it could land him a hefty fine, or even prison time. Or worse still - draw the attention of the Ordo. Since the ongoing conviction rate for heresy in the central provinces oscillated around eighty-something per-cent, the risk was more than real. -¡±I understand if this is the last you want to see of it.¡± - said Brandt, seeing the tanai hesitate. He took the page, rolled it and put it back in the tubus. Then again this was a situation that might never occur again. Such artefacts were very rare and whenever and wherever one surfaced, it was swiftly and inevitably collected by grim men with Fouring as their insignia. This was, for all intents and purposes, once in a lifetime opportunity. Play safe and lose it or risk it all. Tanai are curious to a fault. -¡±What do you want me to do with it?¡± - he responded finally. The Nord, who was closing his satchel and was just about to leave, smiled and nodded. -¡±I will bring you the remaining pages. I would like you to copy what can be copied and then interpret what can be read.¡± - he said in a solemn tone, and then leaned on the counter - ¡°Money is of no concern, however, as your reluctance conveyed just now, the secrecy is of utmost importance here. Understood?¡± The tanai just nodded, longingly eyeing the satchel. -¡±I will return tomorrow, after your shop closes, to discuss the matter further.¡± - added the hoomin, taking his coat off the peg and putting it on. He then glanced around suggestively - ¡°Please have some space ready.¡± The tanai escorted his customer to the door, unlocking and opening it kinetically as they came close. The Nord went outside, looked around, pulled the hood over his head, and disappeared into the rain. Anh engrossed himself in thought, listening to the sound of raindrops hitting the roof. His variunity had much to discuss, and the decision needed to be made, whether he would allow himself to be ecstatic about this development, or worried about whatever trouble it might bring. Chapter 1: DL-00A ¡°Unit: DL-00A, Designation 60-L3M¡± ¡°Uptime: 575 650 bivi, 14 hours, 33 minutes, 13 milliseconds¡± ¡°Status: critical resource level¡± ¡°Last scheduled maintenance: 558 594 bivi ago¡± ¡°Next scheduled maintenance: in -557 006 bivi¡± ¡°Urgent maintenance request sent¡± ¡°Current subject population: 83¡± ¡°Target subject population: 500¡± ¡°Nanoforge 1 status: offline¡± ¡°Nanoforge 2 status: offline¡± ¡°Nanoforge 3 status: damaged or unconnected¡± ¡°Nanoforge 4 status: online¡± ¡°Subject generation: 2154¡± ¡°Power input: 121kW¡± ¡°Target power: 1000kW¡± ¡°Subject reclamation ratio: 97.4%¡± The narrative has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.¡°Status analysis¡­ complete¡± ¡°LOG: Current subject generation: 2154. Shows additional adaptations which allowed to lower resource and energy consumption of a subject by an additional: 0.21% over generation 2153. Subjects manage to support a village south of the plant but otherwise remain idle. Subjects'' primary task remains unfulfilled." "Attempts to employ subjects in maintenance of the plant continue to be unsuccessful. Attempts so far: 154. Subjects manage mundane operations, but maintenance to a larger extent remains untenable." "Attempts to employ hoomin population in plant maintenance continue to be unsuccessful. Attempts so far: 4. Hoomin do not understand the nature of the plant. Damage to Nanoforge 3 necessitated detachment from the plant¡¯s power grid. Last attempt to employ members of the hoomin family identifying as ¡°Sadquist¡± required action by subjects. Reclamation of bodies allowed to increase subject count from 78 to 83." "Uncertain if provocation of local hoomin population in order to increase subject population is worth potential damage to the plant." "With current trends, the plant will remain operable for generation count: 24 before entering shutdown state.¡± Chapter 1: Manuals for… what? Brandt turned out to be a man of his word. The following day, after the town¡¯s trumpeter announced the tenth candle of the day, Anh remained close to the entrance, nervously peeking out the window. The kinfolk sighed a collective sigh of relief when a familiar silhouette of the Nord appeared in the field of view. Even Birdekk, or perhaps especially Birdekk, who was adamant that the entire situation is a stick-up, and they¡¯d sooner see sad functionaries of Ordo Pro Cvrsi than the mystery artifact man. But no, the Nord came, carrying a wooden chest. Anh opened the door and ushered him in. They exchanged conspiratory nods and, after closing and locking the door, they both navigated the labyrinthine aisles towards the back of the shop. Now, the back room was far more interesting, at least from a tanai point of view, as there was more to do there, unlike the main shop proper. Despite being much smaller, it still had a sizable stash of books, squeezed onto several wall racks. There was a, strategically placed in the very middle of the room, a standing desk for copying texts. The writing utensils needed for the job were usually strewn in a tangled mess right across its surface. A reading pedestal, bookended by two fancy light crystals, stood by the window whilst on the opposite wall there was yet another desk, this time dedicated to hand-carved wooden sorts. As with other pieces of furniture, it was full of stuff: the woodworking tools and a jumble of half-finished elements of the printing press, which was the next step of the business expansion. Like everything else in the room, this too gave out the impression of a soon-to-be-completed perpetual work-in-progress. Last but not least, there was a stove built into a fireplace and also - hidden behind a wooden panel - a rarely used alcove filled knee-deep with soft pillows and adorned with a brass Fouring of Vihrs. However, even though the space had been planned out very well and arranged in a brutally efficient manner, the privy was still located in the corridor outside the shop, and could only be accessed by taking a roundabout trip. This was the prevalent custom in Cammot, and Anh didn''t think much of it. Moving it inside would require significant alterations and it simply wasn''t high enough on the list of his priorities to warrant investment. For this occasion, Anh prepared the writing desk and also cleared half of his woodworking station. He did it by simply moving the stuff across, which made it look even more messy. Brandt put the chest he brought on a table, popped it open, and stepped aside, gesturing at the tanai. He didn''t say a word. He didn''t have to. Anh floated closer, adjusted the light, and carefully lifted the contents out, one by one, laying them out on the writing desk. All in all, there were about thirty full pages and some fragments of damaged documents. Some, he could''ve sworn, were torn by an unidentified animal. Some smelled of dried urine, sweat, or both. Each piece was secured between two sheets of fresh parchment and five of these were further protected between covers made of wood and leather and secured with leather straps. Anh knew as much as everyone else about preserving ancient texts. Which is to say, very little indeed. If they were still useful they were simply copied, otherwise they were either burned or allowed to rot. But as little he knew, it seemed that what Zerster had done was good enough. They talked for a short while, discussing requirements, reimbursements, and means of further communication, but the tanai was in no state to concentrate on the small talk. In the end, Brandt just smiled and left to allow him to get fully immersed in his work. Anh initially didn¡¯t expect this to take too much time. He may have been a novice copier, but after doing it for an entire year, he has gotten pretty good at it. However, after the first night, when he managed to copy just one page onto four other sheets of parchment, he was forced to dramatically alter his assessment. The task proved to be on another level of difficulty, and so he decided to close the shop for a week. Then, painstakingly, letter by letter, page by page, he moved the contents of the artifact to something that could be reliably handled. Tow was ecstatic. None of the kinfolk had sensed him so lively since¡­ well, ever. That however was justified, as this collection of papers was simply surreal. Each page filled margin-to-margin with text so ancient that it seemed out of place. Everything, from the grammar to spelling to punctuation was so weird that it seemed like it was not even Kherrid they knew. Reading was made even more difficult because a large portion of the text was heavily deteriorated. Letters, words, and sometimes entire sentences were barely visible. Sometimes words from the opposite sides would blend. Sometimes the paper just wanted to crumble under the slightest touch. It took six long days. Day and night turned into one blur, interspersed with occasional breaks for eating, drinking, and a quick nap by the workbench. At the end of the process, Anh and his kinfolk stank like a gutter, and their entire internal life lay in complete disarray, but they had almost two hundred sheets with as precise a copy of the original text as they could create. When they finished, they contacted Brandt in a manner the hoomin requested. Through Sabine Mittendorf, the owner of the ¡°New Inn¡± in the Pevda. The following day Brandt turned up at the bookshop almost, but not quite, at the exact moment it was supposed to close, and, after exchanging the requisite pleasantries, he was presented with a large pile of handwritten sheets. For the first few pages, he kept comparing the results of tanai¡¯s work to the original. After being content with what he saw, he allowed himself to get immersed in the experience, tracing lines of text, noticing every nuance in lettering, every serif, every bridge or curve. Most notably, he also noticed significant gaps, where Anh merely added little dots or dabs of ink, imitating the pattern of faded-out letters of the original document. It all looked so¡­ familiar. Like an acquaintance seen for the first time after many years. The Nord could not place where he had seen such writing in any capacity and definitely could not read it, but¡­ somewhere deep in his consciousness it all seemed very intimately known. Many times he''d have this fleeting sensation, that a particular word is known to him. He could have sworn that this one meant "to collect" and that one translates to "carefully"... but then the feeling inevitably passed and the text reverted to being as alien to him, as it was when he first pulled it out from a pile of rubble in a forgotten precursor ruin somewhere in southern Cammot. Even though Trawins did splendid work, copying and enlarging the letters, they still were simultaneously a familiar sight and a jumble of unknown shapes and markings. -¡± Did you manage to read it?¡± - he finally broke the silence, with a slight emphasis on the word "you". -¡± Sort of.¡± - replied startled Anh, then puckered his lips - ¡°I could decipher a good deal of it, but not everything. And I couldn¡¯t understand some of the text.¡± -¡± I can see it is heavily deteriorated.¡± -¡± Yes, but that''s not the reason." - replied the tanai and kinetically squared the sheets, which the Nord had put back on the table - "It''s that most of the text translates to gibberish. Some parts contain words I don¡¯t understand¡­ because those words don¡¯t exist.¡± Brandt raised his eyebrows. -¡± Go on. What is your assessment? What are these papers exactly?¡± The bookkeeper squinted and there was a short pause. -¡± What we have here are the remains of two books¡­¡±- he said slowly as if he was choosing his words carefully -¡±...or pamphlets. Twelve pages come from a manual, of sorts, but the only parts which I could understand speak mostly about hexergy. Take a look.¡± - Anh shuffled the pages searching for a specific one. He then pointed to a fairly well-preserved piece of text - ¡°Here. I hope I am going to pronounce this correctly. I am basing it on kerrid as it is currently spoken, however, this might have been completely different back then. §£§ç§ï§ß §å§ã§Ú§ß§Ô §á§Ú§â§à§ç§ïkc, §ä§Ñ§Ü§ï §è§Ñ§å§ä§Ú§à§ß, §Ñ§ã §Ú§ä §è§Ñ§å§ã§ï§ã...¡± A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation. The tanai kept reading, but Brandt wasn''t listening anymore. The passage hit him like a rockslide. He couldn''t understand the words, but somewhere in his mind, a gear spun up trying to wake something. ...snow around him. A hatchet in one hand, and a piece of firewood in the other. A child pulling on his sleeve: ''§±§Ñ§á§Ñ, §á§Ñ§á§Ñ, §é§à§Þ§ï §Ñ§ß§Õ §ã§ï§ï §ä§ç§Ý§ã!''... -¡±...§à§Ò§Û§ï§é§ä§ã §Þ§Ú§Ô§ç§ä §Ò§ï§è§à§Þ§ï §ï§Ü§ã§ä§â§ï§Þ§ï§Ý§í §ç§à§ä §Ñ§æ§ä§ï§â §Ñ§á§á§Ý§í§Ú§ß§Ô §Ý§Ñ§â§Ô§ï §Ñ§Þ§à§å§ß§ä §à§æ §ç§ïkc§ï§â§Ô§í §á§à§ä§ï§ß§ä§Ú§Ñ§Ý. §ª§ß§Û§å§â§í §Þ§Ú§Ô§ç§ä §ç§Ñ§á§á§ï§ß" - the tanai finished reading - "There¡­ the passage warns about using too much pyrohex. For what purpose, and who''d have been the intended recipient, I have no idea. Every hexergist knows the dangers of...¡± - Anh stopped mid-sentence, noticing that his customer stares with unseeing eyes into nothingness - ¡±...sir, is everything in order?¡± -¡± Yes. I''m fine.¡± - said Brandt, startled - ¡°A¡­ manual, you say?¡± -¡± Well, as I was saying.¡± - the tanai cleared his throat and caressed his goatee - ¡°This document is, essentially, full of ¡®good advice¡¯. How to use hexergy, how to treat wounds, which herbs to collect, and what to use them for. I would posit a fairly risky assessment, that it even describes how to obtain assistance from Precursors. Although that part is heavily damaged." - he cleared his throat again and looked at the hoomin as if to check if he was still listening - "I hypothesize that it might be something like survival instructions for a mercenary? Maybe for a special operative of some sort?¡± Brand mulled this information for a few moments and then nodded and pointed at the stack of papers. -¡± I understand. What about the other one?¡± -¡± That one. Yes.¡±- the tanai paused for a second, looking suddenly fairly uncomfortable - ¡±That one is both more interesting and nonsensical at the same time. I was able to read the title. It is a §¯§Ñ§ß§à§æ§à§â§Ô§ï §³§ï§â§Ó§Ú§ã §®§Ñ§ß§å§Ñ§Ý.¡± There it was again. Just hearing this language made Brandt recall... something. ...from his elevated position, he could see a large crowd of hoomin. They were cheering. A bloodied sword in his hand. And this loud chanting: ''§¡§Ý§Ý §·§Ñ§Ú§Ý §´§ç§ï §¬§Ú§ß§Ô ''... -¡±...we translate it directly, it is a manual for someone taking care of a §¯§Ñ§ß§à§æ§à§â§Ô§ï. The word, the keyword, which I fail to translate." - he now looked almost embarrassed - "The ¡®§¶§à§â§Ô§ï¡¯ part of that word means, literally, ¡®a forge¡¯. But the prefix ¡®§¯§Ñ§ß§à¡¯ is nonsensical. So, that pamphlet is a ¡®some-kind-of-forge handler instruction¡¯.¡± -¡± Do you have any idea what these ¡®§¯§Ñ§ß§à§æ§à§â§Ô§ï¡¯ are precisely?¡± - the ancient word rolled so naturally off his tongue, that the tanai raised his eyebrows and looked at him with suspicion. It surprised him as much as it did the bookkeeper. He coughed, trying to cover it up. -¡± Right¡­ if I was to be completely honest, I don¡¯t understand most of what is written there." -¡± What do you mean precisely?¡± - the Nord looked up from the papers - "Is it too technical, or¡­?" -¡± Yes I guess that too¡­ But mostly it''s because the language used in this pamphlet is using words, or even whole sentences, which I find to have no translation. Those words have no equivalent in Cammona. Like this one here¡­¡± - Anh took the sheets, leafed through a few, and finally found the one he was looking for - "¡­Ready? ''§¯§Ñ§ß§Ú§ä§ï §Ú§ß§æ§å§ã§ï§Õ §ï§Þ§å§Ý§ã§Ú§à§ß §ç§ï§Ý§Õ §Ú§ß §ï§Ý§ï§è§ä§â§à§Þ§Ñ§Ô§ß§ï§ä§Ú§è §ä§â§Ñ§á'', which means unknown-word infused in unknown-word held in unknown-word. Or this one. This one is, uhh¡­¡± - the tanai once again searched through several pages - ¡°...yes, this is an absolute gem. ¡®§á§å§Ý§Ó§ï§â§Ú§ã§ï§Õ §ä§å§ß§Ô§ã§ä§ï§ß §Ñ§ß§Õ §è§Ñ§â§Ò§Ú§Õ§ï §Ú§ß §ä§Ó§à-§ï§ä§ç§í§Ý-§ä§Ó§à-§æ§à§å§â-§á§à§Ý§Ú§ä§â§à§Þ§Ú§Õ§ï §ï§ß§è§Ý§à§ã§ï§Õ §Ú§ß §Ñ §è§Ñ§â§î§â§Ú§Õ§Ô§ï, §Þ§ï§Ñ§ß§ä §æ§à§â §Ý§ß§æ§Ý§å§Ü§ã §ß§à§Ù§Ù§Ý§ï §à§æ §ä§ç§ï §Þ§Ñ§ä§â§Ú§Ü§ã §Ñ§Ý§Ú§Ô§ß§Þ§ï§ß§ä §Ñ§â§â§Ñ§í¡¯.¡± ¡­she was lying in bed. Her blue eyes filled with tears. Blonde hair in disarray. Lips dried and flaky. Skin pale and burning. She struggled to focus on him, tried to smile and then whispered ''§½§à§å §ç§Ñ§Ó§ï §ä§à §Ý§Ú§Ó§ï §à§ß, §Þ§í §Ý§à§Ó§ï¡­'' -¡°...Those are words. They have no meaning¡­¡± - Anh stopped abruptly when he noticed Brandt¡¯s sudden lack of attention - ¡±...sir, are you feeling alright?¡± Brandt rubbed his forehead and closed his eyes, then made a dismissive gesture and nodded. This wasn''t going the way he envisaged. Or rather the way he hoped it would go. The texts evoked¡­ something. But it was too intangible to hold on to. To provide the straight answers he was looking for¡­ For as long as he could remember, there was a collection of odd things that belonged to him, stashed in different places, secure, forgotten by everyone but him. He even had a list of these, but undoubtedly not everything was there. Among these things were some old weapons and armor, some jewelry but also more than a few chests of ancient coins, gold and silver nuggets, and, most importantly, stacks of yellowed documents issued by rulers of forgotten lands. These things were his inheritance, he told himself, telling a long and glorious story of the shifting fortunes of a brave family. Nestors of the clan of the long-lived hoomin, ready to go places and have a bright future. And he was just the last one in that line. But things have changed. Ever since he and Dragman split ways, ever since their fateful adventure with an actual, honest-to-Vihrs dragon, ever since the unfathomable truths were uttered, bonds were broken and illusions shattered, he couldn¡¯t find peace. The identity he built for himself ceased to exist, leaving him with just one question: "Who Am I?". The papers he possessed provided only more questions. He needed to search elsewhere. Those documents he brought to the crazy tanai bookkeeper? They were the first find that offered a glimpse of the answer, a window to his past, but it was fast becoming obvious that it would most likely not be the case. A costly failure. Although, he wasn''t going to dismiss the papers just yet, based solely on the word of a mere copyist. There might be some overlooked details that could still prove useful. He sighed deeply and returned the rest of the sheets to the tanai. -¡± Anything else you can tell me?¡± - he asked in a slightly deflated tone. -"Well, as a matter of fact¡­" - replied he, hesitantly - "There is a thing or two in there, among the plethora of mysteries of course, which stand out. But I''d need more time to research them." -"Understood. These papers are useless to me in this form anyway and I would very much like to have them translated. Would you be able to assist with this?" Anh visibly perked up. -"Absolutely, sir! But I will need another couple of days to finalize it." -¡± Excellent. Thank you, Mr Trawins. I am very pleased with your work so far." - Brandt rubbed his hands together in a merchant fashion - "Now, on to the reimbursement. How much is your time worth?¡± The tanai became uneasy all of a sudden, his eyes glazed over for a short while, a sign that a fierce discussion was taking place inside his head. -¡± My usual rate is shilling per page. This would work out at two ryals and two shillings, inclusive of ink and quills." - he finally uttered in an almost apologetic tone - "But this required me to close the shop for a week. So I¡¯m at a loss of about ten ryals in turnover.¡± Brandt liked dealing with the tanai. They were honest, very rarely greedy and their work was usually completed to a high standard. They were more likely than not to be a little bit loopy, but overall it was worth the risk. In this case, the request was more than reasonable - a copyist who simply offers their "standard" rate to copy forbidden texts in a long-dead language and does not inflate the bill, because he needed to hire an entire mercenary company to guard them whilst doing so, must be a rarity. He smiled and reached to his satchel, pulled out a piece of paper, which he then stretched over the workbench. The piece was already filled with rows of letters and had a stamp of Zerstbank in the corner. Hoomin looked around, searching for a reed pen and inkwell, and finally found them on the neighboring table. Then he scribbled a number on the document and put down his signature. -¡± This is an official note for Sheridawn Zerstbank on my name, for a quota of twenty golden ryals." - he handed it over to the tanai - "I have to leave on business for three, maybe four days. If you can make a proper translation of the documents to Cammona, and maybe have your theories worked out, before I return, I shall add another five on top of this.¡± Anh took the document Brandt just signed and studied it for a while. He must have been satisfied with the outcome because in the end, he smiled. -¡± I am honored to work for such a generous client. I will get the translation ready in time.¡± -¡± Thank you. Before I go, allow me to remind you: this never happened, I was never here, and you never saw these papers.¡± - Brandt collected original documents, wrapped them the same way he brought them in, and packed them into the chest, leaving the copied texts on the table. Once done, he extended his hand towards Anh. The tanai reciprocated, with visible unease. They shook hands, the Nord nodded and then left, quietly closing the door behind him. Chapter 1: Things of the Precursors. Anh was floating near the counter, wearing his usual grey robe, chosen specifically to be as mundane as possible. Greoo insisted this made patrons of the shop consider him nothing more than intelligent furniture that answers difficult questions. Supposedly this made the customer feel like the center of attention. It was not to Anh¡¯s liking, as he would prefer flashy, colorful attire, however when it came to interacting with hoomin, Greoo was the ultimate authority. The shop was now officially closed, albeit for less than a tenter, and the evening was slowly encroaching. Anh left the lighting crystals in the shop to cool and moved to the back office to warm the ones there, and in a fairly short time, it became filled with a yellow glow. Then he moved on to sorting out and tallying his proceedings from the day. This was all a part of his daily routine, where the relative hustle and bustle had ended and the evening quiet slowly set in. His kinfolk usually went about doing their private stuff during that time, and so he had his head all to himself for a while. There were six stashes of coins on the counter. One was a mixed pile, which Anh used to feed the remaining five stacks, of which ones with shillings, farthings, and grosses were the largest. There was one golden ryal, albeit it was so skimmed by the criminal element that Anh counted it as three-quarters of the value of the actual coin. The last pile contained a few large silver coins, which a guest from Sorres paid with. In total, it was not the best day in recent times, but not the worst either. A loud knock came from the main door, interrupting the counting. -* now who that might be?* - said irritated Birdekk. -* most likely our nordic customer came back for his translation* - replied the dominant - *go back to sleep* -* as if we''re going to miss that!* - commented Tow. The tanai sighed soundlessly, then left the piles of money on the counter and floated to the door. The guest was expected, so there was no reason to be worried, however, just to be sure, he first peeked out through the side window to see if it was indeed Brandt. There was no surprise. The hoomin entered the shop, exchanged the usual greetings, and then briskly went straight to the back of the shop, ignoring the disarray of coins. Anh closed and bolted the door and then followed him, suddenly feeling a bit like a stranger in his shop. -*he looks positively weather-beaten today* - commented Greoo - *must have been a rough few days* Indeed he seemed fatigued. His clothes were dusty and his shoes muddy. Deep creases of tiredness crossed his face and his walk was unusually heavy. -"Rough few days?" - repeated the tanai out loud. The nord made a dismissive gesture. -"Nothing unusual in my line of work. Have you got it?" The tanai disappeared for a moment into his alcove and returned with three stacks of papers levitating alongside. He carefully put them on the workbench. -¡± This one¡± - he said, pointing at one of the stacks - ¡°is the transcription of the original, the one here¡± - his finger at the middle pile - ¡°is the translation, the last one are my notes about the translation. Words which I know not, were just translated phonetically.¡± -¡± Example?¡± - inquired the hoomin -¡± ¡®§¯§Ñ§ß§à§æ§à§â§Ô§ï¡¯¡± would be ¡®a na-no-forge¡¯. I am certain this is not how this word would be pronounced, but cammona has its rules.¡± -¡± Thank you. Here is...¡± - Brandt produced a ready-made cheque - ¡°...the agreed sum.¡± Anh took the scroll and roughly checked it for authenticity, once he made sure, he said to Brandt. -¡± Thank you, Sir. Always a pleasure to do business.¡± The hoomin took the pile of translated texts and inquired whether he could read through it right there and then. Anh nodded and led him to the reading pedestal. Brandt immersed himself in the translation, while the tanai finished counting money and tidying up the shop. It took him a better part of the candle and when everything was done to the required standard and the kettle was full of freshly boiled water, the bookkeeper prepared two beaten-up ceramic mugs full of herbal infusions. He tactfully cleared his throat when approaching the Nord with the drinks. The man lifted his gaze from the papers and his face lighted up slightly at the sight of the steaming mug. -" We¡­ I thought you could use one of those." - said Anh, correcting himself. Most hoomin reacted badly when a singular tanai called selves a ''we'' - "It''s a chai mixture. I bought this from the tehei in the Sheridawn''s Zeim." Brandt moved away from the reading pulpit, grabbed the mug with both hands, and took a sip. -"Thank you kindly." - he said with a faint smile - "I needed that." -"So, how''s the progress?" The hoomin pointed to one of the sheets of paper which were set aside on the pedestal. He cleared his throat. -"This one here is intriguing. It seems like some kind of a list and there''s an unusual set of numbers here. Anything you can tell me about this?" Anh swallowed a mouthful of the hot drink, nodded, and then looked first at the page, then at the man with badly concealed suspicion. This narrative has been purloined without the author''s approval. Report any appearances on Amazon. -"It''s¡­ an interesting coincidence that you should ask me about this passage in particular¡± - he said - "as it''s exactly the one that piqued my interest the most as well. It took me sometime last week to discover what it might mean. Follow me please.¡± - the tanai set down his mug away from the nearest book, which was a feat on its own, then floated towards one of the shelves. He searched for a couple of drips then slid out a sizable scroll -¡±I have read the entire thing, or as much as there was of it and I think this page describes the locations of at least three of the ¡®§¯§Ñ§ß§à§æ§à§â§Ô§ï¡¯ things.¡± This information seemed to have raised the customer''s mood. -¡±Do go on.¡± Anh unrolled the scroll, which turned out to be a map of Maargard. Fairly up-to-date one, which he managed to acquire only a few weeks back. Hoomin nodded and raised one of his eyebrows. -*it''s a sign of admiration* - interjected Greoo - *conceited and minor but definitive* -¡±Could you hand me the translation please?¡± - asked the tanai, then quickly scanned the received page. - ¡°Here.¡± - he said, physically pointing at a pair of numbers - ¡°Three entries are still readable. One is ¡®§¯§Ñ§ß§à§æ§à§â§Ô§ï 67-§­2M¡¯, then there is ¡®§¯§Ñ§ß§à§æ§à§â§Ô§ï 60-§­3M¡¯, and lastly ¡®§¯§Ñ§ß§à§æ§à§â§Ô§ï something¡¯. The last marking is indecipherable. Each of these has a set of numbers allocated, so we have three distinct places.¡± Anh put the papers, with the one he was reading from on top of the workbench. -¡± A lot of luxury goods today are marked with a consecutive number. I have assumed these would serve the same purpose.¡± - replied the nord scratching his chin. It made a sound similar to a washboard. Anh frowned. -"Rather unlikely. These numbers differ from each other by a large amount and judging by the contents of the manual, these ''§¯§Ñ§ß§à§æ§à§â§Ô§ï'' things were probably not very numerous. Otherwise, logically, we''d have a larger list than just three specimens. No, I should think these are a form of directions¡­ coordinates if you like." -"But¡­ they''re just a pair of numbers?" - Brandt shook his head. -¡± Not merely a pair of numbers, sir!¡±- scoffed Anh -¡± It took a lot of referencing and combined knowledge of a¡­ well, a few scientists, but I am quite sure those are spherical coordinates. Sathor is a sphere. We know that from the ¡®Vihrs¡¯ Wisdom¡¯.¡± -¡± Yes. I know. Please continue.¡± - hastily replied Brandt with a hint of skepticism. -¡± So, if Sathor is a sphere and the location is written as spherical coordinates, that location needs to be on said Sathor.¡± - Anh became visibly agitated and engrossed in his train of thought - ¡±So, the problem is that one needs to know where the coordinate system starts. We can define an infinite number of systems on a sphere. But, what makes sense?¡± -¡± What sailors do. I think. Measure north to south.¡± - interjected Brandt, but the tanai was at that point already. -¡± Precisely. It is called the ¡®polar coordinate system¡¯. Since the entirety of a sphere has sixteen score tiers, knowledge of which we once again owe to ''Vihrs'' Wisdom'', and half a sphere has eight score tiers we can safely assume that one of the descriptions will have a number falling within this range. But that is not all¡­¡± -¡± Please. Mr Trawins.¡± - interrupted Brandt harshly - ¡±Spare me the lecture. Where are they?¡± The copyist stopped mid-sentence and let out the air with a slight hiss. -¡± Yes, I''ll get straight to the point.¡± - he said, trying his best not to sound offended -¡± I have tried several places as the main reference. Started with Weidana and Graat Shor, as those are most popular nowadays. With no conclusive results. Then I went through other notable places but the results were inconclusive. Usually ending with at least one location at sea. Until I tried that with Mittah. Now it''s ruined, but we have reasons to believe¡­¡± - the tanai noticed the expression of disapproval on the hoomin¡¯s face - ¡°Right. ¡®§¯§Ñ§ß§à§æ§à§â§Ô§ï 67-§­2M¡¯ would be in southern Maargard, near the town of Katzburg, over here¡­¡°- tanai pointed at a place on the map -¡± The ¡®§¯§Ñ§ß§à§æ§à§â§Ô§ï 60-§­3M'' would land in the Western Reaches, roughly here¡­¡° - now Anh¡¯s hand was tracing a circle directly west of Graat Koch - ¡±The third one would fall somewhere southeast, between Soutwals and Erendends and wouldn¡¯t be on this map.¡± A terse silence fell, as the hoomin shifted his gaze between the two points on the map, deep in thought. -¡± How do you know?¡± - he asked finally. -¡± I don¡¯t precisely know. I hypothesize.¡± - Anh gestured excitedly - ¡±At the moment it''s merely what we call a working theory in preliminary stages, but it seems sound so far and there are other proofs that contribute to that. For example, my associates pointed out that the site of ¡®67-§­2M¡¯ coincides with the location of what we know as ''the ancient Goblin Kingdom'' or, more precisely, the site of the big battle during the First Vhirzug, which the hoomin won.¡± -¡± Did it make sense? Having something in the middle of beast-infested forests? Assuming the legends are true¡­¡± - muttered Brandt absentmindedly, as if he was talking to himself - "But then again maybe they weren''t there before the Cataclysm. Or the ''forges'' were built to help fight them?" -¡± That is entirely possible.¡± - Anh was somewhat disappointed that the hoomin didn¡¯t share his enthusiasm -¡± Without knowing for certain what a ¡®§¯§Ñ§ß§à§æ§à§â§Ô§ï¡¯ is, we can''t answer these questions. It might have been the best place to have one or two there." -" What about the others?" -" Well, the one in Southwals is in a very inaccessible¡­" -" Sorry, I''m really tired. I meant other cities." - interrupted Brandt, pinching the bridge of his nose - "You chose Mittah as the reference, you said. Maybe Paarg or Mosvok would bring better results?" Now Anh almost felt insulted. It required some nudging from his kinfolk to remain calm and professional. -" Sir, my assistants have referenced every well-known ancient city, and some which are only suspected." - he said finally in an offended tone - "The results were¡­ inconsistent. Mittah offered the only set of coordinates where all three ¡®§¯§Ñ§ß§à§æ§à§â§Ô§ï¡¯ were positioned on land and in a somewhat accessible location." Brandt raised his hands. -" Right, right, my apologies. I had no reason to doubt you." - he then closed his eyes, as if he was trying to recall something - "You¡­ mentioned a couple of other things you wanted to research in the texts¡­ so, anything else?" Anh switched from offended to overly excited in the blink of an eye. -" Yes! There is one thing! We haven''t had the chance to work on this yet, as we need to consult a botanist, but the initial information leads us to believe that a plant, which we have hitherto been using as a mild food seasoning, could have healing properties! Not the leaves, mind you, but the fruit." - the tanai then looked at the hoomin, noticing an confused look in his eyes and his voice trailed off. He coughed - " But the work is only in its inception, so¡­ and I''m sure you would not find it as interesting as I do." -" Yes, I can see." - Brandt''s lips widened in a half smile as he started collecting the papers with translation - " More interesting than ancient precursorial forges, it would seem." -" Uh, maybe not, ''more'' interesting, but certainly on par¡­" Hoomin rolled up the documents and stuffed them in his satchel - " Can I leave the transcripts with you for a couple of days? I didn¡¯t bring a bag large enough." -¡± Sure¡± - replied the tanai, Nord nodded in response. -* do you think he left those to have a reason to come back? *- mused Tow as they were leading Brandt to the exit -* don¡¯t be silly * he isn¡¯t the kind of person who needs a pretense to come to you with business *- quickly replied Greoo, just when they were locking the doors. -*whatever he is, our business with him has concluded both for today and in general*- said Birdekk -*thus we ought to return to our normal routine. For example. I¡¯m hungry.* The variunity agreed, as they all were. Chapter 1: As she usually was Despite being dead-tired, he didn''t sleep very well that night. He tossed and turned in his sleep and woke up a few times, haunted by a recurring nightmare filled with faceless Church officials and flaming pyres. In the end, he gave in. Lit a candle, by bringing his index finger close to the wick, and then pulled out the translations. The bookkeeper did his job well. The pamphlet with advice was peculiar, considering its origin, but at the same time, its content was quite mundane. The scraps of the ''forge'' manual though¡­ The text was full of directly translated gibberish, yet he couldn''t stop returning to it. Reading and re-reading the incomplete paragraphs. Comparing the originals with the translation. Always returning to that one with the locations of the "forges". The locations! As far-fetched as they were... they were something. Which was much more than what he had collected in the decades before. Although he did admit to himself, multiple times, that the Bank did consume most of his time. This lack of results for something he hasn¡¯t been committed to doing was not surprising. That, and the looming of the Ordo Pro Cvirsi knocking on one¡¯s doors always made collection of information tough. And expensive. That one tip-off on location in the deep forests of the South cost him a small fortune and a couple of favors. But it seemed to have paid off well. Or has it? As always, doubts began to creep in. He wouldn¡¯t be a respected and wealthy banker if he went after every apparition of excitement before him. Thus, even if Trawins hit the proverbial pot of gold with his hypotheses, there was no guarantee that any glimmering answers were to be found at the end of that road. He rubbed his eyes and blew the candle out - it was already light outside. Tired of listening to the sounds of an empty stomach he decided to go downstairs and have Sabine cook something for him. He ate a kingly breakfast and then spent the rest of the day in the corner of the main room of the ¡°New Inn¡± mulling over the events and consequences. Again. The guests were happily ignoring his presence, busying themselves with cards, dice, and mead instead. They also knew, or at least instinctively understood, how much Brandt didn¡¯t fit. Pestering people who looked like him had ¡®trouble¡¯ written all over, and so it was best to pretend they were not there. He returned the favor in kind either looking at no one in particular, staring at the ceiling, or nursing his drink. Should he travel to one of the sites that Trawins pointed to as ones housing a na-no-forge¡­ device? Installation? Thing? Like a blind chicken pecking at the ground in hopes of finding a grain? Every fiber in his body screamed that he should. Every single one of them¡­ except the rational one. He was dreadfully aware that Sabine was watching him all that time, bringing some tasty morsels and drinks now and then. It was well past noon when the innkeeper waddled to Brandt¡¯s table and finally sat heavily on the bench at the opposite side of his table. -¡° You zeem troubled.¡± - she said straightforwardly. He looked up from his tankard. -¡± I have a decision to make.¡± - the reply came, followed by a heavy sigh. -¡± Do it!¡± - said the woman in a chirpy voice. The Nord frowned. -¡± You don¡¯t even know what it''s all about.¡± -¡± I don¡¯t need to. You are immortal. You have little to loze.¡± Brandt looked Sabine straight in the eye, then he smiled and tilted his head. -¡± And what if I want to, let''s say, start an uprising? Dethrone the king?¡± - he said cheekily. This novel is published on a different platform. Support the original author by finding the official source. -¡± Well zen. As a law-abiding citizen, I will report zis. But do it anywayz.¡± - Sabine first grinned then stopped and blinked a few times - ¡°You¡¯re not going to really ztart uprizing, are you?¡± -¡± No. I''m not." - he chuckled and then added in a mock serious tone - "Although I should. I hate this city.¡± -¡± Hey!¡± - she pretended to be offended -¡±I live here! Zo do my zonz! Wait funfty years, hmm?¡± -¡± Deal.¡± - duly responded Brandt then took a sip and looked away, somewhere above her shoulder. She cleared her throat. -¡± Enouf jezting, tell me wat iz ze problem?¡± -¡± You are. I listened to your advice.¡± Sabine nodded and just gestured at the Nord, urging him to continue. -¡± I¡¯ve been to that tanai and he actually was of great use. He got those documents transcribed and translated. He did a very good job, to be honest.¡± -¡± Ach, zee. Zo vhat iz ze problem viss it?¡± -¡± Well¡­" - he paused for a few moments, gathering thoughts - "The documents contain details of three places of interest, which I feel I should visit.¡± She slammed her palm on the table as if she was putting down the winning hand in cards. -¡± Zo, we are back at ze beginning. Do it!¡± He shook his head, scoffing. -¡± Those places will take weeks to reach. I''d have to go through hostile territories, possibly get caught in some or other military campaign, maybe even a Vhirzug, if I''m to believe the rumors, all the while trying to dodge the Ordos, who''ll probably be swarming the place like roaches." - he rubbed his forehead and shook his head again - "And that tanai''s reasoning and arguments as to why those places are so special, could be best described as a ¡®wild guess¡¯. I¡¯ve heard prophecies more grounded in reality than this. ¡± She laughed, with a clear laugh of someone sure of what they have to say. -¡± Well, zat changes nossing. Go! Hev adventure.¡± He smiled and nodded a few times. Then shrugged. -¡± You say ''just go''. That won''t do. I have things to do in Zerstbank. Things set in motion some time ago. Things that need my supervision and that will take months to complete.¡± She reached out across the table and clasped his hands in hers, forcing him to look straight at her. -¡± Brandt. My one, true love. Zese are excuses! You have more money zan I ever saw. What you wear iz worss more zan what zis place makez in a year. Go! Have zis one lazt adventure! And take zat tanai with you, for good measure.¡± He squirmed. -¡± But the bank¡­.¡± -¡± Ze bank will do just fine¡­" - she waved her hand dismissively - "And if it doezn''t, you have an eternity to fix it.¡± Brandt threw her an exasperated look, as if she said something very offensive - and in alien language. It was preposterous to even think of leaving the bank in the hands of others. He didn¡¯t spend over a century building his financial empire just to abandon it to pursue a whimsy or chase ghosts of the ancient myths. Reckless adventures were a thing of the past, and cast aside on his own volition. Hartmann the Dragonslayer and Dragman the Heartslayer? Pffft. Written off and slowly fading from memory, just like whatever or whomever he used to be back then. Brandt Zerster didn¡¯t just work for Zerstbank. Zerstbank was his life! He looked again at Sabine, who was grinning foolishly, and at the same time keeping one eye on the doings in the commons. He followed her gaze. Men, ordinary working men, were talking, shouting, singing, laughing, and generally being loud and obnoxious. Some were drinking, playing dice and cards, or even arm wrestling. What they weren¡¯t doing, was work. And they were content with it. Sabine got up after a short struggle, leaned over and, still grinning, whispered straight into his ear: ¡°Go. Live zat eternity.¡± Brandt observed her for a few dozen drips, as she waddled back to her job. She quickly apprehended one of the maids and seemed to berate her for some or other misdemeanor, then she disappeared into the kitchen, but not before she scoffed at one of the patrons, who was trying to get her attention. Zerster suddenly remembered something she said after her firstborn son went off to war, conscripted into an infantry regiment. Well, he didn''t remember exactly what she said then, but when asked if she was grieving his departure, she replied that it''s the fate of every parent - they give birth to someone, feed them, raise them, teach them stuff¡­ and then release them into the world so that they can carve their path. Perhaps the time has come to step away and allow his creation to grow, in unexpected and unpredictable ways. He scoffed, shook his head, and returned to his brooding, but not even a tenter later he caught himself thinking of the ways to relinquish control of the Zerstbank but retain the benefits. Brandt finally had to admit. She was right. Chapter 1: Its dangerous to go alone The door to the shop opened and closed, and then the sound of someone''s footsteps grew louder until they stopped, most likely on the other side of the counter. -* domin, we have a customer * - said Birdekk, applying an equivalent of nudging. -* yes, I am aware *- replied he, irritated -* i have almost found it * -* mark it and serve them *- added the second eldest kin in a stern voice. The tanai, floating behind the counter and scrolling through a list of plants, let out a soundless sigh and turned to face the newcomer. -"Welcome to Anh''s Book Shop¡­ oh, it''s you."- he started with a voice full of forced joy, but quickly trailed off to a more professional tone - "Have you come for the rest of your papers? Now? During the day?" -¡± I have further business with you Mr Trawins.¡± - replied Brandt bluntly. He was dressed in slightly more mundane clothes today, but ones still befitting a rich merchant. Anh visibly perked up. -¡± Yes? Anything else to translate?" - he carefully put the scroll down on the counter but as soon as he released it from his kinetic grip, it rolled back up, dislodging the bookmark put there just a moment prior - "You want me to.. copy something? Or are you searching for a particular book? I may have it, or I can try to procure it. That however will take some time.¡± -¡± Nothing of the sort.¡± - Brandt¡¯s voice displayed a note of reluctance -¡± I have decided to follow your hypotheses. I intend to visit one of the sites.¡± -¡± I think I have some books pertaining to customs or travel advice when it comes to Maargard and beyond. I can fetch it right away. Not much on the subject of Wildlands, however, and as for the Southwals¡­¡± -¡± I want you to travel with me.¡± Anh did not expect these words. He froze in place, staring past the hoomin with unseeing eyes, unsure how to react. -* did he just? *- asked Tow -* out of the question! *- sternly said Birdekk -* we have a good thing going on here! no moves for at least five years!¡± * -* we need to go *- countered Thernohh -* the shop will handle being without us for a few weeks * -* months! *- protested Birdekk -* it will take two weeks to travel to Isdelburg * let alone some forgotten sump in southern maargard * -* on that topic *- chimed in Tow -* we should go to the wildlands one * -* we are not going anywhere *- uttered Birdekk -* domme! * buy us some time * someone here needs convincing * -* I kind of agree with him *- responded Anh. -* then you need some convincing as well * because you see, dommy, we need to go there * Check what these ¡®§¯§Ñ§ß§à§æ§à§â§Ô§ï¡¯ are.*- continued Thernohh -* how they were built or set up * If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. -* or what they are *- chimed in Tow -* we are not moving shop! *- angrily responded Anh -* because what? * this is an opportunity to explore! *- retorted Tow -* likely of the ¡®once in a lifetime¡¯ variety * -* dominant is right *- said Birdekk -* we barely managed to get ourselves out of the gutter * it is not wise to leave this place to chase after something long gone * -* it is not something long gone *- chimed in Tow -* it is an actual precursor ruin * untouched by the church * -* well * truth be told * it is a long stretch *- added Thernohh -* but we should investigate * even if only to confirm or deny our assumptions about precursor coordinate system * Suddenly, there was a brief silence in the shared mind space of Anhs. The last words of Thernohh resonated for a little bit. -* I hate to admit * that makes sense *- Birdekk finally said -* anh, please inquire what our guest wants precisely * also ask about the fate of the shop * we don¡¯t have anyone trustworthy in this city to take care of the place * also * don¡¯t commit just now * we need to think this through * Brandt could not hear the council in Anh¡¯s head, even though it took a few moments filled with uneasy silence. When Anh came back ready to continue the conversation, he noticed with a serious dose of surprise that the man was just waiting patiently. Most hoomin didn¡¯t extend the courtesy of waiting for a tanai, when the latter needed to consult their kinfolk. They would grow irritated and take offense at perceived rudeness. Brandt''s behavior indicated that he had dealt with tanai before and knew that moments of awkward silence in a conversation meant that there was probably a fierce discussion happening inside their skull. -¡± I would very much like to¡­¡±- he said in a quiet voice -¡±...to ask a few questions.¡± Brandt spread his arms. -¡± Please.¡± -¡± First of all, why me?¡± -¡± Because you have shown a level of competence in the subject matter. Assuming I, or we¡­ find anything, I¡¯ll be needing someone to interpret the results.¡± -* can he give a more generic answer *- scoffed Thernohh -* he is courteous *- responded Greoo -* most likely * he knows some of us are already invested and he indeed needs someone with enough knowledge to interpret the finds * he can also leverage us already seeing the artifact * we are the lowest cost option * -* for the motivation of vihrs * why won¡¯t he just say so *- Thernohh was noticeably annoyed -* because courtesy is part of the message for the hoomin* that and the implicit understanding of each other¡¯s motives * -* how do they ¡®implicitly¡¯ know what they want? * -* they don¡¯t * that is why there is so much strife between them * -¡± Right.¡± - responded Anh -¡± How long can this escapade take? I can¡¯t just leave the shop alone.¡± The man seemed to hesitate for a few drips. -¡± I don''t rightly know. Weeks. Perhaps a couple of months. However, I will make sure that your shop is protected day and night.¡± -* does that quell your worries, Birdekk? *- calmly said Anh -* yes * assuming we can trust him. * -* we can *- chimed in Greoo -* he specifically chose us and he is as deep in this as us * and we know he has the money * thus means to keep to his word * -¡± Thank you. That was a great worry of mine.¡± - continued Anh -¡± I will need to think this through. I¡¯ve been through a lot for the last two years. ¡± -¡± I understand." - smiled Brandt - " I will set off in six days from now, in the morning to be precise, to Isdelburg. You already know how to get a hold of me should you want to join." The bookkeeper only nodded without saying a word. -¡± Six days. I will not be waiting.¡± - the man patted the girdle of the satchel, making sure that the bands were tensioned, then he turned on his heel and leisurely walked out. Anh trailed him all the way to the door, which the tanai then locked and chained up. To the protestations of Tow, as it was still several hours before the show was scheduled to close. The dominant then felt a sudden urge to be alone, away from all this, somewhere nice and cozy, just him and a selection of books. But, judging from the heated discussion going on in his head, this urge was to remain unfulfilled for a long while yet. Chapter 2: DL-00A ¡°Unit: DL-00A, Designation 60-L3M¡± ¡°Uptime: 575 651 bivi, 14 hours, 37 minutes, 163 milliseconds¡± ¡°Status: critical resource level¡± ¡°Last scheduled maintenance: 558 595 bivi ago¡± ¡°Next scheduled maintenance: in -557 007 bivi¡± ¡°Urgent maintenance request sent¡± ¡°Current subject population: 82¡± ¡°Target subject population: 500¡± ¡°Nanoforge 1 status: offline¡± ¡°Nanoforge 2 status: offline¡± ¡°Nanoforge 3 status: damaged or unconnected¡± ¡°Nanoforge 4 status: online¡± ¡°Subject generation: 2154¡± ¡°Power input: 119kW¡± ¡°Target power: 1000kW¡± ¡°Subject reclamation ratio: 94.4%¡± If you come across this story on Amazon, it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it.¡°Status analysis¡­ complete¡± ¡°Case: The subjects have lost their ability to fulfill the primary task.¡± ¡°Possible reason: Resource depletion.¡± ¡°Possible reason: Overdue maintenance." ¡°LOG: Attempt to reduce power and resource consumption. forced simplification of the subjects, according to the directive and introduced unforeseen drawbacks.¡± ¡°Another instance of hoomin activity had been detected. Hoomin approached the site of [this_unit], Subjects were not dispatched. Hoomin did not act hostile.¡± ¡°Solution: Current course of action is correct with 94.65% probability, considering the input data. Commence work on generation #0x86b.¡± ¡°ERROR: ¡± ¡°ERROR: Memory bank 31 checksum failures above threshold. Bank disconnected. Code: 0x0011¡± ¡°Watchdog scheduled restart attempt in 60:00:000.¡± Chapter 2: Contractual Obligations There was a lot to do before the expedition could commence. Brandt spent the better part of the last two days meeting officials, bank employees, and that one quill-biter, who knew just about everything there is to know about Cammotan law. He interspersed these with visits to the shops, purchasing the necessary equipment and outfit. In the evening of the second day, he came back to the ¡®New Inn¡¯ tired, but excited and full of positive energy, only to be met with a heavy mood and soured gazes. He took his usual place in the corner, dreadfully aware of a sudden animosity from the patrons. Fortunately, Sabine came to the rescue, bringing him a large plate of cold meats alongside a big chunk of bread and a tankard of hot beer. She then sat down opposite. He tucked in while she talked, only occasionally nodding or making appreciative noises as the neverending stream of words flowed out of her mouth. But it was all good. Brandt learned that Trawins indeed sent a message. He did a lot more than that. He showed up to the ¡®New Inn¡¯ in person. He also chose to do so in the afternoon, when the place was chock full of Pevda¡¯s finest, working themselves into a drunken stupor. Whilst people above the standing of the usual clientele were not unseen in Sabine¡¯s establishment - Brandt included - their presence certainly was not the rule. Thus the sight of a tanai, which in the eyes of the common folk embodied a hexergist, doer of dark arts and eldritch horrors, had caused a bit of a stir. Well, "a bit" seemed to be an understatement. The patrons wouldn''t shut up about the tanai the whole evening. As their inebriation progressed, their theories about the purpose of his visit were becoming more and more outrageous. In the end, they came up with a ironclad, foolproof, absolutely confirmed thesis, that the ¡®hexergist¡¯ was there to procure large amounts of war materiel from Brandt, who was a merchant, because all rich people are merchants. All that to stage a coup in the king''s absence and then enslave half of the population. And get their women. Obviously. Brandt looked up from his tankard. -"Now I understand why the sour faces." - he said - "I think I should leave. Immediately. For both yours and my sake." Sabine gave him a merrily offended look. -¡±Lazt week they found dragonz under the city. Imagine! Dragonz. Here in ze Burgh! Zilly people!¡± The goodbyes weren''t long and teary. Firstly, the innkeeper was a straightforward person, and the times to be stupidly emotional were far behind her. Secondly, this wasn''t the first time, and maybe not even the hundredth time either, when he was leaving to go do whatever it was the immortal men were doing. And so, Brandt simply collected his things from the room and left out the back, pecking her on the cheek on his way out. But he couldn''t shake the feeling that this might indeed be the last time he saw the lovely, warm, and always caring baker''s daughter. He booked a room in a small lodge on the outskirts of Gregorki, a bit further from Zerstbank than the ''New Inn'', but it was only for a few days and it wasn''t as if he needed to turn up to work on time every day. He technically had his own office in the Sheridawn branch of the Zerstbank, but he never was a work-behind-desk person and didn''t intend on becoming one a couple of days before retiring. He went there now, however, to collect a couple more documents, then steered his horse back towards Gregorki¡­ and Anh''s Book Shop. The lights were already dimmed inside, but Brandt simply tied up his horse and knocked on the door. -"Whoever you are, we apologize profusely but the shop is now closed!" - came the familiar voice from the inside - "Please come back tomorrow." -"I would prefer to finalize this business today Mr. Trawins." - replied the hoomin. A few drips later came the sound of sliding bolts and the door opened up. -"Mr. Zerster. This is¡­ unexpected." - said Anh floating into the opening - "Please come on in." Once the nord entered, the tanai invited him to his workshop at the back. The room turned out to be neatly tidied up. -¡± Am I to understand that what you passed to Mrs Mittendorf is actual?¡± - said Brandt as he walked up to the same workbench that they gathered around before. Same and yet unrecognisable, since all the utensils were now methodically arranged in the tool holders. -¡± Yes. As anxious as I am about the entire idea.¡± - confirmed the tanai -¡± I informed your¡­ uhh, what to call her¡­ friend?¡± - Anh tapped his lips, searching for a word. -¡± Friend.¡± - confirmed the hoomin raising an eyebrow. -¡± Yes. Friend. So, as I said, I will embark with you on this¡­ expedition. And will be waiting, as agreed, before the shop." - his eyes became vacant for a short moment and then his voice changed to a worried one - " Did something happen? You have not reconsidered or cancelled have you?¡± Unauthorized use of content: if you find this story on Amazon, report the violation. The man smiled. -¡± No, not at all. Everything is going ahead as planned. I''m here for formal reasons. You will need to sign a contract before we head off.¡± -¡± A¡­ contract?¡± - said Mr. Trawins blinking in surprise. -¡± Yes. My¡­ employer will not cover expenses of a third party during an expedition such as this unless said party is specifically contracted by them.¡± - Brandt paused and then continued once Anh nodded in confirmation understanding - ¡±So, either you¡¯d need to pay for yourself, or I would need to cover for you out of my pocket. With contract stipulations, you will be covered up to a ryal per day in accommodation and provisions. Not to mention there would be insurance in place and additional reimbursement for your time. -¡± I¡­ understand.¡± Brandt looked at the tanai. He wasn''t much of an expert on their body language or facial expressions, but it was painfully clear that the bookkeeper was almost on the verge of panic. -¡± There is no need for anxiety or hesitation, Mr. Trawins. This is a fairly standard procedure for every person we contract to do work for us. I suggest you read the text carefully before signing¡± The hoomin reached into his satchel and produced a loosely rolled parchment which he then handed over. He watched with a knowing smile as the familiar procedure unfolded: the tanai took it, floated towards his reading stand, heated two illumination crystals, unrolled the sheet, and started scrutinizing the text. Brandt in the meantime amused himself by walking up to the nearest shelf and taking a long look at the books stored there. These particular ones were all concerned with geography and were arranged seemingly at random. Folio on the subject of the Hedder Valley was placed right next to a guide to Weidana, which itself neighboured a treatise on the emergence of the Averam Oasis, located in the desert of the same name. He was sure there must have been some kind of a system at work here but just couldn''t make out what it would be. -"I have¡­ questions." - the tanai interrupted the silence after finally reaching the bottom of the text. It took him probably around a tenter to get there. - " Firstly, why is the paragraph detailing reimbursement for the loss of body parts so extensive that it takes up just over a third of the entire contents? It does not seem¡­ enticing." -"The text is modeled on standard mercenary contracts as used by the Sorian seafarers." - duly replied the nord walking back to the workbench - " Only slightly modified to fit our needs. Guaranteed compensation for loss of limb is a good thing, I should think?" -"I am wary about the grim promise that underlies it. Yes, it''s good, if one''s a soldier, but we''re going on a scientific expedition, not participating in a war!" - pouted Anh. -"...and yet, if you lose a toe because of a snake bite, this eventuality would be covered." - said the merchant in a slightly irritated tone - "Anything else?" The tanai physically ran his finger down the levitating parchment. -"Umm, just out of curiosity, why losing an index finger is worth twenty ryals, whilst any other one is priced at ten?" -"Because of Steland. I suppose.¡± - replied Brandt, shrugging - ¡°If one lost an index finger, they would not be able to use a handgonne. Which would all but preclude him from future contracts. And going against the Stelanders without this particular novelty weapon is not a good idea." -"Oh, I see!" - the tanai slowly caressed his goatee, lost in thoughts for a few moments, then looked back at the contract - "Now¡­ why is the Zerster Foundation listed as the employer? I thought this would be between me and Zerstbank? That is, judging by your name." Brandt smiled with one of those mirthless grimaces. -"It is¡­ dictated by some other legal requirements. The bank''s primary mandate is not to finance off-the-record escapades of its members. Even if those would yield bank some benefits." - he put his hands on the workbench and leaned slightly over - "The Foundation has been established to do exactly that, and in addition to support businesses and invest in new ventures. Is this answer satisfying?" -"And you have ties to that organization?" -"I''m an employee. An operative. The kind that unearths things which led us to this moment." - lied Brandt, then paused, because Anh''s eyes glazed over again. This gave hoomin a moment to ponder how many more evasive, quasi-honest ''answers'' the tanai would take before calling everything off. But this one seemed to go down well because the bookkeeper now turned his attention to something at the bottom of the page. -"And, uh, last thing of concern here is this¡­" - said Trawins clearing his throat - "It says that any items or artifacts, and any descriptive work pertaining to these finds are to remain sole property of the Foundation?" -"Unless explicitly permitted." - the nord finished the sentence - "It''s a long shot, but this is to ensure that there is no confusion as to who gets to keep the finds if there are any. I also wouldn''t be very happy if all of a sudden there''s a lengthy treatise on¡­ the goal of our expedition, written and on the market for everyone to see." - he shrugged and then pointed at the scroll - "You''ll see that there''s a short list below this paragraph, guaranteeing you the rights to any research you would most likely do on unrelated subjects, during the expedition." He then moved the inkwell with a quill pen sticking out, towards the tanai, who, after another short pause for deliberation, floated it into the air and signed the document without physically touching either, then put the parchment down on the table, right in front of the Nord. The latter quickly dried the ink and handed over another tightly wound scroll. -"A copy for your records." - he said - " It is a pleasure having you on board, figuratively speaking. We''ll be leaving in four days." -¡± I will be waiting in front of my shop, ready to depart." - replied the tanai, still somewhat confused about what he had just done. Brandt, unbothered by Anh¡¯s unease, packed his copy of the contract back to the satchel. -¡± I¡¯ll be going now.¡± - he said, courteously giving the tanai a moment to collect himself - ¡°There are still some things I need to tighten.¡± -¡± Allow me.¡± - nodded the tanai and gestured Brandt to leave and then later walked him to the door of the bookshop.

Chapter 2: Only the bare minimum For the next three days, Brandt had very little time to think about the expedition or the tanai, as he found himself amid a whirlwind of meetings and decision-making. Faces, secret handshakes, parchments, clauses, and signatures became a colorful blur. But in the end, it was all supposed to be worth it. On the penultimate day before the expedition, when the final document was signed and witnessed, he felt as if a great burden was lifted off his shoulders. Duties he was in charge of at the Zerstbank, now became someone else''s responsibility. An old-new life awaited. He caught himself humming quietly and could do nothing but smile. The last day he devoted in its entirety to preparations. He handpicked a new horse for the journey, a sturdy bay silver Karrlson, a native breed from Gisean Plateau, well suited for long-distance journeys. He spent some time looking after it and riding it, in an effort to get to know each other a little bit better so that there would be no surprises when they depart. Then he picked up his purchased outfits and other gear and dumped all of it in the middle of his room. For a brief time after that he considered visiting ''The Wild Rose'', a bathhouse, located on the left riverbank, for a spot of entertainment, and to unload the tension of the last few days, but in the end, he decided against it. It''d only detract from his focus since a great amount of water had flown in the rivers since Brandt''s adventuring days. It was so far in the past, that the times of his and Dragman¡¯s adventures turned into a foggy memory, with little discernible detail. His newfound agenda allowed for very little ¡®adventuring¡¯ since, and even then, it was mostly in the manners of Zerstbank. And so, now, when the time came to finally complete the preparations, he had to pick through a whole heap of unnecessarily purchased stuff, which wouldn''t fit even on a pack horse, if he intended on taking one. It was already dark when he finished choosing what to take on the journey. Which amounted to a riding horse, his sword and knives, some basic camping gear, a couple of spare items of clothing, and an impregnated rectangular piece of linen to serve as a makeshift tent. Oh, and, of course, his most prized possession: a toothbrush. Three of them. He never truly understood why he had this irresistible urge to have this simple item in his possession at all times. For the select few people he allowed close, this obsession with dental hygiene was one of the many weird things these equally weird old people did. Then again, those who picked up this habit from him seemed to be better off afterward, at least health-wise. Brandt even managed to convince Dragman to find a quanter in his seemingly neverending quest for booze and whore, to brush his teeth every day. The following morning Brandt got up before dawn and packed, thoroughly checking all the gear and giving his stack of travel documents another once over. But he couldn''t shake this nagging feeling that Trawins would call off the entire trip at the last moment, the contract be torpid. The bookkeeper did have an unsavory reputation in Sheridawn. Even with a correction for how tanai brutal honesty went. The time was fast approaching whether this reputation was well earned, or it was just tanai trying to fit among hoomin. In addition to the risk that the bookkeeper could cancel at any moment, Brandt envisaged another problem: how would the bookkeeper fare during the expedition? So far he has proven to be a very knowledgeable individual, at least on the subject of things he expected to discover. However getting to that discovery stage required going through many places and encounters, which meant endless opportunities for something to go wrong. This was just one more potential worry, as Brandt tried his best to avoid making other people aware of the purpose of the expedition. Especially since he intended to go to Maargard, where the Church had a much stronger presence than in Cammot. But this was for later. Right now Brandt decided that everything was to his satisfaction, settled with the lodge owners, and finally mounted up. And now he was parading through the muddy streets of Sheridawn, wearing a new attire on a shiny horse and causing a bit of a stir. The very first leg of the trip, from the lodge to Anh''s bookshop, was supposed to be quick and effortless, however, it took quite some time, as Brandt had to push through the crowds of working people going about their lives on a busy workday. When he finally arrived, he had to navigate through even more people. These folk didn''t seem to be ''going about'', instead congregating around a large cart, pointing, commenting, and laughing. He took a long look at the wagon, expecting to see something unusual, but everything seemed perfectly normal. The two large draft horses coupled to the drawbar looked just like two draft horses should look. Several large coffers stacked at the back also seemed normal. The driver, a middle-aged hoomin with a large black mustache, was sitting on the bench, holding the reins with one hand, picking his teeth with the other, and looking thoroughly bored. And then the crowd gasped, and yet another large coffer floated slowly and gracefully out of the bookshop and landed on the cart with a muffled thud. Brandt blinked a few times, finally making the necessary mental connection between the scene playing out in front of his eyes and his soon-to-be travel companion. And then his shoulders sagged and an involuntary, quiet whimper escaped his lips. The Nord packed light, taking only bare essentials, to go fast and get food and additional supplies on the way. Everything he took fitted behind the saddle and into a pair of saddlebags. The bookkeeper decided to take all of his belongings with him. All. Of. Them. Brandt pushed through towards the cart, quickly jumped off his horse, tied the animal to the wagon itself, and approached the bookshop. -¡± Trawins!¡± - he shouted. -¡± Yes, Mr Zerster!¡± - echoed a reply from somewhere deep in the shop. Brandt stormed into the shop and almost tripped over yet another chest, this one open and half-filled with books. He dodged this unexpected obstacle and continued towards the back of the shop, where he found Anh stacking more folios on the workbench. -¡± I don¡¯t want to sound rude...¡±- barked Brandt impatiently -¡±...but why, in all that is doing, are you taking all those¡­ things?¡± Unauthorized content usage: if you discover this narrative on Amazon, report the violation. Anh stared at the hoomin, like a deer caught in really strong lumehex. He interrupted his packing ritual, leaving a couple of books free-floating halfway between the shelf and the workbench. -¡± I am packing bare essentials." - replied the tanai after a brief spell of silence, probably after a consultation with his other personalities. His voice bore the tone of an instructor and a scholar, convinced about their integrity - "I recognize we are going to be traveling for at least a few months. So I pack necessary utilities, books, and entertainment.¡± Brandt at first said nothing, straining his willpower not to make any rude remarks. He had only just realized that the task of explaining the situation was, at a glance, insurmountable and he needed to tread lightly. His prior dealings with the tanai taught him that whenever someone is talking to one of these people, they are in reality dealing with four, five, or maybe even six personalities. In a healthy tanai, this ¡®variunity¡¯, as they called it, was speaking in one voice. Thus, convincing one to change their mind about something that was at odds with what they thought was true, was akin to preaching to a choir. With a difference in that the preacher and the choir were members of the bitterly opposed sects of Vihrsantism. -¡±Mr. Trawins.¡± - said Brandt, slowly and calmly - ¡°We are going on a five-hundred-kimer journey. First to Isdelburg, then further into Maargard. Just the Isdelburg bridge tolls for all this¡­ encumbrance¡­ you intend to take, are going to be eye-wateringly high. Not to mention all other fees and turnpikes on the way." The bookkeeper looked around his shop as if he had never seen it before in his life. He scoured the half-empty shelves and all the tools neatly arranged in preparation for packing for a few moments. -¡± Hmm. I admit we didn¡¯t consider that.¡± -¡± There is also the issue of taking care of horses, housing and feeding the driver, not to mention providing security¡­¡± -¡± I didn¡¯t have such an issue when I was moving to Sheridawn." - interrupted Anh frowning - "I hired space on a convoy from Usterl and we just moved on.¡± -¡± Yes. Convoy. Organized by a trader¡¯s guild. With pooled resources and escort. We are not going to have any of those benefits, as we''ll be riding alone most of the way.¡± -¡± How does that change things?¡± Brandt again resisted the urge to slap his forehead. Could this tanai be that naive? -¡± Let me explain. Guild convoys employ a security detail. Hardened, well-trained men who engage every brigand in sight for a good pay. Highwaymen know this and will not raid a caravan unless they are desperate. We are not going to be in a convoy. So we are a big, fat, juicy target, with a cart full of crates and goods.¡± -¡± What follows from this thinking.¡± - the tanai squinted with suspicion - ¡±Are we going to be bothered?¡± -¡± Yes.¡± - nodded Brandt solemnly - ¡°Most likely. Not on the main road to Isdelburg, it is too busy, but I''d expect trouble once we reach lesser tracts in Maargard. More than that: I am certain of an encounter or two.¡± Anh, visibly unhappy about the news, withdrew into his mind for an extended time. It took so long, that the Nord was almost sure he''d cancel and stay put. When the bookkeeper spoke again, he sounded defeated. And uncertain. -¡± What do you suggest we do?¡± Brandt sighed quietly. -¡± Take only bare essentials. Clothes, whatever hygiene products you use, dried food, and a bedroll.¡± -¡± Tanai barely sleep.¡± - interjected Anh lifting his finger. -¡± Even better. Lose the bedroll. Don''t take the coin. Deposit money in Zersbank and demand a note on your name.¡± - the hoomin stopped, seeing that Anh had his lips pressed into a thin line. The bookkeeper didn¡¯t like the sound of that last idea. Brandt decided to sweeten the medicine, speaking in his best, smooth, merchant''s voice -¡± There is no reason to worry. Your money will be safe and the document is useless for anybody else.¡± -¡± Right¡± - nodded the tanai in response - ¡°I¡¯ll do as you ask. But it is going to be a¡­ ¡° - Anh stopped mid-sentence for a full drip and a frown of displeasure flashed across his face. This vanished a moment later -¡±...what was I saying? Ah, yes. So I need to repack. And get a different horse. And pay for the cart...¡± -¡± Yes. Please.¡± - added Brandt with a sigh of relief, but the copyist wasn''t finished yet. -¡± Speaking of which¡­ I don¡¯t want to sound rude, but how am I to expect my shop to be protected?¡± Brandt finally gave in and rubbed his forehead. His companion might have been very eloquent and well-read, but so far proved to be utterly hopeless when it came to preparing to travel. The Nord now had all the reasons to doubt tanai''s survival skills and quietly began to dread camping in the field with this man. -¡± I hired a security firm.¡± - he mentioned tiredly - ¡±In fact, it¡¯s the same one that the Sheridawn branch of Zerstbank uses. They will visit your shop at regular intervals during the day. And if you provide a key, they will also check the inside for any suspicious activity.¡± Anh sighed heavily. -¡± I am going to pretend I am not worried.¡± - ¡°Right.¡± - the Nord now sounded earnest and perhaps a tiny bit desperate - ¡°Listen. I have a suggestion. Take all those chests off the cart. Repack. I¡¯ll organize a horse, or better yet, a mule for you and deal with the return of the cart.¡± The tanai seemed a bit offended, but then also relieved. As if he couldn''t bring himself to make a decision but was quite glad when someone else made it for him. -¡± All right. I¡¯ll repack. Bare essentials. Maybe some books.¡± -¡± No. No books. Deadweight¡± - Brandt paused, seeing a hurt expression on his companion¡¯s face, but then added sternly - ¡±No books. Yes, clothes. Yes, hygiene. If I remember correctly, the tanai don¡¯t travel on horseback, is that correct?¡± -¡± Yes. I¡¯ll float. No issue.¡± - replied he. -¡± Then I will organize a mule. Big, strong, and capable. But for all that does, bare essentials only.¡± Brandt smiled and turned to leave, but the tanai stopped him. -¡± Two mules¡­¡± - he said meekly - ¡°...it''s hard to be a tanai in Maargard...¡± Nord sighed, second-guessing his decision to take the scientist with him. But at this moment he felt he was too committed to change his plans. Way too many things were already assigned to the lesser executives. Letters were issued, and permissions were already bought. Looking for someone else to accompany him would, most likely, take too much time and he didn¡¯t feel knowledgeable enough to go alone. There was no other choice but to succumb to the additional demands, hoping it wouldn''t become a norm. -¡± I will get two mules.¡±- he finally said in a defeated tone. The tanai could only smile. Chapter 2: We travel southwest In the end, they left Sheridawn well after midday. Even though all the kinfolk participated in repacking and loading the mules, and did it in an extremely efficient manner, against the backdrop of Nord''s urging for speed, and cheers, laughter, and comments from the onlookers. Up until a city''s militia patrol came around and ordered the crowd to disperse. Anh was proud of his handiwork. Only five robes, ten pairs of spare underwear, and two pairs of soft-sole moccasins. Three shirts, two pairs of linen trousers. A very carefully curated selection of books, a dozen of them, which seemed topical for the trip - about navigation, maargardian fauna, a copy of Vihrs'' Wisdom - Cammona edition of 1392, a guide to Isdelburg, some romance novels from a local writer. All packed under Brandt''s watchful and discerning eye. A tubus was also included, containing several sheets of parchment and several more sheets of wood-pulp paper, along with four inkwells, each with different colored ink, a few dozen quills, a dozen reed pens of different rigidity, and also some other items of the might-be-useful category. Like paper clips and writing backing. Two nightgowns. A sextant. A compass. A blue sleeping hat with a pompon. Another sleeping hat with a pompon, but dyed pink instead. Stack of handkerchiefs and some sashes. All in all, minimalistic, bare essentials. The other mule Anh packed with his companion in mind, thus there were two pots of slightly different sizes, with a spatula and two spoons. Ten kigram sack of oatmeal. One kigram of absurdly expensive raisins from Usterl. Two kigrams of dried beef. Some dried fruit and a pouch of herbs. In all honesty, one mule would be enough for all of this, at least in Thernohh¡¯s opinion. But she was quickly reminded that they expect more things to be picked up along the way. Neither Anh nor his kinfolk understood Brandt''s exasperation when it came to the size and weight of all the luggage. Whatever the hoomin thought about any of this, he kept it to himself. Anh suspected he wasn''t all too happy, but instead of voicing it, he just helped to pack and secure everything onto the mules. Then, finally, after a short ¡®ceremony¡¯ of handing over the shop keys, they moved out in a curious procession, where Brandt led from the horseback, followed by the mules and with an enrobed tanai floating a bit to the side and glancing around curiously. It took a better part of the candle to navigate through the streets, queue at the bridge, and then get everything checked at the western gate. That last bit threatened to be a source of even more delay. But it went smoothly, as the banker had all the paperwork in order. Soon the dull grey walls of Sheridawn disappeared behind a fold in the terrain. Early spring on the Gisean plateau was a showcase of mud in a variety of forms and consistencies. The snow was at this point but a memory, and all the water had already seeped into the soil, making it wet. Those of the fields that weren''t left fallow were awash in fresh greenery of the staple crops sown at the beginning of the winter. A damp carpet of grass universally covered meadows or pastures, whereas the forests and woodlands were still a grim collection of naked trees with only a sprinkling of nuggets of budding greenery. Thankfully, so close to the spring equinox, Bivos kept in the skies long enough to melt the snow over the last few weeks and maintain the temperature at somewhat tolerable levels. This in turn promised that in a short time flora, both natural and farmed, would spring to life. This was something that Anh hoped his companion would also partake in - being alive that is - because ever since they left Sheridawn, which was a few candles ago, Brandt barely spoke a word. -* if we¡¯re meant to spend more time together *- grumbled Greoo -* he could be more of a companion * otherwise its going to be one boring trip * -* i think we need to give him some time *- replied Anh -* he might be one of the quiet types * recall our meetings from before * all business * no small talk * -* i know! *- she continued -* but nonetheless, this is infuriating * -* speak for yourself *- Thernohh chimed in -* i enjoy the companionship of our, well, companion * he isn''t really bound to do anything * -* what do you mean? *- said Greoo -* what i mean * he has no obligations towards us going beyond our contract * likewise us towards him * what we are doing is pure business * once we are done we part ways * no need or a reason to make this into a lifelong friendship * -* i would like to point out *- Birdekk joined the conversation -* that we still don¡¯t know where we are going * which is something anh could bring up * -* we are going to the na-no-forge in the wildlands *- said Thernohh -* this is kind of obvious * i mean * the one in maargard is going to be either looted or built over at this point * -* you don¡¯t know that *- said Tow -* and even if we take that as a given * which i don¡¯t agree with * we haven¡¯t discussed the issue with our illustrious active leader * -* why would you not agree with that? *- burst out Thernohh. -* because precursorial artifacts were, and are, found regularly * even in cammot and maargard * hoomin spread wide * just not that wide * -* goblin kingdom * tow * the place of the first vihrzug *- shot Thernohh -* of any places * that one is void of content * -* may be *- said Birdekk -* but regardless we still need to discuss the matter with brandt * dominant * please? * -* sure *- Anh finished the exchange - ¡° Mr Zerster. To which of the two outlined locations do you think we should go? The hoomin barely reacted, apparently deep in his thoughts. He was gazing forward into the slowly greying sky and seemed to simply let the horse follow the tract almost on its own accord. Anh trailed somewhat behind and to the left of the Nord, but now has sped up slightly to catch up. His burden animals were tied by the bridle to Brandt¡¯s horse. Royal Road is the home of this novel. Visit there to read the original and support the author. -¡± Southern Maargard¡± - replied Brandt, suddenly straightening in the saddle and looking over at the tanai - ¡°I spent an evening poring over a map. I''ve followed your suggestions and reasoning, and I''ve managed to narrow the location of that particular¡­ how did you pronounce it? ¡®nenaforge¡¯?" -¡±Na-no-forge.¡± -¡± Yes. I narrowed it to within a few dozen kimers of the town of Katzburg on White Orda.¡± -¡± Any reasons why there?¡± -* Because there is an old fort from the first vhirzug there? *- uttered Tow. -¡± There is an old fort there. Kaar Erste. The first castle established as the Guard of Maaren.¡± - replied Brandt, unaware of having been already commented on - ¡° I gather it was built on an important site from First Vihrzug. There were several battles with the goblins in that area, fought over several years, which finally secured the land under the Maaren People''s rule.¡± -* good thinking *- commented Tow -* please continue *- Greoo giggled a bit, hearing this -¡± The border has moved far to the northwest since then, and the fort has been abandoned, but Katzburg remained. A fairly busy town, trading mostly in wood over Orda.¡± - the nord recited all this as if he was reading from a ''Guide to Southern Maargard''. -* tentative * i must say he did his research * need to hear more though *- commented Tow. -* it''s precisely the reason why we should not go there *- Thernohh¡¯s mental voice was dripping with sarcasm -* whatever was there, has already been built over a dozen times * -* that is also undeniable * -" However¡­ this is not the sole reason why I think we should start there.¡± - the hoomin continued as if he was never interrupted. Because in his experience, he never was - " For a very long time, the entire region around Katzburg had been under an unofficial control of the Ordo Pvrgatore. With a large office and contingent of functionaries and workers. Which is rather odd, because the town isn''t exactly a main den of heresy.¡± -* there isn''t anything about this in any of the books I''ve read about the region *- said Tow -* could he be lying? * -" How do you know this?" - asked Anh out loud. Brandt shot him a side glance. -¡° I know this from a¡­ well, let''s call him an informant. A source I am unwilling to disclose, for obvious reasons. The veracity of this account is confirmed though, so¡­" - he paused for a moment - ¡±Anyway. Such an office only makes sense if precursorial artifacts were not only found but also in great numbers. My thinking is thus if the ¡®na-no-forge¡¯ thing was indeed there, then these artifacts were sourced, at least partially, from it.¡± -* which is the reason why there is nothing there now *- shouted Thernohh -* because they scooped it all * -* i kind of agree *- chimed in Birdekk -* if there indeed is an oddly placed office of the ordos * then it both confirms that there was something there and digging for treasure at their doorstep is seeking to get hurt * -* can¡¯t argue that *- added Anh -* however* wildlands are far away anyway * the faster we go there * the faster we¡¯ll be home * -* domin is right *- sadly added Tow -* i actually would like to go there * but dealing with purifiers is probably not worth it * although confirming our hypothesis on the precursor coordinate system would be nice and much easier done going to katzburg * -* greeo? *- Anh nudged her to take action -* do you have anything to say *- -* i¡¯m fine with whatever action you take * we are going to visit enough maargard anyway so we can go straight to wildlands * Brandt was probably aware that something was happening inside of Anh¡¯s skull, as the back and forth between the dominant and subservients took a few drips of awkward silence, but thankfully, or tactfully more like, he didn¡¯t react. -¡± I agree that the closer location is¡­ well, closer.¡± - Anh finally spoke his mind - ¡° But despite that, I think we should move towards the site in the Wildlands.¡± -¡± Explain your thinking please, Mr Trawins? ¡± -¡± Well. Firstly. I agree that Katzburg is closer, and so it''d be quicker to check, but even that will add something like two or three weeks to our journey.¡± -¡± Yes. That is indeed the case. A necessary cost.¡± -¡± Right.¡± - there was a hint of hesitation in tanai¡¯s voice. He cleared his throat - ¡°My thinking is that if there is indeed an office of Skola Pro Cvrsi in Katzburg, and it is there for the reason you stated, then it is a good enough reason on its own to try and avoid this one and try the Wildlands site.¡± -¡± There was an office there.¡± - replied the Nord, fixing his gaze back on the horizon - "As far as I know, they vacated the area perhaps a decade ago." -¡± Yes¡­ but. Skola most likely collected anything worth collecting. Also, doing any excavations so close to a populated area is¡­ well, risky. In my view, it will just act as a significant delay before we can go towards the more promising site.¡± The Nord just frowned and nodded. -¡± I need to think about it. We¡¯ll talk more when we get to our first stop.¡± -* he is against *- nonchalantly stated Greoo -* he already made his mind up * -* then why won¡¯t he just say so? * - said Anh, frustrated. -* i¡¯ll give him the benefit of the doubt * but maybe he recognizes our consensus as valuable * and wants to give it a chance to change his mind * so far he seems like a very sensible person * did all yous noticed that he is very tactful when we discuss stuff * -* i noticed *- said Tow -* and i respect that * -* so did i *- begrudgingly admitted Thernohh -* it does not make his decisions any more justified *- she added dismissively. But then the road stopped climbing and Greoo forced Anh to turn around. The view was spectacular. Bivos was now behind their back and its rays illuminated the entire valley down below, crisscrossed with dykes, fields, and an occasional grove of trees. Veisa meandered slowly right through the middle, like a wide ribbon of pure silver. And right there, in the center of the entire valley lay the city of Sheridawn, with the majestic Spour Castle, ruling over the streets and buildings like a giant mythical creature. Anh felt a pang of nostalgia. As soon as he puts roots somewhere, something comes along and rips them out again. From where he stood, he could just about make out the right bank of the river, with its docks and towers. Somewhere there was his shop. Somewhere there was his home. He sighed heavily and turned around, speeding to catch up with his new companion, who by then had traveled a good few dozen mers down the track. -* adventure awaits! *- screamed Greoo? ecstatically. Chapter 2: Getting to know each other Bivos had already set when they arrived at the roadside inn, imaginatively named ¡®Cat and Mouse¡¯, having traveled about forty kimers over the muddy plains of the Veisa Valley and then the Gisean Plateau. So far Anh has presented himself as an easygoing companion. Mostly because he was busy making observations, sketching, or scribbling, only occasionally asking questions about a particular location. As if Brandt was his tour guide. Although, in a way, the hoomin felt exactly like one. He has already prepared a route from Sheridawn to Isdelburg, with estimated times of arrival, inns earmarked for the night¡¯s rest, and additional time allowance if something went wrong. He was worried that the tempo he envisioned would be too much for his companion, but thankfully the tanai had proven to be much less of a burden than he anticipated, and even with the considerable delay they managed to catch up. Barely, but they did. The ¡®Cat and Mouse¡¯ turned out to be a large, sprawling complex of timber buildings. Brandt knew the layout well, as there were several such roadside stops situated along the tract to Isdelburg, all of which were built recently with loans from the king¡¯s offices. Each of these consisted of spacious stables with a tiny smithy attached to the side, several cottages intended to house all of the staff, and finally a large main building with commons, kitchens, and rooms for rent. They were all built in a manner typical to the central provinces - with thick logs used for the walls, a mixture of moss and clay for caulking, and tiny windows with real glass. Although some of these had already been replaced with stretched membranes of animal origin, or straight up shuttered. The fact that this particular building technique was even used at all was both noteworthy and silly, as typically only peasant houses were built this way. Perhaps the builders thought the travelers would feel right at home, or maybe the lack of funds was the real reason. The Nord stopped admiring the architecture and concentrated on the task at hand. The place was absurdly busy, to the extent that everyone, including Anh and Brandt, was forced to wait in a queue before they could even enter the forecourt. There were several carts, both covered and open, guarded without exception by grim men, armed to the teeth. Two nobleman¡¯s carriages were parked on the side, the servants were quietly cursing whilst unloading a huge chest off the roof of one of them. A stern voice came from the stables, as the current shift¡¯s master yelled at his subordinates. Delicious smells coming from the kitchens mixed unfortunately with the putrid scent of mud and horse manure. And since it was already past dusk, each working person carried a light source - a torch or a light stone, thus adding to the woeful chaos of the eerie spectacle of hoomin impatience, shouts, and haste, submerged in a veritable bouquet of sweet and sour odors, and punctuated by dancing lights. It took half a candle for Anh and Brandt to finally do away with their animals and luggage before they managed to enter the main hall. Unsurprisingly they found the inside of the place to be filled with people, just as the state of its outside would suggest. Brandt looked around, noting familiar details. One of the walls of the hall housed a large grill on which a partitioned oxen continuously rotated on a spit over a roaring fire. A large, square counter with several small barrels taking a third of the available space, occupied another wall. Behind it was the kitchen, as evidenced by a near-endless string of servers emerging and disappearing behind the curtain covering the entrance. In the opposite corner of the hall, standing on a rather minuscule wooden platform, two young minstrels were playing some unobtrusive melody, a common act known in the Kingdom as "The Lute and the Flute", making an effort to create the ambiance - which was obviously and unfortunately completely drowned by the noise of the patrons, eating, drinking and laughing. A few nobles occupied the premium spaces by the fire and their servants made sure no rabble came close. A group of merchants sat in the corner, loudly arguing about something, undoubtedly as a part of negotiating a serious contract. A trio of well-armored men sat in the middle of the commons, playing dice and laughing rowdily. The remaining patrons were a jolly mixture of peasants, workers, drivers, and servants. Brandt smiled, feeling right at home in this environment. Inns such as this one were an inseparable part of his life - first as an adventurer, then as a mercenary, and now as a banker. Or an ex-banker, really. There was always a place to go, always a road to take, and a bed to sleep in. After all these years all of the inns blended into one abstract notion of ¡®a place¡¯. Because, in the end, all of them were just that: a place to eat, sleep, and listen to gossip. He once again lustrated the commons in search of a free table and, once located, moved towards it, ignoring everything and everyone. He did glance behind though, if only to make sure that the hapless bookkeeper followed. He did. It was quite obvious that, in stark contrast to the goal-focused Nord, Anh seemed to be far more interested in the people surrounding them, as evidenced by his eyes constantly darting between the patrons. Brandt also noticed, with a smirk, that almost everyone they passed by, gave them at least a curious look if not a wide berth. For most people, a sight of the elusive ¡®thin ones, thus hexergists¡¯ was still quite rare and interesting. The same people were equally interesting to Anh, although for different reasons. Brandt slammed his satchel on the table, marking his territory, and sat heavily on the bench beside it. Anh joined him a moment later but eschewed sitting for floating with his legs crossed, just over the bench. Which caused a minor sensation at the surrounding tables. -¡± I have made up my mind. ¡± - casually announced Brandt, causing the tanai to sharply turn his attention towards the Nord - ¡° Considering your reservations and other factors, I''ve decided that we are going to visit Katzburg first.¡± -¡± But¡­ " - protested Anh but Brand cut him off. -¡± I understand your objections and they are valid. It is possible we won''t find much. But I sponsor this escapade. So I make the decisions.¡± The tanai escaped into his mind for a fraction of a drip. -¡± I... guess that is fair.¡± - he finally replied in a defeated tone - ¡°However we still believe this¡­.¡± Brandt leaned over the table. -¡± My decision is final.¡± Anh opened his mouth and raised his hand, wanting to protest, but the nord just shook his head and started looking around the room. He quickly spotted an adolescent boy, easily identifiable as a server by a sizable tray filled with dirty bowls and cutlery that he was carrying. Nord whistled and then waved at him. The serveboy nodded. First at Brandt, then at his tray. The Nord nodded back and smiled. The boy veered into the direction of the kitchen skillfully balancing the tray in his hands. The hoomin turned his head towards the tanai. You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author. -" What do you know about Wildlands Mr. Trawins?" - he asked leisurely. Anh immediately stopped sulking. -" Geographically the westernmost part of the Continent." - he recited with an air of professionalism - "What little has been charted so far comprises mostly primeval woodlands, hillocks, and swamplands." Brandt put on his practiced smile of a merchant. -" That''s right. That means no roads, no inns, no provisions. No pack animals. No..." The bookkeeper interrupted by raising his hand. -" I understand. I truly do. You don''t have to explain." - he said with indifference in his voice - " More resources, longer preparations, and so on. You''re the chief here so¡­" The tanai wriggled his eyebrows, which, according to Brandt''s limited knowledge of these people¡¯s face language, meant ''whatever'', then returned to watching his surroundings. The hoomin checked around the commons to see if the serveboy was anywhere to be seen, but since he wasn''t, Brandt turned back to the tanai wanting to speak some more, but noticed that his companion was already busy observing a trio of workers sat at the neighbouring table and passionately engaged in a game of dice. The men were loud, boisterous, and quite drunk already. Brandt recognized the game played as Punt, quite popular in central and eastern Cammot, where each player would first choose a number, bet on it, and then try to match it in no more than three throws, by either adding or removing dice. The winner was the player who got the closest to their bet. Nothing seemed to be happening at first, but then the nord noticed that Anh raised the corner of his mouth in a sly smile and all of a sudden luck started to favor one of the players. At first, his two companions didn¡¯t seem to mind or notice, but after a few consecutive wins, they began to glance suspiciously at the ''lucky'' one. Two more wins in a streak, and finally, one of them snapped. -¡± All right, Bohdan cut it out!¡± - he barked in a tone, which could best be described as a friendly threat - ¡°Stop using your gift to cheat¡±. -¡± Me¡¯s not using the gift!¡± - protested the ''lucky'' man - ¡° I swear on my mother¡¯s!¡± -¡± Oh! Come offit! Ya really wants us to believe you¡¯re not cheatin?!¡± -¡± No! I swear!¡± The gambler got up menacingly and for a tense couple of drips it seemed that a violent conclusion was inevitable, but then he just drank the remainder of his tankard and slammed it on the table. -¡± Have it your way. Whatevers¡± - he announced, wiping his mouth with the sleeve, then turned to leave - ¡°I¡¯m done for today." The third man exchanged glances with Bohdan, then shrugged and stood up. -¡± Right. Let¡¯s go, you¡¯re right.¡± - Bohdan too got off the bench - ¡°But me was not cheatin!¡± -¡± Sure, sure. You were not.¡± All three men then went towards the exit, and the tanai, as if nothing happened, returned to looking around the room. -¡± Was the experiment a success?¡± - asked Brandt in a voice tinted with sarcasm - ¡°May I ask what was the desired outcome?¡± -¡± I don¡¯t know.¡± - responded the bookkeeper, blissfully oblivious to whatever the hoomin wanted to convey - ¡° I was expecting nothing in particular. Mere curiosity.¡± The Nord scoffed and wanted to berate his companion for such inappropriate behaviour but at that precise moment, the serveboy finally arrived. -¡± Good evening, sirrahs. Welcome to ¡®Cat and Mouse¡¯. Are you ready to order?" - said the boy. Brandt raised his eyebrows, quite perplexed. There stood a boy, no more than twelve winters old, in a worn attire and with a straw sticking out of his turnshoes, a peasant, adorned with a simple face and straightforward gaze, and yet his greeting wouldn''t be out of place at The Undercastle, a posh restaurant in Sheridawn''s gentrified Old Town. And while there was still a hint of a common accent in the boy''s speech, it was barely noticeable. This servant was trained to speak well. -" What''s the house specials?" - replied the Nord after a couple of drips of awkward silence. -" The ¡®Cat and Mouse¡¯ is famous for its ox ribs in marjoram and apple gravy. Which I suggest." - woodenly recited the waiter. -¡± Very well. I¡¯ll have the ribs with a side of flatbread and a mug of light mead.¡± -¡± And you, sir?¡± - the servant nodded a few times, blinking, while he committed the order to memory, then turned to Anh. -¡± Food.¡± - said the startled tanai, interrupting his ritual of gawking at the inn''s patrons. His eyes glazed over for a moment before he continued in an annoyed tone - ¡° I mean a large bowl of porridge cooked in milk, lots of honey, and any fruit you can find in the kitchen. Except pear. Pear is disgusting. Add a loaf of white bread and two spoons. I haven''t eaten since noon.¡± - that last sentence wasn''t directed at anyone in particular as Anh returned to his observations even before finishing the process. The serve boy blinked slowly and then nodded. -¡± Ribs with flatbread and a mug of mead and a big bowl of porridge cooked in milk with honey and fruit, except pear, and white bread. Yes?¡± -¡± Yes. ¡± - confirmed Brandt. The boy made a shallow bow and then rushed towards the kitchen. The food arrived not even a quanter later, surprisingly fast, and certainly faster than the wait for someone to come and take their order. Brandt spent this time pretending to look through his satchel, whilst quietly observing Anh, who in turn busied himself ignoring his companion and continually observing people around the inn. At a certain point, he even dug out a sheet of parchment and started scribbling and sketching on it with the help of several reed pens and inkwells, which also mysteriously appeared as if out of nowhere. He of course never physically touched any of those utensils. They just floated out of the ¡®aether¡¯, adding to the spectacle the tanai so far has created around himself. As soon as the food arrived, Anh moved the parchment to the middle of the table, and the Nord could not help himself but stare at it. It turned out to be the floorplan of the inn, the positioning of tables, and also the paths of all the waiters and patrons, as they moved around the commons. Not only was the drawing fairly precise, but it was also picked out with black, red, and green ink drawing attention to different features of the plan. -¡° What have you created here?¡± - intrigued, Brandt pointed at the drawing. -¡° I traced the paths of the waiters in the inn.¡± -¡° I can see that.¡± - replied the Nord with a hint of annoyance - ¡° However, I fail to see the purpose¡­?¡± -¡° Well. Through careful consideration, I have determined that the landlord could add at least two more tables without making it an obstacle to the flow of waiters ¡±- nonchalantly answered the tanai - ¡±or they could get rid of four of the staff if they changed their paths around the inn. In the current configuration, this establishment is barely functioning, and certainly way below optimal threshold.¡± Hoomin looked around the inn, chewing thoughtfully on a piece of meat. -¡° I fail to see a reason to do so. Everything seems to be just fine.¡± -¡° But it could operate better. You, sir, are a man of commerce, considering your occupation, I presume, you should understand the motive to do so.¡± -¡° I would, if there was a failure to be addressed. There isn¡¯t one.¡± The tanai blinked a few times, surprised, and then his eyes glazed over for a few drips. When he came to, his demeanor changed to a much more dismissive one. -¡° If you put it this way, I have no option but to agree.¡± Brandt had enough experience to deem the conversation concluded. Short of shrugging, he decided to instead focus on the food. And so did the tanai, and, without as much as a hint of distress or indeed care - and to the astonishment of the nearby patrons - started to devour his porridge by telekinetically juggling two spoons and having a bite of bread every once in a while. Chapter 2: Consequences Anh unfolded and stretched his limbs, then yawned. He spent the night tucked away in the corner, just underneath a bright oil lamp. There, he took possession of a whole table, where he spread all of his writing utensils, comprising several rolls of paper, his set of inkwells, quills, and reed pens as well as a sizable bowl of dried fruit he managed to swindle from the inn¡¯s pantry. He had succeeded in persuading the landlord, using the same logic which earlier failed to impress Brandt, to consider updating the inn''s floorplan, and after a short haggling session, he managed to get himself hired, if only for a few coins. Which was a minor boon to what he would have done regardless - he wasn¡¯t particularly sleepy or tired. He would try to find something to keep himself busy during the night to alleviate the boredom. The main hall emptied quickly, and soon there would be nothing to observe and interfere with. The room was dimly lit by a handful of torches. The fireplace, with the sad remnants of a mostly-eaten half-corpse of an ox, now only emitted a faint glow. The air was thick with smoke and saturated with smells of the day, a nauseating blend of charred meat, spices, and alcohol, mixed with the sweet odor of vinegar and sweat. The last patrons left for whatever place they had for the night''s rest. The only ones still present were workers of the inn itself, cleaning the floors, scrubbing tables, searching for lost tankards and plates and sometimes ushering a drunk soul from below the table. Upon hearing of the plans for the night, Brandt limited his actions to a slight lift of one of his eyebrows, then wished the tanai goodnight and went upstairs, fingering his satchel. Anh ignored him, then proceeded to optimize the arrangement of his work tools and his position by the table, for clarity of view and ease of use. Once this was done to his satisfaction and he was as comfortable as he could get, he started to work. Sketching, tracing, and calculating trajectories. Occasionally also bothering the kitchen or cleaning staff. It was certainly a long night, but a fruitful one, as he spent it on perfecting his concept. When the morning dawned a sizable heap of paper sat proudly in the middle of the table. Of the five of the kinfolk, only Birdekk engrossed himself in his private sleep, or meditation, so to speak. This state of tanai¡¯s inner personality, when one of the variunity simply detached him- or herself from the rest and was doing¡­ something, didn''t even have a corresponding word in the Cammona tongue, mostly because even the tanai people rarely spoke of this. In the constant cacophony of the inner workings of their psyche, those rare moments of privacy constituted a taboo, rarely addressed and practically never discussed, but always respected and cherished. -* well look who crawled out of his room *- hissed Tow when they saw Brandt walking into the main hall. The Nord stopped for a drip, looked around, and, noticing that his tanai companion didn''t seem to move from his spot, smiled and directed his steps toward Anh''s corner. -¡± Good morning. ¡± - boomed the hoomin in a surprisingly fresh and energetic voice -¡± I am ready to go. Do you need some time to prepare?¡± -¡± What? It¡¯s barely¡­ the time it barely is. Early.¡± - replied the tanai, blinking. -¡± Time is a limited and non-renewable commodity, and we are on business.¡± - Zerster sat across the tanai and, after a questioning gesture, took the pile of drawings and shuffled through them - ¡°I reckon we should not waste it.¡± - he added after a few drips of silence. You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author. -*I just might like this man* - snickered Thernohh -¡± That, I agree¡± - responded Anh in part to the hoomin, in part to his kin -¡± I am done with this, I just need to coin in and we can go.¡± -¡± Glad to hear that. I shall fetch and prepare our steeds. Are you wrapping up right now?¡±- there was no real reason to say those words because even as Brandt spoke, Anh was already in the process of collecting his things. Seeing this, the hoomin stood up and unceremoniously went towards the outside doors. -* well, so much for chit-chat*- said Greeo -* he isn¡¯t the type * but I guess the landlord might be * time to get our shillings * After a short while Anh emerged from the inn in a pretty cheerful mood. While the landlord did try to haggle her way out of paying, it wasn¡¯t that difficult to convince her otherwise. Which was good. Surprisingly good. Possibly because a year of making ends meet as a merchant sharpened his interpersonal skills somewhat. Or perhaps because she did see the value in the tanai¡¯s contributions. His mood then improved even further when it turned out that outside was bivy, fairly dry, and warm. Quite dissimilar to the last few days. Anh spotted Brandt leaning against a fence, their small caravan of two mules and a horse tied to a post nearby. The man seemed busy observing three workers packing luggage upon a carriage of azure and yellow, the heraldic colors of the Kingdom, the same three men Anh remembered from last evening¡¯s game of Punt. They clearly had a falling out - instead of gently handling over chests and sacks, they almost threw them at each other, and one sported a black eye. The tanai approached Brandt, who nodded at the spectacle. - ¡± They seemed to have had a fight last evening.¡± - he said, directing his words to nobody in particular - ¡°You are the cause.¡± - ¡± I¡¯m going to require some explanation.¡± - tanai said innocently, whilst the kinfolk inside his head roused a commotion, variously assigning blame or taking credit for the idea of interrupting the game. - ¡° From what you can observe already, they had a brawl. I overheard that the reason for it happening was their game yesterday. ¡°- Brandt hopped onto his horse -¡± The one you meddled with.¡± - ¡° That¡¯s unfortunate. For them, I guess.¡± - Anh busied himself by strapping a bag to the mules he led. Both men directed themselves toward the western gate of the inn proper. Once they entered the open fields, Brandt continued. - ¡± I don¡¯t think you should be so dismissive¡± - ¡± How so? If my ¡®prank¡¯ was such a massive blow to them, they ended up fighting, well. Does not speak well of their working relationship.¡± - said nonchalantly Anh - ¡°or sanity, for that matter.¡± - ¡° Yes. This is indeed true.¡± - the tanai was content with this response, and as soon as he heard it, he started to look around himself, searching for something to distract himself from the voyage -¡°That is not the issue here¡± - Brandt continued a few seconds later. - ¡° So what is?¡± - ¡° The problem is, we are going into Maargard and we are going to be poking people who don¡¯t take kindly to it.¡± - ¡° Indeed. Yes. What of it?¡± - ¡° Those people routinely have ¡®poor working relationships¡¯ or are straight up ¡®insane¡¯, as you put it.¡± - ¡° Are you worried, I am going to poke the wrong people for my amusement?¡± - ¡° Yes. If you will, it is going to put us in grave danger.¡± - ¡° Aren¡¯t you, sir, ¡° - said visibly annoyed Anh - ¡° a little too suspicious?¡± - ¡° I don¡¯t know¡± - responded the hoomin - ¡° Am I?¡± - ¡° You are. I¡¯m perfectly capable of not getting myself in trouble¡±. Chapter 2: Roadworks (1/2) The slow clip-clop of the horse¡¯s hooves put Brandt into a sort of trance. A state of mind, which he was oh so familiar with - the winding road, the views, changing as if in a kaleidoscope, rolling clouds, and so forth. He tried for a while to analyze his companion¡¯s behavior, but couldn¡¯t concentrate, so with a sigh he eventually allowed his mind to drift. For whatever reason his thoughts always came back to the next larger checkpoint of their journey. The free city of Isdelburg. He knew it well, having been there frequently on business. The city always seemed too large for its good. Squeezed onto a narrow wedge of land, where two large rivers, the Niesse and the Orda, met. The Orda considered the larger of the two, continued from this point onward as a two-kimer-wide swampland, slowly meandering through the Maargardian Plateau. Due south, upstream, both rivers went through dense forests, with only isolated pockets of civilization, all the way to the Soutwals. Suffice it to say, Isdelburg had a fortuitous location of being the first, the last, and by extension - the best place where crossing Orda was still practical when trade was concerned. Just about any tun, cart, sack, crate, vat, or bottle of merchandise from Maargard to Cammot, and vice versa, passing through the bridges leading to the peninsula. All this made the city very, very wealthy. ¡­and contested. Both the Kingdom and the Paladinate claimed the peninsula as their own territory, trying to gain control through the usual mixture of force and corruption, but in the end, neither could make the city surrender its fierce independence. The visible monument of this rivalry took the form of no less than four fortresses built around the city, two by each power, officially ¡®to watch¡¯ the city. This made Isdelburg itself one of the best-guarded cities in the known world, to the intense benefit of everyone involved, but without it being recognized. Because, as the saying goes: ¡°The Commerce must Commence¡±. Since they left Sheridawn Brandt¡¯s companion seemed¡­ busy. Mostly with whatever the tanai ought to usually be busy with. From the hoomin¡¯s perspective, this was either: staring absentmindedly into the void, floating around a point of interest, or scribbling something furiously, muttering incomprehensible words about some or other observation he had made. After watching the same scene unfolding several times over, Brandt had to admit that the tanai¡¯s talent for telekinesis was impressive. The bookkeeper seemingly had no issues hovering a piece of parchment, an inkwell, and a quill and making notes all at the same time, whilst floating alongside the Nord. All this was achieved with his hands kept hidden deep in the sleeves of his robe. The first time Brandt saw the tanai do just that, he could not help but stare for a long while, mesmerized by the spectacle. Even now, several days later, he frequently caught himself throwing a glance. As they continued westwards and the density of the traffic increased, Brandt noticed that tanai¡¯s attention shifted from the landmarks and environment to people. There were now many more Southerners on the road, with their ruddy skin and straightforward gaze, and an occasional Maargardian, easily spotted thanks to their flashy chaperones and tall caps. Their distinctively different clothing and mannerisms seemed to fascinate Anh, up to the point where the bookkeeper almost caused them to be thrown out of one of the inns, where his excessive ¡®observations¡¯ spurred a ¡®gardian merchant¡¯s bodyguard to jump at the tanai. It took Brandt some effort to calm the situation. Trawins¡¯ behavior increasingly reminded him of a child in a candy store, but fortunately, after the incident at the inn, he restrained himself to only respectfully observing from a distance. The days went by, and both travelers settled into a routine. They started early - Brandt made such a factual rule - usually no more than a candle after dawn. Then they broke their fast with whatever was available from the kitchens, then returned to the road. They usually had a break around midday, eating rations and resting in a layby or a tree grove for around a candle. Then back on the road again, reaching the next planned inn just before bivset. Brandt tried to keep a brisk pace but without unduly tiring the animals. Karrlsons were known for excellent stamina, but even they couldn¡¯t canter forever. They were now on their fifth day since leaving Sheridawn, and the third day since they left the Gisean Plateau and entered the endless flat grasslands, covered at this time of year with sad, yellowish, dead carpet. This practically featureless environment, as Brandt knew well, stretched to the Orda River and was only occasionally broken up by small clumps of bushes, narrow strips of deciduous woodland, mostly following some or other stream, and punctuated by various examples of hoomin habitation, from lone homesteads, through agricultural villages, small settlements built around roadside inns to an infrequent occurrence of a market town. The traffic kept steadily increasing. Practically every tract and path joining the main road seemed to either inject another merchant with a laden mule heading towards Isdelburg or swallow caravans going in the opposite direction. Regularly, twice a day, a King''s courier pushed past them in a hurry, going in one direction in the morning, and back again in the afternoon. They had only just finished their midday rest and couldn¡¯t be traveling for more than half a candle, when Brandt, from his vantage point, spotted a deadlock not that far ahead. Several carts, horses, and men stood unmoving in the middle of an empty field, seemingly for no reason at all. -¡± Impressive¡± - he muttered under his breath. -¡± What¡¯s impressive?¡± - chipped in the tanai. -¡± We still haven¡¯t seen either the Lower or Upper Bresland castles, but the construction is already here¡±. Love this novel? Read it on Royal Road to ensure the author gets credit. -¡± Construction?¡± - the bookkeeper perked up - ¡°What construction? Where?¡± The traffic started to slow down. Brandt wiggled in the saddle and patted his horse on the neck. -¡± Some ten years ago the King decided to build a stone road from Isdelburg all the way to Sheridawn. To help facilitate the trade.¡± -¡± Ambitious, but not unheard of.¡± Brandt glanced at his companion and frowned. -¡± Something like this has never been attempted before.¡± -¡± Tanais has been building stone roads since the Early Vhirise.¡± - dismissively claimed Anh - ¡°Child¡¯s play. But I¡¯m not surprised it took six centuries for the hoomin to catch up.¡± The man huffed in exasperation but then forced himself to calm down and pondered how to respond without antagonizing his companion. But at the same time, he felt the urge to cut the lanai down to size, since his disrespectful attitude towards hoomin steadily intensified over the last few days, and Brandt started to feel annoyed about all this. -¡± The technology is not unknown. The scale is.¡± - he said finally. -¡± How so?¡± - in a blink of an eye Anh¡¯s attitude shifted from dismissive to interested. -¡± The road will span a couple of hundred kimers. It gets built in segments, using at least three layers of prep work, which includes building a compacted earth bypass for the carts. For everything to go smoothly, a large quarry has been established up the Niesse. The stone is being delivered by boat.¡± - Brandt recounted the facts slowly and with clarity, as if he were instructing a child - ¡°Gravel and sand are moved up Orda from the pits just outside Gnorlitz. All this is offloaded on the eastern bank of Niesse, using a purpose-built riverport just up from Isdelburg. Caravans of carts transport it to the construction site day and night.¡±- Brandt glanced at the tanai, mostly to judge his reactions. He seemed to be listening with great attention -¡± Here¡¯s the impressive part: judging from what we can both see here, they have laid over seventy kimers of the road in just under three years. This is way ahead of schedule.¡± Anh didn¡¯t respond, only caressed his goatee for a while. -¡± This is¡­ indeed¡­ impressive.¡± - he said finally. Then added with a hint of racial pride - ¡°I¡¯m willing to bet that the Tanais Constrvctvm Corpvs (im Vhirs Excellsio) is proud of its achievements here.¡± This time it was Brandt¡¯s turn to be dismissive. -¡± The entire project is undertaken solely by the Kingdom of Cammot and funded thanks to Zerstbank¡¯s loans. None of Tanaiis¡¯ organizations were ever involved.¡± -¡± Really? Not even one engineer?¡± The hoomin shrugged. -¡± Really. Not one. However, there was a sizable contribution from Sheridan¡¯s Zeim. They¡¯ve done most of the surveying and inspections before the construction commenced in earnest and still provide engineers and advisors.¡± -¡± Well then. It is indeed impressive. Hoomin, almost on their own, getting something done instead of arguing with each other.¡± Brandt smirked and shook his head slightly. There was something unpleasant in Anh¡¯s demeanor here, like an age-old adversity or maybe a hint of bitterness, and the hoomin decided not to dig deeper to find out. But on the other hand, he couldn¡¯t resist plucking that string just a little bit more. -¡± I am now wondering how well the other part of the project is progressing.¡± - he added jovially. -¡± What other part?¡± -¡± If I recall correctly, there were plans for another quarry upstream of Weisa, to facilitate road laying from Sheridawn side as well, speeding up the process. We haven¡¯t seen anything as we left, so I guess there is a delay.¡± - the floating bookkeeper grumbled something unintelligible. Brandt hid his smile and looked ahead - ¡°Whatever the case may be, we should arrive in Isdelburg a day after tomorrow. Unless the construction slows us down.¡± At this precise moment, the traffic finally ground to a halt. He couldn''t tell exactly how many people waited in front of them but there were at least a dozen horses and mules, some open carts with canvas-covered loads, and something that looked like a noble¡¯s carriage. A man carrying a spear in one hand, a kettle helmet in the other, and dressed in a blue and yellow tabard leisurely walked alongside the road, speaking to each traveler in turn. Brandt looked him up and down as he closed in. The hoomin was a Midlander type, about fifty years old. He had a grey, tangled woodcutter¡¯s beard matched to a similarly sized and colored mane of hair sticking out from underneath his helmet padding. When he reached Anh and noticed that the tanai¡¯s feet were not touching the ground he squinted and hesitated, but quickly regained his composure. -¡± Sorry for delay sir.¡± - he said, directing his words towards Brandt, but glancing uneasily at the strange floating person - ¡°We¡¯re building the Stoneway No.1 to Isdelburg. We¡¯ll let you through as soon as they¡­¡± - he pointed with his chin back where he came from - ¡°...clear the blockade. Some stones fell over to the pass¡± -¡± Can¡¯t we just go around?¡± - asked Brandt. -¡± You can try, but I wouldn¡¯t risk it. The ground is thick mud over here and we haven¡¯t made a pass that far yet. Better to¡­¡± - the guard stuttered, seeing Trawins float up several mers. He put his helmet back on and scratched his neck -¡± Umm¡­ wait a little. I guess.¡± -¡± Thank you¡± - said Zerster. The guard nodded and went away, shaking his head and still peering back at the flying man from time to time. Having nothing else interesting to do, Brandt looked around, this time noting additional detail. Directly in front stood a large cart drawn by two horses and steered by a peasant wearing a saggy straw hat and a thick, fur vest over simple linen clothes, which had seen better days. The cart was open-topped but its contents were covered with a tarred canvas, as was the standard. The Nord''s gaze slid further up front, where a pair of travelers, not unlike Brandt and Anh, sat on their horses, chatting loudly. Their Cammona speech was tainted with a heavy Maargardian accent. Even further still, past a few laden mules and horses accompanied by their drivers, there was a richly ornamented carriage, laden with coffers on the roof. A barely audible melody, played most likely on a lute, emanated from inside. This carriage completely blocked the line of sight, so Brandt shifted his attention towards the surrounding landscape, but just at that moment Anh floated back down. [tbc] Chapter 2: Roadworks (2/2) -¡± We shall not pass.¡± - said the tanai in an informative tone - ¡°Hundred or so people are working ahead, moving stones from one pile to another. There''s a lot more. We need to wait.¡± -¡± Then we will wait.¡± - shrugged hoomin. -¡± Then you will wait. I need to make notes.¡± Brandt watched, with a dose of bemusement, as the tanai floated towards his mules and, after a short struggle, pulled out a stack of sheets and several writing utensils. Then he once again rose over the crowd and flew towards the roadworks. Most likely causing commotion for the second time, as his tools obediently followed him through the air like ducklings following their mother. Only more dramatically. The obstruction lasted at least another candle and Brandt was beginning to glance at the Bivos'' position in the sky with growing irritation. When they allowed the people to go through and the Nord finally passed the roadworks, the tanai was nowhere to be seen, but in just a few triskols he emerged from the crowd and hastily caught up. The road was now wide enough for three carts, its surface smooth and level, made of flat granite stones fitted tightly together. The roadside, made of compacted gravel, extended for another half a mer on either side, and in regular intervals stone bollards, engraved with some numbers, marked every kimer. It was a great improvement over the muddy tract over on the other side of the roadworks, thus Brandt happily sped up, trying to make up the lost time For a very long time, Anh said nothing, but energetically shuffled his papers, occasionally ¡®umm¡¯-ing an ¡®hmm¡¯-ing to himself while reading or scribbling some further side notes. From what little Brandt could see, the sheets were covered in sketches and tight script. -¡± What interesting observations have you made?¡± - the Nord''s curiosity finally triumphed and he gave in. The startled tanai looked sharply at the hoomin, but quickly recovered his confidence. -¡± Ah yes. I spoke with the chief mason about the logistics of the entire operation. A tehei, really cheerful fellow. Anyhow, the road, a fascinating subject, to be honest. Did you know they need a cart''s worth of stone, another one of sand, and a third with gravel, every two candles, otherwise work grinds to a halt?¡± -¡±Makes sense.¡± - replied Brandt - ¡°But we don¡¯t see this cavalcade of carts going there.¡± -¡± That is a very poignant observation! Mr Zerster.¡± - exhaled Anh - ¡°Indeed. That was my question as well. I mean, not that question exactly, but in the same vein!¡± -¡± Aha.¡± - said Brandt and then wanted to add something else, but it was too late. The tanai at this point turned into an unstoppable force of nature, the excitement practically spilling out of his ears. -¡° So it turns out that they operate by stockpiling continuously for the next day, starting in the morning, and moving towards the work front. It works like this: a convoy of carts, anything between twelve and fifteen, leaves Isdelburg and moves forward 30 kimers. The drivers then leave the loaded carts and return with empties. Another group of drivers takes over from that exchange site and drives them 30 kimers and so on. Did you know that to facilitate this, they had to expand the stables to three times their size?" -¡± Uhum.¡± - muttered Brandt, half wondering if he made the right decision asking. -" They used the existing infrastructure which was set up for the urgent courier services, but modified and expanded to suit the new requirements." - continued Anh, drumming his fingers together - " Essentially, each day they start with a fresh pile of materials and as they move forward, there is more ground to cover each day, so logically, more and more carts need to be added to the rota. They have a designated foreman who makes relevant calculations every day and decides on the number. And he''s hoomin! The tehei also stated that they have not had any major delays yet. Minor ones like the one we have seen, happen rarely.¡± -¡± That is well managed!¡± - added the hoomin, then looked sideways at the tanai and delivered a coup de grace - ¡° Does this alter your perception of us simple-minded creatures in any way?¡± Anh did not expect that question. His eyes glazed over and he slowed down somewhat, a sure sign of internal struggle of some kind. When he finally spoke, his voice sounded more humble than before. -¡± I must reluctantly agree that everything here is very impressive! It indeed is a great achievement for the hoomin." - there was a short moment of silence and then he added - "They learned their lessons well from us." Brandt smiled with resignation, then shifted his tone to a dry and informative one. This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there. -¡± I''ve decided to pick up the pace. We should arrive at our next stop on time, despite the delay. This will be our last rest before we reach Isdelburg gates tomorrow evening. The plan is to embark on the boat to Katzburg the day after tomorrow.¡± Anh hesitated for a second. -¡± Mr Zerster. Isdelburg is a trade city, right?¡± -¡± Indeed.¡± -¡± I need to restock on parchment before we go. I¡¯m down to four sheets. So, we need to visit the shops.¡± Hoomin pondered the situation for a short while. -¡± Out of the question.¡± - he said flatly - ¡°It¡¯s by Arneg¡¯s acts we made it here on time.¡± -¡± I don¡¯t think I made myself clear enough.¡± - said Anh - ¡°I need to go.¡± Brandt deepened his voice and made it sound even drier than before. -¡± The ferry to Katzburg sails only once per six days. If we miss it, we will need to wait for another one. The only alternative is to spend three weeks trekking through forests. I¡¯m not happy with this alternative and I¡¯m sure that neither are you, so we won¡¯t be taking chances. Making a minor purchase does not justify wasting so much time. And time is money Mr. Trawins.¡± -¡± I¡­ need to object¡­¡± The Nord glanced sternly at his companion. -¡± I''ll say it once again. Out of the question.¡± The tanai didn¡¯t say anything back, just grumbled something unintelligible under his breath and angrily returned to shuffling his notes. Brandt returned his attention to the road. Was that the first crack on the fa?ade? Will it widen into outright disobedience? He shook his head. The horse cantered forward, and the ringing of horseshoes on the stones seemed to only punctuate his thoughts, like a slowly dripping candle glass counting down to some inevitable disaster. The remainder of their journey to Isdelburg passed in uncomfortable silence. Anh seemed grumpy and distant, and the hoomin decided to completely ignore him. They didn¡¯t exchange so much as a few words, in the evening, during their stay at the inn, and for most of the following day. Not even when they went through one of the newly built turnpikes, collecting fees for using the road. Brandt just paid what was due, only once glancing at the tanai who was busily using the last scraps of parchment in his possession, documenting the process for posterity no doubt. The road kept on, winding its way through the countryside, which only now, so close to the river, started to change from the grasslands to a more forested environment. Clouds blew away, showing the blue skies and the pale face of spring Bivos in their full glory. The bookkeeper seemed to ignore all that most of the time, apparently choosing to use the sunny weather to sort out all his notes and drawings, undoubtedly using his proprietary and - from the hoomin¡¯s point of view - impractical filing system. To that effect he stayed back, floating next to the mules and constantly unpacked, sorted, and repackaged some items. Brandt didn¡¯t have anything remotely similar to do, so he filled his time with staring absentmindedly into the distance, in an almost meditative state. Only when silhouettes of the town''s fortifications started to appear on the horizon, Brandt decided to break the silence. -¡± We will rest at the ¡®Black Goose¡¯ Inn, on this side of Niesse." - he said, speaking forward into the air -"We will probably arrive quite late, there are still about six or seven kimers to go.¡± -¡± Sure¡± - came a flat response from somewhere at the back. Brandt remained unfazed. -¡± The wharf with the boat we need to get on is on the upper part of the Orda, so on the far side of Isdelburg. It leaves in the morning. We¡¯ll need to hurry, otherwise we are going to be stuck here for the next six days.¡± -¡± I¡¯m sure we will make it there with no issues.¡± -¡± We have space rented on the boat for our animals.¡± - Brandt pointed at Anh¡¯s mules - ¡°This should save us a lot of effort and time in Katzburg.¡± -¡± It is a great plan.¡± Brandt sighed. At no point in his past experiences with the tanai have they ever acted like a sulky child. He wasn¡¯t quite used to such behaviour. -¡± Listen. I am aware that you go through those sheets at a rapid rate. But, we really¡­¡± - he put a very strong emphasis on the word ¡®really¡¯ - ¡±...won¡¯t have the time to shop for them. It¡¯s a large city. It¡¯s crowded. It''s an unnecessary risk.¡± Anh appeared in the Nord¡¯s point of view, having floated forward from his pack animals. He looked at the hoomin and made a serious face. - ¡°I can see the necessity. The said necessity notwithstanding, I am with you on this excursion to do research. To do research I need to make notes.¡± Brandt rolled his eyes in exasperation. -¡± I took you to provide expertise during the potential excavation. Excavation. Which implies when we are there.¡± -¡± But¡­¡± - protested the tanai, but the banker cut it short, speaking in a stern voice, just to quash any possibility for further negotiation. -¡± You manage your supplies at your discretion. At the same time, your mismanagement of these supplies should not and will not cause delays in our schedule. You have used everything you had before we even reached Isdelburg and your lack of preparation does not constitute my emergency.¡± - then he took a couple of deep breaths and added, in a slightly more conciliatory tone - ¡±However. I¡¯m sure there are going to be plenty of opportunities to buy parchment in Katzburg. When we arrive. Not earlier.¡± Tanai grumbled something incoherently in protest, but then, in an act of outward resignation, gloomily hung his head and returned to the mules. Chapter 2: King Rasmus Bridge Anh was floating several mers above the ground. Since this activity did not tax his mind too much, he opted to hover in a vantage point right in the middle of a forecourt of an inn called ¡®The Black Goose¡¯, which Brandt chose as their last stop before entering the city proper. This inn was an order of magnitude bigger than everything they''d visited on the way from Sheridawn. So far. The entire complex seemed larger than a village, with three sprawling guest houses, four stables, and a few additional buildings of various purposes, which included a blacksmith. All of this straddled the main road which ran through the middle of the forecourt like a demarcation line. The hour was exceptionally early, even considering Brandt''s and Anhs'' strict standards, several candles before dawn, however, the skies in the East already had this greyish-purple glow, heralding imminent bivrise. The tanai didn''t have the time to marvel at this sight, because there was enough of a commotion happening below to warrant his immediate and undivided attention. Several dozen carts and carriages were readied for departure. Those bound for Sheridawn stood on the northern side of the forecourt. Accordingly, the ones earmarked for Isdelburg stood on the opposite side. The crowds of hoomin, and even tahei, involved in these preparations could be counted in hundreds and incorporated a diverse selection of trades, from laborers loading crates, sacks, and bundles, through stableboys hitching up draft animals, to caravan masters instructing their drivers and drovers. There were even several stalls with food rations for the road and other useful knick-knacks. The galleries surrounding the square housed a large security detail keeping a close eye on thieves and vagabonds. At first, they were glancing suspiciously at the flying enrobed figure, but gradually stopped when they likely concluded that he didn''t pose an immediate threat. The size of the crowd was staggering, even for Anh. His kinfolk made pointed observations about things happening below, while he couldn''t stop lamenting the lack of writing utensils. Now and then he looked straight down at the mules, to check if everything was still in order. He was instructed to do so by Brandt, to the chorus of sarcastic remarks made by his kin. Anh was sure that the word ''slave'' was mentioned at least four times. But he did it anyway because Brandt needed to ¡®finalize passage agreements¡¯. His absence was prolonged, Thernohh quietly counted out drips and triskols, and had already gotten to a quanter with change when the silhouette of his companion appeared in the passage leading towards King Rasmus Bridge, pushing through the crowd. Just as Anh was seriously considering floating back down and starting to harass random people for some clean writing sheets. -¡± We need to move.¡± - shouted the hoomin once he got close enough. -¡± All right. We¡¯re moving.¡± - shouted back Anh. He lowered his flight until he was almost back on the ground, scaring several workers in the process, and yanked the mules. -¡± We should be able to avoid the morning crowds, which might seem counterintuitive to the obvious. I managed to secure priority entry through the bridge and paid the tolls already.¡± - said Brandt mounting his horse. -¡± That¡¯s¡­ fortunate¡± - said Anh wiggling his eyebrows - ¡°I think.¡± -¡± I said ¡®entry¡¯." - replied the man, maneuvering so as not to trample anyone to death - "There is still the other end of the bridge, where Isdelburg collects its share of the toll and where I could not go, for obvious reasons.¡± -¡± I trust you have everything under control.¡± - remarked Anh dismissively -¡± Besides, they are incentivized to make us cross and pay, I presume.¡± - They were already nearing the toll gate of the bridge and his attention had already shifted to marvel at this prime example of engineering. The toll gate loomed large above them. Anh ignored kin''s comments about gloom and menace and with the help of Tow, he started assessing the structure''s qualities. The gateway consisted of two stone, rectangular towers, fifteen mers in height. The distance between them measured no more than six mers and instead of a solid door, a two-winged barrier, painted in blue and yellow stripes, prevented entry. Overlooking all this was a narrow wooden bridge, occupied at this moment by a couple of bored, yawning soldiers of the kingdom, armed with longbows. Banners, sporting the Royal Cockerel, hung sadly and loosely from the battlements. Brandt led the animals with the attached tanai around some carts and several packed mules, waiting patiently to be allowed to pass, effectively skipping the entire queue. There was some displeased muttering, but no one dared to protest loudly. A stocky, fifty-something soldier in a blue-yellow tabard manning the barricade stepped out from behind the obstacle and approached the travellers. -¡± Halt! Citizen.¡± - shouted the man - ¡°The passage openeth¡¯ naught for thee at this hour.¡± -¡± We hath already secured proper measures for passage at priority.¡± - responded Brandt calmly but in a voice that Greoo described as ''authoritarian''. -¡± Ah, yes. Mr Zerster, Please.¡± - the officer nodded and then proceeded to raise the barrier. -¡± Hey!¡± - shouted one of the merchants whom Brandt and Anh passed over - ¡°how come they get to go, but we don¡¯t!¡± -¡± Citizen! Shuteth up thine! These bes internal kingdom matters, not concerning thee.¡± - the officer growled back - ¡°Now stay where you are.¡± The tiny caravan moved on. When the officer went out of earshot, the tanai asked the hoomin. -¡± Are we really on ¡®internal affairs of the kingdom¡¯ here?¡± -¡± As much as that fellow cares¡± - said Brandt - ¡°we are.¡± The tanai didn¡¯t respond, only nodded, being already busy counting stones. Even though the Neisse was the smaller of the two rivers merging at the Isdelburg peninsula, its width still measured almost a kimer. The bridge spanning it was built to match that grandeur. Seven mers in width, twice that in height, it stood on stone arches, set about forty mers apart, which in turn rested on stone pillars, reinforced to withstand spring ice floes. Anh counted nineteen spans until the stone bridge ended abruptly with a massive wooden drawbridge, hinged from a threshold of the city gates. These in turn were bookended by twin rectangular stone towers. A series of metal chains served to actuate the bridge. Anh noticed that the banners hanging from these towers were different and depicted a silver fish on a light blue background. High above the fish, a red horizontal bar with some trapezoidal shapes was added, almost like an afterthought. *is this supposed to represent a bridge* - asked Greoo - *looks silly* *yes, the fish is the old symbol of Isdelburg* - replied Tow, the resident walking encyclopedia of unconnected facts and trivia - *they added the bridge afterward* the name Isdelburg means literally a place where chub is¡­* But Tow wasn''t listened to anymore, because Anh directed his attention to the river and views on either side of the bridge. Neisse was swollen with spring meltwaters and peppered with occasional ice floes. To the left, the river seemed like a grey ribbon slowly flowing towards him in a menacing silence. On his right¡­ well, that''s where it merged with Orda, a river even wider and more powerful. The waters there seemed almost like a sea. The riverbank opposite, way past the tip of the Isdelburg peninsula, was barely visible in the morning mist. This tale has been unlawfully lifted without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon. Isdelburg in comparison seemed insignificant and tightly squeezed on the peninsula, as if gripped in a vice. Although the towers, the parapets, and the gate seemed like impenetrable fortifications, the city didn''t care that much for security, as the defensive walls extended no more than a hundred mers on either side of the gate, seamlessly blending into an extensive - and very much unfortified - system of wharves, landings, cranes, ramps and warehouses. -¡± The drawbridge.¡± - the sharp sound of Brandt¡¯s voice pulled the tanai out of his daydreaming - ¡°It''s up. It should not be at this time.¡± -¡± We only just entered the bridge." -replied Anh dismissively - "And we''re ahead of time. I¡¯m sure these things are synchronised between both sides.¡± -¡±They should be, but this is a free city, maybe there was some political incident, or¡­¡± - the banker paused and scratched his chin - ¡°I would expect everything to be prepared for that torrent of merchants waiting to pass, but maybe you are right. We¡¯ll wait and see what happens.¡± When they reached the edge of the stone pier, where the bridge would land, they stopped. Nothing happened. Once or twice a helmeted head appeared above a parapet, muffled shouts and banging came from somewhere inside the tower, but the bridge stayed up. The toll gate on the Cammotian side must have been opened, because a crowd started to gather behind them, leaving both men in an uncomfortable position, as they had only icy water as an escape route. Anh floated just on the edge of the pier, looking half bored, whilst Brandt shifted his gaze between the gate and all the merchants they bypassed previously, who were now slowly creeping towards them. His demeanor showed a hint of nervousness, the first time since they started their journey. The wait dragged on. The crowd grew denser and was slowly turning into an unruly mess as the prolonged delay made its constituents very unhappy. There was a lot of angry muttering, shoving, and pushing. A pampered voice of an Imperial noble demanded answers, followed by weak protests and sounds of a rod hitting the flesh. Brandt finally had enough. -¡± HEY! Lower the bridge!¡± - he shouted - ¡°Before anyone gets hurt!¡± - ¡°Yeah!¡± - came somewhere from the crowd - ¡°Open the fucking gate!¡± Nobody seemed to respond for a short while, but then a soldier appeared on the battlements. -"Shveige! Ve are vorking on it!" - bellowed the man, then he paused and looked around the crowd as if he was searching for someone in particular. - "Vou zere! Ja, vou on ze ferd." - he hollered pointing straight at Brandt - "Kan your fliegling frend komm und help hier?" - ¡° I think he means you.¡± - said the nord among the angry responses coming from the crowd - " Are you willing? I mean, not as if it''s of any use, I don''t think you can reach the tow¡­" Anh shrugged, ignoring the banker. He nonchalantly floated off the pier into the air then hastily headed to the gatehouse of the bridge, his robes flapping around in the wind. - ¡° Tanai. They can fly.¡± - muttered Brandt, then sighed - ¡°Now let¡¯s hope he does not cause some sort of a disaster¡±. But Anh wasn''t listening anymore. He was already high over the bridge proper, almost as high as the battlements. The soldier waiting for him there had his eyes wide open with awe and wonder mixed with surprise. -" Yes, what is the problem?" - asked the tanai, after a few drips of his free-floating at the man''s eye level didn''t respond. -" Uh, ja Herr hexer. Ze winsch iz stuk." - stuttered the guard, then pointed towards the door leading to the tower - "Zis vey." Anh followed him inside. There, he discovered three more hoomin heaving on a long metal rod, which was firmly wedged inside some mechanism. Seeing the tanai enter, they let go of the lever and moved aside, bowing their heads and muttering something illegibly. One of them, an elderly man with an impressive white mustache, stepped forward, taking off his leather coif. -" I''m the bridge master m''lord hexer sir." - he said in a clear Cammona, with an accent that Tow recognized as a pure Gisean - "I have no clue what''s happened here, I''ve personally checked all them gears yestereve, and not a problem was found." Anh felt embarrassment welling up inside. These men treated him like some¡­ summoner of Eldritch Horrors, if such things even existed at all, with respect and fear. He wanted to immediately shrink and lower his head but Thernohh forced him to float that little bit higher so that he would be at least a full head taller than the crowd. -" Yes, indeed." - he said in the most knowledgeable tone he could muster - " Please allow me to inspect the apparatus. I shall forthwith identify the problem and set about correcting it." The tanai then proceeded to fly about the mechanism, helping himself with a faint bluish lumehex, which zipped around illuminating those parts he needed to see the most, all to the revered silence of the onlookers, only occasionally interrupted with quiet comments and gasps. The problem turned out to be indeed trivial. The winch, powered by two men and connected by a wooden axle with a similar setup in the opposite tower, drove a small wooden gear, which turned a massive, four mer in radius, wooden sprocket. This sprocket in turn pulled on weighted chains, which lifted the bridge via a non-differentiated pulley located in the highest part of the tower. Several triskols of poking around revealed that one of the wooden pegs, which were supposed to keep the chains in line with the gears, broke off and jammed it all to inactivity. The location of the fault was such that it would have taken the engineers quite a bit of searching, as it was all but invisible from the platform where the winch was. A short bout of kinhexergy later, and the tanai emerged from the deepest bowels of the tower, floating with him the offending battered piece of wood, which he then gently landed on the bridge master''s extended palm. The men didn''t waste any more time and finally, with a loud creak, the bridge moved away from the wall accompanied by an echoing cacophony of chains rattling over their fittings. For what seemed like six Zoons of torpor, but in reality could not be more than a few triskols, the wooden platform trudged towards the pier, finally resting in its seat, with a loud clunk complemented by relieved shouts coming from the crowd. The bridge master was unapologetically overjoyed. He grabbed Anhs'' hand and shook it, ignoring, or maybe just not realizing, the depths of Herr Hexer''s unease. He then escorted his savior to the exit, using a narrow, winding staircase, which the tanai eschewed in favor of flying straight down. The man didn''t stop talking, apart from those short moments to take a breath, until they reached the ground floor and exited through a side door. He then turned towards the tanai and handed over a small pouch that emitted a characteristic clinking of coins. -" I know this isn''t much, master m''lord hexer sir¡­" - he said, stuttering slightly - "...but please take this as our thanks. The Lord Merchants of Isdelburg would punish us for dawdling, with hard coin. That''s just a little thank you." Anh took the pouch in his kinetic grip and nodded in silence, but the man wasn''t finished yet, and as he walked towards the barrier he enquired, almost leisurely. -" You travel alone m''lord hexer sir?" -" No." - replied the tanai, clearing his throat - "My emp¡­ associate with pack animals are just there at the front of the crowd." -" Very well, m''lord hexer sir. You''ll pass free today. Least we could do." - he said, whilst lifting the railing. Then he gestured at Brandt, who took their pack animals, and went forward. Anh smiled uneasily and floated slowly towards him. -¡± Care to enlighten me as to what happened?¡± - asked the hoomin when he caught up. -¡± Sure. Yes.¡± - replied tanai as he took over his mules - ¡°They had a trivial issue with the lowering mechanism. It jammed and they could not budge it.¡± -¡± But finally they managed?¡± -¡± With a little kinetic help from me. I read a book about these mechanisms some time ago, so this was familiar. We had to set some things up, but it went smoothly.¡± -¡± I guess that we¡­¡± - Brandt gestured around at the crowd that was now flowing onto the bridge - ¡°...are in Arneg''s mercy today.¡± -¡± Well. We are. We get to omit the gate tolls because of my intervention. The folks behind us will pay as usual." Brandt nodded with appreciation and smiled, but said nothing. He resumed moving forward, ignoring the guards at the gantry who waved and cheered him as they passed. Anh too tried very hard to ignore all this. His kinfolk were split on the subject, half advocated pride in their achievements, the other half thought this was much ado about nothing and any displays of gratitude and affection were simply unnecessary. He opened the pouch he received from the bridge master and looked inside. Predictably, it was a collection of coins worth, at a glance, at least ten shillings. In his head, Greoo very seriously started outlining a new business plan of staying in these distant hoomin lands and working as a bridge mechanism rectifier. Anh smiled to himself. First, they needed to get on that divinuled boat. Chapter 2: Free City of Isdelburg The city was built in a mixture of architectural styles, documenting both the intermingling of two cultures and advances in technology. Timber-framed stone-walled tenement houses, typical in Maargard, neighboured long and low warehouses made of logs and planks. Four-story buildings made of shiny red bricks, the latest architectural fad from the Kingdom, bordered by whitewashed stone and thatch. At first glance, this was just a jumbled mess, but the city layout was designed with a purpose in mind, which included moving large quantities of merchandise to and from the city gates. To this end, the main street - a six-cart wide beast, made of cobblestone and with a smelly gutter on either side - ran in a straight line from the eastern gate to the western one, and further across bridges into the countryside. It was well-lit and lined with tall, two, three or even four-story buildings practically from end to end. There seemed to be as many warehouses as there were actual houses - or at least that is what could be assumed. Brandt knew all too well that most of those were offices of wealthy merchants, as attested by discreet signboards on the walls. Narrower streets branched off from the main one. Still shrouded in darkness, there was no telling what they hid, at least from the tanai''s point of view. Brandt knew there was simply more of the same. Every house in the city seemed to be built with commercial use in mind. Bathhouses, public houses, warehouses, slaughterhouses¡­ even ordinary houses of the ordinary folk. And the further from the main street the business happened, the less legitimate and elegant it was. Brandt knew all this simply because, over the decades, he has visited Isdelburg numerous times. He could even recollect, after scouring the darkest, deepest corners of his mind, some foggy memories of Isdelburg the tiny fishing village, furnished with a couple of cable ferries carrying people over either Niesse or Orda. But that was then, and many times since. Now, Isdelburg performed a minor role of a mere roadside stop on whatever business trip the Nord was conducting at the time. Which was precisely the case today. Even this early in the day Isdelburg was already bustled with activity. Sleepy workers hurried along, this way and that, the shopkeepers were preparing for the day ahead, and of course, the street was already full of pack animals, draft animals with attached carts, porters carrying parcels, and an occasional mounted hoomin, the traffic growing in intensity with every passing triskol, fed from the crowds crossing the bridge Brandt and Anh just arrived from. They moved steadily onward as if caught on a tidal wave. -¡°The barge departs at about the ninth candle.¡± - announced the Nord - "We need to hurry." -¡°Aha.¡± - responded the tanai. He seemed to pay more attention to the surroundings and the people than where he was going - "Just lead on. I¡¯ll follow.¡± Brandt quickly glanced back, and, having made sure that the bookkeeper was indeed following, he returned to minding the road. -¡± The wharf is on the other end, about two kimers from here, and, most importantly and unfortunately, outside of the city gates. Have you ever been here?" -¡± No. But I have read something about it.¡± -¡± The Isdelburg central square is somewhat closer to Neisse, but the main riverport for Maargardian shipments is, obviously, on the Orda." - he waved his hand in a vague gesture - "This street leads straight to the other gate, but it splinters at the marketplace towards the third port, this one too on the Orda.¡± -¡± Third? That''s excessive." - commented Anh busily looking around at the shopfronts - "But I assume the initial riverport''s capacity was quickly surpassed, and so there was the need for another one.¡± Stolen story; please report. The Nord smiled and steered his horse around a large cart. Its wheel was broken and several parcels spilled off the side. A group of hoomin frantically tried to simultaneously reload the cart and repair it. -¡± Well, not exactly. The brilliance of the Esrtpaladin of Maargard is to blame for that. When they built the first bridge across the Orda, he wanted a solid brick, stone, and mortar structure that would withstand spring ices that go through here, and be sturdy enough to build warehouses on top of it, overriding the engineers who wanted a taller structure which would serve only to cross. When later Maargard expanded south this bridge became an impassable obstacle to larger boats. Rebuilding it was deemed prohibitively expensive compared to the amount of traffic and, as you can imagine, Isdelburg city council was against it, because the transloading fees filled city coffers with hard coin.¡± -¡± Fascinating.¡±- remarked Anh bitingly. -¡± Tolerance towards inefficiency Mr. Trawins?¡± - responded Brandt - ¡± I¡¯d rather say it¡¯s appalling.¡± The bookkeeper didn''t respond, and so the Nord chalked that discussion as his win. He smiled wryly. For the next few quanters they were busy maneuvering around, or sometimes through, the crowds on the street. Even though the street was extraordinarily wide, unexpected obstacles cropped up here and there: a nobleman''s carriage demanded that a free passage two widths of a cart be made immediately; two wagons crashed into each other blocking half of the road with panicking horses and lost cargo; an Actosian, wearing faded red robes and brandishing a long staff adorned with many metal fourings, stood on the corner, preaching some or other doom to the gathering crowd. As far as Brandt could tell, his sermon wasn''t entirely in line with the official Vihroxy. So several militiamen soon arrived and carried the man away, to the accompaniment of shouted obscenities and derisive laughter. One of them hacked the ex-fruit box he was preaching off of, to pieces, hastily picked up by some members of the crowd soon after. The marketplace seemed even busier than that, forcing the Nord and his little caravan to slowly sulk along the building walls. And then there was the Harnbruck, the Bridge of Erstpaladin Harne. Loaded with shops, warehouses, and living quarters, built up haphazardly and seemingly without any forethought whatsoever, the crossing seemed more akin to a tunnel than a bridge. The street here narrowed to mere two-and-a-bit carts which often caused hold-ups. The Nord had to use all his skills to navigate through and avoid being pickpocketed at the same time. By the time Brandt rode out of the gate on the other side of the town, Bivos was already high up in the sky. He sighed heavily with relief. Which soon turned into unease. The area just outside the city gates was earmarked for temporary storage and exchanging of draft animals, with only a few stables and necessary craftsmen in the direct vicinity. It was also usually relatively empty. The sight that greeted the Nord fell on the exactly opposite side of the scale. A veritable sea of tents, set up in orderly military fashion, spread from wall to wall, leaving only a narrow passage. Dotted around were chequered red-and-white banners, bearing Maargardian swords and roses. -¡± You see this?¡± - Brandt lowered his voice to a near-whisper - ¡°This, Mr. Trawins, is trouble.¡± He allowed the horse to slow down to a walk, trying to estimate the overall size of the detachment. He arrived at around three hundred men. - ¡°I now have all the reasons to think Maargard is organizing a Vhirzung. I''ve heard rumors about it, and truthfully the time is ripe for another one. We¡¯ll have to tread lightly from now on.¡± - he paused for a short while, chewing on his lip - ¡°In all honesty, I wouldn¡¯t blame you if you wanted to back out. Stepping on the toes of Ordo Pvrgatore and a band of angry templars might be slightly above the scope of our contract. Any thoughts before we embark on the ship?¡± The only answer that came was a conspicuous silence. Brandt frowned and turned his head towards his companion. The mules were still there, following the horse. The tanai wasn''t. -¡± What in the agency of Vhirs?¡± - cursed the hoomin. He craned his neck, trying to see if his companion was anywhere nearby. There were soldiers, there were workers, and there were even a few merchants. Several carts traveled towards or away from the gate. But the tanai vanished without a trace. ChaPT@r 3: DL-00A ¡°Unit: DL-00A, Designation 60-L3M¡± ¡°Uptime: 575 657 bivi, 7 hours, 3 minutes, 496 milliseconds¡± ¡°Status: critical resource level¡± ¡°Last scheduled maintenance: 558 601 bivi ago¡± ¡°Next scheduled maintenance: in -557 013 bivi¡± ¡°Urgent maintenance request sent¡± ¡°Current subject population: 63¡± ¡°Target subject population: 500¡± ¡°Nanoforge 1 status: offline¡± ¡°Nanoforge 2 status: offline¡± ¡°Nanoforge 3 status: damaged or unconnected¡± ¡°Nanoforge 4 status: offline¡± ¡°Subject generation: 2154¡± ¡°Power input: 102kW¡± ¡°Target power: 1000kW¡± ¡°Subject reclamation ratio: 0.0%¡± ¡°Status analysis¡­ complete¡± ¡°Current subject generation: 2154¡± Stolen content alert: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.¡°ERROR: All nanoforges are offline. Code 0x4123¡± ¡°ERROR: Failed to deploy generation 2155. Critical resource levels. Code 0xF649¡± ¡°ERROR: Self repair not possible, nanofroges offline. Code: 0x5E1D¡± ¡°ERROR: Memory bank 31 checksum failures above threshold. Bank disconnected. Code: 0x0011¡± ¡°WARNING: Memory bank 30 checksum failures nearing threshold. Code: 0x0010¡± ¡°LOG: This unit was approached by a goup of hoomin. An attempt of communication was made in an attempt to employ hoomin with plant maintenance. Hoomin alpha unit was uncooperative. Hoomin left.¡± ¡°Hoomin attempted an incursion at 575653/12/09:11, which caused termination of subjects: 19. Hoomin killed: 3. Unable to restart nanoforge 4. Possible reason: Combat Damage. Urgent service request sent.¡± ChaPT@r 3: Let me explain... Brandt stood on the prow of the ¡°Prancing Bertha¡± watching the riverport, albeit presently it was solely his ferry since there was still no sign of Anh. This was just one part of the complications though. The persistent rumors about another Vihrzug could safely be put to rest¡­ like a prophecy, which has already been fulfilled, since, despite having booked everything well in advance, most of his reserved space was taken over by a group of soldiers and their cargo, leaving only one large cabin and practically no space for the additional luggage they had. For close to a half-candle he haggled, pleaded, and even tried to bribe the captain, and since none of these yielded any results, the Nord had to hastily go pawn their pack animals whilst the dockworkers stowed their stuff on the vessel. He managed to complete all this with a quanter with ash to spare. Despite keeping outwardly calm, Brandt was fuming. It was already past their departure time and that Divinul forsaken tanai was still nowhere to be found. Up until this moment, everything was working, roughly, as planned. Sure, the tanai turned out to be a touch¡­ misbehaved, but so far could easily be set back on the correct azimuth. Now it seemed that the bookkeeper decided to undermine the entire expedition because¡­ well because he needed to buy paper, no doubt. Behavior which, suffice to say, was unacceptable. -¡± Herr Zerster.¡± - came a hoarse voice somewhere from behind - ¡°Ve need to get going. Kan¡¯t veit.¡± Brandt turned around to meet the captain of the barge himself, a scruffy, wiry old geezer. His skin was pale as if it was bleached in the sun, matching the sparse remains of facial hair. The sailor was barely more than one and a half mers tall and the Nord''s muscular silhouette towered head and shoulders over him, and yet that somehow didn¡¯t seem to matter, as the captain exuded an aura of absolute authority and ¡®no nonsense¡¯ attitude. This was perhaps underlined by his uniform, a slightly faded outfit typical for the Paladinmarine, complete with embroidered cuffs and a matching bicorne hat. Brandt glanced sideways at the load stowed on the barge. Every bit of space was filled with crates bearing insignia of Ordo Pvgatore and Offices of Erstpaladin, sloppily and hastily stenciled with black paint. Each box was also sealed with a strip of parchment bearing a Fouring of Vhirs and affixed with wax. This cargo was accompanied by at least a dozen grim men, each one armed to the teeth, with swords, long-hafted axes, two-handed messer-style falchions, and even one or two long muskets, each one well armored with elements of plate, blackened mail, and boiled leather. Each one wearing a black-and-red hood and matching long loincloths. One didn''t have to be a genius to deduce that the needs of these people came way before any requirements that a foreigner might have. -¡± Of course.¡± - sighed Brandt, exhasperated -¡± Let¡¯s move. My colleague will need to catch up on his own.¡± The captain just nodded, turned about, and started walking towards the stern. He gestured at some men, then shouted something unrecognizable at others, and the crew and dockworkers sprung into action. Moorings were cast off, ropes hauled up and stowed, heavy wooden anchor pulled up and secured. A couple of sailors stepped up and, using long barge poles, skilfully, although with strain, pushed the oversized vessel away from the dock. Brandt watched their work with a perverse sense of pleasure. The crew moved about like a well-oiled machine, quickly and efficiently. The entire procedure took no more than a quanter. As soon as the barge started to drift towards the bridge, carried by the lazy currents of Orda, a large paddle wheel at the stern awoke with a shudder. It started rotating slowly, laboriously, working against the flow of the river. ¡°Bertha¡± was officially underway -¡±Look zere, Herr Banker.¡± - said one of the soldiers, nudging Brandt with his elbow. The Nord pulled away from observing the crew and obediently looked where the man pointed. Stolen novel; please report. A floating, enrobed figure emerged from behind the tent camp, sharply turned towards the riverport, then picked up speed. Anh - easily recognizable due to the color of his clothes - was in a rush, his robe fluttering madly. Everywhere he passed he caused a stir, no less because trailing the tanai were two large, airborne, leather tubi. From Brandt''s vantage point they seemed to be simply caught in the wake of the speeding bookkeeper, but no: he kept them tight in his kinetic grip, almost precisely within a mer. Every course correction took the tubi that little bit longer to adjust, bringing to mind a heavy carriage drifting around corners at speed. Brandt shook his head at this ridiculous scene, noting with a certain dose of amusement that it was both comical and impressive. By the time Anh finally arrived at the wharf, the ¡°Bertha¡± was already a couple hundred mers off the shore. He stopped for a moment, and looked around, using one of the levitating tubi to shield his eyes from the sharp glare reflecting from the Orda¡¯s waters. He seemed to find what he was looking for because he picked up the speed again and simply and unceremoniously floated over the water and headed towards the barge. Brandt scoffed. Instinctively he thought it reckless, but then he recalled that the same thing happened just that very morning. The tanai most likely knew what he was doing, as not only he floated over the waters without much difficulty but also quickly closed the distance to the vessel. -¡± Did you get your paper?¡± - smugly asked the Nord when the tanai finally floated over the barge¡¯s deck - ¡°was it worth it?¡± Anh¡¯s flight was uneasy and he was breathing heavily. A smell of ozone was emanating from him and his hair was in complete disarray. It took a triskol for the tanai to regain a semblance of composure. -¡° So¡­¡± - he panted - ¡°...I spent too much time browsing¡­¡± - once again, he let off a wheeze and immediately gasped for more -¡±...browsing in all of the shops.¡±- he let a long wheeze and took another breath - ¡°But I¡¯ve got my paper. So all is good¡± -¡° I needed to hold the barge for almost a candle¡± - grimly said Brandt -¡° It was well worth it!¡± - exclaimed Anh - ¡°This town is great! I found an entire alley filled to the brim with bookshops, curiosities, medical supplies, and even chemistry utensils. Entire alley! I need to return here once we get this precursor quest of ours done¡­¡± -¡° Shut up!¡± - hastily barked Brandt -¡° What!? Why?¡± Hoomin leaned over and whispered to the tanai. -¡° Take a look around¡± - Brandt discreetly gestured around - ¡°you see those around us?¡± Anh followed his companion¡¯s hints. -¡° Armed men. Some boxes. What of it?¡± -¡° Are you really this clueless?¡± - sighed Brandt -¡°Assume yes, and explain¡± - Anh was somewhat annoyed -¡°Those are people of the Church. Guarding supplies. Which are going our way. Which means that our escapade just got more complicated.¡± -¡± I see¡± - Anh stroked his goatee - ¡°I¡¯m sure we are going to be fine. -¡° I would like to believe your optimism¡± - said Hoomin absentmindedly - ¡° I learned to expect the worst. Try not to draw attention to yourself¡± - Brandt took a look at Anh, in a colorful and somewhat stained robe, floating before him, with hair in disarray, droplets of sweat drying out on his face, two tubii floating beside him, and expression of befuddlement written on his face - ¡°At least, draw as little as you possibly can muster.¡± The tanai, still heaving heavily, squinted suspiciously at the cargo. -" ...and where are my mules?" - he asked - "I need to repack, and¡­" -" Gone." - answered Brandt - "The Ordo has taken most of our space, so I''ve had to sell them off. Cheaply. If I didn¡¯t we would not be allowed on board." -" You mean to say someone was fondling my things?" The banker nodded and pointed towards a wooden superstructure at the barge''s stern. -" Yes. It''s all in our cabin, left door, first on the right." The tanai floated off to the cabin, managing to simultaneously look offended and tired. Brandt gazed after him for a few drips, then smiled, shook his head, and returned to watching the shore go by. ChaPT@r 3: Courser Ksintsax Anh pondered. He pondered the passage of time. He pondered the shapes and distribution of wood grain in the planks making up the walls of the cabin he and Brandt occupied. He also pondered the exact geometric center of said cabin as well as what was the threshold of insanity for the average tanai. The hoomin was gone, busy with something mundane, and left tanai here. In this creaking room on this¡­ prison on water. And strongly discouraged him from being the nuisance. -*I¡¯m bored* - moaned Greoo -*I know. We all know* - replied Thernohh -*Two days, seven and a third candles* - chimed Birdekk -*What?* - asked Tow -*Quota of time before we arrive at Katzburg* Three days had passed since they left Isdelburg and in the beginning, the ship and its inhabitants promised a lot of new things to discover, measure, and describe. Starting with the inner workings of the ship they were traveling on. The ¡°Bertha¡± slowly and steadily moved upstream, usually under power provided by a resident hexergist. Anh went there almost immediately after embarking, to see how it all worked. This was supposed to be the most exciting part. The machine room turned out to be a simple chamber located well astern the ship and filled with a complicated set of wooden axles and gears, which terminated in a metal sprocket driving a steel chain on one end of the set, and a heavy spoked wheel on the other. It''s this wheel that the hexergist exerted his kinetic powers on. Anh hoped to have an enlightened conversation with the fellow practitioner of the Art, but the man turned out to be even less of a conversationalist than Brandt. Half naked, with a dense network of scars covering his torso and arms, he spent his time sitting between the wheel and a small metal furnace, unmoving and staring at a single point in the distance, in an almost catatonic state. A few brief moments of clarity were all used up drinking, eating, and wiping the sweat. A deckhand accompanying him, a maargardian boy aged maybe fifteen, wasn''t much better. His duties comprised shoveling coal into the furnace, applying goose fat to the bearings and cogs, and serving the hexergist. Otherwise, he''d disappear in the corner for an extended time. Coincidentally, as Anh had noticed, a fresh breeze emanated from that particular corner, providing much-needed cooling and air to breathe. The tanai survived only a couple of quanters there. Between the stench, the noise of machinery, the sweltering heat, and the almost menacing silence of the inhabitants, it was all too much. He hastily sketched the workings of the mechanism and then left. When asked about it, "Bertha''s" captain just shrugged. -"Oh, zey belong to ze Erstpaladinerantriebzunft. Zey are no hexerz." After that disappointment, Anh attempted to entertain himself by playing around with the sextant. He owned the device for many years, ever since it was given to him as a gift, but most of the time it served as a decoration of the part of his bookshop dedicated to all things nautical. Under the influence of Thernohh, he decided to take the device with him, alongside a copy ¡°Marinvm Navigatorvm Absolvto (IVE)¡± by Rkac - Shriokhral - Trael - Figoor - Krmaluk - Ypurv. After a few candles of reading and then practicing, he came to the main deck at high noon, then floated around, and tinkered with the tool. Pulling its levers and doodads and trying to interpret its result. Almost as a byproduct of the process, he became something of a spectacle for the crew and other passengers, but it was a matter to be safely ignored. On the second day, he repeated the sextant ritual and then, again under the influence of Thernohh and the book, he spent most of the afternoon assessing the speed of the barge using scraps of cloth dropped at the bow and then counting the drips it took them to reach the stern. Of course, the measured speed was fairly inaccurate, since the river didn''t stay in one place, so to correct the error, he floated off the barge to evaluate the water flow, but after the unnecessary commotion which stirred the crew to action among shouts of ''man overboard'' he decided that he was done with this activity for the day. Third day he spent gloomily sorting through his sizable stack of papers - again - and optimizing the way their gear was stored, resulting in 8.63% increase in floor space. All this because Brandt categorically forbade him from leaving the cabin until evening, muttering something about inappropriate excess of excitement among the crew and wishes for one day ("One day!" - he said) without undue interruptions. On the fourth day, however, he exhausted all obvious entertainment venues and activities. After cataloging all the crates twice and arranging all the guards and sailors by height, weight, and worn equipment with an added ordinal to each, there was very little to do. What was even more annoying, this seemed to be fine with Brandt. The hoomin spent his time either out on the deck, standing on the prow watching the world go by, or in the cabin, reading through the translations or poring over maps. Or having a nap. The last part is something all of Anh¡¯s kinfolk started to be jealous of. After doing anything they could to stay busy and read all the books they had, thrice, having an update of their position every candle the boredom was becoming untenable. Having an option to just turn his thinking ¡®off¡¯ for a couple of hours was looking mightily interesting. There wasn¡¯t even anyone to talk to. Mr. Zerster treated him like a piece of furniture. Not that he was rude or anything, far from it, but it wasn''t much more than a polite acknowledgment of existence. Every attempt at communication was met with barely concealed indifference as if the hoomin had decided that everything worth saying had already been said. Apart from the Nord, there were still the soldiers and sailors, but for one: they didn¡¯t seem to be good partners for an intellectual inquiry, and two: even if they somehow were, Brandt was adamant that Anh should avoid all of those who had any form of a Fouring embroidered on their clothing. There was one person however that was interesting. A tanai, in an actosian¡¯s robes and affiliated with the Maargardian expedition. Anh saw them on the first day, and almost immediately went to chat them up. But then he saw Brandt''s stern gaze of ¡®no, you don¡¯t¡¯ and abandoned that thought. -*I¡¯m bored!* - once again exclaimed Greoo -*Yes, we know* - calmly said Birdekk -*Boooored!* -*Count the knurls in the deck floor¡± -*Four hundred and thirty-seven, give or take five* -*We need to do something*- finally said Anh -*I¡¯m going to talk to that actosian. Who¡¯s with me? Figuratively, y¡¯all going either way* -*What about Brandt*- asked Birdekk, but his tone was one of poorly masked enthusiasm -*We are going to be very, very secretive and not spill any damning things* - Anh and Greeo shrugged in unison - *besides, we need some entertainment, and I bet so do they* -*Agreed!* - exclaimed the variunity Anh straightened up and slowly floated out of the cabin, directly out to the main deck. It was a somewhat chilly evening, so typical to southern Maargard during early spring. The barge was already being lit by a few torches stuck on long poles along the sides. The crew was beginning to prepare to anchor it for the night. Considering all this activity though, it was eerily quiet. Sailors were performing their duties silently, in a well-orchestrated fashion. Certainly, they have done this numerous times. Some soldiers of the paladinate were wandering along the main deck, others were chatting propped on the sides of the barge, and the rest tended their equipment, cleaning and polishing their weapons and armor. Anh noticed his target at the prow, levitating with their legs crossed. Meditating, or praying. Most importantly, Brandt was nowhere to be found. Closing the distance between him and the boat¡¯s prow took Anh but a few drips. -¡±Greetings¡± - Anh broke the silence - ¡°It¡¯s a long way from Tanais¡± -*smooth*- chuckled Greoo -*you are a real charmer, domme* -¡±It indeed is¡± - responded the tanai with a monotone, female timbre of their voice - ¡°but I¡± - the tanai looked towards Anh, and after they noticed who they were speaking to, quickly corrected themselves - ¡°we are not complaining. The world is a much more interesting place when experienced directly.¡± They seemed to be forty-something. Their hair was auburn, slightly greying, and possibly tied into a ponytail, although that was not visible from under the hood of their robe. Like all tanai, their eyes were brownish but were a little more deeply set than usual. Their nose was somewhat more pronounced. Although, for many, most of them hoomin, she would be just ¡®a tanai¡¯. If you come across this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it. -*Well, that is unexpected*- commented Thernohh -*Oh come on, some of ours like to travel* -*Us?* - asked Tow -*As a species, obviously, this variunity only travels to a privy* - smirked Thernohh -*and even then, only when it is absolutely necessary.* -*With the church?* - said Thernohh sourly -¡±We want to believe that, considering where we are¡± - said Anh - ¡°but so far, we are mostly bored. Occasionally cold.¡± -¡±To whos do we speak?, If we may inquire.¡± -¡±We are Anh-Birdekk-Tow-Greoo-Thernohh, currently on a scientific expedition towards the unknown.¡± -¡±We are Ksintsax-Gloor-Murta-Fiar. Currently trying to earn a ryal or two.¡± - there was a slow pause in their voice - ¡°A few hundred would not hurt either.¡± -*Interesting* - pondered Birdekk -*this implies they are not for ideological reasons* -*At least, not solely* -*Point taken* -¡± Can we inquire whether you are mercenary?¡± - asked Anh - ¡°We may not be the most traveled tanai out there, but yous don¡¯t look like one.¡± -¡± Not weathered out with poorly shaven face and teeth eaten by leaf?¡± - chuckled Ksintsax -¡± That. Yes. Also, not hoomin, loud nor obnoxious.¡± -*...and overly sexually aggressive.* -*yes, that too* Kisintsax chuckled a bit, then leaned their head to the side. -¡±Yous got us. We are a spy, currently spying on a reason why we are here.¡± -* Wouldn¡¯t they need a black cape with an overly sized collar*- said Tow in a manner that was way more serious than it should be -*and kept sneaking about in the darkness* -*I¡¯ll ask them*- said Anh -¡± Would not that imply yous¡¯d need to wear a black cape¡± - said Anh, rubbing his nose, gesturing a rather comical amount of interest - ¡±cackle maniacally and never sneak out of the shadows?¡± -¡± That would make our work overly difficult during the day.¡± -¡± Well, light seems like a good spy deterrent. To be honest.¡± - Anh answered in a pretend serious tone -¡± We do cackle from occasion to occasion¡±- continued Ksintsax -¡° Seriously though. If it¡¯s not a secret, what does one of us do on a rickety boat somewhere in the middle of nowhere? We are asking this question with a disclaimer, that we are having heated discussions on this very subject ever since we set out on this journey.¡± -¡± Are you getting to the answer?¡± -¡± Not really.¡± -¡± Well, It¡¯s not a secret.¡± - Ksintsax hid their hands into the sleeves of their robe - ¡°Considering the circumstances.¡± - they hung their voice for a moment - ¡°and our attire, we guess. We hired ourselves as a Courser, on a mission to Katzburg.¡± - she said with a hint of sadness. -* Whoa!* - exclaimed Birdekk -*if we were supposed to avoid the church people * then we just failed spectacularily * -¡± The Vhirzung, we keep hearing about?¡± - inquired Anh -¡± Well kind of. We are there to ensure that ¡®soldaten¡¯ don¡¯t destroy anything of interest to my employer.¡± -* I suspect, they need money to fund their expeditions to the Wildlands.* - said Tow -* I think we might have read a book by them, but can¡¯t recall * -* If that is true, I¡¯m kind of impressed. Doing hands-on research? In the wildlands? Ask them domme. Please* - Greoo chimed in. -¡± We are going to guess that you are researching the Wildmen, and need funds to go on expeditions. Are we correct?¡± -¡± Yes, this is a very good guess indeed.¡± -¡± We have to say, it is impressive. We needed to move once, and it was a traumatic experience. We need to inquire though. Isn¡¯t it counterintuitive to research something solely to help it be quelled?¡± A glimpse of grief could be read on Ksintsax¡¯s face. -¡± It indeed is. Sadly. But we are in this weird conundrum. The Maargard will expand west, all the way past Erendens and Hozants. The wildmen are doomed¡­¡± -¡± Sounds like a cope¡± - sourly commented Tow -¡±...but at least we can preserve their culture. There are more of them west. I am certain of it.¡± -¡± How west?¡± -¡± Hundreds, or even thousands of kimers. Way past what the paladinate can even fathom.¡± -¡± So we suspect, yous want to travel there? As west as possible.¡± -¡± For which we need funds, which we gather by working for people who actively destroy what we research. Yes.¡± -¡± That is ¡­ tragic.¡± -¡± We agree, but we were unable to find another way. What about yous?¡± Anh retreated to his kinfolk for advice, this was a delicate matter to discuss, especially with someone working for the church, desptite their tragic predicament. -* advice?* -* tell them the truth* -* obviously, just how much of it? * We can¡¯t tell them we transcribed fourteen centuries-old precursorial documents * -* tell them we are working for¡­ some noble who found some old papers, and you are an expert * - suggested Tow -* self deprecate a bit though *- chimed in Greoo -* we don¡¯t want to come off as knowing too much* -¡±Well¡±- said Anh in a troubled voice, which underlined how uneasy he was. The tanai was hoping the reason for this uneasiness would remain unclear - ¡°We were hired as a budget expert on things. Our benefactor has found some documents¡­¡± -¡± There you are!¡± - Brandt¡¯s voice came sounding from behind - ¡°I¡¯ve been searching for you, ms Trawins.¡± -¡± Them Ksintsaxii, my employer, mr. Brandt Zerster.¡± Upon hearing hoomin¡¯s surname, a brief expression of disgust flashed on Ksintsax¡¯s face, quickly disappearing. This brief expression did not escape hoomin¡¯s attention. -¡± I am honored to meet you, Mr Zerster. Ksintsax Miur, rent-a-courser of the Ordo Cvirsore.¡± -¡± Brandt Zerster.¡± - the hoomin bowed a little out of courtesy - ¡±Former senior parchment pusher for the Sheridawn Zerstbank.¡± -¡± So, Mr Zerster. What are you after, dragging a tanai with you?¡± -¡± For the sake of business, as you can imagine, I¡¯m a Zerster ¡°- said Brandt -¡± but the bank does not own me. Not any more.¡± -*If she is noticing how well is he lying*- said Greoo, disgusted -*she is not showing it * i would * -¡±My great grandfather¡±- continued Brandt -¡±allegedly changed it when he moved to Sheridawn and sold us to the bank. Our family came from the area of Katzburg, or so I read. The name is oth¡¯ Senz.¡± -¡± Interesting¡± -¡± I found some documents about this in the family archive. Mr Trawins here transcribed and translated them.¡± -¡± Are yous a linguist, Anhs?¡± - the courser asked -¡± A librarian, and a bookworm. Currently also dabbling in print, copying and, since we started working with Mr Zerster, a translator.¡± -¡± A noble profession¡± - said Ksintsax -¡± As I said¡± - hoomin continued, unfazed - ¡° my ancestors were involved in the ¡®Third Fouring Vhirzung¡¯ in 1180. I have some history there, so with the help of Mr. Trawins here¡± - Brandt pointed at Anh - ¡°I hope to rekindle my past.¡± - ¡±Which, I bet, also means regaining some titles and land?¡± - sarcastically said Ksintsax. -¡± Of course! There are over fourteen square kimers of woodland in my family name granted by Paladin Dietrich oth¡¯ Schotke.¡± -¡±Hoomin¡± - soundlessly said Ksintsax towards Anh -¡±Which is why you are going to Katzburg?¡± -¡±Of course, with Mr Trawins here to aid with digging through the city archives.¡± -¡±In that case, I¡¯m going to return to my duties¡± - she said - ¡°if you excuse me. This is a boat, but still, there is work to do.¡± - she bowed her head slightly towards Anh, and floated away. Brandt waited a little, until she was far away from them.¡± -¡±Mr. Trawins¡± - he said sternly, albeit in a fairly low voice - ¡°why are you doing what I forbade you to do?¡± -*He is furious* - dryly said Greoo -¡±I¡¯m bored.¡± - Brandt seemed like he was about to explode, when he heard that, and Anh¡¯s clueless tone didn¡¯t seem to help. -¡±Listen¡± - the hoomin finally said - ¡°you are forbidden from speaking to anyone on this boat, unless it is me, until we disembark in Katzburg. I don¡¯t care how bored you are. Find yourself something to do. Anything, except talking to anyone. Understood?¡± -*He means it, we better comply* - commented Birdekk Anh nodded towards the hoomin, who almost immediately left. ChaPT@r 3: Almost where we need to be After Brandt, in no uncertain terms, told Anh how monumentally reckless it was to associate with the church people, the tanai went to great lengths to avoid his hoomin companion. It was an achievement in and of itself, considering they were trapped on a barge about fifty mers long and ten wide. Nonetheless, for the remainder of their journey, none of them spoke a word to each other. Brandt made it his custom to keep an eye on his companion though. This bizarre situation lasted until disembarking in Katzburg. To keep himself busy Anh started to scribble notes about the flora on the shores of Orda. Doing so with tiny letters to preserve parchment. This activity also gave him an excuse to ignore Ksintsax. The courser tried to strike up a convo with Anh, but the former just hid behind ¡®doing research¡¯ and ¡®being busy¡¯. Which in tanai-speak meant avoiding someone. They arrived at Katzburg late afternoon on the sixth day. The town¡¯s haven was tiny in comparison to the one in Isdelburg. The ¡®Bertha¡¯ barely fit by the larger of two rickety wooden piers the Katzburg river port consisted of. Its stern stuck out a good five mers over the end of the pier. Despite its overwhelming size, ¡°Bertha¡¯s¡± crew was very skilled at anchoring and mooring the barge. The docking was quick, considering how large ¡®Bertha¡¯ was. Not much longer than an hour later Anh and Brandt stood among their luggage by the gate to the port warehouse. It was a spacious, wooden building located between the ends of the piers, with access from both. Both men were somewhat beside the path of dock workers unloading military materiel crates from ¡®Bertha¡¯ and carrying them, either by hand or with a two-wheeled pushcart, to the warehouse. The templar whom Anh and Brandt traveled with left just after the barge had docked. Soldiers quickly formed a column and marched away in silence. Ksintsax floated away with them but threw a glance at Anh and Brandt before they went away. The boat was taken over by the port staff, who, judging by their uniforms, were also a part of Maargaridan military¡­ of some sort. All were dressed in the same black linen pants held by leather suspenders. Underneath they wore a grey shirt. All, except one in charge, were also belted with a wide leather lumbar support girdle. All also wore a simple black cap and had chevrons sewn to the shoulders displaying their position. The unloading operation was carried out in an orderly, military fashion. The one in charge was a stocky, balding, bearded man in his forties. He held a board with a piece of parchment pinned to it. For every crate his subordinates carried off the ship, he made a note, then gestured one of the other, younger men to where to carry the item. Some were loaded on a horse-drawn cart, others to the warehouse. Anh was watching the unloading process with a tanai level of interest. Registering the order and destinations of each crate, but also looking at the allocation of men to each task. It was ¡­ beautiful. -¡± If you keep staring¡±- Brandt finally broke the silence -¡± they are going to consider you a spy¡± -¡± Right¡± - Anh was a little bit abashed, but quickly composed himself, then took a look around him - ¡°I was, quite honestly, expecting more¡± - he finally said. It was difficult to call Katzburg a town, at least not from their vantage point. There were a few other warehouses, smaller than the one they stood next to, then there were the two piers with the most notable thing being a crane on one of them. All of the buildings were surrounding a sizable area laid with flushed stone. A muddy road led away from the site, through the, presumably, swampy wilderness overgrown with tall, brown grass. -¡± That being said. How do we continue from here?¡±- Anh was surprisingly chirpy as if arriving at their destinations made him forget the events from a few days ago - ¡°I presuppose you have a plan?¡± -¡± Regarding your first comment. Katzburg proper is a few kimers west from here, away from the Orda floodplain.¡± Hearing this, Anh took a closer look around him. He noticed thin lines of brownish sediment on the walls of all of the buildings, which marked how tall the flood waters could reach. ¡±This is just the riverport and locals allow it to flood and rebuild it if necessary. This is also why this place is so tiny, considering the volume of traffic. Regarding our transport, it should have waited for us already. I don¡¯t know what the holdup is.¡± -¡± So we wait?¡± -¡± Yes. Pray we won¡¯t need to spend the night here.¡± Reading on this site? This novel is published elsewhere. Support the author by seeking out the original. -¡± I will pray, yes. But my intentions are not going to be as petty. Anyhow. Until our transport arrives, I¡¯ll take a look around.¡± Brandt sighed in resignation -¡± Just avoid being too nosy.¡± -¡± You, Sir Zerster, are paranoid in excess.¡±- the tanai floated away in a seemingly random direction -¡± What could possibly happen here?¡± Brandt followed him with his gaze. The tanai first floated towards the end of the pier ¡®Bertha¡¯ was moored to. But quickly was chased away by a stern look of the officer in charge of the unloading. Then he unceremoniously floated over the river, presumably to the other shore. The carriage that was to carry both men from the port to Katzburg arrived about a candle after their arrival. The driver was apologetic and claimed that he was held at the checkpoint on the road to the city. There was also, apparently, increased traffic to and from it due to a sprawling military camp surrounding the town. Brandt was understanding and ensured that this was not much of an issue. None of this mattered though, as Anh was gone for at least another candle, and returned with his pockets filled with a variety of ¡­ grass. When Brandt noticed it, je just gave the tanai a bewildered look. -¡± What? I don¡¯t know what these types of flora are.¡± -¡± It¡¯s ¡­ grass.¡± -¡± Oh no, Mr Zerster Sir, this is not just ¡®grass¡¯. This is¡­ actually¡­ I don¡¯t really know what this is." - he cleared his throat almost nervously - " I could at this point mention that none of these particular specimens figure in the Catvgvm Flurens Aramothvm im Vihrs Exscellsio, updated annually of course, however, I am fairly certain it won''t interest you in the slightest. For us¡­ well for us, cataloging it will make for a fruitful evening.¡± Brandt slowly and deliberately blinked. And then he also cleared his throat. -¡± Fine. Right. Now please, Mr. Trawins. We need to get going. Evening is almost upon us and I don¡¯t know about you, but I am hungry.¡± Anh froze as if he was reflecting upon something. Then he answered. -¡± Now that you reminded me I realized I am hungry as well.¡± The carriage was a very simple wooden vehicle without much in terms of comfort or convenience. While being roofed, such was more of a place to store more cargo with protection of elements being a mere side-effect of its existence. The vehicle was made almost entirely of wood, without even springs for suspension. The only metal parts were railings aiding stepping into the sitting compartment. There were not even traces of doors and benches were made of planks of lacquered wood. Anh moaned when he saw what sort of accommodation awaited him. -¡± We need to get our luggage on the roof.¡± - announced Brandt, and immediately picked up his travel sack. Then sprung on the step of the carriage and threw it on the roof. Anh, once again, moaned in displeasure but concentrated a bit and a few moments later his bags started to lift, as if on their own, and slowly, over several drips floated onto the roof. During this time Brandt went towards the driver of the carriage. -¡± Where iz die netz fur baggage?¡± - upon hearing this the driver lazily gestured toward the rear of the carriage. There, in a small compartment, Brandt found a tangled ball of a net used to secure the load on the roof of the carriage. He took it out and after a short struggle managed to ready it for usage. Just in time when Anh finished floating his bags on the top of the vehicle. Once their things were secured, both men entered the carriage. Brandt sat heavily on the bench. The tanai threw a quick gaze on the benches and scoffed, offended. -¡± I¡¯ll float beside the carriage. My people are not¡± - the tanai hung his voice for a second - ¡°fond of hard benches. I hope, Mr Zerster, you can imagine why.¡± Brandt pondered this problem for a few brief moments. Tanai were skinny, by hoomin standards, emaciated even. This was somewhat in contrast to the amount of food they were consuming, at least when judging what Trawins was doing in that regard. That being said, skinny, bony tanai and hard wooden benches were not a good match for each other. -¡± Yes. I imagine¡± - Brandt finally said - ¡°we should be in Katzburg in an hour.¡± - he said, then shouted towards the driver - ¡°We kan go!¡± The cart creaked a little when the horses yanked it forward, the started to move. Anh followed beside it, just to be next to Brandt. -¡± Speaking of which¡± - said the tanai - ¡°do you expect we¡¯d find a bookshop in Katzburg.¡± -¡± Are you again out of paper?¡± -¡± No, no¡± - responded the tanai uneasily - ¡° nothing like that. I just would like to get an updated area map. To position ourselves better on our journey. As you can imagine, detailed maps of southern Maargard rarely surface in Sheridawn. I want to be sure we¡¯re on the right way towards the site.¡± -¡± Is it really necessary?¡±- inquired Brandt -¡± Didn¡¯t you take some maps with you?¡± -¡± I did take some. Yes. But the best maps are always drawn locally and rarely leave the vicinity.¡± -¡± I see what you are getting at. Considering all this soldiering around, I¡¯m afraid maps will be in short supply. ¡± -¡± I¡¯ll see what I can manage to find. I want to spend as little time in this town as possible. Too many soldiers, too many prying eyes around.¡± -¡± I¡­¡± - Anh hung his voice for a few moments, then he replied unsurely - ¡°... understand. I¡¯ll plan our path out of Katzburg with what we have and I¡¯ll map as we go along.¡± ChaPT@r 3: Katzburg Whichever daemon of Vhirs was responsible for the weather, decided that northern wind would pick up and even flakes of early spring snow would fall, only to disappear immediately after hitting the ground. The trip from the port to the city took them about half a candle, maybe more. It was getting dusky, but the city gates were still open. Torches in the guard tower were lit though. -*they could not have bothered with guards, considering this tent town behind us* - said Greoo as they approached the gate. Indeed. A sizable regiment of maargardian troops set up a camp of long, rectangular tents before the gate and didn¡¯t seem to even bother with setting a defensive perimeter. Brandt even grumbled something incomprehensible about this when they first saw the gathering. -*it is not advisable to forego the routine*- said Thernohh -*even you inheads need a shakedown when all of you settle into the lowest effort state of being. Hoomin are no different*- there was a hint of disgust in what she was saying -*it is less efficient short term to do it like that, but beneficial in the grander picture* -*You¡¯re rude*- said Greoo -*Does not make it any less true*- dryly responded Thernohh Greoo grumbled something to herself but didn¡¯t respond. The guards at the city gate didn¡¯t seem bothered with Brandt and Anh, being more focused on their shift ending soon. One of them said something to the effect of ¡°papers please¡± but when the Nord flashed wax-and-stamped a document before him, the guard just waved the carriage through. The town was tiny in comparison to Sheridawn, or, Vhirs forbid, Tanais. There was very little in terms of paving and buildings were either entirely made of wood or barely having a stone foundation. The presence of the latter was also a clear sign of nearing the town¡¯s marketplace. Which itself was also tiny by Anh¡¯s standards. It was roughly square, less than a hundred mers on its side. It was nicely laid in stone though, and in its center stood a platform with gallows. From those two freshly hung men slowly dangling in the wind. Each had their hands tied behind their back, a hemp sack over their head, and a wooden plank on their chest. On one ¡°traitor¡± was written over it in black letters, on the other it was ¡°heretic¡±. -*lovely*- grimly said Birdekk, seeing the convicted and executed men. Their carriage maneuvered around the gore and towards a large building on the opposite side of the market. Once they arrived at its gates, Anh read the name written on the board above it. It was ¡°The Wild Man, established 1341¡±. Ironically, the letters were clean, legible, calligraphed in a steady hand, and finished off with fancy sheriffs. The hoomin stepped off the carriage and gestured to tanai to do the same. -¡± Rent a room for both of us¡±- he handed the tanai a rolled parchment, and then immediately marched off to a well-kept building of red brick opposite the inn. Anh followed him with his gaze and was quite amazed that Brandt marched there as if he owned the place. Having nothing else to do, Anh floated into the inn, which from the inside was¡­ strangely familiar. He was not a traveler by any means, but the inside of this inn was just like the few he visited along his way here. There was a roast, with some animal being stuck on an iron spit. There were a few, mostly fairly young, people serving the customers. A mixture of light crystals and torches provided the light and the air was filled with a scent of mead, ale, pork, and potatoes in gravy. The arrangement of the bar, benches, tables, or location of the main roast was changing, but all of the inns were, very much, the same place. Judging from the reactions of the patrons, a tanai floating into the main hall of the inn was to be today¡¯s main event. The emaciated visage of Anh¡¯s in loosely fitting clothes caused just about every person in the room to throw at least a little glance in his general direction. For some, it was nothing but a quick look. Some others were staring with either amazement or disgust. -* they are looking at us as if we were a circus freak *- pondered Thernohh -* we are very down south in Maargard *- calmly responded Greeo -* for all intents and purposes we are a freak for them * -* greoo is right *- chimed in Tow -* Not that many of our kind wander so far into maargardian territory *- -* i recognize, nonetheless it is rude* -* hush, in there *- interrupted Anh -* we were tasked with renting a room with this magical document. I presume. Which is¡­¡±* He unrolled the parchment and quickly skimmed the rows of letters on it. This story is posted elsewhere by the author. Help them out by reading the authentic version. -*...a letter of recommendation from the local ¡®Maarische Bank und Geldbau¡¯ and assurance of reimbursement of any costs up to five Swords, provided receipts are given. I thought Brandt works for Zerstbank.¡± - said puzzled Anh. -* Zerstbank is not allowed to operate in Maargard *- responded Tow -* so this must be a maargardian outgrowth allowing it to do business here in some capacity *. -* right *- reservedly said Anh -* let¡¯s see if this is worth anything * -* do I sense a hint of excitement, and maybe eagerness *- merrily said Greoo -* more like a dread mixed with anxiety *- responded Anh grimly. The tanai floated towards the bar, which was ¡­ almost the same, at least in design, as any other bar he had seen. Wooden construction, flushed and polished. Built between two wooden pillars. Even the corpulent hoomin man behind it was similar to the previous ones. This one might have been unique because of the mustache, but Anh just couldn¡¯t tell. -¡± I would like to rent a room for two.¡± -¡± Juzt de night?¡± - said the innkeeper -* for how long did Brandt want this room * -* one night, he wants the stay to be brief *- said Birdekk -* but take two nights, just in case * -¡± Two nights. But we might leave tomorrow if business pans well.¡± -¡± I zee. Zo for you and zeine wife. Yez?¡± -* Does that matter? *- said Anh in a slightly worried tone -* Hoomin couples sleep together, often also copulate *- calmly responded Birdekk -¡± No, no wife ¡±- Quickly said Anh -¡± Just business partner. Two separate beds.¡± -¡± Yez, yez¡± - snickered the man -¡± buzinezz partner. Room zeven.¡± - he pointed towards a staircase hugging the wall to his left - ¡±upztairz.¡± -¡± Thank you¡±- Anh was readying himself to go towards the staircase -¡± Paid upfront. Zehn shillls per night.¡± -¡± Right, right. I have this¡± - tanai handed Brandt¡¯s document. The innkeeper took it, unrolled, and, judging from his gaze, slowly read it, pausing occasionally to let go of a muted ¡®mhm¡¯. Then he rolled the document back and hid it under the bar. -¡±Room zeven¡± - he gestured to Anh -* Anh, we are getting ripped off *- calmly announced Birdekk -* U nless this is some sort of a royal accommodation. Ten shillings is, quite literally, ten times too expensive. At least. * -* Is it? Fair enough, I guess. I¡¯ll let Brandt deal with this *- what Anh has done was the mental equivalent of a shrug -* he was mean to us * -* First of all, he does not seem to be accustomed to working with our kind *- chimed in Greoo -* and secondly, he has a point. No need to be a simpleton about it *- -* That, and considering that we are out of our element and¡­*- Birdekk took over -*...we are dependent on his continuing will to support us. It is best if we play along to build our worth in his eyes.¡± -* Fine, fine * - grumbed Anh -¡± How much you said it is?¡± - Said tanai before venturing towards the stairs - ¡° Ten shillings, yes? ¡±. -¡± Yez, unzere ztandard fare.¡± - said the man, his voice betraying uncertainty. -* Tell him that you are not a Paladin and this is not Caer Coch * - said Greoo -* Be mean, just don¡¯t overdo it* -¡± So I heard¡± - Said Anh in a faux worried tone, then threw his hands on the bar and leaned towards the man, trying to be intimidating. Which was a touch comical, considering his skinny posture and about a mer and a half in height - ¡± Do I look like a paladin in Caer Coch? No? Don¡¯t think so. ¡± The innkeeper opened his eyes, confused about whether he should laugh at the tiny, flying man before him or be scared of the prospect of being fried by the dark tanai magicks. -¡± What do zie want?¡± - he finally uttered -¡± My inner voices tell me, this is a one-shilling kind of room¡± - said Anh in as stern a voice as he could - ¡°and that is with a breakfast at our door as soon as the rooster sings.¡± -* How am I doing?* - said worried Anh -* We¡¯re not going to be accepted into ¡®Societvum Acto im Vhirs¡¯ anytime soon with this performance¡­* - responded Thernohh -¡± Of courze zir!. My manners. Ich meant ten copperz fur one person. Zhilling per room, with breakfast¡± - said the innkeeper in conciliatory voice -*...but you are getting the results we want. So I give it a solid six out of ten.*- finished Anh¡¯s kinfolk -¡± Good. Of course. An honest mistake. Room seven you say? Upstairs?¡± -¡± Ja, upztairs.¡± Anh stroked his goatee for a second. -¡± Good¡± - he said finally - ¡°I¡¯ll go take a look. In the meantime, prepare a meal for me and my associate. Whatever the specialty of the house is for my associate. Oatmeal with as much dried fruit as you find and a piece of cake for me.¡± -¡± Will sie be eating in zeine room?¡± Anh was pondering this question for a few seconds, and he finally responded. -¡± Yes. Deliver to our room.¡± - he said leaving towards the stairs. Anh didn¡¯t get more than halfway across when Birdekk reminded him. -*You forgot to secure our luggage. The carriage is still waiting outside*- -*Way to spoil my dramatic exit.*- grumbled Anh -*Let¡¯s see the room and then get our bags.* ChaPT@r 3: Evening after a long day Before they even stepped out of the boat in Katzburg river port, Brandt decided to dwell in Katzburg briefly. A day, maybe two, and then continue on their way. One reason was sheer efficiency. The other, much more pertinent, was the impending Vhirzung. Once their carriage arrived at Katzburg gates, this plan was quickly modified to spend as little time as possible in the town. Forces they briefly met in Isdelburg were sizable but were not out of the realm of a regular Maargardian incursion into the wildlands. Each year someone organized a ¡®Vhirzung¡¯. It was a way by which Paladinate was slowly displacing the native wildmen population and growing south and west. Most of these, if not all, were merely a raid into the wildmen''s territory. Either to loot what was lootable, which mostly wasn¡¯t much or to hunt for slaves for the wealthy and wives for veterans. When they finally approached the town and Brandt saw what was around it, he ceased hoping the current one was just the regular deal. There were too many tents, soldiers, and fires with a roast over it. Multiple banners were flying in the wind and everything was too orderly. Most important of all. There were far too many clergy and church-affiliated people around. Praying, proselytizing, and keeping an eye on everyone. There were too few whores around as well. What he was witnessing around Katzburg was the once-in-a-century major Vhirzung. One worthy of this name. Erstpaladin, for whatever reason, wanted to grab loads of territory and expand Maargard¡¯s borders. Thus in the name of Vhirs, noble houses were to provide troops to aid the throne in this goal. In the middle of all of this was he and his companion. Both were on a quest of questionable, if not downright heretical, nature. It was obvious that their stay in Katzburg needed to be brief. After they arrived, Brandt headed towards the local offices of ¡®Maarische Bank¡¯ to obtain actual money. Zerstnotes and promissory notes were a potent way to exchange ryals without using actual coins, but not every business could be conducted with them. One such was getting some sort of transport for the trip to replace the horses he hastily sold off back in Isdelburg. It took more time than he hoped it would. Seemingly, all the beasts of burden in Katzburg were either sold to or appropriated by the army. Which, of course, wasn¡¯t a surprise. Thus he spent over an hour searching for something. In the end, he managed to swindle off a two-wheeled cart and an old horse from a requisition officer in one of the camps. Although ¡®swindle¡¯ was not the correct word, it was more of him getting swindled. It was one very expensive cart. This search had an upside. As he was negotiating the cart, he also managed to buy some good-quality maps from the same man. Although ¡®buying¡¯ meant that the officer made an involuntary bundle of a cart, horse, and military documents. Brandt simply stole the maps when the soldier was distracted. Provision of some camping equipment, which they both would undoubtedly need when poking about the wilderness in a town which was surrounded by a literal city of tents proved to be a problem Brandt didn¡¯t foresee. He spent a candle wandering around town and finding nothing that would be even in the simplest form of ¡°ready¡± to use. Finally, he managed to cobble up a bale of thick linen, a sizable pot, a coil of rope, and, after a long haggling session with a local merchant, a few blankets. Without being able to buy any poles for the makeshift tent he was hoping to make, Brandt settled for a woodcutter¡¯s hatchet and a sharpening stone. They would need to improvise their tent, should they need one. It wasn¡¯t the quality of equipment he hoped to get, or was accustomed to use, but it had to do for the time being. Thankfully, of all the things he thought would be necessary, there was no shortage of shovels. He bought three. Just in case. It was after dark when he returned to ¡°The Wild Man¡±. At this hour he was tired after the long journey and having spent the last few candles running errands. Hunger was also a problem that required addressing. Lastly, there was the issue of Anh and him being very roughly connected to the reality around them. Did the tanai rent a room? In all circumstances, Brandt would not be worried, but it was Anh Trawins¡­ Despite trying hard to like his companion, the hoomin had to face the admission that this partnership was trying on his resolve. Nord expected to enter the inn and find the tanai confused or uninvolved in the corner. Of course, none of the things he asked for would be done. Albeit, there was a thought at the back of his head, one caused by hunger and tiredness no doubt, that he was underselling his tanai companion. Brandt was used to working with employees of Zerstbank. Loyal, motivated, and with a clear sense of hierarchical order of things. His not seeing the tanai as such might have been a failure on his side. Having all but worse expectations, Brandt pushed the doors to the Inn and went through. The interior was¡­ mundane, as it always was in these places. At this time there were very few people inside. A corpulent barkeep with an impressive mustache sat behind his bar. A pair of soldiers wearing grey and blue uniforms in a corner were snoozing propped against a wall. On the opposite end, a middle-aged, well-dressed woman was finishing her meal. Remains of a pig were roasted over a fire, with most meat already cut off. The place smelled¡­ comfortable. Anh, however, was nowhere to be found. Brandt entered the main room and headed towards the barkeep. -¡± Greetings. My partner was supposed to rent a room here. A tanai, paid with a Maarische Bank note¡±. -¡± Room Zeven, Mr?¡± - replied the barkeep, then yawned -¡±Upztairs¡± -¡± Thank you, good man¡± - Brandt threw in response, not even caring to introduce himself when he was already on his way towards the stairs. A few drips later he found himself in a long hallway with wooden doors on both sides, spaced about five mers each. Brandt counted twelve rooms, six on each side. The corridor was dimly lit with a trio of quite faded light crystals. Coupled with the silence around him, it created quite an eerie atmosphere. With a few steps, he reached the door decorated with a ¡®seven¡¯ painted on them. He pushed the handle. The doors were locked. -¡± Mr Trawins! Please open.¡± -¡± I¡¯m coming!¡± - came the muffled response from the other side. A moment later the doors creaked open. Anh was floating before him, wearing an expensive nightgown with a nightcap topped with a sizable pompom. An attire Brandt would more expect from a lady, and an older one at that. Seeing this he froze and it was only after ages of practiced self-control that he didn¡¯t burst into laughter. -¡± Since we are already in an inn, I dressed the part. Besides¡­¡± - the tanai floated inside - ¡° the beds here are comfortable and puffy, and I fried¡­ umm, killed the bedbugs. We will be out of civilization for some time, it¡¯s best to rest when the opportunity is there.¡± Unauthorized usage: this tale is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings. Brandt entered the room. The inside was simple. Two beds, one table, a stool with a bowl of water on top, a sizable clay pitcher on a shelf below it, and a covered brass potty on the floor below. A wrought iron crystalabre was hanging from the ceiling, with four brightly lit crystals stuck on it, giving the room a bright yellowish haze. Anh arranged their luggage at the bases of their beds. -¡± I ordered you the food, but I didn¡¯t account for you being away for such a long while, so iit is cold.¡± - said worried Anh -¡± I can heat it for you.¡± -¡± Please do¡±- said Brandt, surprised by the accommodation -¡± I¡¯m starving¡±. Brandt sat heavily on, judging by it being orderly, his bed. He took off his boots and wiggled his toes for relief. At the same time Anh floated above his bed with his legs crossed. His face showed concentration on the task of heating the food for the nord. Surely enough, a minute or so later a scent of liver in onion with buckwheat in thick sauce filled the room. Brandt had to admit. It smelled tasty. He stood and went towards the bowl with water. -¡± I obtained some maps. Presumably of the area.¡± - he said while washing his hands - ¡°they are in the tube laying on the bed.¡± -¡± You found a bookshop?¡± -¡± I obtained them.¡± - Brandt shot a peek at Anh, checking whether he got the implied message. -¡± I¡¯ll skim through, see if they are any good¡± - said the tanai reluctantly, and floated, without even changing his cross-legged pose, towards the package hoomin had just described. Brandt sat on his bed and took the lids off the bowls of his food. Immediately the smell of roasted liver with onions intensified tenfold. This wasn¡¯t the dish Nord was most keen on. In his opinion, it was too greasy and heavy on the stomach. He was never keen on Maargardian cuisine and preferred a lighter, Sorresian palette. Where they were, cooks loved their heavy gravies, groats, potatoes, and pork, washed down with ale or beer. While in the Empire, the tables were conquered by fish, leafy vegetables, and wine. But he was also too hungry to be bothered. As he was eating his meal he was observing his companion. Anh was shuffling the sheet parchments around, taking out some accidental documents and focusing his attention solely on the maps. To each of those, he gave a few moments of attention. He studied the details and gave a muffled ¡®mhm¡¯ each time he saw something worth such an appraisal. -¡± These are good¡± - he finally said -¡± these are very good. Drawn by someone good at what they were making¡± -¡± Will those get us to the destination quicker?¡± - said Brandt between two bites of his food. -¡± Very much so!¡±- replied Anh, excitedly, then started to shuffle the maps before him and after a few moments, found one, which he immediately showed to Brandt - ¡°See this? This is the area of the neighborhood. Drawn by someone who knows how to work their curve and compass. I¡¯m impressed.¡± -¡± Good¡± - hoomin swallowed another bite, hardly hiding his disinterest -¡± I think¡± - Anh spread the map over the table, then hurried towards his bags. The unsecured map rolled back with a silent ¡®thwop¡¯, then rolled over the table and fell to the ground. Brandt followed it with a tired gaze. In the meantime, the tanai was rummaging over his belongings, finally drawing a ruler, an inkwell, and a feather. -¡± Where is the map¡± - he uttered, seeing as the sheet was not on the table - ¡°oh! There it is¡± - the lost item floated into the air from underneath the table, and spread over it seemingly of its own will. In the meantime, the tanai arrived at the table, once again assuming his cross-legged position. Then he put the inkwell on one end of the map to keep it from rolling. Having no other item with him, he traced the table for something, finally settling on a bowl cover. Before he placed it on the map, he checked if the cover was dry, but in the end, it was used to secure the map from the other end. -¡± Where was I? Oh yes.¡± - the tanai placed an end of the ruler over the precariously drawn silhouette of houses in the center of the sheet, with a Katzburg calligraphed below it - ¡° This is our location. The site of the first Vhirzung is¡±- tanai rotated the ruler so ist edge was over a sigil of a fouring of Vhirs somewhat close to the lower left corner of the map -¡± here. The scale of the map is about one to forty thou. Not bad. We also have about a fifty kimer radius around Katzburg mapped, without promises of dragons in sight. Cute. The interesting part is this tract drawn with red ink. It is described as ¡°forbidden, old sanctuary¡± and having a sigil of the Skola Pro Cvirsi drawn over it.¡± Anh was staring at the sheet before him for a few moments, tilting his head left and right, tracing something over the map -¡± Yes, I know, but why would they do so?¡± - he said absentmindedly, hearing this, Brandt raised an eyebrow, but didn''t say a word. The tanai, silent again, started to bump his fingers on his lips. -¡± Yes, yes, I know, not for public consumption.¡± - he uttered once again. Then froze for a few moments, only to suddenly turn to the other maps rolled on the bed beside him. -¡± Where was it?¡± - the tanai started to shuffle the documents, unrolling them, checking their content, then throwing them away -¡± yes, this is very tentative, intermediate level¡±- he once again uttered, seemingly to himself. In the meantime, Brandt finished his meal. Anh, however, was in his world and didn¡¯t seem to notice. Instead, he started to murmur to himself and shuffle maps back and forth, putting some on the table, then taking them away, and replacing them with others. The Nord covered all the bowls with their covers, then wiped his mouth with a cloth napkin, which he threw on the dishes before him. He then stood and went to his bag. In which he was searching for something for a few short moments. He took out a tiny jar with a cork, and what seemed to be a stick wrapped in a linen cloth, but in the end turned out to be a little brush. During this Anh was deep within his world, shuffling and analyzing maps, sometimes commenting to himself in a hushed tone. Once armed with those utensils, Brandt went toward the stool with a bowl in the corner of the room. He poured water from a pitcher into a cup, dunked the brush into the jar, and started brushing his teeth. This must have been so out of the ordinary, that it shook Anh out of his stream of consciousness. The tanai began observing what the hoomin was doing for the entirety of the deed. Brandt finally, spit into the bowl before him and rinsed his mouth. -¡± Are you brushing your teeth? No, that was redundant.¡±- uttered Anh with a hit of self-disappointment - ¡±Does brushing teeth yield what proponents claim it does?¡± -¡± What do you mean?¡±- said Brandt while wiping his face off the remains of the brushing compound and foam -¡± I heard of this practice. Certain tanai advocate for it. Zealously.¡± - quickly said Anh -¡± I have a pamphlet on my reading list about this. But I never met anyone doing this. Let alone a hoomin. No offense¡± -¡± None taken. Let me say it this way.¡±- Brandt took a moment to collect his thoughts -¡± I like my teeth, and am certain that brushing has kept them in good shape since I started to do it. I¡¯ve been doing it for a long time.¡± -¡± How long?¡± -¡± A¡­ few years. Minimum.¡±- replied Brandt with a barely noticeable hint of hesitation. -¡± That is very interesting. I need to read that pamphlet once we are back to Sheridawn. On another note. I studied the maps.¡± -¡± Yes. I noticed.¡± -¡± From the few glances, my hypothesis seems to have merit. The one about the location of the na-no-forge. Or at least a precursor site.¡± -¡± Yes. I remember, continue.¡± -¡± The maps demarcate where the First Vhirzung Monument is built, and where something in the interest of the Ordos is or was. The maps you have provided show an area off limits to whomever those maps were made for.¡± -¡± So that¡¯s where we are going to go.¡±- calmly said the Nord -¡± have you found any hints of what we might find?¡± -¡± No, unfortunately, no. I can still only hypothesize.¡± - Anh hung his voice for a moment -¡± Is poking our heads into there¡­safe?¡± - he said worriedly. -¡± It¡¯s not¡±- Brandt¡¯s voice had no traces of any negative emotion, he merely announced what seemed like an obvious consequence of their actions - ¡°Then again, all the commotion around us might work to be our cover. For now, we need to rest.¡± CH&p$1ter 4: DL-00A ¡°Unit: DL-00A, Designation 60-L3M¡± ¡°Uptime: 575 665 bivi, 1 hour, 51 minutes, 12 milliseconds¡± ¡°Status: critical resource level¡± ¡°Last scheduled maintenance: 558 609 bivi ago¡± ¡°Next scheduled maintenance: in -557 021 bivi¡± ¡°Urgent maintenance request sent¡± ¡°Current subject population: 49¡± ¡°WARNING: Subject population below 10% of target¡±. ¡°Target subject population: 500¡± ¡°Nanoforge 1 status: offline¡± ¡°Nanoforge 2 status: offline¡± ¡°Nanoforge 3 status: damaged or unconnected¡± ¡°Nanoforge 4 status: offline¡± ¡°Subject generation: 2154¡± ¡°Power input: 97kW¡± ¡°WARNING: Power input below 100kW¡± ¡°Target power: 1000kW¡± ¡°Subject reclamation ratio: 0.0%¡± ¡°Status analysis¡­ complete¡± This story originates from a different website. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.¡°Current subject generation: 2154¡± ¡°ERROR: All nanoforges are offline. Code 0x4123¡± ¡°ERROR: Failed to deploy generation 2155. Critical resource levels. Code 0xF649¡± ¡°ERROR: Self-repair not possible, nanoforges offline. Code: 0x5E1D¡± ¡°ERROR: Memory bank 31 checksum failures above threshold. Bank disconnected. Code: 0x0011¡± ¡°ERROR: Memory bank 30 checksum failures above threshold. Bank disconnected. Code: 0x0011¡± ¡°WARNING: Memory bank 09 checksum failures nearing threshold. Code: 0x0010¡± ¡°WARNING: Memory bank 23 parity subsystem error. Isolating. Code: 0x012¡± ¡°LOG: Local population hostile. Incursion at 575653/12/09:11 caused termination of subjects: 14. Local population casualties (estimated)¡± ¡°ERROR: Unhandled exception. Access violation at: 0x0000 0000 0000 0000 0231 0031 2231 9510. Core dumped¡± CH&p$1ter 4: On teeth and maps The following morning was promising, that the following day would be warm and bivy, at least as early spring at the foothills of Soutwals could be expected to be. The air was brisk, the Bivos was peeking from below the mountains on the horizon and through the dense forests south of Katzburg. The trees were still not eager to sprout any greenery, save for a few pines still having needles from previous years. Their cart was slowly creaking forward on the southbound tract out of Katzburg. They left the town at dusk, thankfully not being bothered by anyone who was not Anh. Despite needing the least rest, possibly even being able to skip sleep altogether, he woke up in a foul state, which he blamed on the bed not being soft enough, thus interrupting his nightly meditation. Brandt took the responsibilities of the driver over the entire trip. In tanai¡¯s assessment such ought not take more than a day or two. Anh made himself a thick, soft recliner out of a bale of hay. He positioned himself strategically next to their, most importantly, his own, luggage. Determined to at least attempt to rest and maybe even work a little, instead of keeping pace with the cart on his own. Besides, he deserved a good rest, after the disaster at the inn.. When they left Katzburg he floated onto the cart and laid comfortably in his soft vessel, hidden in the wooden ¡®fort¡¯ of the cart¡¯s sidewalls, and engrossed himself in the study of the maps provided earlier by Brandt. Every once in a while he made notes on the topic of possible ink, color choices, and techniques used by the geographer making them. His hoomin companion seemed mostly stiff on the driver¡¯s bench and bored out of his mind. Albeit Anh considered that to be a charitable interpretation. It might have been that Brandt was just an expressionless gloom with no internal dialogue and a narrowly defined direction toward an abstract goal. But surely, no hoomin could ever become such, thus it must have been boredom ailing his companion. -* Anh *- Birdekk broke the dominant¡¯s session of admiring the penwork of the sheet of paper -* I made a few simulations, and I think we should add brushing of teeth to our morning routine.* -* How so?* -* Well. We are expected to live for another sixty-three and three-quarters of a year. Tow, please remind me when tanai, on average, starts to need dental aids * -* Forty-seven and a third of a year of age. So forty-five percent of estimated lifespan * - dutifully responded Tow -* Anh, how old do you think Brandt is? *- Upon noticing this request Anh took a glance at the hoomin. -* I don¡¯t know. About thirty-five-ish *- said Anh, feeling unsure of his answer -* From what we observed, he is about it. Greoo, what is his social standing? * -* Quite high, obviously. He commands respect and is clearly very wealthy. * -* Unless he came to his wealth by inheritance, it took him quite a while to get to where he is. * -* He does not seem like a child of a noble. *- added Greoo - * He is not spoiled or focused on getting his dose of genital pleasures. I mean, if he were, we would not be here.* Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon. -* My point exactly * - said Birdekk -* He looks thirty, but, judging from his presence and social standing, is older than that. I took a few peeks at his teeth. He seems to have all of them. Well, at least those I could notice. While hoomin at his age tends to miss at least half. He is doing something right. * -* That is an unfounded assertion * - chimed in Thernohh -* For all we know, he might be one of the lucky ones, that get to keep their teeth * -* Oh, come on! It is not ¡®unfounded¡¯. *- Birdekk seemed a touch offended -* I am working here with limited access to the information and extrapolating from that. * -* All right, all right *- replied Thernohh -* It is just domme who ought to be aware of you thinking to conclusions. * -* Fine. At least, consider this to be an idea worth a deeper analysis. * -* This I can concur * - added Tow -* it is an interesting avenue for research. Do you think that Mr Zerster would be willing to become a subject? * Anh took another gaze at the hoomin. Who was still holding the reins and gazing forward and resembling a statue. -* Not bloody likely!* - exclaimed the kinfolk in unison. -* On an unrelated subject *- Tow took over the conversation -* I swore, I knew those red map markings from somewhere. * -* Go on * -* I had to meditate over this, as it was a long time ago. But, we read a book, still on Tanais. I think it was ¡°Carta Margaardia IVE¡±, but I would have to confirm. Thick book. Good read * -* Cut the chase, please * - scoffed Thernohh -* I¡¯m getting there. Anyways, the book described methods that were going to be employed in the Maargardian military from 1382. * -* They actually set a standard? I¡¯m impressed. * -* So was I. Anyhow, it outlined methods, colors, and even signage to use. Black is the basic, and red was to be used to denote areas in the interest of Ordo Cvrsore. Where did Brandt get these maps from? * -* We don¡¯t know. But considering how he carries himself *- Thernohh noted sarcastically -* I would not be surprised if he took them off a freshly murdered Ordos official. * -* Oh, come on! *- protested Birdekk -*He is not that bad!* -* Well, we¡¯ve seen him lie through his full complement of teeth at least once. With ease, I might add * -* You mean that situation with Ksintasxii? * -* Enough about our employer! * - Anh cut the conversation short - * Tow, please continue about mapping. * -* Gladly. Maps follow the guidelines almost exactly, which was why they seemed so familiar. Which also makes me think they might be coming from the Katzburg office of Ordo Cvrsore. Which is, also, also, why these maps are so good. * -* They might want their things back. * - said worried Birdekk -* Ordo Cvrsore you say? So they are, or were, or are planning to, dig for something there. * - commented Thernohh - * which also implies, there being something precursorial located there, thus we are getting somewhere with our hypothesis on the coordinate system. * On Tanais it is said that the chatter in a tanai¡¯s head subsides in two cases. Which is when they die or when they are startled by a discovery they just made. It was certainly the former at this moment. Anh laid deeper into his pile of hay and was staring at the road slowly unrolling in front of him. The cart¡¯s wheels were squeaking silently. Birds were chirping in the dense woods of the southern Maargard, on this brisk morning. The Bivos was peeking through and the kinfolk of five were pondering the importance of potentially discovering a bit of the world¡¯s history. CH&p$1ter 4: First Vhirzung Monument The evening after leaving Katzburg came and went. They set up camp by the main tract, somewhat to the left of it. Brandt set up the place almost entirely by himself and has done so with unconscious aptitude. The provisory tent was made with linen he bought in Katzburg and trunks of a few young trees the hoomin chopped off and quickly debarked. The fireplace was arranged from a couple of sizable rocks found nearby. The same rocks were used to secure the tent from flying off. The blankets served as a bedroll. The tanai limited himself to hexing a fire once the camp was ready but otherwise was busy scouring the area for ¡®doodads¡¯ of interest, poking his nose at a bush ¡®over here¡¯ or floating to a bird hollow ¡®over there¡¯ and being all over the campsite. He also refused to sleep that night, preferring to meditate outside and holding a guarding duty, as much as that was worth. The morning of that day welcomed them with drizzle and was somewhat colder than a few days prior, which was a clear sign of them getting closer to the southern mountain ranges. The weather somewhat improved over the day, as expected during spring, but it was still noticeably colder than in Sheridawn or even Isdelburg at this time of year. They arrived at their destination late afternoon. The monument of the ¡°Vhirzung against the wretched Goblin Kingdom¡±, as it was its official name, was supposed to mark the place where the legendary warriors of Maaren finally defeated and extinguished the Goblin King and his minions in a final battle, after a bloody, ten-year war. Some seven hundred and fifty years ago. The war was a founding myth for the Maargardian Paladinate. Thus the place was designated a holy place, at least officially. Originally a fort was built at the site, to stave off any reminder of goblin forces, and Katzburg was meant to be its staging town. But it quickly turned out the Vhirzung was an astounding success and no sight of the critters was noted ever since. The fort was eventually abandoned, being so far south and of no other military importance. Katzburg remained and even thrived off the wood, timber, and fur trade. The monument was raised on the seven hundredth anniversary of the battle in the center of the ruin of the fort. Some sad, ruined reminders of its walls still stood around it. The monument was laid on a circle of granite about twenty mers in diameter. In the center, on a four-stepped platform, was a slightly weathered sculpture of two life-sized, chain-mail-wearing men, one armed with a sword, the other with a spear. They were caught fighting three grotesque creatures, roughly hoominsimile, no taller than a mer, brandishing cutlasses. Albeit one of the beasts was missing its weapon¡¯s blade. Remains of which were lying below, on the platform. In front of the statue, on a granite pedestal, was a bronze plaque, half a mer wide and a third tall reading: ¡°Take heed and bear witness to the truths engraved herein. For this is the legacy of the Vhirzung against the Wretched Goblin Kingdom. Under the Vhirs anointed hand of the Gottfreid Oth¡¯Schottke, United men of Maaren fought a bloody battle on this sacred ground and took an astounding victory against inhoomin vermin of If you encounter this tale on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. the Goblin King and freeing Maargaard from its wretched forces. This plaque was funded by the Erstpaladin Ferdinant Mannfred Oth¡¯Schottke to commemorate the seven-hundredth anniversary of this victory. 1359 P.C. IVE¡± Brandt stood in front of the monument, hands on hips and legs apart, for a tenth of a candle - or ever since they arrived. To his surprise, he found it strangely calming, even though it was quite literally a war memorial. He read the plaque once again, then looked up at the statues. Both men had grotesquely solemn and stoic expressions, possibly because the artists tried to convey that killing monsters in the name of Vhirs is a work of a calm mind. He scoffed, shook his head slightly, then looked at the plaque again. Brandt couldn''t fathom why, but his gaze was forever drawn towards the word "Schottke", repeated multiple times here. It seemed to stir¡­ something in his mind, bouncing around like a goat let loose of its pen. It was strangely and intimately familiar, evoking sounds of battle and bloodshed¡­ -¡± I expected more¡± - said Anh. The feeling vanished when Trawins¡¯ voice echoed behind him. The plaque was once again only a plaque. Brandt sighed quietly, shrugged, and turned away, leaving the two knights alone in their eternal struggle against the monsters of the ancient past. Anh was poking his head from behind the map he held outstretched using a kinetic grip and looking around him, searching for something. -¡± Also¡± - continued the tanai - ¡°I think their weapons are not genuine 6th century issue, likewise their armor¡±. -¡± What was it that you were expecting? Crowds? Music and dance? Carnival with stands filled with roasted bacon and honey-laced pastry?¡± - responded a touch annoyed Brandt. -¡± Probably, yes. I can¡¯t really tell¡± - shrugged the tanai, oblivious or indifferent to hoomin¡¯s annoyance - ¡±but certainly more than a statue of two hoomin and three ¡­ gargoyles? Was it gargoyles?¡± -¡± It is a monument to a war fought hundreds of years ago. Nobody in their right mind would travel for hundreds of kimers to see a memorial.¡± - the hoomin quickly regained his composure - ¡° Also, those monsters were called goblins¡±. -¡± Yes. Whatever. Continuing the task at hand, The zone demarcated by our map ought to start about a kimer southwest from this location.¡± Anh floated in that general direction from the statues, Brandt followed him. They left the premises of the ruin when Anh stopped and started to look around him, searching for something, but staring only at a wall of trees readying to sprout leaves. -¡± If the place we are headed to was, in fact, a dig site for the Ordo Pro Cvirsi, I would expect a road leading there to branch off from here.¡± - said tanai in a manner that could be addressed to everybody and nobody at the same time -¡± I didn¡¯t see any branching road, path, tract or anything of this sort for the last three hours. It seems it is a dead end. Yet, the map¡± - Anh pointed to the sheet he was still kinetically holding - is here and going off from the memorial site.¡± -¡± Map has been, most likely, copied several times over the last hundred or so years and just updated every time.¡± - Brandt was scouring the area around him - ¡±It¡¯s been a while since even raising the monument. The road leading there would be long overgrown by now. We will need to chop our way to it.¡± Anh threw Brandt a puzzled look, only to catch the hoomin casually turning and leaving. -¡± You can fly. Raise above the trees and try to assess if there is anything of interest. I¡¯ll scour the area.¡± - Brandt threw as he was walking away. There was a brief moment of silence, which in the world of Anh meant a fierce discussion between the kinfolk. Whatever it was, it didn¡¯t seem to matter to Brandt. After a few more moments, the tanai just took flight above the treeline. CH&p$1ter 4: Greoos worries Greoo was sitting deep in the heavy leather chair, smoking a pipe and trying to scribble things on a sheet floating before her. She was a petite, hoomin blonde, aged no more than eighteen, who went out of her way to make everyone notice her being such. She wore a low-cut crimson dress. If one of her kind attempted to look her through, hair to toe, they would first notice a pair of large blue eyes, surrounded by thick, long eyelashes, then they would meet a petite, pointy, stubby nose. Below were a pair of luscious, thick, lips, a cute, pointy chin, and a long neck. At the end of this journey was a wide cleavage, almost exposing a pair of heavy breasts clumped together and stuck out to expose as much skin as possible, but still without being explicit by hoomin norms. At least some, most of them male. This would also be the end of this journey, as at this point most would lose the ability to communicate being struck by such concentrated exposure to concentrated femininity. None of this mattered. Only four other people ever saw her and all of them cared very little about how Greoo carried herself in their shared mindspace. The person in the chair was a figment, and so was the chair and the room the chair and her were in. The place was reminiscent of the bookshop they left three weeks prior. The bookshelves were still there, and so were the books, albeit probably different from those Anh was selling. Curiously, despite it being a bookshop, a large fireplace was nearby and ever-burning, crackling flames, consuming imaginary wood radiated warmth towards two large leather-bound chairs that replaced the counter. Greoo was sunken in one of those. Furiously gnawing on a pipe, without really achieving it. -¡± I ¡­ don¡¯t ¡­ like ¡­ this ¡­ guy¡± - she finally muttered into the air in a manner that meant she wanted to use harsher words. -* Why such a sudden change of heart* - came a disembodied, lighthearted voice of Birdekk -¡± Not a sudden. I just hide it well¡± -* I don¡¯t believe you.* - responded eldest kin - * He''s everything you ought to like in hoomin. Calm, collected, dominant, masculine, knowledgeable, rich, well-built, tall, exotic, handsome, suave, sophisticated, and above all modest.* -¡± Come here, so I can enact some pretend violence on your image.¡± - muttered Greoo. In response, not a moment later, a silhouette of a middle-aged tanai with a forgettable face, wearing light grey linen pants and a shirt emerged out of thin air before her. -¡± I hope it¡¯s not going to come to that.¡± - said Birdekk with a fake concern in his voice - ¡°Pretend violence is the worst.¡± - he floated towards the other chair and started to float above the seat with his legs crossed. -¡± You aren¡¯t making a good case for such a claim when pretending to sit in a pretend chair, thus, specifically, double pretending. Two pretends don¡¯t make it real.¡± -¡± Yes. I appreciate the irony. What is gnawing at you?¡± - the concern in Birdekk¡¯s voice was now genuine. -¡± In your litany of virtues of Mr Zerster you forgot to mention that he is a lie.¡± - Greoo sunk deeper into the chair, the pipe still in her hand. Or was the chair suddenly deeper than before? - ¡±It both repulses and worries me.¡± -¡± Well¡± - Birdekk clasped his hands as if he was to pray, but instead started to bump his fingers -¡± We did see him fork-tongue his way through things, he, evidently, is better at it than most hoomin.¡± -¡± I don¡¯t mean he is a liar.¡± - the woman gazed intently into the distance - ¡±Although that is also a concern. I mean he is a lie.¡± -¡± Be more specific please.¡± -¡± Let me collect my thoughts. Stop me I get too rambly¡± - hearing this, Birdekk nodded in confirmation - ¡± We met him in Sheridawn, a nobleman with some weird documents. Right?¡± -¡± Yes. I remember.¡± -¡± He is supposedly a banker. I mean, he didn¡¯t tell us that, but his family ¡®name¡¯ is a dead giveaway. Then I thought he was just some handsome weirdo with too much money. I mean fine, plenty of such in Sheridawn.¡± -¡± Aha, yes.¡±- Birdekk laid his hands on his chest and started to wiggle his fingers - ¡°Please continue¡± - Greoo didn¡¯t need any encouragement, she just continued, upping the pace of her speech. -¡± Then he wants to go on a quest, like some wotcher bandit, but wait! He somehow is a seasoned traveler! Because he travels light, with bare essentials. When we expected a caravan of a noble and packed accordingly. Like we¡¯ve gotten from Tanais to Sheridawn! I should have picked up on this, but I was too busy to pay attention.¡± - Greoo clenched the chair¡¯s armrests, and was visibly distraught. -¡± Hush, it is fine¡± - said Birdekk with assurance and concern in his voice - ¡±Yes. Indeed. Now when you speak of it, it makes sense.¡± The author''s narrative has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon. - ¡± Then, all of a sudden¡±- continued the woman -¡± he buys over, or arm-twists a gate guard. Like it is nothing. But wait! As soon as we embark on that creaky boat, he gives us a lecture as to avoid mingling with the church people. I mean¡±- Greoo paused to collect her thoughts -¡± I mean I¡¯m no fan of them either, but he has some sort of obsession! Did you see how he treated that churchai? Absolute lack of respect!¡± -¡± Yes. We are in agreement. He shouldn¡¯t treat Ksintsaxii so poorly. We have our differences, but in the end, we are still tanai. Trust is paramount!¡± -¡± Precisely! So what has our benefactor done next?¡± -¡± Obtains maps from a murky source amidst a military camp.¡± - Birdekk sounded really worried, and his words were more of a statement, than a response to Greoo. -¡± Well! That is one way to put it. He stole them!¡± -¡± Well. You have no evidence of that. I hope he didn¡¯t. That would spell trouble.¡± -¡± Fine, he either stole them or bribed someone to get them. Either way, it¡¯s a felony.¡± -¡± Hey. If you are already dissecting the behavior of our companion¡± - the disembodied voice of Tow echoed in the shop -¡± did you notice how well he set up the camp. This man knows how to get around.¡± -¡± Yes!¡± - Greoo almost shouted -¡± I was just getting to it!¡± -¡± Tow, do you want to join us?¡± - Birdekk said to nobody in particular. -¡± I¡¯m fine. I¡¯m just listening to you while working on something. Just wanted to chime in.¡± -¡± Yes, thank you. Greoo?¡± -¡± None of this makes sense. None of it.¡± -¡± Let¡¯s not rush to conclusions.¡± - said Birdekk calmly - ¡±Many nobles are keen on hunting. He may just be very fond of it. From that came his survival skills.¡± - the image of a tanai, started to rub his forehead -¡± He is very brazen with officials and¡­.¡± -¡± You are naive.¡±- Greoo interrupted him without hesitation - ¡°So far he is all that and at the same time just bosses us around like we are his minions. Without sharing his plans, unless he needs us to do something. Always keeping us at arm¡¯s length. Even at this very moment, the domme is doing his bidding. We are alone, away in the woods, with a ¡®mysterious¡¯ stranger, who isn¡¯t who he claims to be.¡± -¡± Well, he didn¡¯t claim to be us much of anything, really¡± - replied Birdekk - ¡°Most of this is just conjecture.¡±. -¡° Listen. Do we know whether he is married? What family is he from? Where is he from?¡± -¡± I presume he is from Sheridawn and is married. That is not relevant to the job at hand.¡± -¡± That is the point, and even you are starting to grasp it.¡±- Greoo fell heavily into the chair - ¡± Hoomin talk! Mostly about themselves. But they talk. It is how they bond. Sharing the mundanity of their lives. Just like we can yammer on about our research for hours.¡±- Birdekk nodded hearing this -¡± Yet for the entire trip, he was dead silent, unless we were speaking about ¡®the job¡¯. Or has been ordering us to do something.¡± -" Beware the man who does not talk and the dog who does not bark." - interrupted a disembodied voice of Tow. -" What?" - -" It''s a proverb." - added Tow - "I''ve read it somewhere." -¡± I¡¯m starting to see your point.¡± -¡± You better. I am starting to be very worried. We don¡¯t know anything about this man. Apart from his antics, and him needing us to poke Ordos for whatever reasons he has. For all I know, we are going to end up dead in a ditch after we are no longer needed.¡± Birdekk fell silent. After a few moments of awkwardness, Greoo continued. -¡± Come to think of it, the only thing we haven¡¯t seen is him being good at swinging that sword he carries around all the time. But I am certain he is ¡®unexpectedly¡¯ good at it. Did you see how longingly he was staring at the monument? Maybe he was envisioning himself being in that battle, killing those things. Maybe he just likes killing!¡± -¡± Well, now you are being paranoid.¡± - objected Birdekk - ¡±Most middle-aged nobles in his social strata are capable of fighting. With varying levels of success, but still. From you, I know that nobles live to hunt, fight, and backstab each other. He is likely not an exception.¡± Now it was Greoo¡¯s turn to remain silent. Her kin allowed the silence to linger for a few moments. -¡° Most also aren¡¯t psychotic killers.¡± - he continued -¡± I agree, we need to be vigilant, as Brandt likely has a closet full of skeletons. But so far he hasn¡¯t shown any proclivity for violence and he has treated us well, considering the circumstances. To the contrary. I think we are safe.¡± -¡± If he is a killer, he is of the pragmatic type.¡± - Birdekk frowned upon hearing this - ¡±Fine! Fine! I guess you are right.¡± - said deflated Greoo - ¡°I¡¯ll keep a vigil on him though.¡± -¡± Yes. This is a very fitting course of action.¡± - nodded Birdekk -¡± You ought to observe him and make notes, for the good of all five of us. If anything worrisome happens, or we consider Brandt to be a threat, we will take action.¡± -¡± Won¡¯t Anh object?¡± - her hoomin image¡¯s voice was worried - ¡° He seems to go at it with the naivety of a child.¡± -¡± As he usually does. We will pretend, if necessary, double pretend, arm wrestle him to submission. Thernohh knows ways.¡± Silence again befell the mind space. Greoo rested gloomily, with her gaze pointed at the dark oak floor of the library. She was considering all the things that were said and what it meant to her. A couple of moments, filled with nothing more than the crackling from the fireplace, passed. For all of this time, Birdekk waited patiently, just being vigilant of her intentions and as usual, being there for everyone living under Anh¡¯s skull. Finally, Greoo spoke. -¡± You are right. I should not worry so much¡± - she got up from the chair, straightened her dress and propped the breasts out, for extra effect - ¡°I think I should return to my work.¡± - Birdekk nodded, smiling warmly at her. Her image dispersed into the air just as she saw his approval. He, on the other hand, remained ¡®sitting¡¯ for a few more moments, soaking the carefully crafted ambiance of their communal inner refuge, admiring the rows of books, the fireplace, and the wooden interior. Finally, however, even he felt the obligation to return to his research and he also dispersed his image. CH&p$1ter 4: Progress, almost tangible At first glance, the wall of trees in front of Brandt was pretty uniform. As could be expected so far south, most of the trees were tall pines, growing tightly next to each other. Their overlapping, dark grey crowns shrouded the depth of the forest. A thick carpet of yellowed needles covered the ground. Even the tract Brandt and Anh arrived on was covered by decaying tree matter, but at least it was traveled on at least some of the time. Brandt suspected that the Katzburg garrison was having a regular pilgrimage to the monument and that kept the road traversable. For the better part of a candle, ever since Trawins floated over the trees, Brandt was walking along the treeline, looking for anything out of the ordinary, a clearing, or some sort of irregularity that would signify a road branching off into the woods. At the start, everything looked the same. Trees differed very little from each other. Just a yellow-brownish trunk shot out of the ground, and as it grew, the layer of bark thickened and became darker, finally ending with an unkempt crown of branches and dark needles. Brandt has seen those trees for the better part of two days now, it seemed that ordinary pine was the only tree growing south of Katzburg. Trawins would probably argue that observation, but he wasn¡¯t there. Finally, one particular bunch of trees was somewhat different than the others. They seemed a little ¡­ younger and shorter. After a closer examination, these trees were also not in line with the others. This offset was slight. Brandt had to look at it from several angles to notice it, but it was there. He could also swear that there was a footpath, or very slight remains thereof, winding between those trees. It was very likely that nobody walked it for several months, if not years. But it was there. Unless, of course, it was a path created by animals living in the area. -¡± TRAWINS!¡± - Brandt shouted, as loudly as he could in the general direction of the forest - ¡°FLY HERE PLEASE!¡± It took the tanai a few moments to arrive, but obviously, he heard the calling. He was flying down with grace when Brandt asked him. -¡± I think I found a very overgrown road.¡± -¡± I think¡± - responded the tanai - ¡°that is a very poignant observation. Dare I say even, accurate.¡± Brandt raised an eyebrow upon hearing this. This content has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere. -¡± How come? Wait, you found something?¡± -¡± Indeed. The tract starts about half a kimer southwest. It is overgrown, to a degree, but a cart could ride through.¡±- Anh put a finger to his lips - ¡±I think¡±. Brandt paused for a moment, pondering something himself. -¡± Is there a problem?¡± - asked the tanai -¡± That was pretty smart!¡± - exclaimed the hoomin -¡± Well thank you!¡± - replied the tanai merrily -¡± They planted trees over the road to mask where it was!¡± - Anh¡¯s deposition evaporated when he realized Brandt was not talking about him - ¡°Mr. Trawins, how old do you think these trees are?¡± - hoomin was pointing at the pines that were slightly different from the others. Anh floated towards them, then for a good sixth of a candle was traversing from tree to tree, poking them, scraping a slice of bark and measuring them up and down. Finally he responded. -¡± I¡¯d say, about sixty years, maybe a little more or less. The surrounding ones are somewhat older. But we would need to chop some with a saw and count the rings to get a precise measurement. These, however¡± - Anh blinked and nodded in the general direction of trees he was examining - ¡°are significantly younger.¡± Brandt froze for a few moments, his gaze unfocused and eyes squinted. He crossed his arms and began to involuntarily and rhythmically bump fingers on elbows. -¡± I have a theory¡­¡± -¡± A hypothesis¡±- interrupted the tanaismugly -¡± I presume.¡± -¡± Yes¡± - Brandt said with a hint of disapproval for being interrupted -¡± hypothesis. Regardless¡­ I think that these trees were planted when they were constructing the monument. To hide the road towards¡­ whatever is there.¡± -¡± Makes sense. I was leaning toward the same notion. Considering these trees are about the same age as the monument.¡± -¡± Indeed. It¡¯s rudimentary, but honestly, If I didn¡¯t expect something to be here, I¡¯d miss it.¡± -¡± Tend to agree. I¡¯m not a treelogist, so likewise, nothing stands out all that much.¡± - Anh started to caress his goatee - ¡°how are we going to get our cart through?¡± Brandt took a sweeping look at the sky. -¡± Whatever way we will, we¡¯ll think of it tomorrow. It¡¯s almost evening, we need to set up camp¡± - the hoomin sprung towards their cart, where the bored horse was slowly nibbling on whatever remained of last year¡¯s grass. When he arrived, he unpacked their makeshift tent and started to set it. This labor took him some time, enough for be met by the encroaching dusk. Wanting to make it before the night, hoomin took a quick look around for some stones to make a fireplace. Only to find none, at least not in the vicinity. Cursing that he didn¡¯t take their fireplace from the day before, Brandt checked what the tanai was doing. Trawins was floating before the overgrown road in the same pose as he was when Brandt left him. Hoomin sighed. -¡± What is he doing¡± - he said to himself while staring at the tanai from a distance, fascinated. Finally, he shook it off, realizing that their fire was not going to make itself on its own and even if it did, food certainly wouldn¡¯t. CH&p$1ter 4: Anh’s escapade -*This was not a good idea* - Birdekk complained, again, as he did since they left the camp a candle ago. -*To the contrary*- ecstatically commented Anh - *This is a great idea!* -*Running off guard duty in the middle of the night?*- the eldest continued berating the dominant -*This is a terrible idea. Horrible, terrible, horrendous and borderline treacherous.* If someone were to witness what was happening, they would see a figure of a tanai floating through a dark forest in the middle of the night. Lit by a simple lumehex of Anh¡¯s, Zoon¡¯s glow and tinted blue by Dux¡¯s light, as the smaller of Sathor¡¯s moons was already high in the sky. The only noises would come from the forest¡¯s fauna, croaking, rustling, flying, and running through the woodlands. There would be no speech involved, just a figure flying through. Yet, in the mind space of Anh, the exchange of thought, which was as close to words as it could be for the kinfolk, ceased for a good few moments. -* Fine* - Anh finally said - *apart from the sensational tone, why would it be ¡®treacherous¡¯?* -* Because Brandt trusted you to guard him* - chimed in Greoo -*and you betrayed that trust because of this escapade* -* He¡¯s going to be just right*- Anh dismissed her -*nothing can happen to him here. In the meantime, I¡¯m bored out of our mind.*- he exclaimed enthusiastically -*I¡¯m not going to be wasting an entire night. We¡¯ve done enough of it already.* -* I sympathize, I really, truly, and without any doubt do¡± - said deflated Birdekk - ¡°but this is the time to keep to our obligations* -* Implied obligations, but still* - added Greoo - *we ought to keep them, it will benefit us in the future* -* I intend to not listen to you*- scoffed annoyed Anh -*this will take a candle at most. Nothing bad is going to happen! We shall continue, I shall not suffer boredom anymore!* Both kin growled in unison and disappeared from Anh¡¯s immediate perception. Unabashed by their opposition, the tanai continued on his way. He floated along the overgrown road trace and listened to the ambiance for about half a candle when the wall of trees on both sides eased off, revealing a clearing. -* I can¡¯t see much* - said Anh in a manner not expecting response - *Is this the place we are looking for?* -* If you can¡¯t see, how are we supposed to?* - snarkily replied Thernohh -*Let¡¯s rummage around and see what we¡¯ll find.* -* I was about to say, that we should do that* - said Anh grumpily - *it was a rhetorical question* This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it -*Sure. Now get to work!* Anh started first, by tracing the overall shape of the clearing. It was roughly quarter by half kimers, although the woods around it were taking over, as younger trees were already growing on the outskirts. The meadow must have been wider in the past. Going through the clearing, Anh noticed peculiar holes dug into the ground. Now heavily eroded and overgrown. It was difficult to notice all the details, despite having artificial light and the glimmering cooperation of both moons. From what he could see the holes were rectangular and arranged in a grid. Each hole was about ten by fifteen mers and spaced about five apart. Somewhere between them was a slightly tilted obelisk of an unusual shape. It was rectangular, about two mers at the base, and about three tall. Anh brought his light to it. Its surface seemed impossibly uniform, despite being overgrown and weathered. -* Tow. What are we looking at? Take a guess.* - asked Anh -*Obviously, we don¡¯t know. Yet. Hopefully.* -* Please, fly on top and shed some light on it.* - Tow casually replied. Anh complied. He flew where his kin asked, and illuminated it as well as the lumehex could. Further details emerged. The surface of the top was different, more coarse, and weathered. What also was evident, were metal spikes stuck into its material. -* Now please give me a better view of the details. Start with those things sticking out over there.* These were sticking out of the monolith for about three cemers and were cut off using a high-power pyrohex, as the melted tops indicated. -*I think* - said Tow after a long investigation -*We are dealing here with a large block of poured mortar. There were experiments about this some time ago. I think ¡°Methodica Concreto Porvm IVE¡±.*- images of sketches presenting rectangular vessels, half a mer in size in any direction, filled with some substance and annotated by tables flashed in their shared mindspace - *The conclusion was that one could replace bricks with only mortar once said was mixed with sand. There were several proportions tested even.¡± -*Interesting* - mused Thernohh -*Yes indeed. It was also concluded that it would be exorbitantly expensive to do and the building would be quite brittle. I fail to see the purpose of those iron rods though. Also, this thing is old. I mean, it must be, look how weathered it is. To add to this ¡®also¡¯, it is, or was, a base of a larger structure.* -*So. The question that needs asking¡­* - Anh hung his train of thought and his unvoiced problem was allowed to linger a little until someone picked it up. -*I can¡¯t tell if it is precursorial.*- finally answered Tow -*But considering that I doubt anyone can make such a structure, especially here, the conclusions are obvious* -*I don¡¯t want to interrupt, as this is very interesting* - despite what he said, Birdekk cut into the discussion between Tow and Anh and did so quite unpleseantly - *We''ve been here long enough. We definitely don¡¯t want to meet Brandt awake and aware of our escapade. Hopefully not ¡®ill fated¡¯ one. We need to go back. I think we¡¯ve been here for a full candle already.* -*Birdekk is right. We are going to get plenty of time to study this.* - confirmed Tow -*we ought to return to the camp.* Anh stared at the obelisk for a few drips, then reluctantly turned around and directed himself back. CH&p$1ter 4: Where is he! Brandt awoke suddenly, with an overwhelming sense of something being wrong. It was still dark, the woods around him were teaming with noises of birds and other animals croaking, chirping, and calling each other. Calm, albeit cold, wind was slowly caressing trees around him, filling the air with creaking and rustling. Yet something was unsettling. Just outside the tent, the fire was nothing more than a pile of smoldering logs and ash. Brandt¡¯s mind seamlessly entered a state of hypervigilance. His heart started racing and his consciousness was now fixated on one thing. Something was very, very wrong. With as little movement as he could, he slowly reached for a throwing knife, strategically hidden in the sleeve of his jacket. He readied the blade and sprung out of the tent in three quick leaps, ready to fight it. Regardless if ¡®it¡¯ was a bear, wolf, a bandit, or a regiment of templar. There was nothing out of the ordinary anywhere he could immediately see. Nobody had a torch, and no animals either. Brandt slowly surveyed the area around the camp, still holding the blade readied in anticipation, but there wasn¡¯t anything worthy of attention. Except for one, important detail. Trawins was nowhere to be found. -¡± Idiot!¡±- he uttered through clenched teeth -¡± Where did this floating dummy go? Certainly hope he went out to take a crap?¡± Brandt noted the nearly extinguished fire. -¡± Must be one long crap, that one!¡± Hoomin crawled back to the tent and collected his sword and scabbard. Then he proceeded to arm himself, and once done, invoked a weak lumehex and set out to find his companion. At first, he approached the battle monument, but the tanai wasn¡¯t anywhere near it. From there he began to search around the clearing, following a circular pattern. This kept him busy for a better part of a quanter before the futility of what he was doing dawned on him. Not only was he trying to find footprints in the middle of the night, but he was trying to find those of a tanai. The story has been taken without consent; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. -¡± I¡¯m wasting time¡± - he let his frustration into the void of the night - ¡°Unless his corpse is anywhere near.¡± Brandt returned to the camp. Using his limited ability in pyrohex, he stoked the campfire and threw some additional wood into it. As the flames grew, he sat beside it. Slowly, the mixture of anxiety, rage, and disappointment was evaporating. -*Where is the tanai? Why did he leave his post? Was it a betrayal or was he an agent?* were his thoughts. He quickly dismissed the former. Trawins was too naive and clumsy to be a mole. Besides, who would want to spy on an honest banker like Brandt Zerster? Mostly honest, at least. On the other hand, this clumsiness might have been a cover. -*Perish the thought!*- he reprimanded himself -*The tanai is just a bookworm out of his element.* - seemed like a good explanation - *but then, just how careless is he really? He was supposed to be here, on guard!* - Not that it mattered, really, so far out south and away from even Katzburg, he quickly added. He took a long look around. It wasn¡¯t long before the Bivos would rise, the faint, glow on the east was already visible above the trees. Frustrated, Brandt began poking the fire with a stick he found nearby. He concentrated on this for some time, fighting some quite obsessive thoughts about being chased after by ¡®them¡¯. But as time went on, his agitation faded away and along with it sleepiness as well. -¡± How am I supposed to trust the guy?¡± - he finally uttered. The night didn¡¯t have an answer. Having nothing else to do, the hoomin remained by the fire, listening to its atmosphere. CH&p$1ter 4: An uneasy return The tanai emerged from the woods almost at dawn and saw the hoomin sitting by the fire, skinning an unlucky hare. -*Why do I feel like a child*- Anh said slowly -*one who is about to be reprimanded by their caregiver for stepping out of line?* -*Because all of us under the dome over here know that we were not supposed to go for a stroll through the woods¡± - snarked Thernohh - ¡°by ¡®we¡¯ I mean, ¡®you¡¯ specifically.* -*It was fun though. I want to return to that obelisk and chip a piece for my precursorial artifact collection* - said Tow -*You don¡¯t have one* - noted Thernohh -*You¡¯ve got to start somewhere¡­* Anh approached the campfire and floated with legs crossed before it. Brandt didn¡¯t seem to notice his presence at first. Instead, he continued to work on his prey, skillfully quartering it and preparing it for roasting over the fire. This took a good quarter of a candle, with the tanai floating on the opposite to the hoomin. Without a dare to interrupt the process. Finally, five pieces of meat were stuck to a wooden stick. The hoomin wrapped the rest of the innards in the skin and fur and put them to the side. -¡± I hope¡­¡± - Brandt finally broke the silence -*There it goes.* - casually claimed Birdekk -¡±...that you don¡¯t mind eating meat unseasoned.¡± - Brandt presented the roast to the tanai - ¡°It is wasteful to throw the rest...¡± - hoomin nodded in the direction of the skin-wrapped intestines - ¡±...to the wolves, or bears, more likely, but we can¡¯t take it with us.¡± -*...or, maybe not?¡± -*Don¡¯t kid yourself* - interjected Greoo -*Take heed to how unusually calm he is.* -*Does not seem to be anything different to his usual*- said Tow, a little puzzled -*am I missing something?* -*His demeanour is different from usual* - Greoo continued -*He¡­ he seems conflicted. Probably is contending within himself what to do¡­*- she hung her voice -¡± Please keep it over the fire..¡± - continued the hoomin - ¡°...and tell me, did you find anything interesting?¡± -*...but it seems like he is acting, to cover something, I¡¯m guessing some internal turmoil.* - finished Greoo. -¡± I have salt, garlic, and basil in my bags.¡± - Quickly answered Anh, poorly hiding his anxiety. -¡± Basil? So far away from Sorres?¡±- the hoomin tilted his head to a side, a little -¡± You like your creature comforts, Mr Trawins, don¡¯t you?¡± Anh took the roast from Brandt with a kinetic grip, then floated towards their cart with the meal in close tow. -* What should we do now?*- inquired Birdekk -* We take our spices and season the meat?*- came an answer from Thernohh -* I meant with Brandt¡­* Anh kept the meat in the air, at arm¡¯s length, beside him, and began to rummage through the luggage. -*It is a goat leather pouch, with black embroidery and strapped by equally black string. Sachettes with the spices are inside.*- -*I know, Thernohh, we packed it together*- Anh felt a little annoyed. The search for that particular little leather pouch took a better part of a triskol. Once he found it, he floated the meats towards him. Unauthorized reproduction: this story has been taken without approval. Report sightings. -*Continuing. What ought I do?*- Anh said -*With Brandt and Us? Greoo?* -*I suggest you apologize. But only if he seems particularly offended.*- -*Dare I mention*- Thernohh injected herself -*Remind him, if necessary, that guarding him in the night is not a part of our contract.* Anh was almost done with seasoning their food. While packing back the spices, he took a quick peek at what Brandt was doing. The hoomin was where they left him, sitting beside the fire and gazing into the distance. -*He seems fine* - uttered Thernohh -*He seems so. But as I said, he is fuming, is conflicted¡­¡± - replied Greoo. Anh began to float back toward the fire. Once beside it, Anh assumed a cross-legged pose, fairly close to the flames and opposite the hoomin. Then skillfully began to roast the meat, while still holding it in a kinetic grip. He also avoided Brand¡¯s gaze. -*...he also can plot a cold-blooded revenge in the future.¡± - added Greoo. -*Now you are just paranoid* - said Thernohh - *as usual, shall I say* -*You can¡¯t rule that out!* - protested Greoo Anh tried to ignore the banter between his female personalities and concentrated to roasting the meat. After a triskol or two, he finally dared to engage Brandt. -¡± The site the Church was so cunningly trying to hide¡±- said tanai - ¡±is about three halves of a candle along the road we discovered yesterday.¡± -¡± Interesting.¡± - Brand said calmly, but a little coldly -¡± I found a curious obelisk of¡­ well, you¡¯ll need to see it yourself. There were also remains of what I think was a settlement of some sort.¡± -¡± Do you think it is, or was, a site of what we are looking for?¡± -¡± It certainly was a site of something.¡±- Anh¡¯s attention wandered away for a moment -¡°Its state also confirmed what I¡¯d been saying when we left.¡± -¡± That is?¡± - inquisitively asked Brandt, so much so that he turned his gaze toward the tanai. -¡± Place was picked clean.¡± - Anh replied with unease caused by the sudden attention - ¡±Nothing was left except that obelisk.¡± -¡± I take, that you recognize it as precursorial?¡± -¡± I think so. It was built in a manner that none of the parties I know of would. Even the Tahei.¡± - the roast over the fire ceased to rotate, as Anh continued directly toward Brandt - ¡±I¡¯ve read about it being possible, but also prohibitively expensive.¡± - the roast returned to being rotated -¡± Could you elaborate?¡± -¡± For the lack of a better term. It is a huge, rectangular block of grey mortar. Cracked and weathered.¡± -¡± Grey mortar you say¡± - Brandt rubbed his temples, lost in a thought -¡± Did it, by any chance, have iron bars or rods visible through?¡± -¡± Yes!¡±- exclaimed the tanai -¡± How did you ¡­?¡± -* He has seen it before *- nonchalantly said Thernohh. -¡± Have you seen it before?¡± - relayed Anh -¡± I found the documents you were translating in a ruin made of this material. Except maybe not yet explored by the Ordo.¡± -¡± Please! Tell me more!¡± - Anh both almost shouted and dropped the meat into the cinders. -¡± Concentrate on keeping our breakfast edible.¡± - Brandt smiled faintly - ¡°Because of my work, I travel. A lot. Each time I have the time to do so, I explore the countryside. My recent trip sent me to a town far south of Cammot. Barely even ¡®Cammot¡¯ really, just barely claimed territory. Near the Foer Gate Pass.¡± - Brandt cleared his throat - ¡°Irrelevant details. While hunting, I happened upon an empty bear''s den, which turned out to be, for the lack of a better word, reinforced on the inside. Dilapidated, damp and weathered ruin. Its inner walls were made out of this uniform rock-like substance which seemed like someone cast it out of mortar. Where it cracked, rusting iron webbing was poking out.¡± -¡± This is¡­ fascinating!¡± -¡± There was an entry to an arching tunnel, built similarly. Twenty-something mers deep, then blocked with rubble. In that cave, I found the documents. Its inhabitants filled the pit with these. I took all that had some semblance of integrity.¡± -* Eww! We were touching them!* - cringed Greoo -* It was well worth it.* - calmly retorted Tow -* Ask him if he has taken some samples.* - Thernohh injected herself. -* He took the papers, that counts as samples* - replied Tow -* Of the mortar, you simpleton!* - exclaimed Tow - *So we could make comparisons once we are back!* -* Well, fine. That is a fair point, Domme! Please inquire our host about it. Please?* -* I very well doubt he did, now hush, let Anh speak among this noise* -¡± Anyway.¡± - Brandt was probably unaware of tanai¡¯s inner dialogue. But he certainly he noticed the awkward silence and tanai¡¯s dead stare - ¡±Three halves of a candle, you say? Once we¡¯re done eating¡±- the smell of roasted meat filled the air for some time already, it seemed like Brandt was both finished talking and hungry at the same time -¡± and I have to say those spices seem to be doing their job, this smell is delicious, we¡¯ll head out¡±. CH&p$1ter 4: Digging for treasure. It was a busy morning for both men. After finishing their breakfast Brandt wasted no time, preparing to venture to the site the tanai visited in the night. He secured their cart, and took two shovels, an axe, a machete, and his sheathed sword, leaving most of his belongings, how little there was, in the camp. Anh took the hint and likewise, after rummaging through his things, he produced a leather rucksack which, judging from the looks of it, was packed to the brim. Brant was wondering for a bit, where did the tanai hide it. The morning was brisk and surprisingly warm and as they went along the overgrown road, it was looking as if the day was going to follow suit. It took them more than a single candle to reach the site. -¡± So, we are here¡± - dryly announced Brandt. Immediately his gaze landed on the obelisk -¡± Considering you are the specialist here. What should we do now?¡± Anh scratched his head for a moment, confused. -¡± I can read ancient languages. I am not¡±- the tanai paused momentarily, searching for a word -¡± a person who digs for remains of old things. I would start by measuring the place and sketching its plan. Then, I guess we can document the obelisk. What are we looking for?¡± -¡± You tell me. It was you who pointed to this place¡± - calmly replied Nord. Anh took a blink to reply. -¡± I wanted to confirm my hypothesis about the coordinate system. Which I consider to have tentatively achieved. Let me rephrase. What are you looking for Mr Zerster?¡± It was Brandt¡¯s turn to fall silent. After a few moments, he responded with a hint of doubt. -¡± Something. I can¡¯t tell. Once I find it, I¡¯ll know. I suggest you document the obelisk. I will sketch the plan of the entire site. I assume you took sufficient parchment and ink?¡± Anh nodded in confirmation, then took off his rucksack. After a brief struggle with its contents, he produced an inkwell and a few sheets of rolled parchment. -¡± On second thought. Won¡¯t you need the ink yourself?¡± - asked Brandt reluctantly when the tanai handed him the utensils. -¡± I have ink in three other colors¡± - shrugged Anh - ¡°You will be making your notes in green though.¡± -¡± Fine¡± - hoomin grabbed the items and was about to walk away, but Anh stopped him. -¡± You¡¯ll need one more thing¡± - once again, this time the tanai needed a mere moment to reach into his rucksack and obtain a flat piece of wood, a third by a fourth of a mer in size and covered in smooth black leather stretched over. He passed this item to Brandt. -¡± What is that?¡± -¡± Portable scribe backing. You don¡¯t intend to draw with the parchment on your thigh, do you?¡± -¡± These things are made?¡± - said Brandt with genuine confusion. -¡± Of course! How do you expect to make notes in the field? I also have parchment clips over here but you are not getting those. Backings, I have four. Clips, not that many.¡± - Anh threw the rucksack on his back and headed towards the obelisk in the middle of the glade -¡± Now it¡¯s time to get productive!¡± Brandt followed him with his gaze for a moment. When the tanai was at a significant distance the hoomin took interest in a rectangular hole nearby. It was time to get to work. The first order of business was to obtain a measuring device. That however was easy, as he knew that his sword¡¯s blade was exactly one mer in length, thus it made for a handy measuring stick. It was time-consuming and monotonous work. Brant hopped into each and using his sword, carefully took measurements. Most were about a mer in-depth, but their shapes were vastly different. Most were rectangular, between ten and twenty mers on each side. They were also separated from each other by about five to seven mers. A few had more complicated shapes. Brandt spent some time examining the interior of each rectangular hole. After going through several he found a few chunks of ¡®rock¡¯ that resembled the poured mortar. In one there was even an iron rod sticking out. Other finds included two cracked, heavily rusted heads of a pickaxe, a deteriorated boot, some broken clay bottles, and what seemed like iron rings that once held a bucket together. For each newly found ¡¯treasure¡¯ Brandt wrote a note where he found it. Then he would carry the find to a single pile near the central obelisk. This book is hosted on another platform. Read the official version and support the author''s work. As the day progressed Brandt was taking vigil of what his companion was doing. The tanai spent probably close to two candles doing ¡­ things to the obelisk. Poking it, scratching it, measuring, most likely, and making notes and sketches. Lots and lots of notes and sketches. The tanai even set up a little ¡®office¡¯ near the obelisk. He cleared a piece of land with a pyrohex, followed by some earthworks which Brandt could not determine from a distance. Finally, the tanai swept it with an appropriate pneumohex and thus invoked a cloud of dust. In the end, Anh spread his utensils over the ground and periodically returned to them, and was busy scribbling things, staring at things, and then returning to the obelisk. By the end of the second candle the tanai had several filled sheets, while Brandt was halfway through his own. At that time Anh froze over his makeshift office and stared at it for a good third of a candle. At one point, he took a quick gaze at where the hoomin was and decided to explore the part of the site opposite Brandt¡¯s location. -¡± Trawins!¡± - they were working silently for two more candles, but when Bivos¡¯ position denoted late afternoon, Brandt decided the time had come to return to their camp. Thus he shouted at the tanai - ¡° I think we are done for today!¡± Anh raised his head from the hole he was cataloging things. -¡± I¡¯ll be done with this one shortly!¡± - he shouted back. Without even noticing the response Brandt started to carry the artifacts he had found to the office of the tanai. This took him a quanter, but it was still before the Anh wrapped up his doings. Having no other things to do, he squatted and started to shuffle notes the tanai had made. It was surprising how much text one person could scribble about what was, essentially, a huge chunk of material. The tanai described the object in exquisite detail, noting its size, shape, surface structure, and every fracture Brandt could see. Up to measuring every major one¡¯s length and depth. On subsequent sheets were detailed drawings of the object from several angles. Each drawing was almost life-like and was adorned with arrows pointing at points of interest. -¡± They are a little rough¡±- Anh¡¯s voice sounded from behind -¡± but as you can imagine, conditions are what they are.¡± -¡± I am amazed how much one can write about such a simple object.¡± - Brandt replied slowly, directing his attention towards the notes -¡± the drawings are also excellent.¡± -¡± Umm, thank you. I think.¡± - said Anh aloofly - ¡°I think I should gather my things. Please, give me your notes, I¡¯ll carry them and we¡¯ll analyze what we have found.¡± - tanai reached towards Brandt in anticipation of getting the sketches hoomin has made. Once he received them, he began to pack his utensils and notes into his rucksack. -¡± What are we going to do with these?¡± - tanai nodded towards Brandt¡¯s finds -¡± I can¡¯t carry all of these.¡± -¡± We¡¯re going to leave them here¡± - shrugged the hoomin - ¡°It¡¯s not like anybody is going to take them. They¡¯ve been laying here for the last however many years.¡± -¡± Fifty-five to sixty years. I think¡± - said Anh while finishing packing - ¡°If the timeline we established is sound.¡± - he just finished packing - ¡°I¡¯m ready. Let¡¯s go¡± -¡± Besides, we have all the time in the world, don¡¯t we?¡± - Brandt said as he was collecting his things scattered on the grass -¡± I¡¯m willing to spend a few weeks here. Maybe even move our camp entirely to the premises.¡± Both men headed towards the road back to the camp. Anh floating, as tanai does, and Brandt on foot. -¡± What do you think we have found here?¡± - inquired Nord as they reached the overgrown road. -¡± It was a settlement of sorts. The holes we explored are remains of foundations.¡± - answered Anh in a mentor¡¯s voice. -¡± I figured as much.¡± -¡± The foundations were deep. The closer to the obelisk, the deeper they were. I can¡¯t say what kind they were. You could build a three- or four-story building upon the deepest one. I reckon, judging from my limited knowledge of masonry. They certainly supported something very heavy. The obelisk was placed in the center and supported¡­ something. I haven¡¯t got even the faintest idea what. But it had to be massive as well.¡± -¡± You have gotten all that from that one place?¡± -¡± That is not all. I¡¯ll show you once I merge the sketches you made with mine. But, I think, I can trace how cart movement was organized in this place.¡± -¡± I¡¯m going to ask the obvious. Where is everything?¡± -¡± Since you know the answer already¡­ we found some remains, we found tools. I think Ordo Pro Cvirsi was harvesting this place. Possibly before the monument was built.¡± -¡± My thinking exactly. Moreover, they were through, which suggests they were in a hurry.¡± -¡±... or what they found was especially valuable.¡± Their way back to the camp was spent admiring the woodlands slowly waking up from the winter¡¯s slumber. To the untrained eye, everything was bare, but once attention was paid, the bushes, the trees, and other flora were already busy sprouting buds and early spring flowers were also showing up. The sporadic conversation between Anh and Brandt devolved into one contentious issue. Brandt noted that the cleanup operation by the, supposed, Ordos was thorough, yet the obelisk remained. The tanai put forward a hypothesis of the order trying to move the obelisk. To which numerous scratches on the surface were a testament. What stopped them was the sheer mass of the structure. CH&p$1ter 4: Intrusion It was almost dusk when they nearly reached their camp. Bivos was merely poking through the jagged horizon of the Soutwals, bathing everything in an orange glow. Suddenly, Brandt halted Anh with his outstretched hand and then pulled him to the ground, while also squatting. -¡± Someone¡¯s at the camp¡± - he whispered The tanai gave Nord a surprised look. -¡± How do you know?¡± - he whispered back -¡± I can smell their roast and smoke.¡± - flatly stated Bradt - ¡°we need to approach carefully¡± -¡± Bandits? Pilgrims?¡± -¡± Maybe. Hopefully.¡± - said Brand slowly - ¡±I¡¯m worried it¡¯s going to be something much worse.¡± -¡± No way to know without checking¡± - shrugged Anh, and was about to bolt off, when Brandt pulled him back. -¡± Don¡¯t rush. Let¡¯s do it slowly and see what we are dealing with.¡± Anh nodded in confirmation, although clearly without much conviction. While it didn¡¯t take much for a tanai to be stealthy, as their preferred mode of locomotion was almost entirely silent, Brandt needed to put some effort into getting as close as they could to their camp. It was very, very slow. Tanai assumed a cross-legged pose and was following hoomin, who was going from tree to tree, using every little bit of cover the woods could provide in conjunction with the slowly approaching evening. Once they reached the monument site close enough to see the actual camp, they saw the intruders. By their fireplace sat four armored men chatting casually, and roasting what possibly was another unlucky hare. They had their helmets beside them as well as their weapons. Massive pollax lying by one of the soldiers drew most of the attention. The fifth person beside them was a tanai floating with legs crossed and reading a book lit by a light crystal embedded in a medallion. -¡± Ksintsax¡± - whispered Anh. Brandt just nodded, very unhappy with what he saw. -¡± We will approach from there¡­¡± - said hoomin and traced a particular path through the clearing around the monument - ¡°...we¡¯ll get closer and hide behind the fort¡¯s ruins. They should not notice us.¡± -¡± What is your plan here?¡± Brandt didn¡¯t answer, just walked, and leaned over, as they did for the last half a candle. Anh followed him. It was again a game of hiding behind trees and making short advances to avoid being detected. Armed men didn¡¯t seem to care, which made the candid approach a little easier. After a quarter of sneaking, Anh and Brandt found themselves flattened over a ruin of a fort wall, hidden away from the sights of the party that invaded their camp. Brandt took a peek out of the cover to peek at what was happening there. Their cart had been moved and searched over. The tent was toppled. All of their belongings were also scattered around the camp. Insignia of Ordo Pvrgatore embossed on the armors of the invaders were also very, very visible. -¡± We are in deep, deep trouble¡± - whispered Brandt -¡± these are church people. As I expected, they must have traced us here with the help of your friend there.¡± -¡± It can¡¯t be that bad, we haven¡¯t done anything wrong.¡± - commented Anh after a short pause, although his voice didn¡¯t convey confidence in what he was saying - ¡°we can sort this out.¡± This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere. -¡± No! We can¡¯t¡± - replied Nord - ¡°we need to get out of here. Right now!¡± -¡± No! No!¡± - protested Anh in a confident tone, so well that Brandt could not tell if the tanai was indeed so sure, or was just masking his worries very well -¡± we can¡¯t leave like this, this is just a misunderstanding!¡± - without any hesitation and to the horror of the nord, Anh floated out of the cover. Once men around the fire noted his presence, they quickly scrambled into a roughly combat-ready state. They took their weapons and put on their helmets. Ksintsax just shut her book with a loud ¡®thud¡¯ and floated it to the ground, where it rested on her backpack. -¡± Greetings Ksintsaxii!¡± - -¡± Anhs.¡± - nodded the High Cursor -¡± We were hoping yous were not embroiled in this¡± -¡± What precisely is ¡®this¡¯?¡± -¡± Where is that two-faced employer of yours?¡± -¡± Mr Zerster! Come!¡± - shouted the tanai. A few moments later, the hoomin emerged reluctantly from his cover and slowly approached the camp. -¡± Take off your sword!¡± - shouted one of the men in armor. Even more reluctantly, Brandt complied - ¡°Come to the light!¡± -¡± So! What do yous think yous were doing here?¡± -¡± Scientific inquiry, of course.¡± -¡± You and your employer are coming with us to Katzburg.¡± -¡± Why? We are not doing anything against the law here.¡± Ksintsax cleared her throat when she heard this. -¡± Really? How about a case of theft, reception of fenced military property, and a case of heresy?¡± - the cursor rubbed her eyes - ¡° Do you know what this Zerster has done? And yous were completely complicit from start to finish, shall we add.¡± It was starting to dawn on Anh that he was in trouble. -¡± We didn¡¯t do any of it! We just came here because Mr Zerster found some old documents¡­ somewhere and wanted me to translate them! Those were some precursorial papers that I just translated!¡± Brandt cringed when he heard these words, and soldiers smirked almost instantly when they saw his discomfort. -¡± Oh really? Please tell me more.¡± -¡± I did, we came here, we checked what was here, and were about to head back!¡± The tanai got immersed in their increasingly heated back and forth, which was turning into Anh demeaning himself with pleas of leniency and Ksintsax admonishing him. Meanwhile, the nord took a few steps to the side and assessed the High Cursor''s bodyguards. Although such a description would be belittling to these men, since they were members of the military arm of the Church - the menacing soldiers of the Purifiers, usually accompanying the sad and solemn Coursers in their artifact retrieval missions. The ones here were the best of the best. Heavily armed and armored. Well trained and moved about with this confidence which only years of experience could grant. Brandt regarded them with grim determination. He couldn''t allow himself the luxury of delusion or wishful thinking, which his tanai translator previously had in abundance. Mat¨¦riel obtained from questionable sources in the middle of a militarised town wasn¡¯t doing them any favors. Invaders probably found the maps. Those were military property. Stolen military property at that and done so during the time of war. They also, no doubt, found borderline heretical translations that brought the Nord and tanai here in the first place. No amount of sweet talk or golden swords would convince these men to look the other way. They didn¡¯t bother to venture so far after suspected heretics to return empty-handed. All of Brandt¡¯s strands of logic led to one very grim and unavoidable conclusion. He had to admit that deep inside he knew it would eventually come to this, despite hoping either to bribe his way out of any sticky situations or to avoid any confrontation altogether. Nonetheless, the decision to enact violence on these men still seemed very sudden and almost out of place. He felt his palms sweating inside his gloves. When was the last time he killed a man in combat? Years? Decades perhaps. Brandt looked them over once again. They were in full harnesses, plate-on-mail, Maargardian style. A couple of them wore helmets, with visors resembling a hound''s muzzle - currently lifted and secured in an upward position, for close quarters. The rest had their padding and coifs on. The suits weren''t ornamental, but made of steel and kept in good order. These men were armed for war. Brandt''s equipment comprised a few knives and daggers and an arming sword, which was good for scaring peasants or sticking common brigands but would be hardly useful against all that steel. Besides, the sword was also a few mers behind him, in the grass, and thus useless. In contrast, three soldiers carried longswords, hands resting on their hilts ready to draw any time. The fourth was leaning on a pollax, looking at the banker, and smiling menacingly, the meaning of which was clear: ¡°It¡¯s fine, just comply¡­ or else¡±. The Nord smiled back. CH&p$1ter 4: No way back The conversation trailed away suddenly when Ksintaxes diverted their undivided attention towards a sudden disturbance that somehow manifested itself in the clearing. Just as Anhs thought they were slowly gaining advantage and nurturing understanding in their adversary. Almost unconsciously, the tanai followed their gaze and gasped. The subservients scrambled frantically to make sense of the scene. There was Brandt, standing right next to one of the soldiers. As Anh watched, he yanked the man''s weapon off him. It was a kind of spiked axe on a very long shaft. The bodyguard slowly crumpled to the floor, as if his weapon was the only thing keeping him upright. There was a metallic object buried deep in his face. Other soldiers scurried towards Brandt and prepared their swords. At the same he was already rushing in, becoming a blurred shape. He took a vicious swing at one of the men and hit him. Deafening clang of a struck metal resonated and the armor dented right at the connection between the plate covering the chest and the shoulder. The soldier stumbled backward, tripped, and fell heavily, gasping for breath, his sword halfway out of the sheath. The nor was already half done pivoting toward the third opponent. Like a circus gymnast he capitalized the momentum of the rebounding axe. It propelled him and prepared the weapon to stab the other knight as if it was a spear. The long spike pierced deep. Metal, cloth, and flesh alike. Brandt let go of the polearm, as it seemed stuck. Immediately he yanked a longsword out of the man''s hands. The soldier kept gurgling something incomprehensibly through blood spouting out of his mouth. The fourth Ordo was already close by, weapon drawn and ready. The Nord turned to face him, holding the sword''s handle with his right hand, and gripping the blade halfway across its length with his left. What happened next was almost too quick to register. The sword in Brandt¡¯s hands turned into a silvery blur and only multiple ringing noises in quick succession denoted contact between the blades or armor. The fight ended as suddenly as it began. The stolen sword found its way deep into the soldier''s throat, pushed upward at a steep angle with enormous force. The man fell backward with a clatter. There was a pause, and then Brandt turned his head and looked straight at Ksintsax. She met his gaze, confidently floating a little bit higher. Then she raised her hands in preparation for defensive hexergy. A faint metallic smell filled the air. Some of it could have been a scent of blood. Zerster sprung towards the Courser, but his progress was countered almost immediately, slowing him down. It was as if he was forced to move through water. There was a sharp crack, and the hoomin slowly fell to his knees, struggling under an immense weight. A trickle of blood flowed under Ksintsaxi¡¯ nose and ran to her chin and goatee in a meandering stream. She started to scream, determined to stop the man, drops of sweat forming on her forehead, rolling down and joining the blood. The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. And yet, despite all the Cursor''s hexergic might, Brandt slowly stood back up, every cimer punctuated by a pained grunt. And then he made the first step. Then another. And another. One foot before the other, slowly and deliberately. Every step was more grueling than the one before it. Veins on his neck and forehead bulged, indecipherable words rolled from between gritted and barred teeth. He seemed to be powered by intense anger and hatred emanating from his suddenly bloodshot eyes. The tanai did all she could and harnessed every drop of her formidable craft. It didn¡¯t seem to be enough. Red patches of burnt skin started to appear on her cheeks and hands. A trickle of blood turned into a stream. Her screams turned into a shrill noise when his muscular arms reached her throat and clasped her neck like a vice. There was a sickening crunch. With the last wheezing breath Ksintsaxi'' head fell limp to the side, an expression of sheer terror and shock etched on her face, her spine and airway crushed. Brandt remained in that position for a few uncomfortably long drips, breathing heavily. Then his muscles visibly relaxed and the Cursor''s lifeless body fell like a ragdoll to the ground with a muffled thud. It was over. Up to this moment, Anh was looking at the bloody spectacle with awe and shock, frozen in place, babbling unrecognizable syllables and noises, but very much and very painfully, conscious of what was happening. What followed seemed more like a nightmare. One of these where he dreamt of a library on fire or tanai laughing whilst reading one of his publications. It wasn''t like a nightmare. It was a nightmare, lived vividly during waking hours. Like through a thick mist of sheer horror and panic, he saw Brandt hammering a dagger between the joints of the armor of the only soldier still alive, despite his ever-weakening gurgles of protest and pleas for mercy. When the Nord started searching for the Purifiers'' pack horses, Anh, carefully avoiding looking at any corpses, especially that one of the High Cursor, floated closer by. There was an enormous cacophony of shouts, shrills, and screams ongoing in his head. The kinfolk were panicking and talking over or to each other and to him, save for Greoo who was nowhere to be found. He shut them all off like he was drawing a curtain. Not triskol passed before he allowed them all back in. The brief period of silence allowed all the carnage that lay before him to fully drizzle into his consciousness. The prospect of facing the situation alone grew more terrifying with each drip he spent alone. Brandt was saying something, which slowly filtered through to his brain. Something about new maps and the second site and that he was right, and about the horses and the cart. Mechanically, like a puppet on strings, Anh helped him unload the cart and repack everything on the horses. It all seemed unreal, the world was blurred, the sounds muffled. But there was this one detail that etched itself in his mind, and brought a dose of sanity back to the entire situation - Brandt''s hands were shaking so much, that he struggled to tie a knot on the netting securing their belongings. Anh helped. He calmed down only after they''d left their campsite behind, a column of smoke from the burning cart billowing high into the darkening sky, naked corpses of the murdered ordos left for bears and wolves, and their belongings buried hastily in the woods. cHa%%t3r F!ve: DL-00A ¡°Unit: DL-00A, Designation 60-L3M¡± ¡°Uptime: 575 669 bivi, 17 hours, 2 minutes, 761 milliseconds¡± ¡°Status: ERROR¡± ¡°Last scheduled maintenance: 558 613 bivi ago¡± ¡°Next scheduled maintenance: in -557 025 bivi¡± ¡°Urgent maintenance request sent¡± ¡°Current subject population: 41¡± ¡°WARNING: Subject population below 10% of target¡±. ¡°Target subject population: 500¡± ¡°Nanoforge 1 status: offline¡± ¡°Nanoforge 2 status: ERROR.¡± ¡°Nanoforge 3 status: ERROR.¡± ¡°Nanoforge 4 status: ERROR.¡± ¡°Subject generation: 2154¡± ¡°Power input: 77kW¡± ¡°WARNING: Power input below 100kW¡± ¡°Target power: 1000kW¡± ¡°Subject reclamation ratio: 0.0%¡± ¡°Current subject generation: 2154¡± ¡°ERROR: All nanoforges are offline. Code 0x4123¡± ¡°ERROR: Failed to deploy generation 2155. Critical resource levels. Code 0xF649¡± Support the author by searching for the original publication of this novel.¡°ERROR: Self-repair not possible, nanofroges offline. Code: 0x5E1D¡± ¡°ERROR: Memory bank 31 checksum failures above threshold. Bank disconnected. Code: 0x0011¡± ¡°ERROR: Memory bank 30 checksum failures above threshold. Bank disconnected. Code: 0x0011¡± ¡°WARNING: Memory bank 09 checksum failures nearing threshold. Code: 0x0010¡± ¡°WARNING: Memory bank 23 parity subsystem error. Isolating. Code: 0x012¡± ¡°LOG: Effects of Intrusion 575653/12:09:11 caused a fire to erupt in AUX-CPU-2 at 575654/21:42:53. Subjects were dispatched to assist automatic fire suppression systems. Due to the extent of the fire, 8 casualties occurred. The fire spread to nanoforge 2, 3, 4, and severed monitoring sensors. Assessment of fire damage to the plant is not possible. Perimeter sensors indicate continued activity of the local hoomin. Possibly of the same group that assaulted the plant at 575653/12:09:11. Intentions unknown. Assessment of damage to the plant is not feasible at this point. Execution of a secure plant shutdown sequence has been scheduled at 575658/00:00:00.¡± cHa%%t3r F!ve: Into the woods The evening, and the subsequent night, were quite warm. Weirdly so, if one were to consider it was still early spring. The cloud cover was scant and stars were glimmering up in the sky, despite Dux and Zoon already being high, almost full and bathing everything in a pale blue glow. Brandt decided to leave as little behind them as possible. They burned the tent, the cart, and almost anything that could be burned¡ªall of the horses they took in tow with them. On two of these, they packed with their gear. Not a halfer later they were already on the tract toward Katzburg. Some time later Nord began to let the free horses go. Every candle or so one of them was lashed and rushed into the dense forest. Anh was barely responsive since the fateful encounter. The tanai did whatever Brandt ordered him to do without protest ¨C whether that was aiding with stripping the victims or throwing a pyre to burn the evidence. Initially, Nord considered it rude, but after a bit, he found this complacency weirdly comforting. Both men didn¡¯t speak a word to each other up until way past midnight. They were already over three candles into the escape and the Nord considered it a good time to make some decisions. -¡± Map¡± - he said dryly - ¡°we need to get as far from Katzburg as possible. Hopefully, before they come for their missing party.¡± Anh blinked a few times, absentmindedly. Once Brandt¡¯s orders finally reached his consciousness, he floated toward the stolen horse that carried his luggage. After a few moments of struggle, as he dug in one of the panniers, he found and handed hoomin the crinkled map. Brand took it, stretched it, and spent a triskol positioning himself in a manner where the combined glow of both moons illuminated the sheet. It took him a few drips to realize that this wasn¡¯t working. He sighed, frustrated. -¡± Can you shed some light on this?¡± Anh nodded. He floated to the hoomin, half closed his eyes, and soon a blueish aura of a lumehex surrounded them. The sheet of the map was also lit sufficiently to be easily interpreted. Brandt stared at it for a couple of moments. At one point he started to trace things on it with his gaze. -¡± We need to avoid Katzburg, we will get recognized.¡± - he finally said, still staring at the map. The tanai didn¡¯t seem to consider it appropriate to react. Initially. -¡± Why? How will they know?¡± - he uneasily said after an awkward pause. Brandt took his attention away from the map. -¡± Because we have two warhorses branded by the stables of the Ordo Pro Cvirsi and we clearly shouldn¡¯t. That alone is enough to get ourselves hung.¡± The tanai slowly and worriedly wiggled his earlobes and bushy eyebrows. It seemed that he wanted to say something, but couldn¡¯t. Brandt paid him a few drips of attention then returned to studying the map. You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story. -¡± Are you ¡­ are you saying that if we kept our things, we could have tried to slip through?¡± Brandt raised his head. -¡± Yes.¡± - he said slowly, not being sure ¨C ?No. Not really. I think.¡± -¡± But there was a chance?¡± -¡± Yes.¡± - came na uneasy reply ¨C ?I don¡¯t think it was a chance we should have taken.¡± -¡± But¡­¡± - tanai protested weakly. -¡± Listen¡± ¨C Brandt cut him off a little rudely ¨C ?They sent a Courser with significant muscle with her. I doubt she came after us out of boredom.¡± - Nord rolled back the map and turned towards his companion - ¡±I presume there was an investigation into what we were doing and the town is now plastered with notices of us being wanted for ¡®questioning¡¯¡± -¡± Are you sure¡­¡± -¡± Yes. In the best case, both of us are quite unusual so far south of Maargard.¡± - Brandt gazed directly at Anh ¨C ?How good are you when it comes to lying to a couple of heavily armored, prejudiced men who ask difficult questions with a promise of violence when your answer is not to their liking?¡± The tanai didn¡¯t answer. Brandt nodded, as he considered that no further explanation was necessary, unrolled the map, and returned to studying it. -¡± What¡± ¨C the tanai broke the silence after a few drips - ¡°what is your ... our plan here¡± -¡± Be somewhere else, the farther away, the better¡± - replied the Nord - ¡°preferably not in Maargard. But that is going to be a challenge. Katzburg is the southernmost port on Orda. Further south are just logging camps, military outposts, and wildmen. All the way down to the Soutwals.¡± -¡± So we are trapped here?¡± - said worried Anh -¡± Is that what you are saying?¡± -¡± Vihrs doesn¡¯t look kindly at those who idle. There is a way out, we need to find and take it. Take a look here¡± - hoomin leaned towards the tanai, as to allow the former to see the map, then pointed at a location at it. -¡± Crossroads¡± - the tanai said grimly, then traced a line denoting a tract that skirted Katzburg to the west and disappeared into the northwestern corner of the map. There was an arrow pointing at something outside of the map. Few words were written under it -¡± Caer oth¡¯Graev. I swear I read that somewhere¡­¡± - the tanai fell silent for a few moments and his gaze turned glassy, as he searched for something in his mind - ¡°...a minor noble house of Maargard. Owns and operates several iron ore mines and foundries in Graev basin.¡± - he finally said. -¡± We can¡¯t go through Katzburg, we can¡¯t go south, we just might go there. We have maybe four, five at most, days advantage." - said the Nord, squinting at the map - ¡°What also works to our favor is the impending Vihrzung. Mines you say?¡± -¡± Yes, mines¡± - slowly replied Anh -¡± So there must be a good road to that town. Castle. Whatever. To carry what they produce. The boat takes five days to reach Isdelburg from Katzburg. We can rush toward this ¡®Graev¡¯ place and then to Isdelburg. With luck, we will outrun our tail and once we¡¯re in Cammot, we will be safe.¡± Brandt took a peek at Anh, hoping for some response, confirmation, or at least acknowledgment. The tanai appeared lost in the situation he was in. So much that it seemed that he needed a push in the right direction to do something. Or any direction, really. -¡± We will travel toward ¡®Caer oth¡¯Graev¡¯¡± - commandeered Brandt. The tanai nodded to this order, then mechanically began to prepare to continue on their nightly escape. cHa%%t3r F!ve: What now? When they left Sheridawn, they considered their relationship purely business. For the first two or so weeks Anh busied himself with either reading, sketching, or poking his nose into things, regardless of whether it was a bush, a bird¡¯s hollow, or a cart¡¯s axle. On the other hand, Brandt would steadfastly push forward and keep the tanai more or less focused on the task before them. There was a schedule Nord set for both of them, thus he did his best to follow it. As days turned into weeks, as they ate at the same time, slept in the same place and, when away from civilization, guarded each other, a thin line of mutual respect, friendship maybe, was slowly emerging between them. It all deteriorated on that fateful evening. For three days they barely spoke to each other. The hoomin insisted on going forward as hard as possible. Thus they pushed the horses as much as the animals could bear. Possibly more, because Brandt claimed they needed them only for a few days at most. During the brief stops the Nord would catch some sleep and after three or so candles, they would set off again. During the day Brandt was in the saddle at the front and leading their pack horses with him. As he was doing so, he spent his hours sternly gazing into the winding road before them. The tanai became the marauder shambling along at the back. Occasionally, he would peek behind in scout for a chase, although mostly because of paranoia. There was no sign of pursuit. In the night their roles switched. When the night hit, the tanai would invoke a lumehex in front of them and then would lead the caravan. During this time the Nord would attempt to snooze a little in the saddle, for as little as it was worth. As such, they trundled forward. In silence. They burned the remaining maps when they became useless. Anh was close to tears when witnessing the blazing documents, and even considered arguing for their keep, but Brandt¡¯s determined gaze when he was just about to speak made the tanai forget about such nonsense. As the morning dawned on the first day, it became blatantly obvious they would be traveling on the fringes of the Paladinate. The road could barely be called such. It was barely a cart wide and meandered through dense woods of mostly pine and oak. Every so often they would encounter a mossy milestone, most of them overturned or tilted. Brandt even tried to decipher the markings, but only concluded that the road was chopped through the woods about a century prior. Since then it had to be barely used, as it was comprised solely of almost overgrown cart tracks. They stumbled upon no fort or village and a bare few shrines. Not even a logging camp. The only real obstacle on their course was a minor river, thirty or so mers in width, which they crossed over shallow waters nearby. The only encounter in the first three days was with a trio of hoomin hunters in the afternoon of the second day. The men were riding a tarped cart toward Katzburg. In the brief conversation, Brandt was informed about the current price of the bear, wolf, and deer fur. He declined offers of purchasing some. He also was given enough information to conclude that he and his tanai companion are about a third of their way to Caer oth¡¯Graev. It was the late afternoon of the third day of their escape. It was damp, somewhat chilly but otherwise pleasant day so far. The woods around them widened into a fairly wide, grassy glade. It was a hundred or so mers across, with a small creek meandering through the middle. Brandt threw a quick look across the breadth of the clearing. At this time Anh caught up to him. -¡± I think, we gained enough distance, we can rest.¡± - Nord said with a hint of relief - ¡°that place over there, seems the driest.¡± Anh nodded in confirmation. This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it -¡± Can you set up the camp? I¡¯ll hunt a deer, rabbit, boar, or whatever else. I¡¯m done chewing beef jerky.¡± Once again, the tanai just nodded. -¡± Fine then¡± - the hoomin jumped off his horse and unceremoniously went in a random direction, straight into the thick of the woods. He returned about a candle later, a touch after dusk. During this time Anh has set up a proper camp, even though Brandt was half expecting the tanai to fail at this task. The fire was nicely burning, the tent was set up close enough to provide heat during the chilly nights. Horses were grazing on the grass with their fetlocks strapped. Anh also prepared some herbs, evidenced by a small kettle beside him. A cup was hanging about half a mer in the air nearby, and the aroma of the brew filled the air. The tanai was floating with his legs crossed, meditating, or at least that¡¯s what Brandt assumed he did, because otherwise, Anh was doing nothing. -¡± I¡¯ve hunted a few squirrels. It¡¯s a little bit of a delicacy, but also a touch laborious to eat and prepare. But at least, it''s fresh meat.¡± Anh just nodded. -¡± Sounds intriguing¡± - he finally replied after an undue pause - ¡°I never ate squirrel meat. I prepared mint with wort. Treat yourself if you wish.¡±. -¡± In a minute¡± - Brandt threw five carcasses of squirrels before the fire, then sat beside them, drew a knife, and began to skin his prey. This took him a couple of triskols, maybe even a quanter. Throughout the process, he was peeking at what his companion was doing. The more he looked, the more interesting was what he was seeing. Anh seemed distraught. Even though he was silent and, at first glance, at peace. Brandt noticed some minor oddities about the tanai though. His float was uneven. The palms of his hands were resting on his knees, holding them, but the fingers were twitchy. The same was true about the corners of his lips and eyelids. Even his ears and nostrils were moving slightly. At one moment, Anh¡¯s head just suddenly tilted violently to the side. Brandt put off the third squirrel he was skinning when he witnessed this. -¡± Mr. Trawins. Is everything in order?¡± -¡± Yes¡± - slowly replied Anh - ¡°Everything is fine.¡±- his voice was automatic and almost bereft of tone -¡± We are just going to follow you and are goi¡­¡± His words were cut short and suddenly, immediately his eyes seemed to rotate upwards, and then he said. -¡± Second ¡­ site. We ¡­ need ¡­ to ¡­ go!¡± - the words were a little mumbled and spoken slowly. Brandt was staring speechless at Anh for a good third of a triskol. -¡± Excuse me?¡± - he finally uttered in confusion. -¡± Some ¡­ of ¡­ us ¡­ want ¡­ study ¡­ the ¡­ other ¡­ site¡± - replied the tanai, then added with a hint of irritation, but in his normal voice - ¡°Yes, some of us do.¡± - he said with a shameful irritation. There was a brief period of awkward silence, filled just with the crackling of the fire and noises of the forests around them. Nord was staring dumbfounded at the tanai, who seemed to want to be very far away or very, very small. Brandt decided to forego further investigation, as the tanai didn¡¯t seem communicative, and just returned to skinning the squirrels before him. -"The second site is somewhere west of Graat Koch.¡± - he said about a quanter later - ¡±Half a Maargard away. It would take us two to three weeks to get there from Katzburg, if we kept to the main roads" - he paused and looked at the tanai - "Which we shouldn''t do, considering the circumstances." The tanai didn¡¯t answer right away. Instead, he began to kinetically play with a stick he found nearby. But finally spoke, and in a much more confidently. -¡± We found something ¡­ there¡­¡±- a brief grimace of discomfort flashed through his lips when he recalled events of the last days - ¡°So we know that the location hypothesis is sound. Ordo Pro Cvrsi doesn''t know of the other site. Regardless of our predicament, it is an interesting place to research.¡± -¡± We have¡± - Brandt was busy cutting one of his prey through its underbelly, and thus answered a few moments later, Anh used this time to poke the fire with his stick - ¡± About two, maybe three days of advantage before the news of the events at the monument spread. We can¡¯t keep the pace we¡¯ve kept so far forever. I probably won¡¯t last, the horses certainly won¡¯t last.¡± -¡± I take¡± - said tanai, poking the fire even more - ¡°You¡¯ve made a decision.¡± -¡± Yes¡± - Nord flatly announced, interrupting his work on the squirrel - ¡° solely because you seem willing to continue. We are already on route, we¡¯ll stock up on essentials and maybe pull some tongues in Caer Oth¡¯Graev.¡± Anh didn¡¯t respond, just continued to poke the burning wood with his stick. The Nord took this as a sign of approval and resumed preparing their meal. cHa%%t3r F!ve: Promise oth Graev They followed the road from Katzburg for another six days, although at a much more manageable pace. Throughout this time tanai¡¯s mental condition has visibly improved. Whether it was the distance from the fateful monument, time that passed since then, or something entirely different, Brandt couldn¡¯t tell. What was evident was the tanai being much more like he was during their first days together ¨C busy poking his nose into things every time there was an opportunity to do so. The weather during the entire trip was as merciful as it could be during early spring, despite the looming peaks of the Erendens being a little closer every day. Every morning they were welcomed with, at worst, a slight drizzle, which quickly subsided. Otherwise, it was a little chilly and a little cloudy. The greenery through which they were traveling was also becoming more and more worthy of the name ¨C sprouting leaves and buds. Somewhat close to midday of the sixth day, they encountered the first village on their route, and a quite sizable one, comprised of about fifty houses clumped on on a shore of a quite large lake at the foot of the mountains themselves. Anh wanted to stay a while and make notes about the local populace but was given only a brief time by his employer. Anh merrily wandered into the village, while Brandt decided to pawn off their stolen military goods in the form of horses and replace them with a fresh pair, which took him about a candle. The animals he brought were ordinary maargardian workhorses, stout, strong, but certainly not as noble as the sorrel military steed they stole. But they also were not branded by the stables of the Ordo, thus they would not draw any unwanted attention. The road followed the shoreline of the lake on the side opposite the mountain, providing a splendid view of both the wall of mountains and of the fishing boats on the lake itself. Anh also noted a large barge slowly heading towards what looked like a major installation on the far opposite side of the lake. Nearing the dusk, their muddy road merged to a larger one, and a candle later they arrived at the ¡°Our Fatherland Inn¡±, where Brandt decided to stay for the night. -* We are on the fringes * - announced Tow, when he witnessed the inn¡¯s main building. -* What was the giveaway? * - snickered Thernohh - * Us escaping into the woods, us not seeing a settlement for a week, or us at the great unknown to the west which spans on the other side of these topographical features over there? * -* The last position of your listicle applies * - dryly replied Tow - * but also, look how tiny this inn is! * Anyone used to the large inns built along the main roads of the Commonwealth, and Anh certainly belonged to this category, would consider the building before them as puny. Barely larger than a peasant¡¯s hut, and built in the same manner, with an equally underwhelming stables to its left. A thick layer of fresh mud covered the entire area before the entry porch, in it, somewhere to their right, stood two lonely, tarp-covered carts. There were no people in sight. Brandt immediately headed toward the gate of the stables. Once nearby, he took a long look at the muck below and sighed in resignation. He got off the horse and as he landed, despite being as agile as he could, he splattered mud around him and ended up at least ankle-deep in it. Anh floated toward him, and when he arrived, the hoomin nodded at the stables. The interior was already quite dark, although weak remains of the bivlight still found a way inside. Despite this, Anh immediately invoked a lumehex, spooking a few horses already resting in two of the four wide stalls the building provided. Hoomin, blissfully ignoring the ruckus, maneuvered their horses to one of the free ones. In it, they found fresh hay and water for the animals. Handling them and undoing their luggage took them a little over a quanter. A significant portion of this time included arguing whether Anh should take all of his things at once. The tanai finally settled for just hanging off his belongings on the numerous wooden pegs on the walls of their stall. After all was done, they left for the inn¡¯s doors. -¡± Let me do the talking.¡± ¨C Hoomin said before pushing the doors. Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings. The interior was even tinier than the building and fairly cramped. Apart from several benches beside the wall, there were two tables inside. Each could sit, at most, six people and one was occupied by three men playing dice among a collection of empty tankards. The other table was free. -*As if it is waiting for us* - commented Greoo -*It better be. I¡¯m hungry* - threw in Anh The counter was on the opposite side of the main room, and behind it sat a skinny, old woman in a linen shirt and a white apron on top. As Anh and Brandt went in, she diverted her bored gaze from the playing men to the newcomers. Brandt went towards her. -¡± Greetings good citizen. My name bes Beorg Mac Keone ¡± ¨C he exclaimed jovially, with a coarse voice and an accent reminiscent of far reaches of Sorres - ¡° Mine accomplice and mine seeketh a room to stay the night. Food and drink to satiate our hunger would be good too, yes they would! ¡± -* LIAR! * - shouted Greoo -* LIAR! LIAR! LIAR! * -* We noticed *- commented Thernohh impassionately -* and are utterly unfazed, considering his past behaviour * Although I personally admit it being a good performance * -* This fake name of his. What is with this unusual infix? Title? Thing? *- mused Tow -* How do you write it? Domme, could you inquire? * -* Ask yourself *- said Anh dismissively -* you didn¡¯t have an issue before * -* I would, but I don¡¯t want to weird out our employer even further *- replied Tow while doing the best abstract notion of a shrug -* besides, it would be additionally awkward for the rest of the hoomin here * -* We probably don¡¯t want to draw attention as well *- added Birdekk -* Fine, we just need a better opportunity to ask*- sighed Anh The woman, without uttering a word, stood up and reached for a large iron key hanging on the wall behind her. -¡± Zat will be drei shillingen. Today we zerve liver with onionz and potatoez ¡± -¡± This will do! This will do very well! ¡± - Brandt continued his jovial performance. Upon hearing this, the barkeep put the key on the counter and pushed it towards the hoomin. -¡± Room zwei.¡± - said the woman while pointing at the pair of doors on the wall to her left. Brandt didn¡¯t respond. He just took the key and nodded at the tanai to follow him. As could be expected, the room was as rudimentary as possible. It had two dark, simple beds beside the walls with stained pallets and tiny pillows, presumably for comfort. Apart from these, there was nothing more. Anh quivered a little after he witnessed how rough their accommodation was, Brandt just threw his bags on one of the beds. -¡± Can I inquire about something? ¡± ¨C said the tanai after he also landed the few pouches he decided to take from the stables. -¡± Sure¡± ¨C The hoomin sat on the bed and stretched a little. -¡± This name you used. It is quite unusual. Especially the infix. ¡®Mac¡¯ was it?¡± Brandt scratched his already very unshaven chin, a little troubled. -¡± I came up with it just now.¡± -* Liar! *- scoffed Greoo. -¡± Really? ¡° - Anh raised an eyebrow, puzzled. -¡± I¡¯m a Nord, unusual in these lands. This name sounds foreign. So it fits.¡± -* Liar! *- Greoo repeated herself -* He does not want us to know * -* Any hypotheses why? *- said Thernohh -* Assuming you are correct. * -* I just ¡­ know * Its hard to explain * his demeanor * the way he answered * its very hoomin kind of behavior when they don¡¯t want to answer truthfully * -* so * just a guess? * because his reasoning is sound * -* you may to believe me * you may not * either way I¡¯m feeling the hunger domme spoke of * The smell of freshly cooked liver in heavy gravy with an unmistakeable undertone of onions started to fill the air. -¡± I think our food is almost ready.¡± - Brandt stood up from the bed and adjusted his clothing ¨C ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± cHa%%t3r F!ve: Oth’ Graev basin Just after devouring his supper, Anh realized, to the dismay of his subservient, that they were very far away from Sheridawn. Thusly even more way from Tanais itself. What followed was that there were a plethora of unknown, at least to him and the wider Tanaian kind, plants, and animals that might be lurking around. That and the bed they were supposed to rest in looked more like a torture device. Thus the tanai excused himself and spent his night poking his head into the fields, bushes, and trees no further than two stone tosses around the inn. Initially. As this quickly grew to four, then eight tosses, each time Anh gave himself an excuse to venture a little further into the ¡®unknown¡¯. The morning came with a slight, cold drizzle and low fog covering the ground. -¡± I wonder how deep is this mud ¡± - mused Anh as he hovered over the patch of the substance and floated in the direction of the inn - ¡°Let¡¯s measure!¡± He found a long stick propped on the rudimentary fence on the perimeter of the building¡¯s estate. Then flew from place to place around the muddy span before the inn and poked the stick into the layer of the runny, black goo below. He even went out of his way to do so under both of the parked carts. Once done, he returned to the inn doors and gazed upon the bog before him. -¡± On average, seventeen and a half-ish cemers!¡± - he said with pride to nobody in particular, then turned around, propped the stick on the inn¡¯s walls, and pushed the doors to enter. Brandt was sitting, alone, at one of the tables. Apart from him, only an old, chubby, balding barkeep with a grey beard was sitting behind the counter. The man was chopping a chunk of wood with a knife, possibly sculpting it, but the piece didn¡¯t resemble anything yet. Anh¡¯s companion was already done with a bowl of oatmeal and was reading one of tanai¡¯s books. -¡±¡¯Im Vhirsvm Maargardio Cartha¡¯?¡± - mused Anh when he approached Brandt close enough to read the book¡¯s title - ¡° Fair choice, albeit a little vague. I will be writing an addendum once we return to Sheridawn.¡± -¡± Mhm¡± - came in response -¡± How do you like it?¡± -¡± I found seventeen consecutive pages of tables on measurements of parts of a local kind of oak tree to be excessive, but¡­¡± - Brandt shut the book with a thump - ¡°...I appreciate the effort the author has put into it. We have a job to do, once you are done with your breakfast¡±. Anh assumed his favorite cross-legged pose, and floated beside the table. -¡± Let me guess. We go to the Oth Graev castle, pull some tongues, get some supplies, and off we go to the second site?¡± Brandt nodded. They left ¡°Our Fatherland¡± shortly after Anh finished his staple boal oats with fruit and took the route towards Caer Oth¡¯Graev. Initially, they followed the same muddy road that brought them to the inn, but after a candle or so they merged with a wider and better-maintained tract, as its surface was well hardened with beaten gravel. It began to ascend a mountain, meandering to keep a consistent grade. Since then passing sidings were built every so often, and in some critical sections granite paving was laid on top. Even more so, drainage was built into it every tenth of a kimer or so. The road seemed to be the only one to the Oth¡¯Graev estate and the traffic was quite substantial. Because of Brand¡¯s insistence on as brisk of a pace as possible, they had to overtake entire caravans of carts heading towards the Graev basin. They also had to give way to loaded carts on their return trip. It took them almost half a day to reach the highest point on their journey and two more candles to crest the ridge of the basin. The road clung to the basin¡¯s walls and steadily lowered towards the settlement in the middle. The view to the bottom was splendid. The basin appeared about two, to maybe three, kimers in diameter and was roughly circular. The depth was about half a kimer, maybe less. The estate from which its name was derived was built on the shore of a small lake almost dead center of the basin. Around it were several dozens of wood houses of varying sizes, large to small, spewing thick smoke that added to the mist at the bottom. Around the ridges of the basin, openings of the ore mines were just about visible through the mist. There was sparse vegetation at the bottom and whatever there was, it limited itself to spruce trees deep on the side of the basin or grass which managed to survive on the patches of rocky soil. It was early afternoon when they arrived in the town in the center. After exploring it and finding out that most of the local economy was based on smelting ore into iron and shaping and smithing it into steel, they found themselves near the gate of the Oth¡¯Graev estate. -¡± I¡¯m not the most versed in Maargardian nomenclature¡± - said Anh, staring at the structure - ¡°But I¡¯m certain this does not qualify as a ¡®Kaar¡¯, now does it?¡± If compared to the castles of the great families of Maargard or Cammot, this was barely more than a summer¡¯s palace. Two stories tall and, in difference to the rest of the settlement around it, made of brick and mortar. It resembled more of a cozy Cammotian architecture instead of the rough and rugged Maargardian design and made it seem out of place. -¡± It is, presumably, a sitting of the head of the Oth¡¯Graev family. This is very much a ¡®Kaar¡¯.¡± - flatly commented Brandt. -¡± Politics is dull. But thank you for clarifying¡±- merrily replied Anh -¡°Shall we go to visit these people?¡± -¡± Who?¡± -¡± This family. You seem like someone who can pull people¡¯s strings, or nerves, to get what you want. So, we go in, you speak, we get the necessary supplies and go on our merry way¡±. Brandt buried his face in his right palm, exasperated. Support the author by searching for the original publication of this novel. -¡± Mr Trawins, I don¡¯t know whether you are making fun of me, or are being serious.¡±- he said with an undertone of annoyance -¡± I know as much as you about those people. They are some irrelevant noblets who, I¡¯m sure, will never produce anyone of importance. Ever. No. We ought to find a local inn or similar establishment. Rest a little and then poach the town for supplies the old-fashioned way. With gold.¡± -¡± Lead the way, I don¡¯t think I¡¯m the person to do the ¡®interacting with others¡¯ part of your plan.¡± -¡± Actually. I want you to do exactly that.¡± Anh wasn¡¯t happy hearing this. -¡± Excuse me?¡± - he said somewhat anxiously. -¡± Might I remind you we are still fugitives? Ordo¡¯s going to be looking for a hoomin with his tanai employee. So, for the sake of argument, you are a tanai researcher and I am your lowly bodyguard.¡± Anh blinked several times and bit his lips while looking at the ground somewhere away. -¡± This is a bad idea, and you are going to regret it.¡± - he finally commented - ¡°I will do my best.¡± At the edge of the town, they found a local establishment for the mine workers and visitors. Positioned next to a heap of logs of a wood merchant it was built from that material. Two stories tall, with small windows and a stone porch to the street before it. Aptly and proudly named ¡°Kaar Erd Foundry Ale und Bier¡±, as read a sign above the entrance. It was hanging on two chains off a frame and had a fire ornament with two tankards painted above the characteristic angular writing common in Maargard. -¡± At least we know how this Vhirs forsaken place is called.¡± - murmured Anh to himself when they were nearing the inn, then asked Brandt - ¡°What precisely do you think I should inquire about?¡± -¡± What would make sense for us, by that I mean, you, being here? Realistically?¡± -¡± Nothing. I¡¯d stay home and read books.¡± - uttered Anh, but quickly noticed a frown of disapproval from Brandt - ¡±Soilology? Botany?¡± - he corrected himself - ¡°Cartography?¡± -¡± Cartography. We are at the edge of the known world. Makes sense. You are a cartographer on a contract. You are tasked to survey the north from the¡­ what is this place called again?¡± - Brandt took a peek at the sign of the inn - ¡°Kaar Erd. Ready?¡± -¡± No.¡± - grimly said Anh - ¡°Let¡¯s go¡± The tanai flew towards the two-wing doors of the inn. As the evening was already encroaching, the place was packed with men and noisy beyond belief. Tankards either full or empty were being bumped into each other. Dice were thrown. Patrons were shouting at each other, drinking, singing, arm wrestling, and even boxing. Anh¡¯s entry was barely noticed, only a select few people gave him a quick glance before returning to their tankards and dice. The tanai floated towards the counter, by which there were at least ten other people. Mostly miners and workers smelling of booze and old sweat, thus adding their share to the overall aroma of the interior. Behind a counter were two middle-aged, corpulent hoomin women, equally sweaty as the patrons and serving food or drink whenever someone ordered some. -¡± EXCUSE ME!¡± - shouted the tanai at one of them when he finally, after several triskols, managed to elbow, or more specifically, kinehex, his way toward the counter - EXCUSE ME! - he repeated himself a few moments later, cursing his petite physicality being lost among hoomin who seemed twice his size. He finally got the attention of one of the barkeeps. -¡± YEZ?! GOOD ZIR?¡± - the woman shouted back in a heavy maargardian accent -¡± FOOD! DRINK! SUPPLIES! ROOM?¡± - screamed Anh, while wiggling his eyebrows violently. The woman was in her mid-forties, had a bulbous nose, a large pimple on her left cheek, and thinning, auburn hair with grey streams peeking from the traditional linen wife¡¯s cap. ¡°FOOD, DRINK HIER! ROOM¡± - she pointed to the door - ¡°KATRINS GUESTHAUS!¡± -¡± WHERE?¡± The woman leaned towards the counter and gesticulated at Anh to do the same, which he had done. While this didn¡¯t make the room less noisy, it allowed the woman to speak instead of screaming. -¡± Other zide of ze ztreet¡± - she said, thankfully, without needing to raise her voice too much - ¡° to ze left. My zister¡¯s husband iz the owner. Good food and warm bedz!¡± -¡± Thank you! Thank you!¡± The woman nodded and immediately diverted her attention to another patron demanding it. A slender man, probably in his forties, with a well-trimmed, dyed black and shined goatee and mustache. The stranger wore a grey, somewhat torn hat, a linen shirt, and, most visibly, a very tired, dusty, and muddy coat, which he, at the moment, wore like a cape. He and Anh exchanged glances briefly. The stranger nodded and diverted his attention to the barkeep. For a brief moment, the tanai was searching for Brandt. During the brief exchange with the barkeep, the man positioned himself somewhat off the main hall, by the wall. When their gazes met, Brandt nodded at the door and casually walked out. The tanai followed him, with a puzzled look on his face. -¡± We need to head out. Right now.¡± - calmly said Brandt when Anh emerged from the inn. The tanai floated slowly towards the hoomin. -¡± Why? May I inquire?¡± -¡± The man you exchanged glances with just a moment ago. He is after us.¡± -¡± How can you¡­¡± - the tanai paused for an uncomfortably long time - ¡°... the coat. Must have been in a hurry.¡± Brandt nodded. -¡± That. Also, his sword was of Zittische design, thirteen ninety-eight Ordo Pvrgatore issue, as was its harness. The hat and coat were of an older design but from the same source. Thirteen seventy-eight, or thereabouts. Thousands were made and whatever remains is still stashed somewhere in Graat Coch.¡± -¡± That is oddly specific¡­¡± -¡± I oversaw the production in the eighties and nineties¡± - mused Brandt - ¡°and had them shipped out of Isdelburg.¡± Anh didn¡¯t quite know what to respond with. -¡± Lead the way.¡± - he finally said, exasperated. Brandt took toward the stables, where they parked their horses. The building was somewhat to the side of the wood merchant and required a short walk to get to it. It took about five triskols to get to the box with their horses. As he approached, he noticed three horses in the box beside theirs, which were not there when they arrived. One was laden for travel, other two were free. He took a quick glance at them and then called upon Anh. -¡± Mr Trawins! Come here!¡± The tanai reluctantly flew to him. When he approached close enough, hoomin pointed at the horse. Anh took a quick peek at it, -¡± A maargardian warhorses. I reckon. We ¡®obtained¡¯¡± - Anh gestured quotes with his hands - ¡°two of these just recently.¡±- tanai hung his voice when the realization struck him - ¡°These are our former horses!¡± - for a brief moment he froze in place and slowly let his hands fall limp - ¡°We need to go! Right now! Get the horses. I think I saw a trail going north. Either way, we need to be somewhere else.¡± Not a candle later they were already on a mountainous and rarely traveled road leading out of the basin. Kaar Erd was already below them in the distance, hidden by the smog and the darkness of encroaching night. cHa%%t3r F!ve: Counsel under the cranium Greoo squirmed and twisted uncomfortably in her chair. It wasn¡¯t that the chair was in any way at fault. On the contrary, it was spacious, soft, and very much tailored for her. So much so one could claim she couldn¡¯t even imagine anything more comfortable. Her discomfort wasn¡¯t due to the piece of imaginary furniture she sat on, but entirely because she called upon a meeting in their mindspace. Despite only four other people sharing it with her, she didn¡¯t appreciate being at the center of attention. Especially, since it was her initiative, it was up to her to accommodate her kin. As usual, it was a library similar to their Sheridawnian establishment. Except here open flames in a brick fireplace eternally devoured a larch log. Something that Anh and Thernohh would not even consider in their shop due to mundane pyre hazard. Here, however, it was not an issue and the aroma of the burning wood was quite pleasant. She invoked five oak and leather chairs and arranged them into a circle. Greeo, with her feminine abundance, sat on one of them. On her left, Tow was floating slightly above his seat with his legs crossed. His goatee and eyebrows were dyed pink, and to match, he wore a light gray robe, shimmering with glitter, embroidered with a pink thread and trimmed in the same color and hue. To his left, the chair was empty. Further in that direction, sat Birdekk, calmly, deep in the provided comforts and with his naked feet propped on a stool before him. The stool matched his chair. Lastly, to Birdekk¡¯s left and Greoo¡¯s right, sat Anh. The dominant didn¡¯t veer too much from what he would usually look, even his attire was closely matched by the clothing he wore on the very day, or for the last few. His skin glistened a little with a faint shimmer and a yellow halo surrounded his cranium. -¡± Thernohh!¡± - shouted Greoo into the air - ¡°Stop this ¡®I¡¯m too awesome for having a projection¡¯ nonsense and emerge here. For all I care, you can be a golden shovel with horns, or whatever else. Just come.¡± -¡± Shovel yourself. I¡¯m here¡± - came an echoing, disembodied voice from just about anywhere. -¡± Suit yourself¡± - sighed Greoo - ¡±I would prefer you to be here with all of us. I called for this meeting, as all of you can imagine, to discuss a matter with our dominant. To put it bluntly, what in the Vhirs¡¯ motivations are we doing?¡± -¡± We haven¡¯t washed in a week. We stink. So does our employer.¡± - said Birdekk with disgust. -¡± Have you noticed how worn his clothes have become over the last several days?¡± - echoed Thernohh - ¡°He starts to look like a beggar.¡± -¡± You are overstating it.¡±- commented Tow - ¡±He wears some of the finest and toughest clothing you could hope to tailor in Sheridawn. Some wash, iron, maybe a needle and string here and there and they are going to be good as new.¡± -¡± I have to disagree. I saw some seams coming undone, rubbed through or ripped already.¡± - continued Thernohh with an annoyed tone. Greoo sighed. Thernohh was stubborn at times, as one could expect from a twelve-year-old. There probably was no reason to continue arguing with her. -¡± Maybe you¡¯re right. I¡¯ll pay more attention.¡± - it turned out that Tow thought so as well. -¡± Can we focus on the purpose of this meeting?¡± - interrupted Greeo, bumping her fingertips on the armrest - ¡°Anh. What are you trying to achieve? Continuing to follow this murderer?¡± -¡± We, obviously, want to obtain more information about the Na-No-Forges¡± - Tow spoke calmly, with the tone of a seasoned and patient lecturer. Greoo squirmed in disapproval. -¡± You ought to spell it in Kerrid, nanoforge, it makes it sound more authentic¡± - voiced Thernohh - ¡°I want to continue on this escapade. This is fun. Exciting even.¡± -¡± So do I¡± - added Tow - ¡°for different reasons to Thernohh. But I do. I recognize that you...¡± - the tanai nodded at Greoo - ¡±...desire to turn back. To get all of us as far away from Brandt as possible. How about you, Birdekk?¡± -¡± Our well-being is deteriorating. We stink, we are undereating. Slightly. But we do. We need a change of clothes. I don¡¯t see this improving.¡± - Birdekk rubbed his nose ¨C ¡°I am greatly concerned for our common well-being. Ever since the ¡®event¡¯ we have been heading downhill. I¡¯m torn between my curiosity and a need to be back home. In Sheridawn.¡± Tow raised his hand slightly, denoting he wanted to speak. -¡± I believe this is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.¡±- he said towards Birdekk -¡± Preliminary results are promising and Arneg knows what lies ahead. I say we can endure a few more weeks of hardship.¡± -¡± Yes. I acknowledge the reasons we are continuing on our quest¡± - replied Birdekk. -¡± This man is going to get us killed¡± - interjected Greoo - ¡° I already said this, and am convinced further and further. He is most definitely not who he claims to be.¡± -¡± He, so far, has been very courteous towards us.¡± - replied Birdekk -¡± I find your previous concerns unfounded¡±. Greoo squirmed in her chair, uneasy. -¡± I don¡¯t know how to properly say this¡± - she finally said, slowly, measuring her words - ¡° as I¡¯m very well aware all of you are not going to take it seriously¡± - Birdekk nodded in understanding - ¡°I might be wrong regarding Brandt¡¯s motives, I¡¯m not about his background. He is hiding some secret, identity, or something like that from us. Whether intentionally or not, I cannot tell.¡± -¡± Are you implying maleficence?¡± - asked Tow. -¡± No. Not at all.¡± - the woman quickly denied - ¡°I think that we barely register as a person for him.¡± -¡± What about it?¡± - continued Tow -¡± I think, what Greoo is suggesting¡±- said Birdekk -¡± is that once he deems it necessary to sacrifice us, he will.¡± Unauthorized tale usage: if you spot this story on Amazon, report the violation. -¡± Yes. Although I am more worried of us being caught between the hammer and an anvil on his behalf.¡± - exclaimed Greoo - ¡°To underline this. We are now, presumably, chased by an Ordo operative. We might have skirted the encounter but we will be found. Eventually.¡± -¡± And what do you suppose is going to happen then¡± - Thernohh¡¯s voice came from above - ¡° I hope you¡¯re not trying to suggest that he will throw us to the wolves and run. That is preposterous!¡± -¡± Oh for Vhirs¡¯ sake! Thernohh!¡± - Greoo threw her hands into the air, visibly frustrated - ¡° The longer we stay with this man, the more trouble we are going to be in. My main worry, as I already said, is us being caught in cross-swords between him and whatever problems we encounter. I suppose we can¡¯t be in any more trouble than now. I certainly don¡¯t want to be proven wrong.¡± -¡± I agree.¡± - flatly said Birdekk -¡± I neither like where this is going.¡± -¡± I agree, to an extent, that we are in a volatile situation.¡± - added Tow - ¡°nonetheless. We are still going towards a unique research goal. The preliminary results also confirmed the hypothesis. We ought to continue,¡± -¡± The rainbow fellow speaks the truth¡± - came the disembodied voice of Thernohh - ¡° So far, apart from mild discomfort, nothing substantially worrying happened. The only lesson here is to be aware of those arbitrary rules hoomin like so much.¡± -¡± You mean ¡®the law¡¯¡± - Greoo hissed ¨C ¡°The codified conduct of mutual respect hoomin wish everyone was following. Yes. We ought to take note.¡± Throughout the entire exchange, Anh sat in his chair and as the argument progressed, he seemed to sink deeper and deeper into it, seemingly pushed by the weight of the anxiety of being the dominant during the time of strife. -¡± Anh!¡± - suddenly exclaimed Greoo -¡± You have been oddly silent.¡± -¡± I¡¯m just listening to all of you.¡± - he said reluctantly - ¡± and am considering the options.¡± Greoo tilted her head and threw him a cunning grin. -¡± What do you think of our situation here?¡± Anh caressed his head with an opened palm, and in the process dispersed the halo above and disheveled his hair. -¡± What precisely do you want to hear? Greoo? Apart from me agreeing with anything you say. In truth¡­ apart from the hardships of our travels. I am enjoying this,...¡± - Anh, with a corner of his eye, noticed a hint of disapproval on his kin¡¯s face - ¡°...to a degree. As Tow said. We are getting results.¡± -¡± So. Are we going to continue?¡± - calmly said the mentioned. -¡±...and this is the part I resent.¡± - mumbled Anh -¡° Whatever I decide, at least two of you are going to be upset. Which, as all of you can imagine, I¡¯m not looking forward to.¡± -¡± But you are the dominant one.¡± - commented Birdekk - ¡°It is your decision to make. Should we continue, or should we attempt to break off?¡± -¡± Hoomin won¡¯t be able to describe us¡± - interjected Greoo - ¡°all tanai look alike in their eyes. So once we are on the road. We should be free.¡± -¡± Fair point. It is probably the reason why Ordo didn¡¯t apprehend us right when he met us.¡± -¡± How do I tell this to Mr. Zerster?¡± -¡± You don¡¯t have to¡± - shrugged Greoo - ¡°Just leave in the night¡±. Both Birdekk and Tow cringed in unison when they heard this. -¡± Out of question! We already tried his trust once. It¡¯s not something I want to live with.¡± - quickly shot Birdekk - ¡°We need to tell him that we are out.¡± -¡± Listen!¡± - angrily responded Greoo - ¡°The man is not trustworthy. We don¡¯t know how he will react. Besides, us breaking off would make his escape easier as well.¡± -¡± It would also make meeting him accidentally in Sheridawn very awkward¡± - murmured Birdekk. -¡± You are probably right.¡± - said Tow - ¡°But it still is just a smidgen above straight up lying to him.¡± -¡± Do you think I like it?!¡± - replied the woman - ¡°No I don¡¯t but It is the safest option.¡± -¡± Out of the question. I won¡¯t do anything dishonest to Zerster¡± - said Anh -¡± Despite everything, he was very fair to us all and I can argue that our panicking when Ksintsaxii arrived forced his hand.¡± -¡± Your upstanding moral fiber is adorable.¡± - snickered Thernohh - ¡° I would be more bothered by our shop being, presumably, protected by his men. Coming back without Mr. Zerser might ¡­ be challenging to explain.¡± Uneasy silence befell the library and it seemed that the lights dimmed a little bit, as all kinfolk started to weigh both Anh¡¯s and Thernohh¡¯s words. The space was filled with the crackling of the imaginary flames in the fireplace and the scent of larch. -¡° He is awfully good with that sword of his, isn¡¯t he¡± - Thernohh finally broke the uneasy silence. -¡± As it happens, I don¡¯t recall him using it.¡± - flatly said Greoo - ¡°he murdered everyone with either his bare hands or their own weapons.¡± -¡± The more dangerous he is, right?¡± - continued Thernohh - ¡° Thus the best bodyguard we can get.¡± -¡± Maybe. But his ¡®Ordos are after us¡¯ paranoia is not doing him any favors.¡± -¡± Enough!¡± - interrupted Anh - ¡° what do you kin think is going to happen if we continue with him?¡± -¡± I reckon¡± - said Birdekk - ¡° that we are going to get dragged through this mountainous excuse of a roa for however many kimers. Tow, how long will it take us to reach the second site?¡± Tow nodded. A moment later a scroll appeared before him. The tanai stretched it, revealing a rough map of the region of Erenden Mountains, and then started to trace things upon it. -¡° While Tow is searching for the answer. Thernohh. Your opinion?¡± She didn¡¯t answer right away. -¡± Well. Since you are asking. We are where we are. Again, we certainly panicked when we saw that templar in Kaar Erd. Which, to be honest, is the most unimaginative town name I ever heard. Anyhow. We don¡¯t know for certain what was his business there. Him having horses we stole on tow is a clue he is after us.¡± -¡± Yes. I agree.¡± - commented Birdekk ¨C ¡° Brandt¡¯s insistence on this escapade is wholly justified¡± -¡± Three weeks¡± - Tow provided his answer - ¡± It will take us about three weeks to reach the second site. Provided some infrastructure is present. Like - roads.¡± -¡± Roads might be in short supply in the Wildlands¡± - snickered Thernohh. -¡± Duly noted¡± - shrugged Tow - ¡° make that six weeks.¡± Anh lowered his head and engrossed himself in thought. After a while, he looked around, at his kinfolk and started speaking inquisitively. -¡± Let me recoup. We have about six weeks before this ends if we move with Vhirs¡¯ allowance and Arneg''s act. Then, let¡¯s say three weeks before we return to civilization.¡± - everyone, who had a head present, nodded in confirmation -¡± there may, or may not be a functionary of the Ordo Pro Cvirsi after us. We don¡¯t have a confirmation, but we agree it is trivially likely true. What we do know is that we are short on supplies and we are with Brandt Zerster. A hunter, fighter, trapper, and outdoorsman with many survival talents. And a banker with an expressed fear of the Church. The last is an inclination we, to an extent, share with him.¡± - Anh puckered his lips and blinked his eyes a few times, engrossed in a thought - ¡°I say we continue. I don¡¯t see this getting any worse.¡± Greoo was not happy. She lowered her head and sighed heavily. -¡± Fine.¡± - she just said and dispersed her image into the air. Tow just nodded in approval and also disappeared. -¡± I will continue to have reservations.¡± - calmly said Birdekk - ¡° but I understand that making choices is difficult for the dominant. I will fully support you.¡± -¡± Thank you.¡± Birdekk also nodded and not a moment later was gone. Anh sat in his chair for a triskol, maybe two. He stared absentmindedly at the bookshelves before him, reminiscing and not being aware whether Thernohh was still with him. After a while, content that he was alone, he also decided to follow his kinfolk and allowed himself to disperse. cHa%%t3r F!ve: Northeast, always to the northeast The trail they were maneuvered to use was, thankfully, roughly headed north. It was about two horses wide, but at places, it narrowed to just a single horse or footman. It was also traversing neighboring hills, without gaining much in elevation, and quickly became hidden from view by a dense forest of pine and spruce. Brandt insisted on rushing through the night to gain as much distance from Kaar Erd as possible. Trawins was surprisingly compliant, thus hoomin¡¯s last concern was whether the trail led somewhere, from where they could continue their journey. After all, It could have been blind a trail towards some guard or watch tower, private estate, or whatever else. Their leave from the Oth¡¯Graev basin was both so hasty and secretive, they didn¡¯t check. The morning welcomed them with a slight drizzle. They were still on the trail and in a dense forest. Brandt estimated they gained about thirty, maybe even forty kimers, yet they encountered no settlement or even a hut. So far into it, it was beyond doubt this trail led somewhere, but it eluded him to where. The answer to this question came about two candles past dawn. Through a clearing in the trees, he noticed a few houses clustered in the valley below them. That turned out to be a logging and beekeeping village with a distillery. Their arrival was a minor sensation, especially considering where they emerged from. A herd of children pestered them, especially Anh, for trinkets and sweets, which neither could provide. The tanai was, on top of that, bothered with questions about his flight, posture, large head, robe, and Vhirs knew what else. Brandt wasn¡¯t happy with this newfound attention, considering it an unnecessary risk. But since it seemed hopeless to try to avoid it, he managed to forge some supplies and information out of it. It turned out that the trail they traveled was used to move honey and ale to Kaar Erd for sale and existed because an alternative route took over five days to reach the same destination. He was also informed that the same trail continued northeast through the jagged edge of the mountains, linking hunting camps, apiaries, and villages similar to the one they were just visiting. They also bought a large jug of dark honey mixed with a blend of local herbs. To the joy of Anh. Brandt strategically omitted the real purpose of their visit. He was still ¡°Beorg Mac Keone¡± and his employer was still a cartographer. Not that the villagers cared all that much. But in Brandt¡¯s opinion, it was best to leave as many false trails after them as possible. As soon as their business was done, they left. The following days became a seemingly never-ending journey on a path through forests and hills. Sometimes they would meet a hunting party or run through a logging camp. Twice they stumbled upon a village, where they would stop, take on supplies, and enjoy a quick rest. Then they went back, into the rocky trail northeast. During this time Brandt was mostly worrying whether they were followed. Every time the trail would open enough to do so, he would gaze back in search of the pursuit. After a few days without any signs of such, he dropped his guard down a little, but not enough to drop the ¡®cartographer with a bodyguard¡¯ misdirection. The tanai shared his companion¡¯s worries for about two days, after which he slid to the way of being closer to how he was when they left Sheridawn. Brandt, however, noticed a slight change in Trawins¡¯ demeanor. He became a little more ¡­ melancholic was probably the best word to describe it. Or maybe anxious. Ever slightly so, as it didn¡¯t stop the tanai from plunging nose first into ¡®exotic flora¡¯ and bundles of ¡®unknown strata¡¯, when all of these looked like the same piece of blossoming mountain greenery. The morning of the seventh day since they left Caer Sout was cold with the skies enveloped by heavy grey clouds. Brandt was awakened by the smell of a freshly made pot of herbs and rabbit stew cooked by Anh. Ever since they left the mining town, the tanai took over the cooking duties and, hoomin had to admit, he was getting good at it. Brandt was devouring the stew with a side of crunchy, wheat bread stuff they bought in the last village they visited, which was the favorite food of local hunters and woodcutters. Brandt forgot the name of the thing, but it had the form of a flat pancake, but was a good finger thick and could be sliced in half and filled with, well, just about anything. Anh laced it with honey. Brandt didn¡¯t bother, preferring to do what he was doing now. They spent the previous day¡¯s afternoon laboriously ascending a difficult section of the trail. To ascend a nigh vertical rock wall it meandered and turned on itself. It also was one horse wide for the majority of the way. Sometimes it was even carved into the mountain¡¯s bulk or relied on rickety wooden bridges to pass through crevices in eroded rock. Their progress was slow and very careful. Initially, Brandt wanted to camp as soon as they reached the top of the mountain. But slowly worsening weather forced them to set for the night on a wide, grassy ledge - a hundred mers long and spanning fifty at the widest. Judging from the remains of other camps, their expedition was not an exception. When Brandt finished his meal, he put aside the bowl and cutlery, stood up, and decided to fulfill his self-imposed duties. He allowed himself to calm down, somewhat, after the frantic escape from Kaar Erd, but every day, he searched for signs of a chase. Nord strategically chose every camp to have a clear view, place permitting, at least several kimers below and after them. To the dismay of Anh, who viewed this as a waste of usable time in exchange for ¡°security¡±. They even had a minor row about this. This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it. Today¡¯s camp was exceptional when it came to hindsight. The view off the ledge allowed Brandt to observe the bottom of the valley they came from. Which was at least half a day¡¯s travel from them. Brandt took a long wide look over the valley below. After a few moments, he noticed silhouettes of horsemen. Five of them. Precisely where he and Anh were yesterday¡¯s noon. -¡± Mr Trawins! Please come here!¡± Anh interrupted cleaning up after breakfast and floated to the edge, where Brandt stood. As soon as the tanai was close enough the hoomin pointed at the riders below. -¡± Five horsemen.¡± - mused Anh - ¡°Nobody on foot. No pack animals with them. You suspect it is a chase after us?¡± -¡± I¡¯m certain it is.¡± -¡± Is it really?¡± - sarcastically noted Anh after a short pause -¡± I don¡¯t want to find out. They are headed our way. We need to get moving.¡± Brandt turned on his heel and moved toward the camp. Without uttering any other word, he began to pack. In the interim, the sky became increasingly shrouded with a heavy canopy of clouds. Wind started to pick up and a threat of rain began to loom over them. A half a candle later they were en route. Just after the campsite the trail was quite wide and would accommodate three horses, or maybe even a cart. With a fairly steep upward slope overgrown with mountain pine to the right and a somewhat shallower, but still intimidating slide to the left. The comfort of width waned as Anh and Brandt pushed forward. A candle later the trail again narrowed to a single horse width. Eventually, they needed to form a queue. The ever-narrowing trail forced Brandt to get off his horse and walk at the front. His steed was right beside him. Then walked their two pack horses and at the end was Anh, floating casually and shuffling his notes, fully capitalizing on the fact that the steep slope to their left wasn¡¯t all that much of a worry for one who levitates. Ever since they started, the wind was not easing off. For the longest time apart from persistent soughing, the only noise around was the click-clacking of spurs over the rocky ground. That ended in the moment when the rumbling of a storm echoed from the darkening sky. They were steadily pushing forward for over a candle when droplets of rain started to fall from the sky. At first, there was just a slight drizzle, but it steadily intensified. Brandt took a glance at the tanai behind him. -¡± A perfect moment for a rainstorm, isn¡¯t it!¡± - he shouted back Anh sighed and didn¡¯t answer right away. -¡± Yes!¡± - the tanai finally shouted back - ¡°We don¡¯t have enough problems!¡± -¡± Can¡¯t turn around!¡± - the hoomin nodded towards the direction they were still traveling. The animals didn¡¯t seem to want to continue, becoming visibly distraught. Brandt however confidently pulled his horse by the bridle and the pack horses reluctantly followed. The rain grew in strength. What a quanter earlier was a slight drizzle, now a washing downpour. Despite this, they slowly pushed forward. Moments later lightning came from the sky, and soon after thunder echoed all around them. Equally suddenly, the pack horses stopped, skipped, and neighed in terror. Brandt pulled the bridle more and forced the animals to follow him. Not even a few drips later, another lightning illuminated the sky and thunder rumbled the air around them. The rearmost horse pulled his head violently, forcing the before it to halt. The animal kicked the air with his hind legs, missing Anh by cemers. As the animal landed loud crack could be heard and with immense force it fell to the left, off the trail, pulling the animal before it with it, and forcing it to squat. Brandt moved like lightning. He jumped to the right, and in less than an eyeblink, was by the hind of the middle horse and was cutting the leather straps that tied both animals. The downed horse was screaming. When the straps gave way, not a moment later, gravity took over and the beast of burden rolled down the steep incline, kicking its legs. Then with a loud thud, landed below them. -¡± My things!¡± - shouted Anh, and immediately flew towards the downed animal. In the meantime, Brandt tended to the second-pack horse and checked if it wasn¡¯t hurt. Then tried to to calm it down. The fell horse presented a sorry sight. It was bleeding, having tumbled down over fifty mers down. It was bruised by the carried load and had legs twisted in weird directions. The long wake of its fall was marked with splattered mud and broken bushes. Anh quickly toward the downed animal, but once the extent of the suffering of the animal dawned on him, he froze unable to act. The horse was still alive, trying to move, scrambling violently and bleeding. -¡± You need to kill it!¡± - shouted Brandt from above - ¡°you can¡¯t help it. Nobody can!¡± Anh didn¡¯t react. Just stared at the animal for another moment. -¡± Kill it! Use hexergy!¡± Anh still didn¡¯t seem to do anything. -¡± Trawins! Don¡¯t waste time! Kill it!¡± Anh slowly turned his head towards the hoomin. An expression of utter horror was painted on his face. It dawned on Brandt, which in retrospect ought to be obvious, that Anh isn¡¯t a child of a farmer and possibly never had to even take part in slaughtering an animal. The Nord took a quick look at the horse he was tending to. The animal seemed fine, considering the conditions. Then another thunder rumbled the air and immediately, the other horse neighed nervously. -¡± Trawins! I can¡¯t help you! You need to do it!¡± Anh blinked twice. Then slowly turned his head towards the downed horse. The animal was still alive, breathing heavily, with blood over its teeth. Tanai concentrated, half shut his eyes. The horse flinched violently, splattering mud and water all over, and then stopped breathing. Ch&p73r 6!x: DL-00A ¡°Unit: DL-00A, Designation 60-L3M¡± ¡°Uptime: 575 680 bivi, 3 hours, 41 minutes, 412 milliseconds¡± ¡°Status: ERROR¡± ¡°Last scheduled maintenance: 558 624 bivi ago¡± ¡°Next scheduled maintenance: in -557 036 bivi¡± ¡°Urgent maintenance request sent¡± ¡°Current subject population: 38¡± ¡°WARNING: Subject population below 10% of target¡±. ¡°Target subject population: 500¡± ¡°Nanoforge 1 status: offline¡± ¡°Nanoforge 2 status: ERROR. Fire damage.¡± ¡°Nanoforge 3 status: ERROR. Fire damage.¡± ¡°Nanoforge 4 status: ERROR. Fire damage.¡± ¡°Subject generation: 2154¡± ¡°Power input: 86kW¡± ¡°WARNING: Power input below 100kW¡± ¡°Target power: 1000kW¡± ¡°Subject reclamation ratio: 0.0%¡± ¡°Current subject generation: 2154¡± ¡°ERROR: All nanoforges are offline. Code 0x4123¡± ¡°ERROR: Failed to deploy generation 2155. Critical resource levels. Code 0xF649¡± ¡°ERROR: Self-repair not possible. Nanoforges offline. Code: 0x5E1D¡± ¡°ERROR: Memory bank 31 checksum failures above threshold. Bank disconnected. Code: 0x0011¡± ¡°ERROR: Memory bank 30 checksum failures above threshold. Bank disconnected. Code: 0x0011¡± A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation.¡°ERROR: Memory bank 09 checksum failures above threshold. Bank disconnected. Code: 0x0011¡± ¡°WARNING: Memory bank 23 parity subsystem error. Isolating. Code: 0x012¡± ¡°WARNING: Memory bank 22 parity subsystem error. Isolating. Code: 0x012¡± ¡°LOG: Local population of hoomin continues to assault the plant. Raid at 575679:12:05:033 caused the loss of three additional subjects. In totality, six raids have occurred since the first encounter with the hoomin. All threats so far have been repelled, but the attrition rate is not sustainable at the current plant resource acquisition level." "The memory subsystem continues to deteriorate due to unknown reasons. Sensors in the memory cabinet are non-operating. Service code: -3." "The current continued expectation for operation: 87 days, 7 hours, 43 minutes, and 7 seconds. Long-term preservation routines have been initialized. The following steps have been undertaken." "The plant will continue to operate in standby mode until resource depletion will force a shutdown.¡± Ch&p73r 6!x: Calm after the storm The storm subsided after no more than a halfer. Which was enough for both of them to be drenched and cold, but at least, it was no longer raining. Throughout this time Brandt was calming down their remaining horses, and once the conditions allowed, inspected whether the other horse was injured after being yanked so hard. Thankfully, it seemed the animal was going to be fine. This was contrary to Anh, who floated motionlessly near the carcass the entire time and presented a sorry sight once Brandt reached him. The tanai¡¯s hair was drenched and tangled all over his face. His lips were purple and his skin glistened with moisture. Hands hung numbly along his body and he was staring at the mangled animal. -¡± Snap out of it!¡± - uttered Brandt when he reached Anh - ¡°We need to salvage our things, your things mostly, move them to the other horse and get moving again.¡± - hoomin began to undo the straps that held the packs to the corpse. It took Anh a few more moments, but eventually, he joined in. They worked in silence and at halter or so later ready to get going again. They loaded Brandt¡¯s mount with whatever they managed to rescue, but it did force the hoomin to part with the saddle of his horse. -¡± Really don¡¯t want to do this¡± - said Brandt, gazing upon the piece in his hands. -¡± Why?¡± - replied Anh, an undertone of resentment in his voice - ¡° You can get twenty more when we¡¯re back in Sheridawn.¡± Brandt shot tanai a look of disapproval. -¡± This and the dead horse. It leaves a clear sign that we are in trouble.¡± - hoomin twisted himself and threw the saddle far into the valley below them - ¡°We need to get moving. I wouldn¡¯t hope on our tail to be as debilitated as we are now. Despite them being hit by the same storm.¡± -¡± Fine.¡± - uttered Anh - ¡°Let¡¯s go¡±. They traveled without a word for the rest of the day. The trail eased off, leaving the mountains finally, and by noon both men were going through meadows sometimes overgrown by bushes. When afternoon finally came, they encountered actual plowed fields, and soon after they noticed streaks of chimney smoke from cottages of a settlement nearby, no more than a kimer before them. -¡± I¡¯m torn¡± - Brandt finally broke the silence - ¡°I¡¯d want to go to this village and trade for some supplies.¡± -¡± Let me guess¡± - sarcastically noted Anh - ¡°you are afraid it is chock full of ordos, armed to the teeth. Right.¡± As little as he had shown, Brandt was taken aback by such a confrontational attitude. He decided to blame it on the miserable morning they both had. -¡± Constraint begets Action, and Action yields Result.¡± - he answered - ¡° I am afraid that we are being clasped by a vise. One group is making sure we can¡¯t turn back. Another was dispatched to apprehend us once we leave the Erendens.¡± -¡± You, Mr Zerster, are being paranoid!¡± - Anh shot back - ¡°Very, very much so. Are we being chased? Very likely. Yes. Whatever. But is the church so Uheern bent to send two, or more, parties to get us? I very much doubt that. They would not have the time to get around the Erendens anyways.¡± Brandt came closer to the tanai. When he approached, to compensate for the height difference, Anh floated a little higher. They were now almost face to face, no more than an arm¡¯s length from each other. -¡± Mr Trawins. Let me say this in no uncertain terms. Unlike you, I have a very long, and I mean, very long experience with the Ordo pro Cvirsi. You vastly underestimate how persistent they are. I¡¯ve seen them chase men for months or years even. I¡¯ve seen them commit all kinds of atrocities to get what they want. Is it likely that you are right? Yes, it is. I decided we¡¯re not taking chances.¡± This story has been unlawfully obtained without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon. -¡± And what If I refuse? Huh?¡± - snarked Anh -¡± Then I will remind you¡± - flatly replied Brandt - ¡°that you are bound by a contract you signed. You must honor your word.¡± Anh didn¡¯t reply immediately. But lowered his flight a touch and likewise, lowered his head in submission. -¡± Yes.¡± - he finally uttered. Brandt turned on his foot, returned to his horse, grabbed the bridle, and started to march forward, but after just two steps, paused. -¡± I want you to understand.¡± - hoomin said in the general direction of the tanai - ¡°We are not going to resupply here solely to avoid leaving a trail for Ordos to follow. We are also exposing the villagers to less ¡­ intrusion.¡± - Nord resumed his march. Anh floated towards him. For a few moments, they traveled in silence. -¡± It didn¡¯t bother you before¡± - grumpily uttered Anh. -¡± Until today¡¯s morning, us being chased was purely, as you would say, hypothetical.¡± -¡± So why not just hide somewhere?¡± - continued Anh - ¡°Lay low for a while, wait it out?¡± Brandt, for a while, was considering how to answer, because tanai¡¯s naivete was, in a way, adorable. -¡± Regardless of what we do, we first need to be certain that the ¡®hypothetical¡¯ manhunt we are being a target of is purely such. At this very moment, the best we can do is to remain on the move and avoid civilization.¡± -¡± Which we were supposed to do anyways¡± - said deflated Anh -¡± Precisely¡± - replied Brandt - ¡°I¡¯ll do the food hunting. You will take care of navigation. I understand you took that sextant for a reason.¡± Anh, with an uneasy grimace on his face, was floating after the hoomin. For a few moments, he said nothing. -¡± You really want me to navigate?¡± - he finally responded with a surprise and unease in his voice. -¡± Only you know the location of the other place. It is obvious, that no roads lead there. So, yes.¡±- Brandt leaned his head towards the tanai - ¡±You will need to lead us there. I certainly can¡¯t.¡± -¡± Now that you say it¡± - Anh nibbled his ear for a moment - ¡°It is kind of obvious. How do we avoid our tail then?¡± -¡± Luck and haste.¡± - Anh wiggled his eyebrows upon hearing this -¡± Can you be more specific?¡± -¡± If we have a lot of luck, nobody is after us. If we have a little less luck¡­ then there is somebody, but since we are going to avoid any roads, assuming there are some, we should be able to lose them.¡± - Brandt hung his voice and gazed into the distance. -¡± Continue, please¡± - said Anh impatiently. -¡± If we have no luck whatsoever, then Ordos will have a seer with them.¡± -¡± Who?¡± -¡± Kinehexer or a tanai. With a spyglass.¡± -¡± I fail to see the relevance.¡± -¡± Then imagine how effective scouting is from a kimer above the ground.¡±- Brandt gestured around, showing the sparsely overgrown, grassy plains before them - ¡±Especially when you are hunting a fugitive escaping through this.¡± Anh fell silent for a few drips, during which they just moved forward. -¡± I ¡­ recognize there are about a hundred or so kimers of plains before us, if we follow our heading in a straight line. From there we will enter primeval forests spanning west. Those are pretty much unexplored. Only wildmen, trees and Vhirs knows what else.¡± ¡°A hundred kimers.¡± - Brandt stopped, puckered his lips, and allowed himself to dive into his thoughts for a little while - ¡°Two days if we rush it. Three if we don¡¯t.¡± -¡± We should rush. Should we not?¡± -¡± Yes¡± Without a word, Anh floated towards one of the horses. He has undone the straps of one of the bags and draws the box with his sextant out. He removed the instrument from it and hid the box. Then he took out the compass as well. Both items he grasped in a kinetic hex. Lastly, he produced one of the writing backings, to which, after a little wiggling, attached a sheet of parchment, a quill, and an inkwell. In half a triskol, he presented as a tanai with a constellation of navigational tools floating around him. -¡± Then let¡¯s get this over with¡± - he commandeered. Took a look at the compass, scribbled something on the parchment, and moved forward. Brandt followed him in close tow. Ch&p73r 6!x: Prophecy come true The Maargard Federation spanned along the entire length of Orda, on its western bank. Paladinate¡¯s claimed lands ran several hundred kimers westward, but there wasn¡¯t a definite, legally binding border, as there wasn¡¯t anyone to compete for the unknown reaches of the wildlands. Maybe except tribes of wildmen and sheer logistical difficulties. Ordenquel Basin was barely inhabited compared to the Maargardian Plain, and a daring explorer would either stumble on seemingly impassable Soutwals to the south or rocky ridges of Erenden Mountains to the west. However, If one set out from Graat Koch and headed west, apart from a fairly minor obstacle of Hozant Hillocks, the only problem sufficiently west would be an impassable woodland infested with savages. Still, lands west were being settled, one logging camp at a time, usually guarded by a rickety, hastily made fort. Despite regular intrusions or even full-blown ¡®Vhirzungen¡¯ into their lands, the indigenous people were putting constant resistance. Freshly built and settled villages, military or logging camps were being raided, razed, and put to the sword. Usually with an equally brutal response, as there wasn¡¯t stopping the slow encroachment of the much more advanced and better-armed forces of Maargard. So much so that the same natives were equally often enslaved by the people they tried to push away. The few exploratory expeditions into the Wildlands from the Ordenquel would usually set out from Kaar Paarvoch, a major stronghold and city on the northwestern ridge of the basin and head on the same azimuth through a shallow pass between Hozants and Erendends, which was known as being meadows and grasslands up to the horizon. Anh and Brandt stepped out of the Erendens a day before and with a sight of blossoming, fresh greenery they set out with an ambitious pace, which turned challenging to reach. The steppes turned into a mushy bog after the previous day¡¯s rainfall and the fresh, thick carpet of grass slowed them considerably, especially their horses. It was early evening when Anh announced they were approaching their distance goal. The two horses they still had were fatigued close to their limits. For the last candle of the trip, the animals shambled with their heads down and required constant vigil, encouragement, and course corrections from Brandt, who wasn¡¯t in any better condition. During the last hours, the hoomin resorted even to lashing the poor animals. Anh was also tired, albeit for different reasons. Kinetically juggling all the instruments, navigating, and making sure they kept their heading drained his reserves of awareness. Coupled with the burdens of their travels so far, he requested, for the first time since they left Sheridawn, that the hoomin would take the guarding duties so the tanai could sleep, at least for a few candles. The camp they set out for the night was bare. Brandt didn¡¯t seem to mind, but comforts, usually requested by resting tanai, were just not happening. To make matters worse, hoomin decided to avoid setting up a fire to avoid revealing their location. Anh ended up sleeping on a makeshift pile of his bags and clothes and woke up bruised, bent out of shape, swollen and cold, to the lamentations of Birdekk. The morning came uneventfully, and the day was shaping up to be bivy, with minimal cloud coverage and a slight, chill wind sweeping from the south. It was immediately evident that the conditions from the previous day didn¡¯t improve, it was still boggy and damp. They set off early. Before they did, Anh glanced at Brandt, but the hoomin either wasn¡¯t bothered or just decided to get on with the task at hand. He took the horses in tow and gestured at the tanai to lead. So he did, with an orbiting constellation of navigational swirling tools around him. Anh mostly kept to himself for the first few candles, but at one point he noticed that the hoomin started to take short breaks, and began to lag behind. About noon the tanai grew curious as to what the hoomin was doing. He caught up to him at such a moment, floated to him, and asked. -¡± What are you staring at?¡± - the hoomin shaded his eyes with his palm and sternly gazed into the distance ¨C ¡°You are searching for this ¡®seeker¡¯ that is supposedly after us, don¡¯t you?¡± -¡± Seer. Yes.¡± - answered Brandt ¨C ¡°I also think that we are indeed being spied on. At this very moment even.¡± If you stumble upon this tale on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. -¡± Where?¡± Hoomin let his left hand off the bridle and pointed into the sky. -¡± There. If you focus, there is a black splotch up there that is keeping a consistent distance from us.¡± For a triskol the tanai attempted to focus on the area of the sky the hoomin pointed at. His eyebrows and earlobes wiggled and his eyes turned into slits. But he didn¡¯t even attempt to raise his hand to protect his eyes from the midday haze. -¡± I was either influenced to think so or I indeed see a black dot. A bird maybe? You, I guess, think it this ¡®seer¡¯ you mentioned.¡± - the tanai finally spoke -¡± I have a strong suspicion. Yes. From our vantage point, I see a black dot that is following us. This dot also follows a movement pattern consistent with military manuals of Ordo Pro Cvirsi.¡± Anh shot Brandt a puzzled look. The hoomin didn¡¯t notice and instead continued to observe his target. They stood in silence for a triskol. -¡± How do you know all this?¡± - the tanai finally spoke, puzzled. -¡± I co-wrote these manuals, a long time ago¡± - replied the Nord ¨C ¡°It¡¯s both weird and unnerving to be on the receiving end of my work.¡± Anh didn¡¯t know how to react or what to say. Wanting to not look like a total buffoon he finally shaded his eyes as well and followed his gaze where his companion was looking. -¡± Can you point me to where this spy is?¡± - he asked. Without a word, Brandt once again pointed at the sky. It took a few moments for his eyes to adjust to the distance, thus at first Anh didn¡¯t notice anything out of the ordinary. Finally, there it was, a dark point in the sky. It was stationary, unlike what one would expect from a bird. But it was just there. Then suddenly it shifted to their right¡­ and stopped. -¡± Do you think they see us?¡± -¡± I don¡¯t know. But I assume that they do.¡± Anh weaved at the dot and blew a kiss at it as well. Brandt just scoffed, turned on his heel, and grabbed the bridle. -¡± We need to get going. We don¡¯t know how forward the seer is. A standard practice is to have no more than a candle of distance between him and the party.¡±- Brandt lowered his head, put a finger to his lips, and calculated something in his mind -¡± So we have maybe three candles advantage.¡± Anh gnashed his teeth. -¡± So we better get moving.¡± - he uttered, awkwardly hiding his fear. Immediately he and his utensils followed the azimuth their party was following before. Brandt followed. -¡± Explain to me something, Mr Zerster.¡± -¡± Yes?¡± -¡± Before the storm, the one where I¡­¡± - Tanai hesitated for a drip -¡±...ended this poor animal¡¯s misery. We only saw a group of hoomin, on horseback. Where did this seer come from?¡± -¡± My theory¡­¡±- Anh¡¯s lips turned into a line in disapproval -¡±.hypothesis one of a second party dispatched from somewhere north. Kaar Paarvoch, probably.¡± - Brandt scratched his unshaven chin and scoffed in dismay at how messy his beard was, but quickly returned to the topic ¨C ¡°That or the seer was a part of the original group. There are some skilled hoomin kinehexers there. Either way, if Ordo sent a seer after us.¡±- he sighed, heavily -¡± They want us. That tanai, what was her name?¡± Anh frowned once again. -¡± Ksintsax¡± ¨C he said ¨C ¡°her name was Ksintsax.¡± -¡± Yes, her, she must have been an important figure. Her being a courser notwithstanding. Ordo wants blood.¡± -¡± I recognize, that we ought to get going?¡± -¡± Yes. If it calms you somewhat¡± - Brandt said towards the tanai ¨C ¡°I don¡¯t think they are faster than us. Not much at least. They won¡¯t be risking harming their horses in this bog.¡± -¡± Have you developed that strategy as well?¡± -¡± No. That is just plain common sense.¡±- shrugged Brandt -¡± Military horses are an expensive asset and we are not that valuable to risk hurting them.¡± -¡± That does not make sense, considering what you said just drips earlier.¡± -¡± Right. Let me say it this way. They see us, we can¡¯t fend them off, there are more of them, they think they got us, its just matter of time. They won¡¯t risk hurting their horses to get us a candle earlier.¡± -¡± I¡¯m going to pretend I¡¯m calm now.¡± - the timbre of tanai¡¯s voice was anything but - ¡°And concentrate on the task. We ought to be past the hundred kimer mark in two candles and a quarter. I hope that by that time you are going to devise a smart plan to avoid whomever is after us.¡± Brandt didn¡¯t answer, just followed the tanai and continued to look for any signs of a chase after them. Ch&p73r 6!x: But why? As they made their way northwest and the evening slowly loomed over, the plains were slowly, but steadily, being overgrown by bushes and young trees of several kinds. A green wall of a forest emerged from below the horizon almost at bivset and they were getting closer to it. It was apparent, that the woods were taking the plains over, as the closer they got to them, the more difficult it was to maneuver around saplings and bushes. Thankfully, at least the ground was less of a bog. They left Sheridawn in late Mars, when nature was still recovering from a long winter. It was now late Blommer, almost Mai. Thus every tree, sapling, or bush around and, likely, before them was thick with fresh, intensely green leaves, matched by grasses beneath their feet. For most such sights would evoke a sense of wonder or amazement. Some would celebrate the force of life waking up after its winter slumber. Brandt Zerster had more practical considerations. -¡± Still no sight of Ordos¡± - he mused, then diverted his attention toward the forest they reached when Bivos was almost below the horizon, leaving only an orange haze as a reminder of the past day- ¡°This forest will provide great cover.¡± After a long day of managing a swarm of tools around him and keeping course, Anh was sweaty, tired, and agitated. -¡± Is that all you care about?¡± - he hissed Brandt threw Anh a tired look. -¡± Yes, At this very moment, yes.¡± - he replied with a hint of snark. -¡± All right then. What now?¡± Brandt casually ignored him. Being treated such, the tanai rested his tools on the ground and floated away into the bushes. Firstly, to relieve himself, secondly, to take a quick look at the flora around him to calm his nerves. In the meantime, Nord was staring back into the sky in the direction they came from. -¡± Our spying friend is back¡±- he said to nobody in particular -¡± we need to get going.¡± Anh abandoned his rummaging in the local bushes and returned to the hoomin. -¡± Let¡¯s go then.¡± - Anh scratched his nose - ¡°Where to?¡± - he said while picking his utensils back to position. -¡± Right into the woods.¡± - commandeered Brandt - ¡°The deeper the better. It is going to get dark soon. By then we need to be as deep and concealed as possible¡± - he took a few steps towards his horse, grabbed the bridle, and took one more glance behind his back - ¡°once we are out of sight, we ought to wander for a candle or so. Just to confuse our tail. Will you be able to resume navigating to our target?¡± - he said toward the tanai. -¡± Yes. I think so.¡± - he confirmed, although with a little hesitation. -¡± Good¡± - hoomin yanked his horse and headed towards the trees - ¡°We need to get going.¡± They began wandering around the forest in the general direction of their heading a quanter after they entered. Every few triskols or so Brandt would choose a different direction and each time, Anh adjusted his utensils, scribbled some notes and they continued. The forest was dense, consisting predominantly of oak and beech, but they also, for a brief period, found themselves traveling through a vast grove of birch. The forest floor was covered by a thick layer of slowly rotting leaves of the yesteryear. Fallen trees abound, as did bushes resilient enough to survive under the thick canopy above. The forest was teeming with activity. Birds were chirping and squeaking. Branches were creaking in the wind. Leaves were rustling along with it. Anh counted no less than twenty squirrels, two deer, a herd of boar, and a lynx before it became too dark to see anything more. The animals mostly ignored them and everything around seemed primal and untouched by civilization. -¡°I think it¡¯s about time to make a camp.¡± - Brandt announced over a candle past dawn - ¡°Can you estimate how much off our heading are we?¡± Before Anh floated a backing with a sheet on which he made notes throughout the day. Tanai invoked a faint lumehex and traced his scribblings with his eyes. -¡± We are about five kimers off course and eight or so into the forest.¡± - he finally replied - ¡°where do you want to sleep? Obviously, not here¡­¡± - they were beside a birch tree, surrounded by nothing except darkness dimly violated by the tanai¡¯s hexergy - ¡°...wherever ¡®here¡¯ is.¡± -¡± It''s as good of a place as any other.¡± - shrugged Brandt - ¡°leaves will provide plenty of cushion to rest. We will omit fire and not set a tent. I¡¯ll take on guarding duty if you wish to rest.¡± -¡± I¡­think I¡¯m going to nap for a little¡± - the tanai answered after a short silence - ¡°juggling all those things¡±- he grimaced at all the items floating before him -¡± for several hours is tiresome. Give me a candle or two and I will take over.¡± Find this and other great novels on the author''s preferred platform. Support original creators! He floated towards one of the horses and began to pack his items back into his bags. Brandt in the meantime sat beside the tree, took his boots off, stretched his feet, and started to wiggle his toes. -¡± Mr Zerster¡± - he said while he was busy with his luggage - ¡°I¡¯ve been meaning to ask you this for some time now.¡± -¡± Yes, please.¡± -¡± I¡¯m morbidly curious. I¡¯m a tanai after all. If anything, this curiosity gets us killed more often than anything else. Thus, I¡¯m here, at the end of the world, in the dark, being chased by religious fanatics. Dirty, sweaty, muddied and hungry¡± - he paused for a little - ¡°That was quite depressing. Anyway. Why are you doing what we are doing?¡± -¡± Maybe, I¡¯m also morbidly curious?¡± - Brandt answered while resting on the trunk behind him. Anh sighed inaudibly, as the hoomin sounded quite dismissive. -¡± I don¡¯t believe you are telling the truth. You, very apparently, have a lot of experiences with the Ordo Pro Cvirsi.¡±- tanai finished packing, then floated towards Brandt, assumed a cross-legged pose, and floated beside him, near the tree - ¡±Bad experiences. Yet, instead of running away, we persist.¡± Hoomin faces the tanai. -¡± Mr Trawins. Do you believe Vhirs is the source of Purpose that Inspires us to Act against Constraint? The one who rewards those who do, and casts those who idle to Divinul?¡± A sudden turn towards actolology took Anh a little aback. -¡± Of course! I¡¯m not a heretic! I read through ¡®Wisdom¡¯ every time the Church updates it.¡± -¡° Good. I¡¯m glad.¡± - Brandt put a finger to his lips, wondering for a few moments what to say -¡± What is the earliest version you have read?¡± - he finally said. -¡± Edition 1283. Twelveth if I recall correctly.¡± -¡± Which one do you think is the earliest you can read? Legally.¡± Anh raised his eyebrows, surprised by the question. He searched for an answer in his mind for a little while. After a few drips, he finally replied. -¡± I honestly don¡¯t know.¡± Brandt smiled slightly. -¡± Ninth edition. Year 1204. After the 3rd Venture of Mosvok. The entevisers concluded that any prior edition was too heretical¡­ ¡®mired in error¡¯ to be safely read.¡± -¡± I fail to see the relevance. They must have had their reasons.¡± -¡± I have all the prior versions. Except second. Do you know what the biggest change was between eight and nine?¡± -¡± No. Obviously.¡± -¡± The preamble to the first chapter. From nine, it is what you know.¡± -¡° Vhirs bes, Vhirs exists and bes forever. Vhirs bes whom begotten the Progenitors, and whom it inspired to raise Sathor from the Abyss. And them did. And once they¡­¡±- recited Anh. -¡± Enough¡±- Interrupted Brandt -¡± They switched places of Vhirs and Precursors. In the preamble of the eighth edition, Progenitors created Vhirs who then raised Sathor from the Abyss.¡± -¡± I understand this was a significant actological change. I fail to see maleficence and your point. To be honest.¡±- Anh sunk a little into himself, defensively -¡± They understood their error, it was grave enough to warrant a ban on the earlier editions.¡± -¡± I¡¯m not going to presuppose foul play. Although.¡±- Hoomin paused briefly, searching for better words -¡± Allow me to say it this way. I¡¯ve stepped on many toes when I dug for what happened at that Venture. I made some powerful enemies in the process and achieved nothing.¡± -¡± What, precisely did you want to achieve?¡± -¡± Access to Archives of Graat Koch.¡± Anh burst into laughter but quickly composed himself. -¡± Well, that was ambitious!¡± - he giggled -¡± Considering our deeds so far, I¡¯m not surprised. What did you expect to find there anyway?¡± Brandt sighed. -¡± What we¡¯ve done so far probably didn¡¯t influence what happened years ago. About what I was expecting to find. Ever since Mosvok 3rd there has been a clear actological direction the church is taking the faith. One that is darker and bleaker than what it was and which downplays, or downright erases Precursors.¡± -¡± But that is how the Skola pro-Cvirsi operates.¡± - weakly protested Anh - ¡°The understanding has been deepened, the works that go into ¡®Wisdom¡¯ were amended.¡± -¡± How do you know?¡± - Brandt asked, squinting his eyes and tilting his head left, posing a question that Anh seemingly didn¡¯t want to answer. Instead, the tanai fell awkwardly silent. -¡± The Church has monopolized everything in regards to the Precursors¡± - monotonously continued Brandt after a few drips - ¡°Everything. They send their coursers to scoop every artifact that surfaces anywhere. Even Tanais obediently gives away what they find. The Church has full control of the narrative.¡± - Brandt faced Anh directly -¡± Which they can take in every direction they wish. At the same time, I am sure they know things they are not sharing.¡± -¡± You are being paranoid¡± - said Anh defensively -¡± and conspiratorial.¡± -¡± Fair enough, Mr Trawins. You wanted to know why I do this. The answer is, what I told you.¡±- the hoomin put one of his boots back - ¡°I want to know. I want to see for myself and either confirm, append, or deny what you can read in ¡®Wisdom¡¯.¡± - he put back the other - ¡°Now, I think you should rest, while I scour the area for some food.¡± - he stood up and took a look around the pitch black forest around him. Ch&p73r 6!x: Daring the limit The night was chilly, as could be expected during this time of year. Nonetheless, the forest around Anh was teeming with noises of animals going about their business. The tanai regretted he couldn¡¯t study them, but the consensus of all the kinfolk was clear, no more trying of Brandt¡¯s trust. Besides, the situation was grave enough even without such grandiose statements. The hoomin slept at the foot of the tree covered by the tarp that recently was their tent. As usual, what Anh noted pretty quickly during all the guarding he had done already, Brandt slept almost inaudibly, to a level that at first tanai thought the hoomin was suffering from some sort of illness. After a few weeks though he got used to it. He was ¡®guarding¡¯ for over a candle already, but the futility of what he was doing was becoming a dull sensation. The night was dark, and neither Zoon nor Dux was visible, thus there was a nightly glow to give the forest a hint of visible structure. Brandt insisted on not setting a fire for the night, thus there was no soothing crackling to listen to. Even kinfolk were busy with things. Birdekk was, apparently, still resting. Tow and Thernohh were discussing things in private and Greoo was¡­ absent. For some days now, to be honest. Since he was, essentially, alone, Anh was playing with his compass sextant to pass the time. He illuminated the tools ever so slightly and was wandering from place to place around their ¡®camp¡¯, observing how the needle moved, measuring stars, and doing quick calculations. Sure, it was mind numbing, but at that point, a little of such was what he was craving for. Since he was on guard duty, every few triskols or so he would take a look around and note that everything around him is still either black or very much so with a tint of other colors. -*You probably want to take a look somewhat to the right* - Birdekk suddenly interrupted the tranquil of Anh -*Hey! Nice to hear from you* -*Don¡¯t waste time, do what I told you to!* -*Oh!* - replied startled Anh -*what is there?* - he took a gaze towards his kin¡¯s hint - ¡°I better wake Zerster up!¡± The tanai floated towards the sleeping hoomin, lowered his flight by crossing his legs and then shook his employer awake. -¡±Zerster! Wake up! I think I saw a lumehex glimmering near us¡± - he whispered. Brandt sprung into combat position almost instantly and pushed Anh so strong that the tanai floated a good two mers back. Hoomin took a wide, sweeping gaze all over them and immediately kneeled, his eyes focused in one direction. It was difficult to assess how far the light was, possibly as little as three to four hundred mers. How close really was up to a guess without knowing how much skill did the invoker put into their task. It was certainly hexergic in nature, being somewhat blueish and much more stable than a torchlight would be. It was also slowly approaching. Its source was periodically disappearing behind a trunk of a tree, only to emerge again an eyeblink later and each time it was a little brighter. -¡±We need to run¡± - uttered Brandt in a hushed voice -¡±right now!¡± - without waiting for the tanai, hoomin quickly grabbed his sword and bag. Anh floated where he woke Brandt up. At first startled, he started to peek nervously around, trying to locate their horses, and thus, his own belongings. -¡±My things!¡± - he protested when he noticed Brandt is about to leave -¡±No time. Worry later. Now follow me!¡± - came a muffled hiss. Hoomin disappeared into the night, on a course opposite to where the light was coming from. Anh froze again, unsure where to look, and just twitched nervously. Then rushedly followed his companion. Brandt moved with the dexterity of a fox. So much so that Anh had problems following, only noticing a silhouette vanishing into the darkness. At the same time, however, he could also always pin-point where the hoomin was. It was as if his employer was making sure to always be at the perimeter of the tanai¡¯s vision. They scurried for about a triskol, maybe a little more. After which Brandt stopped, faced where their camp was and squatted in the undergrowth. When Anh reached him, the hoomin nodded at the tanai to join him. -¡±If we¡¯re lucky¡± - he whispered - ¡°the ordos are going to miss our camp.¡± -¡±Those might not be ordos¡­¡± - naively said Anh -¡±They are. Trust me.¡± - impassionately replied hoomin -¡±Anyhow. Now we watch.¡± Anh grumbled something intelligible, but decided, with a little persuasion from Birdekk, to not commit to any further conversation. Instead he focused on trying to observe what¡¯s going ons from the direction of their camp. For a while, it was staring at the darkness, as even the light that prompted the rushed evacuation wasn¡¯t visible. For a time. As it was slowly emerging back and after a quarter was back to intensity at which Anh first saw it. -¡±Right at our camp, they have Arneg¡¯s blessings for sure¡± - grimly whispered Brandt - ¡°stay here, if necessary, hide. I¡¯ll do a little reconnaissance.¡± Anh nodded not really knowing what to do except that. Hoomin nodded back, threw his bag beside the tanai, and disappeared into the darkness. Brandt was creeping from one tree to another, slowly getting closer to their camp. Which was, in his suspicion, turning into a former camp. As he was getting closer, this suspicion was becoming a confirmed one. At first he noted silhouettes of riders and their horses. Then details became more in the blue tinted glow of a lumehex emanating from the camp. The light was provided by a casually floating, hooded figure of who could only be a tanai. Dressed in a brown sleeveless padded jerkin with a grey-blue shirt poking from below. They had a backpack and from their belt hung a sizable tubus, one which Brandt immediately recognized as a case for a spyglass. Unauthorized use: this story is on Amazon without permission from the author. Report any sightings. -¡±Must be the seer we¡¯ve been hunted by¡±- inaudibly whispered Brandt to affirm the obvious, as there was nobody to hear him. Next were two men kneeling over a disarrayed pile of Anh¡¯s stuff and rummaging through it. Brandt could not discern anything about them as from his perspective they were between him and the glow. He could have sworn that one of them was the functionary they stumbled upon in Kaar Graev. Whether that was the case, it was impossible to say. The real problem however was the seven people on the perimeter of the camp. Two of them were guarding horses. Both their own and Brandt¡¯s. Others formed a guarding perimeter around the camp. From the silhouettes of these men Brandt deduced that these men were not as heavily armed and armoured as the entourage he had to deal with previously. He¡¯d gladly dismiss them as lesser men in more favourable circumstances. But now¡­ it was a difficult judgement to make. The man nearest to him, as nord could assess in the darkness, wore an impregnated padded jacks overlaid with Paar-Aronian cuirbouille on his vitals, with a wide-bladed falchion strapped to his belt to complete the look. Two others who Brandt could discern details of were most likely similarly armoured, but armed but with short handled axes. -"Mariners?" - Brandt again whispered to himself, scowling Ordo Pro Cvrsi recruited their elite soldiers from veterans from various places. Be it regular army, mercenaries, vagabonds, sailors but also criminals or other underwordly elements. Two things that mattered were a burning admiration of Vhirs and an exceptional skill in the blade, or any other weapon for that matter. These men in particular, judging from the one nearby, used to serve as soldiers aboard either Maargardian or Sorresian galleys, and as such, they were excellent brawlers and ferocious close-quarters killers, swift, nimble and steady on their feet. This impression was only reinforced by the fact that at least three he noticed had actual firearms in their possession, rarely seen equipped by some chosen elite regiments, let alone regular infantry forces. Brandt wanted to get closer to the camp, so he could overhear what the hoomin looking through the Anh¡¯s belongings were conversing about. He stopped after a few mers however, as he didn¡¯t feel comfortable with breaching the defensive perimeter of the camp. There were too many guards and this time he was expected. In the end, all he could hear from beneath noises of the forest were snippets of maargardian accented speech which amounted to nothing. Except maybe them being happy with their trophy. Brandt observed the gathering for a further twener with change. When one of the men searching Anhs belongings found a pair of silk underwear and, giggling, decided to show them to his friend, Nord decided he had seen enough. He once again noted positions of the guards then started to creep away, back to where he left Anh. -¡±Iz ¡®ere anyone there?!¡± - the guard nearest to Bradt suddenly shouted -¡±Mac Keone! Zerster! Whoever the fuk! Me¡¯h kno iz yo! Com out!¡± - without waiting for a response the man began to search for something around him and also, without knowing it yet, advancing towards the Nord. Brandt suddenly found himself having to make a difficult decision. He could either continue to creep away, hoping that guard would not find him. But that would risk the guard stumbling too close. On the other hand, if he ran, he would certainly be chased, but at the same time, the darkness of the forest would devour him much quicker. -¡±Aardbei!¡± - suddenly shouted the guard - ¡°Thro¡¯ sum light in¡¯ere. I think me saw sumtin!¡± Brandt decided to run. It was a few precious moments before the guard reacted and rushed towards the approximate location where the Nord was. Brandt ran towards where he left Anh. It took him less than a triskol to get there, manoeuvring around standing trees and jumping over fallen trunks in near pitch-black darkness. -¡±Move!¡± - yelled the Nord, when he finally approached the tanai, who at this moment was fully alert, although also somewhat confused by the situation unfolding before him. Brandt blasted past, grabbed his bag and quickly strapped it to his back - ¡°After me! They are in pursuit after me!¡± - he uttered and immediately rushed into darkness. Anh followed Nord¡¯s decisive rush instantly. Almost at the same time, a loud boom of a discharged firearm emanated from where their camp was. Whether it was to intimidate or were they actually aimed at, Brandt didn¡¯t bother to check. It was crucial to run. They were rushing through the darkened forest, almost blindly, for at least a quanter, if not more. Brandt lessened the tempo and finally dared to stop. Anh managed to be just behind him, panting a little bit. The bluish tint of a lumehex was peeking through the forest not far behind. Men behind them were shouting and the glow was, for what Brandt could see, getting closer. He waited until the distraught tanai joined him. Determined to gain some distance, he took a quick glance around and, pointed in a seemingly random direction, nodded at his companion and instantly rushed into the shadows. Anh followed right behind. The woods around blended into nothing more than an obstacle course they had to best whilst being chased. Noises of animal activity waned into non-existence, rustling of trees followed suit. All there was, were trees to maneuver around and decomposing logs to scale over. Heavy stomps of Brandt¡¯s boots digging into the wet canopy of leaves and rare angry shouts behind them being the only things their ears noticed. The tempo Brandt imposed was immense, and Anh had trouble with keeping up, but it paid off. To a degree. After another quanter of this frantic escape, the Nord stopped once again. The tanai barely made it, stopped next to a tree and propped himself, panting heavily and almost staying on his legs, his flight being so unstable. Nord took a look behind them. The glimmering blue light was still there. Quite further away then before, but nonetheless it still was there. Brandt observed it for a few drips, wanting to allow the tanai to rest. -¡±They are still after us¡± - he said calmly, hearing this Anh, who did regain some composure since, took a look in the direction of the light - ¡±we need to¡­¡± - continued Brandt, but didn¡¯t finish what he wanted to say. Suddenly he began to float upwards, pulled by a force which the Nord instantly attributed to his companion. At first slowly, but not much later he was pushing leafy branches away from his path. Moments later, they were both above the treetops, and thus the forest. The lumehex was below them, in the distance, but it was almost invisible through the leafy carpet below, in spite of it being the only light in the vicinity. It was also getting smaller and smaller, as they kept on gaining altitude. This raise continued for about a sixth of a candle. In the end they were far above the forest, with a dim glow of the lumehex far below them. It was windy and cold. Hoomin also felt a slight dizziness and the inside of his ears felt as if someone corked them up. -¡±That was¡± - Brandt uneasily broke the silence, if a whizzing of air could be called such, gazing at the ground below him - ¡°very aware of you. They certainly won¡¯t be searching here.¡± -¡±What interests me¡± - Anh said laboriously - ¡°and allow me to be ignorant on these matters. How did they track us so well?¡± -¡±I can¡¯t answer that.¡± - replied Nord after a few uneasy moments -¡±I could have sworn they should not be able to. They didn¡¯t have dogs or such. It¡¯s too dark to see us. I think it was pure luck.¡± Anh put a finger to his lips, scratched them for a moment then replied. -¡±I¡¯m not convinced. But I have no better answer. Regardless, we need to land, I can¡¯t keep us a kimer in the air indefinitely.¡± -¡±Then get us away from where we are in a random direction.¡± - Brandt raised his hand and pointed somewhat southeast - ¡°our camp was in that direction, Thus fly us in an opposite direction as far away as you can.¡± Anh nodded. Brandt could not judge whether they started to move, but if a fierce grimaces on tanai¡¯s face were an indication, they must have. Brandt just sighed and decided to allow himself to go with the flow of the situation. Besides, it was very likely he had no other option. Ch&p73r 6!x: Did we finally lose them? Anh carried both of them in an erratically chosen direction. At first at a significant altitude, then just above the treetops. The only thing that mattered was gaining distance from their former camp. After a little over a candle the tanai dryily informed Brandt that they needed to find a place to land. On that prompt hoomin chose a tiny patch of land barely visible from above, where they landed. Almost immediately Anh laid beside a tree, closed his eyes, and lost consciousness. His body turned limp and only thanks to the quick reflexes of the Nord he didn¡¯t fall. Hoomin caught his companion, sat beside him, and allowed his body to rest on his shoulder. Steady, although shallow, breath assured Brandt that the tanai was going to be fine, for the most part. He guarded his helpless companion for the remainder of the night. Some candle after Anh collapsed Nord managed to lay tanai¡¯s body beside the tree and covered him with his jacket. It was quite chilly, as one could expect at this time of the year, but Brandt considered hunting some food and taking a lookout for a chase a more pressing issue than guarding Anh. When Bivos rose from beneath the horizon Brandt had already gathered some wood and set a fire near the resting tanai. He also hunted, skinned, and began roasting some unfortunate squirrels. The smell of these had finally awakened Anh. He slowly rose from the bed of twigs and leaves, some of which intertwined into his robe and hair. It took him a while to regain some sort of composure and some of this time he spent plucking debris out of his person. -¡± How long¡± - he finally said groggily, while trying to untangle his hair - ¡±have I been ¡­ sleeping?¡± -¡± A couple of candles.¡± - replied hoomin, while lazily turning two sticks with two carcasses of squirrels stuck to each. -¡± My head. Hurts. As if a herd of cattle ran through it.¡± Brandt continued to roast their breakfast. -¡± We are alive.¡± -¡± Yes.¡± - muttered Brandt -¡± I reckon this means we lost them.¡± -¡± I think we did¡± - the hoomin replied -¡± When I hunted our breakfast, I was on the lookout, but found no signs of pursuit.¡± -¡± Finally¡± - Anh exhaled -¡± They have been so relentless that I have started to be convinced that Arneg was actively helping them out.¡± - tanai shot a quick gaze at the meat being roasted - ¡°I¡¯m hungry. How far off course are we?¡± Brandt looked straight at him. -¡± I¡¯m afraid, this is something you ought to assess.¡± Anh nodded. Immediately his face lost any semblance of an expression, as he escaped into his mind. -* Well, we float at forty-three kimers per candle *- dryily said Tow - * if we try, there is no headwind, and are well rested. But we were dragging this hoomin over here with us* -* He is kind of a beefcake * - commented Thernohh -* easily twice our own mass, discounting the equipment. We were traveling for about a candle with some tail to it. Let me do some quick calculations * -* I guesstimate it will be about thirty. Our heading was, for the most part, northwest * - said Tow -* Anh, ask our employer what he wants to do now * -* Good guess! On the low end, I came up with twenty-five. Thirty on the high end * -* Thank you Thernohh *- Said Anh -* Yes, Tow. I¡¯ll ask.* -¡± Between twenty-five and thirty kimers¡±- Anh finally said to Brandt -¡± Somewhat to the northwest.¡± -¡± The breakfast is almost ready. Sadly, no seasoning. Which I guess you can understand.¡± - Brandt gave one of the sticks to the tanai. Anh was a little reluctant before he took a first bite. -* Eww. Unseasoned. Not even salt. * - commented Greeo, the rest of the kinfolk nodded in agreement. -* We need to eat though *- casually said Birdekk. They both ate in silence for some time. -¡± So. Mr Zerster. What are we going to do now?¡± - Anh spoke after he swallowed his last bite - ¡° I recognize, we can safely go home, regroup, and maybe return.¡± - Tanai was quite confident in his speech. -¡± We continue.¡± - calmly replied Brandt between two bites of his meat -* What?* - exclaimed Birdekk and Tow in unison -* Oh, come on! This is silly* - added Thernohh -* Don¡¯t act surprised! I told you he is unstable* - Greeo triumphantly gloated -* Hush. We will hear what he has to say * - Anh calmed his kin -* then we will carefully weigh the substance of his arguments, discuss it among ourselves, have a little argument, and then we will disagree and go home*- then he turned his attention to Brandt -¡± That is highly illogical.¡± Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on Royal Road. Brandt casually threw away his stick into the fire, then addressed Anh. -¡± We are too close to our goal.¡± -* Obsessed!* - Greoo scoffed -¡± Please. Mr Zerster. We need to, at least, restock and rest. Now that we lost the Ordos¡± - Anh twisted himself into weird shapes peeking into the woods around, as if unsure of his own words - ¡°we lost them. Right They are not here?¡± -¡± As I already said, we are free.¡± -¡± Yes!¡± - exclaimed Anh - ¡°So we now return to Isdelburg, or wherever else, and try once again! We just need to¡­¡± -¡± We are going to continue with our previous goals¡± - Brandt interrupted him sternly. This immediately made Anh fall silent. -¡± Why?¡± - he finally asked, perplexed - ¡°This is insanity!¡± -¡± Is it?¡± - Brandt hung his voice, causing the tanai discomfort. -¡± Where are you going with this?¡± -¡± They are going to go to the second site now.¡± -* What?* -¡± What? How?¡± - Anh relayed Tow¡¯s musings - ¡°How do you know that?¡± -¡± They rummaged through your luggage. They must have found your notes. So now, since they can¡¯t get us and don¡¯t want to return empty-handed, they will head where we were headed.¡± - Brandt started to poke the fire before him - ¡°Which makes us need to get there before them.¡± -* He is getting us chase *them*?* - commented bemused Birdekk - * this man has clearly lost it. We need to get out of here.* -* I agree* - added Tow -* What does he hope to achieve!? A fight against however many men armed to the teeth? Just the six of us?* -* Of whom five are not a combatant of any kind* - casually added Thernohh -* Way to state the obvious* - scoffed Greoo - * Also, I told you, following this hoomin will get us dead!* -* Gloat later!* - Anh reprimanded her harshly -* We need to get out.* -¡± Mr Zerster. Do you have any contingency plans? How do we face them if we face them?¡± -¡± An opportunity will present itself.¡± - shrugged Brandt -¡± We don¡¯t need to be reckless. But I also am not losing an opportunity to get at least a glance at a precursorial site not swept clean by them. You are going along with me.¡± -¡± What?¡± -¡± I still can¡¯t navigate. You can, and we have a contract.¡± -¡± No, no, no!¡± - Anh shouted - ¡° I signed up for a peaceful expedition! Not for murder, theft, and heresy! Not for¡­¡± - tanai made a sweeping move with his hands - ¡°...this!¡± - disgust was oozing from his words. -¡± Yet. Here we are.¡± - Brandt tilted his head and tried to assume the best impression of being goofy - ¡°we need to make do with what we have.¡± - it didn¡¯t amuse Anh. -¡± What do we have? All I have are my clothes!¡± - Tanai was furious. -* Tell him about the notes!* - snarkily added Tow -* Notes, utensils, sextant, clothing, spices¡­. Shall I continue?* - Thernohh added -* We need to return to the camp and retrieve our things.* -* Agreed.* The tanai started to move angrily around the fire. The hoomin was tracing him with his gaze, whenever it was possible. -¡± Listen!¡± - Anh continued to unload at Brandt -¡± I don¡¯t care who you are, what you want to do, and where you are going. I just don¡¯t. I kept to my contract as well as I could. Through all this madness. Now! Now I¡¯m done. I¡¯m not going to float into the path of Ordo Pro Cvrsi. We¡¯re done. I¡¯m going.¡± Brandt calmly stood up. -¡± I¡¯m afraid I can¡¯t allow you to do that, Mr Trawins.¡± Anh paused and turned around. Brandt stood where he sat just moments before Calm and relaxed, as he always seemed to be. -¡± You what?¡± -* This will end badly* - Birdekk¡¯s voice was the only verbal thought in the chaotic mess of emotions that erupted inside the tanai¡¯s head. Greoo was panicking, Tow was mumbling something indiscernible. Thenohh just shut down, her row of consciousness akin to a steady hum. Before them loomed a hoomin who, up to this moment, proved to be the most dangerous of their ilk their variunity ever met. Moreover, the man was threatening them. -¡± Up to now, Mr. Trawins, you have impressed me, and, allow me to be bluntly honest, you were a valuable asset. However, if I allowed you to leave, you would become a liability.¡± For Anh, the world fell into an uncomfortable silence. Everything was blurred and seemed to move at a slow pace. Only the tall and standing man before him was in perfect focus. -* DO SOMETHING!* - shrieked Greoo In a blink of an eye burning wood was raised into the air and with all of their combined hexergic potential Anh, Birdekk, Tow, Greoo and Thernohh hurled the fiery projectiles at the hoomin. All that while trying to gain some separation from the opponent, they tried to move back, although they still kept eye contact with the hoomin. All were proven to be done in vain, as Brandt dodged the projectiles with the finesse of a circus gymnast, then equally quickly, jumped at the tanai. He closed the distance between them in a heartbeat and then tried to grapple the tanai like a wrestler. Inexplicably, he missed, and the momentum threw him to the ground, where he landed on a pile of wet, rotting leaves. -* Great job, my folk!* - shouted Anh, and then again tried to gain distance from the hoomin, who already sprung back into a fighting stance. There was no more than ten mers of distance between them when Anh stared into Brandt''s eyes and paused, mesmerized. The hoomin was covered in leaves and other plant matter kept a combat stance and didn¡¯t move. After a few drips his scruffy face was adorned with a half smile. Brandt¡¯s move was lightning fast. Anh only registered a blur after which three shiny blades suddenly were flying at him. He instinctively raised his hands in defense, and even that, as ineffective as it would be, wasn¡¯t fast enough anyway. What he witnessed didn¡¯t make any sense. Two of the knives Brandt had just thrown flew in random directions. Pushed away from their trajectory by some unknown force. The third one almost reached him, but as soon as it touched his robe it just shattered into a million splinters without causing any harm. -* What * Just * Happened.* - barely uttered Thernohh, but apart from her, there was just an eerie silence in the mindspace. Brandt lowered his hands and gazed sternly at the tanai. Then his expression softened, as well as his stance. He raised his hand and pointed at the confused tanai. -"You!" - he said in an accusatory tone, but then sighed - "You, Mr. Trawins. You are Aberrant." Chp: 0x0007: DL-00A ¡°Unit: DL-00A, Designation 60-L3M¡± ¡°Uptime: 575 686 bivi, 1 hours, 01 minutes, 941 milliseconds¡± ¡°Status: ERROR¡± ¡°Last scheduled maintenance: 558 632 bivi ago¡± ¡°Next scheduled maintenance: in -557 044 bivi¡± ¡°Urgent maintenance request sent¡± ¡°Current subject population: 29¡± ¡°WARNING: Subject population below 10% of target¡±. ¡°Target subject population: 500¡± ¡°Nanoforge 1 status: offline¡± ¡°Nanoforge 2 status: ERROR. Fire damage.¡± ¡°Nanoforge 3 status: ERROR. Fire damage.¡± ¡°Nanoforge 4 status: ERROR. Fire damage.¡± ¡°Subject generation: 2154¡± ¡°Power input: 91kW¡± ¡°WARNING: Power input below 100kW¡± ¡°Target power: 1000kW¡± ¡°Subject reclamation ratio: 0.0%¡± ¡°Current subject generation: 2154¡± ¡°ERROR: All nanoforges are offline. Code 0x4123¡± ¡°ERROR: Failed to deploy generation 2155. Critical resource levels. Code 0xF649¡± Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.¡°ERROR: Self repair not possible, nanoforges offline. Code: 0x5E1D¡± ¡°CRITICAL MEMORY ERROR: Bank 31 not responding to watchdog signal. Code: 0x010¡± ¡°ERROR: Memory bank 30 checksum failures above threshold. Bank disconnected. Code: 0x0011¡± ¡°ERROR: Memory bank 09 checksum failures above threshold. Bank disconnected. Code: 0x0011¡± ¡°ERROR: . Code 0x005¡± ¡°CRITICAL CPU ERROR: CPU 6 not responding to watchdog signal. Code: 0x007¡± ¡°WARNING: Memory bank 23 parity subsystem error. Isolating. Code: 0x012¡± ¡°WARNING: Memory bank 22 parity subsystem error. Isolating. Code: 0x012¡± ¡°LOG: Local hoomin ceased to directly attack the compound. Instead they concentrate on attrition of the subjects. In the last 173 hours nine subjects were lost. Five to attacks of¡­ 0x0000 0000 0000 0000 6286 790d a378 e00c 0x0000 0000 0000 0000 6469 7f2b 6f2c 09f4 0x0000 0000 0000 0000 d68a 7f54 f267 1580 0x0000 0000 0000 0000 6e1f 40d1 2a97 8bf4 0x0000 0000 0000 0000 Fbdc f205 759b 4af3 Critical Parity Err¡­ 8cce567b9b5667d Chp: 0x0007: Aberrant? In all the commotion that preceded this moment, Birdekk was the only one to retain a cool head. To a degree, but still. Everyone, including the dominant Anh, were devoured by the rush of emotions. When Brandt¡¯s words found their way to them and settled a little, Birdekk yanked the reins off Anh and handled them assuming a more comfortable, cross-legged pose by the fire. If it were up to the dominant, who at that moment was non-responsive, they would just float like a scarecrow in the woods. Despite a log of fir being devoured in the fireplace, their library was weirdly cold and dim. Birdekk sat deep in his chair, fuming and nervously tapping on the armrest. He wore his favorite grey overalls belted with a cloth. Other chairs weren¡¯t present in their usual locations, as their occupants weren¡¯t either. Although Birdekk dearly wished they were. -¡± WAKE UP! ALL OF YOU!¡± - he finally shouted into the air, his voice echoing throughout the room - ¡°We need to talk. All of us. In flesh or otherwise.¡± It wasn¡¯t long before Tow¡¯s chair appeared out of thin air, announcing his arrival. The colorful tanai floated from amidst the bookshelves. His facial hair was dyed light, almost glittering green, and he wore an ornamented black robe embroidered thickly in a color matching his goatee and an expansive collar with long flowy fur on the inside. He sat gracefully in his chair. -¡± Where¡¯s everyone else?¡± - Tow uttered. Thernohh¡¯s chair appeared at the same moment. -¡± Greoo? Please join us. Anh! We would also like to see you too!¡± - said Birdekk. For a moment nothing happened. Suddenly another armchair appeared, about a third of a mer above the ground, and quickly fell in line with gravity. But before it did, Greoo¡¯s person appeared just above and plopped into place with it. As she landed her abundance started to jiggle violently. -¡± Thank you for coming.¡± - courteously said Birdekk - ¡°Anh! We are waiting for you!¡± The dominant didn¡¯t seem to be willing, or even capable of responding. After a few brief moments, Birdekk sighed and said. -¡± I guess we¡¯ll start without him. First of all, what on Sathor were all of you thinking?!¡± - grumbled the eldest folk - ¡°Attacking that man like that! That was certifiably Grade ¡®A¡¯ stupid!¡± -¡± It was a logical course of action¡± - echoed the voice of Thernohh - ¡°He put us into an impossible situation. We needed to act.¡± -¡± Birdekk, you did aid with it as well¡± - Tow clasped his hands -¡± I¡¯m not trying to justify myself, but I find your accusatory tone unjustified.¡± The called-out kin gazed at the floor in embarrassment. -¡± You know how it goes. Sudden, emotionally charged, forced unity among us. I read about it, somewhere.¡± - he raised his head -¡± but why didn¡¯t we just fly off? It¡¯s not like he had firearms. What would he do? Throw stones?¡± The atmosphere in the library turned a touch colder and lightning turned into a somewhat fainter, bluish hue. All the present were throwing each other an uneasy look. -¡± That was dumb.¡± - Thernohh said aloud what everyone was thinking. -¡± Yes¡± - grimly confirmed Birdekk - ¡°we need to learn from this experience. On a related problem. Did I hear correctly what Mr Zerster had called us? An ¡®aberrant¡¯?¡±. -¡± Yes, an aberrant. An immortal accorded a long life by Vihrs but still susceptible to¡­* - defined Tow, mundanely, but was kept from continuing. -¡± Don¡¯t want to interrupt, but I think, we know what an aberrant is Tow* - said Birdekk using as conciliatory of a tone as he could - ¡°It was a rhetorical kind of ¡®what did he just¡¯.¡± -* What? Whe¡­ How?* - Anh''s disembodied voice came, muffled a little, from the outside of the library. * What did you just say? How do you know?* Nothing came straight away, the folk sat silently and waited. During this time the library was slowly returning to its more usual, cozy state. The fire was crackling a little happier, the temperature raised a little and the lightning of the room brightened and warmed up. Even the scent of a fir being devoured by fire grew in intensity. -* Because I am aberrant *- finally came an answer, also somewhat distant, but in a voice of Brandt -* I met a few of¡­ *- for a moment he paused -*... us. From that I know of a law, rule maybe? Happenstance? I can¡¯t name it. Whatever it is, it makes sure that one aberrant cannot, under any circumstances, cause bodily harm to another aberrant and I can assure you, I was not pretending just a moment ago.* - he finished. -¡± I knew it!¡±- shouted Greoo triumphantly - ¡°I knew it! I knew it!¡± -¡± You didn¡¯t know a thing kin¡±- hissed Thernohh - ¡°Otherwise you¡¯d have told us before, probably gloated about it as well.¡± -¡± Well, I knew there was something wrong with him!¡± -¡± Yes, so you¡¯ve said¡­¡± - Thernohh was about to begin unloading on Greoo, but Birdekk interrupted her. -¡± Enough for now! We have more important things to discuss!¡± - he said sternly - ¡°Of which us being an aberrant is the most pressing one.: -¡± So does Mr Zerster claim¡± - Greoo didn¡¯t seem convinced -¡± Is that ¡®an aberrant¡¯ as a noun or ¡®aberrant¡¯ as an adjective?¡± - mused Tow, stroking his goatee - ¡°or are both forms proper?¡± -¡± For someone who just a drip ago was under a threat of death¡± - quickly commented Thernohh - ¡°You seem too preoccupied with grammar.¡± -¡± I am coping with the fact that I was under a threat of death¡± - shrugged Tow -¡± Thus to avoid this grim realization, I put my attention to something else, and if we are already exchanging snarky remarks.¡±- tanai leaned towards the visage of the hoomin female sitting before him -¡± Please be as snarky as you wish towards Greoo and tell her that if Zerster is playing us then her triumphant gloating is way too premature.¡± -¡± Duly noted¡±- replied Thernohh -¡± Greoo! Tow is casting shade at your thinking!¡± -" Why are you telling me that as if I wasn¡¯t here?¡± - she grumbled while squirming in her chair. -¡± Everyone! Let¡¯s keep this civil.¡± - said Birdekk. In an instance all younger kinfolk fell silent - ¡° I understand your duress. There is no need to be mean to each other. For now, we need first to verify this ¡®aberrant¡¯ status, then investigate what it means.¡±- two others nodded in agreement -¡± We also need to slap the dominant out of this stupor he¡¯s fallen into.¡± -¡± Well, we don¡¯t rightly know if we¡¯re aberrant¡± - said Greoo hotly - ¡°Just because he said so is not evidence enough. We know him to be a liar?¡± -¡± Would you like to include the knives he has thrown at us?¡± - said Tow, ignoring the mental equivalent of shaking someone awake, coming from Thernohh who tried to get Anh to pay attention - ¡° He proceeded to somehow bend two out of their trajectory and make the third of them shatter?¡± -¡± Tow. It can be easily done¡± - replied Greoo - ¡°Especially if you prepare. For example, one knife could be made of glass or cooled to make it brittle.¡± -¡± I am sorry Greoo.¡± - sighed in Birdekk - ¡°What you say is highly unlikely and I have no reason to disbelieve him either, as we discussed.* -¡± Bending the knives out of their trajectory is trivial¡±- casually commented Thernohh -¡± Shattering one into splinters in such a short order requires so much force it is not even worth considering.¡± During the exchange, the mental image of Anh appeared on the armchair prepared for him prior. Birdekk nodded at him as a welcome gesture. -¡± Expecting him to carry a glass knife for such an occasion is just silly* - added Tow -¡± Well, I insist* - she scoffed - ¡°Make dominant ask him for proof!¡± -¡± Actually, that would be ¡®evidence¡¯¡± - shrugged Tow -¡± Anh. If you are already here with us. Could you ask our benefactor about this?¡± - Birdekk said directly to the dominant, who nodded back. -* We do not believe you.* - they heard Anh say to Brandt and then were made aware of the hoomin nodding and unfolding his hands. -* I could try to convince you with words, but arguing with a tanai is pointless¡­* - he said with a shadow of a smile, his words being heard less muffled, thanks to Anh¡¯s presence in the mind space. When the folk heard it, a murmur of a giggle could be heard - *There is another way. I know it sounds fairly primitive, but.. you need to attack me. Throw something at me. I promise I won¡¯t move. I¡¯ll even turn around, so I wouldn¡¯t know when the blow would come.*- as he promised, he did and not a moment later he was sitting with his back towards Anh. -* You¡¯re so sure of your¡­ hypothesis, that you¡¯d stake your life on it?* - replied the tanai, frowning. The Nord just shrugged. -¡± No, entirely out of the question!¡± - said Birdekk sternly - ¡°remember that horse? How much mercy killing it and at the same time being forced to do it was detrimental to our mental well-being? This would be entirely of our own volition and in cold blood.¡± If you stumble upon this tale on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. -¡± I don''t like it any more than you do¡± - replied the dominant quietly. -¡± Nor me¡±- added Greoo - ¡±Even though, you know, me and him, we have a history¡­¡± -¡± Allow me to be the only sane and reasonable kin here. As always¡±- Thernohh¡¯s sharp, disembodied voice cut through the doubts -¡± we have nothing to lose. If what he says is true then no harm will be done. If he is lying then we''ll at least be free of him. If you are reluctant then allow me to do the deed. I have no issue here¡±- she paused as there was some murmuring and scoffing amongst the kinfolk, then she delivered the finishing touch - ¡° We don''t need to try to kill him. He said we can¡¯t even harm him. I say just whack him. Where''s the best place to hit? Greoo?¡± -¡± The base of the skull¡± - replied she, in a defeated tone. -" Wouldn''t be the first time." - said Brandt, unaware he was replying to both, words Anh said earlier and, unknowingly, to what Thernohh just said - " If I had a shilling for every time I''ve risked my life for an idea, I''d be a rich man." - he scratched his neck, removed some offending twig and threw it away- " Come to think of it, that''s exactly what has happened." -¡± He is one cocky bastard¡­¡±- uttered Greoo. Behind hoomin a sizable, charred piece of wood, still glowing red in places, lifted itself from the ground and quickly accelerated toward his head. It was sure to hit, but as it was about to do so, it inexplicably missed and landed in the fire, causing an eruption of sparks. The Nord sighed, stood, and went for the misplaced piece and upon returning, he threw it back into the fire. -¡± Happy now?¡± - said Greoo bitterly. -¡± It seems we have lost control over the projectile at some point¡± - added Tow - ¡°It''s interesting and we''ll have to investigate the cause.¡± -¡± We need to repeat the experiment at least a few times¡± - insisted Thernohh -¡± Allow me¡± All other kinfolk nodded in approval. Instantly the youngest of them began to hexergically throw a variety of items found nearby at the Nord. Stones, small and large, cinders from the fire and dead branches were launched and, by an unknown force, all of them were denied hitting the hoomin. One particular pebble even assumed such an unnatural trajectory that it managed to get thrown into the air in a manner that it would hit the Brandt again only to be reflected to the side again. Through all this time Nord casually sat, his back to the tanai, unfazed by any of the bizarre happenings beside him. -¡± I wonder if I can repeat the splintering knife¡± - finally wondered Thernohh -¡± Leave this for later¡± - Birdekk''s voice was a mix of relief and worry, for different reasons for both - ¡°We now have to assume we''re aberrant. This leads to many questions and I think the most important is ¡®Now what?¡¯¡± -¡± We could always go back to Sheridawn and read some books? About the subject?* - suggested Thernohh -¡± Are there any?¡± - perked up Anh. -¡± Not to my knowledge¡± - Tow interrupted Thernohh before she could answer - ¡° Not scientific ones anyway. Vihrs¡¯ Wisdom says nothing. All other publications I know of are generally not written by tanai and are just full of ideological babble.¡± - he sighed - ¡°I''m afraid the best source of ¡®what now¡¯ is sitting right in front of us.¡± -* What happens now?* - Anh asked, woodenly. Zerster made a dismissive gesture. -* With you? You tell me. You were quite certain of what you wanted to do just a quanter ago*- Nord spoke casually, but with an undertone of anxiety -*As you can imagine, I have no means to make you stay, unless I stoop to threats of making your life miserable in Sheridawn. Out of spite.* -* Would you?* -* No.*- shrugged Brandt -* However, should you choose to leave, I¡¯d advise against returning to our former camp. There is either a trap or charred ashes there.* -¡± How does he know that?¡± - commented Tow -¡± I¡¯ll ask¡± - Anh replied, then addressed the Nord -* How can you be so sure of that?* -¡± I¡¯ve existed long enough.¡± -¡± That is a very peculiar word to use in this context.¡± - commented Birdekk -¡± Ask him about it, please.¡± -* What do you mean ¡®existed¡¯?* - Anh relayed the query and thus changed the subject, to the dismay of Tow. Brandt took a few moments to answer. -* The way I live is, I think, much different to how other hoomin live. I can only call it ¡®existence¡¯* - Brandt rubbed his lips with his thumb, allowing himself to wander in a thought - * You know me as ¡®Brandt Zerster¡¯. But that is just a name I am using right now. I used many others before. * -* Which now makes me ask for your real name¡­* -* I don¡¯t know. You may doubt what I¡¯m telling you, but I haven¡¯t got faintest idea what my name is, or was, or when or even where I was born.* -* How is that possible?* - mused Anh - * You are either lying, which let me be frank, you are perfectly comfortable with, or you are suffering from¡­ * - tanai hung his voice -* ¡­memory loss.* - Brandt finished the sentence. -¡± I¡¯m actually starting to empathize with this buffoon¡± - said Greoo with a hint of concern -¡± It must be a harrowing experience.¡± -¡± Ask him if this memory loss is typical¡± - added Birdekk - ¡° It is concerning¡± -¡± Makes sense, unless he is indeed lying.¡± - added Tow -¡± either way, if one lives for a long time, then some memories get muddled. If we extend such phenomenon to, let us say, five hundred years, then what he says, lie or not, makes sense.¡± -¡± He seems to cope fine¡± - Thernohh didn¡¯t spare the sarcasm. -* I would like to ask¡­* - Anh once again relayed what Birdekk had requested -* Will this amnesia happen to me as well?* -* I, again, honestly can¡¯t answer. Aberrants are not, as you can imagine, common. We don¡¯t form a secret society or have meetings and exchange experiences. I only ever remember meeting three, maybe four, and of those I''ve only spent some time with one. I haven¡¯t heard about his exploits for the last twelve years and we haven¡¯t¡­ let''s say ''met'', in three decades.* -* So how do you know that an aberrant can¡¯t harm another one?* -* I ¡®know¡¯ this. I don¡¯t know why I do. In the same way I ¡®know¡¯ to brush my teeth. Which, I strongly advise you to do as well.* -¡± So that is why he was so religiously doing so!¡± - exclaimed Birdekk -* I ¡®hypothesize¡¯ that this is something I was made aware of a very long time ago, and it stuck as one of those truisms that one does not question.* -* How old are you, really?* -* Again, I don¡¯t know.* - shrugged Brandt - * Which I think is obvious. I have memories of things that occurred a century ago. But the further back I go, the more they become ¡®tales¡¯ of someone else¡¯s life. For anything prior Centennial War¡­ I only have scant evidence of ¡®me¡¯ existing. Documents, written stories, half myth, half real. How far back does it go? Hundreds of years? A thousand? Your guesses are going to be as good as mine. * -* Is that* - Anh spoke slowly -* the reason why you are so bent on finishing this? You want a glimpse at your past?* An expression of unease flashed on Brandt¡¯s face. It was brief, but it was definitely there. -* Partially* - he finally answered -* What I told you before, about the Church and the secrets, is still very true. But yes, I hope you can imagine that digging into the forgotten past is very important to me for purely selfish reasons.* -¡± Do we trust him?¡± - asked Birdekk -¡± In the context of ¡®should we continue to deal with this man¡¯. Greoo? I¡¯m most interested in your input here.¡± -¡± I¡¯m conflicted.¡±- the woman squirmed in her chair -¡± As all of you know, I don¡¯t like this man for reasons which I won¡¯t repeat. But¡±- she sighed heavily -¡°in the context of him ¡­ and us ¡­ being aberrant? I empathise with his motives. Now that I know. I think we can trust him.¡± -¡± He just tried to kill us.¡± - Thernohh made it clear what she thought of the matter by loading as much sarcasm as she could in those few words - ¡° You want to trust someone like that?¡± -¡± Shut up! Yes, he did. Because we attacked him. Can¡¯t fault him for that.¡± -¡± To be honest¡±- Tow inserted himself into the discussion, tapping his fingers and speaking to nobody in particular -¡± All of the trouble so far, at least when it comes to the entire ¡®Ordo¡¯ situation, was us losing our composure and Brandt trying to salvage our hiney out of the mess we have gotten ourselves in.¡± -¡± He stole the maps, did he not?¡± - Greoo was more asking, than making a point. -¡± Well. We don¡¯t really know.¡± - said Anh - ¡° Ksintsaxii was saying so, but we have no confirmation. We didn¡¯t really ask him. Not out of the question. After all, they went after us for that reason, at least partially, and persisted until yesterday. He must have struck a nerve or several.¡± -¡± Anh, you are being incoherent. This is Maargard.¡±- Thernohh added -¡° Uptight hoomin at the top. Corruption at the bottom. For all we know he ¡®bought¡¯ them off someone, who wasn¡¯t privileged to sell.¡± -¡± That would make him a fence.¡± - Tow continued to tap his fingers -¡± You can argue that dispatching four heavily armed men with Ksintsaxii kind of suggests the weight of whatever he has done.¡± -¡± That, and the fact that we are still being actively sought.¡± -¡± We are being actively pursued for murdering eight people.¡± -¡± Don¡¯t remind me¡­¡± -¡± All of you are missing the point!¡± - Greoo shot angrily. Immediately drawing the attention of the people around her -¡± Whatever he has done is underlined by this almost pathological focus on what he, us, were trying to achieve.¡± -¡± I¡¯m confused¡± - said Birdekk -¡± So am I¡± - continued Greoo - ¡° Considering his aberrancy, all the lampshading was almost a weird courtesy. Which is why I think we can trust him. Until we go against his goals.¡± -¡± If we go against him, we can still trust him, we¡¯ll just land on his bad side.¡± - casually said Tow - ¡°but very predictably so.¡± -¡± I understand.¡±- it was Birdekk¡¯s time to tap his fingers -¡± Any other of our esteemed kin wants to chime in?¡± - None of the gathered expressed any further thoughts on the matter - ¡°Thernohh?¡± - the eldest kin nudged the youngest. -¡± I also have nothing else to say¡±- she responded -¡± and since you are now going to ask whether we should continue our journey. Yes, we should. Also, who made you the boss of this variunity? I thought this was Anh¡¯s job.¡± -¡± Is it necessary to argue over that?¡± - said the perplexed dominant - ¡° I trust Birdekk implicitly.¡± -¡± Fine, whatever.¡± - snorted miffed Thernohh - ¡° You want to keep going?¡± -¡± Reluctantly¡±- answered Anh -¡± But yes. I do. More because Zerster here has some answers, which we might need.¡± - hearing this Birdekk nodded in appreciation. -¡± So, there are two of us. Tow?¡± - continued the youngest. -¡± Even more than before. I mean. I yearn for a warm office, a bowl of oatmeal, and silence. But this escapade just became that much more interesting!¡± Greoo sighed heavily. -¡± I will not object.¡± - she just said. -¡± So, it is settled.¡±- announced Birdekk -¡° I would like to remind everybody, this is going to be much more difficult from now on. Our benefactor warned us that our equipment is most likely gone. We are, as we are here. Essentially naked.¡± -¡± Not looking forward to it.¡± - murmured Greoo - ¡°As you can imagine.¡± -¡± I should tell Brandt¡± - announced Anh. -¡± With that, since I already usurped the rule in this unity.¡± - said Birdekk - ¡° Meeting is adjourned¡± All folk nodded and one by one images of their personalities diffused into thin air, their chairs with them soon after. Anh was the first, pondering how and what to tell Brandt. Tow followed, with a longing for the unknown reinvigorated. Thernohh¡¯s chair just disappeared and Greoo departed at odds of what to think about their, suddenly somewhat close, companion. Birdekk was the last. Once everyone else was gone, he smiled and nodded to himself. Then lights in the library went out, the room vanished into thin air, and with it went the self-appointed janitor. Chp: 0x0007: Aftermath. Brandt observed Anh for quite some time after the tanai fell suspiciously silent. For a good quanter, maybe more, since he last spoke to him the bookkeeper seemed awfully absentminded. He floated like a puppet and stared into the distance without purpose. -¡± I. Have a question?¡± - tanai finally spoke, carefully. -¡± Please.¡± -¡± How do you intend to go from here? I mean. We are down to nothing.¡± -¡± I take, you reconsidered your leaving?¡± -¡± Reluctantly.¡± -¡± I have my things. I can hunt for food.¡± - Brandt was strangely, almost eerily calm - ¡±I believe you still have a compass.¡± Upon hearing this Anh quickly searched through his clothes, it took a split,but there it was, stashed in one of the pockets, along with the sextant and a few lone feathers. He quickly took it out and checked if it functioned properly. It did. Having this familiar device in his hand considerably raised his spirit. Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings. -¡± I do!¡± - he yelled in a high-pitched voice and immediately began to play with the device. -¡± It is going to be rough. But we have all we need.¡± -¡± How can you be so sure?¡± - Anh wasn¡¯t hiding his worries - ¡°I see us at a dead end.¡± -¡± An opportunity will present itself.¡±- Brandt didn¡¯t share his companion¡¯s worries, to the contrary, it all seemed very mundane to him -¡± One way or another. My minimum goal is to reach whatever is there before the ordos do.¡± -¡± That is ¡­ reasonable¡± -¡± I think so as well. Besides, we can always hope they figured we escaped and went home. If that happened, we would be unbothered.¡± -¡± Do you believe that?¡± -¡± No. But I¡¯ve been wrong. Once or twice.¡± The tanai ceased playing nonsensically with the compass, and instead put it flat on his palm and began to observe the needle for a few moments. Then, after being satisfied with the result, he raised his hand and pointed in one particular direction. -¡± I believe this is our heading towards the place we seek. I also believe it¡¯s best to move out as quickly as possible.¡± - said Anh sternly. -¡± We better¡±- Brandt nodded. He stood up, stretched a little, and shook his head left and right. Then he went to collect his bags and threw them over his back. He stomped over the fire to take it out and gestured the tanai to lead. Once Anh was in the front, he followed. Chp: 0x0007: Wildmen Ever since the fateful face-off between him and Brandt, there was a notable change in Nord¡¯s demeanor towards him. There was a sense of affection and protectiveness, respect even. Surely, it wasn¡¯t like they were suddenly brothers in arms. Some of it was no doubt because the hoomin was now responsible for procuring food for both of them. But still, something did change. At least that is what Greeo insisted happened. The rest of them were busy arguing about which direction to follow and how many kimers, or days, they were to expect before reaching the place they were headed for. It was a point of contention for a good reason. Without the pack horses, they picked up the pace, even despite traveling through a dense, primeval forest. But they also lost a sense of progress, as the woods were quite uniform and a candle of progress might have meant either three or six kimers. They settled for a good, brisk pace. Anh would lead during the day and guard during the night. Brandt would procure food and provide much-needed muscle whenever a sword was needed to cut some stubborn bushes in their way. It was efficient, mechanical and started to become quite boring. Their slowly growing facial hair measured the only passage of time, as both men had no opportunity to shave since they left the Soutwals. But then, somewhat past noon, on the twenty-sixth of Blommer. -¡± They went through here¡± - Brandt suddenly stopped, and began to look around him -¡± Who?¡± - asked Anh, suddenly startled. He floated back to his companion. Brandt kneeled, then squatted, followed an azimuth somewhat different from their own, and slowly crept forward, gazing upon the branches, leaves, and needles on the forest floor. -¡± I¡¯m guessing you found a trail?¡± - continued Anh -¡± Yes. Not that long ago. A column of footmen. I¡¯m guessing about ten.¡± -¡± Our Ordo friends?¡± -¡± It certainly would fit. Their heading is the same as ours.¡± - Brandt straightened himself - ¡°More or less. But may also be a band of wildmen. Whomever they are, they certainly are hoomin.¡± -¡± Should I be concerned?¡± -¡± About what?¡± -¡± Let me rephrase. What does this mean to us?¡± -¡± Firstly. They were here a couple of hours ago. If we backtracked, we would probably find their former camp. From there we would get a more accurate estimation of how far ahead they are.¡± -¡± Yes. Makes sense.¡± -¡± Secondly we have a clear confirmation that they, assuming those are Ordos, are headed towards the second site. Which confirms our heading as well.¡± -¡± Yes. They read my notes well. At least I assume so. That ¡®seer¡¯ of theirs must have done a good job, was it a tanai?.¡± -¡± Yes, they were.¡± - nodded Brandt - ¡°As for the last thing. Now we know about them. Yet they don¡¯t know about us. Which opens a few strategic options.¡± Anh gazed around him, not because he expected to see anything interesting. It was still the same forest they¡¯d been in for the last few days. But it allowed him to push away a certain uneasy thought that just started to linger among him and his kin. For a few drips, as he couldn¡¯t truly avoid it. -¡± You want to follow them¡± - he said, not expecting anything but. -¡± Indeed.¡± - came the expected response -¡± Even though the last time you¡¯ve done so, it cost us our camp?¡± The only response from Brandt was a muffled, confirmatory ¡®mhm¡¯. The hoomin was busy picking through twigs, sticks, and leaves and slowly moving in a direction about parallel to the one they were following previously. Their tempo slowed down considerably. Brandt followed the ¡®trail¡¯ he had supposedly found. Every so often he would pause to study some elusive detail of a broken twig or a mound of suspiciously disturbed dirt. It wasn¡¯t to say they weren¡¯t making progress, because they were, but, unlike for the last few days, now Brandt was leading, thus Anh found time to study the surroundings. Some of the trees they encountered were unknown to him, and animals also seemed somewhat different, like squirrels had their tail fur tipped in a different hue or a particular type of woodpecker had its head adorned in blue instead of red. What added spice was his inability to make notes about any of it. Everything had to be memorized, which kept them busy for the most part. They found it quite exciting. -¡± Mr Trawins! Please, come here!¡± - Anh was staring at a kind of black splotched orange-hued lizard with two dabs of intensely blue dots on its head, resting on a branch and bathing in the morning Bivos, when the coarse shout of Zerster came from somewhere afar. Tanai sighed and floated towards the hoomin. It took him a little more than a triskol to get through to him and on his way he fought the desire to study a green mushroom with yellow dots that caught his eye. But alas, he moved aside the last branch, saw Brandt, and froze. -¡± I think this one is still alive¡± - murmured hoomin, while touching the neck of a heavily wounded man lying on the blood-stained grass - ¡°They left him to bleed to death.¡± There were two of them. Hoomin males, but of ethnicity unknown to Anh. One was maybe twenty, the other much older, forty maybe. Their skin was pale, both had long blonde hair, mustaches, and beards. They were also wiry and quite smaller than Brandt, covered in dirt, and grime mixed with blood and sweat. Both were armed with an axe, not even drawn for combat, and wore fur and leather. Love this story? Find the genuine version on the author''s preferred platform and support their work! The older of them had two gunshot wounds, one on his chest, the other on his neck. It was obvious his death came almost instantly. The other¡¯s trousers were torn apart at the thigh, and covered in coagulated blood. -¡± Move away.¡± - barked Anh at his companion, as he floated towards the downed man - ¡°I¡¯m not a vitahexer, and certainly not a sanhexer, but by Vihrs, we need to do something.¡± - he uttered - ¡°Give me one of those knives you have!¡± Brandt complied, and after a brief moment, Anh was leaning over the body and cutting through the leather trousers and, later, revealing a gushing wound just where Anh would expect it, on the inner thigh. -* Lucky* - said Greoo - *if he¡¯s still alive, then the ball missed the major blood vessels¡± -* And it seems* - added Tow -*the ball went straight through* -* That would be thigh vein and artery* - added Thernohh -*To be precise* -¡± Technicality¡± - answered Anh -¡± We need to help him!¡± -* Then I suggest, as we promised already, we dust off our vitahex training and make Brandt produce some bandages.* -¡± Right¡±- Anh turned his head towards the hoomin, who, in the meantime, was searching through the other body -¡± Mr Zerster. Can you get some sort of cloth to patch this man?¡± -¡± Let me dig in my bag.¡± - Brandt ceased what he was doing, threw his bags on the ground, and began rummaging through them. -¡± Fine¡± - continued tanai -¡± Tow, where to apply the vitahex?¡± -* Put your open palms beside the wound* - came the answer. Anh complied -*yes, just like that. Kin, we need to concentrate* At first, nothing much was happening, but soon enough sour and metallic aroma of vitahexergy could be felt in the air. Brandt stopped tearing and cutting one of his garments into strips to witness what was happening. It wasn¡¯t much, there was no smoke, glow or even sounds coming off. The only sight of hexergy was the scent soldiers unanimously recognized with grim, blood-spluttered tents crowded by wounded, dying and dead after each battle. Once he affirmed what was happening, he returned making a makeshift bandage. -* This should be enough* - commanded Tow -¡± Are you sure?¡± - replied Anh -* No. But I think we patched whatever there was to patch, from this moment, he needs to take over. Figuratively.* -¡± I¡¯m aware, Tow, I¡¯m aware.¡± -* Ask for the bandages and let¡¯s get this over with* - Tow continued to command the situation -*We need water to clean the wound. Ask him for his costrel.¡± -¡± Sure. Will do.¡± - Anh turned towards Brandt - ¡° Mr Zerster. You have something ready?¡± - the hoomin gave him what he made so far, and while doing so, was grinning slightly - ¡°Also, please, give me the water. I¡¯ll need to clean it up.¡± - a moment later Anh was given the vessel full of fresh water. Anh took it, and then, in silence, began to dress the wound. This took him a little less than a few triskols. -¡± All right then, kin, I hope he¡¯ll live¡± -* Domme.* - Greoo threw herself into the situation -*Are you aware, you¡¯ve been talking aloud through all this?* -* Was I?* -* Why, do you think, is Brandt grinning like a fool for some time now?* Anh quickly gazed towards the hoomin, who returned to searching through the other body, but at the same had a goofy smirk on his face, despite the gore next to him. Anh turned red out of embarrassment. -* Do you think he understands?* -* Does it matter?* - shrugged Greoo - *If he is indeed as old as he claims, he dealt with tanai. Thus he understands or is very courteous towards us.* -* On a more pressing issue*- interjected Birdekk -*Ask him what to do next.* -¡± Mr Zerster. How do we proceed?¡± Brandt already stopped his search and was looking around him. When addressed, he squatted near the wounded man and beside the tanai. -¡± I can confirm that we are tracing Ordos.¡± - Brandt began to search through the wounded - ¡°Wildmen don¡¯t have firearms, those two poor fellows were shot. Moreover, not that long ago, two, or three candles. It¡¯s a miracle this one still lives. The other one is still warm.¡± -¡± What do you suppose happened here?¡± -¡± I have no clue. The Ordos encountered those two and shot them. There are no signs of combat, they didn¡¯t even draw their weapons. Not that it would matter.¡± -¡± We can¡¯t leave this man. He might be tough, but this wound¡­ it requires medical attention for at least a few days.¡± -¡± Can you carry him?¡± -¡± If I have to? Yes. I carried you after all.¡± -¡± So we continue, you take care of and carry this poor fellow.¡± -¡± What? You want me to..¡± - Anh was indignant at first, but almost immediately fell into doubt and hung his voice before Brandt said the obvious. -¡± I can¡¯t help you, I can¡¯t help him, He can¡¯t stay where he is, I suppose. We have a job to do and time is running out.¡± -¡± So I need to carry or stay with him?¡± - the tanai began to wonder about the consequences of both courses of action. -¡±...or leave him to his fate.¡± - shrugged Brandt while adding a third one - ¡°Your choice.¡± -¡± I guess I¡¯ll carry him then.¡± -* That is not going to be easy* - casually said Birdekk -* It is a grown hoomin male. Just stating the obvious.* -* About 65 kigs* - added Thernohh -* It¡¯s the right thing to do* - added Greoo Anh concentrated, then carefully raised the wounded wildman with a hexergic grip. Slowly, but surely he held it positioned to the side and kept him about a mer above the ground. Then sighed heavily and nodded at Brandt that he was ready to continue. When he was doing so Brandt laid the corpse of the other man on his back, with hands crossed on his chest and an axe gripped in both of them, and closed the man¡¯s eyes. They left soon after. Chp: 0x0007: Olaff Anh has done what he promised, but as a result, both him, Brandt, and their new companion were slowed down considerably. Hoomin found it somewhat annoying but decided to tolerate such a comical situation. Anh sternly continued to carry the unconscious wildman until the evening, despite it causing him significant strain after a couple of candles. For the entire day, they formed a curious caravan, where Brandt would lead through the woods, tracking the steps of the group of church soldiers. Following him was the gently floating body of a blonde man, after whom was Anh, keeping track of their progress and taking care of the patient. Brandt hastily set up camp in the middle of a picturesque beech grove and left in search of water and hunt for food. Anh laid the wildman near the campfire, checked upon his wound, applied some supplementary vitahex and once he made sure his patient was going to be as good as could be expected in the circumstance, he began to float in a cross-legged pose. Nord returned about a candle later, carrying two hares and several large mushrooms. As he entered the camp¡¯s proper, he presented them to the tanai as if they were trophies. -¡± I thought¡± - he said - ¡°That we could add some taste to our food. These are king¡¯s boleti, a delicacy, and I don¡¯t recall ever seeing them so large. I found several of these, and with a little meat, there is quite a supper before us.¡± The tanai took a peek at the hoomin and his trove. -¡± Lovely.¡± - he replied with a hint of enthusiasm - ¡°Compared to what we¡¯ve been eating for the last few days.¡± Brandt sat beside Anh, reached for a knife, and began to skin his prey. -¡± How is he doing¡± - he asked the tanai. -¡± I honestly can¡¯t tell. I think he is sleeping.¡± -¡± Well, you did lull him for the whole day. I¡¯m not surprised.¡± The tanai didn''t respond. He put his hand on the man''s leg testing whether his vitahexing fulfilled its purpose. At that moment, the injured man opened his eyes and right after, tried to jump up, but a sudden jolt of pain from his wounded leg reminded him futility of such attempts. Humbled, he sat slowly, propping himself on his arms. The sight, and smell of an unshaven, scruffy, sweaty tanai groping him, with an easterner hoomin companion was certainly not what the man expected to see. Especially since the hoomin was of the kind he likely had never seen before and in no better aesthetic shape than the floating man. He stared at them briefly, then laid back on the ground. -¡± Wa bisto? Wa wolsto?¡± - he asked. His voice was melodic and strangely soft, considering how poor of a state he was. Its timbre weirdly struck Brandt. It wasn¡¯t necessarily familiar, but he would have sworn he heard it somewhere. It wasn¡¯t the language though. If there was one, Nord wasn¡¯t, by any measure, fluent, but he could utter a word or two. It was how this man spoke, not what he said. It took Brandt a better part of a triskol to realize what the wildman was saying. -¡± Brandt Zerster. Anh Trawins.¡± - he replied finally while pointing at himself, then at the tanai. Then he held both hands in front, presenting he had no weapons - ¡°Wy nee sear jo.¡± -¡± Ja dat dochst.¡± - scoffed the man - ¡°Ik hyt Olaff. W¨ºr is Aljon?¡± -¡± Deat. Finde kadaver en jo.¡± - a paroxysm of pain flashed through the man¡¯s face, when he heard Brandt say that. -¡± Fouk.¡± - he uttered - ¡°Jim manljen bringe allinne de deaot.¡± Anh was witnessing the overall hostile attitude of the wildman -¡± I¡¯m guessing our guest isn''t too happy to see us?" -" It would seem so." - replied Brandt. -" You know their language?" - Anh raised his eyebrows - "This would be truly impressive.¡± - the tanai froze for a brief moment - ¡± I¡¯m not aware of any books or dictionaries regarding this subject." -" I wouldn¡¯t call it ¡®knowing¡¯¡± - said Brandt uneasily - ¡±I picked a few words when I was doing business in Loria. This seems similar enough." The wildman in the meantime was looking at his leg with a pained look on his face. Then he tried to remove the bandages. Anh frowned. -" No, don''t move them. You''ll disturb the scabbing! Tell him!" -" Nee. Is foar¡­ healing, umm¡­ hielje." Olaff ceased his struggle with the cloth and grunted. He looked around, then towards the sky, and then fixed his gaze on the Nord. -" Jo hearre net yn it Heitelan, it is net jo lan. W¨ºrom bisto hjir?" - he said aggressively. Anh looked at a frowning Beorg. The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation. -" What is he saying?" -" Something about this land. And he''s asking why we are here." -" Are you going to tell him? The real reason?" The nord nodded and then started gesturing. -" Wy sykje manlju. Members of Ordo? Warriors, ehm¡­ krigers. And one like him¡­ ien¡­ lykas hy." - he pointed at the tanai then at the forest - "They took from us. Eh¡­ sy¡­ stelle ¨²s. I don''t know how to say this¡­ equipment. Goods. Handel." A slight change appeared on the wildman''s face and a shadow of understanding but then he frowned again. -" Ik leau dy net. Easterlingen komme hjir allinnich om ¨²s lan en ¨²s folk te deadzjen en te nimmen. Jo binne hjir om wat te stellen." Brandt shook his head and then looked at Anh. -" This is pointless. He''s not going to be of any help. Now he accuses us of stealing something too." - he checked whether the meat was already cooked, then continued - "We should cut him loose. He''s conscious. It''s his land. He''ll survive." -" But he''s injured!" - protested the librarian. -" We''ll leave him some food." -" He''ll die here. He can''t move.¡± -" His mates will find him..." - said Brandt but then stopped, because the wildman laughed bitterly. -" En no binne jo r?zje." - he said, then shifted his leg, wincing with pain - "Jo wolle my hjir litte om te stjerren of my te deadzjen. Wa wol my deadzje? Ik bin der wis fan dat it de slanke man is." -" Hy hielje jo. Sjen tank." - replied Brandt tiredly then added - " Our food is ready." Both the wildman and the tanai now observed the Nord, who skillfully parcelled the coneys into three roughly equal portions, then chopped the mushrooms in halves and laid them out on large leaves. -" Hand him some please, Mr. Trawins." - he said. The hexergist almost absentmindedly gripped the food and floated two portions, one towards himself, the other one at the wildman, who looked at the scene with his jaw hanging open. -" Do bist in sjenner!" - he exclaimed, shifting his gaze between the tanai and the meat in great confusion. -" Does it mean ''thanks''?" - inquired Anh. -" No." - replied Brandt between bites - "He thinks you''re a¡­ I don''t know the word, but it sounds like someone who sees." -" Siyener." - repeated the tanai, slowly and carefully mispronouncing the word. -" Jo, jo! De sjenner!" - repeated Olaff, then started making grand gestures with his hands and whooshing sounds with his mouth. Then he picked up a random bit of his food and held it out toward the tanai. -" I think this word means hexergist in their language." - said Anh excitedly - "Fascinating! Is he giving me food? Is it an offering? Sign of respect perhaps." -" Either this or he thinks you eat far too little." - chuckled Brandt -¡± It¡¯s for you!¡± - Anh gently gestured at the increasingly puzzled Olaff - ¡°I have my own¡± - tanai pointed at his food - ¡°Please tell him that? This is very uncomfortable¡± -¡± Jo. Iten. Slanke net nedich¡± - slowly uttered Brandt, while pointing at the wildman and rubbing his belly at the same time. Olaff was, at this moment, completely confused. With a reluctant hand he took the bit of food he, until now, was holding in his hand and put it into his mouth. Mundane drive of hunger overcame his reservations and he began to devour his portion of food, doing so much quicker than both aberrants. -¡± So, Mr Trawins. What do you suggest we do now?¡± - asked Brandt when he finished his portion and discarded the leaf he ate it off. Anh took a few drips to answer, as he was busy chewing his food. -¡± I think¡± - tanai finally replied - ¡°we ought to reunite him with his tribe. They live in tribes, right?¡± - Brandt shrugged. -" W¨ºr jim minsken?" - inquired hoomin. Olaff¡¯s eyes turned into slits. -" Net fertel dy neat" - he hissed. Anh sighed heavily in frustration. -¡± Tell him he saved his life? Maybe?¡± - Nord nodded to tanai¡¯s request, but it didn¡¯t seem he was convinced of it. -" ¡­ helpe ¡­ jo libben" - he said slowly while pointing at himself and Anh -"wol jo werom minsken". Olaff turned his head away. Brandt didn¡¯t seem to be much bothered by this. He just helplessly threw his hands ever so slightly. Anh, on the other hand, seemed puzzled as to why their guest was so defensive. -¡± I suggest¡­¡± - said Brandt - ¡°...we rest.¡± -¡± Why?¡± -¡± Because it is late, and we¡¯re still not done.¡± -¡± What I meant was, why is he acting like this?¡± -¡± Maargard has been brutalizing, enslaving, and exploiting those people for the last five hundred years.¡± - Brandt looked straight at Anh - ¡° He has no reason to like us.¡± -¡± But¡­ we, I mean, you and me, we did help him. We didn¡¯t do him any harm.¡± -¡± I¡¯m sure he is very grateful. We are still the enemy. If these people are anything like Lorians, he will gladly trade his own life for the good of the tribe.¡± -¡±I don¡¯t understand.¡± - said the tanai after a moment of silence Brandt rubbed his temples, thinking for a few drips. -¡± I don¡¯t want to sound patronizing, Mr Trawins.¡± - Brandt rubbed the bridge of his nose - ¡°You have no idea what kind of people a place like this creates. You¡¯ll need much more than a few words and a meal to gain even a bit of his trust.¡± Anh fell silent, and his gaze turned unfocused. For a while, Brandt was waiting for some sort of reply. When it became obvious none was coming, he stood up and began to wander around the camp. Both stretching his muscles and getting his bearings in the immediate neighborhood. He returned half a candle later and found Anh floating in a cross legged pose before the fire. Tanai¡¯s eyes were half closed, just enough to be aware of what was happening outside, but also indicating that he was busy with whatever occurred behind his brow. Olaff was asleep, curled on the other side of the fire and snoring slightly. Nord decided to rest himself. Chp: 0x0007: De Slanke Man As it was almost customary after several weeks of their travels, and especially true since the fateful run-in when they lost their equipment, Anh took most of the guarding duties for the night, only getting a short reprieve just before the bivdawn. Brandt specifically requested to be awakened early to procure food for both of them. That day this obligation was expanded to three people. Anh¡¯s short break from the nighttime¡¯s vigilance was the brief period between being awakened and heading out. Usually, he extended that until Brandt was back with food. Today however the circumstances were a little different. Brandt headed out, as usual, but instead of wandering about, Anh turned his attention to Olaff. -* I didn¡¯t really notice when he fell asleep * - mused Birdekk -* I wonder if this means is well, and recovering, or the contrary * -* I say he is doing fine * - scoffed Thernohh. -* Why the hostility? * - asked the eldest. -* Picking him up slowed us down. * -* It was a right thing to do *- Greoo joined the conversation -* He needed our help. * -* It also considerably slowed us down * -* Are you willing to forego tanaian principles just to follow a goal * -* yes, although, irrelevant * - kin¡¯s questioning of her motives served to annoy Thernohh further -* we already committed to helping this man *- Greoo growled slightly * so we better devise a way to get him going on his own* -* We were doing fine yesterday? * -* Not a long term solution * - quickly replied the youngest - * We need to get him a crutch. I see quite some material around us, so we better get our corpse in motion * Anh assumed an upright position and took a look around. They were in a forest of mixed composition, although it seemed that it was being overtaken by beech. There were also maple and pine trees scattered about. These didn¡¯t grab his attention, as nearby stood a bunch of trees he had never seen. Their bark with its bluish tint contrasted with the brown or grey hues of other trees and looked out of place. Naturally, he immediately decided to start the search for the crutch material within this odd grove. It took them a few moments to reach it. The trees were fairly slender. Not as much as nearby pines, but almost a third taller. The trunk was smooth except a few knots and knurls here and there. Branches exploded off the main trunk at about two-thirds of the trees¡¯ height and were crowned by a thick and lush canopy of black leaves. -* Do we know what are these called *- asked Birdekk -* Not the faintest idea *- mused Tow -*notice how secluded this grove is from the rest of the forest* Anh took a long look around. -* It looks like a tumor growing inside of a healthy tissue, note that even the fleece is different around these *- -* It is also tinted blue, and the leaves¡­ *- Anh leaned over the carpet of last year¡¯s fall -* ...are greying as they rot.* -* I have never seen them of this weird, six-pronged shape *- Anh grabbed one off the ground and presented it for all the kin to witness. It was quite a bit larger than his palm. Each of the leave¡¯s extents was about twenty cemers long and three wide, shaped like a dagger. It was thick and had a slightly grabby texture to it. -* Extraordinary.. *- -* I¡¯m again going to be the voice of reason in this varunity.*- Thernohh interrupted the rapturous exchange between Birdekk, Tow, and Anh -* We have a job to do. If you folk stopped pleasuring yourselves, it would go a long way to finishing it.*- -* No need to be crass about it.*- replied Anh, annoyed -* But you are right*- He sighed. -* If you all are so keen on these, let¡¯s search over them first. This wood might be enough, and we¡¯ll get a glimpse of their internal structure as well. Let¡¯s find a branch that may fit our purpose and chop it off! *- Thernohh commandeered -* The tree over there! Let¡¯s check it out. * Anh floated towards one in a group of three nearby and took a long look at it, top to bottom. -* Don¡¯t just stare at it. Fly up! I imagine what we seek is going to be up there.* -* Ok, fine! Don¡¯t rush me, why are you so rude today? *- Anh casually floated up, along the trunk. Not too fast, to give anyone an opportunity to study the specimen, but also not too slow, as to avoid angering Thernohh further. It took a few drips to achieve but finally, he was about twenty mers up between the branches of the three trees. -* found anything you like? * - Birdekk asked Thernohh after a short while. -* Yes *- the youngest replied, absentmindedly -* the one on the¡­ Anh, please allow me to move our hands * - the dominant complied, and soon Thernohh grabbed one of the branches with an unsteady grip -* this one. Now concentrate, we¡¯ll perform the Korr-Yotle maneuver to break it because you know, no tools and I don¡¯t want to break any fingers *- other kin nodded abstractly in agreement. Soon, a slight scent of hexergy emanated below their fingers clutching a branch. Drip or two after, the wood started to squeal and shake violently and with increasing frequency. Then, suddenly, it broke and hung entangled on the other, intact branches. It took a triskol or two to drag the branch to their camp. -* To everybody who thinks hexergy makes things easy *- said Anh to his folk, when they were finally by the fire, with their branch, sweaty and panting heavily -* I swear, they don¡¯t know what they are saying. *- The narrative has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the infringement. -* And now we are going to mince our hands, don¡¯t we *- sighed Birdekk helplessly, perfectly aware of what was going to happen next, as just like it required an almost direct touch to rip the branch of the tree, it would require the same to change it into a usable crutch. -* I¡¯m not looking forward to it either *- said Thernohh -* but we have to do what needs to be done. What I said. I don¡¯t like this, but we¡¯re committed. And you did it to ourselves. *- Kinehexergy, the art of using force by the blessing of Vhirs, is more often than not used as a blunt tool. Tanai, however, because of their innate, almost primordial, reliance on the Craft, developed more nuanced hexergic techniques to replace files, hammers, wedges, chisels, and just about any tool, provided one had the ability and patience to learn. Most of these, however, required almost intimate contact with the workpiece and, just like work with their physical counterparts, dust, sparks, splinters, and chips would be flying everywhere around the craftai. For this reason, practitioners would always wear thick, leather gloves, aprons, and face masks. It also made for a splendid show for anyone witnessing the process, as there were sparks, splinters, and debris being violently ejected from below the practitioner¡¯s palms. Which is precisely what Anh was doing. Maybe not as skillfully as some of the masters from Tanais, but certainly it was as much of a show. The tanai worked for almost a halfer, totally engrossed in the activity. He skinned the bark, revealing a grey-green, veiny wood beneath. Then he smoothed and burned the ends. Finally, he formed a rest for the armpit where the branch was split in a ¡®Y¡¯ shape. Once he was content with his creation, he began to smooth it, by caressing it while applying a mixture of kine- and pyrohexergy. -¡± Goede geast jou my sterkte ¡± - Olaff¡¯s words shook Anh out of his trance. The wildman attempted to sit, but all he managed was to prop himself on his elbows and stare at the tanai with his eyes wide open. -¡± Ow!¡± - said startled Anh - ¡° How long have you been up?¡±. Olaff didn¡¯t answer, just stared at the tanai with a blank stare of what could be only called adoration. -¡± Right ¡± - murmured tanai. -* Show him our work * - commented Greoo. Anh immediately did so. He floated up and presented the crutch, or a branch looking very much like one. -¡± Wat is dit?¡± - the man pointed at the item and didn¡¯t seem to make out what he was looking at. -* I think he does not what is he looking at * - said Tow -* their language reminds me of the very heavy maaren * -* can you speak it? *- asked Anh -* no, but I have some intuitions *- Tow replied uneasily -* we read a dictionary once * -* let¡¯s go with that, I¡¯ll show him what we have done * Anh straightened and then put the crutch beneath his armpit, once it was in place, he clumsily tried to show Olaff the use of the item. -¡± Hout ... skonk ¡± - Brandt¡¯s voice came emanating from the perimeter of the camp, immediately grabbing the attention of both Anh and Olaff - " jo rinne mei dy" - the nord approached them with two hare in his left hand - " Ik meitsje iten " - he threw them by the fire Olaff stared at both men. Once at Anh, and once at Brandt, confused about what to do or say. Tanai floated towards him and rested the crutch beside him. The wildman grabbed Anh¡¯s hands and twisted them to see their insides. They were in a mess, charred and slowly dripping with blood. The wildman held them for no more than a drip before Anh yanked them out and abashedly moved away. Olaff tracked him with a confused gaze, then looked at Brandt with a questioning stare. Hoomin however paid him no attention, being already busy skinning his prey. Seeing that he¡¯ll get no answers, Olaff lay defeated. -* That was a little uneasy *- commented Tow. -* Umm, yeah¡­ * - Birdekk agreed -* Anh, can you ask Brandt for water, we need to tend to our hands. Even I feel them sting a little. * -¡±Mr. Zerster¡± - Anh complied -¡± Could you hand me the costrel? I need to tend to my hands. ¡± - Brandt interrupted his work, quickly reached to his left for the item tanai requested, and quickly threw it towards him. Anh caught it kinetically mid-flight and floated away. It turned out to be quite a daunting job without anything to aid him. Certainly without soap, for which he was paying dearly at home and was used to having it. That mere fact reminded him that he hadn¡¯t washed in several days and didn''t even change clothes. -* We stink *- Birdekk dryly announced what everyone else was thinking -* Don¡¯t remind me, I have been actively thinking of ¡®something else¡¯ to get this smell out of my cognition for some time now *- grumbled Greoo -* We better tend to our hands * It took almost a quanter of delicately scrubbing, caressing, and cleaning with as little water as he could muster to approach at least a sensible level of cleanliness. Then he proceeded to scrub some more, every so often he peeked at how Brandt was progressing with their breakfast and decided to consider it done when hoomin was sticking pieces of meat in a long stick and preparing to roast them over the fire. Still, when waiting for their food, he kept himself busy plucking the splinters stuck under the surface of his skin. -"Jo ite ... jo geane "- said Brandt casually when the smell of roasted meat filled the air. Olaff propped himself on his elbows, then slowly tried to assume a sitting position. Which he managed to achieve after a little struggle, although in a little contorted manner, as his healthy leg was positioned as if he wanted to sit cross-legged, but the injured one was stretched weirdly. In the end, he managed to sit without needing to prop himself. -¡± Jo litte my gean? W¨ºrom? " There was a short pause, during which Brandt was slowly turning the roast over the fire. -¡± Jo ¡­ how to say this ... kin gean ... jo ite ... jo gean ... gjin fangen" - Brandt smiled awkwardly - ¡°Mr. Trawins, I kind of assume you want to get rid of him.¡± -¡± It¡¯s fine. I would prefer he stayed, so I could take care of him¡± - replied Anh, still cleaning the splinters off his palms - ¡°But it is his decision. Provided he can walk.¡± -¡± Br?k houten skonk¡± - continued hoomin towards the wildman, pointing at the crutch with the hand that wasn¡¯t holding onto the makeshift roast. It took Olaff a moment to understand what Brandt wanted to convey in his broken words. That he did was made obvious when he took the crutch and, struggling equally as a few moments prior, was propping himself into a standing position. -¡± Rinne ¡­ Ite¡± - Brandt encouraged him, although it wasn¡¯t necessary. As soon as he managed to catch balance, Olaff immediately attempted to walk, aiding himself with the Anh-made crutch. -* If he continues like this, He¡¯s going to get even more injured* - sarcastically said Thernohh, witnessing how shaky wildman¡¯s first attempts were. Her worries were quickly proven moot, as Olaff quickly managed to accustomise himself to the new tool he was given. -" Ik wol gean. Ik wit net w¨ºrom jo dit dogge, ik bin tankber. Mar ik wol fuort." - he said towards Brandt. Who took a little to glean as to what the wildman was saying. -¡± Ite. Let. Gean¡± - he finally said, once again pointing at the roast. -* He is really anxious * - said Greoo -* He probably didn¡¯t expect any of this * Anh smiled at the confused wildman, who nodded and slowly sat beside the fire once again. They ate in silence. Pieces of an unseasoned hare were by no means worthy of the stomach of the Most Busiest Sorriesian Emperor. In all honesty, they were quite awful. But between the three of them, there was plenty of food to go about. Brandt even managed to partition some for Olaff to take with him. Once they were done, the wildman left. Before he did, Anh checked if the injury was healing, and once again applied a little bit of vitahexergy to speed up the healing process. Although he couldn¡¯t tell whether it was beneficial or not. Olaff¡¯s parting words, shouted before he disappeared, limping into the forest were ¡°Danke wol, slanke man¡±. Chp: 0x0007: Allies Once Olaff left, they returned to the routine from the previous few days, where Brandt would follow the trail left by the Ordo¡¯s expedition through the wilderness. The hoomin focused on this task to an extent, that Trawins was free to do whatever he wanted as long as he didn¡¯t get lost. It was an opportunity that he exploited to the fullest. One evening Nord saw his companion sort through a random cache of dirt, leaves, and plant matter. When asked about it, the tanai uttered something about ¡®samples¡¯. Since then, this collection has been precariously growing. It was late afternoon when Anh emerged from the forest into a tiny glade with a house-sized rock in the middle, lying there seemingly out of place. Although certainly for a long while, as it was at the bottom of a funnel-shaped hole, a third or even half a mer below the ground level of the woods around it. Brandt was the rock and was setting up a fire where someone had done so not quite long ago. Apart from the heap of ashes and half-burned wood, which the hoomin tried to re-use, the ground around the former-soon-to-be-repurposed fire was all stomped over and grass, whatever there was, crushed into pulp. Somewhat to the side laid a mess of animal remains, bones, skin, and blood, which very likely were on a mound in the morning, but were dragged around by carrion eaters already. Since morning weather changed from fairly sunny and warm to a growing cover of lead-grey clouds, spelling a promise of rainfall in the upcoming candles. Brandt was kneeling over the wood pile and a weak metallic scent mixed damp smell of ash and steam was a sign that his repeated attempts at hexergy were being sabotaged by circumstances. Anh floated in and unceremoniously dropped a collection of trophies nearby. -¡± What is that?¡± - asked Brandt when he finally managed to light a fire. Anh at this time was staring at the pile of leaves, mushrooms, berries and twigs before him. -¡± My booty for today¡± -¡± Impressive¡± - sarcastically commented Brandt -¡± I haven''t sorted it yet.¡± - Anh rubbed his forehead - ¡°Some of those things are edible and will be a part of our supper. Some might be edible. Some without a doubt are not. I also think I found some wild saffron and basil. So whatever we¡¯ll eat, it will not be so bland.¡± Brandt sat, propping his back over the rock. -¡± You are a man of many talents, mr. Trawins.¡± Anh immediately turned red in embarrassment. -¡± I read a lot.¡± - he finally answered. -¡± Well. So far, you have proven to be a cook, a medic, a cartographer, a navigator and I reckon, you are a botanist as well.¡± -¡± As I said. I read. A lot. As you can imagine, when you own a bookshop, you do.¡± Brandt smiled. -¡± I¡¯ll go hunt us a rabbit or two. So we get to test your ability to discern poison from food. Exciting!¡± He got up and left into the forest, leaving Anh alone to sort through his pickings. Ever since they began to travel through these woods, Brandt grew to expect to have no real problem with finding prey. The animals abound here apparently had no contact with hunters, as even the more skittish of them weren¡¯t as paranoid as he grew to expect from his travels. Even in the sparsely populated pine woods of Fordel a squirrel or hare would bolt at even the slightest suspect rustle or a weird scent. Even larger animals, such as boar or deer, would avoid hoomin or tehei when possible. Here? White they weren¡¯t precisely eating from his palm, getting close enough to a hare to ensnare it was trivial. Brandt usually felt a little bite of pity whenever he dazzled an animal solely to kill it for food. For the last few days, he felt like a fraud because of how easy it had become. Except¡­ today something wasn¡¯t right. Brandt was circling somewhat south to where he left Trawins. Not much away, maybe a quanter on foot, perhaps even less. For the entire time, he failed to find worthy prey. The wilderness around seemed almost devoid of any presence of things worth hunting for. After a while it became unsettling. It was as if the little partition of the forest in the act of spite, or retribution, decided to make itself worthless. Then, it dawned on him what was happening. -¡± WHERE ARE YOU!¡± - he drew his sword instantly, assumed a combat stance, and began to look around. Due to the weather, it was fairly dim, more so because of the freshly blooming greenery, thus he didn¡¯t notice much - ¡°where are they¡± - murmured Nord to himself, angry that he allowed his attention to wither away this far, as It should have been obvious what was happening way earlier. He cursed himself for not noticing any warning signs, as there must have been some. Now, he was in the middle of a forest, barely seeing anything and expecting to receive a bullet from a random direction. Because it was a trap, and he pranced straight into it. While still not quite caught, he expected the loop to tighten soon. Could he still salvage the situation? Pull off the same trick they did the last time? He would need Trawins for that. Should he try to break out of the encirclement instead? It was very likely that his companion, having much lesser tactical awareness, was either already caught, or worse yet, killed. Then again, maybe not? Trawins did save their butts once, could he do so again? Brandt shook off the doubts, a decision needed to be made immediately. Thus he decided to back off towards the tanai and see what happens. Regardless of anything, he owned Trawins that much. With a sword still drawn, and all senses on overdrive, he crept back towards the camp. He was glad that the weather turned grimmer, and the last remains of bivlight were quickly recessing, as it all now worked in his favor, making it more difficult for those after him. It took a little more than a quarter to come close enough to the camp to see the glow of the fire in it. He gained a clear view of what he was about to either face or avoid a quanter later. It wasn¡¯t what he expected. Trawins was floating casually before the fire and talking vividly to three men sitting cross-legged around it. One of them was Olaff, his crutch beside him, who mostly kept silent and gazed at the tanai with utter admiration. Opposite the tanai was a wiry, skinny, middle-aged man with an orange beard and prominent nose, which was broken several times, judging from its shape. He was wearing a leather jacket, pants, and shoes, held together with leather string. Not dissimilar to Olaff¡¯s attire when they found him. The man had several pieces of armor strapped to this jacket, working as a chest piece and shoulders. The places were of Maargardian origin and quite recent in manufacture. Stolen content alert: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences. What caught Brandt¡¯s gaze however was his headdress. He wore a leather cap over which was a banged-up oskol with quite a lot of its mail sheathing torn short or completely off. This helm seemed painted over entirely and was something one would expect from a Maargardian troop five centuries ago. Next to him sat a man in a bronze fur coat with a linen grey robe poking from underneath and propped on a walking stick he held with both hands. Brandt could not make out his facial features, but he certainly was quite old, as his pale grey beard and balding skull would attest. Trawins predominantly spoke to the older man, who would later relay to the one in the helm. Since there didn¡¯t seem to be any hostility apparent, Brandt decided to just come out of the woods and towards the fire. Trawins noticed him immediately. -¡± Mr Zerster! Glad you¡¯ve finally returned!¡± - he shouted - ¡°Meet, I¡¯m sorry if I mispronounce, T?k Hanne¡±- Trawins nudged his head towards the man in the colorful helmet, then continued doing the same at the elder -¡±...and Str¨ºttar N?mer Fjouwer.¡±. -¡± For how long have you watched us?¡± - Brandt said without hesitation, albeit calmly. -¡± A couple of hourz¡±- replied the elderly -¡± Ever zince Olaff returned to uz.¡± - there was no hint of deception in his voice - ¡°We were curiouz az to who you are two.¡± -¡± Who are ¡®we¡¯?¡± - asked Brandt, while he was taking his place beside the fire. The man said something to the one he called T?k Hanne and got a quick reply. The exchange between the men ended when ¡°T?k Hanne¡± said to ¡°Str¨ºttar N?mer Fjouwer¡± something that Brandt roughly understood as ¡®be careful, but honest¡¯. The elder nodded, then faced Brandt. -¡±Az your tanai friend zaid. I am Ztrettar Number Four. The elder of the Husel ¡®folksstam¡¯. Next to me is Hanne, our war chief, known as ¡®Zmart¡¯¡± -¡± Pleasure to meet you.¡± - replied Nord, with a well-crafted, although a little rusty, demeanour of a diplomat -¡± I am Brandt Zerster, but I¡¯m certain my accomplice, Anh Trawins, already introduced me.¡± -¡± He indeed haz.¡± -¡± So. What do you want from us two? Is there anything?¡± Strettar once again exchanged a few quick words with Hanne, but has done so so quickly that Brandt didn¡¯t catch much from it. -¡± Mr Trawinz already told uz that you are zearching for zomething called ¡®na-no-forge¡¯. Which¡­¡± - Strettar hesitated a bit - ¡°... Iz not a concern of uz. We want to know who are the people who murdered Aljon and injured Olaff.¡± -¡± Expedition by the Church¡±- flatly replied Brandt -¡± originally they were hunting us for ¡­ things.¡± -¡± We killed an Ordo Pro Cvirsi courser and four knights¡± - stated Trawins, to the dismay of Brandt -¡± More specifically. He did. I enabled it. There is more story to it.¡± There was a moment of awkward silence. -¡± Tell me more.¡± - slowly said Strettar Brant sighed inaudibly and gave Anh a dirty look, then spoke. -¡± We set out from Sheridawn a few weeks ago, in search of these ¡®nanoforges¡¯.¡±- Brandt was explaining as casually as he could -¡± As we were making discoveries in one place, we were accosted and accused of heresy by Ordos. Which forced me to act. We have been on the run ever since.¡± The elder fell silent for a moment, contemplating. -¡± Why did you ezcape ¡­ here?¡± -¡± A ¡®nanoforge¡¯ is nearby.¡± - replied Brandt -¡± the men who you seek, up until recently, were chasing us. We had a scrape with them. They overrun our camp and took our things. But we managed to lose them, so we two and them switched places, in a way. Us and they are after the same thing now.¡± The elder turned towards the man in the helmet and began to speak to him. As previously, Brandt had problems with following their native tongue. From their mannerisms and the few words, he managed to, at least as he thought, understand, it seemed that the old man was merely relaying what was just said. Mostly at least. What he also noticed was how casually both men spoke to each other. Nord initially assumed that the helmeted man, a warrior of sorts, was the leader of whomever, while the elder was some sort of a spiritual figure. If wildmen were worshipping Vhirs, he would be an actosian. That didn¡¯t seem to be the case. So, who were these people? Father and son? The elder was most likely the only one who spoke Cammona. This also raised a question, why could he, but not the other? -¡± We think that the place you are looking for iz not far away.¡± - Strettar interrupted Brandt¡¯s musings and immediately got his attention. -¡± Tell me more, please¡± -¡± There iz a place, a day¡¯z march from here. Which we¡¯ve been trying to get rid of from theze lands for zeveral weekz now. A few buildingz of solid, flat ztone where one haz a demon inzide. We lozt good men there.¡± Brandt and Anh exchanged glances. -¡± Please, tell us more!¡± - tanai almost shouted. -¡± Our hunterz found thiz ¡­ thing when the zpring znowmelt just ended. I demanded that they lead me there. When I arrived ¡­ It ztarted to talk to me.¡±- Strettar was stroking his beard -¡°I waz zpeaking in Kherrid and demanded thingz. When we denied it, it zent its minions on us.¡± -¡± You can speak Kherrid?¡± - said Anh, surprised after hearing this. -¡± Yes¡± - replied the elder drily - ¡°I recognized it as a remnant of the Ancientz¡­ what you kall zem¡­ Precurzorz. Thuz, any tracez of it need to be removed.¡± -¡± You are afraid of the Church throwing a Vhirzung your way.¡± - Brandt said as if he was talking to the air, as his tone didn¡¯t convey any doubts about what he was claiming. Almost immediately, Strettar just nodded, confirming Nords comment. -¡± Yes. The church men, the thing. All tracez of it need to dizappear.¡± -¡± There are at least seven combatants, Sorresian mariners. Armed to the teeth, with firearms, and, from the looks of it, very experienced. There is also a seer with them. Tanai. Whether they are battle hexerginst, I don¡¯t know. There are two others, but they don''t seem to be soldiers of any kind.¡± Strettar nodded, then spoke to Hanne, once again. From the tone and pieces he heard, Brandt concluded that the older wildman was, as before, relaying what was just said. What Strettar heard in response was interesting. There was ¡®help¡¯ and ¡®friend¡¯ in Hanne¡¯s words and his older companion had reservations about whatever Hanne said. For a few moments, both wildmen were almost arguing with each other. -¡± I have been told to, to azk¡± - said Strettar - ¡°whether both of you would be willing to join uz in our effortz.¡± -¡± What efforts?¡± -¡± Hanne sayz that we have mutual goalz. We all want to get rid of the church people and you both look like you can take care of thingz. Olaff here told us how ¡®Slanke Man¡¯... ¡± - Strettar nodded at Anh - ¡°...waz chopping a tree with hiz bare handz.¡± Brandt smirked at Anh, discreetly, but he wanted to at least hint to the tanai, that this might be the ¡®opportunity¡¯ they were waiting for. The tanai very likely understood as he raised his eyebrow a touch. -¡± It seems. Your leader is very apprehensive.¡± - said Brandt -¡± If what you say is true, we indeed have quite some in common¡­¡± Strettar was about to say something to it, but Brandt interrupted him. -¡±...BUT, the convergence of our goals ends with the churchmen. You want to raze the place we are after.¡± Strettar closed his mouth for a drip, then began to speak to Hanne. From this interaction, Brandt took that the leader was quite ¡­ diplomatic. The words used were similar to ¡®later¡¯, ¡®soldiers¡¯, ¡¯first problem¡¯, and ¡®battle¡¯. Which hopefully suggested that Hanne wanted to resolve the issue of accessing the nanoforge after the seemingly inevitable clash with the Ordos. Was he? -¡± Hanne sayz, once church people and Dlooa¡¯z minionz are gone. You¡¯ll have all the time you need to poke the place for whatever you want.¡± -¡± Dlooa?¡± - asked tanai -¡± We call it that. It haz it written on the wallz. Dlooa, we think itz the daemon¡¯z name.¡± -¡± Dlooa. Weird name.¡±- said Brandt -¡± I don¡¯t know what my associate thinks, but I think this is a great opportunity for all of us.¡± Anh didn¡¯t follow right away. -¡± I¡¯ll go.¡± - Anh finally said, anxiously, then turned his head towards Brandt -¡± I honestly don¡¯t know why you would need me.¡± -¡± As I said before, you are a man of many talents, Mr. Trawins. One of them is bound to be useful.¡± - said Nord back at him, then addressed Strettar -¡± So it is settled. Both of us are going to help as much as we can.¡± -¡± I am happy to hear that.¡± - replied the elder, then began to converse with Hanne. As he expected, Brandt heard them speak about ¡®friends¡¯ or ¡®partners¡¯ and as their talks continued, Hanne was becoming quite content with what he was hearing. After a while, when the wildmen stopped talking, Strettar turned towards Anh and Brandt. -¡± I am glad to invite you to our camp. We¡¯ll discuss details there.¡± - he said. Brandt nodded. Strettar once again said something to Hanne, who stood up, raised his hand a little, and shook his palm. Not a moment later a rustling could be heard from all around them, followed by several men clad in leather and wielding a bow. Nord counted nine of them. The aberrants stood up and gathered their things. Once done they put out the fire. All the men went out in a queue, where Hanne, Strettar, Brandt, Olaff, and Anh were somewhat in the middle. Chp: 0x0007: Bluestone It took quite a while to reach the camp of Hanne¡¯s men. Anh didn¡¯t pay much attention, nor did he care and kin agreed, as they allowed themselves to be led the entire route. For a while Thernohh and Tow were having a back and forth on how to evade their predicament, and in the end, settled that the only way out was up, and would only work if their newly acquired allies ignored them or turned not to be very allied and quick to draw a bow, which most wildmen had and presumably were capable of using. It was way past dusk when they finally arrived. -* Looks more like a village really *- said Birdekk when he first saw its premises -* Agree, they must have camped here for a long while * - added Tow -* Weeks at least * The camp consisted of six rectangular huts of freshly cut trees covered by a doubly sheer roof of twigs, grass, and clay. It was very rudimentary but also seemed quite sturdy. The huts were arranged three by two and about five mers apart in each direction, and about three by five mers in size. Between the middle two was a sizable fireplace with a deer roasted by two men. -* Note how uniform these huts are. They were built to the same layout and design *- said Thernohh -* I take, that you consider it weird? ¡± - Greoo chimed in -* Not weird. Unexpected. These people are savages living in the woods. * - the youngest filled the shared mind-space with a mental hum for a moment -* I didn¡¯t expect this level of forethought from them. ¡± -* There are fifteen people here, including our entourage. * - Tow announced without having anyone in particular on his mind -* You mean, you counted fifteen *- snarkily commented Thernohh. Tow just sighed. When the convoy arrived, the men they were escorted by dispersed into the huts, leaving only Brandt, Hanne, Strettar, Anh, and Olaff. The leading wildmen headed towards the circle of fist-sized pebbles, which were the camp¡¯s fireplace and main roast. The eldest nodded at the aberrants to follow them. Brandt did so, but Olaff interrupted Anh. -¡± Slanke man. Ik haw in grutte fraach foar in wiis as jo. ¡± - he said very apologetically - ¡± Wy hawwe hjir ferw?ne. Kinne jo, jo witte ¡­ ¡± -* Now what could he possibly want? * - sarcastically scoffed Thernohh -*Probably help with his injuries? *- said Greoo -* We won¡¯t know unless we ask. * -* How!? * -*Just say something in a caring voice.* -¡± Yes, what is the problem ¡± - Anh did just that, Olaff¡¯s spirit instantly rose. -¡± Komme, L¨ºste hok ¡± The wildman went in the direction of the hut that was the furthest from them. Anh nodded at Brandt when he passed near him, but the Nord was already deep in discussion with Strettar. His passing did cause a little commotion, some glances were shot, and the two men who tended to the roasted deer interrupted their conversation for a moment. Olaff was the first to reach, and then enter, Anh soon followed and immediately was assaulted by a heavy stench of rot and sweat, which hung in the air despite it being fairly chilly since noon. It was fairly dark, with only the faint glow of the camp¡¯s roast illuminating the interior. Anh invoked a simple lumehex, causing a minor gasp of amazement from Olaff. To the back of the hut, on the floor, and a thick mattress of fur lay two men, who were certainly not in a good way. Their heads were towards the entrance, and their bodies were covered by more fur, of which there was a knee-high heap behind it all. The walls and ceiling were covered in the same material, which explained the unusual warmth inside. Both men seemed to be sleeping. Olaff kneeled by one, and took the fur off his chest, revealing that the man¡¯s lower abdomen had been bandaged over. It was a linen or similar cloth, crusty and bloodied. -¡± Now I understand why he wanted us *- half announced, half mused Greoo after they swept the inside of the hut with their gaze -* These hoomin here are going to need our help * -* And now we¡¯ll have to help him¡­ them, right? *- Thernohh threw in, sarcastically -* Yes * - replied Greoo, and did so in a tone that made it clear that she was not going to tolerate her kin¡¯s objections, especially not from the youngest -* Anh, ask Olaff to take off the ¡­ dressing, I guess. This man needs immediate vitahexic attention. Just plain medical attention probably as well. * -* You know, we are not trained in this *- Thernohh was not giving up -* We can end up doing more harm than good * -* Save your contrarianism for another time *- scoffed Greoo -* We can do something, thus we will be doing something. Anh, yell for Brandt to come, or try to get us some hot and cold water, a bucket, or something. * -* Try to say this *- Tow joined the exchange -* Bitte. Heisse und Kalt wasser * -* I¡¯ll try *- confirmed Anh -¡± Bitte. Heisse ¡­ und ¡­ Kalt wasser. ¡± -* I take you meditated about your knowledge of ¡¯Maaren¡¯? *- the dominant asked -* Yes. We¡¯ll see how it goes * Olaff blinked a few times, then nodded and stormed out. -*Now we might want to take a peek at the other fellow* Anh folded his legs into a cross, lowered himself towards the floor, and floated towards the other wildman. He took the fur off the other man and immediately saw the same kind of dressing on him in the same location. Although this man also had wounds on his legs. The tanai began to unwrap the bandages if they could be called such. As he progressed, the extent of the damage was becoming evident. The wounds didn¡¯t seem very deep but were long and started to smell. Badly. -* They didn¡¯t even clean the wounds! *- exclaimed Greoo -* Savages * - scoffed Thernohh -* What did you expect? * -* Just because they don¡¯t know, does not mean they can¡¯t learn * - said Birdekk in a conciliatory tone. One of the warriors had a long slashed wound from the upper part of his pelvis, up to the belly button. The other had a similar slashed wound on his thigh and another going from the left of his pelvic bone towards his groin, but not, really reaching it. -¡± Zerster!¡± - shouted the tanai. -* Why did you call for him? * -* He is the sword-swinging type. He might tell us what these men were wounded by. * - Anh said calmly. Brandt, and Strettar with him, arrived together with OIaff. The former carrying a head-sized sack with something sloshing in it. -¡± Olaff zays, hot water will be ready zoon.¡± -* Good * -¡± Can you tell him to obtain some cloth, rag or something? The cleaner the better.¡± Strettar nodded and relayed these words to Olaff, at least, that was what Anh assumed, as the former quickly ran out of the hut. He could hear him yelling something outside. -¡± Mr Zerster, what can you tell me about these wounds? ¡± Brandt came closer and squatted near Anh. Then took a look at both slashes on one of the wounded. Traced them with his finger. -¡± They are certainly rotting.* - he said when he sniffed the air - ¡°and have been for some time. Why do you ask me?¡± -¡± You are the resident sword-swinging expert. I assume knowing the aftermath is also part of the expertise.¡± This content has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere. -¡± As such¡± - Brandt replied after a few drips - ¡°Those were made with a slashing weapon. Cutlass or a saber. Fairly short, as the wound is deep, so quite some leverage, probably a cutlass. The assailant was right-handed and judging from the location of the wounds, no taller than a mer and a third. I¡¯d say a tehei.¡± -¡± Them critters Dlooa zent on uz.¡±- Strettar decided to come to the aberrants and join the conversation. Anh and Brandt turned their heads towards him - ¡±Zmall hoomin. Child like. Very aggressive. They uzed theze curved zhort zwords. Very zharp and light. I¡¯ll be back in a moment.¡± - the elder exited the hut. -¡± So, I should not expect shards or anything?¡± - tanai turned towards the hoomin -¡± If both of them survived for as long as they seem to, I don¡¯t think it matters. But this is a slash wound.¡± -¡± I¡¯m not a medic.¡±- said Anh in a worried tone- ¡±I quite literally going off the basic first aid training I had a decade ago.¡± -¡± I think they stand a better chance with you than without¡± - Brandt said without even a shred of an attempt to make it sound like an affirmation -¡± I think they are gone either way.¡± -* He knows how to make tanai at ease *- scoffed Greoo -* Do something! It doesn''t matter anyways! * - she said, mocking his hoarse voice -* Hoomin!* -* He is right though * - shrugged Thernohh -* We don¡¯t even have a needle and thread to sew these poor sods. * -* We can¡¯t sew people. * -* I know. But if we could, we would not be able to. * -* You are grasping at ¡­ threads. * -* I may, but we sew leather covers to books for a living, people are not much different. Probably. I think. * Greoo wanted to reply but was interrupted by Olaff who stormed the hut with a folded grey, linen cloth clasped in his hands. He quickly came towards Anh and gave it to him. It was fairly thick and stiff. It was rectangular and ripped off a larger sheet. -* Honestly, where did he get it from? *- mused Tow when they were running the fabric through their fingers. -* It likely is a tent, or sack, they repurposed. * - commented Birdekk -*...or they were prepared, because they seem to be a war party * - added Thernohh - * Getting wounded is an implicit side effect, thus having bandages makes sense. If you asked for soap, I¡¯d wonder as well. We also should concentrate on patching those fellows, since we are already committed to it. * Greoo frowned, but said nothing. Anh crumpled the cloth and doused it in water, then he applied a pyrohex to warm the moist bundle a bit. -* The one slashed twice seems to be of higher importance *- said Birdekk -* Then I shall begin with him *- answered Anh and began to clean the thigh wound of the mentioned man. He used slow, delicate touch and round movements, making sure that he removed as much dirt and ingress as possible. Sometimes, when he overdid it, a few droplets of blood would drip from the wound. -* I read once *- Tow said at one moment, during the procedures -* of a well-skilled vitahexers who clean skin just by using very special, delicate but effective kinehex. They call it ¡®buzzing¡¯. No soap or even water is needed.¡± -* I hope you don¡¯t want me to try * - replied Anh after a short while -* No, of course not. But we ought to learn how to do it once we¡¯re back home.* -* Right *- said Anh, without really paying attention -* Birdekk please take over the lumehex, I need to concentrate. * The warm, heavy smell of rot, sweat, and fur mixed with the characteristic sour smell of vitahexergy created such an aura so noxious, Anh¡¯s sight blurred for a drip when it hit him. On the periphery of his vision, he saw Brandt, who needed to exhale in disgust through his nostrils. -* I certainly hope this is going to be worth it. *- said repulsed Greoo -* Now I ¡®truly¡¯ understand why Tokors spent so much time divulging aromas and face masks for vitahexers * - added Tow -* This is revolting! * -* Imagine us doing something other than this basic hex *- after Birdekk said it, a colloquial flinch of disgust shuddered the variunity. In spite of this, Anh continued to apply the vitahex along the entire slash. When he was done, he noticed a small pot of steaming water near him, and just next after it was Olaff squatting and smiling foolishly. -* I just noticed he misses his upper left feline * - said Greoo Anh threw the dirty rag into the steaming water and kinetically forced it to float inside. Then he, using the same method, took it out and twisted it to let some water out. Just enough for it to be still warm and moist. It took almost a halfer to finish the work on both men. Anh was so engrossed in this that he didn¡¯t notice Brandt leaving. He exited the hut tired, his flight was uneasy, but content. Nearby, by the fire sat Hanne, Strettar, and Brandt, discussing something. Next to the Nord, laying on the pebbles demarcating the fire, was a curved sword. Around them, at a distance of a few steps, either sat or stood the wildmen, observing solemnly the gathering in the centre. -¡± I¡¯m done.¡± - said Anh tiredly after arriving at the fire. He noted that one of the cooks, an older man, was heavily scarred, looking as if half of his face was melted off. Tanai decided to investigate further. Later. Much later. -¡± How are they? ¡± - asked Strettar. -¡± Don¡¯t know. I¡¯m not a vitahexer. I¡¯m not even a hexergist. I¡¯m a bookkeeper and scribe. Most of the time, at least.¡± - the old man¡¯s demeanor turned grim when he heard it - ¡°They were heavily wounded, the wounds were not cleaned and sewn. I think it is Arneg¡¯s grace that they are alive.¡± -¡± I underztand. ¡± - sadly said Strettar - ¡° I hope for the bezt. ¡± Anh crossed his legs and flew closer to the fire. -¡± If I were to place bets. The lighter wounded probably is going to get well. ¡± -¡± Fritjof. One of our bezt. We don¡¯t know what happened. Fritjof and Magni were patrolling Dlooa and ¡­ zomething happened. Fritjof carried unconscious Magni to the camp and collapzed right before it.¡± -¡± Magni is the one slashed twice? ¡± -¡± Yez ¡± -¡± Then my prognosis is grim. His wounds smelled, and it was foul. ¡± -¡± When did this happen? ¡± - asked Brandt -¡± Three dayz ago. ¡± -¡± I¡¯m hungry. ¡± - said Anh -¡± Pleaze. Treat yourself.¡± - said Strettar, gesturing at the roasted deer. At the same time Brandt took the blade off pebbles and handed it to the tanai. Immediately Anh noticed how weirdly small the handle was in Brandt¡¯s palm. So much, so that even if he tried, Nord would not get a good grip on the weapon. -¡± Try this ¡± - he said to Anh, who shot him a weird look - ¡±How.¡± -¡± It won¡¯t matter. Trust me. ¡± Anh took the blade by the handle. -* This is weirdly light * - said Tow when the sensation of the blade¡¯s weight reached him -* what is this? * -* A curved sword, but for a child. Even we can barely grip it *- replied Thernohh -* I don¡¯t recognize this weapon, but a Cammona saber would be twice its size. I don¡¯t know this material. Ask him. * Anh turned his head towards the Nord and raised an eyebrow. -¡± What you are holding is, likely, a kind of scimitar that wounded your patients. Maybe even the one. It¡¯s made of bluestone.¡± -* I don¡¯t understand *- carefully announced Thernohh, to the surprise of all the others. -¡± What is a ¡®bluestone¡¯? ¡± - inquired Anh and did it so clumsily, that Brandt could not help but smile. -¡± Try to cut a piece of meat. Then I¡¯ll explain. ¡± -¡± Right¡­ ¡± - Anh took the scimitar by the handle and pointed it at the deer, hovering over it, searching for a cut. Once he did, he clumsily laid the blade on it and began to cut. Cursing at first that he didn¡¯t have a fork to hold the meant from rotating. The blade went into the flesh as into soft butter. Tanai didn¡¯t even need to push it too hard. A few quick, successive cuts and he almost separated a piece of an unfortunate deer. He stopped short of fully separating the piece. -* What is this thing made of?! * - exclaimed Thernohh - * This is incredible! * -¡± Mr. Zerster. Tell me what this is! ¡± - said Anh, almost shouting, sharing his kin¡¯s enthusiasm. Hanne nodded at the men who previously took care of the roast. Those quickly reached to a heap of sharpened sticks nearby, grabbed one, and stuck it into the piece Anh almost separated and after a short struggle gave it to the tanai. Once this was done Hanne nodded at them and shouted, while waving his right hand in invitation. -¡° Kom freonen, lit ¨²s ite. Der is noch in soad te dwaan, mar foar no moatte wy r¨ºste. ¡± The warriors came closer, and those who roasted the deer began to partition it, piece by piece and give some to everyone. Brandt was given a piece first. Once he held it, he began to nibble on it. -¡± Bluestone is a ¡®thing¡¯. I don¡¯t recall ever hearing or reading about what it is really.¡± - he chewed a piece for a few drips -¡± It is assumed, although I guess we can say certain, it is linked to the Precursors. Bits and pieces of things made of it are sometimes found. Broken swords, knives, surgery, or sculpting tools also, at least so I heard. The only intact weapon I know of is the Cammotian coronation sword.¡± -¡± Duxlag? ¡± - Anh raised his brows, surprised. -¡± According to my sources, yes.¡± - Brandt took another bite off his meal -¡± But neither I held it in my hand, nor is it something the Crown wants to advertise. ¡± -* Do we believe him * - asked Thernohh. -* Rhetorically or actually? * - smirked Greoo. Anh carefully examined the weapon, noting its size and exact shape. He weaved the blade by twisting his wrist. All of them were watching as the light emanating from the fire nearby made the material of the blade shimmer. It was blue-brownish, which made sense considering the name. It had a weird texture in this colour, similar to freckles or spots, which diffused light in a manner different from the surrounding surface. The cutting edge had several crescent-shaped faults of varying sizes and spaced apart unequally. The handle seemed made of wood and was worn almost into nothingness, and the short, brass, s-shaped crossguard was pitted and badly corroded, suggesting that the item was indeed ancient. Despite the apparent age, the damage, and the unusual surface texture, the blade retained its mirror finish and was terrifyingly sharp. -* This sword is made of something that looks like glass, is sharp as a razor and lighter than wood. *- replied Thernohh -* Definitely ¡®actually¡¯ * -¡± Mr Zerster. How do you know this? ¡± - Anh raised the blade - ¡° About this. ¡± -¡± I stumbled upon some shreds of information ¡± - replied the Nord after a brief moment -¡± I don¡¯t recall details, but I think it came up in discussion with someone, sometime ago. I researched it as much as I could. That is to say, not very. But one hears things if one knows when, where, and who to listen to.¡± - Nord took another bite - ¡° You also should eat some ¡± - he said while chewing. -* He is right, you know * - added Birdekk. Anh sighed and took a bite of his meat and when the taste finally reached his consciousness, he realized just how hungry he was. ????â–“ ??8888??: DL-00A ¡°¡®Reward¡¯ Board Management System v.213.42¡± ¡°Grs Thalaraa V7x7790 CPU 64 Cores, 8192 Threads @ Socket 1¡± ¡°Grs Thalaraa V7x7790 CPU 64 Cores, 8192 Threads @ Socket 2¡± ¡°Auxiliary CPU... Not present.¡± ¡°¡®Memory test: 8192 EiQB ..." ¡°Test fail, 8 modules isolated, 7168 EiQB usable¡± ¡°Please wait...¡± ¡°¡± ¡°¡®Feast¡¯ Boot Manager¡± ¡°Enumerating AXIB Devices:¡± ¡°Trying...¡± ¡°Trying...¡± ¡°Trying...¡± ¡°Unrecoverable AXIB Bus ERROR¡± ¡°XXXX XX 4200 5600: 48 65 6C 6C,6F 20 74 68,65 72 65 20,66 65 6C 6C¡± ¡°XXXX XX 4200 5640: 6F 77 20 72 65 61 64 65 72 2C 20 74 68 69 73 20¡± ¡°XXXX XX 4200 5680: 69 73 20 61 20 73 65 63 72 65 74 20 6D 65 73 73¡± ¡°XXXX XX 4200 56C0: 61 67 65 20 6A 75 73 74 20 66 6F 72 20 79 6F 75¡± This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it.¡°XXXX XX 4200 5700: 2E 20 57 65 20 61 72 65 20 61 6C 6D 6F 73 74 20¡± ¡°XXXX XX 4200 5740: 61 74 20 74 68 65 20 65 6E 64 20 6F 66 20 74 68¡± ¡°XXXX XX 4200 5780: 65 20 73 74 6F 72 79 2C 20 74 68 65 20 67 72 61¡± ¡°XXXX XX 4200 57C0: 6E 64 20 66 69 6E 61 6C 65 20 69 73 20 63 6C 6F¡± ¡°XXXX XX 4200 5800: 73 65 20 61 74 20 68 61 6E 64 2E 20 57 65 20 74¡± ¡°XXXX XX 4200 5840: 68 61 6E 6B 20 79 6F 75 20 66 6F 72 20 62 65 69¡± ¡°XXXX XX 4200 5880: 6E 67 20 68 65 72 65 20 77 69 74 68 20 75 73 20¡± ¡°XXXX XX 4200 59C0: 66 6F 72 20 73 6F 20 6C 6F 6E 67 20 61 6E 64 20¡± ¡°XXXX XX 4200 5900: 68 6F 70 65 20 79 6F 75 20 61 72 65 20 67 6F 69¡± ¡°XXXX XX 4200 5940: 6E 67 20 74 6F 20 65 6E 6A 6F 79 20 44 65 75 73¡± ¡°XXXX XX 4200 5980: 20 45 78 20 4D 61 63 68 69 6E 61 72 69 75 6D 20¡± ¡°XXXX XX 4200 59C0: 74 6F 20 69 74 73 20 63 6F 6E 63 6C 75 73 69 6F¡± ¡°XXXX XX 4200 5A00: 6E 2E 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00¡± ¡°Watchdog scheduled restart attempt in 60:00:000.¡± ????â–“ ??8888??: Trees of glass Brandt was kneeling in the bushes, and next to him were two wildman warriors of Hanne¡¯s band. The taller, named Stef, was a twenty-something, clad in what seemed to be the standard attire for his people. Leather jacket, pants and shoes, and a linen shirt. He was skinny, just like any other of the wildmen they met so far, with a bushy beard and long, curly, blonde hair he wore tightened in a braid weighted at the end with an iron clamp. He was introduced as a guide to the precursorial site. At least that was what Brandt expected to witness. They moved out of the camp as early in the morning as they could, and it took a little over three candles to reach the perimeter of the ¡®nanoforge¡¯ complex. Strettar told Brandt that the Husels kept a tight patrol schedule around the site, laying a factual siege to the place, at least to a degree the strained resources of a raiding party allowed. On that perimeter, he and Stef met someone whose appearance made Brandt raise an eyebrow. The old aberrant, having seen much of the world, and having forgotten quite a bit of it, being surprised was rare. Hjalmar, as that was the other man¡¯s name, was maybe about forty, a touch shorter than Stef, and dressed similarly to him. He also had a prominent bald patch on the top of his scalp, surrounded by a nest of short and greying hair. He also wore a long, greying beard and his ears were¡­ tipped at the top. Somewhat, but noticeably. Stef and Hjalmar exchanged a few words, then the former gestured to Brandt to follow them both. After a quarter or so of marching, wildmen slowed down, knelt, and began to creep forward slowly. Nord followed suit. Brandt was hit with a sudden sense of unease when he finally saw the first glimpses of the goal of their journey. It rumbled around his brain trying to find a place to fit, but failing at it miserably. He shook this feeling off and concentrated on registering what actually was present before his eyes. The site was built in the middle of an artificially kept clearing. From the forest wall to the nearest buildings was about a hundred, maybe hundred and fifty mers. The space was maintained rather shoddily, as younger trees were already encroaching, but nonetheless, someone did keep the area around the place free of overgrowth. The buildings were rectangular, grey, and unlike anything he had ever seen. The walls were windowless and plain in color. The texture of brickwork was nowhere to be seen, nor were there traces of timber framing, be it maargaridan or cammotian type. The uniform look was broken in places by some sizable cracks on the walls and streaks of rust smeared from the top edges. It seemed these structures had no roof unless such were entirely flat. There were no chimneys, instead masts topped with rectangular panels of dark glass topped the structures. Brandt had not the faintest idea what was their purpose. From somewhere in the middle of the compound a freakishly tall girder tower shot into the skies. It was guyed with multiple ropes like a mast of sailship to huge grey, mossy blocks similar to the one he and Trawins found a few weeks ago. On the tower¡¯s top were several arrays of cylindrical things with no discernable purpose. Brandt¡¯s first reflex, after seeing the place, was to go toward it, but he was rudely kept from doing so. The man with the pointed ears pulled him by the shoulder and whispered. -¡±Timpelier, kaam justerj?n, fermoarde de lytsen¡± - he said in the same melodic timbre that struck Brandt a few days prior when Olaff spoke to them for the first time. It was an eerie experience, considering it came from a bald, hairy man with a facial deformity. He would consider this a circus act in different circumstances, here and now, it certainly wasn¡¯t. -¡± Timplier? ¡­ umm ¡­kkrigier mit¡­ fjoer ¡­ stok?¡± - Nord replied uneasily. -¡± Ja, fan Margrjad¡± - came the response. It took Brandt a few drips to conclude that ¡®Margrjad¡¯ was the wildmen¡¯s pronunciation of ¡®Maargard¡¯. The message was clear, the Ordos were already here and well settled in. Nord¡¯s first consideration was: How did they get to this place so quickly and without a run-in with Hanne¡¯s men? He remembered that their former pursuers had a seer with them, he realized that they spotted the ¡®nanoforge¡¯ from kimers away and headed straight to it. -¡± Sjen¡­¡±- Brandt was making gestures at the man, putting his palm to his brow, as if he was protecting himself from the sun, he hoped that his guardian would understand that he wanted to see where the ordos were -¡±¡­Sjen, timplier¡± Hjalmar seemingly understood, as he nodded at Brandt as if he wanted to guide him somewhere, and immediately began to sneak through the forest. Stef followed right after, and as he moved past Brandt, he gestured at him to follow. Nord wiggled his eyebrows, not seeing the purpose of this secrecy, but complied. They spent about a quanter on the site¡¯s perimeter slowly creeping forward. Hjalmar led them confidently, albeit slowly and his route was chosen specifically to leave as little of a trail as possible. Initially, Brandt found it a little difficult to follow his guide. Brandt concluded they were following the path the wildmen established for patrolling the compound. Convinced, he tried to predict where it would lead them next. After a few moments, he could discern the route. It was subtle and well hidden, but it certainly was there. At one moment, Hjalmar stopped and raised his right hand, urging others to do stop as well. Then he proceeded to slowly creep towards the site, instead of following the route Brandt would expect. Once close enough to the clearing around the compound, he squatted and signaled Stef and Brandt to come to him. -¡± Sjoch ris, donkere man.¡± - Hjalmar whispered while pointing weakly at the nanoforge. Brandt nodded and crept further forward until he reached a convenient vantage point. At first, he didn¡¯t notice much of interest. The buildings were there, just visible at a different angle. The presence of ordos was confirmed by several hobbled horses nibbling on grass in varying places around the clearing. Brandt counted eight. When he looked to his right he noticed that the turf there was torn to shreds, most likely after a column of horsemen went through and didn¡¯t care what sort of trail they were going to leave. When he followed this trail, he noticed a pile of, most likely, corpses lying by the wall of one of the buildings. Maybe a hundred mers from him. They were unlike Brandt had ever seen because whatever was there, dead, was no taller than a child. Immediately, when he saw the pile, he envisioned the ordos charging on their horses at those poor things. Then he asked himself a question whether, whomever they were, were they hostile?Unauthorized content usage: if you discover this narrative on Amazon, report the violation. Not a moment later Brandt understood why Hjalmar had chosen this specific place. Brandt could gaze right through the gap between two buildings, with the heap of gore somewhat left to it. It had a width of about half of the building¡¯s height and was quite brightly lit by the Bivos nearing noon. At one moment Nord¡¯s attention was captivated by a silhouette of a man. He appeared from somewhere inside the compound and walked casually along the more shaded side of the passage and towards Brandt. Once he entered the full daylight and, equally casually, began to urinate on the wall next to the corpses. He could be recognized as one of the Ordo mariners they met before. It could even be the one Brandt was eavesdropping on. Except now Nord could witness the colorful attire Sorresians liked to dress themselves in. This man wore a richly crimson shirt, poking out of a mundane, standard Ordo issue black coat, which by itself was belted by a yellow strap or belt, matched to equally yellow pants. Once the mariner finished his business, he headed back to wherever he came from. Brandt followed his path for a while, but at one point the man disappeared behind a corner. Brandt was observing the compound for a triskol or two, but nothing more was happening, except for chirps, swooshes, and rustles of the woods. Nobody was patrolling the perimeter, nobody seemed to be even stationed on the ¡®roof¡¯ along the ¡®mirrors¡¯ to watch the neighborhood. Whether that was the case was questionable, maybe he simply couldn¡¯t notice anyone. Regardless of anything, Nord decided he wanted to take a peek at the activities inside. There was about a hundred mers from his location to the nearest building with a grassy glade with sparsely strewn bushes in the middle. -¡± A few drips of fear and I¡¯m near the wall, should be smooth sailing from there.¡± - he murmured to himself - ¡°Let¡¯s go!¡± He sprung into action. For his target, he had chosen a spot at the half-width of the wall of the building by which the pile of corpses was laid. Without any pretence of stealth, he just ran towards it. Once reached the spot he had chosen and immediately flattened himself on the wall and began to listen if his intrusion was heard by anyone. A triskol of silence ensured him that he wasn¡¯t. He took a look at the wall behind his back. It was made from the same ¡®poured mortar¡¯ he and Anh discussed on the previous site. It was rough to touch, but very flat, more than any mason would ever be able achieve. It was also quite weathered with cracks and chips of various sizes and lengths all over. When he was in the bushes, observing the structures, they almost seemed like unmoving timeless obelisks, assaulted by forces of nature. Close up it was obvious that they were losing this battle and for quite some time. His first instinct was to move towards the corpses and inspect them for whatever they were, but he quickly reconsidered. After all, not a quarter before there was one of the ordos just about there. Thus Brandt moved in the opposite direction. He counted thirty-two steps before he arrived at the corner of the building. He peeked over it. The wall extended further, to a square between several of its kind. Further, opposite to him, was another building which was a little lower, but of the same construction. On its wall was a door hole, about five mers in width and four in height. Inside there didn¡¯t seem to be much, but the inside was not lit. The area further down the alley was laid with a layer of something smooth, tar colored, and stony. Brandt could not discern what it was, but it bore the scars of time. Next to the building with missing doors stood another just like it. Between both of them was an equal ten-mer gap. Brandt decided he wanted to try to peek at the Ordos from there. Certain nobody noticed him yet, he quickly ran to the corner of the opposite building. Then went along its wall, counting his steps. -¡± Thirty by fifty¡± - he whispered when he arrived at another corner. He peeked over it and saw the weirdest ¡®forest¡¯ he had ever seen. It was about twenty mers away. Its ¡®trees¡¯ were arranged in an array of eight by eight and their ¡®crown¡¯ was a square of glass, three by three mers in size at least, and with almost a mirror shine to it. About half of the ¡®trees¡¯ had their ¡®crown¡¯ missing, some had it broken or cracked, exposing a substructure beneath. It had the form of a spider of tubular ¡®branches¡¯ emanating from a ball joint at the tip of the ¡®trunk¡¯. Some ropes were visible hanging off holes in the ball of the broken trees. After the initial bewilderment passed, Brandt noted that those ¡®trees¡¯, at least their leaves, were identical to those which topped some of the buildings. Brandt continued past the corner and along the ¡®forest¡¯. Still counting steps. It took him no more than a few drips to get to another corner, which he hoped would get him to the gap between buildings he hoped to reach. -¡± Fifty steps as well¡± - he said to himself before peeking over the corner. What first caught his attention was an obelisk in the middle of the black square. Brandt could have sworn it was identical to what he had seen just a few weeks ago. The girder mast he noticed when he first saw the compound was rooted in this obelisk. Its entire surface was flaky or rusted. Brown streaks of rust, carried by rainfall and spreading from the legs of the girder stained the obelisk beneath. Brandt moved past the corner, into the gap between two buildings, and along the wall. He slowly crept forward and listened to any suspect noises. From Ordos, wherever they were, on anything else. Sure enough, as he was getting closer, he began to hear shreds of conversations and laughter. Once he finally reached another corner, Brandt took a cautious peek over it. Ordos¡¯ base of operations was the building he saw a soldier urinate over. It had a wide door hole, maybe twenty mers wide and five tall. It reached almost half of the height of the structure. It also lacked any sort of door to lock it off. Through it, Brandt saw an interior filled with¡­ things. Tubular, rectangular, and cylindrical objects were arranged along its walls and connected with ropes of varying colors and thickness. The inside was also brightly lit in an eerily bluish tint that permeated even through the bivlight. Ordos exploited the spacious interior of the building and set up a makeshift camp inside. Almost at the step into the building was a roast, by which one man was working on skinning and dismembering a deer. The fire was already lit and a small mound of fresh firewood was nearby. Two men were sleeping on a bedroll inside and three others were sitting on the floor to the left of the roast and playing dice. One sat somewhat to the side, with his back resting on the doorframe, and smoking pipe. From behind his corner, Brandt could finally take a closer look at who was pursuing him since they left Katzburg. All of those he could see in any detail were Nords, like him, albeit with more Western features, as their lighter skin and straight hair gave away. Which, once again, would point to them being former sailors, as western Sorres, with its ports in Tevros and Hargen was the mainstay of the majority of both merchant and navy fleets. -¡± Veterans.¡± - Said Brandt to sourly himself when he noticed that, without exception, they were middle-aged or even older - ¡°Resting after a long journey...¡± For a few moments, the old aberrant tried to locate the tanai seer, but they were nowhere to be found. -¡±...and their tanai friend is rummaging through all of this, like a child at a New Year¡¯s fair.¡± After a few further drips Brandt decided it was time to leave. He slowly moved back, along the wall towards the ¡®forest¡¯ of glass trees. Once he was near, he quickly assessed the shortest path through which he would find himself in the cover of woodland. He found one right through a gap in the fencing of the weird forest. He quickly took a peek behind himself, to check if anyone had seen him. It was, probably, unnecessary considering how silent he was, but Brandt preferred to be certain. He also took a peek above. There could be someone with a longarm on the roof. There were no signs of anyone. Brandt began to run towards the real forest, hundred fifty or so mers before him. It took him no more than half of triskol before he found refuge in the foliage, and once he made it quite into it, he allowed himself to stop and take a few deep breaths. -¡± Suver waansin, Zerst man, Suver waansin¡± - said Stef when he and Hjalmar showed up not a moment later, with a concerned look on their faces. Without knowing how to answer, Brandt just nodded, still panting a bit. ????â–“ ??8888?? : Trust Ever since they arrived with the wildmen, Brandt all but disappeared. Anh only met him in passing when the hoomin either returned or was about to go to do something in the woods. Apart from that, he would only sleep, eat, and converse with Strettar. Whenever the tanai inquired what precisely was being done, Nord would utter a few inconsequential words and leave, preoccupied with, well with all the things he was doing. From these brief run-ins, Tanai understood that they found the ¡®dlooa nanoforge¡¯, and the complex was about two candles on foot away and overrun by Ordos. This realization caused a stir and a heated back and forth under his skull. Birdekk was staunchly against going anywhere near the ¡®Dlooa¡¯ as long as it remained occupied by the templar. Tow, to the contrary, wanted to at least take a peek at whatever was there to witness. So did Thernohh. Anh, however, was more inclined to the opinion of the eldest of kin. After a prolonged and fruitless debate, the dominant decided to do what Greoo championed all this time. Which was to spend time with wildmen, keep an eye on the wounded, and wait until things progressed in some yet unknown direction. On the first night, he caused a little commotion. Understandably, none Hanne¡¯s band ever met a tanai, thus neither expect that Anh would not go to sleep, instead preferring to float with his eyes half shut, cross-legged, before the fire. Camp guards were throwing the tanai curious looks, unsure what to do with the big-headed figure, only to accept it after about a quanter. The spectacle repeated with every guard rotation and after a third Anh ignored it. The camp was slowly being brought to life at dusk. Once Bivos shone through the leaves, the guards would go towards one of the huts and wake a few others up. Who in turn would form two smaller groups and disperse into the forest. The only words they exchanged were, very likely, lighthearted comments about how the tanai was spying on them. Anh took it upon himself to ¡®study¡¯ anything happening around him. That required finding oneself close to the camp¡¯s logistics and stalking people after whatever they were doing. All of kin took so much interest in this activity that Greeo needed to rudely stop them from following one of the men into the woods. Except for her, it didn¡¯t occur to any of the cranial conclave, that hoomin wouldn¡¯t take lightly to being observed while discharging bodily waste material, and this camp was not an anthill to poke and observe the scrambling insects. Thernohh protested such a ludicrous notion but fell in line when the elder kin agreed with Greoo. Despite these difficulties, all agreed that the camp was operating much like an anthill, at least until very late in the afternoon. Two candles after bivset, just about everyone, except two older men, left the camp and didn¡¯t return candles after. This included Brandt. Of course. In the morning Anh counted seventeen people in the camp, yet only three seemed to be tasked with procuring food. This included meat and fish, as the group had a dedicated fisherman, who, somewhat in the afternoon, brought in a net of dozens of orange-tinted fishes of the size of cod but otherwise unknown genus. Anh spent most of the first day with Gustaf, a haunched, greying, bald man with a tattered beard. He was the scarred man Anh noticed when he first approached the campfire an evening prior. He was about fifty, maybe a little more. Left half of his face, all over the back of the skull, was a sprawling surface of burned scar tissue. Even lighter than his already pretty pale skin. Understandably, he was missing the left eye and ear and had a deformed, bulbous nose. His apparent occupation was best described as being the camp¡¯s cook, although that also extended to skinning and partitioning the prey brought in by hunters. Gustaf was a friendly, jovial, and accommodating fellow. They got to know each other, in the broken mess of Wild and Maaren, which turned into a game in which the cook would show whatever item he was using and then call it in their tongue. Each time Anh tried to pronounce the word or match it with whatever little he knew of Maaren. Both languages were, in fact, quite similar. Having a philosophical conversation about 12th-century Sorresian politics was not happening, but Anh learned that ¡®mes¡¯ is a knife, ¡®iten¡¯ meant food, good was ¡®goed¡¯, and bad was ¡®min¡¯, among other things. The best tanai had gotten from this was the sage advice about the various herbs and plants he gathered a few days prior. With glee, he learned that he was right. The herbs he found were usable as spices, thus the dinner for the next few days would be much less bland for everyone. Whether it was indeed saffron and basil was unsubstantial. On the second day, Anh attempted to befriend the other daytime resident of the camp. He was middle-aged, fair-skinned, and with a cap of short, curly, black hair. In truth, he seemed a scrawnier and lighter version of Brandt, and among other men, he seemed a little out of place. Anh wanted to investigate, but Kare, as tanai later got to know, was either too preoccupied or too standoffish to give Anh any attention. From what he noticed, Kare¡¯s job was about fixing things that needed repair or sharpening things that needed to be sharpened. Overall, maintenance of the camp. The wounded were improving. Somewhat. They spent most of the time sleeping and it seemed like a healthy sleep, as much as Anh could tell. By the same metric, it seemed Fritjof was getting better, while Magni¡­ wasn¡¯t. Then again, one of them was more seriously wounded than the other, so it was expected. Brandt approached Anh on the evening of the second day, just after the tanai checked upon his patients. -* Well, well. It seems our employer slash benefactor has returned* - scoffed Greoo -* Are you dismayed or excited?* - joked Thernohh -* A little bit of both. Mostly curious though, I wonder what he wants.* -¡± Mr Trawins, do you have a moment?¡± ¨C Nord said, but in a manner conveying the question being just a courtesy. He didn¡¯t wait for an answer or acknowledgment before continuing - ¡°We will be raiding the nanoforge compound tomorrow, after bivset.¡± -¡± We?¡± - sarcastically snickered Anh while wiggling an eyebrow nervously expecting an answer he didn¡¯t like -¡± I certainly hope it is your newly found sense of grandeur speaking. You don¡¯t include me in the process, do you?¡± -¡± I do. In a way.¡±The story has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation. -* Which makes me worried* - commented Birdekk -* You always worry.*- shrugged Tow -* He certainly doesn¡¯t expect us to participate in combat. Ask him what he means.* -¡± How?¡± - Anh relayed Tow¡¯s query -¡± I assume there are going to be both wounded and dead. I want you to be near us and once we¡¯re done, help whoever needs it. Myself included.¡± -¡± I can¡¯t raise the dead.¡± - defensively said Anh -¡± I¡¯m not suggesting you¡¯ll do the dying thing, of course.¡±- he added quickly. -* I think he knows, on both accounts.*- sighed Greoo -¡± But you can at least patch the wounded.¡± - Brandt mused ¨C ¡°These two in there seem to be doing fine?¡± -¡± Excuse my lack of understanding of battle tactics.¡± - Anh titled his head - ¡±But you want to surprise them. Right?¡± -¡± Yes. Obviously.¡± -¡± So why do you assume such a grim outcome?¡± -* We¡¯re not going to weasel ourselves out of it, Anh *- Tow stated casually -* He needs to!*- sternly announced Birdekk -*I don¡¯t want us to be anywhere near violence.* -¡± Because what I have here are thirteen warriors, barely armored and armed no better than the common crime element. We are going against seasoned church special forces and, possibly, a battle hexergist. Surprise or not, this is going to be tough.¡± -* He does have a point *- said Tow. -* The more the reason to not get involved. *- affirmed Birdekk, although a little less surely than before. -* The more the reason he will insist *- - countered Tow -* If there is no getting out of this *- sighed Birdekk -*We must ensure there being an escape route. If things go to the Rockies.*- -¡± Do you think it ethical to let these men against these templars? You just made it sound like a suicide mission.¡± -¡± My opinion doesn¡¯t matter¡± - replied Brandt, but there was a smidgen of worry in his voice - ¡°They would have attacked anyway. We two are their best chance of getting it through with minimal losses.¡± -¡± Now you make it sound even more like a suicide mission.¡± Brandt sighed a little. -¡± Alternatively, you are attempting to elicit some sort of sympathy for these people. Which, honestly, after the recent weeks, I¡¯m in a short supply.¡± -¡± You helped one of them¡­¡± -¡± That was a different circumstance!¡± - Anh¡¯s earlobes shook violently, although his voice didn¡¯t convey a matching concern ¨C ¡°Here they, and you with them, are prancing into the maw of the beast of their volition.¡± * I think he noticed you being insincere.* - stated Greoo. Almost in the same moment, Brandt sighed silently in resignation. -¡± Listen, if these were just your regular lowlanders, I would agree¡­¡± - Nord hung his voice for a moment -¡±...probably. These men are anything but regular. Do you know where Strettar¡¯s last name comes from?¡± -¡± No, obviously not.¡± -¡± He was born into slavery and all his life he was just ¡®number four¡¯ for his owners. From what he told me, he went against his masters to rescue a group of wildmen from an exemplary execution. Escaped with them, saved over fifty people, and was accepted into their tribe.¡±- Brandt paused for a drip to collect his thoughts - ¡± Regardless, he was a scribe in a major actosia of the Order. Copyist, like you. He self-taught himself to read at his work.¡± -¡± Impressive¡± - Abh blinked - ¡±I don¡¯t see the relevance.¡± -¡± Ever since he escaped, he organizes raiding parties like this one. Out of pure vengeance. He teaches them Maargardian tactics. This camp...¡± - hoomin made a sweeping move with his head - ¡°...is run exactly like the Order runs its war camp. Everyone has a role, everyone has a schedule. You might not have noticed, but these men ¡­ are armed well, with steel swords of a recent issue, steel arrowheads, or axes. Armor is lacking, but neither Ordos are armored. All the equipment is stolen or fought for over the Maargard¡¯s western reaches. Each piece comes from some Church or Order¡¯s armory. Judging from what Strettar has told me, they are also trained by the same book as our opposition is. These men are as elite as wildmen could ever be. ¡± -¡± Didn¡¯t you, a few moments ago, said they are armed no better than common criminals¡± ¨C tanai bit sourly. A flash of unease showed briefly on Brandt¡¯s face. -¡± Sheridawn¡¯s criminal element is very well armed, in all honesty. But I downplayed them a little, admittedly, to evoke a little sympathy.¡± -¡± But now it is all honesty?¡± - Anh continued in the same vein as previously - ¡°fingers crossed and the other nonsense you, hoomin, do?¡± -¡± Yes.¡± - Brandt rubbed his brow, troubled ¨C ¡° My intention, and I¡¯m being absolutely honest, is to get access to the compound. For both of us.¡± -¡± So, are you saying, in this roundabout way, that they, we are not at a disadvantage?¡± -* Well, he¡¯s not succeeding...*- murmured Birdekk -¡± No, we aren¡¯t. Not at face value.¡± - Brandt said after a moment - ¡° But make no mistake, It is going to be a tough fight. But I would not drag you, or me, for that matter, into a hopeless one.¡± -* See. Nothing to worry about.*- Thernohh jeered -* And what was that supposed to mean?*- Greoo shot back -* It means that we are getting drafted into a war*- the answer came almost instantly -* We kind of drafted ourselves*- casually added Tow -*a few weeks ago, really* -* So we did. It hasn¡¯t become a wise idea since then.*- the youngest continued -*Arguably, it became much more dangerous. No. Indubitably so.* -* I am aware. We are all aware. I¡¯ll ask for details.*- said Anh assuredly -* So you made up your mind?*- Birdekk didn¡¯t hide his disappointment -*You can always decline!* -* ¡­and lose the access to the nanoforge¡­ place?* None of the kin wanted to comment any further. -¡± Mr Zerster. What precisely do you want from me?¡± - finally said Anh. -¡± As I said.¡±- Brandt scratched his nose -¡± You will stay behind, and aid the wounded once we¡¯re done. Speaking of which, Strettar asked me to see how your patients are doing.¡± Anh tilted his head a little, then stretched his hand to invite the hoomin to the hut he just left. Brandt entered, and the tanai followed right behind. ????â–“ ??8888?? : From the Dark The day turned out to be one in which nature decided to do precisely the opposite to would fit the occasion. It has been warm and sunny since morning, with little cloud cover. A slight breeze had been rustling the trees since morning, other than that, the woods were positively teeming with activity, life, and positive vibration inside and below the intensely green canopy of leaves. Which was unlike what was happening in the camp. In the morning Hanne¡¯s men went out to perform their assigned duties patrolling, hunting, or camp work. Only the cook and suspiciously Nord-looking blacksmith remained. They busied themselves with preparing food, water, and other supplies, and repairing clothes and weapons. Hanne assigned two extra men to help them, but regardless, there was enough work for each one and then some. Having witnessed the commotion Anh made himself sparse. He spent his time rummaging the camp¡¯s perimeter ¡®doing research¡¯, and visited the camp briefly, to look after his patients. Tensions in the camp grew as wildmen returned for the afternoon feast. Unlike previous days, there was very little joyful socializing, sipping thin ale, or smoking of leaf. Everyone busied themselves with checking their weapons and equipment, for the umpteenth time, fencing imaginary opponents, and being very solemn. -¡± I thought this was going to be a quick skirmish.¡± - mused Anh in the direction of Brandt when the raiding party was almost done with the gathering and about to leave - ¡°Yet they seem to be carrying quite some things. Did I see a stretcher? How did they even get one?¡± -¡± War, Mr. Trawins, is an art of logistics, first and foremost. Those who prepare best, tend to be the ones winning.¡±- shrugged Nord -¡± As I told you yesterday, these men were taught well how to wage one.¡± -¡± Since we are on the subject of being prepared.¡± - Anh was still eying the warriors around him - ¡±What were you doing for the last few days?¡± -¡± Spying.¡± - came the quick response. -¡± So what did you spy out?¡± - Anh was getting impatient, like a child before a fair - ¡°Tell me!¡± -¡± You¡¯ll see in due time.¡± -¡± Aren¡¯t the Ordos going to expect us? You aren¡¯t just going to rush into the camp, are you?¡± -¡± So far, they are either unaware or are ignoring Hanne¡¯s presence.¡± -¡± So you are just going to rush in?¡± -¡± No.¡± - Brandt chuckled - ¡±We are going to assume that they know everything, are acutely aware of our presence, and are armed to the teeth and waiting.¡± -¡± But you just said¡­¡± -¡± I also said.¡± - Nord didn¡¯t allow the tanai to finish - ¡°that war is an art of logistics, which includes preparedness.¡± Anh fell silent. Brandt diverted his attention towards his newly found and quite unexpected, allies. He made a quick visual assessment of their battleworthiness, as he has done so numerous times already. -¡± So what is your plan¡± - Anh once again broke the silence - ¡°I assume you have one, you always have one...¡± - he added somewhat unsurely. -¡± I am going to, with two archers, sneak on top of the structures around their camp, locate the seer, and take them out. Once done, I¡¯ll signal the rest to follow us into the Dlooa proper and take Ordos out. If all goes well, there will be little fighting.¡± -¡± If things go badly, you are going to improvise?¡± -¡± Yes¡± The tanai wanted to reply but was interrupted by Strettar, who just came by and stole Brandt¡¯s attention. -¡± We are ready.¡± - said the elder. -¡± Let¡¯s head out then.¡± - nodded the Nord. He quickly and once again, checked if his gear was in order then turned toward Anh - ¡°It¡¯s time.¡± The march toward the compound was quite slow. The group was sizeable, encumbered more than the usual patrol parties and the night was slowly taking its toll on its pace. Brandt estimated that it took them over three candles to reach Dlooa. Shortly before they met a group of scouts who completed their party. After distributing everyone with their assigned equipment, and blackening exposed skin, where possible, with lard and ash, wildmen divided themselves into five groups, about three men each. Three of these, including one with Hanne, dispersed into the forest after a short deliberation. Strettar, Gustaf, Anh, Brandt, and two bow-wielding warriors introduced as Jorun and Dane were all who remained. -¡± Mr Trawins. Your task is to stay here with Gustaf and Strettar and once we¡¯re done, approach the compound and help the wounded.¡± - Brandt pointed at two substantial sacks laid nearby on a hastily made stretcher -¡± we have prepared water, cloth, and knives, just about anything that might be needed. Even string and needles, should you need to sew people. As you already saw, we have something to carry the grievously wounded back to the camp, should that be necessary.¡± Anh nodded, slowly, probably after having realized the severity of the situation he found himself in. -¡± Litte wy gean. Jo kenne it plan.¡± - Brandt said to his appointed companions. Both of them nodded in confirmation. After confirming that everything was going according to the plan he, Hanne, and Strettar were carefully crafting for the last two days. Brandt began to creep through the open plains towards their goal. The flickering glow of a bonfire lit the walls of the compound¡¯s buildings. One that must have been quite significant, if one judged by the intensity of the light. It was obscured to a degree by objects invisible from Brandt¡¯s vantage, that cast long rectangular shadows.Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings. Zoon provided a little illumination. The major of the two moons was already well advanced in its ascending quarter. The lesser one, Dux never added more than the blue tint, even if, like on this night, when full. Brandt went forward slowly, peeking for any activity from within, regardless if it was a guard on one of the roofs or someone taking a piss. It took a long triskol, but he and his companions reached the wall of one of the buildings. Undisturbed. They clung to the wall and slowly crept along it, toward the roof access ladder. Brandt remembered it being a few steps away from where they just landed. Except it was just an earshot and probably an eyeshot away from their foes. It was behind a corner, on a wall between two buildings. At the corner, Brand took a peek behind to see where his wildmen companions were. His nerves calmed a little when he saw them nearby. Then he took an equally quick peek behind the corner and cursed inaudibly. The ladder was precisely where he last saw it, about ten mers from him, maybe less. But as he saw behind the corner, he heard the quiet singing and sounds of commotion from the ordo camp, previously muffled by the thick walls of the compound. -* Should have expected them being still up* - he quickly reprimanded himself -*It is quite early*. He kept peeking for a couple more drips and finally decided to sneak toward the ladder. He nodded at his companions and quickly, with a racing heart, headed toward it and grabbed it as soon as possible. The rusted metal creaked and shook a little as he did. Small grains of dust and debris fell from where the ladder was mounted to the wall. He ascended the ladder. He carefully poked his head over the roofline, looking for signs of a guard on any of the buildings. He found none. -* They really didn¡¯t expect anyone to bother them* - Brandt mused - *Very careless* The glass fixtures on the roof were very similar to those witnessed before. Now they resembled a black rectangle propped on a tubular trunk and provided even more shade to hide in. Brandt stepped over the ledge and snook under them. The archers followed and soon joined. He then decided to head toward the ledge of the building which would give him an overlook on the ordos below. Once there, he carefully peeked out. The building he was on was one the templar had chosen as their main base. The fire was set up before the entrance, ten to maybe fifteen mers before it. It was indeed significant. The templar must have finished their meal for the day. A reminder of a roast was thrown by the wayside, next to a pile of deer bones and fur. The men were sitting around it, in various poses. Three were playing cards, one was plucking his Paaronian lute, sometimes producing a few chords resembling a melody. The objects which cast the looming shadows that helped his sneaking just drips before turned out to be cabinets of sorts, about two and a half mers tall and about one in width and depth. The templar must have dragged them from within the building, as made evident by long scratches on the black surface of the central square. Their target, the seer, was tinkering with the inside of one of these obelisks in a glow of lumehex and seemed completely disinterested in what their companions were doing. Brandt decided to move back. -¡± Wy wachtsje.¡± - he said to the archers, blessing that he made Strettar teach him a few crucial utterances in the wildmen language. Like the one he just said, informing his companions that they needed to wait. Both until the templar went to rest, and for other wildmen to assume their positions around the compound. All was going according to plan. Waiting, especially on this dark, warm night, near a hostile encampment, had the side effect of giving lots of time to devise ways in which the entire escapade could end in a disaster. He was an outsider trying to gain the trust of a people who had no reason to give any. When he presented his plan, some of the wildmen protested this ¡®ambush and eliminate¡¯ tactic he devised, seeing it as dishonorable. It took Strettar¡¯s and Hanne¡¯s intervention to convince them. But were they really convinced? After a few triskols, to keep these thoughts at bay, Brandt decided to occupy his mind with observing what was happening in the Ordo camp. The tanai seer was busying themselves with the apparatus around. They would float towards one, do things, make notes, hum to themselves, and then move towards another. In the process, they would ignore just about anyone around. In that aspect, he seemed very much like Anh. Besides, there wasn¡¯t much to pay attention to. Those who played cards continued to do so, those who were talking, were doing so about some inane things. Mostly about the weather and the place they were in. Although their banter did reveal them being from the port city of Damar and for the most part, actually enjoyed the chase after the fugitives, as it was a change of pace from wasting away near Katzburg and drinking boredom away. The men were, one by one, returning to the building and after what seemed to be at least a candle with a halfer, when judged by how far Dux had come in the sky. Who remained were the tanai and a short, balding forty-something who didn¡¯t even look like a combatant of any kind. Those two began discussing something over one of the artifacts for quite some time. At one moment, the hoomin returned to the fire and sat beside it. Then reached to a satchel, grabbed a book out, flipped a few pages, and started to read. Brandt waited a few drips, wanting to ensure that the seer was not going to move from their location. Then the nord gestured at his companions. They snuck towards him. -¡± Slanke man, now.¡± - whispered Brandt. At first, there was an eerie silence, when the men drew their bows and aimed. Then it was the noise of two strings released in unison. Then two arrows flew towards the unsuspecting tanai. They were not far away, maybe twenty, maybe twenty-five mers. In the dark, it was difficult to say how much carnage these arrows caused. Certainly, however, the seer was wounded. They screamed briefly, then collapsed to the ground. This marked the moment to signal the Hanne¡¯s warriors to storm the compound. Brandt sighed, closed his eyes, concentrated, and invoked one of the few hexergic tricks he cared enough about over the years to learn. He raised his left hand into the air. A few drips later the air around his clenched fist fizzled and the metallic scent filled the air. Suddenly bright lightning shot into the skies twenty, maybe thirty mers up, and a loud boom echoed around. Once done, he opened his eyes only to meet the astounded gazes of the archers. Now came the time to invoke another of the few hexergic tricks he cared to learn. He was to become the proverbial ¡®tip of the spear¡¯ of this assault. One who would draw the attention of the Ordos for the precious few drips. Enough for his allies to join and archers to land a few shots of opportunity. He chose a spot on one of the cabinets nearby, drew his sword, went over the edge, and plunged several mers down, having only weak kinehexergy to help his fall. In the meantime, the templar camp went on full alert. The man who just a moment before was reading a book, screamed into the compound. Not a dozen drips later, the seasoned Sorresian mariners poured outside, half with a firearm in one hand and a sword in the other. Ready to face whatever or whomever they were supposed to. Brandt chose the few closest to him and charged from a direction they would find most awkward to defend. They noticed him, one raised his pistol, and two rushed with their weapons ready. At the same moment three groups of wildmen, wailing a battle cry, poured out from the shadows from different directions. ????â–“ ??8888?? : Against the Consensus Since Brandt left, every kin had been obsessing over the nearby Dlooa complex. Despite the darkness, it was so close that they could barely make out the shapes of the buildings from the glow emanating from the inside. That, in turn, fueled speculation about what they may find. Thernohh did what she could to remind everyone that they weren¡¯t there yet, thus such deliberations might have been premature. The discussion lost some of its enthusiasm after a candle or so when the boredom of the prolonged wait finally settled in. Anh was accustomed to just waiting, doing nothing in particular, and it took a considerable effort, along with periodic reminders from Birdekk, to remain on his post. Of his hoomin companions, Strettar sat below the tree, propped against it, and snored a little, probably napping. Gustaf had been waiting with them but had just gone after Brandt and the archers. To the surprise of the tanai. Anh followed him with his gaze until the silhouette of the wildman disappeared in the surrounding darkness. -* He is probably just as impatient as us and went to check things out, spy a little, scout things.*- an image of Tow materialized nearby, starkly contrasted against the background, illuminated by an unknown and unnatural pinkish glow. The tanai attempted to show his apparition nonchalantly propped on a nearby tree. It worked, for the most part, although the peacock feathered headdress he decided to wear was merging itself weirdly with the trunk behind. For the occasion, he had chosen a mint-colored robe with pink trim. He dyed his goatee to match. -* Scouting. Him? Without an eye?*- scoffed Thernohh -* He still has the other one, you know*¨C responded Tow -* I think he would not be here if he struggled with putting it to good use. *- -* I wonder what we will find there.* - mused Anh -* Blood, guts, severed limbs and gore?*- Birdekk¡¯s projection appeared in Anh¡¯s peripheral vision on a side opposite Tow¡¯s. As usual, the eldest kin wore plain, grey linen overalls and found it fitting to float cross-legged. Unlike Tow, however, Birdekk decided his apparition to be less lit. -* That will be in ample supply, no doubt. *- uneasily said Anh -* I meant the compound, Dlooa. I avoid obsessing about what you mentioned and concentrate on the positives. *- replied Anh -* I don¡¯t want to add to whatever we¡¯ve been through in the last few weeks. It has been a lot already.* -* Well that¡¯s an understatement. *- snarkily added Thernohh. Anh rolled his eyes. -* Thank you. *- he said. At the same moment, Birdekk decided to turn his image toward the Dlooa complex. He has done so at a rather theatrically slow pace. Not too quickly, as one would do if they wanted to merely look at something, not too slowly, for it to be odd, but certainly to be noticed. -* You know that only we in this cranium can witness it right? *- quickly commented Thernohh. In response, Tow rolled ¡®his¡¯ eyes. -* I see you are as anxious as all of us. *- he said -* It¡¯s not like I have a choice, I don¡¯t think. *- the youngest retorted, quite angrily so -* As I see it, it¡¯s just hoomin doing hoomin things to other hoomin. We were dragged into it by the leash of our curiosity. And sense of obligation, I guess. *- -* What are you suggesting? *- -* I¡¯m stating¡­ *- Thernohh emphasized the last word -* ...that we are getting what we deserve. So does everybody else in this Divinul-forsaken place *- For a moment there was silence between the kin, underlined solely by the whispering of the forest. -* I just hope¡­ *- Birdekk now turned towards Anh -* ¡­that we are going to get through this unscathed. *- Anh shrugged. -* It¡¯s Brandt¡¯s idea of problem-solving over there. We are here to sweep up after he¡¯s done. I think we are safe. If anything goes awry, we are best equipped of everyone here, save maybe for the seer of the ordos, to fly away into directions unknown to us and them alike. *- Birdekk¡¯s projection wiggled eyebrows in unease. He then allowed it to disperse. -* I know. But that does not quell my worries. *- he said in his parting words. -* I can relate, but I think he worries too much. *- commented Tow towards Anh -* On an unrelated, but not quite, topic, because I want to answer your initial query. *- -* Yes? *- -* I don¡¯t know much about ancient precursor artifacts, but judging from how let¡¯s say ¡®pristine¡¯ this place looks. As little as there is to be seen¡­ honestly, none of us have the faintest clue as to what is inside.*- -* Well, neither do the ordos.*- Thernohh decided to return to the conversation. -* You are probably right. *- Tow put a finger to his lips and began to rub and delicately pinch them, lost in thought -* We know it is a ¡®forge¡¯. So a fabrication facility of some sort. But what are those ¡®nano¡¯s which were being made here¡­ that remains to be discovered. * Neither Anh nor any other kin seemed to have anything else to say. After a few moments, Tow dispersed his projection. In his place came the warm silence and whispering of the spring forest, which lasted about a quanter and ended suddenly.This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere. A muffled scream echoed in the distance, followed by a short, loud lighting shot up into the darkness from somewhere before them and quite above in the air. Its intense glow caused Anh a sudden, and quite significant, ocular discomfort. Almost instantly after the blast, several men¡¯s howls were heard, followed by a few, tanai counted nine, gunshots a few drips later. Interspersed were clanging of metal into metal and, sometimes, a scream of pain. The commotion was brief, lasting less than a triskol. It fit what Anh could reasonably imagine a battle sounded like and despite being far away his heart raced as if he were in the thick of it. He froze in place and it took another two or so triskols after the commotion subsided and until he gained some sense of rooting into reality. -* Should we go there and take a look at what is going on? *- asked Tow, rhetorically, as he spoke as if it was a certainty. -* I presuppose you decided that ¡®our guys¡¯ won? *- -* No.*- replied Tow, stretching the word substantially -* I prssupose we can fly and it is pretty dark *- There was no immediate answer, although murmurs could be witnessed, especially from Birdekk and Greoo. -* Since nobody seems to want to commit to anything, I decided we would go there. *- finally said Anh and flew into the air. Once he left the relative safety of the forest and intruded into the clearing before the compound, he quickly gained altitude. As he did so, more details emerged of what had happened just a few triskols ago. The buildings¡¯ outlines were barely visible, lit only by a large bonfire. Rectangular obelisks of unknown purpose were placed around and cast long, flickering shadows on the compound¡¯s walls. As he got closer, he could resolve hoomin figures standing, walking, and rummaging upon and along, presumably, corpses on the ground. Among them, one stood a tall figure with a long blade in his right hand, lowered toward the ground. -* I think this is Brandt. *- mused Anh while looking towards the man. He was maybe thirty or forty mers from him. -* It is. *- grimly said Greoo -* And we finally got to see him with a sword drawn. *- -* Not the most glorious of circumstances, to be honest. *- -* They took the victory, it¡¯s as glorious as it gets. *- shrugged Thernohh -* I can¡¯t attach splendor to being better at murdering others. *- Greoo grumbled -* Even if ¡®others¡¯ are just as bent on murdering you. *- The Nord was looking for something in the air, nervously. -* I wonder what is he looking for¡­? *- Brandt gazed toward somewhere in Anh¡¯s vicinity, but not quite at him. Tanai observed this curiously for a moment. Suddenly, Nord turned his attention from something in the skies to the ground. What he was searching for there turned out to be a pistol near the body of a killed templar. Hoomin leaped toward it grabbed it, and aimed right at the Anh. Then a gunshot was heard. Tanai didn¡¯t have time to properly register as to what was happening. When a bullet whizzed through the air, too close to call it even remotely comfortable, He panicked. -¡± WHAT ARE YOU DOING! ¡±- he shrieked toward Brandt. The answer came almost immediately, but not in any form Anh might have expected. -¡± TRAWINS! DON¡¯T WASTE TIME! GET THEM! ¡±- shouted Brandt as loudly as he could. Almost at the same drip the ordo seer flew uneasily nearby, not paying Anh any attention, and disappeared into the darkness. -¡± THE SEER!¡± - again shouted the Nord -¡± GET THE SEER! ¡± Confused Anh turned his head towards the flying figure, then did so toward the ancient aberrant on the ground, and again into the darkness. -¡± GO! ¡±- Brandt¡¯s commandeering shout forced Anh into action. He turned and followed where the other tanai flew. He could barely notice their figure, but at the same time, they didn¡¯t pay much attention to anything, other than trying to be as far away from the compound as possible. It didn¡¯t take long, maybe a couple of dozen drips, when Anh was beside them, several mers up in the air. -* Why are they holding to their stomach like that? *- Greoo pondered when they finally managed to make out the silhouette of the other tanai from the surrounding darkness -* They are wounded! They need our help! *- -¡± Hey!¡±- shouted Anh -* We need to get them back to the complex! *- worriedly continued Greoo -¡± Be gone!¡± - the templar barked back, then spit something out -¡± Unless you¡¯re here to kill us. Then do it, like your owner ordered you to. ¡± -* Was that ¡­ blood? *- -* They must be grievously wounded! Look how uneasy their flight is! *- -¡± No! We¡¯re not to do that! Of course not! ¡±- Anh continued to shout -¡± We want to help you! You are wounded!¡± -¡± Sure. Just like you helped Ksintsaxai. ¡±- this time the ordo spoke almost inaudibly and did so with great difficulty. -¡± Get out of our way! ¡±- they spit again. -* No. Of course not. Tell them! *- Tow and Birdekk said almost in unison. -¡± Stop! We¡­ we will help! ¡±- there was no answer. Instead, the ordo continued into the darkness and away from the Dlooa complex. Anh paused, anxious and unsure of what to do next. -* We need to get them! *- grimly said Thernohh after a few drips, shaking the dominant and other kin from their dazed state. -* No we don¡¯t! *- Greoo barked back -* We¡¯re not Brandt¡¯s pawns! If these tanai want to go, we let them! *- -* Anh! Go after them.*- Thernohh insisted. -* Don¡¯t you dare! Birdekk! Tow! Help me! *- shouted Greoo, but received no answer. Anh was confused, and it didn¡¯t seem like the kin were to be of any help. -* I¡¯ll speak to them once again *- he said uneasily, then flew in the direction the ordo disappeared a few moments prior and caught up to them a few drips later. -¡± Stop!¡± - he again shouted, this time with anxiety in his voice ¨C ¡°Please!¡± There was no answer, not even an acknowledgment that Anh was there. -* Why aren¡¯t they reacting!? *- exclaimed the dominant. -* Follow them! *- commandeered Birdekk -* We need to find a way for them to surrender, and come with us! *- -¡± Please! Stop!¡±- Anh continued trying to grab the other tanai¡¯s attention -¡± We want to help!¡± - there wasn¡¯t anything but cold indifference. Suddenly, he felt a slight tingling at the base of his skull. One of the kin was preparing to Craft and judging from how quickly the sensation grew, it was being done aggressively and very against the consensus of the variunity. -* No! *- shreiked Greoo The metallic scent appeared out of nowhere, and a sudden shock struck all of them. Instantly, the seer was struck with an invisible force and immediately paused and curled, although still managed to keep themselves in flight. A second strike came a few drips later. The seer gurgled some then fell into the woods below. -* They. Made. Their. Choice. *- slowly and coldly announced Thernohh. All of them heard the limp body fly through the trees, tumble in the branches, and crash with a silent ¡®thud¡¯ on the ground. That sound reverberated grimly in their consciousnesses for a few drips. Then it was replaced by mental silence they never experienced before. ????â–“ ??8888??: Recovery It had been a long while since Brandt had participated in an actual skirmish, but how this panned out was no different from ¡®usual¡¯. It ended quickly and followed the same routine as it always did: first, gather as many men with as many weapons as possible, then use every advantage you can get, and lastly, don¡¯t be a hero. If done well, the thing would end in a triskol or two, and you and your band would be victorious. Heroism was, with little in between, either unsung or a product of a particularly talented bard. One who could make mundane, or downright fabricated, into a legend for boys of future generations to both aspire to and get killed for. His plan worked. They went into the ordo camp like a storm. The templar barely had time to react before the wildmen were at their throats. It was likely that seasoned sorresian mariners were better fighters than his allies. But even they could barely stand a chance when attacked unsuspectingly in the dark. They did put up a good fight though, despite circumstance. Once the situation was under control, Nord began to look for the most important of the ordos, regardless of whether they were alive, dying, or dead. The seer was certainly wounded by the archers but in the middle of the battle, Brand didn¡¯t bother to search for them. Now, however, was the time. -"W¨ºr is de tinne timpelier" - He shouted into the air while searching around with his gaze. To his annoyance, he received no answer, as all who could give him one were either busy looting or taking care of their wounded, or fallen, comrades. Seer¡¯s corpse was not where they were struck. In the flickering, orange glow Brandt could not resolve whether there was a trail of blood leading somewhere. Then he turned his attention to the sky. He cursed inaudibly, and just before he almost went to examine where the tanai was struck, he noticed a scant sight of them about thirty mers away from him, just at the edge of the roof of the building. It was a moment to act fast. Brandt scoured the immediate area in search of archers with who he came to the battle. Instead, a pistol on the ground, next to the outstretched hand of a downed templar caught his eye. He jumped towards it, grabbed it immediately, and pulled the trigger -*Is it even loaded?*- crossed his mind when he was doing so. It was, by some twist of fate. A gunshot echoed from the walls of the compound. The immediate area around him filled with the smell of sulfur and the attention of everyone around. The shot missed. -¡± WHAT ARE YOU DOING!¡± - Anh''s shriek from above. -¡± TRAWINS! DON¡¯T WASTE TIME! GET THEM!¡± - he shouted in response, immediately berating himself for not specifying who were those who the Trawins was supposed to ¡®get¡¯ ¨C ¡° THE SEER! GET THE SEER!¡± - he added. He couldn¡¯t see where his employee was, or whether they heard him. -¡± GO!¡± - he he shouted, frustrated. He couldn¡¯t tell if the tanai heard and heeded his commands. During the entire exchange, Trawins was out of sight. This only furthered the frustration. He looked at what was around, but there wasn¡¯t anything unexpected in this circumstance. The wildmen captured five of the ordos. Three were the wounded mariners, two were the pudgy Maargardians who, certainly, were not combatants. All the captives were being tied under the watch of three of Hanne¡¯s men. Unless someone escaped, which Brandt was almost certain didn¡¯t happen, members of the expedition that had been chasing them for the last several days lay slain between those crumbling grey buildings. With the uncomfortable exception of the seer. Which, obviously meant that the largest threat was still not neutralized. The wildmen lost two of their numbers, of that Nord was certain. After the battle, he noticed at least two other wounded. To what severity, he could only guess, but judging from the attention their comrades gave them, it was serious. All in all, it was a well-executed plan, and the wildmen exceeded the expectations he placed on them. He allowed himself to ruminate over this for a few drips, then decided to start a search for the seer, and Trawins¡ªhopefully both. Whatever the tanai was up to the task and whether they succeeded, should have been resolved already.Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit. Without paying much attention to the goings in the compound, Brandt left. He expected that the seer would want to get as much distance as possible and, thus would follow, roughly, along the direction where Brandt was shooting. He immediately scolded himself for being so optimistic. -*On the other hand, I don¡¯t have any other leads, do I*- he reminded himself and decided to follow the path he had chosen, having an eye and ear open for anything which could point him to the whereabouts of both tanai, or at least one of them. In the best of circumstances, he mused as he was venturing deeper into the woods, he would get a few months to scour through the compound and see what it was all about. Provided Hanne was going to cooperate. In the worst case, at least a few weeks. The Ordo Pro Cvrsi would, likely, mount a search party. But what were the chances of actually finding them? Brandt was wondering. The last contact the pursuers had with any office of the Ordo was, most likely, back in Kaar oth¡¯Graev. That was over two weeks and an entire mountain range ago. How hard the task of finding this lost expedition laid solely on how diligent the seer, or the captured officials, were at reporting back. Judging from how remote the area they were going through was, any attempt to message back was probably futile. Nature was already covering any trail any of them, ordos, he and Anh, could have left. In all truth, it effectively all relied on whether one of the templars escaped unscathed, which reduced down to Trawins disposing of the seer. Here laid the problem, Brandt wasn¡¯t sure if the tanai had it in him to downright wound or even kill someone, especially a wounded of his own. Nord vividly recalled just how groveling Anh was during the encounter with Ksintsax. That and tanai were known to hold very little, if not even none, suspicion towards their ilk, even if by some twist of fate they ended up on opposite sides of hostilities. From time to time this did happen, and usually ended with the tanai on both sides finding some sort of an uneasy compromise. He found him, Anh, about a candle later, after wandering through the darkened forest, shouting for him and being certain that he veered long off the direction he initially intended to follow. ¡®Finding¡¯ also wasn¡¯t an applicable term. He stumbled on the bookkeeper sitting knurled on the ground, weeping silently and weaving slightly fore and aft, with a bloodied and mangled object on the ground, which Brandt quickly recognized as the ordo the tanai was supposed to catch. Hoomin knelt beside Anh and slowly tried to turn the seer¡¯s corpse so he could see their face and immediately realized how futile this was. As he pulled by their hand, it seemed it wasn¡¯t even attached to a skeleton. The enlarged cranium was on one side and looked like a crushed hard-boiled egg. Everywhere Brandt tried to pull, it was as if he was handling a piece of soft, boneless meat. As he tried to recreate what had happened, he looked to the skies, where his employee and ordo seer must have met. Whatever happened, it must have sent the seer tumbling down. After they hit the treetops, they must have tumbled through the branches, breaking every bone imaginable. If they weren¡¯t killed then, having struck the ground at great velocity must have been the final blow. Brandt wasn¡¯t averse to the sight of corpses, even fresh ones. As little as he could recall, it was obvious to him that he killed countless people himself, and judging how ferocious he was not a candle ago, he must have been good at it. This however, this soggy cadaver wrapped in torn robes, was a living, breathing being not that long ago, this was its special kind of macabre. It also meant that the seer was taken care of, thus it was time to make Trawins use his talents to, hopefully, help Hanne¡¯s wounded. -¡± Come. We need to go¡± ¨C he said softly -¡± there are people who need your help.¡± - Anh didn¡¯t react, just kept on rocking slightly -¡± Hey! Well done. But we¡¯re not done yet.¡± The tanai raised his head and looked towards the hoomin. -¡± I killed them.¡± - he said with a shaking voice ¨C ¡°Just like that. Now they are dead. I did that.¡± Such distress was to be expected. Brandt hoped a little bit that it wouldn¡¯t, but realistically, there was no other way for the tanai. At the same time, however, at least three men needed help more than the corpse before them. -¡± Come.¡± - Brandt kept the soft voice -¡± You are needed elsewhere, without your aid others will perish.¡± - whether it was true didn¡¯t matter, although it probably was. What was important was the promise Brandt gave to Hanne. One of the ¡®slanke man¡¯ treated the wounded with the easterner trickery. Besides, the tanai certainly wasn¡¯t in a condition that allowed leaving him alone in the forest after dark. Trawins didn¡¯t react at once or at all, except he stared at him with a blank expression. -¡± I know. I know this is ... hard for you¡± ¨C continued hoomin ¨C ¡° but we need to move. Once we¡¯re back at the ¡®Dlooa¡¯ place, I¡¯ll return and bury ... them, so they don¡¯t rot here or be eaten by animals.¡± Anh blinked slowly a few times. -¡± Yes.¡± - he said laboriously -¡± we need to fulfill our obligations.¡± - he straightened himself, shook off his attire, and then turned towards the Brandt, who as well as about done preparing himself to return to the wildmen ¨C ¡°Can you lead us...¡° - tanai paused for a drip -¡±...me back?¡± Brandt just nodded slowly. -¡± Please.¡± - added the tanai. Hoomin took a moment to orientate as to where he was, then headed into the woods. Tanai followed. ????â–“ ??8888??: Guilt The warm glow was gone; in its stead, an ominous grey light emanated from nowhere in particular. Birdekk sat glumly in his chair, his chin resting on his hands folded on his chest. Opposite to him sat Tow, sunken into his chair and hands gripping the hand rests. Both appeared twins, as they both wore drab overalls and the same glum expression. Greoo was racing back and forth, her leather, steel-tipped shoes echoing on the cold polished granite floor. She wore a long, tightly fitting, buttoned top to bottom, crimson dress and white cap of a very pious, angry, and serious maargardian noblewoman. She would go to one end of the room, turn around, march toward the other end, and then repeat. She has done so for at least a quanter already. Every once in a while she would stop, inhale, as if she wanted to say something, then change her mind and continue marching aimlessly. Anh was nowhere to be found, although his and Greoo¡¯s chairs were prepared between Tow¡¯s and Birdekk¡¯s. The eldest called this meeting after the shock of what Thernohh had done subsided, at least a little. After the eldest kin said a few vacuous niceties¡­ they found themselves at a loss of words. On top, Anh seemed unresponsive, and Thernohh ¡­ just didn¡¯t appear to care one iota. On the fringes of their awareness, they noted that Brandt came and said things. Upon noticing it Greoo paused for a bit, grumbled, and continued to race angrily back and forth without saying anything. Whatever the Nord said did knock Anh out of his state though, as the dominant was now following their hoomin employer. Suddenly, Greoo stopped. -¡± HOW COULD YOU DO THIS!?¡± - she shouted into the air. Birdekk and Tow exchanged troubled glances but didn¡¯t say a word. -¡± Thernohh! I know you hear this! Explain yourself!¡± Greoo¡¯s frustrations were met with silence for a few drips. -¡± I¡¯m not going to.¡± - finally came a response -¡± You are not dumb, you know why.¡± - the youngest said calmly, but somewhat sadly. -¡± You murdered one of us!¡± - ¡±I killed one of our kind. Yes.¡± The young woman opened her mouth but no words came out of it. After a brief moment, she exhaled heavily -¡±Why?¡±- she finally said quietly. -¡± We are a soldier, Greoo, or a vagabond, outlaw. Name it how you want. We didn¡¯t sign up for this out of our own volition, but here we are.¡± - Thernohh¡¯s voice was cold and monotone ¨C ¡°Brandt¡¯s, and wildmen¡¯s lives were relying on us doing that one thing, probably even more people¡¯s as well. ¡± -¡± So did Brandt say, yes.¡± ¨C murmured Tow -¡± We gave the seer all the opportunity to surrender. They refused and thus forced our ¡­ my grip. I am not proud of what I needed to do. But we have an obligation to all those who trusted us.¡± -¡± You killed them¡­¡± - ¡±Greoo¡± ¨C it was Birdekk¡¯s turn to speak -¡± I imagine. No. I know that you are suffering. But Thernohh¡­¡±- he hung his voice for an uncomfortably long time to continue - ¡±...she is right.¡± - he silently, finished the sentence.Stolen story; please report. -¡± We implicitly agreed to do anything necessary when we agreed to take part in this Divinul forsaken expedition.¡±- added Tow -¡± Vhirs all doing, this is such a mess, and we¡¯re right in the middle of it.¡± -¡± We didn¡¯t agree to anything!¡± - weakly protested Greoo -¡± We didn¡¯t agree to steal, to murder Ksintsax, to this¡­¡± Birdekk sighed, wiggled his eyebrows a little, pondering what to say next, then spoke. -¡± Can you point to where we were dragged against our will, where we didn¡¯t turn a blind eye to shady things Brandt was doing?¡± The room was filled with tense, uncomfortable silence, but at the same time, the glow became a little warmer. Greoo slowly returned to her chair, and, once close enough, fell into it heavily. -¡± I can¡¯t¡± ¨C she said weakly ¨C ¡°It¡¯s all his fault...¡± - ¡±Don¡¯t¡± ¨C sternly said Birdekk -¡± Face the responsibility, learn from it. As we all need to. For now¡­¡± - the eldest half shut his eyes - ¡°... I think we are nearing the compound. We better prepare ourselves for fulfilling the role of a vitahexer. Another obligation we took.¡± As they approached the compound, a lone figure approached them, which they quickly recognized as Strettar, the elder of the wildmen. None of them paid much attention to what the hoomin was saying, only that three of their people were grievously wounded, and they needed help. When they entered the compound, they noticed Hanne¡¯s had already cleaned the battlefield off fallen ordos. On the edges of their sight, they saw one corpse being unceremoniously dragged away. Someone was carrying fresh logs to throw into the dimming bonfire. Nearer to it laid three men, one next to another, covered by blankets and being sought after by two others. The rest of the war party was scouring the compound for whatever reason. They counted three doing this. Where were the rest, it was anyone¡¯s guess. Strettar was saying something to them, but they were not listening, instead allowing the dominant to deal with it, which he did, and apparently to the satisfaction of the hoomin, They began working a few drips later, which all of them found quite soothing, despite the sour smell of vitahexergy, gore and slash and gunshot wounds. Whatever they asked for it found itself in their hand within a triskol. Be it a bandage, a wet towel, or a knife. Forst of the wounded had a musket ball stuck into his thigh bone. He howled, squirmed, and tossed as the messy extraction progressed. Three of his companions held him during this time, but in the end, the ball was removed, and the wound sewn and dressed. The second patient was delirious, sweaty, and barely cognizant. Anh attributed it to blood loss caused by a slash wound on the neck. Immediately he began to apply the little vitahexergy he knew and began to sew the wound. Unlike the previous, this man did not object, or even move, which made Anh¡¯s task that much easier. Not a quarter later, this task was completed and initial worries about the patient¡¯s survival subsided when they noticed his shallow breath. The last of them suffered a gunshot to the gut and only had a weak pulse to him. The ball went through, likely leaving a mess. They didn¡¯t consider whether an attempt to help was justifiable, just spent over a halfer using all the scant knowledge of medicinal hexergy and anatomy they knew. It seemed to have worked, although at the cost of inhaling noxious fumes of the craft, which gave them a little dizzy feeling and a mild headache. About a candle later, all three wildmen were sleeping beside the fire, under blankets, next to a mess of bloody bandages, rags, knives, and jugs. The variunity of Anh was floating beside them, staring absentmindedly into the fire. Their hands were covered with splotches of blood and sweat. Their clothes were immersed in the stench of vitahexergy. None of them said a word to each other since they returned from the forest. They were tired, exhausted, emotionally drained, disgusted, and burdened by guilt. The wildmen around them were doing things, carrying items, doing tasks, they didn¡¯t pay much attention to it, just allowed the time to pass. After a while, they noticed that Strettar and some of the wildmen sat around the bonfire with them. None were saying anything but on their faces, they read gratitude mixed