The Last Heroes Before Judgement (8 page)

The ground rose in the center of the valley. I had to carry Kru through the snow drifts and nearly lost a boot more than once. Then we came to a vertical slope too high and wide to see around.

“Sorry boy, we’re going up there. I know but there’s no time to circle back.”

The young puppy was still small enough to fit in my vest. I was slipping as much as crawling, but just light enough to pull on loose roots without causing them to snap. When we reached the top, I laid there in the snow and let Kru escape to scout with his nose.

“We made it little buddy. Um, do you think there’s time for a nap?”

When I yawned Kru barked into my mouth, convincing me to jump up and stand in the sun.

“You’re right, we’re in a hurry. But, where are we? What is this place, a graveyard?”

Kru sniffed at the ground beneath the sawed off stumps and confirmed there were bodies buried under our feet. I wiped the snow off the nearest stump to find a commemorative inscription.

“Sergeant Slaughter? Are these heroes from the old Commandoes?”

Kru stayed close to my feet and we crept through the open plateau very slowly- being careful not to anger the fallen. From that vantage point I confirmed we were on course and the high road circled so far north that clouds distorted the view. The raised cemetery had only a small circle of white oak still standing in the center. Kru wanted to go around it but my curiosity would not allow me to pass. However, I too crouched and whispered with the same superstitious fear.

“C’mon boy, I bet the greatest hero of all is buried in there.”

I had to carry Kru to the tree line. From there, we both had to crawl to make it through. We saw no more graves but the smell of death was thick in the air. A frozen pond surrounded a massive black stone that only a runaway glacier could have left there. The southern face was flattened and showed the stars lined up in the north sky from a time long gone. Apparently, the head mason had never returned to update his creation in accordance with the procession of the equinox. Below that was carved a black diver swimming towards the northwest.

“What happened to it? Who would ruin such a beautiful design?”

Kru was much more afraid than impressed so I held his mouth shut. We crawled close enough to read the ancient symbols and the hilt somehow translated the words in my mind. The poor turtle’s head had been scratched over but the word still found its way to my tongue.

“Clovus? But, the lost Lokah tribe fell to Goja so long ago…”

Kru had never read a schooling text but I had snuck into the priest’s library more than once so I decided I was correct. The tail had been scratched out as well and I had to turn my head and focus before the words were legible to my hilt. The heart of the turtle was the most surprising.

“By the light of day! Just how old is Dante’s Isle? Does Lacer-tor mean heart? Look, that’s called Guuwa now, it’s the capitol of Iha-Zonya. This map is so old it shows it belonging to the White Coal Nation. What is happening? What happened here?”

I was panting, and Kru slipped free. He barked to stir me away but I was frozen with shock.

“Wha- what god left this here? But, just, how could any mapmaker have seen all of this? Kru, this is an over map of the entire world!”

The discovery confused and excited me too deeply. I let out a squeal that disturbed the silence, scaring birds from the canopies beyond the plateau. I also woke whatever beasts had been using the hallowed grove as a home. They stood and shook the snow from their backs. When they sniffed at the intruders, I saw their nostrils moving the way a steed would point his ear.

“Oh no, the Grinnlies are real. Grinnlies are actually real.”

All I could think to do was slither down to my knees and make myself appear smaller. I had made the mistake of sneaking up on a whole party of nocturnal beasts and waking them from their slumber. The only way to make that worse is to turn, start screaming and run away in fear- the way their food does. I lowered myself down and hid my teeth in hopes of being seen as a stray cub with no meat to offer. They clearly saw the two of us as no threat, so they just stretched and laid back down. I was crawling backwards slowly, barely keeping my breath steady, when a smaller creature just feet from my left side perked up. He struggled with his mother to climb out from her embrace, forcing her to stand. She shook herself free of snow with an agitated growl and the cub jumped out from between her arms. I whined as hard as Kru.

“Kru, it’s a Grinnly. Don’t, d-don’t be afraid. They only eat the dead, remember? You aren’t gonna hurt us, are you little one? Tell your mommy we’re friends- not food.”

I was preparing to wet myself, and then get eaten alive, when the mother Grinnly rolled over and exposed her belly to the sun. She scratched at her belly and watched her cub sniff his way over to us. The hard skin on her belly and around her eyes was a dark grey that disappeared under the thick white fur. The pattern on their coat is what inspired the ghost stories and kept me panting in anticipation. Sharply tipped peaks and valleys traced across their faces and spread down the length of their necks on both sides. If I had seen her from a distance, she would have appeared to have been smiling through a mouth- a yard wide- with two rows of razor sharp teeth that had been filed to a point by the most sinister of the gods. But, it was just the pattern of her fur. They were merely short snouted bears.

“Could you just imagine the fright he would have given us last night? I’ll bet the moonlight makes you look even spookier, eh boy? You wouldn’t hurt us, would you?”

As the cub lumbered over to us he stopped to stretch. The true size of his bite was no bigger than that of a dog. Instead of claws, his little paws were tipped with climbing hooks like those of a sloth. I cringed at what might happen, but allowed Kru get a closer look. The two pups were sniffing and licking each other playfully for a bit, until the little Grinnly got bored of us and made his way back to bed. I had to grab Kru to stop him from following. The cub was pushing its mother and whining, so she grabbed him up in her teeth and rolled over. After crawling back out of the grove, I sprinted to the western edge of the plateau. We slid down on the shell and waited for the beasts to give chase.

Instead of Grinnly growls we were greeted by angry song birds. The gliding squirrels even flew overhead and dropped acorns down on us for making so much noise. The way west was blocked on all sides by deep beaver bogs. Below us was the last bit of dry land- that would have went hidden if we had simply walked around the plateau.

“Look at that, Kru, the Grinnlies gave us directions. Good thing we stopped in to say hello. After this little pier we’ll have to swim the rest of the way.”

When I set him on the ground, he started off down the hill without further delay. Just like Leiza, he thought that I talked much too much. I was glad to chase after him and leave behind the haunting thoughts that had been attempting to turn into tears whenever we stopped. The early spring sun had almost reached noon and I would have plenty of time to cry when we were all back together.

The way across would have been a marshy pond in the summer. The mountainside pushed up to a sharp tip so high above the water that the birds did not even bother to perch on the cliff of the hidden road. The melt water never stopped flowing and it filled the area with life.

“Sorry Kru, we’ll have to foot it all the way to Moser Falls. At least there’s a ladder cut right into the stone, so we don’t need their help.”

I was jogging with my eyes up, scanning for Major Bloodaxe’s convoy, when the muddy outcrop ended abruptly. The water was strangely warm for the second day of spring. If not for the large fallen stalks under my feet, we would have sunk to the bottom and stuck in the mud. Kru somehow already knew how to swim and barked at me before I could resurface. The armor should have been heavy enough to drag me down but the black diver shells were exceptionally buoyant. I struggled to get the shell off of my back whilst my hands and feet were floating away. Once I got it flipped over, I threw in the gauntlets and the boots. I held it steady and kicked my feet slow enough for Kru to lead the way. His little legs got tired quickly so he jumped into the shell and shook out his fur right in my face. From then on, my view of the way ahead was blocked by Kru’s wagging tail. He stood tall and barked at all the creatures drinking water.

They did not bother us so far out in the deep. We were dangerously close to the mega beavers. They swam under us and slapped their huge tails on the water, making waves to push us away from their homes. Kru had the tenacity to jump off and sniff the roof of one of their stick and dung huts before deciding to relieve himself. None of the sloths came down this far from the safety of the canopy, but the stags sipped water out in the open with moose. There were some furry elephants pulling up underwater grass. All of them were too big to be bothered by the grey faced falcons diving in to fish right beside them. I was inspired to do some fishing of my own and dove down just like the falcons. By the time we hit the shore my eyes were filled with salty bits of dirt, though I had managed to hold on to one of the slippery smooth skinned bass. He had a terrible taste. No matter, Kru did not mind finishing that which I could not stomach.

The water was so warm that it emitted steam, climbing out made me shake so hard it hurt. Everything dried while we ate, however, the sun could not warm away the misery of losing Leiza. I had myself a good long cry while Kru inhaled his fish guts. Things came to mind from every day of my life in Ulfbar, and I was somehow sad for all of those poor strangers. Burning the slums wasn’t fair for any of us and even the poor guard company would have to drink themselves to sleep like Major Talon. Led by hate, and by the Sheriff’s Deputies, they would have shown me no mercy. The lords and their mercenaries- they deserved none of my pity. There was only one reason to hire skin heads from the White Coal Nation. For just a few silver, they would put an end to dissent with less mercy than the underKing. The lords had decided to burn Ulfbar South for their own greed.

“Burn in hell Wellings! I’ll be waiting!”

Kru finished eating while my clothes dried in the sun. Without rinsing the scales out of his teeth, he licked the dry tears off my face. I was mid-stretch, but the terrible smell on his breath forced me back to my feet. He agreed, I had wasted enough time.

“There’s no trail Kru. We’ll have to make our own.”

Kru excitedly barked to push on. We set out at an angle to meet the next tip of the mountain. Hill after hill stood in the way. I carried him most of the trip. The valley center was the high point as before. Unfortunately, the area was so heavily forested with old growth pines that the hilt was no longer offering me strength. The second half of the distance did not slope down much and I was still carrying Kru to make for the southern face of the mountain.

“Once we find the bottom, there will be a path. There’s always a break in the trees, and we might even find some berries. Just hang on a little longer boy.”

Every time I stopped to catch my breath, it took longer to stand up and continue. Without any warning, my feet slipped on a mossy rock and I nearly broke my wrist to keep from falling on Kru. He threw a tantrum from the fright.

“Well it’s that or you can walk.”

We were both cold and wet, so Kru set out ahead to find sunlight. I had to run to keep track of him, as he found the mountain pass in no time at all. There were still frozen blue berry bushes in the open air and he snatched up every one he could reach. I filled both fists full and laid there in the sun to let them melt. Kru was upset by the break, however, I flipped the shell over and stretched until I was good and ready to move. When I finally got up, Kru was already gone.

“Who’s that?”

“Oh no, it’s a Swillian. Tram! Mato!”

Two boys had emerged from a bend in the trail. A flash of purple on the slope made us all turn. Kru charged down at them and the little boy ran back into the woods with Kru not far behind. The larger boy had enough hair on his face to prove he was about my age and he stayed to defend the opening of the trail. I threw on my shell and raced after my pup. The poor boy clearly had no mind with which to think and simply stood in my way with outstretched arms.

“S-s-stop.”

“Move.”

“Uh, stop. Stop.”

“No.”

He seemed so confused that my instincts told me to show mercy. I jumped off a tree to match his height and threw him out of the way. Being so close showed me the mark of shame scratched across his chin- that he was trying to hide with the scruffy hair and smeared dirt. I ran into the woods expecting to find the home of a Master Woodsman of such high stature to give an apprentice the mark. I saw only berry bushes, which got thicker and tugged on my shell, slowing me down significantly. By the time I caught up to the little boy, he was safely hidden in a small grove and pleading with an angry man called Tram. They did not hear me approach. I stopped to listen while searching for a way over their natural sticker-bush barricade.

“Please Tram, he probably already killed Finn. Maybe he even ate him!”

“Shut up Mika. We can’t keep this stray and that’s your lunch he just ate.”

“Look it, he’s got pearls from the Holy Land. The Swillian must be one of the fallen, and we’re next. You see, Finn’s dead meat. You must help him!”

“Hmm, we’ve got a thief is all. You get Mato, I’ll get Finn.”

They were preparing to get reinforcements. I had to make my move. I leapt over the sticker bushes and into a well-lit clearing with a few fish cooking over a fire. The little boy, Mika, screamed like a little girl, and ran off towards the sound of rushing water. Tram was a young man from the deep west Lokah tribes who frequently intermarried with the Nepori. He was very from home for a fighting age male- in his early twenties- with impossibly swollen muscles. He did not react with fear at all. He stayed seated and grabbed Kru by the pearls.

“Whoa there friend. You must be Tram. You in charge here?”

“You must be the Swillian thief. Yes, I am in charge. And no, we are not friends.”

“I’m no thief, those pearls are from… I don’t want to talk about it.”

“So, thief, you also steal this pup from a breeder?”

“His name is Kru. My name is Matthius. I’m no thief. Listen,-”

“Where did he come from then? Rose from the mud, like a tiny golem?”

“Just stop, please. That little puppy belongs to Major Bloodaxe, Commanding Officer of the UNF Commandoes.”

“I have heard enough lies. The Bloodaxe is dead, the Commandoes are dead, and you are dressed up like a turtle. Did you escape the circus, thief?”

Tram stood and held Kru out over the fire. He began shouting in a language I had never heard. The hilt translated only curses and threats. I was not listening. I shook with a rage and the red shadow returned to blur everything around the innocent little Kru. The boy Finn crawled under the bushes between us so I grabbed his hair and dug my boot heel into the small of his back. He made the mistake of standing, the final piece of the snap trap, a favorite of the Thieves Guild. He immediately tensed up, fearing the fall forward. Nickolas taught me well. The boy, Finn, was much bigger than myself, yet, he leaned forward on his tippy toes and arched all the way back- helpless.

“Put the puppy on the ground or I’ll break him. I swear it.”

“He-he-he-he…”

“I am tired of caring for that dense grey skin. Break his neck, one less mouth to feed.”

“Guuwa. He-he-he, ugh. He Guuwa.”

“See, he’s got the Cow’s Tongue Disease. Finn, are you going to chew that cud all day? Spit it out already!”

“He-he’s got a hilt!”

“Mato, kill this Swillian circus freak. He’s a liar and a thief.”

Mato was an adult Lokah and, like Tram, he wore only short pants and those strange overlarge muscles. He remained calm and was not bothered by the standoff. He took his spear full of fish to the fireside and stuck them through with their own sticks to be cooked. He took his time and nearly walked away before ever addressing the situation. When he turned, the light glared off of a silver implant that cut a disk from his otherwise full head of hair. The whirling pattern spread out the same as a ram’s horn, and the purple pattern that grew on the Lokah pearls. It was obviously the source of their unnaturally large frames, and likely strength. I had never seen them before, only heard them prayed for by the longshoremen of Ulfbar Bay. Tram must have still been getting used to having all that power, and having no one around to hurt. Too bad he chose Kru. I twisted Finn’s hair and tightened the snap trap. While Finn squealed, Mato spoke quickly with Mika, whom was clearly his little brother. Then he cleared his throat to speak with a heavy accent.

“Tram, put that dog down, he did nothing wrong.”

“But, this thief stole it and these pearls too. You say you know Sergeant Bloodaxe? I know he died in Dante’s Isle.”

“Look at me. I may be unarmed but I am not bluffing. Let the dog go or he dies, and you’re next. No? Well then, take your last breath boy.”

I was outnumbered and Kru was whining over an open flame. I was in a rage, the red shadow tainted everything, and it filled me with more energy than the sun. Finn’s neck was bending back enough to stop him from breathing. Seeing Leiza’s pearls, I forced myself to let go before I lost control. I began swatting the red shadow away before anyone got hurt, tears welling up in shame.

“I am so sorry. I don’t even know why I said that. I don’t understand what is haunting me but it wants blood. Just, don’t hurt Kru. I’m so dizzy…”

“You see what madness you cause Tram. The boy is in a uniform, has the implant, hurt no one until you threatened the pup. You are ready to lead no man.”

Tram saw that I was crazed and reluctantly let Kru go safely. He shot an angry glare at Mato and sat back down. I grabbed up Kru and turned to run away when the little boy pulled my back shell and offered a fish as an apology.

“What unit lost you in the forest? Or, did you fall from the Moser?”

“Yes, talk. We were not warned of a visit. No one comes to sanitation unless the Tonney is damned by too many beaver.”

“I’m no authority. Kru was thrown off the high road, I leapt off to save him from being squished. I just need to cross the Moser and get back on the road.”

“Mato, he’s headed to the ladder of stone.”

“Good, we can feed his splattered remains to the birds in the morning.”

“Silence! You were on the path. Wait, explain more.”

I turned back and little Mika gave me the fish. Then he ran over to Finn and fed him too. I raised my brow at Mato while shoving the small grey pointer in my face. The food helped to calm everyone as if we were rival barbarians meeting out in the wild. Clearly, they too worked for the UNF in some official capacity. Though, they had little oversight working on the human waste irrigation canals. With all of the corruption in Ulfbar, I had forgotten how the House of Tonney made its fortune in the first place. Ditch diggers, that learned to read and calculate math. They had become great architects at one point. However, their sons put that name to shame.

“Where did you get Lokah pearls?”

“A gift, from the dead.”

Mato nodded, accepting that I did not wish to speak the awful truth.

“What do the Swillians call the demon that feeds on evil?”

“What? There is no demon… It’s just, everything is consumed by the red shadow.”

“There is no red. Nothing is red. What is he saying?”

Mika knew much about the world, both of our worlds, and their languages. He translated for both Mato and I, as if affirming something he had heard the elders whisper about in the darkness.

“The power of gold is a tainted one, it puts your body and soul at odds. Be grateful you do not suffer this plague, brother Tram. And you, be grateful brother Mato allowed you the chance to regain control. There are so few children left in this world. The Swillian Plague hit far and wide, and you dare to mock us by wearing this goat. Be wary of hearing the call of your spotted fathers. One day, we will hear ours as well.”

Tram spit into the fire and looked away. Mika nodded and joined his brothers around the fire. I shook my head and turned to leave, ashamed that I had just abused my power. Mato was right, neither one of us were prepared to lead. Only Mika called after us as we left.

“Goodbye, Kru.”

The trail split and we made the first tracks in the snow headed west. The desolation and the quiet helped me to focus on my own shameful words, playing Leiza’s pearls through my fingers made me feel worse.

“Whomever Major Bloodaxe lost must have been special. And, I can’t imagine Sloan fighting the urge to hurt others. I think the wrong man was jailed. What do you think Kru?”

The puppy had a full belly after a stressful day. The sun was still an hour or more from setting down, but Kru was already asleep in my arms. I even slowed my pace to keep from waking him.