020 - Journey to the East

"Caj!" Magnus snarled. "He was in here with me . ." Magnus pushed past the bearded man, knocking the drink out of his hands.

"Oy! No need for that, mate." The man gave way, frowning.

"Torben! You gonna be bothering that kid all night or what?" One of the rough looking men from a nearby table called over.

"Yeah, right." Torben wiped himself down and laughed. "Some people, eh? Another drink over here!"

Magnus hurried through the packed hall into the reception of the Lonely Soldier. The girl at the front desk hadn't heard or seen anyone of Caj's description. Magnus rushed over to the stable, his fears realized; his uncle's horse was gone. A stable hand said that he hadn't seen who rode it off, and he hadn't seen it there in the first place, as if the horse had not existed in the first place.

Magnus head spun. Naive! So damn naive . . trusting the word of a swindler . . Caj hadn't escaped the previous night - Magnus thought he could trust him, let down his guard - and at the very first opportunity the bloody thief made off with his horse! Without a horse . . already a week gone. Can I make it on foot? All the way to the Empire Swamp . . wait, was anything Caj said honest? Had he been truthful in the slightest?

In the east, the Witching Road; the secret entrance in the Empire Swamp, trust me, trust me . . . damn damn damn.

The stable hand watched puzzled as Magnus muttered and cursed and clutched his head in his hands.

"The Witching Road . . the Alchemists, Pa, Uncle . . I've let you down . ." Magnus looked to the stable hand. "You, you heard of the Witching Road? You know where it is?"

"Uh, the east, right?" The stable hand said uncertainly. "Maybe someone inside knows more, right? You ok? Sir?"

"I'm fine." Magnus held his chest, a burning sensation filling his lungs.

Right. What have I got? My money pouch, a couple of gold coins. Magnus' hands went to his belt, feeling around desperately. My money pouch . . gone! The cords cut!

"Ha ah ha ha." Magnus threw his head back, laughing pitifully. Did Caj leave me with anything? The only thing of any worth Magnus had left was in his socks, Pa Lund's gold ring, the Lund Family ring. Magnus had put that into his socks soon as he'd got it. Least he hadn't been stupid enough to lose that too, right?

What now? No money, nothing with which to pay for a room, nothing with which to pay for the drinks I've already had, Caj and my horse long gone into the night, gods know where he is by now . . the man! The bearded rogue! He must have been with Caj! He must have been sent to delay me, to stop me from chasing Caj too early!

Magnus rushed back into the hall of the Lonely Soldier. The air was thick with the noise of reverie. He cut through the patron's, right up to the man's table.

Tarben, the bearded man, sat drinking with others. He saw Magnus approach and raised a drink cheerfully calling out "Ah, friend! Back already? A drink! Come, sit with us!"

"Caj." Magnus declared. "You know him. You worked with him."

"Mate, I have no idea what you're on about." Tarben snorted. "Here I am, trying to see a little fella well and see where it gets me?"

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"You've no luck Tarben," One of the other men at the table shook his head.

"Trust us lad, we don't know anyone called Caj." Another man called out.

"Trust you?" A bile rose in the back of Magnus' throat. Trust, trust, trust. He'd trusted the Alchemist, he'd trusted Caj, he'd trusted just like a bloody puppy. Blood rushed to his head, Magnus roared, grabbing Tarben by his jacket and heaved him up to his feet.

"Whoa! Hey!" Tarben struggled.

"Caj. Where is he?" Magnus shook Tarben back and forth.

"Bloody hell kid, take it easy!" The three men jumped up, one pushed Magnus knocking his hood back and gasping at the sight of his bandages.

"I told you, I don't know! I swear it!" Tarben cried out.

The entire hall fell silent, all the patrons turned to face Magnus and the four men. Tarben cried out again, his friends circled around, one rushed up behind Magnus and got him in a headlock.

Magnus lifted Tarben up and threw him over the table, he felt a punch against the side of his head, and another. Magnus grabbed the arm around his throat with both hands and squeezed, the man behind him screamed and let go.

Magnus' hood was back, the bandages on his arms loose and blood and pus seeped out, anywhere he'd been touched or made contact with others felt raw.

Another punch, Magnus stumbled and looked left, the man to his right raised a chair and broke it on Magnus' back - he fell heavily to the ground. Magnus heaved, trying to get to his feet, but a rain of kicks and blows kept him on the floor.

"Hey! Stop! He's just a sick kid!" A nearby patron called out.

"He broke my wrist!" Tarben’s friend kicked Magnus viciously in the ribs, Magnus rolled with the blow and grabbed the man's leg throwing him over onto a neighbouring table.

"Watch it!" A stranger pushed the man away, sending him sprawling.

Tarben was now back on his feet, his face red with rage. "What do you think you're doing, mate?" He punched the stranger in the face, knocking him back.

"Oy!"

"Hey! He's just a sick kid! Leave him alone!" Another man joined the fray, throwing a punch at one of the men still kicking Magnus.

Within moment half the bar fell to fighting one another, tables thrown over, chairs and bottles smashed, the stench of blood and vomit filling the entire tavern.

Tarben leapt up onto a table kicking all those who came near, several men in similar clothes held down their ground near the bar, others seemed to be fighting everyone at once.

Magnus got to his feet, steadying himself against a wall, then being knocked back down as a chair came sailing through the air and smashed into his chest. He struggled up again. Nothing had hurt, he hadn't felt an ounce of pain beyond a dull sensation when punched or kicked, or even when hit to ground with a chair. He could still be knocked about, but nothing hurt.

Magnus felt a wave of nausea rush to his head, his chest grew tight and it felt like the blood flowed backwards through his veins - in an instant the world flashed black and Magnus fell to the ground as if strings had been cut, truly out for the count.