Quain led Alton back down the labyrinth of passages in silence. Hallways blurred together, covered in intricately carved depictions of history. They encountered few people on the walk, making it difficult to get a gauge on the population of the dwelling. There were many intersections leading in various directions branching off from every hallway. Alton mentally replayed the conversation with Lotha in his head as they walked.

How had she sensed his connection to the aspect from his mana? She reacted to his mana usage as if she had never seen it before. Despite knowing that several members of the party that fought with them could use mana. Then there were the tears in her eyes as she regarded Alton. If he was honest with himself, her reaction was unnerving. There was much more going on here than it seemed on the surface level.

After a few minutes of walking, they turned down a hallway and boisterous laughter could be heard coming from a doorway at the end. Alton grinned as he recognized the voice of one of his twin shields. Laughter was good for the soul, and his company needed every bit of it they could get. He shared a grin with Quain and sped up, eager to join.

When he breached the doorway, his heart leapt into his throat. There at a table near the entrance, propped up against the wall, was Jonah, resting with his eyes closed. Tears threatened Alton’s eyes as he took in the room. It was roughly the same size as the main mess hall from an army camp, and it was packed to the gills. His entire company was sitting between two long tables and surrounded by tribesmen and woman, laughing as they tried to communicate with each other using words and acting.

“Captain!” Amelia shouted and leapt up to salute him.

The room went silent for a moment before the rest of his team stood and saluted. They were followed by the remainders of the infantry and scouting units. After another awkward moment, even some of the Thoiri mimicked a salute, despite it being a foreign gesture. Alton stood frozen at the display just long enough to encourage Amelia to continue.

“We never got the chance to thank you, sir. Between the battle of the pass and then in the camp. Every time I thought all hope was lost, you pulled through for us. None of us would still be alive if not for you. Thank you, Captain.” She finished and bowed her head before taking her seat.

A resounding round of claps sounded after Amelia finished speaking. A chorus of thanks and cheers. Alton looked to each of his young teammates and shared an unspoken thought. One of trust, loyalty, and an unbreakable bond. He raised his hands to calm down the crowd and spoke.

“We have been through much these past few days. We have all lost comrades, friends, brothers and sisters. The trials of war leave none unscathed and we are no exception. Rest tonight, rest your hearts and minds. Grieve together, for none of us should bear that burden alone. Enjoy the hospitality of our new-found friends, the Thoiri Tribe. Tomorrow we reconvene to plan our next move.” Alton finished and pulled the surviving flask from his pocket. He raised it high and took a long sip to a spirited cheer.

“Quain, do the Thoiri drink?” Alton asked the man beside him.

“Before you, friend,” Quain responded with a grin.

Alton started to ask a question before Quain cleared his throat to speak. “New allies. New friends. Tonight we eat and drink Thoiri way!” He shouted.

Alton caught Amelia and Miser’s eyes and flashed them a quick signal to relax. Though he knew more was going on than he was aware, he put his fears of betrayal out of mind. He wanted his team to have tonight to relax without watching their backs. The kids had earned it and needed it. They all needed it.

As soon as Quain stopped speaking, members of the tribe entered carrying platters of food and placing them on the long tables. Large ceramic pots were brought to each table and mugs placed before every soldier. Smiles appeared on every hungry face as his company tore into the food and splashed drink everywhere. It all felt like a fever dream and Alton sighed in earnest relief at the sight.

He worked his way over to the table where Lews was doting on Jonah, who shooed him away. Quain followed behind him and soon the three were seated together at a smaller table off to the side. Alton looked his old friend up and down and was pleased with what he saw. Jonah looked tired and needed a few good meals, but he was healed. A weight lifted from his shoulders despite the missing arm.

“Do I pass inspection?” Jonah asked with a grin.

“It’s good to see you up, old friend.” Alton replied, “though I spent most of the time down with you.”

“Yes, I heard. My little caretaker filled me in on all the details.” Jonah sighed.

“Those poor kids.” Alton shook his head softly, “before you tell me, this is Quain. He is an adviser to the Great Council of the Thoiri. He is a scholar of their people and speaks Agorran.”

“Wonderful to meet you, Quain. It will be nice to have some intelligent conversation instead of bantering with this loaf of muscle.” Jonah said with a smile to the young man.

“You speak Eludite?” Quain asked.

“Speak it? No, I learned to read it in the academy but no one speaks it for us to practice with. I look forward to learning it from your people,” Jonah replied.

“Yes. I bring many records.” Quain nodded.

Jonah’s face got serious again, and he recanted what transpired since the canyon pass, starting with his last memory of using a mana blast during the encounter with the Edorian elites. Everything went black for him after that. Alton told him of how he hunted down the Sapient and then fled up the trail until the scouts found him. They were both unconscious when they were carried into the cave.

Jonah told him of the companies failed attempts to forage. The night attack from the drake and how Rico met his end. Alton’s heart broke at the young man’s demise. The description of Amelia infusing Fang and slaying the drake helped temper the sadness, though not fully. He would have to work on finding her a worthy weapon now that plain steel was inadequate. After Jonah finished, the three of them sat in silence for a few minutes.

Alton took a sip of the drink being passed around and found it to be excellent. It was earthy with wooden undertones, a light cream color, and a smell he couldn’t place. The food was a mix of root vegetables and meat he didn’t recognize. They ate their fill in silence and Alton finished his cup, giving Quain a questioning look.

“Mushrooms. Grow and ferment. Large caves below us,” Quain answered and took a sip from his own cup. “Good?”

“Yes, it is excellent.” Alton replied, and Jonah nodded his agreement.

“I have to ask Quain, before meeting the council tomorrow. Why is your tribe being so generous? We are grateful for the food and drink, especially for the medicine and healing. How can we repay you?” Alton hesitantly asked.

Love what you're reading? Discover and support the author on the platform they originally published on.

“Repay us?” Quain looked back at him with confusion.

He started to speak and then laughed out loud. “Thuklu not tell you. You kill drake. Very difficult to kill. We use drake to make many things. Worth many times this,” he waved out across the room. “Thoiri in your debt.”

“Hah. No, he didn’t mention that. I see why you called him an old goat now.” Alton replied with a grin.

“Yes. Old stubborn goat.” Quain smiled and raised his cup to toast.

“To new friends in trying times.” Alton and Jonah joined him in his toast.

The rest of the night passed in a quick blur. The stress of the last two days, combined with full bellies, led to an early bedtime. Quain arranged for lodging for them all while Alton enjoyed a few more cups of the mushroom wine and caught up with Jonah while they both watched the younger kids celebrate.

He gave Amelia an informal order to make sure everyone made it to bed. They were deep in the middle of sharing stories of Rico with the infantry and scouts while getting stories of their dead in turn. Alton smiled at hearing the different sides of the young man than the one he had known. He tried not to feel guilty for being incapacitated during the fight with the drake. It didn’t work. When he and Jonah finally piled out of the mess hall, there was a song being sung by one of the scouts.

In the fire’s glow, their tales we retell,

Of battles fought bravely, of legends that swell.

They marched into darkness, with courage unfurled,

Their deeds now sung loudly, throughout the world.

So here’s to the fallen, with hearts pure and bold,

Their valor immortalized in stories told.

Though their bodies may rest beneath the earth’s embrace,

Their spirits live on, in this sacred place.

Raise your voices, let the wine flow free,

For the fallen soldiers, in eternity.

In the halls of our ancestors, they’ll forever reside,

In our hearts and our songs, they’ll never subside.

So drink to their honor, let the echoes resound,

For the fallen soldiers, forever renowned.

In the tapestry of time, their legacy shines bright,

Guiding us onward, through the darkest of night.

—-

Alton woke without a sense for the time. The room he shared with Jonah was small, just enough space for both beds and space to walk between. It was lit by a softly glowing manalight placed above the doorway. He sat on the side of his bed and stretched out his arms up above his head. The bed was comfortable, a wooden frame and mattress of banded reeds that must grow nearby in the spring. The skin of some beast Alton didn’t know provided the blanket.

He reached down to his core and circulated to work the soreness out of his body. The trauma of the battle and a few days spent on a cave floor were easing up but still present. His core was full and excitable as he cycled in the abundant ambient mana. Today would answer many questions swirling around in his head.

He closed his eyes and focused on his connection to the mana while he thought over his priorities for the day. They needed to find out where they were in the landscape of the valley and how to return to Kitsu first. Next was to find out more about the Thoiri Tribe and how to repay them for the rescue and generosity. After all of that, Alton wanted to test his team’s new combat capability, consolidate the improvements made over the last few days.

Alton finished the water in the skin left by his bed before standing and strapping his two swords on. His clothes stank of sweat and blood, but until they made it back to camp, it couldn’t be helped. Fang slotted into its sheath and Fury was just tied to his back using a piece of twine scrounged up from a scout the night before. A large hole had formed in one of his boots, likely from an arrow or errant sword strike. He sighed when his bare foot hit the cold stone floor.

Jonah was still sleeping, so Alton let him be and stepped outside into the hall. He found it filled with young Thoiri all lined up and patiently waiting. The sight took Alton aback until one of them got the courage to step up. He saw Thuklu standing behind them and giving Alton a look that spoke its own language of embarrassment.

“Capten. Alton.” The young man even gave a half accurate salute to Alton’s immense amusement.

“We fight. Test self. Wolf.” The young men all grinned and mimicking a salute.

He looked to Thuklu for assistance, and the older man shrugged. Alton looked over the young crowd and rolled his shoulders. Alton was never one to turn down a good spar…

They led him to a large open cavern that served as a training room. There were weapon racks, wooden dummies and stone obstacles spread out over a large, cleared area. Everyone in the room stopped to watch when the group with Alton entered. Alton noticed an interesting fact right away. Everyone training was very young, no one near Thuklu’s age was present.

“You. Notice.” Thuklu said beside him. “We lose fight against darkness. Only sons left now. Soon, Thoiri no more.”

The older man walked to a weapon rack and pulled off two swords. They were shorter than Alton’s preference with curved tips and a wide cross guard. He handed one to Alton, and they backed off and set himself. Alton tested the blade with a few slashes to get a feel for the weight. It felt awkward in his hand, the blade portion heavier than even Fury with the blunted edge.

“We. Show.” Thuklu grinned and flicked his eyes over to the crowd.

“To three?” Alton asked, and after a short back and forth, they agreed on the normal sparring rules.

Alton set himself and nodded to Thuklu. The older man advanced without any hesitation and probed Alton’s defenses. He was quick for his age, his wiry muscle responding to the mind of a warrior with decades of experience. Alton was able to easily parry his initial probes and sent a few back to test his reflexes. A quick test of manasight showed that he wasn’t circulating so Alton matched him.

Thuklu made a small motion with his hand that Alton took for Is that all you have? He grinned and dashed across the distance with a furious combination of high and low slashes. Thuklu was able to parry and dodge the first three, but Alton pressed him further and further back, scoring two hits on his side. Alton faked a high overhead slash, stopping it short and then stabbing out while twisting his torso around Thuklu’s counter. It caught the older man off guard and ended the spar.

Alton clasped arms with the Thoiri warrior, who then bowed and backed off. He called up four of his warriors and Alton got the message loud and clear. Four against one. Alton grinned and readied himself. The young men stood nervously, gripping their swords to fight and standing flat-footed. He whipped out toward the nearest and smacked the sword out of his hand before stepping back to reset.

This pattern repeated itself as Alton sparred against the various groups of young Thoiri. He took a few hits, but prevailed against even seven at once. The Thoiri warriors were fit and used to combat, but not against the way Alton fought. He studied their forms and reactions to add to his own knowledge in the future.

Halfway through sparring, the younger tribesmen, Amelia and his team, walked in to the practice yard following another Thoiri guide. Alton grinned at the red eyes and hung heads, knowing the cause. She looked around and saw him, and they all approached.

“Start with your kata and clear your heads. Where is Lews?” Alton asked.

“He wanted to spend the day with the Thoiri healers and learn from them.” Prian answered.

Alton nodded, thankful for the initiative. “When you are ready, spar the Thoiri. They are willing and eager to test themselves.”

Alton settled in to his cycling position to watch his team practice. Only a few moments later, Jonah and Quain walked in and moved over to him. Jonah was looking well rested. The bandage on his wound was fresh and his walk was strong.

“Alton. Great Council wishes to meet with you and Jonah. I will bring you to bathe and fresh clothing. Come.” Quain motioned for him to join them.

He gave Amelia a few quick orders to drill Wolf team and incorporate the remaining infantry and scouts if they showed. Alton had a few ideas for them. He just needed to feel them out first. When he finished speaking with his sergeant, he followed Quain and Jonah down another series of hallways until they reached a chamber that was humid and smelled of soap.

Quain pointed them to two bundles of clothes and then explained that the room beyond contained a pond of heated water. He left them and promised to return in an hour. Alton stripped quickly, excited at the prospect of a warm bath. His last was almost a month ago, and he treasured the rare experience. They found the small pond empty and sank into the water. It was refreshing, both to body and mind.

The hour rushed by and soon after Quain returned to retrieve them. Alton begrudgingly exited the water and dried off using a cloth towel. The clothing was in the Thoiri style and fit him well. Loose shirt and pants of cloth, a belt of a tanned hide and vest of the same hide. Jonah and he dressed and followed Quain out through the maze of hallways until they reached the chamber from the day before. It was time to meet with the Great Council and find the answers to his questions.