One of the devotees carefully placed five cushions on the ground before excusing himself and returning to the perimeter.
The priests gestured for Sarah and John to sit before doing the same. She found the situation absurd. Here they were, sitting down in a corner of the town square in full view of the lord’s estate. At the same time, she found the naked adulation these people looked at her with deeply unsettling. A small crowd began to gather, their interest piqued by the strange meeting and was held at bay for now by the priests’ followers who, to Sarah’s alarm, seemed to be growing in number.
“I suppose we should begin by seeing if you have indeed been Chosen by our Lord Agni,” Brother James began delicately.
“And how would you do that?” Sarah asked, feeling a ray of hope. Perhaps she was not Chosen after all, and all of this was a huge mistake.
“Please don’t be alarmed,” Brother Marcus said. He then looked at John, “and you, young man, may want to sit a little farther from her.”
“Why?” John asked suspiciously.
“Just trust us, please,” Brother Samuel said.
Sarah nodded to John who reluctantly got to his feet and moved two paces away.
“A little further, if you please,” Brother Samuel said.
John rolled his eyes and complied.
“Excellent,” Brother James breathed as he smiled at Sarah, “now, please relax.”
The three priests closed their eyes and bowed their heads as they began chanting, “Lord Agni, Master of Fire, we pledge ourselves to you alone.”
She looked around and saw that the devotees around them were doing the same. The chanting grew louder, and Sarah felt power well up from within her. The chants grew louder, drowning out the sounds of the busy market square. Sarah felt the eyes of the town on them as they stopped what they were doing to look at what was going on.
The power within her continued to grow until she felt like it may burst from her at any moment. Knowing she had to release it somehow, she leapt to her feet and raised her hand to the air.
The crowd gasped as a brilliant blue ball of fire almost three feet in diameter materialized in her hand. Sarah’s eyes widened in panic as the chanting continued and the colour of the fire grew more intense. She knew that if she released the ball of fire now, the force of the explosion was likely to kill everyone in the square.
“Please stop,” she gasped, as she struggled to contain the power within the ball.
When she thought she could contain it no longer, the chanting stopped, and the priests looked at her in a mix of exhilaration and wonder.
“She is Chosen!” Brother James shouted with elation.
The crowd began to cheer. Sarah, however, scarcely heard it. She focused her entire being on dissipating the ball of fire. When it fizzled into nothing, she took a deep breath and looked around the square. All activity in the square had stopped and everyone was looking at her either in fear or trepidation, except for the faithful who had prostrated themselves towards her.
“Please, sit down,” Brother James said exuberantly, careless of the sweat that streamed down his face.
“Never do that again,” Sarah said hoarsely as she collapsed onto her cushion.
The priests bowed their heads apologetically and Brother James spoke, “I’m sorry, but we had to be sure.”
“What do you want from me?” Sarah asked at length.
“We wish for you to come with us to the temple in Esthorne,” Brother Marcus said, “there, we can honour you properly and teach you about what it means to be Chosen by the God of Fire.”
“Esthorne, the dwarf city?” John asked incredulously.
“The dwarven kingdom, and the greatest one in the east,” Brother Marcus said proudly, “you must see it with your own eyes, for it is one of the great wonders of the world.”
“You will want for nothing there,” Brother James added, “all you will have to do is bask in the adulation of our lord’s faithful.”
“And we can protect you,” Brother Samuel added, “the faithful of the other Gods can be a jealous bunch, especially those not of the Pantheon. Look at the open hostility shown to you by that Ratri worshipper earlier.”
Sarah swallowed. This was all too much for her, and she couldn’t help but feel that if she went with them, she would never be able to leave. She glanced at John, who seemed to share her concerns. It didn’t take long for her to make her mind up. Now, the question was how to tell them. The zealous looks in the eyes of the priests and their followers told her that they were unlikely to take rejection well.
“We can depart at once, if that is what you wish,” Brother Marcus continued, “or if you wish, we can wait a few hours while you say your goodbyes.”
Sarah licked her lips that had gone bone dry and glanced at John. The look he was giving her screamed that he thought she should tell them she was going to say her goodbyes and use the opportunity to give them the slip. However, that didn’t sit right with her. She decided she was going to do this properly.
“Your offer is very kind,” she began, trying to be as delicate as possible. She heard John sigh with frustration, but forged ahead, “but I will have to decline.”
Brother James frowned, the confusion clear on his face, “I don’t understand, what do you mean?”
“It’s just that… I’m still young, you see,” Sarah stammered, “and I still want to see the world.”
“Ah, that won’t be a problem,” Brother James said, looking relieved, “you won’t have to spend all your time at Esthorne. If that is what you wish, we can take you on tours so that more of the faithful will have the chance to come pay their respects.”
“No, it’s just that…” Sarah began. She looked at John as she felt herself flounder.
“She doesn’t want to spend the rest of her days in a temple,” John said and waved his hand at the assembled followers, “or surrounded by you… fanatics.”
“Please, let the Chosen speak for herself,” Brother Marcus growled.
“It’s as he said,” Sarah began. She paused and bit her lip before continuing, “for now, anyway. Who knows, I might change my mind in a few years and come looking for you.”
Brother James’ face went red, but he managed to contain himself. “And what would you be doing in the meantime?” he choked.
“Seeking adventure, I suppose,” Sarah replied, “exploring the world, doing good.”
“You would be doing an incredible amount of good for our followers if you came with us,” Brother Samuel blurted.
“You’re wasting your breath,” Brother Marcus said icily, “it’s clear on the lassie’s face that she has no intention of coming with us.”
“We’d hoped it wouldn’t come to this,” Brother James sighed.
The priests made a move toward Sarah, and in the corner of her eye, she saw John tap his middle finger on his knee three times rapidly. She held her breath and closed her eyes. There was a sharp pop and moments later, the priests began coughing uncontrollably. Sarah felt an arm around her waist and allowed her to be led away.
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“You can open your eyes now,” John whispered.
Her eyes stung from the lingering remains of John’s smoke bomb. Up ahead, the faithful looked on in confusion as they approached briskly. With a deft flick of his wrist, John hurled a small pouch at the feet of a group of faithful. They gasped as it exploded in a puff of smoke and grabbing Sarah firmly by the arm, John guided her into the crowd.
“Meet me at the docks if we get separated,” John ordered.
“Not the inn?” Sarah asked.
“Stanley knows we’re there,” John replied.
Sarah’s eyes widened. “He wouldn’t betray us.”
“I wouldn’t bet on that,” John said grimly as his eyes scanned the crowd.
Sarah glanced over her shoulder and saw people were pursuing them already, pushing the bewildered townspeople out of the way as they tried to converge on them. John led them in the direction of the marketplace, and his hand snaked out to snatch a pair of blankets from one of the stalls.
“Cover your head,” he ordered as he did the same.
“Just like old times, isn’t it?” Sarah remarked as she reluctantly covered her head with the filthy blanket.
John cursed under his breath and Sarah looked to their right to see a pair of men heading toward them. They were close. Too close to shake off, and John wouldn’t be able to use his smoke bombs again in this crowd.
Sarah and John ducked behind tall individuals in the crowd, switching places deftly in the seconds they were hidden from their pursuers’ sight. It was a well-rehearsed manoeuvre they had used many times and she was confident it would befuddle any pursuer. Only this time, she was the one being pursued.
As they approached the Treton Church that bordered one side of the square, John tapped Sarah on the shoulder, giving her the signal that they should split up. They exchanged looks before darting off in opposite directions. Sarah opted to duck into the alley that ran between the Treton Church and the adjacent row of shops while John decided to try his luck blending into the crowds that were going in and out of the Dragon’s Rest inn.
Sarah tore the blanket off her head and tossed it on the ground as she entered the empty alleyway. She walked briskly without turning around and turned onto a side street. She walked a little way down this one and ducked into another alley, navigating the interlocking pathways with ease.
It had been just over a year since they’d arrived in Woodhop, and the town was already like their second home. Despite the danger, there was something nostalgic about what they were doing. Not many parties were willing to recruit a pair of adventurers fresh from the sticks, so the pair had scrounged a living from odd jobs and petty theft, using just such methods to escape whenever they were spotted. It had been a difficult time in their lives, but it was also how they caught Roldo’s attention.
Sarah ducked into another side street and paused to see if she’d shaken off her pursuers. Breathing a sigh of relief when none appeared, she walked out onto a quiet residential street. She decided to lie low for a while before making her way over to the docks, confident that John would have no problem shaking off his pursuers.
The tree-lined street she found herself on was inhabited by the town’s wealthier merchants. The houses were large, with modest grounds and the street lined with well-manicured trees. The town of Woodhop had been built on the lumber trade, and its residents were fairly wealthy. It was also built at an important crossroads in the affluent kingdom of Mithia, which meant there was plenty of work to be found for adventurers.
“This is the town where dreams come true,” John had often said in their difficult first days here.
Sarah warmed at the memory. While they had hardly made it now, they seemed to be well on their way. Work from Roldo was regular and paid well, and up until their last job, fairly straightforward.
She set a slow pace as she walked into a small, well-kept park. The park was tranquil at this time of the day. Ducks quacked as they swam about in a large pond, and Sarah allowed her mind to relax for a moment. She kept a wary eye on the park exits for any suspicious people entering and wondered if her pursuers had given up.
After watching the ducks for a few minutes, she decided that it was safe to venture out to the busier parts of the town. She walked quickly down the tree-lined streets and onto a more heavily trafficked main road that took her all the way to the river. Here, lumber mills lined the street. They were powered by magic and processed the logs that had been floated down the river from the forest further upstream.
Sarah felt a shaft of envy as she watched a wizard power one of the machines. Unlike most other magic wielders, she could only use fire magic. It was as though the other gods weren’t listening when she called upon them to borrow their power. It was a pity because powering the machines of industry paid well here in Woodhop. Using fire magic here had been out of the question as well. She felt that her fire was far too conspicuous to use in a town and, in hindsight, her misgivings had been justified.
Out on the river, logs that had been lashed together into makeshift rafts floated on the current towards a stone jetty where a pair of cranes were busy lifting logs out of the water where they would be rolled into the nearby mills. A floating barrier had been strung across the river where the cranes were to prevent the log rafts from floating past.
Sarah grinned when she spotted John standing by one of the cranes. It seemed he’d escaped unscathed. She knew better than to wave at him and made her way quickly up the busy quay. As she approached, her heart sank when she saw him pick up a pair of large backpacks before making his way over.
It made sense, she told herself, there was no way they could stay after what happened, but they were leaving a lot behind. Sarah found herself wracked with guilt as John approached her. They had just gained enough of Roldo’s trust for him to give them regular work. Now they would have to start over somewhere new.
“Come on,” John said, “there’s a boat leaving for Marder’s Field. They’re willing to let a couple of down on their luck youths hitch a ride.”
“I’m sorry,” Sarah said glumly as John led her to the other side of the barrier where boats plied the river, “it’s my fault we have to leave.”
“I was getting tired of this place anyway,” John said with a dismissive wave of his hand.
“We haven’t even been paid for our last job yet,” Sarah sighed as she brushed away a tear. She looked over her shoulder at the town and felt a twinge of pain.
“It can’t be helped,” John said as he put his arm around her shoulder.
He was trying to look nonchalant, but Sarah knew he was finding it difficult to leave as well.
“Perhaps we could stay,” she said, “we could lay low for a few days until they give up on looking for us.”
“We can’t avoid them forever,” John said, “besides, they know we go to Roldo’s place.”
Sarah’s brain searched frantically for alternatives as they walked down another quay. John stopped in front of a riverboat that sat low in the water. The crew were busying themselves tying cargo down in the hold.
“Ahoy there!” John called out.
“Ahoy yourself,” they heard a familiar voice call from behind them.
Sarah turned around and was surprised to see Grimald running up to them on his stocky legs. “Glad I caught you.”
“How did you know we’d be here?” John asked suspiciously. His body language told Sarah that she should be ready to run on his signal.
“I figured you’d be looking to skip town after what happened with those Agni worshippers,” the dwarf panted. He bent over with his hands on his knees to catch his breath, “you got here quicker than I thought.”
“What do you want with us?” John asked.
“Relax, eh?” Grimald said, “if I was going to sell you out, there’d be a hundred of those fanatics waiting for you here.”
“Perhaps,” John allowed, “but why are you here? It’s not to say farewell, that’s for sure.”
Grimald looked up and winked. “Roldo’s just gotten word from his pals. There’s more work for us.”
“Us?” Sarah blurted.
“Hey, it was Stanley who said he was done working with you, not me,” Grimald said, raising both of his hands in mock surrender.
“So you came running all the way here to recruit us?” John asked incredulously.
Grimald raised a bushy eyebrow. “Is that so hard to believe?”
When neither answered, Grimald grunted and looked at Sarah. “When I said you saved our lives back on that last job, I meant it. This new job is related to that, and it doesn’t take a genius to know that it’s going to be dangerous. Very dangerous.”
He paused to mop the sweat from his brow and looked Sarah in the eye. “I want you to watch my back.”
“You’re a cautious dwarf,” John said suspiciously, “why are you so eager to get involved if it really is as dangerous as you say?”
Grimald winked and smiled slyly. As John arched an eyebrow, the dwarf took a pouch from his cloak and tossed it to John, who caught it deftly.
“It’s heavy,” John breathed.
Grimald’s eyes twinkled. “Take a look inside.”
Sarah moved closer and a gasp escaped her lips when John opened the pouch to reveal that it was full of gold florins.
Grimald drew closer and lowered his voice, “that’s your portion of our pay for the last job and a down payment for the next one.”
Sarah did the sums quickly in her head. “That’s triple our usual rate,” she breathed.
“You don’t understand,” Grimald said, “the down payment is only twenty percent of our final fee.”
John almost dropped the pouch in shock. “That’s incredibly generous.”
“Is Roldo quite alright?” Sarah blurted.
“The old man is perfectly sane,” Grimald replied, “if we’re being paid this much, you can be sure he’s being paid ten times that. At any rate, it’s definitely going to be dangerous, hence the rate, and that’s why I want the two of you.”
John swallowed. “Fine, but we need to leave. Right now. There’s a mob after us.”
“That’s fine, we can meet up in Parindale,” Grimald said after a moment’s thought, “I’ll need a few days to get everything ready before I leave. I’ll meet you at the Motherlode. It’s an inn in the heart of the town.”
“Wait,” Sarah said, “what does this job entail?”
Grimald and John looked from her to the pouch of gold in John’s hand, and the looks on their faces screamed does it matter?
“Well?” Sarah pressed.
“Well, apparently the followers of some minor deity called Ratri are up to no good,” Grimald said, “they were behind the nasty business at that village. We’re going to follow up on a lead.”
“Where does this lead take us?” Sarah asked.
“Corrington,” Grimald replied.
Sarah’s eyes widened. “That’s a big city.”
“Look, I don’t have the details, and this isn’t the place to have this discussion,” Grimald said, looking around. They were drawing curious looks from the dockworkers as they went about their work, “I can fill you in when we meet in Parindale. Are you two in or not?”
Sarah and John exchanged looks.
“I don’t know,” Sarah said hesitantly, “I’ll leave it up to you.”
John nodded and turned to Grimald. “We’re in.”