Chapter 83

Cameron

June 1, 611 Imperial Era

Population of Sanctuary - 71

When Bianca explained the situation to Orion, the Magebane, he eyed me suspiciously and shook his head. It took some time for Bianca to plead with Orion to come over and talk to me, and he limped over dramatically as if to provoke a guilty response.

"You're the Archer," Orion said, sizing me up as he sat. "How do you know English again?"

"I was born in San Diego," I replied.

Bianca had heard this before, as had James. Both were stunned when I explained the situation, but Orion merely mulled it over, his mouth set in a line.

The raid had left the village scrambling to recover. Post-cleanup and the organization of shelters took priority, leaving even something as shocking as another traveler from Modern-Day Earth on the back burner.

It gave me time to assess Thornhill, how the village ran, and the leadership structure. From the outside, it appeared as though Bianca was the leader with a powerful builder class, while Orion was Thornhill's sword. It didn’t make much sense to me as Bianca, as a Holder, was probably low on the totem pole in terms of power and she wasn’t democratically elected either, like Captain Fairhope. But my brief time here revealed that they operated a system where Bianca would play the good cop to Orion’s bad cop and they were a mouthpiece for the six council members, filling in with their various specialties—economy, science, and defense.

When Orion revealed his class, I knew he was hiding something. He couldn't be a simple Cook. I met Cooks. Their legendary skills included things like Portable Kitchens and Spice Pantries, where they could summon salt shakers and heated pans, not the ability to kill Eldrins and take on armies.

"How long ago did you... spawn here?" Bianca asked.

"A year ago, around the same time as you," I said. "Flight CL730, from LA to Seattle."

"Wait... you were the ones who disappeared over the Pacific! It was all over the news. They're still searching for the wreckage... Oh my god, this means that..." Bianca gasped, covering her mouth. "Oh, no... my family will think I'm..."

"What region did you spawn in?" Orion asked, scratching his chin, unphased by such a revelation.

"I don't know. Close to Auriel's border, I think. We never had a map. That's one reason I left the village to learn more about this world."

"So, what happened?" Bianca asked.

A cup of their special tea sat before me, and I took a sip before beginning.

"Captain Fairhope was our village's Founder. He and his copilot were the first arrivals and built a signal fire. By the time I arrived, ten people were already there, starving. I got my class quickly and helped hunt for food. Even then, as more people arrived, things became a nightmare."

I swallowed, licking my lips as I tried to dig up my painful memories. "The signal fire worked, and a traveling Halfrin fisherman came. He could only take one person on his small boat, so Captain Fairhope left on that boat to get help, and we haven't seen him since. Things got worse after that. Power struggles, food shortages, and no shelter."

Then I reached the part I regretted most.

"We needed help, so I wanted to find the fishing village Captain Fairhope disappeared to. I knew we wouldn't survive another month without help, so I left." I rubbed my hands together, shaking my head.

"On the road, I was taken in by a Halfrin man and his wife on their farm. They seemed kind and offered me a place to stay, but when I woke up… I found myself tied up." I gritted my teeth, remembering the pain. "They dragged me to town. I couldn't speak their language, so I couldn't explain anything. Next thing I knew, he sold me to slavers, and I was on a ship headed towards a fort on Auriel's border. That's where—"

I closed my eyes, fighting back shame and guilt.

Why didn't I listen to you, Ashe? I should have stayed.

"That's where Drudus, one of the Eldrin Masters, collared me... He gave me to Varon, another Eldrin, and we... crossed south to the Azure Duchys to raid villages together. I helped them..."

I gulped.

"Find other free Chattel," I said.

There wasn't much they could say, but they tried to hide their disgust. A human enslaving other humans. I was truly damned.

"Cameron, it wasn't your fault. You were under control by those collars, right?" Bianca asked.

I nodded. "That's why I got to go back to my village. I got to warn them and bring them here. They won't stand a chance against the Eldrins."

"You've been here for a year. Surely you've developed farther than us?" Orion asked.

"When I left Fairhope, we were only there for two months. You guys have a dungeon and these walls. You have so many powerful Holders, including the Magebane. We spent most of the time arguing. People didn’t want to embrace the system and didn’t want to believe we were transported to a new world. The older folks didn't want to do anything but seek help. We just... we had so many children and old folks—Ashe tried her best to rally us, but we kept fighting over who should lead and arguing over food. We mostly lived in mud huts and caves eating whatever we could forage," I said, feeling ashamed.

"It wasn't all smooth sailing for us too," Bianca said with an understanding smile. It dawned on me then why she was the leader and not Orion.

We had it all wrong. We couldn't rule through strength. We had to rely on each other and our classes. I ran away trying to get help, but I was wrong, Ashe.

"You weren't wrong to try to leave and find help," Orion sighed. "You were just unlucky. We might have landed in the best situation. We're far away from Auriel, and Seraphina may not care about humans, but she wouldn't go out of her way to enslave us."

"Please. Let me borrow a mount so I can go find my village. If I bring them here, they won't get enslaved like I did. We can double our population and Holders. If all the humans in this world band together, we can defeat the Eldrins!" I pleaded.

Orion shook his head. "No. Do you know how ridiculous that sounds? You wouldn't know where to look. We'll let Sophie and James figure out where your village is after they build up an intelligence network in Kronfeldt, and then we'll find a way to contact your village.”

"But... it'll be too late by then! They'll all be enslaved, don't you understand?" I said.

"I do understand. What happened the last time you had this idea to venture out willy-nilly by yourself trying to save the world, huh? Don't you learn from your mistakes?" Orion eyed me coldly.

"That's why I want you to come with me, Orion. You're the Magebane. Together, we can find my home and we can free all the Chattel. Not just the ones in my village but in this entire world." I couldn't believe it. Why was the hope of this world on this selfish man?

"Do you know how stupid that sounds? Even if I were this Magebane, if I went around freeing slaves belonging to the nobles of this Kingdom, the nobles would complain to the Queen about their lost property, and we'd have two Empires after us," Orion said. "We're not ready yet."

"You have to do it. You're the Magebane. It's your destiny!" I said.

"I am not the Magebane," he said, drawing out a card and showing me it again, his class card: Cook. "How many times do I have to tell you and the other Emancipated that? The Magebane doesn't exist. I used a one-time EMP artifact to disable magic."

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"I saw what I saw, Orion. You killed Drudus, and you killed Hadrelian. You carried Hadrelian’s sword back to the village. I saw you take on nearly an army of five hundred and walk away from it," I said. "It is your job to save this world. You're humankind’s Messiah!"

Orion then started laughing, holding his side. "You sound like a child. All I did was give them COVID and throw a couple of Molotovs at their supplies. I had no other choice. What you want me to do now is completely different. This is a wild goose hunt for a lost village that could be anywhere in the world and is a pointless risk. It's a literal needle in a haystack through enemy territory."

“You’re a coward,” I snapped, slamming my fist on the table where the young bastard sat arrogantly. “It’s your destiny and you are running away from it.”

“Cameron, you’re not going anywhere. I’m not letting you get captured again like an idiot and reveal our location to the Eldrins. And you certainly aren’t getting any of our mounts.” Orion palmed his dagger’s pommel.

“Whoa, whoa, whoa... let’s cool things down,” Bianca tried to break us apart. “Cameron, I won’t stop you if you want to go search for your village, but Orion is right. You’ll just be wandering in the wild and risking yourself. Help us build Thornhill up and meanwhile, James and Sophie will work hard to find Fairhope. Give them any information you remember and they will find out what they can. I promise.”

“How?!” I snapped, immediately regretting taking my anger out on poor Bianca, but it was Orion who scowled in her stead.

“Let’s make one thing clear. I don’t trust you one bit,” Orion’s jaw was set so tight it looked like he was chewing glass. “For all we know, you could be an Eldrin skinchanger or Stockholm-Syndrome race traitor trying to lure me out to get captured. I still remember how eager you were when you shot that arrow at my leg.”

“You know the collars force me to do that! And skinchanger? Don’t be silly. You are the Magebane. You can simply cancel any skin-changing magic I use.”

“Call me the Magebane one more time and I’m going to break your fucking jaw,” Orion snarled.

“Rye, please. I trust Cameron. Me and James vetted him. He has to be from our world. He could recite every single state and even their capital,” Bianca pleaded in exasperation, her hands trying to keep Orion from leaving the table.

“A spy can easily pick up facts like that from the other villagers in the time he’s here,” Orion said. “Try saying something only someone from our world would know. An opinion.”

“California has better pizza than New York,” I replied.

Orion immediately unsheathed his dagger before Bianca grabbed his arm. “He’s obviously joking.”

“I hate the Eldrins more than you can know. I’m not a spy,” I sighed. “I am sorry about your leg. I was under compulsion, you know that! I had to follow my orders.”

“If you’re not a spy, you’ll be smart and stay here and help our village. Why are you so insistent on me leaving and helping you search for a lost village with no plan?” Orion narrowed his eyes. “Wait for Sophie or James to at least point a trail to this mystery village you talk about. If it even exists.”

I didn’t like this one bit. The more time I wasted in this village, the more likely the Eldrins would find Fairhope.

“How?” I asked.

“They’ll show themselves somehow. I’m sure there will be modernized products or Earthisms that pop up somewhere in nearby cities, plenty of East India Companies and McDonald's or Starbucks or whatever. Invention of Earth games like chess, baseball, and go. Where modern humans go, they always leave a trace.” Orion shrugged, scratching his neck.

“And if the Eldrins find them first?” I asked.

The Magebane stood, pushed his chair back, and walked away to his waiting elk mount. “Let’s hope none of them know how to make gunpowder,” he said over his shoulder.

Bianca rubbed her temples, exhaling a deep, frustrated breath that puffed against the strands of red hair dangling over her forehead, making them flutter briefly before settling back down.

“Rye… he can be difficult sometimes, but he means well, Cameron. You’ll see. He’s a good person who only wants to protect Thornhill,” Bianca explained, but I shook my head.

“I don’t understand. I just don’t understand why the Void gave someone like him so much power.”

“He’s really just a Cook, Cameron. He’s not lying about that. Tell you what—let’s go talk to James. Try to remember everything you can, landmarks or anything about the city you were sold in. Any little details you can remember about the surroundings of your village can help us pinpoint it. He’s with the other new arrivals right now. I’m sure he and Sophie will do their best to find it.”

After meeting James and listening to his hollow assurances that he’d do everything in his power to find Fairhope, I meandered through Thornhill, my temporary prison.

Orion was right, in a way. I needed to figure out where even to begin looking for Fairhope. I just felt so helpless. The more time I spent not rescuing them and bringing them to Sanctuary, the more time the Eldrins would have to discover them.

Only a day had passed since the devastating events, yet life carried on. Villagers loaded bins of arrows, bolts, armor, and weapons scavenged from the battlefield onto wagons pulled by mules, hauling them back to the warehouse. Sophie Park—yes, it was actually her, to my surprise—rode out through the North Gate on a white stallion, a small wooden carry-on package strapped securely behind her saddle's cantle. In the mess hall, freed slaves attended basic English lessons taught by a British instructor, who also served as a spy and diplomat—and my only lead in finding Fairhope. Nearby, a blonde warrior carried the carcass of a freshly slain boar toward the kitchens.

A humble building, simple in form, caught my eye—a dwelling of wood and plank with a gabled roof that seemed to touch the heavens, crowned by a weathered wooden cross. I entered and, with trembling steps, sought refuge in a pew, low and forgotten at the back of the house. Bowing my head, I covered my face with my hands and leaned forward, lost and desolate. I didn’t know where to turn or which path to take. The silence embraced me, and I searched for solace in its stillness, though guilt weighed heavily on my heart.

Then, as if sent from above, a voice—gentle yet firm—interrupted my sorrowful solitude.

“Ah, my son, I know that position all too well,” the voice said, stirring me from my inward lament.

Before me stood a man whose hair burned red like the flames of the earth, his short beard a matching fiery hue. His black robes flowed to the floor like those of an ancient prophet, and around his neck rested a stark white collar, the unmistakable mark of his calling. The sight of him, his hair the same hue as the Eldrins’, sent an uneasy shudder through my soul.

The priest approached with quiet grace, his expression one of deep compassion. Taking a seat beside me, he offered a kind, understanding smile, his presence both steadying and disarming.

“You’re one of the newcomers to the village, aren’t you?” he asked, his voice rich with an Irish lilt. He pronounced each word slowly, and carefully, unaware that I spoke English fluently.

“Yeah,” I managed, my voice barely above a whisper.

“Ah, you speak the King’s English too. Marvelous,” he said with a broadening smile. “Well now, that’s a pleasant surprise, I must say.”

“I’m from your world, Father…” I began hesitantly, unsure of how much to reveal.

“Father Gallagher’s the name,” he said with a chuckle, extending his hand. “But you can call me Ronan, if you like. Pleased to meet you.”

“Cameron,” I murmured, my voice heavy with the weight of my emotions.

“So, what’s troubling you, lad? Come to lay your sins at the altar?” His tone was gentle but probing, his knowing gaze inviting me to share.

"I… was never much of a religious guy," I admitted, my gaze fixed on the floor.

"And now?" Father Gallagher raised an eyebrow, curiosity lacing his tone.

"After all I’ve seen, all I’ve done… I don’t know, Father. I’m just… lost. I think I’m… I think I’m damned."

"Ah, if I had a penny for every lad who thought he was damned," he said with a soft laugh. His eyes, however, held steady on mine, serious beneath the humor. "If you need to talk, I’m all ears. I’ve seen many a man come through these doors, not knowing where to turn. You’re not the first, and ya won’t be the last."

I couldn’t hold it back any longer. The sobs came, choking and raw, my breath hitching as the weight of my guilt spilled out.

"I abandoned my people when they needed me most. I helped evil men," I managed, my voice cracking. "I helped them enslave other humans. I helped them kill men who were only trying to protect their homes, Father. I’ve got the blood of the innocent on my hands."

Father Gallagher was quiet for a moment, his expression solemn as he placed a firm but gentle hand on my shoulder.

"Ah, I understand, lad," he said softly. "But from what I know, those who wear the slave collars don’t act of their own will. There can be no sin where there is no free will." His words were kind, but they felt hollow, unable to reach the depth of my despair.

"It doesn’t matter," I said, shaking my head. "It was my hands, Father. My hands drew the bowstring. My hands that… won’t wash clean."

The silence stretched between us, heavy and unyielding, until Father Gallagher broke it, his voice steady but filled with a profound calm.

"Do you know the story of Moses, lad?" he asked.

"Yeah," I sniffled. "He’s… the Ten Commandments guy, right?"

"Ah, there’s more to it than that," he said, a small smile tugging at the corners of his mouth. "Moses was born into slavery but raised in the Pharaoh’s house—the very family who oppressed his people. He witnessed their suffering, and when he acted out of anger, he was forced to flee, living in exile for forty years. Like you lad, his story didn’t end there. He found his purpose and returned to lead his people out of bondage and into the Promised Land."

Father Gallagher let the story linger, giving me time to absorb it. After a moment, he rose and left, returning with a cup of tea. He pressed it into my trembling hands, the warmth seeping into my fingers.

"God hasn’t given up on you yet, Cameron," he breathed. "He brought you here to Thornhill for a reason, my son. If you are seeking redemption, then there’s still a chance for you. You’re young. You can still lead your people to freedom."

He patted me on the back, his smile filled with quiet encouragement as the tea’s warmth spread through me, soothing my frayed nerves.

"Lead your people to the Promised Land, Cameron."