Ch: 18 Gotta Pay Your Dues

The hot water and chill air, the steam, laughing children, his new younger sister and his lover all conspired to create a surreal and magical early morning. Gary emerged renewed and invigorated, ready to face the festival and whatever came his way… after breakfast and coffee.

Gary slowly realized, he never got to know most of the orphans. The few his age were either in the Bathers or involved in their own lives.

Looking towards ‘graduation’ and being an indentured Adventurer, at the command of the cult of War was a lot of baggage. Even if they didn’t seem to see the innate immorality of the system they lived under.

The younglings were just a blur, there were about twenty or so and they never stayed in one place long enough for him to learn their names. That needed correcting too.

The teenage crowd was also around twenty strong, but the age gap made everything awkward. They made him feel ancient, while also giving none of the respect their actual elders received.

They weren’t monsters, just frustrated, angry, hopeless and stewing in hormones. He could relate to that, they would need to hang onto those skateboards, weapons and instruments all winter.

By spring they should be on their way; a taste of what they were missing should make them ravenous for more. Some kids need to make a little noise, some need to rough and tumble their feelings, but there are always a few that need something else.

It was those kids that needed help the most. They needed motion, wheels or dance, to feel barely in control. He shuddered to think of Shai growing up to join War. Wild and carefree, his woman, so fiercely free spirited and joyous… Being locked into a regimented life of military discipline, enforced by permanent Contracts would have been the end of her.

Liam’s terrible fate was reflected in several kids' eyes, though others were eager to take Contract with War. Dannyl was one of those, he was champing at the bit to strike back at the forces that destroyed his previous life.

Like most orphans, Dannyl had been sent by his parents to live in the city with distant relatives as a young child, slightly too distant relatives it turned out. When word came of the destruction of the village in the hills he was born in, six year old Dannyl found himself bundled into the orphanage without fanfare.

He was a very angry young man now, with a chain whip.

Gary jolted out of his reflections when sergeant Becky swatted him on the back as the kids trooped by, dressed for the last day of the festival. No few had their toys clutched close, warming his heart. “No mercy sergeant Becky.”

“No mercy Gary!” She cheerfully sang, strumming her harp.

Outside the shelter of the garden walls, a thin layer of snow crunched underfoot as Gary and Shai headed in to eat with the orphans.

They were bundled up even for that short walk, draconic puffs of steam bursting from their lips at every breath. Gary turned and paused to admire the heroic column of vapor rising from their home. “That’s a thing to see my dear.” He whispered in her ear, enveloping her face in a cloud.

“Damn it's cold, why are we standing here? Let's get inside, woman!” He said, swatting her shapely backside and setting bells jingling.

#

Ivy and Dannyl’s crew put together a feast truly fit for Adventure guild members. There were skewers of groundworm, wallowbear roast with root vegetables and no fewer than two death’s head locusts, dripping with their own juices and a hint of butter.

Vast tables of side dishes and bread were seeing heavy use, while the table of cakes and pies went unmolested, guarded until the time was right by Otho the dog.

In a raucous corner, Liam was staking out some table space for the orphan Bathers near the younglings, letting Becky join them, while still supervising her charges. For a surprise, Tawny was there already, seated just across from Liam, as was Tallum. Ivy and Dannyl joined the table just as things got going, leaving a skeleton crew of older teens dejectedly serving food.

“Everybody prepped? We head out tomorrow at second bell. Two weeks on the road, everybody carries a two day supply of necessities.” Liam said, eyeing the Bathers.

“It's Dannyl’s first run so he’s guarding Tawny and Ivy with Gary. Shai, you will be on fast attack with me. Tallum, you are our meat shield.”

“I prefer handsome and stalwart defender.” Ivy sang out while playing a quick martial drill on the tabletop with her knuckles.

Gary scooted over to Becky and bumped his hip against hers, trapping her against Shai. “Sooo… Daniel says you asked him to teach you the harp…” He said, giving her a side eye.

She eyed him right back. “Daniel says you make a good harp, but should not be allowed to play them, because it sounds like you play with your feet.” She smiled sweetly.

“He was mean about it though, I care about your feelings, even though it’s true…”

“Keep laughing Shai, I never claimed to be a harpist, besides, you only play the booty bells, you can’t judge.” Gary grumped good naturedly.

“Be that so boy? Are ye sure?” Gary felt her reach behind Becky, for his lower back. “While ye do float unconscious, I hae been poking me nose in things, Taking mine liberties, as we discussed.”

The sound of his violin tuning up stilled conversation in their quarter of the room suddenly.

“When I did first hear this, I knew t’would be the thing fer me.” She half sang, while warming up. Ivy had a pair of spoons and was tapping out something familiar.

“Shai, what are you up to?” He asked when his gift started without him. It enfolded her immediately, like a favorite old coat. Liam’s uke started up, strumming in a very, very familiar pattern.

“Shai!” Now Liam and Ivy were tangled up in his magic. No one paid any attention to his call.

Shai was up and dancing, shimmying her hips in time and laying down a respectable ‘Cotton Eyed Joe’. More than respectable, she was getting down! Gary just clapped and stomped along in wonder, more hopelessly smitten every day.

When she collapsed back onto their bench beside Becky, she was glowing with a sheen of sweat and breathing just a little hard.

“Myrna Dering hae been helping, she said she did owe ye fer some trifle ye helped her wi.” She settled in leaning on them both somehow and whispered; “In that other place, time and mortal senses do nae exist properly, tis a hole in the rules o the gods that I do plan ta exploit mercilessly.” She grinned with pure greed.

“So you’ve been rummaging around in my head and learned the violin?” He asked, confused and a little put out.

“Nae, I hae been rummaging in yer head an hae learned many things… ye shall see a few ere long.” Gary tried to do a panic stricken inventory of all the troublesome or dangerous knowledge he might have accidentally unleashed. Nope, nothing.

“Is that what it feels like to be around me on a regular basis?” A thought struck him. “Shai, that violin… I haven’t looked at it in a while is it…”

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“Aye, tis insistent too. Ye must make me one that be mundane.” She sassed. “I kinnae practice ere this thing be trying tae grab hold o me. Tis as handsy as thou art boy!”

“Eeew, gross Shai… and you two make even less sense than usual.” Becky complained. “I feel like there’s this big secret right there in front of me and the pieces don’t fit.”

Gary grinned. “There is… and we decided to keep it just a little longer, because you were mean to me this morning.” Shai cuffed the back of his head sharply.

“Dinnae be mean tae me sister boy,” She barked at him, before turning to Becky. “Aye there be secrets aplenty, ye shall learn them betimes, bide a while an we return ye will be shown much.”

The girl snorted. “Gary would spill the beans any minute if you guys stuck around, I guess you gotta take him outta town to keep anything to yourselves…”

Gary turned an amusing red and began to sputter. “I keep secrets better than anybody! There’s only like five people in the world that know I’m-...”

Shai put her hand over his mouth, when that failed, she simply shoved her hand in the offending orifice, silencing it for good.

“That were clever Becky, now ye know why ye shall be the sixth person in tha world tae learn a thing, be patient my love.” Shai stroked the tiny girl’s head with her dry hand, making her beads clatter softly. “An we come back frae hunting, ye shall be joining our band.” She hugged the tiny girl close and squeezed tight.

“Next year ye shall join an adventure wi us… an ye wish, I would that ye could now.”

Ivy began coughing awkwardly and turned a pale red. “She could…” She mumbled. The whole group quieted and turned on the blonde mage. Under their gaze she whispered the answer to their silent query.

“Otho has created the illusion that he is an idiot with paperwork… any kid small enough to pass gets their record… ‘lost’. Becky had her second birthday three times.”

Gary snorted a loud barking laugh and fell off his bench. “Otho is really turning me around on this whole priesthood thing, that guy…”

From nearby, Otho’s melodic voice sang out in rising tones of mock outrage. “I am a priest of Joy, not some ink scratching scribe to be noting every detail of where or when these loathsome waifs did this or that…”

He waved his free hand gracefully, in eloquent dismissal, jostling the two babies in his arms. “Such details should be handled by my secretary from the cult of Order…” He said more softly as he eased them back to sleep.

“Who retired some two hundred years ago and who’s replacement was refused by that cult.”

“If only War valued record keeping and literacy…” He said with a vicious smile that seemed strangely comfortable on his face.

“War, Order and Crafts decided together to remove all academic lessons from the curriculum centuries ago. As a result, most of War cannot read or write.”

The entire room heard Otho’s words and listened as was proper, due his status; though only one table heard more than a bureaucratic staffing complaint.

All eyes turned back to Becky, who bore up well under the revelations. “Ivy, you and Shai taught me how to read… and count. I know I’m one year older than the record says, two is a surprise though.” She looked thoughtful, then fixed Gary with a hard look.

Her whisper came low and fierce; “Shai says her chimes are a Contract item and you made them. From what you said earlier, that violin is too.” She looked stormy as though lost at sea. “Gary, I want one, I’m not taking War as my first contract no matter what. I will do whatever it takes. Whatever you need. Any thing at all.”

She leaned closer catching him up around the neck. “You want me to murder Theophus? I’ll do it, they trained me to kill…”

Her voice was glacial, a bitter arctic wind from the sweet child he thought he knew. The intensity knocked Gary back. “I’ll make sure Shai never finds out, it'll be our Secret.”

That last word rattled in Gary’s brain like a thunderclap. “Don’t hurt anybody Becky. No hints, no winks. I promised that you would get your shot, it's just happening sooner than I thought.” He looked up to catch Liam’s eye. “Guys, emergency meeting?”

They huddled close, with Otho scooting down to join. “We should bring Becky in now, OK?” Gary asked urgently.

“Yes, agreed. Otho’s shitty record keeping cost us valuable training time.” Liam said, glaring at his elder.

“Othos shitty record keeping,” The old man said with an impish grin. “has allowed hundreds of orphans to find lives untouched by War.”

He smiled fondly as he spoke. “When a child comes to me without records or who might escape notice, I may allow some clerical errors to slip into the record.” He reached out to clasp the tiny young woman on the shoulder.

“My dear Becky is a true foundling, discovered alone and naked in the wilderness.” He smiled, remembering fondly. “So tiny and lost, she was perhaps a year old and found miles from any human habitation or road.”

“I probably got bored listening to geezers wag their chin wattles and left.” She grumbled. “Either way, Gary is going to set me up like he did Shai. I’m making choices now, so that’s my call.”

Otho snorted at the fearsome child, who was giving him an earful. “Silly dear, Gary can’t ‘set you up’, no one knows the conditions required for a fluke like that to reoccur; it might even be a result of their unique bond…” As his tirade went on, Gary and Shai started to look more and more uncomfortable.

Otho noticed and began to slow his rant. “... because, if two responsible and upstanding young people found out something important and did not share it…” He began to look mildly furious.

“I move that we adjourn to the secret clubhouse and continue there.” Tallum boomed out, drawing a glare from Gary. “It’s the least secret society in town, Gary. You put up a sign.”

He looked put out at that. “Most people can’t read.” He snorted.

Becky flicked his ear, hard. “Don’t be a snob Gary.” She whacked him again. “You put up pictograms too, dummy.”

#

Back at home they settled into the bath, happily making room for a new member. Otho took the floor immediately, speaking what was on their minds.

“I thought the same when your nature was revealed, Gary. Alas, it is a difficult thing to prove or disprove. She shows no signs of abnormal gifts like yours, I have been observing carefully.”

Becky was growing more and more agitated at being talked over. Gary and Shai slid up and bracketed her again, easing her tension. “I hate being talked around too, but it will all be clear soon.”

“Becky, my dear, Gary is also a true foundling, with no known place of birth. He wandered into town after waking in the wilds, naked and lost a few short weeks ago.” Otho pronounced, as though that made everything obvious.

“Uhh, you can ask him where he’s from… are you losing it Otho?” She asked, poking the old man in a bony rib.

Otho grinned mischievously while Gary groaned. “Ask him Becky… just ask him where he was born.” While Otho spoke, Gary hopped up on the curb of the bath with a manic grin.

“No way old man, he’s already got that weird guitar out. I’m not asking.” Becky said firmly.

“Aww… just ask… you wanna know.” Gary implored, strumming something strange on his weird instrument.

“This is clearly some kind of trap, Shai, a little help here?” Her closest friend grinned wisely and shook her head, hanging Becky out to dry.

“Ok hint, how do you wanna find out? Do you wanna hear about my…” He strummed something haunting that echoed in the bath. “Home By The Sea?” He switched to a twangy to and fro swaying strum. “Or how ‘I’ll Never Get Out Of This World Alive’?” His grin got wider.

“They all went through it, ask and you shall be answered” He gave a mysterious wink. “How you ask might just change how you get your answer!”

“Nae Becky, nae matters how ye ask, twill be a song an dance. Prepare yerself and ask, sister o mine.” Shai said.

“Be brave, there be no harm in humoring those touched by the moon. Surely they are beloved o the gods an spirits… an this one by meself, as well.”

“Ok Gary… what do you want to tell me?” She asked with a deep sigh.

“Ahh, introspective, are we?” His guitar began a melancholy tune, breathy and sweetly sad.

I close my eyes.

Only for a moment and the moment’s gone.

He finished ‘Dust In The Wind’ and the group murmured appreciatively… except Becky. “How was that an answer?”

“He did hit many o the important points wi that, Becky.” Shai insisted.

“Nope, what’s the big secret? Where were you born Gary?”

Now his guitar was strident and clanging, roaring out a feral wail.

I was born…

in a crossfire hurricane…

He only got through three bars of ‘Jumpin Jack Flash’ before the Bathers flagged him down. “No? Not that one?”

“I like that one.” Ivy grumbled.

“All right, we will put the musical number on hold… you owe me one though.” Gary complained and Shai nodded along.

Without further preamble Gary unloaded the whole story of his origin again, leaving her grinning in wonder. “You really are a freak.” She sighed, hugging him and Shai close.

“I was beginning to worry Shai joined some weird secret cult…”

They both looked awkward at that. “Well I am the highest ranked cultist of a certain god on the planet… does that count?” He looked thoughtful. “Oh, and a good friend of mine is a jumping spider. Shai hangs out in my soul outside reality at night and there is an extra moon in the sky that only we can see.”

Something in Becky’s face told him she was shocked and would have turned pale as a ghost were that possible for her. “You see it too? The little gray one?” They nodded and an immense weight seemed to lift from her. “I thought I was going crazy, but Shai sees it too…”

“I see it too!” Gary complained.

“Yeah, but look at you, not really an exemplar of ‘not crazy’. Shai spends half her time telling people you’re moon touched and harmless.” Shai nodded with a much put upon look.

Gary grumbled quietly to himself before snorting; “Well, since you two are so tight, Shai can give you the ring and explain what happens at bedtime tonight.”

Both girls said; “Wait what?” at the same time, for completely different reasons.

Gary was oblivious, deep in conversation with Ivy on some esoteric matter of enchanting. “...so inverting the signal runes reduces range but increases fidelity? That really helps!”

Becky cornered him and unloaded. “So I’m supposed to put on this janky ring and go into your transdimensional dreamworld. Then I’m supposed to Contract to a god to be named later… and you think that is a winning strategy for me?”

“That's a tough one, I get it. We tried hard to find another way, but it’s all about the process with this entity. Just come talk to them, at worst you might see some things you would never otherwise. Wanna meet a spider that plays a silk harp?”

Gary’s half mad eyes and goofy grin did not do much to sell her on the idea, but Shai standing nearby nodding did.

“I’ll talk, but this spider better be as cute as you say.” Shai was looking gim and shaking her head with slow deliberation… until Gary looked her way. She quickly feigned a smile and said something incomprehensible that sounded positive.

#