Jay didn’t want to look at either of his teammates. He didn’t want to look up either; the sun was far too bright this morning. Unfortunately, that didn’t leave him with many options. It was one thing to focus on the ground here in the city, but once they left, their client for the day would eventually find his staring unnerving.
Sighing, Jay rubbed his sagging eyes.
It wasn’t his teammates’ fault. Not really. Ana was in the same state as he was, but it shouldn’t have been an issue. The task this morning was out of the wilds. It was a good thing that she agreed to do it at all. He just didn’t like the reminder of the state the two of them were in.
Kane, on the other hand... that was an Oddity he didn’t want to approach in full armor with a spear twice his height. Mark and Taylor were his friends, but they weren’t. They were Peter’s friends and teammates and he hadn’t really seen them since leaving Peak. Kane, however, was his teammate and friend, but did that make it right for Jay to say nothing? Was there anything to say? For all he knew, Kane and Taylor weren’t a thing, for all that Ana had said she’d seen them behind Peak... Or maybe Taylor knew about Mark and...
Uuh, Jay didn’t want to think about this right now. Not with his headache.
“I must thank you again for accepting the task,” Shanta Lavern, their client for today, said for the third time.
The gratitude came as it always did while she fluttered around her cart. With each wave of her dainty hands, her merchandise spiraled through the air to resettle in a new place. A tornado of boxes with them at the center. The madness helped wake him up, that’s for sure.
This was the third time Shanta had decided to repack the cart, and they weren’t even at the gates yet. Thankfully, they didn’t need to stop moving for the process. Her Word handled all the heavy lifting, and her jument, a purple marsupial of some kind, treated all the flying objects with a nonchalance that spoke of repeated exposure. The creature’s long ears didn’t twitch as the boxes flew past with 37mm to spare, or when Shanta grabbed a thick handful of its fur to pull herself up to the front of the cart. At first, Jay’d been a little wary of the large purple creature, but its relaxed attitude in the face of all the movement eased his worries.
He wasn’t quite so composed, unable to stop his twitches as the boxes flew too close – even though he knew they wouldn’t hit him if he didn’t alter course. He couldn’t help follow the movement in the corner of his eye either, leading his gaze up and into the blasted sun again. That or towards early morning gawkers, frozen in surprise at the sight of a tornado in the city.
Not that he said any of this, of course. “It is no bother. A lucky chance that we were both in the bureau so early this morning.” He’d been there to avoid his teammates. It didn’t quite work out as planned. Shanta’s last minute and well-paying task had been too attractive to ignore.
“I’m very grateful that towering fellow pointed you out. It’s all the urgent orders. I couldn’t ignore them,” Shanta explained again, though Jay allowed that this was the first time Ana and Kane had heard the story. She didn’t mention a referrer previously either. He wondered who it was.
“Usually a few day’s wait would be fine, but these are good customers, and some of the order is medical in nature. Oh, I don’t know what I would have done if you hadn’t been available. Some of the stories I’ve heard recently about incursions – around the city and from customers! It’s an awful mess.”
“We’re happy to help,” Ana said so sweetly Jay couldn’t help but look at her askance. He’d seen aggressive Oddities more friendly than her expression when he proposed the task this morning.
Ana’s hand fell to the sword at her waist, a swap Jay hadn’t noticed until too late with his avoidance of his teammates. “And don’t worry, we’ve dealt with quite a few Oddities around the city over the last few weeks. We’re well prepared for what we’ll find out there.”
She had been immediately taken with the flighty merchant, which Jay took note of to tease her about later. It wasn’t every day that Ana found someone above the age of twelve to tower over. Really, it’d been Shanta’s immediate recognition of the style of Ana’s clothes and ensuring debate that had sparked the relationship, but that wasn’t nearly as interesting.
“You’ll have to tell me the details,” Shanta said with a sharp intake of breath, the boxes slowing their storm march through the air. “Are the rumors true, or is it just a fuss to create some support for our neighbors from the Empire?”
Jay happily let the two chatter away, hiding his amusement at some of Ana’s descriptions. There were plenty of other things for him to focus on. It seemed the city was feeling friendlier today or word of the strange cart had traveled ahead of them, as they received far more than their fair share of waves and morning greetings. Not all the reactions were friendly, even when Shanta wasn’t rearranging her cart. Jay was happy to meet the glaring eyes with the depths of how he felt about his headache.
He interrupted Ana only to ask Shanta to resettle her boxes for good before they left the city. They passed through the gates without issue, Shanta’s cart and their task permit letting them skip any of the usual fuss when they went hunting quags.
Ana’s retelling of their fights and Shanta’s reactions provided good entertainment on their trip to their first destination, a strange kind of ranch to the east of Lauchia. The highlights for him were the merchant’s reaction to the tailmouth’s chase – she pulled a handful of hair loose from her jument and nearly fell off the cart – and Ana’s flustered response when after mentioning a ‘small’ encounter with a fluffball, Shanta gasped and shouted “One-shot!”.
Word of some of their tasks had made their way to their client’s ears. Maybe. She recognised some details, but the rumors had distorted her recollection of events enough that it was hard to tell if what Shanta had heard was about them or another adventuring team. Most likely it was a combination, with key details like Ana’s nickname being the only thing to survive.
Jay found his mood lifted as they neared their first destination. The clean road underneath him vanished under a carpet of moss as they crossed into what locals called the Curtain Depths. It was an area several miles across that had never recovered after a swarm of oddities crossed into Lauchia nearby. The event happened decades ago, but the marks remained. From what Jay heard, nothing could be built on the land here. Any stone or soil that was placed sank down into the moss over time. No foundation was deep enough to stop the descent, and people had tried.
“Let’s pause here for a moment,” Jay announced, glancing at Kane just long enough to spot the impending signs of a fugue. His eyes tended to dart around a little as the stoic man tried to hold back his curiosity. At Shanta’s own curious stare he explained. “It can take a moment for our Words to get accustomed to new magic.”
It was mostly true. He did want to get a look at the empty patch of land. No trees or plants grew in the area. There was little to mark for his sight. Few points to measure in the plain space. Sure, if he looked closely at the moss he could force some detail, but why bother? It was an oddly peaceful place, and they had no worries about hostile Oddities sneaking up on them here.
Thankfully, without the magic from the Oddities that created it still fueling the zone, the moss had stopped spreading, but it was a patch of land that could not be reverted. Land that was at a premium so close to the city. It was no surprise that people eventually found a use for it.
Huts and warehouses rose from the moss in the distance. The buildings had a particular shape to them, likely a necessity when their entirety was suspended from the ground on stilts. Some of it he could understand. Too much weight in one area and a support could collapse, sending everything contained within to the ground with a crash. The odd bulges at the bottom of the structures, though, he could see no purpose for. It was strange enough that he remarked on it.
“It’s Wonder stone. carefully measured to support all the weight,“ Shanta answered. Her face scrunched up.“Mostly. Or maybe not. I think a lot of those pockets are empty these days. People aren’t as worried that feeding the moss with make it grow anymore. Instead, they just keep an eye on the height of the stilts.“
“What happens when the stilts get too short?“ Ana asked.
“They request ‘renovations‘, and get the huts lifted while new supports or dug in or the old extended. It’s not exactly legal, but no one looks too closely as Wonder stone prices increase — the council included.“
One of these huts was their destination. Jay wondered what drove people to live out here. Surely nothing grew in the bottomless moss.
“Are we ready?” Kane asked, his eyes clear and his chin high.
Shanta whispered something into her jument’s long ears and the cart trundled on, dipping a little as the weight crossed onto the soft ground.
They traveled for about five minutes before things went wrong. The Oddities used the glare of the sun to hide their arrival. Jay noticed far later than he should, having been nursing his headache and focusing on the land around them. When he did, they were already within 30m.
The creatures descended like colorful brushstrokes of deadly rain; the sun reflecting off near-translucent spines along their sides. They never moved in straight lines, but moved slow enough that Jay got a good look at them. Every second their bodies undulated, like a half full sack of flour. The largest he saw was a hundred and sixty-eight centimeters long, the smallest barely stretched further than his elbow and no thicker than a hand span. Each was a different color. There were too many to count.
A swarm of flying Oddities. It was a worst-case scenario for adventurers. A nightmare.
“We need to run,“ he shouted, moving towards the cart. Towards Shanta. He didn’t know if the jument could run - why didn’t he ask - but if it couldn’t, she might need to be persuaded. “Oddities above. Abandon the cart.“
The creatures were slow now, but they might speed up as their prey fled.
“Stop,“ Kane ordered.
Ahead of him, Ana swore and reached for Kane’s sword at her waist. As she drew it out, he could see the moment where she noticed the reduced reach and, looking at the descending creatures, regretted. Then determination covered her features.
“So many colors,” Kane said absently, his body relaxed and not at all ready for a fight.
If you come across this story on Amazon, it's taken without permission from the author. Report it.
Jay wanted to scream. Now he goes into a doze?
Ana is closer to Shanta. I can turn back and still reach Kane in time to-
Shanta was laughing.
“It’s okay, it’s okay. These Oddities are farmed here. They’re called Nagaloon.”
His steps slowed, but he didn’t look away from the Oddities. “Are you sure?“
”Yes. It’s quite a sight, isn’t it?” Shanta sighed happily. “When Nagaloon were brought to Lauchia, the farms had the bright idea to purchase by color, so no one’s flock would get mixed up. Can’t exactly keep them separate with fences in the sky, can they? When the first pink Nagaloo showed up there were a lot of arguments.” She snorted.
Kane hummed in response, and Jay got the impression he hadn’t been talking about the pigments of the creatures’ skin.
Taking a deep breath, he tried to relax and not let his adrenaline turn into anger at Kane and his reaction or lack of one. This felt like something Kane would have done when they first became adventurers, not now weeks later. If his teammate had seen the creatures first, he should have said, even if he didn’t think they were aggressive. If he knew about them in advance, a warning was the minimum. They would need to talk about this later.
“I appreciate the caution for my safety, but you don’t need to worry in this case,“ Shata announced, with a smile on her face.
Jay watched the creatures grow closer and didn’t feel any calmer. “Where did they come from?”
Shanta shrugged. “Somewhere in the Empire, I think. Far enough away that no thought or was able to ask about the colors, but I don’t really know.”
“Why are they so...” Ana bounced her hands together and apart slowly.
Shanta just laughed, and it was surprisingly Kane that answered.
“It’s how they fly. Whatever they eat is converted to a gas that they store in their bodies.”
“Nothing poisonous?” Jay asked, remembering his thoughts about the excrement wagon task.
Kane’s eyebrows furrowed. “Not immediately, but I’m not sure. I know the city buys the gas.”
“Don’t pop any of them and you’ll be fine. The gas can be corrosive in large bursts,” Shanta called. “They’re harmless. Curious, but they don’t have teeth, so don’t worry about any bites. My client is still ten minutes out, so you’ll have to get used to Nagaloon.”
It was easier said than experienced, in Jay’s opinion. The sensation was similar to Shanta’s Word use – perhaps why she had less issue with the encroaching Nagaloon. It was the flicker of color moving in the corner of your eye. The shadows shifting on the ground as the slow-moving creatures surrounded the cart. None ever got within arm – or spear’s – reach, but it didn’t stop the feeling of a trap closing in.
Jay was relieved when Shanta stopped the cart outside a hut with a whisper in her jument’s ear. The Nagaloon dispersed some as they got closer to the buildings.
“Just a moment!”
The call didn’t come from the hut, but a warehouse-like structure off to the right of it. It was a simple enough looking barn aside from the holes in its side and the stilts that held it off the ground. On the narrow side closest to them were large leather tanks of some kind suspended above the roof.
“No rush, Leah,” Shanta called back. “I’ve got your order here.”
“Shanta? You have the dracta?”
“Yes, right here.” A box swirled down from the top of the cart into the merchant’s hands.
A woman burst from the warehouse backwards, descending via a ladder without looking back. Shanta met her halfway from the cart, box in hand. Leah had eyes only for Shanta as he sped towards the merchant.
“Oh thank the Three,” she exclaimed. “I haven’t been able to sit down for-” Her eyes widened in embarrassment as she caught sight of the three of them behind Shanta. “Who are you?”
“Adventurer escort,” Shanta answered, nose crinkling in amusement. “I’ll tell you more next time I visit. You go inside now and get sorted.”
The rancher retreated quickly into the hut with shouted words of gratitude for Shanta.
“Right!” Shanta announced, hand already gathering a fist of her jument’s hair to give her a boost up to the creature’s ear. “Off to the next, shall we?”
“Do you have a steady supply of dracta?” Jay asked as they left the buildings behind and the Nagaloon descended once more.
“Not as such,” Shanta answered, her focus locked on the cart behind her. Little by little, her fingers crept towards the less than perfect shape, now missing a single box. It seemed to take an effort for her to turn back towards Jay. “Why? Are you interested in some?”
“Yes,” Jay answered, trying to calculate how the price might differ in a city full of adventurers compared to the meager stocks that appeared in Kavakar, and how that might affect the team’s budget. “A small amount for emergencies. Bandages work, but not as well as dracta if all goes wild.”
“What is it?” Ana asked, looking between them and eyeing Jay with something between scorn and suspicion on her face.
“Wound sealant,” Kane answered. “Consumes blood to bind wounds.”
“Bandages?”
“Very effective bandages,” Jay clarified.
Ana’s face relaxed but without losing the curiosity in her eyes. “What is it then? I mean, where does it come from?”
It was usually a question that came up after someone had to use it rather than before. The sensation was apparently like little else. Jay was lucky or unlucky enough to have gotten curious about something they sold in the shop. Dracta came from the secretions of a... less than appetizing creature that lived only in the dark. It was a limited trade between the city states.
All three of them looked between themselves, smirks growing, then back at Ana.
“You don’t want to know,” Jay and Shanta said in unison. Kane nodded in confirmation.
Ana’s eyes narrowed, and she might not want to badger them with Shanta around, but Jay was looking forward to the eventual reveal when she crumbled later.
The rest of their deliveries were much more mundane. Farmsteads of a kind with Slow Keeping, though further apart and less oddly shaped. Most deliveries were handled quickly by Shanta, who handed the boxes over directly instead of flying them with her Word. Rarely did either participant in the sale mention the contents or even pass coins between them. This was Shanta’s regular route and much of the purchases were pre orders.
No ambushes surprised them. No Oddities ruined the easy gossip and chatter. By the end of the day, they made it back to the city walls with a nearly empty cart. This should have made passing through the city gates a breeze, but an odd expression came to the guard’s weathered face as she checked their task papers and tag.
“One moment,” the woman asked, signaling another guard at the gates not to let them on. Her body language gave nothing away, and Jay didn’t have time to Measure further as she twisted away. They were left waiting as the guard disappeared into the gatehouse.
It was a bit strange, but Jay wasn’t concerned until he caught a hint of a whispered conversation.
“Is that the one?”
“Jake described him as... bigger.”
They didn’t have to wait long for the guard who stopped them to come back. She didn’t waste any time when she did.
“Jiro Tsukain?”
Jay nodded a wary confirmation.
“The guard captain would like a word if you’re available.”
“Ehh...” What? Jay had expected an issue with the documents, not an... invitation?
“Excuse me,” Shanta interjected, a pleasant expression on her face. “May I ask what the issue is? This team of adventurers is under contract with me.”
The guard, wearing armor and surrounded by her colleagues, smiled back just as pleasantly. Her bright blue eyes didn’t match the smile. They were too focused. Scrutinizing. “I’m afraid I couldn’t speak for the captain. There is no issue with your papers. It is a separate matter to the adventurer’s task.”
“We can enter then,” Jay asked, still trying to figure out what was going on.
“Of course,” she answered with that pleasant smile. “The city guard would never wish to interfere with legitimate business.”
The guard standing in the way of the entrance did not move.
“And of course we would never wish to impede the business of the guard,” Shanta answered. She gave Jay a searching gaze, then blinked.
He was on his own, it seemed. It was likely he could demand to be let in, or kick up a fuss, but there’s no way it wouldn’t cost him later. Instead, he asked:
“They’re in the gatehouse, are they?”
The guard nodded and gestured for him to lead the way.
He shrugged at Ana and Kane. One focused on him, the other with their eyes locked on the gatehouse. “I’ll meet you back at the dormitory if-” he looked at Shanta. “-Ms Lavern wishes to continue on without me.”
The diminutive merchant shook her head. “A wait would be no issue. I’m always happy to support the city guard.”
And earn some goodwill while you’re at it, Jay thought dryly. It was a smart move. At the least she might walk away with more information about the guard that might prompt an investment.
With Ana and Kane’s assent, he followed the guard’s directions inside the gatehouse. She mimed for him to knock at a nondescript door slightly outset from the walls and larger than the doorframe. Her eyes were all the brighter in the gloom indoors.
“Enter.” came the call from within. It was very matter of fact.
As Jay opened the door, the guard stood at attention opposite.
“You can close it behind you.”
It was a simple room, bare of any decorations, and notable only for the structure around the entrance. A heavy bar of stone lay in a custom alcove, ready to be dropped across the door. Facing the entrance was a simple wooden desk with two chairs in front. Behind the desk was a man who could only be the guard captain. His nose was short and upturned, giving a snooty lean to his face.
There were few trappings of the man’s rank distinguishable, but his posture as he signed some papers was that of command.
As Jay stepped into the room, the captain waved one hand in dismissal. It was heavily scarred and dark with calluses on the palm. This man was a fighter. “Don’t bother sitting. This should be quick.”
“This?” Jay asked.
The captain hummed and set his quill down. “Yes. Word has reached the guard of your intentions, and we wished to make it clear that we have standards.”
That clarified nothing for Jay.
“Sorry, I’m not sure I understand. My intentions?”
“Oh don’t worry, I’m not against your movement. Honestly, I think it’s about time something was done to clean things up in that place, though I do wish your timing was a bit better. It may be too late with all this Pono business.” The captain knocked against the table and almost seemed upset at the sound of wood not stone. “Our concern is keeping any conflict cordial and off the streets. Some inebriated behavior can be forgiven in the heat of the moment, but coordinated action will not.”
“My movement?” Jay managed to utter, horrifying understanding dawning. This was about last night. It was about what he said and all the shouted responses. Drunken rambling, he’d thought.
“Hmm, was it ‘If they won’t, we can’?” The captain asked.
Jay was still too speechless to find an answer.
“It’s catchy enough, but you should have hired someone for the Wording.” The captain advised, giving Jay a confident nod. “This meeting is a precaution, of course, but we always find it’s best to set a good foundation.”
“I don’t think I even said that,” Jay said, half complaining to himself.
The captain tsked nasally and shook his head. “You might not be able to change it then. A shame.” He straightened up and his face hardened. His hands stilled. “The uptake in tasks by your supporters today has been noted by the bureau and the city. Let me be clear that while our remit may focus on what lies within these walls, we are not blind to what happens outside of them.”
Jay was half tempted to take that seat now.
“Is that clear?”
He managed to answer in the affirmative somehow.
“Good. Trusted Bernie will see you back to your team.”
In his daze, Jay nearly missed the call of ‘Good luck’ as he left. The waves and glares on the way back to the dorms took on new meaning.
What have I started?