Missteps V.2

Chapter 30 – Together Again

"You just had to insult his horse." Grumbled a frustrated Lia as she and her akudaem companion trudged through the thick snow. It'd been snowing for the past couple of days, turning the countryside into an endless blanket of white, glistening snow. The sun peered down from in-between lazy clouds.

"The damned thing spat at me, what'd you expect me to do? Stay silent?" Iados replied as they followed the wheel tracks their former ride had left. Every few miles a marker stood out from the snow drifts to direct the way towards Esterwill. Heavy snow this time of year was on par with what Iados remembered of his hometown.

She rolled her eyes. "Next time, maybe try not to insult the horse's owner as well." Lia had a sneaky suspicion that it was Iados's rather colorful description of the man who owned the horse that was the real reason why they'd been dumped. At least they'd saved themselves a few silver, as the man was so angry that he'd forgotten that they still owed him for the ride.

"So, have you figured out a way to hide yourself yet?" Lia stopped for a moment as she grabbed her thigh and yanked her leg out of a particularly deep snowdrift.

"Not really," The akudaem sneezed.

"That's why you should wear more layers." The elf admonished as she wiped snow off her hands.

"Any more layers and I won't be able to move." He already had on three pairs of socks, two breeches, two tunics, mittens, and a cloak, in addition to his backpack and weapons. Lia was dressed similarly, though she had her leather armor, and she carried her staff.

"At this rate we're not going to even see Esterwill before nightfall." Iados gave a heavy sigh. He peeked over at his girlfriend's face. Her mouth was pursed and her nose crinkled as the wind brought another wave of the horrid smell. Not only was it cold and slow-going with the snow, but they were walking through pastures and the smell of bovine waste filled the air.

Silence stretched between the two of them. The only sound was of the snow as it crunched under their feet. With every step they took, they're legs were buried halfway up their calves.

Suddenly Lia's leg sank clear up to her knee. "This is ridiculous! There has to be a better way than to just trudge along like this." She gritted her teeth as she grasped her thigh in an effort to pull out the appendage. Iados hurried over to help.

"This is why there's barely any trading done this time of year." He grabbed Lia around the middle and pulled upward. Almost immediately he lost his grasp and fell backwards, alone, into the snow. "Why don't you just transform into an animal and get to town. Leave me here and send a rescue party to recover my frozen body." He panted.

Lia pulled her leg free. "Why don't I just transform into a horse and we can both get to town?" She patted the snow off her leg.

"Why didn't you suggest the horse thing earlier?" Iados fought the weight of the pack on his back as he tried to stand up.

Lia walked over and leaned over him. "I wanted you to suffer." She helped him stand up before she walked a bit away. Her body began to glow with a dim light and shift. Within moments, she'd transformed into a white and black-spotted horse. Horse-Lia turned to him and shook her head.

Iados, a huge grin on his face, did as she wanted and climbed onto her bare back. He never got tired of watching her transform.

Horse-Lia's progress was still slow as she picked her way through the snow, but it was considerably faster compared to their pace before. Iados kept up a steady stream of commentary and one-sided conversation the whole time. He relayed to her stories of growing up in Esterwill, and the epic snowball fights he'd had with his brothers. He tried to downplay his excitement at seeing his family, but it had been five, nearly six years now, since he'd last seen them. After a while, Iados spotted a shape in the distance.

He lightly tugged on a clump of Horse-Lia's mane. "Woah girl." He reached into a pocket and brought out a small metal spyglass. He extended it and brought it up to his eye, only to discover that the glass in the front was missing. He clicked his teeth in disappointment and returned it to the pocket. Underneath him, Horse-Lia began to buck as she tried to unseat the akudaem. He took the hint and deftly jumped down.

"We really should look into purchasing a saddle for when I do that." Lia dropped her pack to the snowy ground and began working her back muscles.

Iados rolled his eyes. "Oh yes, we'll buy a heavy saddle and carry it around for the rare one-hour moments of you being a horse." He pointed out towards the dark shape. "Can you see what's coming our way?"

Lia squinted. "It's a dark thing."

He chuckled and put his hands on his hips. "I thought elves had superior sight powers?"

"Only in the story's we tell our children." She stood up straight. "Isn't Esterwill in that direction?"

"I hope so, otherwise we are really lost."

Lia's face screwed up in confusion. "You hope so? Aren't you from this area?"

The akudaem shrugged. "Yeah, but I'm more comfortable with the sea route. If we were on a boat we'd be making much better time."

"If we were on a boat, we'd be fighting off those water creatures as they tried to drag you away." Lia stated.

Iados nodded as she made a good point. "Ok, so do we want to do the horse thing again, or just walk until we meet up with whatever that shape is?" The more he looked at it, the more certain he was that it was headed their way.

Lia grabbed her pack and slung it onto her back. "Let's just walk."

"Probably for the best, save your energy for Bitey, just in case we get in trouble." He grinned.

Lia gave a heavy sigh as they headed off. "I still don't like that nickname."

"Well, what else am I gonna call a dire wolf? Bigfoot?"

"What's wrong with 'Lia'?" She asked as they fell in step with each other.

He waved off the suggestion. "Too predictable, besides, I've already named the cat-, bear-, and dog-forms. You can't expect me to leave the dire wolf-form out."

Her eyes rolled. "I noticed that you haven't named the horse form yet. Is it not worthy of a name?"

He shook his head. "I just haven't found the right one, don't worry, it'll come to me eventually."

The duo walked for another half hour before they finally met up with the dark shape. As it turned out the dark shape was a sled driven by a large man covered in furs.

"Hail!" The man called out as he approached them, and slowly came to a stop.

Iados returned the greeting as he pulled his hood up even more over his face. His face was the only bit of skin not covered, the only bit that still showed off its violet red color.

"You're late." His voice was muffled by the large scarf wrapped around his face. He secured the horse's reins and climbed down. Lia and Iados exchanged confused glances.

"I'm sorry, do we know you?" She took in the large figure. Her eyes swept over the sled as well, and noticed a large warhammer with runic designs propped against the seat. The sled wasn't very big. It was basically just an elevated bench on some skis.

The man laughed and unwound the scarf, revealing a very familiar auburn-headed face.

"Jun!" Lia launched herself at him, and he enveloped her in a large hug.

Jun set Lia down. "What took you two so long? We expected you days ago."

"The weather set us back a few days." Iados gestured grandly at all the snow around them. "Can I presume that the 'we' is you and Ander?" Jun nodded. "How long have you two been in town?"

"Few months now." Jun reached into the sled and pulled out a small satchel. "We finished up our business rather quickly." From within the satchel he pulled out a small silver compact. He took a few steps past the two of them, then opened it and read aloud. "'Foolish be the one who reads this'."

As the words left his lips, the compact began to glow and a sphere of light lifted off the pages. It flashed for several seconds, each flash greater than the last. Finally, it gave one final flash so bright that everyone was forced to shut their eyes. When the light died down, Lia and Iados opened their eyes. Huddled on the ground in front of Jun there was an akudaemian woman with ruby red skin.

Jun shut the compact and stowed it back in his satchel. He leaned down in front of the woman. "Are you ok?" The woman nodded and Jun helped her to her feet. The woman clutched at the cloak around her shoulders, and a small satchel in her hands.

Jun reached into his own satchel and pressed a small coin purse into her hands. "Head north towards the forest. Once there, find the gnarled tree with the initials 'NIH' carved into it. You'll be met by someone who can help you. Tell them 'The gnarled is dead,' and wait for them to respond with 'but only on the surface'. Do you understand?" The woman nodded slowly. Jun made her practice the code words a few more times before she set out.

"It's really that bad." Iados's voice was soft as Jun rejoined the small group, and they all watched the woman walk away.

"Some days it's better than others. She ran into some bad luck and it was no longer safe for her to remain." Jun sighed and ran a hand through his hair. "The city's no longer on lockdown, but akudaems can't just waltz in, or out."

Iados's fist shook while at his side. He'd hoped the rumors he'd heard on the way here had been just that, rumors. "How many have you helped escape?"

"Around twenty or so. The compact can only hold one creature at a time. Speaking of," Jun pulled out the compact again and faced Iados. Lia took a large step to the side. Jun opened it and pointed the mirrored inside at the akudaem.

Iados could see the words written clearly on the mirrored surface. He felt a strange tug to read them. He tried to resist, but failed. "'Foolish be the one who cannot resist.'"

Lia gasped as Iados's body dissolved into hundreds of tiny balls of light, and was sucked into the mirror's surface. With a snap the compact closed. "Is he alright in there?"

"Oh yeah," Jun reassured her as he placed the compact in the satchel. "From what I've been told, they don't feel anything. It's like their asleep. Don't worry, I'll let him out when we reach the monastery. I'll tell you the story of how we got it on the way into town." He helped Lia up into the sled. "It all started when Ander and his girl went shopping."

Three days later, Carric, Elaine, and Kerri came riding into town. Thankfully they'd been able to borrow a horse and buggy from the Church for the journey.

Unlike the other large cities in Marblebrooke, Esterwill wasn't surrounded by a wall. In fact the city was so sprawling that it was hard to determine exactly when one entered its limits. It wasn't till they'd passed a handful of buildings that they encountered the security checkpoint. A small contingent of soldiers wrapped in dark red cloaks emblazoned with a white stylized sword, shield, and some twisty symbol, were stopping every cart.

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"What's your business in Esterwill?" One of the guards asked as Carric pulled their cart up. Elaine sat next to him on the bench, her Church papers already out. Kerri was stretched out on her stomach under a blanket in the back, book in hand.

"Meeting up with a few friends." Carric answered as two more guards came up to the cart. One of them peered underneath the cart, while the second climbed into the back. A third guard was up front, the horse's bridle held tightly in his grasp.

"Watch the hands." Kerri hissed as the older guardsmen pulled the blanket away from her and rolled her over.

"If you all will please remove your hoods and hats, we need to check for horns." The first guard announced as he climbed onto the side of the cart. The three of them didn't have time to remove their own garments before it was all roughly yanked off and their heads were roughly patted.

"Do you need to pat my ass as well?" Kerri grumbled to the older guard as she shook off the hand. Elaine tried to turn her head towards the bard, but was stopped by the guard next to her.

"Actually the tails attach at a point just above the ass." The main guard explained as he waved the older guard out of the cart. "Though I'm sure my men won't say 'no' if you're offering."

Kerri glared daggers at him as she wrapped the blanket snugly around her figure.

The main guard turned back to Carric. He reached into a coin purse strapped to his waist, and pulled out a copper coin. He offered the coin to Carric, who took it. "Show this to anyone else who tries to stop you. It has no monetary value, so don't bother trying to spend it." Carric examined the coin, and noticed that it was branded with the same one mark that was emblazoned on the guard's cloaks.

Inside the city, the streets were paved with large stones. Every few feet, small metal grates had been installed down the center. They were small enough that it was easy to walk over without fear of falling. The remaining slush from the latest winter storm slowly drained through them. The building roofs were still covered in snow, as the sun was out but it was nowhere near warm enough to melt the snow. The streets were the only place with slush.

As they passed a side street, the trio saw a very large contraption that took up half the street. It was metal cart, very low to the ground, pulled by a large team of oxen. In the back of it, was a large metal box that was being fed by a small shirtless gnomish man. As the cart ran over the snow-laden road, the snow melted. Behind the cart, a group armed with wide metal hoes pushed the slush towards the grates. The cart was very loud as its metal wheels creaked under the weight of the miniature forge. The individuals all shouted at each other, their tones laced with jest and mirth.

Kerri wrinkled her nose as the smell from the fire hit her nostrils. "What do you think they're burning?"

"Feces." Carric answered. He looked over his shoulder and saw the bard gag.

Soon enough they arrived at a large plaza. Small two-story shops lined the edges, along with at least three other roads out. In the middle was a large fountain with a metal sculpture of four figures. The four figures stood in a circle, their backs to each other as they looked out around the plaza. Water streamed and cascaded out from below them.

"Let's get closer!" Kerri exclaimed as she hopped out of the still moving cart.

Elaine rolled her eyes at the antic, and waited for Carric to stop before she disembarked. "How about you keep an eye on her, and I'll get us directions to this monastery?" She asked as she handed Carric his pack.

The half-elf nodded as he glanced over at the young bard as she was absorbed in the fountain. He tied up the horse and cart, and joined her. There were only a handful of people milling around, each of them heavily bundled. He suspected that on nicer days this place was a buzz of activity, but cities like this tended to hibernate during the winter months. When he reached the fountain he joined Kerri as they took in the statues one by one.

The first metal figure was a gnome, dressed in a leather apron with goggles on his head and several tools at his feet.

The second was an elf, their long hair tied back, and a handkerchief tied around their neck. He had one foot propped up on top of several planks of wood, with a carving tool held loosely in his hand.

The third figure was human, his head half-shaved clean with the other half curling around his chin. He was dressed in a long tunic that split at his waist and allowed the two flaps to reach towards the knees. Loose-flowing pants covered his legs. He hands were balled up at his side, but other than that he looked relaxed, almost regal in his pose.

The final figure, was an akudaem. This statue was crouched, its tail winding around it legs. The statue was smiling as it held up a coin. Not many other details could be made out as bright paint was splashed all over the statue. Red 'x's' had been painted over its eyes, and someone had gifted the statue with crudely drawn genitalia.

"Seems like the rumors were true." Carric commented as he examined the statue. Kerri nodded.

Kerri pointed towards the vandalized statue. "There is a bright side to this."

"Oh?" Carric raised an eyebrow. "How so?"

She grinned mischievously. "They could have given him a micropenis."

Carric chuckled as he took a second look at the drawn appendage. "Maybe for an akudaem that is micro? We'll have to remember to ask Iados later." They laughed. Behind them, Elaine whistled and waved them back over to the cart.

"Find out where we're going?" Carric asked as they two of them reached the cart.

Elaine nodded and pointed at one of the streets. "That street takes us all the way."

"Then let's go." He untied the horses while the girls climbed into the cart. Instead of climbing in after them, Carric walked alongside the horses. They only traveled for about twenty minutes before they reached another checkpoint.

This checkpoint was different from the previous one. First of all, this one had a wall. Unlike the sturdy constructed walls of Silverbank or Lorbridge, this one seemed to have been made of slabs of stone crudely sat side-by-side. As the trio drew closer to it, they could see that on either side of the road, pieces of wood and other debris were bunched up near the bottom of the wall. The opening of the wall was just that, an opening; a space of dead air where the wall just didn't continue. There didn't seem to be any form of a gate, just two guards with swords standing on either side of the opening.

"Halt." The closest guard said once the cart reached him. "State your business."

"We're headed towards the monastery." Carric reached into his pocket and pulled out the copper coin. "We've already been searched."

The guard nodded. "That's good to know, but do you have permission to cross the wall?"

"Why do we need permission to cross a wall?" Kerri called out as she scrambled out of the cart and jogged up to stand next to Carric. Elaine stayed put.

The guard pointed behind him. "That's akudaem territory. No one goes in or out with special permission."

"How do we get permission?" Carric asked.

"You make a formal request with the Servants of the Peace and await their decision."

"The Servants of the what?" Kerri repeated.

The guard turned and faced her. "The Servants of the Peace. It is the official name of the town guard and military forces for Esterwill." He held up his cloak and showed off the white symbol.

Carric sighed and hung his head. "Listen, we have friends waiting for us at the monastery. Is there any way you can deliver a message for us to them?"

The guard rubbed his chin as he thought about Carric's request. As he did, a familiar voice floated over from the other side of the wall.

"You've seen me cross this barrier four times already this week, and countless times last week. I highly doubt that you actually need to see my credentials." Carric and Kerri both leaned and peered behind the guard. Standing on the other side, arms crossed, and looking very annoyed, was Ander.

"Ander, you know its procedure. Just show us your coin, and we'll let you go." One of the guards said with a heavy sigh.

The halfling glared for another half a beat before he reached into his pocket and pulled out a silver coin. The guards stepped aside without another word and waved him through. Angrily Ander replaced the coin in his pocket and started walking, grumbling under his breath. He was so engrossed in his muttering that he walked right by Carric and Kerri.

"Hey Ander!" Carric called out.

Ander stopped and turned back. His eyes widened as he finally saw the three of them. "Oh, you did show up."

"Of course we did." Kerri bounded over, knelt, and gave Ander a hug.

He awkwardly returned it. "You guys took so long that we were beginning to worry you'd reneged on the deal."

"We just got hung up in Silverbank is all." Kerri stood back up. "Are we the last to arrive?"

Ander nodded. "The lovebirds got here a few days ago."

"You mean Iados and Lia?" Carric tried to keep the grin off his face. Ander nodded.

Kerri opened her mouth to say something, but Ander held up a finger to stop her.

He took a couple of steps back towards the wall and turned to the guard. "Jerali, send word to Jun that the last of our party's arrived." The guard who'd stopped the cart nodded and jogged through the wall into akudaem territory.

Ander turned back towards his group. "While we wait for Jun to get you guy's permission to pass through, I sure could use some help."

"What's the job?" Elaine asked as the group walked over to the cart.

"Shopping." The halfling grunted as he climbed into the back.

The four of them spent the next couple of hours traveling to different parts of the city. It seemed that this was a regular chore of Ander's, as all the store owners recognized him on sight. Some of them, like the grain merchant, had his order ready for him.

The sun was starting to set by the time they made their way back to the wall with a heavy-laden cart. Ander had filled it with grains, heavy clothing and cloth, candles, and two large wooden crates. The crates had been picked up at a Circle Chapter House in town and Ander hadn't said what they were filled with.

Jun sat with the guard's playing cards as the cart rolled up. He grinned broadly as he passed out silver coins to the three newcomers, and then led the way through the wall. "We were beginning to think you weren't gonna show." Jun teased as headed deeper into akudaem territory.

The streets here were covered in snow several inches thick. Many of buildings windows been shattered and rude messages were smeared across them. On the other side of the wall it'd been quiet, but there had still been a general buzz of humanity as you wandered the streets. Here, it was silent. Occasionally a shadow could be seen behind a window, but the only sounds readily apparent were their footsteps as they trudged through the snow. There was a general stench of neglect in this part of the city that the more well-kept areas didn't have.

They walked for another thirty minutes, until they reached the end of the road. A large metallic gate stood barring the way. Stretching out from the gate was another wall. This one was easily ten feet high and made of white marble. Crenelations peppered the top every few feet.

Jun walked up and banged on the gate, a rhythmic knock that was obviously a password. The gates barely clanged as they opened outward, just enough for the cart to pass through.

Inside, it was a whole other world. Whereas outside the gates it was like a nightmare, inside was more dreamland wonderland.

A garden dotted by a slow-moving stream captured the attention as the paved path curved around numerous flower gardens. Groups of akudaems milled around the inside. Some worked on the flowerbeds, prepping them for the still coming frosts, while others lounged, talking. Children ran by in groups, large smiles plastered on their faces. Jun led the way to a large two-story structure situated in the middle of the compound. Tucked deeper into the garden around the structure, numerous tents and fire pits had been constructed.

"Why is everyone here instead of the buildings outside?" Kerri asked quietly as she took in the scene around her.

"It's safer here. No one dares mess with the monastery." Jun scooped up a ball that one of the children had thrown too far. With a smile he tossed it back. "Besides, a lot of these people don't live on this side of the wall. Their homes are on the other side, but they're forbidden from going back."

"So the city just rounded up all the akudaems in town and stuck them behind a wall?" Carric's eyes narrowed and it was easy to discern the bite in his words.

Jun nodded. "Pretty much. It's not as bad as it sounds, they're actually safer now than before." A group of older akudaems approached the group and Ander left to speak with them. Jun turned to the others. "Leave the cart here, it'll be safe. Lia and Iados are waiting inside."

Elaine and Kerri hopped out of the cart, and they all followed Jun inside the gleaming white structure. A large wooden porch surrounded the building, where groups of people, not all of them akudaems, sat pounding vegetation into bowls. Each bowl had a different color being mixed inside of it.

Inside, people of all races (though mainly human from what Carric could see) were dressed in the long tunic and loose pants style that the human figure from the fountain was dressed in. They wore a variety of colors, but mostly stuck to the more neutral side of the color wheel.

Jun led the way to a large open room with a sunken pit in the center. A small fire blazed in a pit that was surrounded by pillowed couches. Sitting on one of them was Lia and Iados. Lia was wearing one of the long sleeveless tunics with shorts. Her right arm was wrapped in bandages from her hand to her shoulder. Iados sat with his head in her lap, a cold compress covering the left side of his face.

"What happened to you two?" Carric asked as they walked into the pit.

"The monks decided I have been lapse in my training." Iados whined. "They've spent the past couple of days correcting that."

"And you?" Elaine stood over Lia and reached for her bandaged arm.

"Oh I'm not hurt." Lia smiled and undid the bandages at her shoulder. She unveiled a still-red tattoo of what looked like ivy. "It spirals down my arm and ends around my wrist. I meant to have it healed up by now, but it took longer than originally intended to apply it, and someone kept using up my healing spells."

"You're the one that decided to get a fairly large tattoo. I'm just the one that volunteered to cover your scout duties while it was hammered into you. Not my fault we kept running into those stupid goblins." The compress slipped as Iados talked, revealing a large dark bruise on the side of his face.

Ander rejoined the party with several bottles of ale in his hands. Children bearing plates of meat and fruit trailed along behind him.

"So," Lia turned towards the latecomers as she took a cup from Jun. "Are you going to tell us why you were late?"

Over the next few hours they all took turns regaling themselves, and the room at large, of their adventures from the past few months. There was a collective gasp at Iados's tale of the water creature, but when pressed for more info on why it attacked, he merely said that he wasn't drunk enough.

Carric pulled a half-asleep Shomma out of his bag, much to the delight of Lia and Iados. Ander refused to touch her, and quickly squashed any ideas of him riding her when it came up.

Another favored tale of the evening, was Carric and Elaine's portrayal of Kerri and Maron's reunion, and its saddened end. The only tale that topped it, was Jun's recount of his fight against the berserkers. Ander tried to add some details of his own, but Jun's exaggerated account of the battle made the halfling's contributions unnecessary. It was this story that really entertained the room at large.

Later on in the evening, when the room had emptied and it was only the seven of them left, the story of The Howling King'sfinal treasure hunt did come to life, as did the truth of Prince Maron's demise.

There were some parts that weren't shared that night. Kerri's mark never came up, and the only thing Lia or Iados offered up about the Elder Door Sanctum or her Uncle, was that she'd sent a letter that simply said she quit. In truth, the letter said that she quit more than just the job, but Lia didn't want to go into all the other details just yet.

Finally, sleep became too hard to ignore. With drink and exhaustion clouding their minds, they all simply spread out upon the couches and let the crackle of the fire lull them to sleep, glad to be together again.