On the road

We’ve gotta figure a way to get more masks, Halari thought. She weaved around a pile of debris, thinking about various options of getting enough people into the city center so they could move all the supplies. That air is poison. We’re not getting anybody in without protection.

“Hala!” Viria called from where drove at her left. “You good?”

“Yeah, just thinking!” Halari called back, slowing a bit so her sister could catch up and drive level with her. Both of their vehicles grumbled across the black rock at a steady pace; they’d be back home within the next half hour. “We’ll need a lot more air masks if we’re gonna get on the ground in the center!”

“Not even the mines have that many!” Viria said. “We’ll figure something out!”

“We always do!” Halari shouted back with a proud smile. They crossed out of the city limits and navigated the wastes effortlessly all the way home. At the entry gate, she instantly knew that something was wrong. A large crowd was visible in the courtyard in front of the Temple. Callan was definitely about to make an announcement or something.

“Hey, Alo, did something happen?” She stopped by one of the gate’s guards.

“Yeah, we fended off a gildgrown scouting party,” the guard said, a smug look on his face “We even got one of those fuckers in the stockade too. You should’ve been there Halari, it was wild. The King tore those assholes apart with his bare hands.”

“Did you say we’ve got a gildgrown in the stockade?” Halari pressed urgently. Her blood began to boil at the thought of coming face to face with one of those freaks again and her vision tinged just slightly red at the edges.

“Yeah we do,” Meloru mused, still smiling widely. “King Callan snapped his spine like a tam shell. It was awesome!”

“I need to get down there,” Halari said, revving her trawler’s engine. “Open the gate.”

Meloru and his shift partner unbarred the entrance and opened the gate wide for her and her party to roll down the ramp.

Halari parked her trawler in front of her garage and jogged to courtyard. She caught Callan just inside the Temple, speaking to Dalvo about the imminent announcement.

“Are you going to be ok on stage?” Callan asked. “You’re the hero today, Dalvo. A military hero. So, the people are going to have questions for you. They might even want your autograph or for you to say something inspiring to their children. They’re going to know it was you and your men, so expect some attention going forward.”

The captain paled, but nodded shakily. “I uh I can do that, Great Flame.”

“Callan.” Halari approached rapidly. “I heard we got a gildgrown. Who’s talking to it?”

“Hello to you, too,” Callan said with a small grin. Normally, she might find that comforting, but the presence of an enemy in the gates had her nervous wired. “Don’t worry, it’s in our most reinforced cell.”

“Who’s interrogating it?” she asked.

“Nobody yet,” Callan said. He eyed her curiously. “Do want first crack at it?”

Do I? Halari’s boiling blood flash froze in her veins. What would I even do with it? She remembered the feeling of gore on her face, dripping from her hands and chin.

“I… don’t know,” she murmured. Then she met his gaze. “Maybe.”

“Think on it,” Callan said. “For now though, help me convince Captain Dalvo that popularity is in his interest.”

Halari allowed herself to relax. That gildgrown wasn’t going anywhere. She breathed out a lot of the tension that had built up in her spine and shoulders.

“Oh, I’m convinced, Great Flame,” Dalvo said, paling even further. “I just wasn’t aware that being in the military came with any kind of fame.”

“War heroes usually make the best heroes,” Callan said, patting the shorter man on the shoulder. “You’ll probably get some romantic approaches in the coming weeks. Once the women get brave enough to talk to you, of course.”

“Wha…?” Dalvo looked totally lost, which caused Halari to giggle.

“You’re gonna do fine, Dalvo,” she said lightly. “Just say something up there. Anything’ll do I bet.”

“Yeah… sure...” Dalvo shook himself, then snapped to attention. “I’m ready, Great Flame.”

“Good,” Callan chuckled. “Halari, would you like to be up there as well?”

“Sure,” Halari said.

“Let’s get going, then,” Callan said, gesturing for the door. “We’ve kept them waiting long enough.”

The people hollered greetings and small claps as soon as the main gate of the Temple. She figured they knew a little bit about the attack, but they didn’t have all the details. Whatever the case, they cheered when Callan presented Captain Dalvo. The poor guy’s paling had promoted itself to full-on shaking, and he stood like a leaf barely clutching to its branch.

“Good people!” Callan called in a loud, proud voice. Her fellow Quarrymen hushed, eager to hear what he had to say. “Today, we were almost set upon by our enemies. They came to hurt us! To endanger our way of life! All they found in their search for our blood was their own!” The crowd clapped loudly, spitting curses at the gildgrown, and jeering their downfall.

“Thanks to our brave Militia…” Callan waved towards the soldiers ringing the crowd. “The intruding party was driven off entirely! Our forces were led by Captain Dalvo, commanding officer of the Quarry’s First Company.”

“Go ahead, captain,” she whispered. Halari smiled and nudged the captain forward with her elbow. Dalvo took a tentative step forward and raised his hand in a bashful wave. The people went crazy, whooping and yelling, screaming their thanks to the captain. Dalvo looked shell-shocked by the warm reception, waving on automatic and smiling like it hurt.

“Good people!” Callan waved them down before they worked themselves up into a frenzy. “Take heart! Hear the words of your protectors!”

Taking his cue, Captain Dalvo stepped forward again. Halari knew this feeling, standing before the scrutinous stare of Stargazer’s Quarry while they waited for words of hope or truth. Dalvo chewed on his lips for a singl second, then spoke.

“My people,” he began, then cleared his and tried again, louder. “My people! I vow here and now that while my soldiers stand, no harm will ever come to you! This I swear!”

The crowd cheered wildly. Dalvo saluted and his soldiers followed suit around the crowd.

The story has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.

Wow he’s actually kind of good at that, Halari appraised, impressed. Callan leaned close to her, carrying that static charge in the air around him that made her hairs stand on end like usual.

“Looks like your people have yet another leader,” he whispered. “Seems like you set a standard.”

“It’s good they have people to look up to,” Halari agreed, smiling warmly at him. “The more the better.”

“Agreed.” Callan moved so that his leaning proximity was permanent. “The good captain here will be the very image of their shield. Feeling protected will boost morale.”

Dalvo waved at the Quarrymen, then turned back to them and gave a quick thumbs up before stepping off the landing to reconvene with his men. Just as Callan predicted, the people tried to get the officer’s attention, but he moved right past them with waves and some more relaxed smiles.

“Now, come,” Callan said, patting her softly on the elbow. “We have a guest to attend to in the stockade. I’m sure you’ll want to have a word with it.”

Halari restrained herself from acting on an intense want to break into a mad dash so she could get to the stockade first and have at the prisoner. She walked stiffly beside Callan as he guided them away from the raucous party and toward the detainment building.

“Did you make it to the top of the wall?” Callan asked, clearly sensing her disturbance and trying to take her mind off of it. Not that the news was a better topic to talk about anyways.

“Yeah, um…” Halari frowned. “The center’s a mess, Callan. Smoke and fire everywhere, pits in the streets. We’re gonna need a lot of air masks, trawler beds for hauling, and of course, a lot better weapons for the soldiers in case of mantiles.”

Callan sighed, face falling. “Part of me hoped it somehow survived, but I suppose this is more fitting for our challenge.”

“I’m sorry,” Halari said softly. “I hate having to be the one tell you how rough things are.”

“I’m glad it’s you.” He gave her a sad smile. “You always soften the blow.”

They entered the stockade to the salutes of guards.

And that horrible, fluttering wheeze.

It really is here, she realized completely. The dreadful noise drew Halari toward the farthest cell of the stockade like a warped, hypnotic lullaby. Callan followed after her, supporting her from losing it to a deep anger with his presence. She stopped just before the prisoner’s cell and braced herself, then stepped so that she could see it in full horrific glory.

The gildgrown, seated on the cell’s cot against the back wall with its useless legs dangling off the edge, wheezed in greeting; its mask stared blankly at her, unmoving.

“Has it… spoken?” Halari growled at the nearest guard. The unlucky man paled and she made a mental note to apologize to the man later for her intensity, but this thing had her on edge.

“N-no, Lady Halari,” he said, saluting even tighter. “It’s just been sitting there, breathing like that. Creeps me out, honestly.”

“Soldier,” Callan said. “Be sure not to speak of your fear in front of the enemy.”

“Yes, Great Flame!” The guard straightened his back and put on a brave face.

“Lady Halari and I can take it from here,” Callan said, speaking to both guards. “Both of you, guard the front door.” They moved out of the stockade quickly, leaving Halari alone with Callan and the gildgrown. She stared daggers at the thing through the bars, but it only kept gurgling its breaths in her direction, taunting her with its insistence on living in her proximity.

“Halari.” Callan gently tugged her away by the arm and prodded her to look him in the eyes. “I am going to take this thing’s autonomy away from it to get answers, but only with your agreement. If it bothers you, I’ll find another way.”

These things don’t deserve another way. Halari ground her teeth against each other. “Do it.”

Callan nodded, then moved away from her and towards the detainment cell. His irises glowed softly and when he spoke, the force of his words were visible in the air as a light, violet aura that washed over the gildgrown like a thick wind.

“You will answer my questions,” Callan Commanded. Halari shivered as his most frightening power was unleashed, but she took some satisfaction watching it used on the gildgrown. “Tell me what your people want.”

After a moment of tense silence, the gildgrown hacked out a sound like a dustbunny choking on berry too big for its mouth. Then it did it again, then began a rapid series of them that made Halari cringe.

Is it… laughing? Halari glanced at Callan, who was masking any bafflement really well, unlike her. He glared at the freak, eyes flaring and lightning sparking between his fingers.

“You have no power over my mind, snake-devil,” the gildgrown gurgled. She hated the sound if its voice, like that of a drowning man. “My mind is not mine alone. We are one in the Giltspore, our thoughts share strength. You have no more power over my actions than you do the wind.”

“Then, I’ll make you talk the hard way, freak!” Halari spat, knife already in hand. She unlocked and threw open the thing’s cell doors, then crouched in front of it and put the clip point tip of her blade near its goggle lens.

“Keret vir Hemataka,” it hissed, leaning its head back as far as it could, which was only a few inches until its hood met the wall. “Keret vir!”

“Speak normally.” She tapped her knife against its goggle and pressed until the tip dug in just a millimeter. Enough to make a point, she hoped. Her vision was red around the edges again, focusing her hate on the yellow-clothed demon before her. She wanted so badly to slot her blade under its mask and into its neck, but she held. Barely.

“Get away from me, blood-witch!” the gildgrown almost screamed, trying to shy away from her in an attempt to avoid the knife. “Stay away!”

Blood-witch? She rose and backed away from the prisoner, both curious and concerned. “What did you just call me?”

“We know you…” it whispered. “You who savage the bodies of our dead. You who wear our blood like war paint. We know you. We hate you…”

‘Blood-witch.’ Its implication made itself clear and the word rang in her head like a siren. Halari felt numb. Her anger fled from her in an instant, leaving nothing but fear of her bloodthirsty wants in its cold wake.

“Perhaps you’re keener to speak with the blood-witch,” Callan said. “Alone, of course, since you will not speak with me. We’ll leave you with that idea for a couple days. Think on it, invader.”

The gildgrown bubbled out a growl; its lenses didn’t leave Halari as she sheathed her knife and drifted out of the cell on jelly-like legs.

Stay strong, you’ll be out in a second. She followed Callan outside, then almost fell onto him as soon as the guards were back at their stations inside. He hugged her strongly while she shook.

“Is that really what I am to them?” she asked softly. “Some frenzied maniac they call a blood-witch? I don’t want- I didn’t…” She trailed off, at a loss and confused about herself and her capabilities. The truth was she did want to kill those things, but that savage instinct towards them terrified her.

“Your capabilities… when it comes to these enemies, they’re at conflict with what you want for yourself,” Callan said into her hair. “You are a warrior, Halari. You fight for your people, and no decision nor desire nor instinct can be wrong for a goal like that in times like this. One day, we’ll change the world so that you aren’t called to such action, but until then…” He pushed her away just a little bit so he could speak directly to her. “I have to advise you to embrace that instinct. We can use this ‘blood-witch’ reputation as a weapon against them. With this one specifically, I think you can get it to talk.”

“Will I have to…” She gulped at the thought, but steeled herself. “I can do it. For my people.”

“You’re a hunter, Halari,” Callan said. “Show that thing what the wasteland has taught you.”

“Not today, though, right?” she asked, feeling nausea twist her stomach.

“Not today,” Callan murmured, pulling her back to hug her again. She exhaled into his shoulder, relaxing. “Now, look sharp, judging by the perfect march I hear coming, I think Captain Dalvo’s escaped from his party.”

Halari giggled, then reluctantly detached herself just as Dalvo and two of his squad rounded the corner. The officer, despite the massive amounts of glory he’d just received, maintained a perfectly soldierly air and saluted cleanly. She eyed his rifle, appreciating that he polished it almost as well as she polished her own. He was very diligent in their lessons and took great care to study each part of the gun.

“All that attention’s not going to your head, right, captain?” Halari asked.

The captain flushed, but grinned sheepishly. “Maybe a little, Lady Halari.”

“You deserve it, captain,” Callan said. “Now, something to report?”

Dalvo nodded. “These two are the ones who searched that gildgrown who ran.” He waved for his men to come forward and they saluted. “The corpse had nothing on it, but from some bloodstains, it seemed like it dragged itself for a ways before dying so it could drop something down a crack in the rock.”

“Were you able to retrieve the item?” Callan asked. “Or at least see what it was?”

“It was too deep, Great Flame,” Dalvo said with a regretful frown. “They lost sight of the glowstick they sent after it to test the depth.”

“Must’ve been valuable,” Halari muttered. “Any ideas?”

“Who knows?” Callan asked. “Whatever it was, it's probably best they don’t have it, even if we don’t either.”

“True,” Halari agreed. She glanced over to the stockade, picturing the prisoner within and hearing its horrid wheeze echo in her mind. Although maybe I can find out more.