“Winning the hearts and minds of the people? I filled a red sea before their eyes, and burned every library to the ground. Now their hearts beat for me or not at all, and their minds will only know the district states.”
~Daniel of Wrath and Bone
As I finish the last page, the grimoire “Applications of the beastial language: volume 3” ignites in purple flames. They do not burn my hands. Instead spreading finality through my muscles and bones. The grimoire dies a meaningful death, and I can say “Shu’Kael.” A win-win really.
I raise from the floor of my flat, and equip myself. The soft days since arriving at Exile’s Gap rust my bloodlust, but not my equipment. My broadsword comforts my back, so I leave my newfound sanctuary. With only a day remaining before the summit like event for rosewild, Al’Amur jumps at any chance for more formal etiquette education. This includes anytime I leave my room.
“You can’t appear at an officially sanctioned event with little more than killing equipment on you. A true beneficiary of our company is-” I stop him, “Efficient and cold. Willing to do anything, to anyone.” He stammers, “Wh-what are you talking about? I have absolute faith in you Ariak, and I’m sure you only jest.” I shake my head, “Rockwall was far more forthcoming about our scenario.” He continues following me, “How about I lead you to your first mission? Maybe a little fresh air can clear your head.” I shrug.
“So what exactly do you mean by ‘mission’? Is this the original type of tasks I was to be assigned?” He glances left, “Not exactly. Those missions would be far below your combat prowess… We need something less subtle, something more of a...” He glances upwards, “A messenger. We’ve had three separate shipments of medicines go missing on there way south, towards Krawtea. ” I ball one of my fists, “Sounds like some solid exercise. How far south?” He opens his mouth lightly, making his mouth appear like a human grin, “About 10 leagues! A short distance if you ride with some of our other escorts.”
I raise an eyebrow, “What could possibly carry that many people in a carriage? That quickly?” He says, “A Crestback Ox. You say you’re from Crescea? There not native anywhere near that part of the continent, so it’ll be quite a treat seeing it for the first time.” Our conversation begins dieing down as we approach the back exit of the headquarters. We enter the barracks and see a few stray mercenaries relaxing in their beds.
Two of them, Cross and Kinsley, raise from their beds. Kinsley smiles brightly, “Time to head out already. Looking forward to seeing what Al’Amur’s chosen favorite can do.” I grimace, “Please take his favor from me. He clings to me night and day.” Cross and Kinsley both laugh lightly while Al’Amur keeps moving us forward, with no reaction at all. He takes a scroll from one of the leather pouches draped around his belt, and holds it towards Cross. He nods, “Surely a better set of directions than the last. I hate to see things end messy when they could be clean.” Al’Amur gestures towards me as a whole, “Somehow you’ll manage. ”
We part ways and exit the cramped barracks. My eyes water as the southern sun reflects from the white stones of the alleyway’s paths. I shake the blindness away as Cross leads the way, “We need to head to the Newham Stables West of here. They provide us with most of our transportation needs, and we give them ample medicinal access in kind.” Kinsley replies, “He knows already Cross. Al’Amur showed him all around town, introducing him to everybody on day one.” I squint my brow, “That a problem?”
Cross turns around, “Now look, we don’t need any issues bubbling up before things even get heated.” Kinsley pouts, “Cross can’t take a joke is all Ariak. Don’t let him damper our fun.” I chuckle as Cross turns around and shrugs, “As long as that’s all it was.”
He keeps leading us further west in the city. The shops, plazas, blacksmiths, and artisan mills all give way for industrial centers, docks along the river, and stables. Industrial workers fashion steel and stone along large stretches of the river. Dock loaders carry supplies from ships, like worker bees bringing honey back to a hungry queen. We approach an arch bridge brimming with people. Crowds in uniform lead various animals across, most sporting a carriage or trolley filled with supplies.
My presence makes for a bit of a scene, but people swimming from the shark makes for a clear path. Kinsley winks at me,“I’m guessing you don’t have to say ‘excuse me’ very much.” I chuckle, “Hardly. I’m more familiar with ‘I mean no harm’, or ‘my kind comes in peace.’” Kinsley raises an eyebrow, “‘My kind’?” I say, “If fear gets the better of someone, and they are considering an attack, fear will typically get the better of them again.” Kinsley squints, “...I’m not following-” Cross interjects, “He’s saying one giant with a broadsword is not as scary as lots of giants with swords.”
She giggles, “I could imagine. Are there lots of your kind? In the far off land of Crescea?” My eye twitches, “I see we approach Newham stables! I suppose we are meeting someone here Cross?” He rolls his wrist, “Naturally. Tokia is a topthorn, so avoid staring Kinsley. Have you seen one before Ariak?” I shrug, “I’ve read of them in a book. Large, stout, with three large horns coming from a frilled head with a beak for a mouth. Bone like blades from the elbows, and tails for balance.” Cross’s eyes widen, “A scholar have we! Take notes if you can Kinsley.”
As we approach a large set of stables facing the riverfront. Kinsley raises a hand in protest, but is interjected by Tokia walking from around a corner. He stands only a foot shorter than me, but is surely my better in weight. Thick carapaces of bone form around his arms, extending outwards into blade like formations from his elbows. A massive keratin frill shaped like a shield juts from his head, and drapes itself with the bright spots of a peacock. Cyan and gold stripe down from the frill onto his face. They swirl around his massive, silver eyes, and make his stair pierce straight through me. He leans forwards while standing and walking, counterbalanced by a tail with a large, boney sphere attached. Excluding the finely decorated clothing, matching the natural coloring of his frill and eyes, Tokia looks like an animal bred for war.
His sharp eyes lock onto cross, and he staggers forwards towards us. The approach makes my hair stand on end, like a wolf as a panther approaches. The two of us clear a large space in the busy street purely through intimidation. His voice chirps through his beak, “Cross and Kinsley! Good to see you. I see you have a new member of the Rosewild group.”
The high pitch of his speech catches me off guard, “I-I’m Ariak. Ariak Sato. A Sky Oni recently employed by Rosewild. I’ve heard of you Tokia, but my companion did not mention your size.” Kinsley shrugs, “Books are one thing. Experience? Another all together.” Tokia chirps out laughter, “Haha! First time seeing a Topthorn? My first time seeing a Sky Oni. How fitting. How about I show you towards the carriage?”
Cross smiles while gesturing us forwards into the building. As we enter through a large stable door, we see beasts of all kind stabled for weary travelers and merchants. Mighty sapphire sloths happily munching on the iridescent bushels of chiffon grass, woodwork cows gnawing at stacks of lumber, and then we see our carriage.
A purple ox my height and a half with bony protrusions from its sides heaves gulps of air. The breathing of the creature creates a heavy wind current through the enlarged stable, and it’s muscular thighs pound it’s massive hooves deep into the ground underneath. It’s eyes twitch around, and Kinsley takes a step back. She says, “Something seems off...”
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Tokia takes a step closer, and begins inspecting the animal. It resists lightly, but the large, stone quarters keep the oxe’s movements slight. I grimace slightly, “I will say, Al’Amur knows how to pick them.” Cross says, “Messy already.” Tokia grunts, ”These animals aren’t particularly calm, but he demanded something that could toat 2000 pounds 10 leagues and back in a day. Only one animal really fits that bill...” he gestures towards the large oxe. As if mocking Tokia, the oxe starts drooling.
My eyes open wide as I slowly approach the creature, “A marvel. Truly a beast of burden. The horns could be used as hooks for bags, attachments for reigns and various other latching devices… What does it eat?” Tokia holds up a hand in a thumbs up position, “I see your someone who can appreciate a fine specimen when he sees it. Her name’s Garla, and she loves oats, apples, and as much Chiffon grass as you can spare.” Cross interjects, “So we better make haste if we’re to see what’s been capturing all these shipments. The carriage and supplies? We need to go to Shill and back by tomorrow evening after all.”
Tokia bows lightly, “My manners. Wait outside and I’ll have him ready in no time.” Cross nods, “Excellent.” We head outside the stables into a loading area. Beasts of burden funnel from various roads into Newham’s stable while people load and unload food, metals, and various other supplies from them. We wait with the pleasant view of the Euphrates river until Tokia leads the crestback oxe outside. It towers above the rest of the carriages, and Cross leads us towards the carriage’s front bench. I stop before hopping on and kinsley says, “Something the matter Ariak?” I shrug, “My kind are very familiar with walking long distances, quickly. I’ll follow there and ride on my way back.”
Cross raises an eyebrow, “Don’t say we didn’t warn you, but this thing can keep a pace of a league an hour easy.” I shrug again, “I’ll hop on if I can’t keep up.” Tokia sees us off and the beast begins pushing it’s hooves against the bricked road. Cross did not jest, and the animal kept a pace no human could casually match, so we head through the main road leading towards the southern entrance of the city walls. The tall buildings, paintings, architecture, and fountains of the city are slowly replaced with simpler cottages, breweries, and eventually nothing but fields of crops surround us.
I walk at a brisk pace, and place my hand through stalks of lanturn corn. The tall stalks are easily swayed, and the husks near the top lightly glow as they move. The sun begins setting in the distance, and we see Shill lightly dot the end of the horizon. It’s large clocktower and simple houses contrast with the translucent glimmering of the fields of chiffon grass. Cross grunts, “We really did make good time. We can probably meet up with our local branch, and unload most of the goods there tonight.” Kinsley pouts, “Seems like we made it through without any trouble to me.... Wonder why they threw all of us at this shipment...”
Cross grabs his chin, “I don’t know… Seems like if something were here, we’d have seen it by no-” The visceral sound of an arrow piercing flesh rings out. Cross turns towards me and I see the arrow sticking straight through his neck. Blood begins dripping from both ends of the supplanted wood. Kinsley shrieks, “Cross! Cross what is happening, by the god’s! We have to save you.” She places her hands tight around the end of the arrow, and pulls. Cross tries stopping her, but he’s too late.
The arrow leaves his neck, and like a burst damn, blood shoots out. I stare in horror as she places both her hands on the bloody craters in his neck. All life leaves Cross’s eyes almost immediately, and he slips through her fingers onto the ground aside the carriage. She blinks twice, and I unsheathe my sword. I swing it as fast as I can in front of her, blocking a second, perfectly placed arrow. I yell, “As Cross would have said, let’s move.”
Her eyes grow aware again, “What do we do?” I glance around our surroundings. Nothing but fields of tall chiffon grass lightly shimmering in the moonlight and dieing sunset, and a stone turf pathway onto shill. “You have a whip right? From Krawtea? Keep moving and calm the oxe! It’s as dangerous as any enemy if it grows belligerent.” She nods as tears fall from her face. She jumps from the carriage and places two hands on the oxe’s side. Her voice grows light and airy as she says, “Krea Forthall. Weinscidan, Shu’Kael.”
The animal’s stamping hooves stop, and it grows still. I yell, “We mean no harm and will surrender! We only want our lives and will freely give you both the oxe and the cargo. If you don’t walk up to us now, my friend over here is a beast tamer from Krawtea, she can make this oxe run into town come hell or highwater, and you guys don’t get anything. ” I slowly lower my sword onto the ground and tilt my head towards Kinsley. She does the same with her whip, and I say, “See? Now you come out as well.”
From the tall blades of grass, a large orc stands. His muscular build and blood decorated skin contrast sharply with the elegant field. He grunts, “A tempting offer giant. What makes you think we can’t just kill your friend before she tells the animal to run?” I shrug, “You would have already.” He smiles brightly, exposing large, yellow tusks. “The rational type are we? Fair enough. We will send half of us to the carriage, and you can stay where you are. We’ll lead the oxe away, and you two get away free as friendly.” I smile a large toothy grin, “I wouldn’t have it any other way, friend.”
He nods and motions at his left side. A group of four orcs all begin walking cautiously towards the carriage as I keep the conversation steady, “We only hope to get out of here alive. We know you have your reasons, and we won’t pry. I’m just glad we can all make it out unscathed.” Kinsley shoots a venomous look at me. The orcs twitch and I say, “All of us that matter. He was dead weight either way.” I spit in the direction of Cross.
One of them laughs, “Haha! Tu’Kael, we could use a giant! Why not have him join us?” The leader of the group yells, “Why that’s not a half bad idea-” I kick my sword up from the ground with my foot, shoot electricity down my arm, and swing my broadsword. The whistle of wind is replaced with the sound of a butchers axe cutting bone. All four of the orcs fly in two seperate pieces through the air, and I launch my feet hard into the ground. Tu’Kael doesn’t blink, “Don’t let him close!” I stampede with all my might towards the Orc, and his slight flinch lets me send another shock through my arm. My Skyquartz broadsword flies through the air again at incredible speed, cleaving Tu’Kael in two. I duck and two arrows fly from either direction, and a scream booms out, “It’s a Fucking monster!”
Footsteps begin pounding from the grass, and I see three others running in seperate directions. I yell, “The one on the left Kinsley! I’ll get the two on the right!” My superior height and speed bound me forward. The orcs continue looking back over and over. They only get snapshots of me as I gain ground on them. Their running becomes haggard. Mine does not. One of them trips and falls, and I drag my sword on the ground as I run. He screams as the blade plows through him, mixing his body with the dirt.
I laugh loudly, “Hahaha! Come here. I can show you what you showed us. Life is short.” The orc becomes hysterical. He falls over a small clump of grass and begins groveling backwards. I tower over him, and place my sword on his stomach, preventing him from moving. He cries and begs, “Please, I have a family.” I shrug, “I don’t doubt it.” I pause. Not moving or saying anything. The orc yells again, “I-I-I can show you where the group of us are? I can show you in exchange for my life?”
I place my free hand on my chin, “How about, I take one of your ribs. And then I take out another. You can bring the second rib to your people, and tell them it is an offering from rosewild, and all the people of Exile’s Gap.” His eyes widen. His jaw gapes. He starts flailing under the sword. I ask, “If you stay still I can do this fairly cleanly. If you don’t...” I grimace, “Well. Cross, the friend you killed, didn’t like things getting messy. I’ll make this clean.”
I slap the orc hard. The sound of snapping like a young tree being broken cracks through the field. His jaw hangs soft and loose as his eyes become glazed over. I turn from the unconscious orc after hearing several extremely loud cracking noises. Kinsley is continuously whipping the other orc. Lashes boom across the field as I whisper, “I guess you’ll have to be the survivor. Hell hath no fury like a woman and all that.” I pull a knife from a belted satchel on me, and begin the precarious task of removing two ribs I know the orc will miss.