Corpses were piled high all around. They were not human. Nor were they fresh. They were rotting, skeletons were exposed, decayed entrails flowed like rivers down the mountains of flesh. All atop it was a thin layer of snow, and in between the winding hills of corpses were live beasts, feeding on the dead.
This was the sight we saw when we neared Scratskoslovotskaya. According to Alisson, we’re only day or so away. The past couple weeks have been uneventful, other than a few close calls with starvation. Consistently Alisson had coughed blood as he’d theorized, and at this point we were expecting it. The thought of the curse on him being some sort of kill switch sat uncomfortably in my mind.
This before us however, didn’t exactly lay dormant in the back of my head. There was only one answer to what this was, and it was a surprisingly simple one. This was mass grave. Rather, it was a battlefield, at some point. A human army had been here in months prior. Not some battlegroup, not some strike force, but a real, theater-sized mass of humanity probably sent specifically to quell beasts. There were no human corpses, and that was either a testament to their kill ratio, or a testament to how much beasts prefer human meat. With so many beasts killed in this region, there were many corpses, and not enough decomposers to eat all of it. There was quite literally fields of rotting meat, just sitting out in the open. The land around was desecrated, clearly by the army, but also the climate here was quite terrible. The color palette? Grey, white, black. That’s it. I couldn’t see the sky due to the heavy overcast clouds, which has been a common occurrence of recent.
The smell was putrid. Horrendous. The snow definitely helped, but whenever one got too close, it was hard not to gag. Me and Alisson slipped around the outskirts of this mass grave. It took us almost an hour to pass it on horseback. Granted we were trotting as to not make noise, but still. The ground was corpses. It was hard to move without hitting some dead organic matter. Fortunately, we passed through the swamp without incident. The scare few beasts in the area seemed far more concerned with stuffing their faces full of gunk.
Beyond the mass grave, was a swamp. Except, there were hardly any trees around, rather it was just a plain of mud. Small lily pads here and there, large shadows that moved under the deeper parts of the mud water, and of course, the colossal amount of run off from the mass grave near the swamp. Bones were a common sight under the water, and so were floating tangled bodies, bobbing in the water until they were suddenly pulled under.
This was not just a local area. This was a large swamp, one that was made in a delta in the north that emptied into Lake Aleeze. We’d either have to go through it, or go north around it. It was far faster to go through it, so that’s what me and Alisson did. Our mounts didn’t like it. I felt bad for them – They had to trudge through a foot of sludge with every step.
The swamp was very foggy, and misty. The lone, skeletal tree would pass by us, but other than, and other than the shadows in the deeper parts of the water, it was empty. Me and Alisson, having experience with these sorts of areas, kept our guards up for anything.
It was when we saw shadows in the distant fogs that we knew we weren’t alone. They were large, hulking things, hunched over and covered in either weeds or mud. They passed by, slowly treading without paying us any mind. In return, we paid them no mind, and they gave us no trouble, for the few times we did see them.
We couldn’t make out many details in them, and they were far away, cloaked by the distant fogs. Basil sat atop my shoulder ever since leaving the corpse landfill. She’d hid away in her designated pouch, scared away by the smell. Now though that it was a far less putrid, she’d poked her head out. At first she was standing(?) tall on my shoulder, her tail tightly wrapped around my arm and her chest puffed out, staring forward. As time went on however, and as she saw more and more shadows, both in the waters and in the distance, her posture shrank, until she slowly slithered down my body and into her pouch. I could feel her shivering in there, even through all the armor.
Alisson rose his fist all of a sudden, and the both of us came to a halt. After a moment, he swung two fingers forward. I neared up behind him and squinted to look. In the distance, just barely peeking out of the grey fog, was a round, short structure. It looked like some sort of hut.
Our path is limited by the deep waters around us. We’ll be passing by that place.
Right.
With that, we both advanced cautiously, eyeing the small black hut. It seemed oddly shiny, and as we neared I realized this was because of a layer of mud on it. The real spectacle was what he made out to be sitting around the hut. At first, we thought they were humans.
Squatting in front of the hut, were black figures, probably colored this way because of all the mud and soil on them. As we approached, I came to see that they were far larger than a normal man, at least three times the size. They had large heads, long, thin legs and arms. The size of their heads was inflated by bulbous masses that first seemed to be wrappings, but then I saw them moving, wriggling independently. It was like each one of them had a nest of tentacles on their heads. Their heads too weren’t human in shape, they were more more like a lizard’s.
They sat idly outside their hut, paying us no mind. We passed by not three dozen meters from them. I thought for sure they were going to spring at us, leap to their long legs and take but a couple steps and attack us, but no. They didn’t move. They weren’t statues, I could see subtle movements, so they were alive, but they weren’t acting. I kept my eyes on them as we left them fading away into the distance.
It was a long hour of the same after that. Just shadows, mud, water. The freezing humid air bit at my skin. The grey fog around us kept hidden only the blackwaters of the ground. It was quiet. Nothing but the swishing of mud as our horses waded through the thick sludge.
Alisson and I were riding side by side, as to make sure one of us wouldn’t just disappear. So far, it seemed to be working. After a while a calm returned to me. Occasionally I would mistake by mare’s steps for those of something around us, and quickly glance around, only to find that nothing was there.
It wasn’t long after, that the disgusting swamp was behind us. A heavy sense of relief overtook the both of us when we saw the first signs of trees and bushes in the distance, and before long, we were walking a road south west, to Scratskoslovotskaya. Well, I’m saying this like the scenery is all flowers and sunshine, but it wasn’t much better than the swamp. Again, the colors only consisted of grey, white, and black. The grey sky, the grey trees, the grey gravel. The white snow most of all and the black mud and dirt here and there. This region, there was something certainly dead about it. Like there was some energy that flowed through all life here, slowly choking it as the years have gone by, letting this whole region deteriorate into a wasteland. How exactly a city would be close by, is past me.
“Are there really people living in these parts?”
To break the silence, I spoke out to Alisson, and to try to tempt Basil to come back out. Alisson was happy to oblige, probably also wanting to rid himself of the heavy shawl of silence that had been draped over the both of us.
“Not really ‘parts’ as you’d think it. This region isn’t claimed by any country, because it’s only human inhabitants are in Scratskoslovotskaya, and maybe some wildmen.”
The only reason Scratskoslovotskaya existed was because it was in the narrow pass between Lake Aleeze and the Deadzone. As the Principality expanded northwards, refugees, misfits, and merchant trade to the north, all had to pass through a single point. Thus, Scratskoslovotskaya came into being.
“What’s the authority there?’
I asked.
“None. Thugs and marauders rule the town.”
Alisson replied. I stared at him. “You seem to know a lot about the town, why’s that?”
Alisson sighed, but nonetheless answered. “A long time ago I came through here on a diplomatic mission, a big envoy, a caravan of Sidonian civility parading through these desolate wastes. We were establishing relations to the northern nations and such, seeing if anybody wanted to serve Sidonia, that sort of thing, more like missionaries than real diplomacy…It was during my time in that envoy that I learned the true sights of the world.”
Alisson held his right arm out. “The dilapidated, beast-infested steppes of the north,” He rose his left hand, “…and the marble clad civilization that Sidonia had wrought out of it. It was then I realized why we fight, why Sidonia fights.”
Alisson dropped his hands, and shook his head.
“If our walls fall, if our cohesion slips, if we are beheaded, then these are the lands we will have to fend off against. When the Caliphate and Principality fall – And they will fall as human nations are malleable – What’s to stop the entire continent from becoming hell on earth when humanity’s armies disintegrate, their leaders routed and their soldiers with no direction and civility to point them toward defending their own institutions.”
I listened quietly to Alisson.
I don’t think too much about why I do the things I do. No Nekomata does. It’s heretical, plain and simple. I didn’t like the idea of getting in trouble around the keep as a kid, so I just agreed and followed what my house told me too. Sidonia this, Sidonia that, without ever having seen my omniscient leader until after my home was burned to the ground.
“The way I see it, Sidonia and Andestine are the two real powers at play in the world.” Alisson continued, “For all their sway, I don’t know why Andestine doesn’t do more on the continent; surely they must know of the degradation of the world, and utilize their populace and resources to stop the bleeding while they can – before it spreads to them.”
He shrugged and shook his head. “But I suppose someone like me won’t ever understand what goes through those human heads of there’s.”
My mind is fairly immature to thinking about politics, and natures, and our purpose. All that philosophy stuff is just filler that eats up space in your brain. Well, and it’s very dangerous. Think too hard, and Sidonia might request a meeting with you, with her soft eyes, but with that ever-scheming smile.
I shook my head. ‘Scheming’ has a negative connotation. Cunning. Cunning is the right word.
My attempt to coax Basil out of her hiding place worked, and she slithered up my body and around my neck in the minutes that followed. Lamias were cold-blooded, so it was natural that Basil wanted to stay close to me, on my warm, blood filled arteries. On that thought though, I suddenly feared for my life. Exposing my vitals to anything is dangerous.
I scolded Basil, and peeled her off my neck, instructing her to only stay on my arms. She didn’t understand me, but got the message, albeit with a pout. The lamia was content to siphon my body heat under one of my sleeves.
Things watched us from afar. Roamers, here and there. Black worms slithered through the dunes of snow. Distant, humanoid husks watched from afar. In the distance Bears hulked past, kilometers away but still clearly noticeable. Distant roars and odd sounds, although in this same realm of danger, were somehow far more ominous, not being able to see what caused the horrific gurgle there or shrieking caterwaul here.
I was aware of all of them, but I’ve learned to not get overly worried about not being alone. Especially in the north. Back in the south, all those months ago, every little sign of a beast would spook me; but now, I give a glance at everything around me with a stern face, saying: Come closer, I dare you; see what happens. Despite this, the presence of other creatures can never just meld into the environment. I can never not have them in the back of my mind, I can never just forget about it.
The snow scape around us was calm for the time being, but the bright white clouds above were getting darker. There’d be a storm soon.
The storms have been rough, and knowing one is brewing really made me want to get to Scratskoslovotskaya before then. Those harsh winds that can blow a horse over, rider and all, and those thick flurries that restrict your vision to that of a meter radius around you.
So, when we saw in the distance stone piled high, resembling a wall where civilization started, I was relieved. The ground near Scratskoslovotskaya has been getting more and more stony, and the town itself seems to rest in one massive crater in the ground, stretched out across kilometers. It was probably the only semi tenable position around these parts. The land, other than the massive crater, was relatively flat. To the east was plains of snow, and beyond that, the sea. To the south, was the city, and beyond that, Irinian territory. To the north was the swamp we’d passed through. To the east, were plains of snow, but beyond these, was the Deadzone. Those plains of white, much like a desert, didn’t end to the west. They only got worse.
The area around Scratskoslovotskaya’s immediate perimeter was open, and flat, clearly deforested and leveled by man. The ground was mostly snowed on and stony, with some pools of mud. Despite the fact there was a city before us, I didn’t feel like I was home free. I know full well that when me and Alisson enter Scratskoslovotskaya, I won’t be sighing in relief, knowing my back is covered and knowing beasts can’t hurt me. The city, can’t really be called a city. It’s a but a gray haze before me. No color. No life. There was of course an abundance of noise, but this came not from the idle chatter of people or of rolling wagons but of the distant winds and roars. There were in fact beasts in battle with the city as I stepped toward it.
We approached walls of the city, to find a run down gate house. Up close, I could see that the walls were not a real construction, but rather just bricks, rubble, dirt, anything laying around, piled together. It wasn’t even that tall. It was hard to imagine it served any purpose. At the one gatehouse, was a campfire, where a few large men sat round. They weren’t armed uniformly, they weren’t cleanly, and they certainly didn’t have any discipline to them. Their shaved heads, bulging muscles, and worn clothing made it apparent what they were. Thugs. Common trash. The gatehouse itself was like the rest of the wall, broken down and dilapidated, but that apparently didn’t stop thugs from posting themselves at it.
When me and Alisson neared, we dismounted, and Alisson walked forward with his hands up, signaling peaceful intentions. For how much these men look like blockheads, they weren’t slacking – All of them had some sort of weapon pointed at us. Most had crossbows. Some had bows, others miscellaneous thrown weapons, and one had some odd metallic contraption. They all had melee weapons close by as well, not ones suited to killing humans, but large spears and crude spikes, perfect for defending against larger creatures.
Humanity boiled down to their simple, rudimentary blocks was not elegant, but it was certainly effective. I can imagine that if a beast got past their ranged harassment, then the men would grab their long thrusting weapons and impale the beast all at once.
Around us were a great deal of corpses from dead beasts, obviously the work of this defensive gate house before us.
“Hands up! Come forward, don’t make any sudden movements!”
One of the men loudly barked instructions at us, his crossbow aimed squarely at me.
Alisson and I complied, and walked forward, holding our hands up.
We can’t go making a ruckus. We need to ask around about the Kitsune fishermen, and find out where the hell our evac is.
One of the men, the largest one, who had the expression of an angry bull, walked up to meet me and Alisson. Our two parties both stopped, and stared at each other. He circled me and Alisson scrutinizing our faces and our bodies. He was easily twice our height, and far more muscled. He had a deep frown, and said after a long moment, in a slow, deep, but clearly unrefined voice,
“…What the fuck.”
His accent was hard to understand. He continued staring at us for another long minute.
“Is there a prob-”
“Quiet.”
He leaned in to Alisson, and made apparent that his head was more than twice the size of Alisson’s. He looked with squinted eyes at Alisson, eyeing him down with a look of suspicion. Alisson frowned, putting on the toughest expression he could, but it was laughable in the face of someone who was so much more…masculine, than him.
“…Who the fuck are you? Where did you come from?”
The bull said in his slow, crackly voice.
“Pūshkinskaya. We’re just traveling, we-”
Alisson was cut off when his chin was grabbed by one of the man’s hands. His fingers were large, and his hand could easily encase the entirety of Alisson’s head. Alisson’s frown turned into a scowl and he tried to squirm out of the man’s grip. The man’s dirty fingers left marks of grime on Alisson’s spotless face as he tilted Alisson’s head this way and that way, looking for something out of the ordinary.
My fists clenched, but I kept my anger relegated only to the frown manifesting on my face.
After another moment, the man looked back to the rest of the thugs with a churlish smile.
“…Must be our lucky day. Usually no one comes from the north…” He turned back to Alisson and I. “Listen here, boy, there’s a toll to enter the city.”
“We’ll gladly pay.”
Alisson said immediately, still with the bull’s large hand around his chin.
“Mm, let’s call it…” He looked over our mounts, then us. His brow rose, then suddenly added before telling us our price, “…Part your cloaks.” His eyes were vigilant, wary of danger.
Alisson frowned. “I’m afraid I can’t do that. I’ll pay double the toll as a reparation.”
Alisson would’ve bobbed his head, but with the man’s fist still on his face, he couldn’t make any movements.
The bull cracked a smile. “…Fine then, how about…fifty pieces…per head. Horses too.”
He looked smug, as if eager for something.
“Will that be in silver or gold?”
Alisson responded immediately, and the man shot his gaze back toward us with a baffled expression.
“…Gold.”
Alisson closed his eyes with a sigh. “If you would unhand me, I’d be happy to oblige…” Alisson said, irk in his tone.
The thug squinted at us, and then frowned. “The price just rose. It’s one hundred per head.”
Alisson’s frown deepened, but other than that his expression didn’t change. “Fine by me.”
The thug’s eye twitched. “And you said you’d pay double, so two-hundred per head, that adds up to eight hundred pieces.”
The bull-like man spelled it out to Alisson. Alisson averted his eyes. “If you want your money, then let go of me. You clearly don’t know how to shake someone down.”
The thug unclasped his hand with an angry glower. Alisson turned around, and once it became apparent that he really was intent on paying the asking price, the man’s eyes twitched.
“A politeness fee too, you’re getting on my nerves. Sixteen hundred now.”
Alisson let out a heavy sigh, and after a moment, said, resigned, “I’m afraid I can’t pay that.”
This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it
The bull stepped forward, and grabbed Alisson’s shoulder with a grin, his prior angst evaporating. It seemed he’d gotten what he wanted. With a hand firmly holding Alisson, and satisfied that he had been sufficiently pacified, looked back to his friends.
“Then you’ll have to pay by other means.”
The men behind him broke into malignant smirks. Alisson sighed, but that was when the man rose his other hand, and tightened it into a fist, about to launch it straight into Alisson’s face.
Alisson was sighing, clearly seeing the punch coming, and clearly in no harm.
Seeing the sight before me however, I couldn’t stop myself from acting.
They needed to die.
My eyes narrowed into slits and I punched forward right into the side of the man.
The wind was blown out of the man and he stumbled back. A little more force and I might’ve broken some internal parts. He looked to me in a slow motion, and his hands rose even slower. A roundhouse kick followed up my hook, which impacted directly on the mans nose. That sent him off his feet. He probably wasn’t expecting so much strength out of someone of my frame. All my armor does a good job of hiding how much muscle mass I really have.
His friends were quick to leap into action. None of them brought their weapons, confident they could overpower someone of my size easily. I surged toward them; by the time I reached striking distance, they had only blinked. A powerful jab slammed into the closet man, who was then tripped and uppercut in the jugular not a moment thereafter.
The rest fell just as easily. Within a matter of a few seconds, all of them were groaning on the ground. They must’ve taken us quite lightly for their bodies to be so relaxed. A lot of good all that muscle does in taking a punch if you’re not tightening it. The last man on their feet, the who’d first laid his hand on Alisson, withdrew a knife, and swung at me. Seeing the use of force, as I sidestepped, I drew my own blade, and cut through the man’s side, about to then slam the blade into the back of his neck when suddenly a voice shook me out of my trance.
“That’s enough.”
Alisson said. With his arms crossed, he stared at me with a frown. “We don’t need any trouble here.”
My mouth was blankly agape at his words, but then I realized what I’d just done and my face flushed with shame. I bobbed my head subordinately and slinked behind Alisson, wary of the men’s response to my sudden physical outburst.
Alisson started toward the largest man, the one who I’d cut and who’d not moments before been about to break Alisson’s nose. He had an expression of terror on his face, and tried to inch away across the ground.
Alisson, despite his deep frown, didn’t harm the man.
“Silic. Heal him.”
Alisson called me by an alias. I warily looked down at the man, but reluctantly I knelt down, and placed my hands above the wound that I’d caused, and a blue aura glowed.
The man’s eyes widened at this.
Seeing this, the men around, who were only now recovering from their daze, stared with disbelief.
“H-how much do I owe you?”
The man asked tepidly, staring at my glowing hands.
Except priests and monks, doctors charged a fee for medical service. I could easily escape Sidonia and make a cushy living just healing people on my own –
I shook my head at the heresy.
I didn’t respond to the man, and neither did Alisson. After a minute, his wound was sealed.
“Consider your toll paid.”
Alisson said sternly. Leading our horses, me and Alisson strode passed the men. Passing the one that had the odd metallic contraption, Alisson stopped, and squinted at it. The man had sweat on his face.
“The price just doubled.” Alisson said after a long moment, and extended his hand, indicating what he wanted.
After a beat, the thug handed over his weapon, clearly intimidated by Alisson. Alisson plucked the surprisingly heavy weapon from the man’s grip, and we walked past the gate without further incident.
…
“…Who the hell were those kids? Nobles? Andestine agents?”
“Naw…Nobles aren’t that battle-hardened, and Andestine doesn’t send kids. Isn’t it obvious? Those two were Sidonians.”
“Dawww shit! It’s always bad news when they pass through! There’s a fifty percent chance that some Principle Knights or Andestine Inquisitors will come knocking!”
“Well then I hope to Ior I’m not stationed on this side of the wall when they do.”
“…Just imagine how much of a reward we’d get if we-”
“Are you a fucking idiot!? Si-Don-Ni-An! Didn’t you hear it the first time!? You fuck with them, you’re dead!”
“Then we got off easy. Telip paid in his dignity, and Hardved his fancy little slinger.”
“…It’s not ‘just’ a slinger, you bastard…”
“Shut it, they usually slaughter anyone who get in their way, be grateful.”
“Stop being such a bitch – I’m telling Marmel about them and you can’t stop me.”
“Marmel? Just what the hell are you planning? You’re going to die if you try anything.”
“No, not planning, but there’s no harm in standing to side and waiting to beat someone down if they trip, no?”
…
Celis, show some restraint. I thought you were better than this.
Me and Alisson walked through the ruined gatehouse.
I’m sorry…when I saw that sight of you about to be…I couldn’t stop myself.
Alisson frowned.
It’s not an apprentice’s job to look out for their master. I wasn’t intending on being hit, don’t worry.
My mouth furrowed. It may not be an apprentice’s job, but certainly a lover’s.
I blushed at my running mind, and I was glad that I didn’t have the telepathy spell open to cast that thought over to Alisson. The sight we came to on the other side of Scratskoslovotskaya perimeter was one of a city that I’d never seen before. The first thing that stood out to me was the lack of large buildings. Or, really, buildings at all as I know them. Corrugated debris made up most of the town. Metal. It was funny, such a poor, dilapidated town having metal as their main construction material, it made the settlement sound rich and well off.
Make no mistake though, this was debris. There was an abnormal amount of metal on the surface in this region, so much so that it was one of Scratskoslovotskaya only exports. However, those rusted, dirty slates of metal, were what formed the basis of the city. In other words, the entire settlement was a slum. No castles, no keeps, no normal looking buildings, no storefronts, just broken down shoddy construction. It looked like one big landfill.
Scratskoslovotskaya was also very vertical, many of these thrown together metal huts rested atop one another, and so too did the land curve inward since the entire city was built in a crater.
Because of the city being built in a crater, from the outer rings of the city you could see the center, far below, as well as the other side of the city, on the same plain yet miles away. It was looking at the center of the city that one would see the only professional piece of construction in the region: A large, stone bridge, more aptly a highway, that ran straight through the city. No one was using it, and taking into consideration how densely populated this city is, people crammed together, it was baffling as to why the people kept such a distance away from that highway. It was probably built by the Principality to secure transport through the city without having to deal with the inhabitants.
That’s how worthless the city was in the grand scheme of things. No one wanted it, no one cared about it. Not even it’s residents.
Me and Alisson pierced deeper into the city, and soon the looming, unwieldy constructions loomed over our heads, threatening to fall over in a stiff breeze.
In Pūshkinskaya, there were buildings, and it wasn’t hard to find a well-kept person, but here?
I haven’t seen a single well-dressed person. Not even second-class citizens. Just rabble roamed the street. Well, to call them rabble was an insult to the 3rd class. These humans were hardly that. Almost every single one was deformed. One’s leg was shriveled up by their side and inverted, to be replaced by an overgrown arm. One man’s head seemed to be imploded in on itself, one of his eyes unusable, but he seemed to not pay any mind. People’s fingers…and hands…not one person had five fingers on either hand. Some didn’t even have fingers at that, just balls of meat for hands.
And I could see this clearly, because even with the snow littering the city, people here were not well dressed. Many were completely unclothed save a few rags, but I couldn’t tell at first due to the thick layer of dirt and grime on them.
The way they seemed to scamper around on three limbs more like a beast than a human, it was unnerving. I felt like I was in a beast hive, and that any second the roaming mutants around me would pounce.
And they did pay us quite a lot of attention, for we seemed to be the only shining stars of well-kept civilization. Oddly enough however, it wasn’t the same attention as in Pūshkinskaya, there, they looked upon us with curiosity and awe, but here, they looked on at us with fear, greed, and contempt. But none dared to try anything.
Many people like us pass through Scratskoslovotskaya – National agents, soldiers, emissaries. The residents here shouldn’t give us any trouble because they know what will happen if they do. However, we’re probably raising suspicion since were not using the Principality’s highway…we look like we want to interact with the city, and that’s making them nervous.
I nodded to Alisson after he gave some advice with telepathy.
Where’s the richer ruling class around here then?
The merchants that formed this city originally ruled it as a city-state like Pūshkinskaya, but decades of famine and depravity, and those with the most meat on their bones were the first to be consumed.
My eyes widened, and my hands reached for my blades.
T-they’re cannibals?
Alisson shook his head. That was in the past. The Principality had to come and restore order here – That’s how bad it got – How little humanity remained in these people. They’re one misstep from devolving back into a society akin to wild animals at any given moment.
After a moment, Alisson continued, I just hope we can at the very least extract information from them, there should be some remnants of normalcy here, and inn here, or a bar there…it’s human nature.
Right; We’re not here to sight see. We’re here to find out about the Kitsune ‘fishing’ ship that been tasked with getting us out of the crap hole that is the north. The lack of word or sight of them so far has been, not according to plan, to say the least.
…
We’ll split up. Look for any info about the coast, and ships passing through the region.
Alisson hesitated for a moment, but decided to add in another directive to Celis. Also, look any places we can repair and refit our gear. We don’t know if we’ll be engaging anybody from here on out, but just in case.
He gave a fake reason. Really, Alisson was still debating it in his head:
Do they enter the Deadzone? According the maps and the door in the Freigat, there may something important there.
No! Why the hell am I even considering it! It’s the Deadzone! Am I stupid!?
Alisson berated himself. Obviously, the answer logically was clear: There was no hardened reason to enter the Deadzone unless Alisson wanted to kill himself.
Why was this thought so prevalent in his head then? It was so stupid, so unreal, like looking off a cliff and believing that it was a very real choice to progress. It wasn’t. Alisson needed to get that through his skull.
He shook his head, and got to the task at hand. Not worrying about Celis, for she could take care of herself, he parted ways with her to cover more ground. Times like these he wished he had illusion spells to change his appearance and voice to better converse with the locals, because here, no one wanted to talk to him. It didn’t help that he…didn’t exactly look imposing…
Because of the long journey, Alisson’s hair had grown quite long. He was, understandably, very easily mistaken for a girl, teetering on the line between the two.
Those thugs at the gate…Alisson could see it in their eyes…
A shiver ran down his spine.
But, digression aside, he was gathering nothing. There were a few establishments here and there, ran by a single people with poor reception. The shops and ‘public’ spaces here were really just larger, converted debris huts buried within the mountains of other cobbled together slums.
By far the largest detriment though, was the fact that many of the residents here, saw no value in money.
That was how decivilized this place was, how barbaric it was. That’s why the shops had such poor business – There wasn’t any money to buy anything with, so people only traded commodities and to that end, there weren’t many in the city either.
This meant however, that Alisson couldn’t sway hearts and minds with the power of the yellow metal that he possessed so much of. He even walked though the streets, a pouch of gold in hand, offering it to anyone who’d be willing to talk to him.
But nobody bit. They watched on, uncaring for Alisson’s incentive, and instead were simply fearful of him. When Alisson approached people on side of the footpaths, they scrambled and hurried to find a new place to rest, leaving trash blowing in the wind of their previous spot.
Alisson frowned. This wasn’t normal by one bit. The people here were like those of Daigoro; his kind was one that wasn’t uncommon around here, one that others had sullied the reputation of.
Alisson donned his cloak, and melted out of the view of the walkways, and into the side passages and alleys of Scratskoslovotskaya. He’d have to stick with eavesdropping.
People didn’t like to talk much in the city, but Alisson managed to find a few people who were running their lips, mainly at the more public areas. Almost all of them were people were had the least defects and seemed the most well fed. And to be sure, these people were probably the only ones that could afford to know what was happening outside the city walls. Most of them seemed to be from outside the city, either travelers or merchants, though these were not ones that saw any value in doing business here.
The most common talk was of the city’s defense. Many praised the thugs who guarded the walls. Apparently, those voluntary guards were at the top of the food chain around here, as in, they didn’t produce or work, their only job was to defend the city from the few beasts that wandered too close. These men, thugs, had originally extorted the populace of the city in their downtime, but due to the uptick in beast activity thanks to armies being pulled away from the north, they’d had little to no free time, and were severely undermanned. A few kind souls in the city voluntary supported these men with offerings.
There’d been no contact with the Principality, the nation that owned Scratskoslovotskaya according to the borders. That terrified the people here. When things got bad, men came in large caravans with supplies to aid the town and keep it afloat as a resting place for other travelers. The fear that the rest of the world could just forget about Scratskoslovotskaya and rest of the cursed north was very prevalent.
It was when Alisson came upon a particular conversation, at a run down bar, that he began to grow anxious. With his hood over his head, and having purposely dirtied his cloak, he silently sat at the bar, careful to only pay in silver, which he had little of, to draw less attention.
“…No, we haven’t been able to set sail down at the port for almost three weeks now, it’s terrible.”
“Why’s that? Isn’t Nubin’naya a free port?”
“Yes, it’s not really port as much as it a run down extension of Scratskoslovotskaya down by the coast a few kilometers from here. But that’s beside the point, it’s not the port that’s stopping us from sailing, it’s the blockade that’s been snapped shut by Irine.”
“A blockade? Why the hell would they blockade us?”
“Beats me…a pirate problem or something they say...But it’s not like they usually give a shit about that, so it has to be something important. And it’s not just us, the entire north’s been blockaded ever since Pūshkinskaya and Orisorou got hit a few weeks back, have you heard about it?”
“Nightmare stuff. Walls being breached, beasts running rampant through the streets, that sort of thing. The kind of shit that happens here every other day. I even heard some floating rumors about Sidonians and Andestinians all around the area, if you can believe it. But that hardly matters when so many settlements are being attacked, Scratskoslovotskaya has yet to receive any coordinated-looking attacks. Even the capital of Tarakia was raided pretty badly recently.”
Alisson had spotted two wealthy looking men, who stood out as actually having clothes, and seemed to be merchants. He’d been right to tail them.
The words they spoke of however, were not pleasing to the ears. After the men had transgressed to more mundane topics, Alisson slipped his due toward the bar and then left without another word.
This was bad. An Irine blockade?
It could be a coincidence. That was always a possibility.
However, there was the very real chance that the reason he hadn’t heard any word from the Kitsune, was because they’d been intercepted by the Irinian Navy. They could’ve deployed this blockade for numerous reasons, but one chiefly stood out as most threatening to Alisson:
What if Andestine had colluded with Irine, and requested a blockade of the north specifically because of Alisson?
Unlikely, but very possible. A blockade? On a specific part of the north? Andestine would have to know his position to be the ones behind this, and that was a gut wrenching thought. He felt that familiar feeling of being hunted, deep down in stomach, and fear loomed over him.
He met up with Celis, and they silently exchanged information with telepathy. Surprisingly, she’d heard the same things he had. This only verified it. Alisson’s expression was dark as he and Celis made their way to the wall to discuss in private their next course of action.
At present, Alisson was in the dark. He could make a foolish move without knowing it, due to not having hindsight. Alisson pictured a map in his head, and in the center of it was Scratskoslovotskaya. Around it, was a dark cloud of black, obfuscating the rest of the world. Mirages of chess pieces floated though the dark cloud. At any moment, an unforeseen element could enter the picture.
Damnit.
He cleared his head, and his mind began to wander.
As he saw the piles of human rubbish on all sides of him, he began to wonder,
Why the hell am I here?
He was taking a ship as transport down south. Why couldn’t he have simply taken a ship up north, and saved all the hassle? Why was he specifically the one chosen for this mission? There were more qualified individuals, more qualified teams. The 52nd would’ve been a more apt pick for this sort of mission, a force-recon would have far more options, but instead a single warrior and a meek apprentice was all his Lady sent for what she told him was an extremely important mission.
The most Alisson thought about it, the more it didn’t make sense.
Alisson’s eyes shot wide when he realized his own train of thought, and brought his hands to his head, his eyes cringing.
W-what’s wrong with me! Shut up! Follow orders! Sidonia knows best!
Alisson stared out across the barren, snowy crater before him, having slipped out of the city with the debris wall now at his and Celis’s backs. A slight flurry of snow was now falling, and obscuring the air.
What was wrong with him. It was good question. With those kinds of thoughts that he’d just had, criticizing, thinking twice on his Lady’s words…
If he thought such things in Sidonia, he’d be hanged by his entrails and his corpse paraded through the street as a heretic. Just how detached had he become?
Celis was staring at him with a concerned expression. Seeing this, Alisson took a few deep breathes, and straightened himself. An icy blue flowed faintly though his mind.
“We’re going into the Deadzone.”
…
I stared at Alisson, my mouth agape. “What!?”
“Hush.”
Alisson averted his eyes with a frown.
Why!?
Calm down Celis.
I am not calm. I was expecting the rest of this journey to be a cozy ride back down south and to be met with a heroes welcome, not to be slammed back into the thick of hell!
The blockade, and Andestine. I reason to believe that the Kitsune have been compromised, and that our only way to avoid trouble is by hiding in Deadzone. Until the blockade is lifted.
I stared at him. Are you crazy!?
He looked away. No. I am loyal. Sidonia requested that we find a way inside that structure and we have a possible hint of it being in the Deadzone. I must act on this.
So this is what it’s about. The mission. Of course, with Alisson it’s always the mission. He’s like a toy soldier sometimes.
That’s a hunch! It’s not worth going into such a dangerous place! I’m sure Sidonia will understand-
No!
Alisson turned to me, cutting his hand. We must complete the mission. Else we’ll be branded heretics!
My eyes widened. That’s what Alisson is scared of? It’s not his loyalty that’s driving him? I squinted my eyes at him. Seeing my suspicion, his expression immediately became scared.
I know! But it must be done! I feel it! This is what Sidonia would want! Are you saying that I shouldn’t act on the benefits of our fratello?
I frowned at him. It looks like I’m not going to be changing his mind.
Do you want to kill yourself?
N-no. Of course not. I intend to come out alive.
Was he lying? It was a rhetorical question but the way he responded only made me suspicious.
He turned away from me. You however, stay here. We need someone to watch over our horses anyway-
Without thinking, I stepped forward and grabbed onto him from behind.
“I’m not leaving you alone!”
…
The more Alisson thought, the more heresy he detected in his own mind. Why yes, he hadn’t realized it then, but his little realization, rather, conspiracy theory, on Rickard, was straight heresy. And his mere questioning of his Lady’s orders were even more grounds for execution.
Yes, this would do it. This would steel in him his loyalty. He didn’t want to think about what would happen if he returned to the homeland with these thoughts. Perhaps his time away from his Lady had grown in him some seed of a rebellious nature, that was all. He needed to train his own mind to be once again but a vector of his body, which by extension was a vector of his Lady.
His apprentice, however, did not think the same way. She seemed more loyal. She wasn’t scared of Sidonia. He was. She didn’t need to risk her life like him, and he preferred she didn’t anyway, for she was that person.
You however, stay here. We need someone to watch over our horses anyway.
Alisson said, feigning a disinterest in his apprentice. When she suddenly hugged him from behind however, exclaiming, “I’m not leaving you alone!”
His mind froze.
Alone.
Not alone.
Alisson shook his head.
“I’m your backup, remember?” She continued, now whispering in his ear. “At least tell the truth for once Alisson. You lie too much.”
Her soft, tender words pierced his body and his eyes widened. Shivers ran down his spine with each of her quiet words.
“You want the truth?”
Alisson turned, and Celis let go of him. He stared at her with a blank expression.
“We’re both insubordinate. You who disobeys my orders, and I who question my orders. I’m scared, Celis. I’ve had dangerous thoughts, about the grounds on which our Lady would have us here, and about Rickard…If I were to return to the homeland like this, knowingly having not executed an aspect of the mission, no matter how small the chance…”
His voice trailed off…
Celis, after a moment, tilted her head with a smile. “It’s been the same for me. It’s normal then.”
Alisson’s eye twitched. “No. You’re my apprentice. For you to mirror my thoughts is no coincidence.”
The two of them sat in silence for a long while, both frowning. Alisson spoke up, “I’m heading in. I have to. I’m afraid of what’ll happen if I don’t…” Celis looked up over him with disappointment. “Celis…don’t force yourself, you don’t deserve to go in there…I’m the only one who needs to repent.”
On those words, she frowned angrily, and strode toward him. Alisson backed up, wary of what she was going to do, but he wasn’t fast enough. She grabbed him by the collar, and looked up with a scowl.
“You can go to all the most dangerous and terrifying places – fight all these scary, otherworldly beasts – But don’t think that you can leave me behind without you.”
Seeing her determined face, Alisson almost felt lightheaded. His shoulders shrunk submissively by his sides and he shrunk away, averting his eyes.
“F-fine then…you can come…”
Celis’s angry expression was tempered by his words, but still she said, Really, what’s the point in going in there? Are you really so scared of Sidonia?
Alisson closed his eyes, and sighed. “You told me not to lie, so I won’t. That’s the only reason. The risks of going in there far outweigh the meager odds of a reward.” He took a deep breath. “I’m scared. I fear what will happen if I don’t proceed. That is all.”
He kept his eyes closed, not wanting to be embarrassed by Celis’s demeaning look at him. After a moment, he added, “But thank you…for still wanting to follow me…”
Celis, in contrast to his expectations, smiled at him. “Like I said…I don’t care about going into the most terrible places in the world, fighting the strongest opponents…But I’m not going to leave you alone.”
Alone.
Not alone.
Again, a rising stone came from Alisson’s stomach, and his face felt hot. There was that word she said again. Coming from her mouth it was so odd. Alone.
He was filled with a wooziness, but managed to stop himself from smiling.
***