CHAPTER FORTY-FIVE
*~~~**~~~*
Kovey Walber
*~~~**~~~*
26th of Decepter, 935 PC
----------------------------------------
Calling the clearing a campsite was a stretch. More like a few trees had fallen down in the same area and created a hole in the wall that lined the Candlebury River. But, according to Elgar, it was a well-known spot amongst the punters that transported goods to Iron Helm. That popularity and the fact that a Lotus had chosen it as his place of peace before his death, made Kovey question whether or not they should be there. He didn’t argue though. No sense in it. Elgar was a man that couldn’t be moved once he was dug into his trench. Plus, Corbin had spoken up on that same topic and Elgar had chewed him out until the runt had tears in his eyes.
“Looks like the snow’s letting up,” Elgar said. He sat on one of the hefty rocks that surrounded a circle of black earth between them. A smoke stick dangled from his lips, bouncing as he spoke.
“Don’t matter much. I’m still so cold, I'm as stiff as Walber’s cock when Bel’s around,” Velvetine said. She was hunched up in a ball near the firepit where she’d been cursing the weather all morning.
Kovey was too numb to care what she’d said. He’d seen enough snow in the last few hours to last him a lifetime. Sadly, it would only get worse the closer they got to Iron Helm. A winter wonderland for some – those who could look at it from inside the warmth of their homes – a good way to die for Kovey and the others.
He shifted his weight on the rock and stared off toward the trees. Belvedere had taken Corbin with her to find something they could eat with the squirrel Elgar had shot. As much as Kovey hated to admit it, the pompous prick was good to have around; good sense of direction, decisive, and knew more than a thing or two about surviving the wilderness. He would have gotten along with Kovey’s father who’d spent more time in the woods than at the dinner table. Kovey resented his father for that… until he was gone. Then he cherished the times they’d had together. However few there were. “You think they’ll be back soon?”
Velvetine turned the stick she’d shoved through the squirrel round and round over the flame. “You’re strung up tight these days, Walber. She’s a walking fortress. Last person ya got to worry about is Bel.”
“You’re hot in the britches for her, ain’t ya?” Elgar said.
“Has been for years. You want any of this, Walber?” Velvetine pulled the cooked squirrel from the stick with her teeth.
Kovey nodded, his stomach would never forgive him if he turned down food right now. Even if he was too worried about Belvedere to enjoy it. “I’m not hot in the britches for her. I just care about her. And the runt. Don’t want either one of them gettin separated from us. Or worse. Won’t have much chance if two of us die before we get there.”
Elgar flicked his smoke stick over the fire at Kovey. “And I’m next in line for the throne.”
“Which one?” Velvetine said. “I could make a king real happy.” She made a gesture that made Kovey close his legs.
Elgar just grinned. “Not on your life, sweetheart.”
Kovey caught the disappointingly small bit of meat Velvetine had rationed him. A single bite if he was sitting at home. Half a dozen nibbles out here. He looked at the trees again, hoping Belvedere had found something. Anything.
“You sure your guy got the message about changing the day to meet up?” Kovey asked. They’d managed to make it on time. The punter had not. In fact, he was almost a whole day late at this point.
The blonde stood, pushing his wavy bangs out of his face, and checked downstream. Not much of a view in either direction with bends in the river on both sides of them. The hand on his hip was concerning. “Probably got caught up in the rough waters. We’ll give it another night and if he isn’t here by noon tomorrow, we’ll have to head out on foot. Kovey glanced at his worn out boots and let his shoulders slouch.
“Take this,” Velvetine said, handing Elgar’s piece of meat to him.
“Give it to Walber, lords know he wants it.”
He wanted to throw his own jab in return but he couldn’t deny he was hungry. Instead, he just extended his open hand. Velvetine gave him her shit-eating grin and tossed him the meat.
Elgar sat back down. “How long you been off the hard stuff, Ambrose?”
“What time is it?” Velvetine said. Elgar chuckled handsomely.
“Really though, Vel? Are you cutting back on this trip?”
“Don’t worry your round little face, Kove. I know you’re done with ‘em. I’m stickin’ to the lighter stuff out here. I hope.”
That was about as genuine as Velvetine could be but it was anything but a guarantee that she wouldn’t push her pills on him like she used to. He’d been pretty certain he’d slammed that door shut on that part of his past until he’d seen her pills up close for the first time in years at the inn. The tickle of curiosity he’d felt let him know he’d forgotten to lock up for the night.
“Wait a minute,” Elgar said. “You used to do some of the hard stuff?” His dumbfounded look was directed at Kovey. “Well, three hells, Walber. Maybe I was wrong about you.” He reached into his cloak pocket and pulled out a small tin. “Come on, let’s do some Rain. Perfect day for it.”
“I…uh… I think I’ll politely decline.” He hadn’t heard of Rain. No surprise with new concoctions coming from the pill houses every few months.
“Come on. You don’t even want to try the light stuff? Cannon? Sundrop? Rain? Nothing?” Kovey shook his head. Elgar looked at Velvetine. Then back to Kovey. “You have to try some Rain. Come on, we’ll sit by the water. You’ll love it.”
The narrative has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.
Kovey glanced at Velvetine who said, “You boys go on your little date. I don’t wanna be fucked up when Bel and the runt get back. She’ll hold it against me for days.” They had all agreed to call Corbin, runt, sweet Belvedere being the exception. She treated the boy like he was her long lost son.
“Come on, Walber. You won’t get hooked. Besides, we’re all gonna die in a week or two. Not enough time to redeem yourself for all the shit I’ve heard about you.”
Elgar had a point. One that was pulling the vines off the ruins of Kovey’s past. It didn’t take long to remember how ugly they were. He glanced at the woman who made them look that way. Her nod was full of the same expertise he’d trusted for years. “Can’t get hooked on Rain,” she said.
A different future. He thought about that and what it meant to him. A few pills here and there is much different than pills everyday. Right? Then he made the mistake of making eye contact with Elgar who was staring at him as though his opinion of Kovey hung in the balance. Wouldn’t want to disappoint, would I? He put his hands on his knees and pushed himself to his feet. “Lead the way.”
*~~~**~~~*
Now that Kovey knew the Lotus had chosen this place by the river to bid the world farewell it felt like they were intruding on something special as they approached the log again. The water had gotten so high it was getting close to tickling the corpse’s feet. Not that it would have gotten much of a reaction out of him but it did make for concern that the punter may have faced something dangerous upriver and would never arrive.
“Help me get rid of this fucker,” Elgar said over the raging water.
Ask anyone that knew Kovey back in his glory days and they’d say he’d killed his fair share of men but the truth was he’d taken one life and one life only. In self-defense. At least that’s what he’d told the City Guard; that the man had broken in and tried to steal some money and while Kovey had tried to talk sense into him things had gotten physical. In reality, Velvetine had invited Mateo over for a romp and Kovey had disguised himself as her before slitting the man’s throat and taking back the money he was owed. Three Leos. Just enough to buy another batch of pills. Hardly enough reason to wait until the man’s arms were all twisted up in his tunic then pounce on him. Different mindset back then though. All in all, it was not much in the way of a fair fight, but if you always play by the rules you’re likely to run into someone better than you at something. Killing included. Somehow the story had spread through the inn like a bad leak. This way and that way, a room here, a room there, and before he knew it he was a handful of well-told lies away from being a living legend. His whole life was a lie then, what were a few more to a guy like him?
Folk hero or dirty trickster, he’d never forgotten how easily a sharp blade can cut through skin. Nothing could compare to that feeling. However, that night the guards had removed the body. He’d barely looked at it after it hit the floor, let alone touched it. Now, as he grabbed the Lotus’ ankles he realized exactly how uncomfortable it was to touch a body with no life in it. He held back the cringe that was tugging on his cheeks. The Lotus hit the rushing water ass first and was gone in seconds. He felt dirty just as quickly, like The Creator had seen how they’d treated her work and would remind them of it at a later date.
“That’s better,” Elgar said dully as he took a seat on the log. Kovey joined him, keeping more than an arm’s length between them.
“What’s it do?”
“Makes you feel like you’re watching it rain through a window. All snuggled up in a warm blanket with old Belvedere lying on your lap. Best day of rest you’ll ever have.”
“I could use one of those.” His feet especially agreed.
Elgar popped open his tin. The scent of a damp day found its way into Kovey’s nose. Before he knew it, he was watching two Raindrops roll around in his dry palm. “Are you sure I should take two?”
“There’s no point in taking one. It won’t last long enough to care.”
“And you can’t get hooked?”
“I ain’t never seen anyone hooked on Rain.”
Kovey’s hand was still clasped to his mouth like he’d seen something shocking in the river when the droplets burst simultaneously between his teeth, coating his mouth with a salty fluid that had little to no other taste. At first, he felt nothing. Nothing inside him. Nothing on his skin. Nothing at all. He wondered if the substance would work on someone the first time but he decided against asking Elgar such a stupid question. He’d leave that role of asking stupid questions to the runt.
The snow turned to a gentle sprinkle that was nowhere near hard enough to be bothersome as he waited for the effects. Elgar certainly didn’t mind the rain. He was claiming the seat on the ground that the Lotus had warmed up for him. Suddenly, Kovey’s eyes got very heavy, very quickly. He wanted to let them close but falling asleep straight away seemed like a waste of the experience. He knew how that worked. Wasting one go with Rain would lead to making up for it, then that one would be so great he’d just have to do it again, but with a different type of pill. You know, so he could see what they all had to offer.
Elgar broke the peaceful silence between them. “What’s it like?”
“So far, so good. Kind of tired.”
“No, jackass, being empty.”
“Oh. Horrible.”
“Obviously. But what’s it really like?”
Kovey thought for a bit, then said, “Let’s just say having no magic in your soul isn’t the only reason they call it being empty. You can’t find meaning. You don’t feel whole. So you try to tell yourself you don’t need it. But you do. You definitely do. Your mind needs it. Doesn’t know what to do without it. I’d scratch at my chest like an animal hoping to find water in an empty bowl. At night I’d scream at the sky, begging her to give me a second chance. But she never answered. Never gave me a sign that everything would be alright.”
“Fuck,” Elgar said quietly. “How’d you not…”
“I thought about it. Plenty of times. Almost did it once. Rode my horse up on a tall cliff and sat on the edge. Legs dangling over the edge, bottle of rum in my hand.”
“What stopped ya?”
“I don’t know.” The rain picked up, splattering the river with thousands of little explosions. Neither man seemed to care. “I sat there, thinking about all the shit I did once upon a time. How much of a rotten bastard I was. The wives I fucked, the men I fucked up, and the bartenders I fucked over. All because I had the power to be anyone at any time and didn’t have to live with the consequences of being any of them.” There was a profound silence between them while Kovey gathered the courage to say what he said next. “I’d be careful if I were you.” Elgar grunted at him for an explanation. “All that fun you can have with magic like ours, it can change you. At first, I used to use my magic to escape trouble. But then I started to use it to escape myself and what I’d become. But your mind knows who you are. Can’t fool yourself. Guess I didn’t want to die wishing I was the man I was. Not when he was such a piece of shit. So I took the first chance I could to give myself meaning again and now here I am.” Kovey stared at the imaginary battle raging on the river.
Elgar began to snore. Should have been insulting but it was a soothing sound just then, making his body feel tired and lethargic. Then warm and cozy. He laid down on the log, his head near Elgar’s. He only managed to stare at the sky for a few moments before his eyes got too heavy to keep open. His knuckles scraped the muddy ground beside the log. He was asleep in seconds.