Chapter 19 The Emberlands
Hala ran up from the catsheep pen with Vaitape in tow. Both looked winded from playing chase the flock. She flopped down flat on the grass nearby the others.
Lou offered a hand to Hala to help her off the ground. "Let's grab our things from the barn and see if Rhalie is up. I can explain on the way."
Hafoc, who seemingly decided to stay with the group for now, if only so he wouldn’t be badgered into spitting up the spoils in his sack, wandered away a bit from the farm in the direction of where they decided the big red area on the map should be, while Autumnus scrutinized the scrawled map.
Tine didn’t have much of her own possessions to gather, as she kept most everything on herself at all times, and carried very little at that. She checked the straps of her backpack. Augh. I feel so cramped in there, she thought. Ever since she showed Autumnus her vulture wings, she wondered if she still needed to hide them at all. Maybe the others wouldn’t care, either. She looked at the group they assembled outside the farmhouse to set out to rescue the children. Hala, Lou and the strange boy, Ilius, looked eager to leave. Tine noticed Rhalie had stayed behind in the barn. Lou said she tried to stab him when he tried to rouse her while she slept.
“I left a note.” He waved a hand dismissively, “She can find us if she wants.”
Kylia looked uncertain, but finally agreed, “I suppose…I’m sure Marlynn can point her in our direction.”
Tine counted heads as they headed south. So, it was her, Autumnus, Lou, Hafoc, Kylia, Hala and the boar off to save the children. O wait. There’s that sorcerer kid with the goggles, too. We all should be able to take on some big, red monsters, right? She thought, remembering Artin’s drawing. She hoped it wasn’t accurate; the creature looked huge.
They left the farm while the sun still rose to the east and walked past midday into late afternoon. As they walked, the terrain southwest of the farms slowly became rockier. Most everything around them was the color of ash. The trees in the area were mostly barren, save for a few shining leaves on the ends of their branches.
She stopped to touch one of the glowing, orange-yellow leaves and cried out in surprise when it burned her finger.
Autumnus laughed gently. “That’s how the Emberlands get their name; from the flame trees that grow here.”
Tine sucked on the hurt fingertip, ears back and gave him a sour look. Her tail thrashed.
He looked sorry then. “Oh, that was insensitive of me—are you badly hurt?” He put his hand out to take hers.
She showed him her finger. He wrapped both hands around her hand and blew on the outstretched finger. “I think it will heal quickly; the burn looks small. Do you want some ointment?” He started to rummage through his pockets.
Tine blushed. “No!” She stepped back, then halted. “I mean, I think it’ll be fine, thanks.”
They were interrupted when Hafoc worked his way back to them. “Hey, I know you two are busy doing something boring over here, but in case you want to actually save children or stay alive, I thought I’d point something out to you.”
Hafoc pointed in the direction they were headed. In the distance, there was a small, solitary house on a rocky hill with smoke coming out of the chimney.
Hafoc rambled on, gruffly. “How ‘bout you lot stay here and I’ll go on up ahead.” He strode in the direction of the far house, while staying hear any little cover he could find.
A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.
The rest of them waited, and scanned the surroundings for anything out of the ordinary a child may have left behind, such as a toy or clothing scraps. So far, nothing. Tine tried not to think too hard about what the kids might be going through, if they were even still alive.
It was getting dark, and Hafoc Hadn’t returned. They decided to creep closer to the house under cover of dusk. It was harder to see now.
[https://i.imgur.com/U3nbJh5.jpg] [https://i.imgur.com/U3nbJh5.jpg] [https://i.imgur.com/U3nbJh5.jpg]
Up ahead, Hafoc found some strange footprints leading off in the direction if where he thought the “red hole” on the map might be. The marks on the sooty ground were each as large as his head. They were oblong, but almost round, with points that looked like the imprint of clawed toes. Hmmm. Don’t like the looks o’ this, Hafoc thought, rubbing his chin through his rogue’s mask.
The house was closer now. The light outside had begun to fade with twilight and he saw a light turn on in the building’s first floor window. Hafoc slunk near a tree and, still, observed it for a time.
He couldn’t see its occupant from his distance. Should I sneak up closer? Yeh. Best to check it all out before that bumbling crew behind me catches up. He squinted in the dim light. The house was tall for its small dimensions. It looked like there were only two rooms on the ground floor and one, small living area on the tiny second floor. He thought he could make out the entirely of the top room from the lit window, even from far away. As far as he could tell, it was empty. That leaves the bottom floor to watch for. The first floor had a window with thin curtain covering it. He saw a shadow move behind it. One sighted. Are there more?
If there’s another window there, mebbe I can see in…Hafoc crept through some of the spider-like trees to get to the far side of the building. The trees themselves only had embers for foliage, so they didn’t provide much cover, save for the shadows they cast in the waning daylight.
He was so focused on his target in the house, that he was close to the figure huddled behind a tree trunk before he noticed it. He drew a dagger and leapt on a thin shadowed man.
Hafoc grabbed him and held the blade to his neck. He yelped before Hafoc managed to clamp a hand over his mouth. His prey struggled like a fish in a net. He smiled and pressed the knife harder against his catch. The wriggling subsided now. Mostly.
That’s when Hafoc assessed his captive. It was a thin teenage boy wearing goggles on his head. “Hey, aren’tcha that kid from the barn?” He growled. He took his hand away so the boy could talk.
“Oh, what the fuuuuck! HELP!” Illius yelled and tried to reach his pack, but his movements seemed off somehow. Hafoc clamped the hand back over Illius’ mouth to stifle the yelling.
“Shut. Up. You got more to worry about then me.” He nodded to the house. “I’m scouting for enemies. But what’re you doing here?” He slowly pulled his hand away again.
“Oh. My. God. I didn’t mean to mess up the mission! What am I doing here? C’mon, I’ve been traveling with you. Don’t you remember? I thought rogues were supposed to notice things. Like their surroundings, people, interpret what others are thinking…oh. Is that your angry face? Sorry, I ran ahead of the group. I needed to—hey, can I pull my pants up now?”
Hafoc jumped back. In his haste to catch the shadowed target, he didn’t notice that Illius had his pants around his ankles. “What the hell…?”
Illius hopped a little as he hiked his pants back into place. ”Woah…Excuse me!" He buckled his belt with fumbling fingers. "I think the suet didn't agree with me.”
“Hold steady, lad. Pull yourself together and stay put.” Hafoc put held up his dagger-free hand, palm out to the young man. Illius nodded and shifted his weight from side to side.
Hafoc crept to the far side of the tiny house without further incident. As luck would have it, there was another window on the first floor, which gave him a view of the room inside.
On a battered chair, sat an old man who wore a tattered military uniform. He leaned forward, almost crouching by a fireplace. He might be sitting, but damned if I call that resting, Hafoc thought. The soldier’s eyes darted around the room, fearfully, at nothing.
[https://i.imgur.com/U3nbJh5.jpg] [https://i.imgur.com/U3nbJh5.jpg] [https://i.imgur.com/U3nbJh5.jpg]
Illius looked through his sack. Damn. Some of the bombs are missing! He pulled down his goggles and adjusted his staff where it hung on his back. He started to look on the ground, walking carefully. Really, I should make those things square or something so they don’t roll away. Why do the damn things always have to roll away on me?
He grabbed an ember off of the trees with a gloved hand and took some wire from his pack. He wrapped the glowing pod to the end of a stick. Interesting. It’s hot but doesn’t burn through the branches…Illius inched forward, and waved the glowing ember pod over the ground in front of him. Since his bombs were explosive potions in glass orbs he could easily throw in combat, he hoped the fiery light would shine off of any of them that were nearby. He hoped. As night advanced, it was getting more difficult to see.