Chapter III – Departure
The road split here.
If they followed the path north, they'd travel for another couple days to Port Tipa. If they veered east, they'd cross the River Belle sooner rather than later. Turning east now would lead them down a monster-infested road, but there was a reward at the end of it. A myrrh tree, and the potential to shave off three days or more off their journey to Marr's Pass.
Despite being the leader, Corn chose to discuss the options with his companions. They deserved a say in the matter.
"Why did we stop?" Cherry's question opened the discussion.
"We have two choices," said Corn, raising his right hand. "This is some gil Roland entrusted me. He said that if we wanted, we could take the ship from Port Tipa and sail up the Jegon to Marr's Pass."
"What's the other option?" Asked Radish, looking to Corn's left.
"The River Belle Path. It's an old road that crosses the river here, and leads north. There are monsters on the road, so we'd have to split up. Four of us go in first with the chalice, the rest follow with the wagon once the road's been cleared. There might even be some myrrh for us at the tree."
The group remained silent. At first glance, Corn could tell which of them already wanted to take the road north to Port Tipa. Cherry and Carrot both looked anxious, throwing brief looks at the older members of the group. Much to his surprise, even Kiwi looked hesitant to take the path. The Yukes were impossible to read, while Radish clutched his spear tightly. Potato took hold of his sword, but even he was hesitating.
"We'll go to the port, then." Corn said, walking past the group and back onto the wagon.
"Wait." The command came from Carrot. He stopped and turned to face the little girl.
"What is it?"
"What happens if we get past the river?"
"The road heads north. We'd have to go past something called the Goblin Wall to reach the Iron Mine Downs, where Marr's Pass is. Roland told me it would be safer to go under the wall than risk traveling through the forest."
The revelation didn't look to entice Carrot to the river anymore than before.
"But there's myrrh on River Belle?" Potato said, backing up Carrot.
"And under the Goblin Wall, too." Corn confirmed.
"I vote we take the River Belle Path." Lemon stepped forward.
"As do I. We are out here to collect myrrh for Tipa. We cannot turn down the first chance we are given." Apple said.
"I'm with the Yukes," said Radish, almost begrudingly. "We've only been out here three days and already I'm going mad. I need to stick my spear into something and soon!"
"I'm in. Be sure to include me in the first party, Corn." Kiwi said with a sly wink.
"Me, too!" Carrot's inclusion left everyone stunned. "I don't wanna be left behind all the time. I want to help Tipa as much as you!"
"If she's ready to fight something, then so am I." Potato took a spot next to the shorter Clavat. She looked up at him, catching a quick wink he threw her way. She felt her cheeks burn up slightly.
"And you, Cherry?" Corn looked to the last member. Put on the spot, the Lilty did her best to smile and hide her fear.
"I know how to use a spear like Radish, so I'm good to go!"
They were determined. All of them. And yet beneath that determination was a world of fear that would tear them apart if given even the smallest opportunity. What's more, they all knew it. They all saw and recognized it in each other. Even Corn, their leader, was afraid of pressing into the River Belle Path. The journey thus far had been a picnic. It was time to do what they set out for in the first place.
"Everyone back into the wagon and get ready. We're going in."
~o~
The bridge over the river wasn't there. Long since destroyed by monsters and time, only an old sign remained. In faded writing, words of Lilty origin spelled out the name of the river. Up a ways, the group could see signs of life teeming around the water's surface. Creatures unfazed by the Miasma surrounding them. This was to be their first challenge.
"So who's going?" Radish asked. His spear was at the ready. Corn looked over everyone, all dressed and ready for battle. Right down to the youngest of the group.
"I'll lead the team going in first. Radish, Kiwi, and Apple will come with me."
The team assembled, leaving a rather hurt Potato behind with the caravan. Corn noticed this, and addressed him.
"Potato, you'll be in charge of the caravan. Lemon will back you up. Cherry and Carrot should bring up the rear, but I'll leave that up to you. When you see that the path is clear, press onward."
In truth, Corn expected the Clavat to give him lip over the assignment. That it was unfair of him to not be brought along with the adventuring party. Instead, Potato nodded sternly.
"The wagon will get through without a scratch. Same for the girls and the papamoose."
"Thanks. Alright, we're off."
~o~
The Miasma was dangerously close. So close Kiwi could practically taste it. The job of carrying the crystal chalice had fallen to Apple, while Kiwi and Raidsh took point. Corn was in the back, no more than five paces behind Apple. On the ground Kiwi could see where the light of the crystal ended as it pushed back the temporarily visible Miasma.
"How long would we have if we stepped outside the safety of the crystal's light?" Kiwi asked, trying to break up the tension.
"Couple minutes, maybe." Radish answered, his eyes fixed on the creatures around them. Slimy masses of goo with eyes, and small devils with spikes on their backs saw them approaching, but did not move to strike. Kiwi noticed they almost feared the light emanating from the chalice.
"As little as ten seconds could prove hazardous to your longterm health." Apple said, suddenly delighted she was in possession of the chalice.
"Perhaps we could discuss this later." Corn added, his wooden racket at the ready.
Already the creatures began to move towards them, though they still dared not enter the ring of light. When a few of the devilish ones blocked the road, the group was forced to stop.
"What do we do, Corn?" Kiwi asked, tightening her grip on the racket.
"These are hedgehog pies. The barbs on their backs might be poisonous." Apple said, placing the chalice down. She drew her own weapon, a mallet with a worn silver head.
"Scare them off. Kiwi, fire something at them." Corn instructed, turning around to find another few monsters closing up on him.
Kiwi reeled back her weapon, drawing on the very Miasma from above them to compress into a physical ball. Once formed, she let loose. The projectile struck one of the monsters head on, causing it to flee in terror. However, the others weren't fazed. Instead, one of them stepped forward into the light. Once it realized there was nothing to fear, it let out a shriek; in reality, a battle cry.
The other monsters rushed the group all at once. Radish stepped forward and impaled one of the creatures, while Kiwi swung faster than she'd ever managed to keep the monster at bay. Behind them, Corn was on the defensive, using his racket to fend off swipes from the other creatures. Apple put away her mallet and clasped both hands together. With a few hushed words, she opened the distance between her hands to reveal a fireball. A quick thrust of her palm sent the magical flame forward, setting one of the monsters attacking Corn ablaze instantly.
Caught off-guard, the other monsters were left open to his attacks. Once pushed out of the ring of light, Corn ordered Apple to pick up the chalice and press forward. Walking backwards then, he fashioned similar projectiles with his own racket to stall the monsters giving chase. Ahead, Radish and Kiwi both cleared the path effortlessly. As she stunned the monsters with a quick swing of her racket, Radish lunged forward. A single stab was always enough to stop the monster in its tracks.
This lasted until the group descended down into the river basin. Though they were about to press ahead through the shallow water, Corn called for them to stop.
"We don't want to go in there," he said, trying to catch his breath. Monsters were still chasing them, but they were keeping their distance now.
"Why not? It's not that deep, so we can cross over to the other side!" Radish protested.
"No, he's right." Kiwi said, looking at the river. "We could cross, but the wagon wouldn't make it. We need to go back and find another way for the wagon to travel safely."
"Exactly. There was another road headed further north, through some trees. We'll go that way." Corn was breathing heavily. Kiwi knew he couldn't be that tired from the battle, so she walked up to him.
"What is it?"
She didn't say anything. Instead, she made a quick swat with her racket to Corn's hip. As she suspected, he buckled and fell to one knee.
"What happened?" Apple passed the chalice to Radish and went to inspect Corn. It was a cut to his left side, though it didn't appear to be very deep. His clothes were being stained with blood as they spoke.
"It's not that bad. I'll just carry the chalice for a while and let you guys go ahead."
"I can help." Apple reached into her bag and produced a small orb. It let off a faint green glow, and was about the size of a fist.
"What is that?" Radish asked from behind.
"Magicite," Kiwi said, astonished.
"Yes. It is a rare thing to find at market, but out here it can be quite common." Apple took the Magicite in hand, somehow causing it to glow before she shattered it with a sudden squeeze.
A green light overtook her hand for a moment, then it passed over to Corn's wound. Through the torn fabric Kiwi could see that the would had closed up, though it was still covered in blood.
"That's amazing, I hardly feel the pain anymore." Corn stood up, though he was a bit unsteady on his feet. "I'll carry the chalice. You three go on, and be careful."
~o~
"Magicite?" Carrot asked, holding the yellow orb in her hand.
"Yes. When Miasma grows too thick in one spot, it compresses and turns into Magicite. Our ability to use magic draws on Miasma, so these are a fast way for someone who knows nothing of magic to use it." Lemon explained, taking the piece of Magicite from the little girl.
"Why can't you buy it in a store?" Cherry asked, hoping Lemon would let her hold the item next. The Yuke stored it away instead.
"You could buy it from Yukes in Alfitaria, but it is not common. If left unexposed to Miasma for long, the Magicite loses cohesion and dissipates into Miasma once more. It would be dispelled by a crystal's light before it could do any harm."
"And can you make these?" Carrot asked Lemon.
"It takes skill to craft a Magicite artificially. I cannot."
"Shame, they would come in handy." Potato chipped in. He was sitting in the driver's seat of the wagon, his eyes peeled for signs of trouble up the river.
"Can you teach us to use magic, Lemon?" The Yuke looked at the young Clavat.
"It is possible. But it would take much time to learn. If you are truly interested, I could see about giving you some lessons."
"Don't bother," Potato said, preventing Carrot from answering. "If she doesn't even know how to focus her attacks, magic would go over her head."
Much as Carrot wanted to say something to him, he was right. She had no idea what a focus even was. So she remained silent, but the Yuke took notice of her dismay.
"A focus is a primitive use of Miasma. Think of it as a precursor to magic; before Yukes shared the secrets of magic with the other tribes, this was considered the greatest abilities in the land."
"I know how to do that!" Cherry said, feeling proud of herself.
"As well you should. It is oftentimes a saving grace for travelers." Lemon turned to Carrot, who still looked down. "I will help you learn to focus your attacks, then we shall move on to traditional Yuke magic."
"Save it for later, pal." Potato jumped down from the driver's seat. "The road's clear, so we're going ahead. Carrot, drive the wagon."
Her heart skipped a beat. "I've never done that before."
"I know. But we need someone to do it, and I don't want to be stuck up there if monsters show up. You drive the wagon nice and slow, the rest of us will lead the way."
She nodded, though Potato's reassurance didn't do much to steady her pulse. She walked over to the driver's seat, and was given a quick boost into it by Potato. She took hold of the reins.
"Just talk easy to the papamoose, and he'll do the rest."
Carrot nodded, then turned to the blue beast before her.
"Come on, Boko. Let's go."
~o~
Radish let the steady stream of the river wash his spear. Seven hedgehog pies it had skewered so far, and it looked to be the last of them. More than an hour of cutting through monsters, and they had finally cleared a steady bridge to cross the river. All that was left was to find the myrrh tree.
"Should we not go back for the wagon and the others?" Apple asked, taking note of a few monsters hiding in the underbrush back the way they came.
"Potato will know when to come after us. They have Lemon, too, so they'll be fine." Corn said, taking quick breather on the ground next to the chalice. The object was much heavier than it looked, slowing him down as well as the rest of the group.
"Are you sure he'll be enough?" Radish asked.
"Lemon is a more talented magician than I. We should trust in his ability." Apple said, defending her kin. Radish scoffed, but didn't press the issue.
"By the look of things," Kiwi said, breaking up the discussion, "if we swing a left from here, we'll reach a waterfall where the river drops down into the basin."
"Looks like a dead end from here." Corn said, noting the heightened ground surrounding the area.
"Me too, so we can go right. Looks like a longer road that leads away from the river." Kiwi pointed it out.
"So we'll go right. What's the problem?" Radish said, drying off his spear.
"The myrrh tree might be to the left," Corn said, picking up the chalice again. "No harm in taking a quick look."
"I'll leave a mark on the bridge for the wagon, so they know to keep right if they pass through here before we make it back." Kiwi took out a small knife and started carving a few symbols into the wood. They were unfamiliar to Radish.
"What is that? I know how to read and write, and I don't understand that rubbish!"
"Oh! Silly me, I wrote it in Selkic script. Thanks for that!" The girl quickly changed her language, and the message became clear for all to read.
"'Selkic script', huh? Remind me to ask again what that is when we get out of here." Radish clutched his spear and took point.
Before they pressed on, Kiwi noticed the expression on Corn's face. He had been trying to read the Selkic script himself to no avail.
How could a Selkie not know his own tongue?
~o~
It seemed the loud click-clack of the wagon's wheels was keeping the monsters at bay. This angered Potato a bit, as he was somewhat eager to cut something down. It was the least he could get out of this ordeal given his exclusion from the chalice party.
Trees around the road were few, so every time one happened to cast some shade over Carrot, she foolishly hoped they'd be attacked. If she had to fight she would, but most likely she'd get to take a moment to rest in the shade. Then as if a blessing, there was shade. And a cool wind falling down over her. Taking in the moment, she didn't notice there were no trees in the area.
"Look out!"
Cherry's cry snapped Carrot out of her daze. She looked up and saw the source of the shade and wind. The monstrous bird descended quickly, and in a moment of clarity Carrot snapped the reins in her hands. The papamoose lurched forward, taking the wagon out of harm's way. The massive creature touched down, a gryphon with the head of a bird and the body of a lion.
"Carrot, stay back! Lemon, let's go!"
From afar, Carrot watched as Potato fearlessly rushed the massive feathered beast. It proved a foolhardy approach, as it sent the young man flying back with a single swipe of its claw. Lemon caught the Clavat, preventing further injury. The Yuke extended his hand, releasing a bolt of blue lightning within seconds. The magical attack left the gryphon startled, allowing for Cherry to rush it. She thrust her spear into the monster's chest with all her might, only to be tossed aside when the monster lurched from the blow.
"Lemon, blast him again!" Potato ordered, steadying himself for another strike.
The Yuke cupped both hands together before hurling another blue bolt towards the beast. However, it took to the sky to avoid the attack, and came crashing back down in the center of the group. As they scrambled to put some distance between themselves and the monster, Carrot jumped from the wagon and ran into the fray, sword drawn. Potato noticed, and moved to intercept.
"Carrot, stay back!"
"I can help!"
"It's too-"
Potato was thrown aside as the gryphon struck his exposed back. The sight left Carrot fixed to the spot, and in her overwhelming fear she dropped her sword. Before the gryphon could strike her, it was struck by another blue bolt that drew its attention back to Lemon. Carrot looked to Potato, who was unconscious by the wagon after crashing into it.
"Carrot! Together!"
Lemon's words caught her attention, followed by the piece of Magicite flying through the air and into her hands. The gryphon swung at Lemon, only to miss entirely as the Yuke seemed to vanish from sight for a split second. When he reappeared, his hand was glowing, prepared to unleash another magical spell. Carrot looked down at the Magicite in her hands, and wished for it to unleash its power.
"Now! Crush it!"
So she did as ordered, and the magical energies of the stone shot forth from her hands. Combined with Lemon's own spell, the two magical energies combined immediately to form a much larger ray of lightning. The attack was enough to set parts of the gryphon's body ablaze, and caused it to retreat from the battle. Both travelers let out sighs of relief. Carrot quickly ran to Potato's side.
"Is Potato alright?" Lemon asked, walking up to the collapsed Clavat.
"I don't know. He's not awake." Carrot's fear was evident in her voice, but was ultimately unfounded. Moments later, Potato came around.
"Are you okay?" He asked upon seeing Carrot's face.
"Yeah, I'm fine. Are you?"
"My head hurts, but I'll be okay if- I'll be okay." The young man managed to catch himself before he finished that sentence. Still, it did him good to see Carrot's smiling face.
"I hate to be the only one with bad news," said Cherry, who looked a bit scruffy from the skirmish.
"What's wrong?" Asked Carrot, fearful she might've been injured.
"That bird took my spear."
~o~
"Would you look at that?"
Kiwi stood at the water's edge, taking in the sight of the waterfall and rainbow before it. Just past it, tucked away in a corner was the myrrh tree. But she was transfixed on the natural beauty of the river and cascade.
"Indeed. Hard to imagine places like this still exist with the Miasma." Corn dropped the chalice by the river's edge.
"It is strange. Only the four tribes are affected by the Miasma. Plants adapted, and even the monsters thrived on it." Apple said, looking forward through her closed helmet. Even now Kiwi wondered what she really looked like underneath that thing.
"This is nice and all, but why don't we go check the tree first before we start talking about the meaning of the world life and stuff?" Radish took the chalice in hand and started for the tree. The others followed, having little say in the matter.
"Does make you wonder, though. Why only us?" Kiwi asked, though no one offered up an answer.
The myrrh tree was a droopy thing, all its leaves dangling forward like wet hair on a person's head. Around the base was a circle of white stones, as if arranged by people long ago. This raised questions for the three travelers; with the exclusion of Radish, who only wanted to collect the myrrh and be on his way. He raised the chalice up to the tree's lowest hanging leaves, but nothing dropped into the chalice.
"Are we supposed to do something special for it to happen?" He asked after a few short moments.
"Myrrh trees require time to gather more dew. It is possible the previous caravan already harvested some dew from this tree." Apple touched the leaves, noting they were dry despite the persistent moisture in the air from the falls.
"So we came all this way for nothing?" Radish asked, looking at Corn.
"I said we could find myrrh here. I didn't say it was a guarantee. Either way, we voted to come this way to search, and we did. Let's hurry back to the bridge and wait for the wagon."
Corn walked ahead just enough to get Radish to follow. Kiwi and Apple trailed behind, just far enough to whisper to each other.
"Do you know what the dew is made of?" She asked the Yuke.
"I do not. Yuke scholars have tried to solve that mystery for decades to no avail."
Once the group was in front of the waterfall, they all felt a slight tremor beneath their feet. Their gaze turned to the waterfall, and they all saw as something emerged from beneath the cascade. At first it appeared to be a multitude of old weapons, buried into a red stone at the base of the falls. As it rose, legs appeared beneath the red stone, and a pair of large pincers followed. The massive creature appeared to be a crab, only many times larger than a Clavat or Yuke.
"What is that?" Kiwi asked, readying her weapon.
"A monster, and it looks hungry." Radish passed the chalice along to Apple. He took hold of his spear and stepped in front of the group.
The giant crab monster moved forward along the water's surface. It stopped just out of reach, and sat there for a moment. No one in the group made a sound, almost expecting the beast to realize it had made a mistake and scurry away. The smaller of its two pincers snapped together, releasing a loud clap! It then started rubbing its forehead with the pincer, releasing small sparks in the process.
"Move!" Corn screamed.
The others heeded just in time. From the pincer, a bolt of blue lightning sprung forth, just missing everyone. Angered its attack had missed, the crab emerged from the water, and took a more aggressive, hand-on approach to killing the intruders to its lair. Radish wasted no time in driving his spear into the beast. However, it bounced right off the thick shell of the creature.
"I can't break through its shell!" He cried, nimbly dodging a swipe from the smaller pincer.
Kiwi gathered up some Miasma and hurled it forth, striking the side of the crab. It was just as ineffective as Radish's weapon.
"We can't damage this thing!"
"Apple, try some magic!" Corn screamed, drawing the crab's attention with a few blows to its face. At least he thought that was its face.
Apple passed the chalice along to Kiwi, freeing up her hands to work up a fireball spell. Radish continued to try piercing the shell of the crab, but wasn't able to leave so much as a dent on the surface. Apple hurled the fireball, striking the crab's face. Irritated, the beast parted its larger claw. The piece that made up its forehead detached, and slammed down hard on the ground where Apple and Kiwi were. Fortunately, the two had managed to move out of the way in time.
As the crab tried to pull its limb back into place, Radish and Corn both noticed its softer regions were now exposed. Radish wasted no time and leapt onto the beast's back, driving his spear into the creature. Twisting in pain, the crab snapped its limb back into place, crushing Radish between it and the soft inner body.
"Radish!" Kiwi screamed. The Lilty hadn't fallen, was he was pinned between the crab's body and the detachable forehead plate. From his position, he could see the rusted points of the many weapons forced into the shell.
"We have to get him out of there! Apple, use another fireball!" Corn shouted.
As the Yuke prepared the attack, Corn stood before the crab. He did nothing to strike the beast, only defend himself from the massive pincers. Once Apple was ready, she yelled for Corn to move out of the way. He threw himself onto the ground, allowing the fireball to explode directly on the crab. As Corn suspected, the beast's forehead plate moved again to try and crush him, but missed entirely.
Freed, Radish removed his spear from the crab and drove it in once again into a different spot. As it lurched about in pain, Corn and Apple ran over to the lowered plate, holding it down so that the beast couldn't retract it again. Taking advantage of the opportunity, Radish stabbed the crab a third time, then a fourth. Each attack slowed the creature down more and more, until finally with a fifth blow to the head caused its legs to give out.
When they were sure the crab had stopped moving entirely, Corn and Apple released the beast. Radish lowered himself from the monster's back, looking proud as ever.
~o~
"Potato, look!" Cherry pointed out the post on the bridge with the message left behind by Kiwi. The Clavat had taken to riding in the driver's seat following his injury.
"Writing? What's it say?"
"That we'll be right back." Kiwi's voice came from the path to the left. The chalice group looked beat and tired, but otherwise in good health. What's more, they were dragging along a large orange-pink claw.
"You're all okay!" Carrot said, running over to the group.
"Sure are, and we got ourselves a little trophy." Corn pointed to the large claw.
"Well, it's actually my trophy." Radish added, ready to divulge the story of how he single-handedly felled the giant crab.
"Are we really going to carry that large claw with us? It'll take up the whole wagon!" Potato pointed out.
"Spoils like this will help make us some money in Marr's Pass. We'll need supplies once we get there." Corn explained.
"And get me a new spear!" Cherry chirped, seeming a bit proud of the fact she lost her only weapon. Radish would later lend her one of his to keep her fighting.
"Seems like you guys had a bit of trouble?" Kiwi asked.
"A little," Potato said flatly. "We should get moving, before any other large monsters show up."
"We'll lead the way." Corn said, taking the chalice from Kiwi. "Follow close; I don't think there'll be many more monsters on the road anymore."
~o~
Carrot was busy sewing Corn's shirt that evening. He had been right about the road: no other monsters approached the rest of the way. Before long, they were past the River Belle and back on the road north. From there, it would be a day or so before they arrived at the Goblin Wall. Her only company was Apple, who was looking over the small garden in the wagon. Everyone else was by the campfire sharing stories.
"Corn said we were going under the Goblin Wall," she opened to the Yuke. "Do you know why?"
"He wishes to avoid the Miasma Stream. That would be my guess."
"What's that?"
"A concentration of Miasma. The amount of Miasma in the forest becomes visible and volatile, resembling a rapids in a river. It is possible to cross a Miasma Stream, but oftentimes travelers perish from the harsh winds. Some even suffer Miasma poisoning from crossing. The light of the crystal chalice might be insufficient for shielding the caravan from its effects."
"I see." Carrot continued working, her curiosity satisfied. The Yuke finished her business, and jumped off the wagon.
"Caravans that have traveled far to the west share stories of a Miasma Stream more powerful than any other in the world. Yuke scholars speculate the reason for this is relative to the source of the Miasma." She explained.
"So what does that mean?" Carrot asked, confused by Apple's wording.
"That beyond that powerful stream lies the source of all Miasma."
Carrot took that in slowly. If they could travel there, they'd find out why the Miasma exists. What if there was a way to stop it? What if they could stop it? Had anyone ever tried? Would it be worth the risk?
Apple saw the gears turning in Carrot's head, and raised her hand to catch the Clavat's attention.
"It would be unwise to bring this up to Corn."
"What? Why?"
"There are two possible outcomes. The best of which is he denies it and we do not pursue this theory." Apple explained.
"And the other one?"
"We embark on the search. I feel we cannot risk that journey now. Not while Tipa is depending on us to return with myrrh for the crystal."
"But what if we stop the Miasma? Then they wouldn't need the myrrh!" Carrot countered.
"It would be more probable that we'd fail. And if we die, so too does Tipa."
It wasn't that Apple didn't believe in the theory. More than Carrot even, she wanted it to be true. Like any other resident of the world, she wanted an end to the Miasma. Were she in Carrot's position, innocent and hopeful, she'd also risk everything to cross the western stream. But she was far too old to allow such a chance endeavor cloud her judgement.
Apple looked at Carrot, who seemed down following her words. The young Clavat wouldn't speak of this to Corn. She was certain of that now.
But what she would never be certain of was Corn's response to this knowledge. So best to keep him in the dark.