Even had I not known about the Sleeping Man, his presence in Cania would have been impossible to overlook for long. It seemed everyone at least knew of the foreigner.
His name instilled in the natives a mix of distaste and fear, and the githzerai — who had come to the frozen hell specifically to see him — seemed altogether unimpressed. Despite this, the later had apparently been more than willing to discuss the disappointing planetar that was the Sleeping Man with Deekin, the little kobold bubbling with enthusiasm as he told us everything he knew about the man and his temple as we ate breakfast in our room the next morning.
Now, we trudged towards said temple through the fresh snow, Valen once more in the lead. As soon as we'd been back on the cold surface, he'd shouldered past me silently, cautious eyes darting all around us and a hand on his weapon. The gentle, blushing man from the night before might very well have been a dream, for all this tiefling was like him.
Any devil that looked at us for too long was met with narrowed eyes and bared teeth, Valen's tail flicking irritably as he stomped through the snow. I kept my head down, both from prying eyes and in an attempt to hide from the blistering cold. Deekin showed no discomfort, cold though he was — apparent from how his hands refused to budge from under his armpits — hopping along excitedly behind us and taking in the sights.
An imp took flight at our approach, causing Valen to flinch, feet shifting back into a defensive stance. The little leathery creature cackled at the tiefling's discomfort, before disappearing overhead into the misty white sky. As the seconds ticked by and he realised we weren't under attack, Valen shook his head roughly before continuing ahead, shoulders bunched up tensely around his ears.
I didn't dare get in his way.
The wind was blissfully still, but the temperature was still well below freezing, my face — the only bit of me that was exposed to the elements — stung from the chill air.
No more than ten minutes into our walk — my eyelashes already feeling like icicles on my cheeks — we approached three erinyes out the front of a factory. One held a wrapped cigarette of some kind in her long-fingered grip, a faintly earthy smell carrying to me with the smoke. She muttered something to one of the others as we approached — too quiet for me to hear. But I didn't need to hear them; I got the gist of it from the sly turn to their lips and their hooded eyes. One even had the gall to raise her eyebrows at me, little black tongue licking her bottom lip suggestively.
Without warning, Valen unclipped his flail, making a beeline for the group.
"Fuck a duck," I swore, hurrying to catch up to him, Deekin close by my side.
Enserric flared to life at the promise of a fight, and I did my best to block out his silent call for bloodshed.
The erinyes' eyes all lit up, their smiles growing at Valen's challenge. One flicked the cigarette into the snow, placing her now empty hand on her cocked hip.
The true purpose for their open attention upon me was all of a sudden very clear.
They'd been purposefully riling up the already openly coiled tiefling.
Their clawed fingers splayed as they planted their feet in the snow at Valen's approach.
He tightened a hand around his weapon and began to draw, and —
— and I stopped him with a hand on a shoulder, pulling him back roughly with no small amount of effort.
I locked eyes with one of the women, willing her to stay in place.
"Let's go, Valen," I grunted before finally daring to look at him.
His swung his head towards me, eyes narrowed and nostrils flaring.
…But his weapon remained holstered.
I dropped my hand, pulling away from him and motioning back in the direction we'd been marching.
I heard one of the erinyes give a low whistle, followed by the throaty chuckle of one of her companions. At the open taunt, Valen's eyes clouded over in anger, body tensing and ready to turn back to them.
Impulsively, I reached out a hand to grab his chin, forcing him to look at me.
I expected resistance, for him to continue. He could have easily, I was no match for his strength. But I was met with none. Only surprise. His lips pulled down in a deep frown as he considered me with wide eyes.
"There'll be devils for you to kill later, Valen," I hissed. One of the erinyes chuckled lightly and I did my best to hold his attention. "Now isn't the time. Or the place."
I glanced over his shoulder at an imp — perhaps even the one that had spooked him earlier — settling on the stoop of a nearby building, lips pulled back in a sinister smile. Another fluttering of wings and a second one landed by its side.
I locked eyes with the tiefling again, tightening my hold on his chin.
"Later," I repeated; quieter, but no less stern.
I could feel the warmth of his skin through my gloves, the tickle of each of his shallow breathes on my face, eyes darting between my own.
And then he closed his eyes, taking a deep breathe in, opening his eyes again slowly on the exhale.
Deekin looked between us, eyes narrowed slightly with the look of one attempting to mentally solve a complex mathematical equation. I noticed his thoughtfulness and carefully removed my hand from Valen's jaw.
Thankfully, he took my advice, huffing in frustration before starting again in the direction of the temple without a glance back at the woman he'd nearly challenged to a fight for looking at us wrong.
At me wrong. I curled my lip.
The imps fluttered their wings in disappointment, and I caught one of the erinyes blowing me a kiss before I jogged to catch up with Valen.
I mulled over the events as we walked silently, considering the erinyes and imp's actions; ultimately surprised by their control. Valen's comment from the night before was running through my head, from when he'd noted his surprise that the devil's in this place didn't attack him as he wished to them.
And it occurred to me; the difference between him and the devils. What he'd been trying to warn me.
The devils here were creatures of evil, yes. But devil's were lawful beings, happy for a chat but as likely to kill you if they thought they would win. Mephistopheles was living proof of that.
But demons?
Demons were pure chaos.
And every day, every minute that we were in Cania brought that bit of Valen closer to the surface.
It was one thing to know it, but it was another thing entirely to see it.
The rest of our walk was uneventful, but the ease in which Valen had been almost moved to mindless violence left a pit in my stomach that lingered well into the day, dulling my enthusiasm as we got the information we needed from the sensei at the Sleeping Man's temple.
The sensei had been a tall grey-skinned githzerai, strong wiry muscles rippling just below the surface. At first, she'd appeared calm, her countenance sombre, but her brilliant yellow eyes had been that little bit too wide, her unblinking gaze lingering a moment longer than comfortable as we'd approached her.
I'd thought it was just my knowledge of her zealotry that made me see these things in her, but a glance in Valen's direction found him staring right back at me with a raised brow.
"Greetings Emma," she'd hummed at my approach, an innocent tilt to her head. "Is that what you would like me to call you?"
I'd spluttered, barely managing a pointed; "How do you know my name?"
The rest of our interactions, despite her psychic abilities, passed without further issue. She told us what I'd already known — if we wanted to see the Sleeping Man, we'd need to prove ourselves. And to prove ourselves we'd need the answers to her so-called Sleeping Man's Five-Fold Mysteries; all gleaned from the surface of his thoughts as he slept in the room over. She gave us the answer to the first question, to get us started, and — after some prodding — admitted that the fourth question's answer was in the temple's library.
As expected, I'd sent her into a fit when I'd questioned if he could be woken; the very idea sacrilege to her. She'd even suspiciously likened me to a tiefling named Arden Swift, who had dared to try something similar. I did my best not to let my satisfaction show at the information.
Then again, I wouldn't have to do this whole song and dance if Valen knew the truth about what I knew…
I shook my head and let the thought die there.
What I didn't know was what we were going to do once we got entrance to see the Sleeping Man.
Would we be able to glean what we needed from his mind as he slept? Or would we need to find a way to wake him?
My thoughts wandered to the eagle-eyed tieflings who had been playing cards at the tavern the night before, knowing that whichever one had been Swift had the means to wake the planetar. That he currently held the Trumpet of Pandemonium. Getting the trumpet off of the tiefling would prove hard, and so would fighting the sensei if we were forced to wake the Sleeping Man…
No. It was easier for everyone if we could do all of this without waking him.
I closed the book I was reading with a sigh, getting up to place it on the pile of already combed books with a little bit too much force. The sensei's fierce yellow eyes snapped to me in warning at my mistreatment of the tomb. I offered her a grimace in apology, to which she simply shook her head. A deep breath and she returned to her meditative contemplation; eyes shut here she sat cross-legged on the cold floor, nought but a pillow for comfort.
Deekin was sifting through one of three bookshelves, organising the books that he thought held merit into a pile for Valen and me to search through with more effort. We were all searching for the answer to the fourth question.
Who did the Sleeping Man seek?
I knew it was in here somewhere, and that's all that kept me from giving up after more than an hour of searching.
I grabbed another book from the pile just as Deekin stood, dusting some invisible dust from his legs.
"That be all of them," Deekin turned to grab one of the books. He hefted the weighty tomb in his clawed hand with a frown. "Boss sure she don't know the answers?" He pressed sceptically.
I widened my eyes at him, lifting a hand up subtly in an 'are you serious?' look. My eyes darted quickly to Valen and back.
Valen chuckled but his eyes remained focused on a page he had open on his lap.
"Oooookay," Deekin hummed slowly with a small shake of his head.
He ignored my frown, dragging a pillow from the couch to sit on, as he started leafing through the pages with us. I leant my head back, rolling my shoulders and breathing through my frustration as I carried the book back to my spot on the couch.
We worked in silence as the minutes continued to tick by excruciatingly slowly, the words on the pages all blurring into one. Deekin would occasionally break the silence, sighing loudly and glancing at me pointedly over the top of his book.
I ignored him.
But then, an idea came to me.
I slammed my book shut with a thump. "Found it!" I exclaimed proudly.
Valen groaned out something in a different language, something that sounded an awful look like a curse, before looking at me with a small smile.
"Thank you," he said to me, tossing the book he was reading onto the table and immediately pausing and glancing in the sensei's direction. When she didn't chastise him, he rolled his eyes back in my direction. "I was going barmy."
Deekin closed his book slowly, a smug look on his features as he said. "Deekin knew Boss would get it."
I smiled with another shake of my head before telling them the answer. "He seeks the Knower of Places, to ask her where his love would meet him," I told them.
Valen nodded along with my words, a thoughtful look on his face. "That must be why the Reaper said the Sleeping Man could help us. This Knower of Places much know where we can find his Name."
The sensei appeared suddenly by our side, looking between us all with a deep considering frown.
"You found the answer?" She asked slowly, blinking at us all in turn.
I nodded, pushing up from the couch and helping Deekin clean up the books we'd scattered throughout the room. Valen stepped in to help.
The sensei seemed distracted, blinking in the direction of a closed door and muttering; "But I thought I…" she faded out.
I paused, causing Valen's hands to brush my own as he bent to pick up another pile. My stomach clenched in surprise, warmth flooding to my cheeks as I passed them to him sheepishly.
I glanced at the confused githzerai, suddenly realising what it was that had her so put out.
The answer had never been in any of these books…
The real Sleeping Man's journal must have been locked away, to ensure nobody could actually complete her impossible task.
She snapped back to attention, pulling the hem of her shirt down with fluttering hands and straightening her posture. With a curt nod, she excused herself, hurrying to her closed door and unlocking it with a hidden key. She retreated within and closed the door with resounding finality.
I doubled down, and we managed to clean the remainder of the books in record time, before leaving without another word to the githzerai.
For the remainder of the day, we made our way through the city, seeking answers to the five-fold mysteries — despite the fact I already knew them.
Being in the painfully blistering cold longer than necessary set my teeth on edge, and Deekin would glance at me with a sceptical tilt to his head every time he caught my eye.
It took the better part of the day to get four of the five answers, even with my — admittedly faint — recollection of where to find them.
A slaadi worker told us the answer to where the Sleeping Man had come from, and a pilgrim we'd found scurrying through a bush — which she would not let us anywhere near — told us the answer to why he left his home. I'd asked after the berries she was currently plucking from within the thorny tangle, to which she'd explained they were Velox bushes, with a disbelieving scow. She'd explained with short curt words that they were the only way to light a fire in Cania's enchanted cold.
When she'd left, and I checked over her work, finding that there wasn't a single berry left. Swearing, I'd plucked a leaf from the bush, tucking it behind my ear to help me remember what they looked like.
With the knowledge that we would need them, we spent the remainder of our day searching for the bushes and attempting to find the fifth answer.
In our search, we'd pause whenever we came across a pilgrim's fire that wasn't already completely crowded. I would linger as long as we dared, body shivering as I huddled as close as I could, with Deekin pressed up against me. Whilst we wordlessly attempting to chase away the all-encompassing cold with chattering teeth, Valen would ask anyone that had the time if they knew the answer we sought.
All the while, I kept my eye out for the little creature I knew would lead us to the keeper of the fifth answer.
Occasionally — in the less travelled parts of the city — I'd spot hints of groundcover peeking out from the snow. Matching the leaves against my sample, Valen would dig the bush out with his gloved hands. Once it was clear of the snow, I'd carefully pry what berries remained from amongst the thorns with my smaller hands, and Deekin would place them carefully in my — now very clearly his — satchel.
It was on the outskirts of the city, looking for more of the berries, that we — completely by accident — stumbled upon what must have been the Scrivener.
It was a small dog-like creature with a flat snout and a hard brown carapace on its back. It reached roughly half-way up my calf with a stomach that dragged through the snow as it paced back and forth with little whimpers of frustrated distress.
I saw Valen reach out a hand in warning to me, as the little creature noticed us.
It lifted its head, snuffling the air, before running towards us as fast as it's squat legs would allow it to, with open eagerness.
Valen dropped his arm as soon as he realised it wasn't about to attack our ankles. I rolled my eyes openly at his jumpiness, smiling warmly at him before focusing on the little creature.
"What's the matter, little guy?" I ask, leaning down with my hands on my knees.
Valen sidled up to me cautiously, but I didn't miss the bemused smile on his lips at my tone.
The creature stopped whining as it approached, focusing all of its beady-eyed attention on me. Despite expecting it, my gasp was still very much real, as an image began to form over its head, illuminated by a dim light that seemed to filter from above.
"What…" Valen stumbled back a step.
I leant in to get a better look at the visage.
It was a woman sheathed in ice, perfectly still. A look of utter despair marked her cold, blue face, the merest breath escaping her frozen lips.
Aribeth.
"It's an elf-girl, Boss," Deekin hummed in amazement, looking to me for more information.
The creature resumed it's whining.
"What's happening to her?" Valen pressed.
The creature focused on Valen at his question, forming a new image.
In this one, Aribeth's frozen statue was slowly sinking into the ice below her, slowly being subsumed into the glacial mass. In the background, I saw the sky darken and lighten three times as she sunk out of sight. In time, there was nothing left but the creatures shallow keening.
"She might be the one some of the Lost Souls spoke of," Valen hummed thoughtfully. "The one that stood up to Mephistopheles."
I'd heard the conversation he referred to take place earlier in the day, but I'd had neither the energy or the ability to talk through the shivering at the time, and had left the task of uncovering more information to the tiefling.
The creature darted away a few steps, and as we stepped forward to follow, I realised something that I hadn't before. What had looked like the city's limits — a tall wall of ice — was actually the wall of a cliff's edge. I raised a hand against the harsh glare of light on white, and then I saw it; the jagged maw of a cave opening.
A magical blue glow barred the entrance. "She's in there," I jutted my chin towards the cave. "Will that barricade disappear if we help you?" I asked the creature.
The creature cackled in acknowledgement, before wandering past me with plodding steps towards the city.
"Boss be hero," Deekin explained to the creature, urging it to continue.
I rolled my eyes at Valen at Deekin's words, earning myself a smile, before saying to the creature; "How can we help?"
And so we followed the creature on a wild goose chase; a game of charades that had Deekin laughing with glee and Valen frowning in concentration, as we lead it across the city to a pillar.
Valen was quick to identify the creature as the Scrivener he'd heard discussed around one the pilgrim's fires after we saw the wall of scribed names beside the pillar. It had searched the expanse of the wall for a while before shaking its little head.
We did much of the same until finally, we arrived at the right one — the creatures huff of excitement impossible to misinterpret.
Beside the pillar, like all the others, was a long icy wall etched with countless names.
Despite it looking like there could not possibly be any room for another name, the creature found a spot. It lifted its pawed feet, glancing at us with imploring eyes. Valen did the honours of holding him up to write, as the little creature etched something in the blue ice with a clawed paw.
Content with its handiwork, it wiggled free of Valen's hold, revealing the elf's name.
Aribeth de Tylmarande.
The creature cackled in glee, before appearing all of a sudden weary now that its task was done.
"That be frozen lady?" Deekin pressed with a tilt of his head, as he scribbled her name into my notebook. "Why does name ring bell, Boss?" He asked me as he wrote.
"Tell you over dinner, Deeks," I managed to say, hands tucked up under my chin as I blew onto them.
It was impossible to know the time, but the clear white sky had been slowly gaining a darker grey hue over the last hour, the temperature dropping impossibly lower.
I pulled my scarf back across my face, tucking my covered chin into my chest and motioning we continue. I led us back to the Hellsbreath Tavern, grimacing at a couple of crowded pilgrim's fires that we passed — no room to spare for an outsider, now that night was approaching.
My pace slowed, despite the knowledge that warmth was so very close. I was dimly aware of Valen's warm hand on my lower back as he took over directing us, of Deekin tucked within the confines of the large tiefling's cloak. With each ragged breath, more of my valuable heat escaped in puffs of white vapour, and with each blink of my ice-crusted eyes, I took that little bit longer to focus on the white path ahead of me.
When we finally arrived I didn't even have the energy to exclaim my relief.
With fingers clumsy from numbness I reached for the door handle in a daze, palming in frustration at the door and the promise of warmth beyond, with a chattering curse.
Valen took over, pushing the door open and ushering inside.
Deekin and I practically tumbled into the warm embrace of the tavern.
But the warmth did little to ease the chill in my soul; my thoughts reeling with the realisation that there was no way the kobold and I were going to be able to survive out in the wastes of Cania.
Deekin and I could barely last an hour without a berry-fueled fire to stave off the bone-chilling cold.
With shaky footing, I descended down the stairs, doing my best to ignore the concerned expression on Valen's features, which told me he was worried about the very same thing.
Unless hell froze over — or rather, unfroze — and became a tropical getaway, we were completely, and unbelievably fucked.
NOTEBOOK EXTRACT
The following shopping list is in Jane's messy handwriting. It's shakier than usual, small and cramped.
Emma
Velox-berry Firewaters, 6
Thicker gloves, boots and cloak
Healing potions, 10?
Something with cold resistance
Throwing knives, 4
Dagger - to replace the one Deekin took
Arrows, fire enchantments, 20
Deekin
Thicker gloves, boots and cloak
Something else with cold resistance
Pack
Crossbow
Bolts, fire enchantments, 10
Bolts, 50
An instrument of some kind
Valen
A stress ball?