Chapter One: The Beginning
There were extraordinary wonders, usually a highly talented child proclaimed to save the world and there were omens enough, Spider says, We have only ourselves to blame for misinterpreting them.
Spider's caring nature for me in no way handicapped his marvelous hindsight like some believed.
Lighting from a clear blue sky, only brought upon by the most evil of presents. The most violent of storms even to circulate in one place. The storm raged at the top of GoNome Hill. A single bolt touched the ground with the power of ages, striking the bronze metal sealing the tomb of the ankouze, demolishing half the spell of confinement.
It rained fire.
Statues wept blood.
Priests and elders at several temples reported sacrificial victims without hearts or lives and other internal organs.
One victim escaped after it's spleen was opened and was not recaptured. For seven evenings straight, ten ravens circled the bastion. The one evicted the grand falcon, which lived a top the Rose Tower.
Astrologers refused readings, fearing for their merger lives. A mad man wondered the streets proclaiming Armageddon. At the bastion, the falcon not only departed, the ivy and roses on the outer ramparts withered and gave way to a black creeping vine that looked more like a fungus then a plant.
Fools were taking everything as bad omens, that death was upon us all.
Spider took pity on them cause of their immense stupidity. Spider says that in the Jewel Cities chaos broke out, but then again only a fool would be surprised by anything found creeping it's night streets.
I had every shutter wide open, hoping for a breath off the harbor. But no breeze came, not even the cobwebs stirred.
I wiped my face in frustration and looked at my third patient already this morning.
"Here already? Again, Tom?"
He grinned feebly. His face was god awful pale.
"Rin, It's my stomach."
His face twisted. I checked the duty roster and watch schedule. Nothing there he would want to avoid.
"Really Rin, it's bad, really."
I assumed my professional personae; his skin was clammy, despite the heat.
"Eaten outside the commissary lately, Tom?"
"Yeah, four, fives times."
"Uhm." I mixed a nasty herbal concoction.
"Drink this down, all of it now."
His whole face wrinkled at the first taste.
"Look Rin, I…"
The smell of the stuff even made me feel sick, "Drink it Tom. Two men died before I came up with that. Then Len took it and lived."
Word was out about that. Swallowing hard, he drank it.
"You mean, it's poison? The damned Coats slipped me something?"
"Well you take it easy! You'll be fine. Yeah, it looks that way."
I'd had to open up Cruise and Bobby to learn the truth. It was a subtle poison.
"Get over on that damn cot now so the breeze can hit you- if the bastard ever comes. And lie still. Let the stuff work." I settled him down.
I collected a chart tacked onto a board and a quill.
"Tell me, what did you eat outside?"
I had done the same with Len and Bobby & Cruise before they died. I was positive the poison had come from somewhere nearby. Tom produced one that matched.
"Bingo! Now we've got 'em!"
"Who?"
He was ready to go settle up himself.
"You rest. I'll see the Captain."
I gentle rubbed his shoulders, "Ok?"
I took the long route, along the Trekin's Wall, which overlooks the harbor. Half way over I paused, and looked over the sea. The upper air was still, heavy, and hazy. But down on the water the air was in motion. There was always a breeze out around the Island, though it avoided the shore. It could be so beautiful, yet so dangerous. I gave a heavy sigh and walked on.
Another summer in service to the Syndic of Beryn, sweating and grimy, thanklessly shielding him from political rivals and his undisciplined native troops.
Another summer busting our butts for Tom's reward. The pay was good, but not in coin for the soul.
Captain says our fore brethren would be embarrassed to see us so diminished, Beryn is ancient and intriguing, its history is a bottomless well filled with murky water. I amused myself plummeting in its depths, trying to isolate fact from fiction, legend, and myth. No easy task, for the city's earlier historians wrote to please the powers of their day.
The most fascinating period, for me, is the ancient kingdom, which had the least documentation. It was ten, in the reign of Clete, that the ankouze came, were over come after a century of terror and were confided in their dark tomb a top the GoNome Hill.
Echoes of that terror persist in ankouze and matronly admonitions to unruly children. No one recalls what the ankouze were, now.
A breeze startled me. I faced the harbor. A ship was rounding the Island, a great lumbering beast. The ship's size impressed me more than did its flashy sail. The four minor wizards of the Company could easily match that showmanship.
I recalled my mission. I knocked on the Captain's door. He did not respond. I grumbled and invited myself inside, found him snoring in his big wooden chair at his desk.
"Yo!" I hollered. "Fire! Day lights a wastin'."
The Captain was cool. He didn't even crack an eyelid or smile.
"You're over stepping due bounders, Rin. When are you going to learn to go through channels?"
I rolled my eyes, channels meant bug the Lieutenant first. Don't interrupt his nap unless the Coats were storming the bastion. I explained about Tom and my chart, and grinned as he swung his feet off the desk.
"Sounds like work for Blessing."
His voice had a hard edge. The Company don't suffer attacks upon it's men.
Blessing was out nastiest platoon leader. He thought a dozen men would suffice, but let Silent and me tag along.
I could patch wounded. Silent would be useful if the Coats wanted to play rough.
Silent was lugging a ratty looking sack along, I cocked my brow, "What the hell you up to?"
He just grinned. Silent he is and silent he stays. When we reached the tavern a wave of daggers met us at the door. Silent just grinned at me, pushed me out of the tavern and closed the door. I gave out a large sigh, stuck doing the guarding once again. I stood at the close door of the tavern with a beautifully crafted sword that ironically Silent forged himself.
I shook my head, Silent was having fun, I could hear sharp screams of pain coming from the talent. Blood pooled out through the bottom crack of the door. Turns out Silent had a giant hornet's nets from the dark part of the forest in the large ratty sack.
We took more prisoners then expected. Blessings eyes twinkled with anticipation.
"Job well done men."
We had a good hall, some of the prisoners ere some of the best-known Coats. We moved out, Blessing was almost giddy thinking out the size of the reward.
Suddenly we stopped; Silent and I looked a head. There was an army of hundred heavily armed men. They looked tougher then anyone in Beryn… but us. At the head of this semi flashy display rode a dark figure on a monstrous black stallion. I was disturbed; the rider sent an odd chill through me. Curiosity and fear swept through me like a plague. I felt the dead glare of the rider sweep over me with out my notice. Silent met stare for stare, showing no fear, and no chance of backing down. Somehow Silent seemed diminished, touching something deep inside of him and the mysterious rider continued on.
As we moved on, a strong riot broke out, was the worst riot I had ever seen and in my memory, I had seen quit a lot. Captain ordered the Company to the Bastion.
"Let it run it's course," he said roughly, "Out commission doesn't require us to commit suicide."
His disposition had gone beyond sour to disgust.
Beryn had ground our spirits down, but left none so disillusioned as the Captain. Someone made a crake about us falling on our own swords.
"Seems to be what the Syndic expects."
The third night I stood a watch on Trekin's Wall, a fool of a volunteer sentinel. Beneath the carping stars, the city was strangely quiet. I was too tired to be anxious.
Perump came be.
"What are you doing out here, Rin?"
I shrugged me shoulders, "Filling in."
"Get some rest, you look terrible."
I sniffed, "Like you look any better."
Choosing to ignore my comment, he continued, "How's Blessing?"
I sighed; the dumb ass got his eye cutout and had other gruesome injuries.
"Not out of the woods yet."
I had little hope for him really. I jerked my head, "You know anything about that out there?" I pointed.
An isolated scream echoed in the distance. It had a quality, which set it apart from the other screams that recently fill the night air. The others where screams of pain, rage, and fear. This one was one something much darker, sinister… evil.
He hemmed and mumbled in the way he and his brother, Toad have.
If you don't know they won't tell you, figure it's a secret worth keeping. Wizards! I could feel him give me a sideways glance.
"There's a rumor that the seals on the tomb of the ankouze is broken…"
"Uh? Those things are loose?"
"The Syndic thinks so. The Captain don't take it seriously though."
I didn't either, but Perump looked concerned. He and Toad have been with the Company along time. They've seen much of its decline; they were here when Spider found me. Perump shrugged in frustration.
"Get some rest, Rin. Don't kill yourself. Won't make a bit of difference in the end."
I shook my head; he was too lost in he's own mind to know what he really was saying. I turned back to the fires and lights, he was way down. My eyelids kept getting heavy, my vision clouding. Perump was right. I needed sleep.
From the darkness came another of those strange, hopeless cries, but this one… it was closer.