Chapter 4
Quest: The Tower of Tears
The sun had finally vanished below the horizon with a last flare of sunset hues that paled in comparison to the show Hidden Ember was putting on for their arrival. There were so many lights, the shimmering waves growing in strength as darkness crept over the dunes. It made her head swim, the vast array of vibrant colours more than enough to make a Carja silk merchant hang their head in shame.
Bea and Ebla were among the last to trudge into the settlement. She'd been hearing the excited exclamations of those ahead of her floating back to them on the night breeze and somehow managed to quicken her steps in anticipation of finally seeing the settlement Morlund and Stemmur had told her so much about. Soon she'd found herself walking through the promised city of light, jaw slack with amazement as she looked around at shimmering, ghostly buildings that sprang up from ruined foundations and stretched to the stars. Transparent pillars, roofs, spires and walls in every hue of the rainbow. The lines, shapes and strange images hazed the air with colour and made it hard for her eyes to focus.
"Great flaming forge." Ebla breathed beside her, blue light reflecting in his eyes and off his bald head as the artificial wall they currently travelled past gave his skin a purplish cast. "I guess that old wordsmith fell short for once." He shifted the weight of the bedrolls on his back and pointed upward, "what do you think those are?"
Bea tilted her head, studying the odd orange shapes that dotted the sky above them. She hadn't noticed them until pointed out to her, the atmosphere was so saturated with images it was overwhelming. Each lumpy blob had large round eyes and a wide mouth full of sinister looking fangs, they seemed to be leering down from their perches in the sky. She gave an uneasy shrug in reply, averting her gaze from the glowing orbs and focussing instead on what lay ahead.
The line of weary travellers was leading them towards a dilapidated building much smaller than the ones mostly made of pure light. It was a strange looking tower, leaning drunkenly to the side just a little as most buildings left from the Old Ones tended to do. It had multiple roofs that were closely spaced and diminished in size the higher they got. They were vaguely star shaped and layered in a blue sheen, on each tip there seemed to be some kind of carving. Most impressive of all was the shimmering gold animal that twined around the top. It was stunning, like nothing she'd ever seen before. A long sinuous body that reminded her of a Slitherfang, but with stubby legs and a large, ferocious head with bared fangs that was more like a fox. This must be the Tower of Tears, their final destination where she was to finally begin her new life.
The tower itself must have held a few dozen people, she could see most of them gathered on the balconies and sloped roofs as they watched the convoy arrive. Clustered around the base of the building she could see a large number of white, Oseram tents that looked like they'd been there a while, spread out in no apparent order. Dotted around these were carts, workbenches and piles of crates and pallets. Here and there braziers burned and the interior of the tower itself glowed with natural firelight that contrasted starkly with the artificial flicker of the old city.
Congregating just to the side of all this on a clear patch of sand were the newly arrived Oseram. Most had dropped their burdens by their feet and were standing or crouching wearily as they waited to be told what to do next. Bea's eyes were drawn to the raised balcony on the lowest level of the tower where she could see Erend, a head taller than the three familiar figures he appeared to be deep in conversation with. Her heart leapt in her chest, although she immediately told herself that it was the sight of Morlund, Stemmur and Abadund that caused the explosion of nerves in her stomach. She hadn't seen the trio of men in many months, not since they'd recruited her, convincing her to join them in their fledgling settlement.
Bea followed Ebla as he came to a halt near the rear edge of the crowd, dropping his pack and rolling his shoulders. Their timing was perfect, just as they came to a stop Morlund broke away from the small group on the balcony and faced the crowd, a huge smile spreading across his face as he lifted his voice in greeting.
"Welcome, everyone, to Hidden Ember!" He said in a grandiose voice, waving a hand dramatically to encompass the impressive display then sweeping his arm towards Stemmur and Abadund. "My colleagues and I wish to thank you for making the long, perilous journey west to join us in these new lands. You have all travelled to the Forbidden West to be a part of something incredible, a once in a lifetime opportunity. Together we will forge a new city that will soon be a radiant jewel that outshines all others. People will flock here from every corner of the map to…"
The crowd was beginning to shift restlessly, heat and fatigue causing more than a few grumbles as Morlund got more and more carried away. Sensing the shifting tide, Abadund came forward to place a hand on his partner's shoulder, breaking Morlund out of his heart felt ramble and lifting his own hand to the crowd. "But first, let's get you all settled in. There is space for you to pitch your tents if you have them, and more than enough food and ale to fill your bellies. Your journey was long and not without its trials, so tonight let's celebrate your safe arrival!"
On que Erend and Stemmur rolled a pair of large kegs forward and began filling mugs with ale. A cheer went up as people started to disperse, some to look for an area to spread out their bedroll, others to follow their rumbling stomachs, and a good number pushing forward to claim a portion of the ale.
Bea took her bedroll from Ebla with a grateful smile, waving him off when he offered to continue carrying it for her. She watched him weave his way towards the other Freebooters until she lost him in the milling crowd, then turned her attention back to the balcony where the men had returned to their discussion. For a moment she considered making her way there to ask about her promised accommodations, but immediately dismissed the idea. They looked busy, there was obviously much to be done to get the travellers organised after their harrowing day. Her gaze lingered on Erend and she felt her stomach do a slow roll at the thought of approaching where he stood. No, she would wait until the morning when everything had calmed down a little. She could manage another night sleeping under the stars.
So she slung her bedroll over her shoulder, fighting back a wince when it bumped against her injured side, and began picking her way across the sand, angling towards the ramp at the far end of the balcony where she could see people already digging into what looked like large bowls of stew. Her stomach growled audibly as she climbed her way to the bottom level of the tower where the cooking smells grew stronger. Following her nose she entered the tower and joined the line for food, looking around while she waited. There were so many people, the existing residents of Hidden Ember mixing with the new arrivals as everyone began getting to know each other, talking and laughing loudly until her ears vibrated with the cacophony.
Sensing empty space overhead, Bea looked up and saw that the interior of the tower was almost hollow. The two levels above revealed to be thick inner balconies that looked down onto the bottom level. People congregated there as well, milling about as they ate and drank and looked out at the light show.
A bowl of stew was pushed into her hands and she took it gratefully, slipping past the chef's station towards a narrow, jagged crack in the wall that looked as though it led to a quieter area. Darkness greeted her when she stepped through the gap and she realised that she'd found her way outside once more, this time to the rear of the tower where the lights didn't reach.
Bea walked a few paces along the sheltered verandah then let the bedroll slip from her arm, scooting it over with her boot so she could sit on it and lean against the wall. Then, looking out over the darkened landscape and feeling like she'd finally found a quiet bubble, began to eat. As she chewed her eyes trailed over the darkened landscape, lit softly by the moon and diluted light from the other side of the tower. Far off in the distance she could make out a smattering of blue dots, tiny pinpricks of light that told her a herd of machines was nearby. She fixed her gaze on them thoughtfully. Most likely it was a herd of Bristlebacks, the caravan had passed a few clusters of them throughout their journey. Safe enough as long as you gave them a wide berth.
Thoughts of machines had her mind drifting to the Behemoth and her eyes reflexively squeezed shut, jaw clenching around the food in her mouth as she fought against the memory of the attack on the caravan. Her chest grew tight and she could feel the spoon cutting into her fingers as she gripped it tightly. It's alright, she was alright. She repeated the thoughts on a loop until gradually her breathing slowed and she was able to unclench her teeth. She swallowed purposefully, taking a few deep breaths in through her nose. She pushed her thoughts away from the monstrous machine and flailed for something more pleasant to replace it. Unbidden, Erend's face flashed in her mind and her eyes shot open again as her cheeks heated.
Erend Vanguardsman. She was still having more than a little trouble wrapping her head around it. If she hadn't seen him twice more since his appearance at the convoy she would have convinced herself she was dreaming, conjuring up one of Meridian's heros in a moment of panic and stress. What was he doing all the way out here? Shouldn't he be back in the Sundom, guarding the king and protecting the city? Her brow furrowed in thought as she tried to recall the most recent news she'd heard of him. After the Battle of the Alight, all the citizens of Meridian could talk about was Aloy, Erend and the Vanguard's role in saving the city again, this time from Helis and his machines. After Ersa's funeral in Chainscrape there was some talk that Erend had returned to help rebuild the outer village, then vague whisperings of him being spotted in Barren Light, but then the rumour mill had lost track of him and word faded altogether.
So what possible series of events had led to Erend Vanguardsman being stationed in the middle of the desert with only a small portion of his men? Had he fallen out of favour with Sun-King Avad? That seemed doubtful, he and Ersa had been instrumental in establishing him on the sun throne and the Sun-King was to his late father as day was to night - unlikely to severely punish those loyal to him based on a whim or single misstep. So perhaps he had been sent to help establish Hidden Ember? Maybe, but why? Surely his talents were of more use elsewhere than this speck in the sand?
Bea absently scooped up another mouthful of stew, chewing slowly as she mulled it over. Whatever the reason for his presence here, she found it difficult to believe she had somehow found herself so close to him, that he'd appeared out of nowhere to rescue her. That he'd spoken to her, touched her. And, as always when faced with the unfamiliar or unexpected, she'd frozen. Unable to make her lips form words. She grimaced at the memory, feeling the familiar pull of embarrassment she always felt when her fear of tripping over her own tongue prevented her from speaking at all. She wished she'd at least been able to thank him.
She remembered when she'd first laid eyes on Erend and his sister Ersa, fierce and imposing where they stood flanking the newly crowned Sun-King as he'd addressed the citizens of Meridian in the days following the liberation. She, along with everyone else, had been summoned to the Sun-Ring to hear Avad's first address to his people. Most had been half convinced that they were about to be sacrificed, that the fourteenth king was just as mad as the thirteenth had been. She'd almost been too terrified to think at all, standing in the very spot her parents had been murdered, surrounded by huge Oseram warriers in their strange, metal studded armour. But then Avad had begun his speech and it was as if the sun itself shone from where he stood. An end to the Red Raids, peace with neighbouring lands, reparations to those devastated by his father's deadly reign.
In the years since the new king had been true to his word and love for him had blossomed among the people. She'd soon learned that Erend and Ersa had been instrumental in placing Avad on the throne, that without them and the army they had raised there would have been no end to the horror and bloodshed. And so the Carja, following Avad's example, had welcomed the Oseram into the city - some more willingly than others - and she'd heard Erend's name spoken with awe more than once in the marketplaces and alehouses of Meridian. A few times she'd caught a glimpse of him passing through the busy streets, surrounded by members of his vanguard as they pushed through on their way to somewhere important. It was always from a distance but it was enough for her to instantly recognise his square features and wide shoulders, he was tall even for an Oseram, easy to pick out in a crowd.
Her spoon scraped the bottom of the bowl and she placed the empty plate to one side. Thoughts of the past faded, her eyelids drooping as the events of the present day finally caught up with her. She smothered a yawn, climbing to her feet just long enough to unclip and shake out the bedroll. She was too tired to even care that the bedding wasn't hers, just crawled onto the narrow pile of blankets, boots and all, and closed her eyes.
The air was warm and still. The sounds from inside the tower dulled and mixed into a low rumble of noise by the fatigue that washed over her. As sleep claimed her she slipped into a dream where light blue eyes burned into hers and the touch of a gloved hand caused warmth to curl in her belly.