Chapter 9

Early next morning Emeth and Valkron stood outside the inn and pored over a newly-purchased map, talking to each other in low voices. It was so early that there was still mist drifting about in the city and no one except for the occasional lost pet poring or lunatic were in the streets. The innkeeper was watching them warily through the window.

Iruna opened the door and looked out at them half an hour later. They looked at her and nodded briefly before returning to the map. She emerged from the doorway and went over to them.

'Why the secretive behaviour?' she said.

'Sh. We don't to wake them,' Emeth jerked a thumb at the inn windows above them, 'before we've got everything prepared.'

'Why not?'

'I don't want odd suggestions being thrown at me as to where we go next,' said Valkron in a disgruntled, low tone. 'I'd like to keep it flat simple.'

'Pretty much the same opinion,' agreed Emeth.

Iruna pulled up her blindfold until her eyes were visible, and then craned her neck to see what they were talking about. 'So where are we going, then? Eni wants to go back to Al de Baran to get the manuals for her potion-making.'

'We can do that some other time,' replied Valkron. 'I suggest we head south to Alberta. Maybe we could find something on Turtle Island.'

'Turtle General lives there,' warned Emeth.

'If this group can't whack his a-- rear to kingdom come I'm forgoing this,' the knight snapped back. 'Half of these people are very experienced, can't you tell that?'

'Wait, wait, Valkron,' said Iruna patiently. 'Emeth's got a point. Although we're experienced enough we'd still rather take the beast on with a guild. Besides, saying that we could find something in Turtle Island is pretty much like saying we might as well look in Byalan Island while we're at it. Nobody wants to go to either place. Don't forget - the portal sends dungeon monsters mad.'

Valkron stared at her for a little too long. Then he said, 'Fine. We'll stick to Alberta.'

'What about Payon?' said someone behind Iruna. They turned to see Samaroh leaning on the door frame.

'Everyone's awake?' said Emeth.

'Nah, just me and Amaru.' The priest got off the door frame and walked towards them. 'He says he wants a lie-in, so you won't be seeing him here. So, what about Payon?'

'We've already been there,' said Valkron.

'It won't hurt to look again,' said the wizard, checking the map. 'Besides, both places are like neighbours. We could have a quick pop in, what say?'

Valkron gave him a look before he said, 'More or less by the looks of it we'll have to search every city and place we know. That includes Jawaii, Kunlun, Amatsu, Umbala and Louyang. Maybe we could have a look into Juno - after all, the sages there could probably help us out with what we want to know. Am I right, Emeth?'

'To be truthful I don't really know anything about Juno,' said the wizard apologetically. 'But then again I can't disagree with you either. Juno's known for its research and magic. We could probably find a lot of things there.'

The knight pulled the map out from the wizard's unresisting fingers and folded it up. 'Then that's settled. We'll go to all the places except for the dungeons.'

'You'll have tell the others that,' said Iruna, pulling down her blindfold.

There was a silence after Valkron had finished talking that afternoon. Everyone was gazing at him, scattered everywhere throughout the common room. He stared back. He'd never done this before - people who had been with him were solely independent and did not need to be told where to go. Besides, he was getting uncomfortable with the eyes on him.

Finally he said, 'What are you all looking at me for?'

Samaroh looked around at the room and then said, 'I think we were all waiting to see if you were going to say any more.'

'And why is that?' said Valkron a little too sharply.

'Well, given the nature of a person like you, Valkron, we were expecting something more ambitious and challenging,' replied the priest nonchalantly, standing up and smoothing out the creases in his robes. 'You seem to be pretty tame today.'

'If that's what you think then I would like to inform you that I am, and this is definite, not suicidal. I repeat, I am not suicidal.' Valkron rolled up the map he was holding. 'I am a speed-based knight, not some kind of super invincible all great and omnipotent warrior that people assume me to be. It doesn't take a lot of brains to realise that, you know.'

'And so that's where we're going?' said Eni, in a strangled voice.

'I don't think there's any doubt on that,' said Emeth, who was standing respectfully behind Valkron. 'Even if Valkron isn't suicidal he's firm with his decisions and he's obviously made up his mind. There won't be any point convincing him not to go to the places he mentioned.'

As Valkron gave him a look, Nocturne got off the chair he had been perched on. 'If that's settled then we should go,' he said. He looked around. 'What? It's not like we've got a choice, right?'

Iruna shook her head, but she was smiling. 'Oh, we do have a choice, Nocturne. It's either back out or stay. Unfortunately we're the only people who can detect the power of the portal, and so I think we're automatically elligible for the mission. Am I right, Valkron?'

The knight nodded silently.

'Any objections?' said Emeth, looking around. 'No? Yes?'

Khan and Amaru shared a look, before the assassin raised a hand. 'I've got a question.'

'Yes, what is it?' said Valkron, before Emeth could answer.

'How can we exactly pinpoint the location of the portal by detecting it?' Khan lowered his hand. 'It's all very well by saying that the closer we get to the portal the more intense our fits get, but then we would be in too much pain to take our bearings before we suffer.'

Valkron jerked a thumb at Emeth. 'He seems to be escaping it. Although his staff will explode on detecting strong old magic he won't.'

'Valkron!' snapped Emeth in annoyance.

'Ah, I see,' said Khan. 'So he's going to watch us while he tries to find it out.'

'Valkron has his ways of finding out, Khan,' snapped Nocturne, so suddenly that the assassin jumped back. 'It's none of our business to ask!'

As Khan backed off, the knight sighed. 'So, are we going or not?'

'Valkron?'

'Yes, Emeth?'

'I think--'

And then it hit again.

Valkron opened his eyes to find Samaroh fanning him with his cap. When he did so the priest turned to look over his shoulder and say, 'He's awake.'

There were a murmur of voices. Valkron shook his head, wincing as his head throbbed badly. A clinking sound indicated Iruna had come over.

'You all right, Valkron?' she said. 'You took the longest to regain consciousness.'

'I think so,' he said, massaging his head gingerly. 'Maybe this isn't the right time for it. I was completely unprepared.'

'For some odd reason Emeth does seem to know when it's coming,' she said, holding a hand out to the knight. He took it gratefully and let her pull him up to his feet. 'But something's wrong with him. Look.'

Valkron looked in the direction of her hand. Emeth was staring wide-eyed at the opposite end of the room, curled up in a corner. He was motionless and pallid. A drop of sweat rolled down his face.

While the others helped each other up, Valkron went over to the silent wizard and placed a hand on his shoulder. Emeth did not seem to feel anything. The knight bent down until his face was at the same level as Emeth's and said quietly, 'Emeth?'

There was no response. Valkron exhaled and then, taking the wizard by the shoulders, shook him gently. This time Emeth seemed to come back from wherever he was and look up at the knight. Valkron looked at him and felt sorry for him immediately.

'You okay in there, mate?' he said.

Emeth ran a distracted hand through his hair. 'I...well, no,' he said, so quietly that Valkron had to lean forward to hear him. 'The portal seems to be very ambitious. Apparently something's trying to get to use me. It keeps offering me power beyond anything I've ever known.'

'And you don't want to accept it?' said the knight.

'If I did I'd end up killing up all of you, and probably the rest of the world and myself as well.' Emeth sighed. 'This old magic isn't lenient on people, you know. It's more like a living thing than a force similar to life. It uses you like a tool and always looks for victims. The more lives it takes the stronger it grows.' He uncurled and stretched out his long legs. 'It's like you said, Valkron.'

'What did I say this time?'

'It's my world. It's threatening my home.' Emeth gave him a wan smile. 'We humans are selfish, aren't we? But sometimes it's for the good of the people around us.'

Valkron stared at him for a very long time. Eventually he said, 'You know, that was what I always thought, too.'

'You and me both, then.' Emeth got up, slightly unsteadily. Valkron grabbed his arm as he did so. 'I guess we've got to get going, hm?'

'You know where it is?'

'I felt it coming. I think I have a notion as to where its source is, but it'll be better if we go outside. Besides, we all need some fresh air,' he looked around at the party, 'by the looks of it.'

Emeth was right. Once they had got out they felt better. Valkron could feel the life seeping back into him. Nocturne stretched carelessly, and Eni started talking to her rabbit. The noise and activity level upped drastically compared to what it was in the room.

Valkron's peco gave a soft squawk of affection as he approached it. He put a hand on its beak and rubbed it for a while, before he went to rummage around in the pack at the peco's side and get a piece of monster feed. He gave it to the bird and watched it eat happily. Iruna's Might peco snorted and pawed the ground as the crusader went to talk to it.

'Funny how some animals can be comforting at times like this,' she remarked, rubbing the Might peco's beak while it made soft kroo sounds in contentment.

'You're not wrong there,' said Valkron, scratching his peco under its chin. It responded by rubbing its head on him and making kraw sounds in joy. He managed to stop it a few minutes later and gave it a reproachful tap on the beak. It squawked in protest but subsided anyway.

'It loves you,' said Iruna, sounding amused.

'Oh, keep quiet,' said Valkron grumpily, perching the saddle on the bird's back. It waited patiently while he tightened the girth belt and fitted the reins. He looked back at the crusader, who was still facing him as if she was watching his every move.

'Well? Aren't you going to mount?'

'Doesn't someone have to tell the innkeeper we're leaving?'

'I already did, last night.' Valkron fitted his foot into the stirrup and hoisted himself up, swinging his leg over the peco's back. 'He was no less happy to hear about it.'

'I'm not surprised, Valkron. You deal with people in a very detached way, do you?'

Valkron paused in gathering the reins. 'What do you mean?'

'You try not to get too close to strangers so that if you lose them or if they leave you, you don't feel any pain.' Iruna mounted her Peco. 'It might not be too easy to spot it out, but being sightless has some advantages. You tend to listen to how people behave by the way they talk and act.'

After a while the knight said, 'You're right. But don't tell anyone. I mean it.'

'I won't, Valkron. Your secret is safe with me. I'm not the kind to spill secrets.' Iruna made a clicking sound and her peco strode off. Valkron gazed after her and only moved when Emeth waved a hand in front of his eyes. He came back to his senses, glared at the wizard and rode off so suddenly that the rest of the party were left clueless for a few minutes or so.

They headed out of Prontera through the North Gate. Here Emeth got on to the peco behind Valkron and said, 'We'll check St. Abbey Monastery first. Samaroh, if you don't mind, I think you know how to go there.'

'Yeah, well, I'm not the one with a peco,' said the priest. 'But I'll go along with Iruna and you all follow her.'

'What are you doing behind me?' whispered Valkron to the wizard.

'I'm looking out for potential monsters and the wavelength of magic that comes with the pain. Don't mind me.'

Valkron fervently wished that Emeth would get off, but he could see the wizard's point. After all, the wizard was the tallest in the group.

For a few hours they travelled north, the quietness of the forest only disturbed by the chirping of rockers and the songs of the birds. From time to time a poring - or one of its family - would bounce past them, and a creamy would flutter by. Apart from this activity there seemed to be no other monsters roaming around, but it didn't stop Nocturne from keeping an eye out with his forest-trained senses.

Iruna rode at the front of the little procession, with Samaroh occasionally pointing out the direction for her. Valkron followed closely behind. The others kept close the Peco's tail, which was probably the largest thing that they could not afford to miss. There was very little conversation, if any, and no one said a thing to Valkron. There were some things you got to know about him once you joined him.

Finally Samaroh said, 'Stop here, Iruna. There's normally a guard here. It's custom to inform them of any arrivals, especially mercenary parties.'

The crusader duly stopped her peco and he hopped off. Valkron came to a stop, while Emeth watched the distant mountains. The priest set off at a run and disappeared into the trees.

They waited there for a while before there was a shout from the direction in which Samaroh had run. He appeared a few seconds later, slightly out of breath and deathly pale.

'What's wrong?' said Iruna, as he drew level with them.

'I - oh, in Odin's name...' He slowed down and came to a stop and tried to catch his breath. When he could finally speak, his voice was close to horror.

'The monastery's been attacked,' he said. 'By what, I don't know, but it looks like something big.'

'Did it leave behind tracks?' asked Nocturne.

'Not tracks. A long trail of blood heading north, though. Like it was dragging a large number of bodies.'

As several members of the party retched, Valkron leaned out and said, 'Casualties?'

'All dead as far as the eye can see.'

'Damage to the monastery?' said Emeth.

'Extensive. Very. Now, can someone do something before I throw up?'

'Wait, don't do it here, we haven't had our breakfast yet,' said the wizard hurriedly. 'Do it somewhere in the bushes and join us later. Valkron, go ahead.'

'Whatever for?'

'I think I know what it was. It's left a strong magical trail behind. We won't be following it, though - we'll see if there are any survivors and try to see what we can do for the dead.'

'Where's the trail heading for?' said Iruna. The others were listening intently.

Emeth looked grim. 'Mjollnir.'