Chapter 2

Smith Town, the main street was barely 6 feet wide and crammed with merchants. On either side of the street were one and two story buildings. The majority of which were made out of wood and were so old that the wood had lost all of its natural earthly color. Now the timber was an ashy black grey. Almost as if the soul of the buildings had long ago departed leaving only their lifeless wood skeletons behind.

The newer buildings were made of stone and mortar, yet in some areas the stones were so tightly and expertly fitted that the mortar couldn't be seen at all. Though newer in age, the stone buildings hadn't escaped the marring of time. Large cracks had started in several of their corners and slowly, ever so slowly spread their deadly tendrils to every wall. Every building seemed in desperate need of repair. Oh what a beautiful sight it was.

Kaiya had grown up in this small town of 200. The dirt streets and paths, the merchant calls, the billows and rhythmic hammer strikes, the endless presence of ash, all she knew like a lifelong friend. Her family had left Smith Town after their father had passed away. Having no sons to take over for their blacksmith father, her mother had packed up Kaiya and her two sisters and moved to Willham. Still a small town but her mother had family there. Kaiya, her sisters and mother made it through the years, albeit with less than even modest means.

"Let me go!" Someone shouted from the street somewhere near the lodge. Kaiya crossed the room to the window that overlooked part of Smith Town's main street. A ruckus of some kind had been going on outside for a few minutes now. Men shouting, chickens screeching, women chattering; so much noise. There was always someone causing trouble in these small towns. Without looking Kaiya closed her room's window.

She paced for a moment as she turned her thoughts to the days ahead. Only one night in Smith Town and then on to the Graveyard Mountains. She was sure that the treasure she sought was hidden somewhere in those deadly summits. The thought of what lurked in the mountain caves made her a bit queasy. She would normally never have accepted such a treacherous job but then not just anyone had hired her. Her fingers instinctively went to her neck to get comfort from the silk scarf she always wore. Her mother had given it to her many years ago. Instead of the scarf her fingers landed upon the rough cotton collar of her shirt. Kaiya let out a sigh, Damn paparazzi. Damn movie star.

"Let me go!" Tom shouted angrily as two men, grips like iron, grabbed his arms. The one on Tom's right, a short unkempt man wearing a leather apron, kicked violently at Tom's legs sweeping his feet out from underneath him. Tom gave a startled cry of frustration as he began to fall. He was going to eat dirt that much was for sure. Together with the man on Tom's left, a tall wiry man with dirty blond hair, the two men helped speed up this inevitability. The taller man placed one of his giant hands on the back of Tom's head. Blond Gumby pushed Tom's head towards the ground and at the same time he and apron man held Tom's arms slightly behind the rest of his falling body so Tom could not catch himself.

Tom's face collided with the dirt. Luckily, it had rained the day before and the top inch or so of the earthen street was still mud. It softened the impact just enough to still hurt like hell but not give him a concussion or knock him out cold.

What was happening? He had been so excited to reach the town after running for two days through bramble, mud, and even a thick forest. The sight of the merchants and town people had been a supernatural balm for the cuts and bruises that he'd gotten on his way to them. Their faces had finally quieted the ever growing anxiety that wound around his heart. Laughing, blond Gumby pushed Tom's face into the mud even deeper. "Byiiliaa toin iiune tovovi ancy byoouse triiudymiaa voeell zoiiu?" Gumby's breath was truly terrible, maybe even worse than the mud seeping into Tom's mouth through his gritted teeth.

Rage burned in Tom's stomach, "I… came here… for help…" People are all the same. They love to see others suffer. He had gone from merchant to merchant pleading for help. No one understood him. He considered himself fairly well versed with languages but the language these people spoke was completely unknown to him. The town's people must have thought him crazy for they began running the other way when he met their eyes or they avoided the street altogether. Finally he had stood in the middle of the street and shouted, "Does anyone speak English?!" That's when the two men had shown up.

"Teorsezo, oore voaa dyaagni to seiiufaha?" Apron man taunted. Gumby stood back up and laughed at his friend's joke. With half his face still in the mud of Main Street Tom glowered at Gumby with pure hatred.

"Famioore oone liaa, viune?!" Gumby's boot struck Tom's side. Tom grunted as his breath left his lungs all at ounce. It wasn't the first time he had gotten the wind knocked out of him. It had happened many a times as a boy and even a couple of times on a movie set, but none had felt like this. The anger that had begun boiling in his stomach burned more intensely.

"You're so weak. How have you survived so long without me?" Loki crouched down in front of Tom tisking. Tom closed his eyes tightly and growled.

"Miaane'te neoojiaa haeeli ot Faentrzo." Apron man grunted, "Ee haoove ot faaane dyoobyji ot nehe gaorfaaa." With that the two men pulled Tom up from the mud and to a standing position. His legs buckled a bit under his weight. They were still weak from the lack of oxygen and Tom's head was spinning. That didn't seem to bother his companions though and they simply dragged him in between themselves down the street.

About 2 blocks later the men stopped outside one of the few stone buildings in town. Gumby and friend exchanged some words with each other for a moment before Apron man knocked heavily upon the buildings inauspicious door. A couple minutes went by. Finally there came the sound of several latches being released from behind the door. The strength had returned to Tom's legs. Tom slowly shifted his eyes from Gumby to Apron man. Both his two captors seemed to be more focused on the door than on him. Their grip on his arms had even loosened the tiniest bit. Not yet.

A second later the last latch was removed and the door shook a bit before slowly being pulled open. Now! Tom suddenly dug his feet into the ground leaned forward slightly for momentum then threw himself backwards. His arms slipped out of his captors grasp. Surprised by the sudden movement the two men couldn't react fast enough to grab ahold of him. Tom fell back and away from the men. By the time he hit the ground he had already started twisting his body around. His landed hard on his hands and knees but pushed off the ground and was back up and running in only a second.

One stride, two strides, he was going to make… "AHHHhh!" a shooting pain went up his leg as teeth clamped around his calf. Tom fell hard. He tried to roll onto his back to kick whatever had a hold of him but the teeth did not let go and he felt his skin and muscle begin to rip. Tom went still in defeat.

"Lorouko!"

The jaws released Tom's calf. He curled his wounded leg towards himself and reached back to try and feel the extent of the damage. A wooden cane smacked his hand away. "Dirty" said a deep monotone voice. Tom looked up in surprise. An older man with grey brown hair and pitted face stood looking down at him. The man was dressed in black cotton pants and an oversized black wool jacket with a plain cotton shirt underneath. The man leaned heavily on his crude wood cane with one hand as he stroked the head of a huge black dog with the other.

Tom nearly forgot the pain in his leg he was so excited. "You speak English?!"

The man didn't reply and only stared harder at him for a time before turning to face Gumby and Apron man. "Klark han."

Gumby and friend once again grabbed Tom by the arms and hoisted him to his feet, albeit a little more gently than before. Then they half carried half dragged Tom into the stone building, the old man and dog following behind.