fiction – The Upgrade Blog

Isubane’s Echo, Chapter 10: The Unveiling

Image by Gemini

Walking cleared the mind. Cat wished the walk stretched another twenty miles, but he had barely one to sort through his jumbled thoughts before reaching the encampment of Beornen’s Barbarians. His friends remained silent; Beldere simply stared forlornly at the ground, his tears gone. The soldiers’ jokes, an attempt to drain adrenaline and emotional overload, carried to him. The air hung thick with stunted empathy; Cat still smelled the blood, saw the vacant eyes of what were, moments ago, living, breathing fathers, sons, daughters, and mothers. Guilt and sadness wrestled for dominance, drowning the relief of being alive and unscathed, and the hollow pride of victory.

“It’s a good thing old Catwright isn’t trying to cause trouble; I don’t know if the city could handle it if he truly applied himself. Told you all this would be an exciting assignment!” Spikey’s voice, Cat knew, carried intentionally, fishing for an emotion, a reaction. Anything.

Cat turned, bringing the soldiers to a staggering halt. “Yes, Spikey, things are about to get very exciting,” he said, his voice calm but hard. “I wasn’t making a real effort before, but now I feel I have good reason. There will be a great deal of trouble in our future,” he paused dramatically, “if you choose to stay. I have plans that may not align with your job descriptions. I want you to think long and hard about where your true loyalties lie, because the Duke and his druid council might dislike what I do next. If family and loved ones depend on you, you may want to seek a new assignment, because being around me will soon become far more dangerous.” He resumed walking, leaving the now-silent soldiers exchanging trepidatious glances.

“That goes for the three of you as well; this was just the first battle in a war. I wasn’t raised to lose wars.”

“I will stand with you, my lord.” Chatwick’s unusually sober voice declared, his hand on the hilt of his new sword. The stark sincerity of his proclamation made Cat smile.

“Thank you, my friend,” Cat said, “and please, just call me Cat.”

“I’m here, for as long as my mother lets me stay,” Seleger said wryly. Cat was surprised she hadn’t already arrived, tucking her boy into a security box and dragging him back to Breckan’s Hold.

“Let me in,” Beldere urged.

“Yes, you’re right.” Cat sighed. “I’m ready to let you link with me. I think you should link with all of us. I’ve been stubborn and foolish. If we’d been linked, that encounter could have gone very differently. I ignored the advantages of our working together for my selfish pride, and for that, I apologize.” It had been difficult to admit the truth to himself, but speaking the words, finally surrendering, felt good. Cat already sensed the initial probe of Beldere’s awareness, and with a small, mutual effort, the mental barriers formed a small aperture.

I’m here. The touch of Beldere’s mind felt soft and reassuring. Cat had linked with battlemages, battle priests, and druids before, but this felt more personal, warmer, yet at the same time, he focused his will to avoid panicking and pulling away from the intrusion.

Can you see my plans?

Some of them.

I want you to train as well, wear armor, learn to defend yourself.

Very well.

Linking, or “creating thought webs” as some soldiers called them, facilitated instant, efficient communication. It demanded discipline and practice to learn, but it significantly increased any fighting force’s effectiveness.

Heees inmyhead in my head my ohohohohooooooh, I hope we can we can stop to pee soon needtopeeneed to pee… hungry smell sausages oh mmm pork sausage, Watcher’s britches look at… breasts breasts big beautiful bouncing bosomes, so soft so smooth and… The stream of thought cut off abruptly.

Beldere sighed aloud. “It may be some time before Chatwick can join with us fully.” Seleger laughed so hard he nearly fell over.

“I think I see a public latrine up on the left,” Cat said.

Moments later, the humor faded as a palpable tension demanded caution. Rounding the last corner, they saw the Barbarians’ encampment: a newly raised rock berm guarding the front, and three dozen mercenaries armed with projectile weapons behind its defenses.

A towering man stood before them, wearing a gleaming breastplate over well-worn leathers, a variety of weapons strapped all over him. He stood relaxed, yet ready. Beornen’s voice boomed. “Greetings, Lord Isubane and friends, please forgive our wariness. I heard you just destroyed a much larger mercenary company. If you’ve come for trouble, you’ll find us no easy meat.” Cat believed him; he knew from his conversations with Garreth that the Barbarians hired for quality, not numbers. Their leader emanated a power unlike anything the young warrior had experienced. It was an aura of lithos, and something more.

“We’re not looking for trouble. You invited me here.” He wanted to say much more, but it had already been a long day, and Cat felt he’d exhausted his week’s supply of speeches.

The Barbarians in front and the soldiers behind both relaxed. “Come then and enjoy our hospitality; we have drink and more drink, and some food. Killing makes you thirsty.” Cat wished he could say he hadn’t personally killed anyone, but he knew it would sound hollow.

“Gunther and many of his lieutenants were friends of mine,” Beornen began once they were all seated and served a large draught of dark beer. “They weren’t great friends or smart friends, but they were decent people considering their line of work.” The tone felt challenging but not overly harsh. This was a man who understood some of the situation but wanted a better explanation.

Cat would not apologize, nor would he avoid responsibility. “I know greater powers are at work here, yet I didn’t take the threat seriously until today. For selfish reasons, I overprepared for something I didn’t think would happen. My enemy convinced others to do its work, through gold or magic or both, I’m not sure. Either way, it’s gained, and we’ve lost.” Catwright took a long swallow of the smooth, dark drink. Beornen considered him for a long moment.

“What would you have done if you knew for sure they were coming?”

“I would have confronted them immediately.”

Beornen laughed. “Just like that, eh? Well, that might have worked. What will you do now?”

“I have a lot of confronting to do.”

Beornen steered the conversation toward more pleasant matters. They discussed martial training and the logistics of running a mercenary group. Cat listened with great interest, and Beornen happily talked about his barbarians. The mercenary leader was not truly a barbarian, but he had been raised among some of the more civilized tribes of the northern plains. They practiced a martial form called Stoakchau, which complimented the forms of lithos very well. Cat had heard of the fighting style but wasn’t proficient. He had learned dozens of forms from most of the known realms, but his instructors considered the nomadic tribal styles too undeveloped to bother with. Beornen was a master of lithos and had taught what he could to his company, making them an excellent group for fortification defense.

“Garreth wanted me to offer you a job, but I don’t think you’d take it. Also, I’m not sure I want your enemies.”

Catwright smiled. “No, I don’t think you can afford me. I was actually going to offer you a job.”

Beornen laughed along with several of his lieutenants, including Garreth. “A good mercenary company avoids work that gets them killed. I have a feeling I know what you want.”

“There’s this creature called the ‘unseen’ that wants to capture me and use me in some sort of ritual. How much to go and kill it for me?”

Beornen’s smile turned grim. “You should seek out the king of Mecre with that request; that seems a proper quest for the Everborn himself. I’ve heard of this creature, but I know only myth and legend, and that it’s far too dangerous to take lightly. Such figures exist in many cultures: the Ssythe, the Grulken, the Etyrack, and the Liephen, to name a few. My people call these beings ‘Old Ones’; they are great powers among their species, evolved beyond mortals but not quite gods, though they hunger to take that next step. You might compare them to dragons, or elder druids, or the Mecran elemental knights, but not nearly so benevolent. If this thing moves so boldly, it must believe it’s close to ascension. Do not underestimate what it will do to achieve its goals. I’d warn you to proceed with caution, but I see that’s not your way.”

“Where should I start, and who would help?”

“Educate yourself; start with the libraries and scholars of this great city. For the rest, you’ll need subterfuge. The Red Hand is a good group for this; most of their people are in the city. I believe a few members of Echo Company and the Shifting Sands are also in the area, but some of them are almost as vile as the slavers. As for allies, people with grudges are bound to be looking for ways to strike back. Just don’t pour more ale than your cup can hold.”

“I appreciate your suggestions. Garreth speaks highly of you, and I consider him a good judge of character.”

“He speaks well of you also,” Beornen stood abruptly. “He also says you can fight.” Catwright had to smile; he had known it was coming but felt excited nonetheless. Despite all the carnage less than two hours ago, it was barely a warm-up compared to what he was used to.

For the first time in almost two years, Catwright found himself completely outmatched. Beornen wielded an active lithos aura which slowed the younger warrior considerably. The mercenary commander complimented the boy on simply standing under the intense gravity magic. Cat had trained under similar spells’ effects and knew the trick was to shift his stance, focusing on his own lithos movements and mana, to guide the opposing mana around him and negate the crushing effect. Yet Beornen could actively move and alter the aura, unexpectedly shifting it to throw Catwright off at opportune moments. The larger man could also manipulate metal, increasing his axe’s speed or changing its direction without regard for momentum. This effect even extended to Catwright’s weapon and armor to some degree, though it obviously took greater effort. Still Cat almost dropped his sword twice. Beornen casually admitted that with enough time he could weaken normal metal enough that a sword would break and steel plate crack like glass. He heated up the boy’s armor a bit to prove his point, and if not for the leather padding, Cat’s skin would have burned badly. It grew uncomfortable enough that Cat dismissed his armor for a bit to cool off. At one point, Cat tried grappling with the barbarian, managing an effective chokehold, but before he could apply any real pressure, he began to feel nauseous and weak. He struggled to breathe, and his vision darkened. “Stop!” The word, imbued with the power of a divine order, froze Beornen, a look of surprise crossing his face, and Cat immediately felt better. Beldere was angry, the most intense Cat had ever seen him.

Beornen, still locked in place, managed to form words. “I wouldn’t have caused him any permanent harm, priest.”

“You were seconds away from a point of no return,” Beldere’s voice quavered. “I don’t think I could have brought him back from that.”

“I was aware; I only wanted him to loosen his hold a bit.” Beornen moved again, stretching his limbs. “There are metals and minerals inside the body, and when I make contact with the skin, I can manipulate those as well. I simply wanted to show that wrestling someone like me isn’t a good idea.”

“Point taken.” Cat remained lightheaded, and his muscles responded slowly; he had to focus just to stay standing. Beornen still looked at Beldere.

“You are powerful for one so young. I am an empowered disciple of Toram the Harbinger, yet you held me in place, helpless, with but a word. Toram is no fledgling god like your Watcher of the Wood, so your faith must be strong indeed.”

“You’re a priest?” Cat asked, finally able to move his mouth. “Is that how you manipulate your aura?”

“I am a Herald of Toram, though my blessings come in the form of empowerment for myself and the warriors around me. I have a great affinity for what you call lithos, as do many of my people, but the aura is aided by runecraft.” He removed his breastplate by using his aura to flip some quick-release latches and gently lower it to the ground. He then peeled back his leather shirt to reveal two symbols, both a little larger than an inch square, glowing with a sapphire hue, engraved onto his chest.

“Dwalven runes?” Seleger spoke up with interest. “On your skin? I always thought they had to be on metal.”

“The Dwalven craft them onto their armor and weapons because their items are virtually indestructible by our standards. They also know the secrets of crafting and so can carve as many as they like and also repair them properly. Doing the same for mundane arms would be quite expensive.”

“Can’t your runes be ruined by being cut or disfigured, like slave runes?” Cat asked.

“No, this is a much more elaborate binding than a simple slave brand. It’s also soulbound, so as long as I survive, they will regenerate.”

“Wow,” Seleger whistled. “That must have cost…”

“About twenty-five thousand gold each, yes.” He watched the boys’ eyes widen and simply smiled. “Worth every copper? No?” Cat could only nod in agreement. The lithos aura had completely flummoxed him, and he had trained specifically to counter such magic. On a battlefield, very few people would adapt in time to survive a second attempt.Beornen, with his singular, awe-inspiring power, was merely a man – a formidable warrior, yes, but still a man. Yet, this man spoke of ‘Old Ones’ with a deference that chilled Catwright to the bone. What ancient, unimaginable powers did those beings wield, if even Beornen and his company of fierce barbarians felt such dread? Cat needed to learn, to grow stronger, for the true war, he knew with chilling certainty, had only just begun.

Isubane’s Echo, Chapter 8: Broken Glass and Distant Walls

Image by Gemini

It was difficult to believe they had managed to break every window on the first floor of the tavern. Cat didn’t remember throwing so many people out of windows, though he did recall aiming for the unbroken ones at one point. There was actually a hole in the wall near one window where he had missed. To be fair, the walls were pretty thin, and the soldier hadn’t even gone all the way through. The night’s conflict could have been so much simpler if the soldiers hadn’t joined in.

Seleger hadn’t gone down with just one punch, and the ensuing scuffle caused one of the Sulwood guards to try and pry them apart. Cat had picked the guard up with one arm and slammed him through one of the tables. At that point, all of the Sulwood soldiers joined the fray, and the night really started to get out of hand. Sergeant Lovine wisely moved the Ironwood contingent out of the way into an unoccupied corner, content to let the Sulwoods beat Catwright into submission. Unfortunately, from the perspective of many of the patrons, Catwright looked like someone being persecuted, with his wild yells and righteous fury keeping him swinging far longer than anyone thought possible. Before long, half the tavern had joined the fight on Catwright’s side. Then, the rest of the crowd joined in a savage free-for-all of destruction. Mecrans did tend to enjoy a good fight, especially after a few drinks.

Thankfully, no one had died. No one really even needed a healer. It took less than ten minutes for Beldere and Natalia to arrive, yet the damage was already done. The building was still standing, but all the windows on the first floor were at least cracked; most of them were completely shattered. In one case, the wooden frame had broken outward with the spiderwebbed glass mostly intact. No one had unveiled any destructive magic, so the structure was still sound; however, almost all the tables, chairs, and the bar itself were smashed to kindling. The tavern keeper was screaming into Seleger’s face until Natalia’s gold mollified him. Cat could tell that a hundred gold pieces was a lot, even for her, and she was not happy about it. The druid had sharp words for Seleger, Catwright, and her soldiers. She told the boys that she would find a way for them to repay her in a tone that made the hairs on Cat’s neck stand up.

Cat and Seleger spent most of the morning bickering while they helped clean up the mess.

“If you had just kept your lips latched…” Cat began.

“My lips? You could have had a lovely evening with several lovely-lipped ladies if you hadn’t thrown a tantrum!” Seleger countered, and Cat knew he could not win a war of words with the other boy. It was with some satisfaction that Cat saw there were still some unhealed bruises on his friend’s face. Beldere had walked away in disgust once he saw none of the wounds were serious, refusing to pray for any of them.

It was around mid-morning that Dain caught up with them. There was a whoosh of air, creating a stirring of dust and debris, and suddenly Seleger’s father was there atop Feingar, scaring the feces out of the locals and looking with amusement at the tavern repairs in progress. A dark look from Natalia quickly turned his face wryly serious. She was radiantly furious in a light green riding dress, her hair had a reddish hue to it this morning which set off the rubies in her ears. “Should I even ask?” was all he said.

“I’m sure you can surmise all that you need from a look, husband. I shall fill you in on the details later. For now, we have more urgent matters to discuss, and I must speak to the magistrate to see that these reckless rapscallions are not locked up or conscripted for labor.” She leaped lightly up behind her husband, and Feingar shuffled off in the direction of the plea hall.

“If something were to happen to your father,” Cat whispered solemnly to Seleger, “I might let your mother take my virginity.” Seleger’s elbow to his ribs was swift and brutal. Cat accepted it with a quiet grunt and a smile.

They lost a day assisting with repairs and in negotiations with the local officials. Natalia’s influence and coins kept everyone out of trouble, and Dain took the opportunity to inform the party about the nature of the meeting of lords. The news was not entirely surprising for anyone. King Mecre had been warning of the rising Ssythe threat for years; it was just strange to absorb the reality. Dain would need to send a few soldiers but would not be going himself, being more of an administrator now than a soldier. Half of Ironwood garrison, however, including Cat’s father, would be mobilizing and heading south after barely a three-week break.

They arrived in Osenvale in the afternoon of the eleventh day of travel from Breckan’s Hold. The city glowed with the fine white stone from which its walls were carved. It was said that an enchantment could be activated that would blind incoming enemies, though it had not been used in living memory. Cat supposed that at certain times of day, the wall would be blinding without the need for magic, if one assumed, of course, that the sun was somehow not magical.

Soaring spires erupted from the center of the city. Some of the buildings were over two hundred feet high. There was a sky dock which would supposedly accommodate everything from small personal flying craft, such as a rich merchant might own, to great void craft which could journey to the moons or even other suns. There were two lumbering airships ponderously floating over the skyline as they approached the city. Cat had heard that they were impractical craft, expensive to maintain, and only used occasionally for observation or novelty. He could see their use as a security measure, or perhaps to oversee a battlefield, if only they weren’t so slow and fragile.

Cat hoped to see some of the magic beasts which the sky knights rode, perhaps even a dragon, then he remembered that they usually traveled invisibly or by teleportation to avoid attention. His eyes did widen, however, as they entered the eastern gate to the cacophony of noise and chaos of colors and activity. It had been nearly a decade since he had been here for his father’s promotion ceremony, and his memories did not do justice to the variety that assaulted his senses. Shops lined both sides of the cobbled streets, with people shouting to each other and passersby. Clothing colors from dark black to sparkling green to bright white dazzled the eye. He did not recall all the different varieties of skin color humans could have, from pale shades of ivory to dark obsidian.

A cool ocean breeze brought scents of salt, fish, spices, and perfume. Some made his mouth water, some made his stomach churn, most he could not name. The variety of other races also astounded him. There were smallfolk, including Lomeli and Mosslings, and various fey, including the Elydrean, tall beautiful humanoids with unnatural grace. He saw a few beastkin, including Taurians, huge bestial folk with bovine heads. For some reason, it was the Dwalvin that caught his eye. He had never seen the dour, normally reclusive mountain dwellers before, and if he had not seen pictures, he might have thought them to be a group of abnormally tall and stout humans. The six males averaged about six and a half feet tall, like the Elydrean, but where the Ely were slim with fine, angled features, the Dwalvin had flat, blunt features, with thick dark beards and likely all weighed over three hundred pounds. They were not fat, however; their bare, thickly muscled arms were covered with tattoos and runes. They looked upon everyone and everything with suspicion and disdain, which was not uncommon from the elder races. Cat was distracted from this novelty by a not-so-subtle hand signal from Seleger. “Four Ssythe, front left.”

Cat tried not to stare, but his glance to the left made him pause. This was another race he had not seen in the flesh, and though the war with them ended over forty years ago, it was almost unheard of to see them in a Mecran city. The four lizard folk towered above the humans in the marketplace, who gave them a wide berth. Their long, flat snouts filled with jagged, protruding teeth were intimidating to behold, and their high-set yellow eyes were focused on his own. All four gazed with a predatory intensity they didn’t try to hide, and Cat stared right back. Ssythe were fast, ferocious warriors with powerful legs, a strong, nimble tail, and sharp claws and teeth. And while they were a lethal threat to any dozen normal humans, they were not a threat to their party. A Mecran soldier could generally go toe-to-toe with one of the creatures and come out on top, and when the soldiers worked together, their strength was only multiplied, whereas Ssythe fought with little organization and tended to get in each other’s way, sometimes snapping at each other in their blood lust. The soldiers about them took notice, however, and tightened up their formation around the caravan.

“Are you trying to provoke them?” Seleger hissed. “They’re probably just tourists,” he continued unconvincingly.

“They’re staring at me.”

“That’s what they do; they stare! It’s not about you. They were probably just curious about the caravan and the giant bear, but now you’ve singled yourself out by locking eyes.” Cat remembered learning about that somewhere now that he thought about it. He looked away immediately, yet he could still feel their eyes on him as they crossed the marketplace.

Reaching the top of a rise on the way to the high citadel, the city spread out before them, nestled against the Endless Sea. Two great harbors flanked the western wall, one to the north filled with a variety of fishing vessels and the southern wharves dedicated to great naval warships. They traveled south along a wide ridge line with the festival and competition grounds on a massive two-hundred-acre, man-made plateau to their right, between them and the military harbor. Cat could see and hear that the harvest celebration was already in full swing with music, choreographed dancing, and livestock shows. The bright colors of the various banners and tents were an assault on his eyes. The jousting, archery, and single combat arenas were mostly empty since the elimination rounds didn’t start for another two days.

The citadel dominated the landscape to the south, a layered structure on the tallest hill overlooking the city just southeast of the naval harbor. Multiple semi-circular walls surrounded a towering, gleaming white structure that could accommodate most of the city if needed. Giant ballistae lined the battlements; the weapons, vaguely shaped like crossbows and twenty feet wide, could punch a hole in a hull two miles away. The enchanted munitions could shatter most warships with a direct hit. Cat had trained with them briefly, still he barely understood how the complex network of pulleys and levers worked, but their effectiveness made storming a fortification like this unthinkable.

The gates of the fortification yielded with the briefest of acknowledgments, the arriving company being expected and bearing the banners of House Sulwood. And none could mistake the sight of Feingar, a mount such as few soldiers, officers, or even the highborn could claim. The Duke and Duchess offered a formal greeting in the sun-dappled courtyard, beneath the venerable shade of four towering elderwood trees, as was the custom of Mecre. The rulers of Osenvale, both in their middle years of their sixth decade, yet healthy and strong of bearing, stood ready. Duke Castor Jemelyn, a veteran of the Ssythe wars following the invasion of Mecre, was lauded for his valor, though his ducal seat had descended to him by ancient right. Duchess Evanna Jemelyn of the ancient House Tarymthold traced her lineage to the times before the War of the Dead, her kin whispered to possess blood that ran long and true, often past the span of a hundred years, lending credence to tales of fey ancestry. The Jemelyn kin were numerous, and many were gathered, a sprawling assembly of nobility gathered to behold the newcomers from a town whose name likely many of them had never heard.

Cat then noticed Seleger’s smile, a look like a hungry falcon spotting a plump flock of pigeons in a courtyard. Following that gaze revealed the grandchildren and cousins, mostly between the marriageable ages of fifteen and twenty-five, with the fairer sex outnumbering the lads by a good measure. Many of them fixed the two young men with gazes that held a certain sharp intent, like sleek hunting cats assessing a new prize to adorn their chambers. Cat had to admit they held a certain allure; he was a youth barely out of boyhood, and here was a gathering of comely and well-favored ladies regarding him with acquisitive eyes. Yet, the very notion of marriage and binding vows, of settling in one place, filled him with a dread akin to the idea of being sold into service. He had too many roads to travel, too many wonders to behold. He could see the wisdom in cultivating a philosophy like Seleger’s: to taste the fruit but not be bound to the orchard.

After what seemed like hours of formality, they were finally shown to their rooms. He was given a tour of a lavish apartment, with a separate bedroom, enclosed bathroom, full kitchen, and entry sitting area. The place even had magical plumbing. He tried to act nonchalant, as if he was used to such opulence, but when they indicated it was his room alone, his jaw nearly hit the floor. The whole facet could sleep in this place, he thought. He explored the amenities for a few minutes and then wasted no time finding the practice grounds, his armor appearing on his body as he walked. After practicing for hours with a set of light plate mail borrowed from the Sulwoods, he ultimately was able to achieve the feat of equipping the entire set from his pendant’s spatial storage. It wasn’t a matter of equipping everything at once; he had to focus on one piece at a time and make sure everything was already buckled and adjusted perfectly. It had been painstaking at first, but now he could be fully armored in seconds.

Thirty minutes and fifteen opponents later, Seleger pulled him aside. “Somehow, I knew I would find you here. A couple of your old friends arrived. They have a message for you but didn’t want to pass it on; they wanted to tell you in person.”

“Who?”

“Two of those mercenaries, Garreth of the Hairy Face and the pretty lady with all the daggers. Looks like she’d stab you if you tried for a kiss.”

“Gemma, and yes, she probably would stab you.”

“Might be worth it. I’ll think it over.” He actually looked like he was doing just that. Seleger led Cat through the wide courtyard, up several flights of stairs, and down a long hallway to a well-furnished study. Cat saw nine guards for the three exits, and already seated in the room were Duke Jemelyn next to another man in his sixties with a slimmer frame and a harder, more dour demeanor. Also present were Natalia, Dain, Garreth, Gemma, Sergeant Lovine, Beldere, and three guard captains Cat didn’t recognize. They all straightened and regarded the two boys as they entered. The atmosphere looked tense and uncomfortable.

“No need to stand, everyone; it’s just us!” Seleger boomed into the awkward silence. Natalia grimaced, Dain sighed, the Duke smiled, and the tension was broken. Cat still felt under dressed; he was in his simple travel uniform, which was rumpled and sweat-stained from his thirty-minute workout with the armor on top of it.

Gemma gave him one of her sardonic smiles. “I just don’t see what they want to pay all that gold for.” Then the discussion started in earnest. Cat learned that there was a bounty on him from the slaver’s guild for ten thousand gold. This didn’t surprise him greatly since his father claimed to have been offered five times as much, yet this was from the slavers, not the Ssythe directly. What was more disturbing were the rumors and information provided by the two mercenaries that pointed to the Gavanti, the shadowy organization behind the slavers, and the agents of the Ssythe working together. Garreth believed they were inciting some of the larger mercenary companies with more impulsive leadership to take up the bounty. Gemma’s informants believed the Ssythe were donating heavily to the Gavanti coffers for their help in pulling this off, their intent being to purchase Catwright from the slavers for use in some arcane ritual to benefit one of their high-ranking leaders. Duke Jemelyn seemed dismissive of the idea that one of the mercenary companies, or even all of them together, could make off with a slave bounty in Osenvale.

“Where would they go?” he reasoned. “They would need a local teleportation portal set up or someone with the power to pull it off on their own, and we could track them. Someone that powerful would not go unnoticed here. If they tried to escape by mundane means, our soldiers would catch them before they made it out of the gates.”

“What about a ship?” Natalia asked.

“Too slow,” one of the guard captains answered. “There’s nothing in the harbor that could outrun our galleons. There are also dozens of druids and priests within the city, including yourself, my lady, who could halt any ship on the water within line of sight.”

“An airship?” Seleger asked.

The Duke hesitated a moment, then shook his head. “If something of military class came inbound, we could investigate, but the vessels in the city now are slower merchant vessels. We also have at least three sky knights within our walls, any of whom are more than a match for one of those ballooned cargo ships.” He looked at his guests, particularly Seleger and Natalia, pausing briefly. “We will increase the patrols throughout the city to ward off any mischief, but I honestly doubt anyone would try something. We are not Praxallis or Arksellum,” he said with pride. He gestured to the man sitting beside him as he stood, prompting everyone else in the room to stand as well. “I have other matters to attend to, but my Steward, Lord Kagin, is quite capable and will be at your disposal.” Without further ado, the duke left the room along with all nine guards, and everyone looked to Lord Kagin.

“To those of you I haven’t met, my name is Daker Kagin, and among other things, I am responsible for the security and welfare of all the guests who stay within the citadel or any of the local estates owned or managed by the duchy.” He had remained standing but now motioned for everyone to sit, and did so himself. “I would like to begin by having us share any information we might have on the local instigators of this bounty and anyone in the area who might have the means to actually attempt it.” His voice was smooth and cultured, and he seemed to meet the gaze of everyone in the room at once. “I apologize that our own intelligence on the matter is rather limited; our enemies generally don’t blend in well, but I understand that is changing. The Ssythe and the Gavanti both have places of worship within the city, and many have made this city their home. It seems strange considering our past conflicts, but concessions have been made on both sides. The church wants peace and intermingling of the factions, while the military wants more soldiers and better equipment. The council of druids preach tolerance, while the king wants war. Certain organizations are taking advantage of citizen conflict to incite violence. We believe powerful mentalists or masters of learvadol, the veil of deceit, or perhaps both are involved and directly manipulating susceptible members of the population. We have captured ringleaders who had no idea what they had done or why, and others who had sudden flare-ups of rage which were out of character and unexplained. Any other information you could add may be useful.”

What followed was an eye-opening conversation for the young warriors who had been relatively isolated in their small communities. Apparently, there were several known criminal institutions that owned property, bought and sold goods, and normally operated legally within many Mecran cities. Natalia was a surprisingly rich source of information. She believed that these merchants were not just there for the profit of buying and selling Mecran goods but also to ensure they had the opportunity to plant spies and operatives in key locations. She knew of at least three factions who had people at the gates and reported to their superiors when the company from Breckan’s Hold entered the city.

Gemma’s mercenary company, the Red Blades, had also looked into the creature offering the bounty at the information brokers’ guild. It turned out that the aberration was called Trellix and was a highly respected Ssythe operative with powerful psychic abilities working directly for someone called the Unseen. Dain and Natalia looked at each other with concern, and Kastin grew even more intent. Gemma just looked at Kastin with a slightly coy smile, which Cat knew meant she was up to something.

“I’m impressed by your resourcefulness, young lady. I assume you have more to offer, for a price?”

“You are correct, Lord Kastin. I am authorized and would be happy to negotiate on behalf of the Red Blades. My company is quite specialized and experienced in the field of information.” Gemma was suddenly all business; it was like she transformed into a different person. Her back straightened, and her eyes focused. The discussion that followed was educational in more ways than one. Even Dain and Natalia seemed impressed. Cat had known that knowledge was valuable in any form of conflict, but he hadn’t realized just how much a city lord would pay for such a service.

Everyone had at least some form of input, with Garreth admitting that his guild wanted to stay out of any potential conflict within Osenvale and that he was here on his own, not representing Beornen’s Barbarians. The guard captains had relatively little to offer, considering it was their city. Apparently, very little crime was committed out in the open. For the most part, they knew only what the more friendly druids chose to tell them. The ability to see and listen through the eyes and ears of nearby animals was very useful for information gathering. Natalia pointed out that whoever they were up against was wise to the tricks of druids, as some of her critters had been lost when getting too close to certain areas, and no, she was not willing to risk more innocent animals to map out these dens in greater detail.

Gemma earned every coin by providing a list of locations and individuals to watch and the names of three of the major mercenary companies that had been approached by the Ssythe’s agents directly.

“Most of the shady deals are happening on the north side of the city near the commercial harbor, in that lane of taverns and brothels you call the Brineway. Mercenaries and other thugs are talking to that creepy broker, Trellix, and his cronies.” She glanced at some notes she had unfolded from her pocket. “The Obsidian Tears went into Wendel’s Wench tavern with their leader and three lieutenants and were talking about the gold like it was already theirs to spend when they left. My sources say they were not interested in the bounty three days ago. The Aether Drifters and the Taurgonaughts also seem to be interested. The Drifters are good at keeping secrets because we don’t have anything else on them other than they usually only take on small jobs. The Taurgonaughts,” she laughed, “well, they’re all Taurians, renowned for taking on idiotic assignments, being susceptible to mental influence, and being too arrogant to care. The Drifters and the Taurians are relatively small groups, less than forty members each. The Tears are more of a problem, being close to a thousand strong with some serious heavy hitters and a lot of other connections in the guilds and other companies. They came all the way from Merekar, and most have never been on Mecran lands before, which might make them stupid enough to try something.” She paused dramatically. “There’s another group moving in the shadows. We’ve spotted them a couple of times on rooftops or tailing our people. Whoever they are, they are very skilled at stealth, including avoiding all forms of magical tracking. We don’t know whose side they’re on.” She looked to the Steward and shrugged.

“I assume your soldiers have ways to keep track of you all?” Kagin looked pointedly at Lovine.

“We have a druid who can link everyone and has bonded everyone, including Lord and Lady Sulwood, their son, and his ward.” He was referring to Spikey, of course. Druids could create natural bonds with all living things just by being around them, though Cat’s understanding was that the connections formed naturally; one just had to know how to look for them.

“I can also sense everyone in our party,” Beldere put in. Priests generally had a slightly harder time bonding than druids, and they generally could not link with someone against their will.

“That’s good to know. I will make arrangements for escorts for you all while in the city. Please submit your itineraries this evening.” So much for having some freedom, Cat thought.

It was a lot to take in. They adjourned shortly after, with Gemma promising to deliver daily reports to Kagin. Natalia was coordinating to increase what, in Cat’s opinion, was an already ridiculous guard to an even larger number of soldiers. Dain was giving Seleger pointers on what to look out for. Garreth approached Catwright while the others were talking.

“My company commander would like to meet you if you have some time, Cat.”

“A recruiting pitch?” Cat smiled. He had heard more than a few people commenting that his talents wouldn’t go unnoticed by the gathered companies in Osenvale and speculating on how much he could get as a starting wage.

“Something like that, more of an evaluation. You’ll probably like him; he likes to challenge everyone who looks tough, just like you.”

Cat just nodded. “I’m sure Beldere can find you. Maybe tomorrow? Early evening?”

“Sounds good, Cat,” he gave a sly smile. “Good idea to have Beldere along; you’ll probably need him.” With that one comment, the large, hairy man couldn’t have baited the hook any better. Cat just smiled.

Isubane’s Echo, Chapter 7: Echoes of War

Image by Gemini

Gemma

Gemma Reedly had never really thought of herself as a good person. She had a certain code of conduct, a set of very loose principles, but mostly she looked out for herself. If there was one thing she had learned growing up on the streets of Arksellum, it was that caring too much about other people was hazardous to your health. That was why, as soon as she entered the glowing white quartzite walls of Osenvale, she went straight to the information brokers. She figured information about the kid would be worth some coins, and she was correct. She liked the boy well enough, but money was money, and people were going to find out anyway. She told them everything she knew, under a truth compliance spell, of course. She told them she was pretty sure he was somehow the reincarnation of his grandfather, and she told them about the special artifact he had received from Mecre himself. Mostly, the brokers wanted to know about his combat prowess and who his companions were. She felt a pang of guilt telling everything she knew about Beldere, the Sulwoods, and the facet of Mecran soldiers, but she was not overly worried. Someone would have to be a lunatic to go after that crowd in a Mecran city.

“Why are people so interested in this?” she asked. The broker looked at her with surprise, and for a moment, she thought he would try to charge her for the information, which she could tell from his expression, everyone already knew. It wasn’t her fault she’d been living out in the middle of nowhere for the last two years.

“I suppose it’s common knowledge now,” he sighed. “It’s the bounty for his capture. Talk to that broker over there if you want to know more.” He pointed to a greasy-looking hybrid humanoid who looked like a creepy cross between a snake and a human. It was hairless, earless except for holes in the side of its head, with slimy grey skin, slitted eyes and nose, a mouth that was too wide, and arms too long. It stood a little over six feet tall, even though it was stooped. Some evil fecking Ssythe experiment, she guessed.

“Hey! What’s the bounty on Isubane?” she called out. The creature actually flinched at her words but answered in a calm, sibilant voice.

“Ten thousand Mecran gold marks.”

“Who’s paying?” she walked right up to him—at least she assumed it was a him; she didn’t see any obvious lady parts, and the voice was relatively deep. He made her wary for some reason, but she wasn’t going to let him know that.

“The consortium of labor procurement,” he tilted his head, “are you interested in participating?” She ignored the question.

“The slavers’ guild can post bounties like that in Mecre?” She was more than a little taken aback. The idea that the consortium could just pay to kidnap someone in a kingdom where slavery was forbidden was scary. And ten thousand gold? The kid might make for a great gladiator in the coliseum of her home city, but no one would pay that much for a fighter who likely wouldn’t last a month.

“The guild of brokers only asks that the coin amount is valid and available,” the emotionless thing replied. “We are only providing information. The legality of the capture or where and when the target is acquired is the prerogative of the hunter.” Gemma just shook her head and barked a laugh. She tried to calculate the number in her head of what she would need if she were stupid enough to try. It would be more than the bounty was worth. And in Osenvale of all places? There must be over ten thousand soldiers here, not to mention priests and druids and at least a dozen mercenary companies, all mostly loyal to Mecre. Even if they managed to grab him, they’d never get away without some serious veil manipulation.

“Well, best of luck to any idiot who tries a fool’s snatch like that. They’d best bring an army! Sounds like a good way to get planted early.” She was laughing aloud as she walked off. The broker’s unsettling smile followed her out the door.

Gareth

Gareth had heard about the bounty as well, but from a different source. His mercenary company was already aware of the reward and the officers confronted the wayward mercenary about it soon after his return. They weren’t interested in the job; there were too many risks, and the client was one they did not care for. They were also not desperate for coin, like many companies. However, they were curious about the boy and what made him so special. Gareth told the officers what he knew and some of what he suspected, but none of them were well-versed in the arcane or Mecre’s legends and lore, and so had little idea what it meant. They understood that Catwright might be the rebirth of some great hero who had died almost fifty years ago, and accepted it without question. They had certainly encountered stranger cases in their line of work.

“A bounty like that on a kid who’s barely left home,” Beornen of Lacrath shook his great head. The commander of the mercenary company known as Beornen’s Barbarians was a towering man, almost seven feet tall and over three hundred pounds of muscle. He resembled a member of one of the greater magical lithos races, something more than human, and he kept that veil of earth mana open almost constantly, which added to the impression. “What do you personally think of him, Gareth?”

Gareth was finding himself enjoying the attention despite himself. He idolized his commander, even though Beornen was a few years younger; he truly was the stuff of legends. “I like him. He is stubborn beyond all reason, socially awkward, but good-hearted. He is strong-willed and determined to improve in a way I’ve never seen.”

“Sounds like you and I are in agreement then, that we should stay far away from this slaver nonsense.” Beornen sighed, his face thoughtful. “There are shadows at play here we don’t understand, and I have a fear that our stance and your relationship with the boy might create a conflict with some of the other companies. I know you’ve thought about it. What would you have us do?” The commander was far more canny than most gave him credit for and had likely already seen several levels of complications beyond anything Gareth would have considered.

“Recruit him,” Gareth replied without hesitation. “He would be an asset to our company.”

“You mentioned earlier that he could fight; just how good is he?”

“Two years ago, I had skills I could teach him; I could surprise him, but it was still a tough match. Now, he could probably fight a half dozen men like me and emerge victorious.” The commander’s eyes widened at this; Gareth was no weakling. “I mentioned this before, and I’m not sure any of you truly believed me: he has mastered all five of the elemental forms. He does them every morning as a warm-up, and it is an impressive sight.”

Beornen just grunted. No one in his five hundred strong company had mastered all the forms. There was quite a difference, however, between knowing an entertaining dance and using it effectively in combat. “That I would like to see. Do you think he could best me?” The giant grinned and puffed out his chest a bit. Gareth paused and took the question seriously.

“You have certain advantages that he might not be ready for, so I would favor you for the first few matches.” Then Gareth grinned. “But should you beat him, he will haunt you like a spectre until he learns all he can from you.”

Beornen bellowed a laugh at that. “I will consider what you’ve said Gareth. Recruiting may indeed add to our infamy, but I’m not sure I want to fight the other mercenary companies and the slaver’s guild for him.”

Gareth appreciated that the big man always put the good of the company first, and considered all the angles. “Surely you don’t think someone would be reckless enough to try and grab him in Osenvale?”

“I do think someone will try, and I agree it makes no sense, but some of the other companies have already been talking about it. I feel like someone has been goading them to action. We’ve been in this city for a couple of weeks and there’s a lot of unusual movement in the underground. As I said, shadows at play, puppets of the Ssythe and the slavers working together. That alone seems unusual, and the fact that they are operating at all in a Mecran city is even more so.”

“What will the company do?”

“We will watch and wait. Whatever plays out should be entertaining at least and unlikely to involve us directly. Have a care Gerath, it is not unusual for slavers to use someone perceived as a friend of the target, as a means to get close to them.”

Gareth had a lot to think about. Despite the commander’s warnings he would seek out Catwright when he entered the city. If he wasn’t aware of the danger, he needed to be warned. Also, Gareth still felt that one of the best moves for the kid and the company would be to recruit him to their ranks. He also wanted to dig deeper into whatever plots were afoot in the city. Espionage was not his strength, but it seemed like the company had their nose to the ground, so he would start there.

Luarca

Minions swarmed around the hulking abomination like ants in a frenzy, desperate to please the creature. Willing or not, they served, their small minds had no real ability to resist. This is what the Gnarr-Ssythe had been built for; war and conquest, domination of the weaker races by raking claws and crushing teeth. Standing at over seven feet tall, with crocodilian features, hard grey-green scales and at least four arms, what they lacked in intelligence they made up for with raw ferocity. Luarca had wasted little time upon reaching the surface, putting plans into motion. The Ssythe had been breeding for decades on these islands. They had been left alone by the softer races, thought to be defeated. Now the Ssythe would strike, not just for conquest, but for a foothold and access to more power. These changed creatures who worshipped the Lord of the Unseen were still pathetic, but they were improved tools and with time would become even more so.

The help of the Gavanti had been procured much more easily than anticipated. They wanted wealth and slaves for some great excavation project they had in the far north. Wealth was simple, and the Ssythe were very good at providing slaves. The ancient cult had been ecstatically celebrating the return of their god or some such nonsense. Luarca had casually investigated and found some moderate divine magic in their midst, but it was not a familiar signature. It was probably some new rising power grabbing any desperate devotees they could manage. Agavantor, the lord of darkness and magic, had been before Luarca’s time, an ancient enemy of the pesky druid god and supposedly well and truly dead. Hopefully, that was still the case. The legends told of an evil the likes of which even the Crawler in the Deep did not wish to encounter.

Power emanated from the writhing ritual circle in the courtyard of his new aboveground abode. The dwelling was unnecessary; after sleeping for years, it would be decades before rest was needed again. If the goals of the ritual were accomplished, the idea of rest would be obsolete. Having any indoor area for living seemed a waste; none of the elements could cause this form any serious discomfort. There was food aplenty all about. A ravenous hunger had taken over upon reaching the surface, and the titanic horror had gorged itself on human slaves and the slower Ssythe for hours. The feast had revitalized and empowered its atrophied body and refreshed its mental faculties. Now the monstrosity wielded an arcane knowledge of the veils, long forgotten by lesser beings. It modified the older techniques of mana amplification, creating more useful rituals fueled by lesser implements stitched together by mystic weaves. Five humans formed the sides of the pentagonal ritual. Their taut, tied, naked bodies twitched in agony. Their skin was ravaged, and their raw throats were useless after hours of screaming. Yet still they lived. Humans did have a certain resilience, which made them an excellent resource for soul-powered magic.

There were a variety of Ssythe and Gavanti agents in the city called Osenvale, but Luarca preferred to keep the conflict between humans as much as possible. With the aid of the augmented circle of enhancement, plenty of weak-minded individuals could be directly influenced, even from over a thousand miles away. Simply bending its will toward the pentagon showed Luarca hundreds of thousands of glowing souls and soft human minds. The master psion had tried to directly influence the Isubane child, but whether it was the distance or some inherent resistance, the most it had accomplished were some minor nightmares. The boy hadn’t even woken up or reacted to them in any noticeable way.

The ritual also opened up communication to all of the agents within the city, and some of them were strong enough to influence other potential pawns. They were already stirring some of the mercenaries into action. If this plan failed, another group of specialized contractors within the city could accomplish what was needed with minimal fuss. This shadowy syndicate owed favors and a great deal of their livelihood to the Ssythe, whether they were aware of it or not. It might be time to call in some of those favors. And of course, there were contingencies upon contingencies. Luarca had not lived for almost a thousand years by being complacent. Now that his full awareness was bent upon the surface of Primythera, there would be change.

Dain

There were several things most people did not know about the great grey bears of the Lelldarlyn Mountains. It had to do with their magical nature and how they were able to exist in the first place. A normal bear the size of Feingar would be encumbered by its own weight, actually making it slower than its smaller cousins. Yet, the grey bear’s bones were lighter and much stronger than normal bones. Their muscles were also far more powerful in proportion to their mass. Druids and scholars all recognized that such a creature did not evolve naturally, and theories abound as to their origin. Their uncanny intelligence and physical prowess make them a dominant predator on the peninsula of Lendre.

Feingar also had the unique advantage of having a very powerful magical saddle, a gift from Duke Kerold Oboggin of Konig after the unexpectedly brutal Konig River campaign. The fine-looking leather saddle was studded along the outer seams with small sapphires. It magically improved the mount’s speed, reduced their fatigue, and provided sustenance. It was specifically crafted for long-distance rapid travel on a warbear. This was how Dain Sulwood was able to make the normally three to four day trip to Braunwood Town and the castle of Count Eckheart of Vessalia in less than five hours.

The Count was a large man in his late sixties with a head of sparse grey hair and a prodigious paunch. Though he styled himself a military man, with ornamental armor and a jeweled sword, Lord Eckheart had left the military after his mandatory two years for more mercantile pursuits. Rumor was that he was at the battle of the twin gods, when Isulas, Isuna and their army stormed the gates of Mecre City. After seeing many of his friends slaughtered trying to hold the line, he’d lost his taste for violence.

Dain counted some forty nobles occupying the great hall in attendance of the Count and his advisors. There were six Barons, including Baron Galunte of Lockdale, who was Dain’s direct senior in the hierarchy. Looking around at all the various military-style uniforms, Dain reflected on the differences between this government and the feudal societies of old. Mecre’s governors were generally selected on merit by the council of druids in Mecre City, and they conducted themselves much like a military chain of command. There was less formality and ceremony and more practical decisiveness. If a Duke were a general under the king, then a Count might be a Colonel, and the Barons act as Captains and so on. Everyone also knew that they could be fired and replaced without regard to their genealogy.

The social atmosphere was relatively casual as food and drink were served. Pleasantries and platitudes were exchanged in equal measure, there was a friendly and familiar air about the chamber. Many were discussing military matters such as training and equipment, while others made minor trade deals and inquired about friends and relatives. Meetings such as this were very rarely held for economic reasons, however, as Mecre did not have any serious issues in that area. One of the benefits of having a druid council and a druid patron god was an abundance of food. Many farms could produce four or five normal yields a year, and selling the surplus to neighboring realms made an easy profit. No, a gathering such as this meant one thing: war.

In the center of the great hall, a large, exquisitely detailed stone war table depicted the southern half of the peninsula of Lendre, including all the surrounding islands. This was no game, however; this was a map of Mecre’s actual military forces and known enemy armies. In just a few days, the Ssythe armies had spread out from the islands of Memath and Chelan and taken over the entire multi-island nation of Coramar. The small kingdom was sparsely populated and had very little military to speak of, yet it was still hundreds of thousands of people who were now likely slaves or meat for Ssythe bellies. Mecre was organizing a defense of its coastal population since the King believed that would be where the lizardfolk would strike next. He also wanted to organize a counteroffensive to liberate the Cormarians, but most of the druid council was opposed to the idea, citing neutrality and possible threats from the north.

Druids generally would not go to war unless it came to their doorstep, and Mecre the kingdom had thrived under this philosophy for over a thousand years. Mecre the king believed that the time to flex and train their military strength was now, and that war was inevitable; he wouldn’t be here if it wasn’t. There were a great many Mecrans who saw their returned everborn king as a warmonger, an omen of doom, and someone to be feared, but there was no doubt that he knew battle. It was said that whenever the king arrived in person to a conflict, the outcome was all but predetermined, no matter the odds. He could not be stopped on the battlefield. The Ssythe, however, had their own undefeated champions.

The group of men and women at this gathering, already burdened by the weight of leadership, had become used to war over the past few decades, but those battles had been mere skirmishes compared to what was coming. Reports had the Ssythe warriors numbering close to a million. It would drain all of Mecre’s garrisons to field a human army a fraction of that size. Thankfully, Mecre was not asking for such a commitment just yet. A defensive war could be waged with far fewer soldiers, especially with the aid of the druids. The council nobles agreed that a levy of twenty percent of their standing troops would be adequate.

There would be no squabbling or politics over who should go or who should stay. All was balanced in the land of druids; it was the way of Neador and had been for over a millennium. As for the soldiers, there would likely be volunteers in excess of twenty percent anyhow, as Mecre was a patriotic kingdom that did not suffer invasion lightly. The meeting was conducted and concluded in the space of one long meal. Within four hours of arriving, Dain was on the way back to Breckan’s Hold with new orders and a grim purpose. He would assign his own portion of the required levy and then leave for Osenvale to assist Duke Jamelyn in negotiating with the mercenaries gathered there. There he would also unite with his wife in the effort to keep his impetuous youngest son from joining the war effort.

Isubane’s Echo, Chapter 6: The Road to Osenvale

Image by Gemini

The fumes from the back porch of Giblin’s tavern were more potent than the alcohol in his drink. They stung his eyes and made his nose itch, but slowly he felt himself relaxing into a state he had never felt before. Everything around him took on a dreamlike quality, and his worries faded into the background. At first, he had been worried about offending Seleger’s friends, but after a while, the apprehension stopped, and he tried to focus on saying things that did not elicit gales of laughter from everyone listening. He vaguely remembered Gemma coming by with what seemed to be a sympathetic tone, telling him that he’d figure out how to talk someday. Cat wasn’t sure what she meant, but she also said the mercenaries would all be leaving for Osenvale in the morning and that he should look them up when he got there. Some time after that, Seleger suggested they all relocate to somewhere more private.

Catwright, not being a complete idiot, had some idea of what was happening and did not have any interest. It was not that the girls were unattractive; they just made him uncomfortable. He didn’t like the smell of the herbs, and he didn’t like the sense of complacency in their conversation. They complained about their circumstances but offered no solutions and exhibited no desire to make the necessary effort to change their situation. He told them that he was not feeling well and that he felt some extra rest would do him good. This was true enough, but he also knew that once he made his way to the fresh air, his metabolism would deal with whatever toxins he had imbibed and inhaled, and he would quickly feel better.

Beldere was waiting for him outside. The priest was dozing in a chair in front of the tavern but came awake as Catwright approached.

“You know that I can feel you poisoning yourself.” The priest spoke slowly and carefully, as if he were under the influence of the herbs himself.

“Can’t you cut the thread or something, like mages do?”

“Not really, the thread is not normal magic, it is soul based and would be there whether or not either of us were aware of it, just based on our time in proximity and knowledge of each other. I don’t know how. I’ve been connected to you for so long, your… condition is always in my head. I think there is a way to mute it, but I’ve never really tried to”

“That sounds terrible,” Cat remarked unsympathetically.

The walk back to the manor was mostly quiet, but Cat could tell Beldere was struggling with something. “Go ahead and say it, Bel.”

“I would never change your thoughts, Catwright.” It was not what Cat was expecting the priest to say, but Cat nodded in encouragement, interested in where this was going. “I mean, I don’t think I could anyway, but I wouldn’t try because it goes against my calling to ever harm what you are. I know you’re afraid of it since you saw what I did to Dernus Bailer.”

“So what am I?” Cat was curious why the priest had phrased it that way. He knew about the priest’s calling, of course, and though Cat had his doubts about the authenticity of its origin, he could definitely respect Beldere’s conviction.

“You are a chosen of Primythera, a force of nature to help guide Mecre’s people through the coming darkness.”

“Just Mecre’s people? Oh well, I guess that shouldn’t be too bad.” Cat was simultaneously needling and deflecting. It was an old sarcastic argument about how the lesser gods like Neador only seemed to be concerned with their small part of the world. Cat was also mocking the idea that the planet spirit herself would be directly interested in him. He was no Everborn or druid disciple to have such a responsibility. Just the idea of such a weight made him uncomfortable.

“I know you don’t really believe. It is difficult, even for me. I have a feeling, however, that the next couple of years will be telling.”

They made the rest of the walk to the manor in the silence of dark thoughts. That night Catwright dreamed of slogging through a hot, damp jungle with unseen eyes upon him. Beldere dreamed he was tethered to a wagon the size of a barn and had to pull it up a steep, narrow, rocky trail by himself.

The next week went by in a flurry of activity as the hold bent around the task of safely conveying Natalia Sulwood to the city of Osenvale. Carriages were inspected and upgraded, competitions were held for those who would have the honor of providing her escort, and outfits were commissioned for those who would be part of her entourage. Catwright, along with Chatwick and Beldere, found to their chagrin that they would be included in that illustrious group.

“Catwright Isubane the Third! Your father should be ashamed! It’s been too long since I spoke to that old bastard; he obviously needs a hard dose of womanly sense! You are for all purposes landed and titled nobility, and you come here with only two sets of dirty old military rags for clothing? Unacceptable!” Natalia paced in front of him in dignified righteous fury. “I shall commission a full set of appropriate attire, including a fine set of parade armor. I will have a note of account for the cost, including a strongly worded message from myself sent by courier on the morrow!” Cat almost grinned, thinking about how his father would react to such a letter. “And you, Beldere of Ironwood, how is it that a priest of Neador only has two sets of robes that you obviously grew out of years ago? Is this also the fault of that miserly, loafing dullard Catwright calls his sire?”

“I’m sure Colonel Isubane or one of his subordinates would have provided additional garments had I…” Beldere began.

“So you didn’t even request appropriate outerwear?” Natalia pressed. Catwright and Seleger smiled. Chatwick looked like he was trying to disappear into the background. Beldere opened his mouth, probably about to spout some nonsense about how he was just a humble priest who did not require such largess, but Lady Sulwood just rolled over him. “You represent the Lord Watcher of the Wood, Neador of Lendre. Have some respect for your station! The common folk should look upon you and see something to aspire to, not be appalled by your obvious lack of means. No, no more need to speak of it, I shall have this travesty remedied before the sun sets.” Her grim face changed abruptly to a sweet yet predatory smile as she turned to Chatwick. “And you, my dear.” Catwright swore he saw the boy flinch. “Your newly acquired attire is acceptable, but we will have a more formal set made with perhaps a bit of room for growth. I predict you will gain a bit of weight before we are presented before the Duke.” All their eyes widened a bit at this. Apparently, Natalia meant to stay at the castle in Osenvale. Now that he thought about it, Cat realized that it made sense that she wouldn’t settle for a relatively unprotected inn when suites were available for nobles and their entourage within the fortified walls. Cat found that he was disappointed that they would not be experiencing the more entertaining and less formal options for accommodation. He was also not looking forward to having to present himself formally before Duke and Duchess Jamelyn and residing under their thumb, but he was still excited about going to the festival and participating in the competition.

The fittings went as expected, and within two days they all had new attire. Catwright would wear the livery of House Sulwood since he did not have official colors of his own yet. The silver and dark green looked good on all the boys, though Cat couldn’t remember wearing anything so stiff and restricting that was not armor. The dress armor was a refurbished one of Seleger’s old extra sets; it really did not have to be adjusted very much to fit him. The green and white feathered plume on top of the helmet was a little much, and the pauldrons were far too large and ostentatious for his liking. They were basically shoulder decorations more for intimidation than anything else, blocking peripheral vision and making certain sword maneuvers very difficult. Overall, Catwright liked the simple polished steel design with relatively few embellishments on the rest of the armor. It was light yet sturdy, not a full encasement, but enough to protect the essentials. Seleger’s set had far more ornamentation, including at least one thumb-sized emerald on each piece, which Cat was sure held some kind of linked enchantment.

“You should have worn that when you rode out for a joust, you probably would have done better,” Cat teased.

“What? And get this magnificent set all dinged and dirty? Mother would have thrown a fit!” Seleger laughed. Cat’s guess about the enchantments was proven correct a moment later when they strode from the armory and Seleger’s armor disappeared from one step to the next, leaving him in a slightly rumpled set of loose casual linens.

“Wow!” Cat said, seriously impressed. He had only a basic education in magic theory, but he knew serious magical ingenuity when he saw it.

“Oh yes!” Seleger beamed, “and watch this, well, hopefully, it works.” A slightly worried expression crossed his friend’s face moments before the full set of armor appeared around him, already tightened and buckled. Cat couldn’t pick his mouth up off the floor to make a comment. That was masterwork smithing, engineering, and magical linking. “Oh, thank the Watcher!” Seleger laughed, “the last time I tried that, I was nearly castrated! The uh, codpiece was just a smidge too small, you know.”

“I’m sure that was the issue,” Cat retorted with no small amount of sarcasm. They ribbed each other good-naturedly on the way back to the manor as Catwright concentrated on his own set of armor. It was not as smooth, but over the course of a few steps, the cuirass and the helmet disappeared, then a few seconds later, the pauldrons and the greaves, followed just moments later by the rest of the armor relocating to the soulbound amulet’s dimensional space.

“What? I didn’t know it could do that!” Seleger exclaimed. They had discussed the potential uses for the artifact, but Cat was discovering that some of their perceived limitations could be overcome with concentration and practice. He had discovered that when he focused on the item when holding it in his hand, he had an awareness of inanimate objects in his vicinity, and if he concentrated hard enough, he could bring them into his inventory without making physical contact. He then discovered that the more he practiced, the more he could move at once. “Now, put it back on!” Seleger encouraged. Cat gave him an incredulous look but stopped walking and concentrated hard.

The clatter of metal showering onto the cobblestones was loud enough to cause a dozen people to stop what they were doing to look and see what happened. The bellowing laughter that followed was no less resounding, though it came from a single human. How is he so loud? Cat thought. Is he channeling air mana?

By the time Seleger caught his breath, Cat had managed to store all the armor again. “By the Watcher’s brown hairy balls, Cat, that was an absolutely delightful epic failure! You might want to practice that trick a bit more!” Cat wanted to punch Seleger’s smiling face. He knew his own face was bright red, and he had a bruise on his head and shoulder from the falling metal. Seleger, however, was actually crying from trying to hold in his laughter.

“It’s not that funny,” Cat deadpanned, trying to steal a bit of the mirth. Seleger just started laughing again, mercifully less raucously than before.

“Oh gods! Ellie’s perky little tits, I think I cracked a rib!”

“Don’t let your mother hear you talk like that; she’ll crack more than a rib!” Cat chided.

“You’re probably right; Ellitra’s certainly her favorite of the Watcher’s disciples. Speaking of my mother, you’d best set about repolishing that suit before she sees it!” He was right, Cat realized. That armor had gleamed with perfection, and now it had been dropped on the stones. Not only would there be dirt, but dings and scratches as well. It would be a long night.

Two days later, they were finally on the road to Osenvale. Dain and Natalia parted ways with some ceremony and a tasteful display of affection. Dain apparently needed to attend a meeting of local lords to the south but promised he would catch them before they reached the city. He wished them all good speed as the caravan rolled out of Breckan’s Hold. The three wagons in the procession, however, slowed them considerably. Even with the druidic magic and other various travel enchantments available, the three hundred mile trip would take a full ten days.

Rolling hills gave way to more level fields and meadows. The lush farmlands surrounding the small townships made for some fascinating culinary experiences. Natalia was not one who settled for travel rations when she could pause in each village and purchase a sample of the local fare. Catwright had never been excited about fruits and vegetables until he tried some amazing salad dishes with a dozen ingredients from leafy to savory and various dressings made from oil and vinegar and spices. They shared plates of spiced meats with a variety of cheeses, some of which somehow smelled questionable but tasted wonderful.

Their passing was met with celebration and cheers wherever they went. Natalia was apparently well-loved by her peers and their subjects as well as her own. They did not stay in any one place more than a night, but they always dined on the finest each place had to offer and stayed in warm, cozy accommodations where everyone, even the guards and soldiers, had their own rooms. Catwright reflected that every accommodation he had enjoyed since arriving in Breckan’s Hold was larger and far more comfortable than the room in Ironwood Keep where he had grown up.

Natalia took time to speak with other nobles or town leaders, and Seleger took the time to shamelessly flirt with every entity in a skirt. One town even had a community of Lowenti. These small folk were rarely taller than a man’s waist, but that only caused the randy young lord to rise to the challenge. His exchange with one miniature woman was turning Cat’s face red. The Lowenti girl was well-proportioned with lightly tanned skin and bright green hair. She was dressed scandalously by human standards in what amounted to a pull-over shift that stopped at her upper thigh, but she was less than three feet tall and probably weighed less than twenty pounds.

“I know an alchemist who can brew a potion of growth that will last almost two hours,” Seleger claimed with a smile.

“Only two hours? Oh, we’d barely get started in that amount of time. You’d better bring two potions, or better yet, I know a wiley old mystic who can shrink you down permanently!” Her grin was wicked.

Cat had to laugh at his friend’s speechlessness and the dumbfounded expression on his face. Later that night, after a few drinks at the local tavern, Cat finally had to ask: “Why do you do it?”

“Do what?” Seleger was scanning the tavern crowd, likely for more targets of his affection.

“Try to seduce every woman you see.”

“Well, it’s not every one, is it? Only the younger and more attractive…”

“You know what I mean.”

“I do love the ladies, Cat, their shape, their smell, the way they move, and they seem to like me well enough. Who am I to deny them what may be the defining experience of their life?” Cat wasn’t sure how to respond to such a pretentious deflection. After a moment, he sighed and continued.

“You don’t want to court all of them? Do you?”

“Court them! By the gods, no!” Seleger seemed disturbed by the idea. “That would be far too much work and commitment for a busy young lord such as myself. I’m just looking for enjoyment, a meaningful overnight distraction.”

“And they don’t get upset or jealous?” Cat was confused; most of the stories seemed to glorify love and monogamy at first sight.

“Well, some do, yes, but you just need to let them know from the beginning that you are after a momentary encounter. Unfortunately, my methods are subtle enough that some of the duller lasses don’t catch on, or forget whilst in the throes of passion.” Seleger was looking at Catwright now with open suspicion. “Surely when you tumbled some of those Ironwood girls, you didn’t go fawning after them the next day like some love-sick loon.” Cat’s open mouth and silence were all Seleger needed, and it should be noted that enough drink had been consumed to betray all subtlety. He bellowed loud enough for the entire building and people in the street outside to hear. “You did pine over the first buxom damsel to service your shaft!” Cat’s face was red now, and he stuttered a response.

“No, I uh, never…”

“You’ve never explored the wonders of a woman.” Seleger’s voice was suddenly soft, his eyes were gleaming with predatory mischief eerily similar to his mother Natalia. Having had a bit to drink himself, Catwright did not see the trap.

“Uh, no…”

“By the gods and the veils, Catwright, I did not know, but now that I do, it is my duty as your friend to help you through this.” Cat had a sinking feeling. “Attention, fellow patrons, and particularly all of you lovely young maidens!” Seleger’s voice was suddenly like a physical force of nature. “My friend here,” he gestured at Catwright, “has never known the pleasures of a woman! Ten gold for the first young lady to relieve him of his sad innocence and introduce his manhood to her nether sheath!” Some people laughed, some looked concerned, but many a young and not-so-young woman actually turned to look with interest. Ten gold was more than two months’ wage for most of these folk.

Catwright was moving beyond embarrassment into another emotion. This was not him. This was not how he wanted to do this. Seleger was going too far. As women actually started to approach the loud young lordling for an explanation of the exact terms, Cat’s face heated with rage, and he clenched his fists. Seleger was going on and on with his monologue, slurring his words slightly, though he was still loud enough to be heard within a hundred yards.

“Come and provide comfort to this strong, handsome young warrior! He who has never truly known a feminine touch.” Seleger was transitioning into a dramatic and melancholic story. He exaggerated and made bawdy metaphors. His audience was rapt, and like an overburdened dam, something in Catwright broke.

“…his childhood, bereft of affection, for his mother left him when he was just a babe! How could this affect…?” was the last Seleger managed to get out before Catwright’s fist crashed into his jaw.

Isubane’s Echo, Chapter 5: Whispers of Convergence

Image by Gemini

Luarca

A shape stirred in the darkness, awakened after years of slumber by its spies returning from the north. Milky white eyes opened, seeing everything, even in the absolute blackness of its cavernous home, hundreds of feet underground. It shifted its great bulk, tentacles atop its snake-like head twitching, spreading its awareness outward, seeking its kindred. The little lizards that other races called the Ssythe—it–he, no longer really resembled them. Was it even a “he”? It seemed like centuries since such trivialities had mattered.

The smell of death permeated the stale air. Blood leaked into its gruesome home from bodies ritually sacrificed in its name. Such a pitiful trickle of power compared to the one it sought. Visions swarmed its mind from multiple perspectives at once: the present, the past. Winged thralls danced in the skies and darkened the trees. The elder soul walked free, no longer protected by those dreaded ancients of bark and earth. To have such power there for the taking—the path to true immortality. The lord of the unseen licked its lipless face with a forked tongue in anticipation.

The waiting was finally over. Only a sliver of the twin’s power, but it was there: vengeance, hunger, pain. It remembered when the druids had returned the soul to this realm—hunger, pain, and a baby crying. The machinations of the pawns of Primythera were not hidden from Luarca, the crawler in the deep. A sinuous body contorted, and scales rippled, causing the earth to shake. Eight clawed limbs began pulling the creature toward the surface, passing enormous caves filled with a vast wealth of precious metals. Useless, except as rewards for minions. Yes, wealth—that was how things were accomplished in the human world. Tendrils of a deranged but insidious mind reached out to the faithful and began to issue instructions.

The earth continued to tremble and give way before the forty-foot-long reptilian monstrosity. Those above cried out in ecstasy and terror in equal measure. Siama Luarca, lord of the unseen, crawler of the deep, nightweaver, the elder Ssythe abomination human mythology referred to as the Blood Wretch, slowly made its way into the light once again.

Beldere

“Have you delved the auguries recently my son?” Master Adenide’s elderly face was severe but not unkindly, like a general whose countenance was stained by a life of violence but now held a precious new grandchild.

“Yes” Beldere was fidgeting, having trouble finding the inner peace that normally came so easily. It was more than the nervous regard for a respected elder, it was an apprehension for the difficult questions to come.

“And what have you seen?” The old priest relaxed on a cushioned chair made of polished and lacquered oak. The grotto of whispers was a modestly appointed great hall with four attached cabins in the shade of a small grove of young elderwoods. Everyone in the village was welcome to come in search of healing or wisdom, and the master and two acolytes provided all they could without asking for repayment of any kind. The quality of the crafted furniture, however, was a testament to the villagers’ appreciation.

“Violence.” Beldere started, and then stopped himself not knowing where or how to begin. The one word seemed to be enough, however, as his mentor took a deep breath and seemed to stare inward for a long moment.

“Where do you see yourself?”

“In the middle of everything,” Beldere could not keep the catch from his voice as he relived the visions, “standing atop a pile of bodies, with…him, or dying underneath… feeling the suffocating death crushing my body, my soul.” He was sobbing now, wiping his face on his robe in a most undignified manner, like a child. Taking deep breaths, the young man embraced the fear and despair and then observed it from the outside, clearing his mind temporarily from the burdens of his emotions. “How can someone so isolated have so many enemies?”

“He has something that the powerful want. He doesn’t understand, but you need to. An elder soul is a powerful component in a ritual that can create a divine spark. The soul of Isubane will be even more sought out because of how he died.” The old priest stopped to let the younger man absorb the knowledge and reach the proper conclusions.

“You believe his soul absorbed aspects of Isulas and Isuna as they mingled between the veils.”

“I certainly believe it is possible. Beings approaching ascension would sense that spark as it entered our realm. It’s one of the reasons the gods do not lightly send avatars, as even they have predators seeking a path forward.”

Beldere digested this for a moment. “There is more to it though, it’s not all about him.”

“Good, you do indeed show wisdom beyond your years. Isubane’s plight is but the tip of Mecre’s problems. Dark events encroach upon us. The Grulken attack in numbers greater than ever recorded, and they are organized. The Ssythe are amassing in the southern isles for unknown reasons. The druids on Mecre’s council report more unexplained breaches in the veils, beings that should not be able to come through are somehow doing so. I believe we are coming to that convergence of events which prompted the rebirth of Mecre Everborn. Primythera does not take direct interest unless something cataclysmic is on the horizon.” It had been thirteen hundred years since the planet spirit had summoned the Everborn, and that had been a war that encompassed the known world, where gods rose and fell, entire species were wiped out and the geography of the planet itself was changed.

Why me? I didn’t want this! Was what Beldere felt like saying, but he knew questioning the wisdom of Neador or Primythera was useless. They saw things in a different perspective than mortals. Divine plans might take several lifetimes to come to fruition and a mortal would likely never fully comprehend their part. I am a pawn, a small piece in a much greater plan. I must have faith. The young priest did not have to say anything, he simply sighed in resignation.

“I see you understand my son.” The old man smiled in a tired, and wry manner which radiated empathy. “You have my congratulations, and my sympathy.”

Chatwick

The night before had included one of the best meals and best nights’ sleep of his life. The meal was better than festival fare, with a whole leg of roast goose, potatoes, carrots, and bread. Then, they had given him his own room with a soft, clean bed, thin under-blankets called sheets, a warm odor-free blanket with no holes or stains, and best of all, no younger sister tossing and turning beside him. This morning was a different story. After their sumptuous breakfast of eggs, sausage, and buttered toast, his sister had been sent off to school. Chatwick, however, had been sent off to someone called an assessor, who quizzed him on various subjects, including reading and writing, and pronounced him “adequate.” Then, the assessor proceeded to poke and prod him with a variety of arcane instruments to determine if he had any ailments or injuries. Chatwick had assured the scholarly young man that the nice priest of Neador had healed him of every injury or ailment he had ever had, and even some he hadn’t known about. The scholarly young man had assured Chatwick that all armsmen needed to undergo a yearly evaluation so they could be utilized efficiently and given every opportunity to advance their skills. Chatwick wasn’t sure what that meant, and since his head conjured up visions both ominous and reassuring, he decided to let it go and save it for later thought.

Almost immediately after being pronounced healthy and reasonably educated, he was issued a short sword and a leather jerkin and shown to the practice area, where the big noble boys had apparently already been since before sunrise. Here, he discovered that his new master and his dour friend were relentless in the pursuit of the martial arts. Seleger led him through a series of warm-up exercises that left the thin pig farmer gasping for air. A dozen feet away, Catwright was thrashing the local soldiers one after the other, and they kept coming! As if it was some kind of privilege to get cut open and have their bones broken by a kid half their age. The priest was there as well, healing the wounds as fast as they came, a sad look on his face, as if he’d rather be anywhere else.

Chatwick took his turn sparring as well and discovered it was a lot harder than it looked. They mostly just talked to him about where to place his feet and how to hold the sword. No one really hit him except to batter his clumsily held weapon or slap him lightly with the flat of a blade. They were actually encouraging and nice for the most part, something he had not expected from adults, much less soldiers. Catwright avoided him, as if the newly minted squire was not worth the time of such a peerless warrior. He mostly squared up with Seleger, who patiently instructed and corrected as if he had been doing this his entire life.

“Why aren’t you thrashing me?” Chatwick finally gasped as he bent over, hands on his knees. He was exhausted, and they hadn’t even been at it an hour. He wasn’t lazy or unfit compared to other kids he went to school with, but he couldn’t even lift his arms anymore.

“What do you mean?” Seleger was grinning at him with that winsome, knowing smile that was simultaneously endearing and condescending. “You look pretty roughed up to me.”

“I mean like that,” he pointed to where Catwright had just stepped inside a slow swing and shattered a man’s jaw with the pommel of his sword.

“Oh, you’re not ready for that,” Seleger laughed. “Those men have been doing this for years! They have a soldier’s alchemical conditioning, which makes their bones stronger and helps them heal and recover faster.”

“But you and Cat can’t be much older than me.”

“Well, yes, but again, we’ve been doing this for years, and we have augmentations as well, even more than most of the soldiers.”

“How is Cat so good? He’s even faster than you.” Chatwick stopped for a moment, considering the wisdom of his words. “No, yeah… I mean, he is, isn’t he?”

Seleger was still laughing. “Yes, he has a gift, plus he’s been doing this nonstop since he was old enough to stand.”

“Will I be able to fight like that someday?”

“You are not expected to fight like that, unless you become a knight in your own right. Your task is to stay alive and distract the enemy until I can get there.” Seleger beckoned the younger boy to follow, and they proceeded to a locked cabinet. Producing a key, the older boy unlocked the doors and retrieved a small corked vial of brownish liquid. “We call this liquid vigor,” he said. “We use it for beginning soldiers since it loses its effectiveness after a while. It’s not a true tempering drought, but it will help you recover faster, give you energy, and repair your muscles so you can get back to training again.”

Chatwick took the proffered vial, and though he knew it cost more than a half dozen healthy piglets, he downed it all without hesitation. This was his life now, and if these two older boys were the new standard, he had a lot of catching up to do. Within seconds, energy filled his body, and his aching muscles felt enlarged and strong. Seleger then took him through some basic instruction in a variety of smaller weapons, including knives and daggers, which Chatwick found he had a much better grasp of.

He was thankful at first that combat training was only the first three hours of the day, until he was shown to the other classrooms. He received detailed instruction on the subjects of history, etiquette, tactics, science, and magic. Some of the discussions were actually pretty interesting, but after his sip of vigor started to wear off, he could barely keep his eyes open. The classes were taught by old soldiers or scholars, and in most cases, he was in the class with only two or three other students. Everyone gave him so much attention; it was stifling compared to what he was used to. Unfortunately, he found it impossible to catch a nap. He barely had a chance to relieve himself after mid-meal before he was off to another class. At one point, he walked past a stable where a boy was mucking away happily and actually felt a twinge of jealousy. I need to get my head right!

By dinner time, he had his own pack filled with more books than he had seen in his life, and he was encouraged to study them in his room, which had its own desk and a shelf for said books. He talked to his sister at dinner to find that she had been fitted for three new dresses and only had to attend two classes all day. She’d had a grand time playing with some of the other children around the estate. After dinner, he spread out his bound and printed treasures upon the desk until it was covered. Feeling tired but studious, he opened up some of the other books and spread them upon his bed. where he promptly fell asleep atop them.

Seleger

Something was off with his friend. He acted nice enough and had the same mannerisms and all, but he was more guarded, more withdrawn. Seleger mentioned it to his father that first night after dinner and received a nod in response.

“He seems a lot older,” his father said. “Keep an eye on him. I heard they pushed him hard the last couple of years. That young priest looks like he’s seen his share of trauma as well.” Beldere did seem more withdrawn, now that Seleger thought about it. Well, it makes sense, he was there as well, elbow deep in the blood and guts.

The next morning, Catwright went to the training grounds with a will. It seemed like he had to prove himself to every able-bodied soldier there. Seleger had to practically pull him away for mid-meal, and when Cat wanted to go back right after, Seleger had finally had enough.

“Why do you need to go back? You’ve already beaten down every soldier in the barracks.”

The other boy paused for a long moment and sighed deeply. “What would you like to do?” Now Seleger smiled.

“We’re going to the tavern for a turn at the war table!”

“Don’t you have a war table in the manor?”

“Yes, however, here at our lovely home you will not find ladies of ill repute in their cups. Oh, and the games at Giblin’s place are much more interesting.” Seleger smiled again as Cat shrugged his shoulders in defeat. “Who knows, maybe you can start a fight! All your Sapphire Company and mercenary friends are sure to be there.” Cat showed a smile that was obviously forced, and Seleger tried not to take it personally. He would show his friend a good time if it killed him.

Giblin’s tavern was a relatively isolated two-story building on the southeastern edge of town. When Cat inquired as to why it was so far from the barracks, Seleger replied that old Giblin wanted to be as far from the manor and the grove as he could possibly be, and yet still be in town. Cat shrugged again, as if this made perfect sense. The bottom floor was quite literally overflowing with patrons, some of whom were already sleeping off their first round on the lawn outside. Seleger laughed loudly, “It’s barely an hour past midday, this is going to be great!”

Several people called out to them as they entered. Seleger recognized almost everyone in the building, and the crowd made way for the two boys with loud, jovial greetings and a shrill, joking, “Throw them out, they’re too young!” from Gemma. Tankards were waiting for them at the bar, but it took a bit longer to get spots at the war table. There were several teams waiting for a turn when the two boys approached. Not afraid of a challenge, Seleger charmed the competitors within a few short minutes, and with a few words and promises of free beverages, they were allowed to jump the line and have a game in time for the second round of drinks.

The table was a raised stone platform roughly eight feet long and four feet wide, and upon the surface were what at first appeared to be children’s toys, but were actually detailed miniatures representing groups of soldiers with various capabilities. Each miniature had a combat value, and the players would select a number of miniatures which added up to a certain number, usually four or five hundred, and then face off against one another in a game of strategy. A yardstick was used to measure distance, and small six-sided square dice were used to resolve issues of chance. A game could last hours or be over in minutes, depending on skills, chance, alliances, and levels of inebriation.

So many people wanted to play that they ended up creating four teams of two for the first round, with Catwright and Seleger splitting their force, each controlling half of their pieces independently. The game lasted less than an hour before Olivia and Jarod, the reigning champions, handily won after cornering Seleger’s routed unit in a ravine where he surrendered.

“I thought you were good at this?” Cat goaded.

“I am, well, better than you at least.” Seleger gestured to the board.

“I’m pretty sure everyone allied against me,” Cat stated matter-of-factly. Seleger had to concede the point. Catwright had been set upon by all three opponents before they ever attacked each other. That’s what he got for beating them all bloody.

Not giving up, Seleger towed Catwright along with him to socialize with the fairer sex. In his vast and varied experience, nothing cheered the suffering soul of a melancholy young man like the casual affections of a buxom young maiden. Perhaps the only superior cure was the ravenous attention of the not-so-maidenly sort. Behind the tavern, a partially fenced-in porch area held several wooden tables with chairs, along with a more sturdy set of tables dedicated to games of strength and coordination. Green vines with purple and yellow flowers covered the three walls, inside and out. In this sacred green area open to nature, the town leaf burners could partake of their vice without offending or accidentally sharing their experience with those inside.

Without hesitation, Seleger pulled out two chairs from a table where three women sat, immersed in a tri-color cloud of herbal smoke. He took a seat and beckoned Cat to sit as well. “Selya, Emmy, Bristol,” he gave them his best smile, “I’d like you to meet my friend Catwright.” The girls were young, well, a few years older than him, but pretty and so delightfully different. Selya with long dark hair and wide eyes, Emmy with her more mousy, innocent look, and Bristol with her open, challenging face and large… voice. He did love variety.

Selya’s eyes widened slightly, Emmy smiled shyly, and Bristol pointed and shouted, “Oi! I know you, my papi said he got his jaw broke by some kid from the Ironwoods this morning! That’s him, Catwright Itshisbane!” Seleger wasn’t sure if she mispronounced the name intentionally or if she were already burned, toasted, smoked? The terminology for their particular version of herbal impairment may have escaped him, but Bristol’s comment induced a round of excited chatter. Selya seemed to know every obscure rumor about Cat’s grandfather, and Emmy pouted about how it was such a shame she was already promised to the miller’s son. Catwright’s face was bright red, and it wasn’t from the brew.

All Cat managed during the conversation was a quiet “Um, hello,” and it struck Seleger that the other boy had never been around girls outside of a combat training exercise. Even then, those few women had been at least five years older. All at once, it struck Seleger. His friend was newly freed from a life so structured he almost never made his own decisions other than how to maim someone. Cat had no direction and, worse, no social skills. A bout of sympathy washed over the young lordling as he saw Catwright increase his rate of consumption to alleviate his awkwardness. This was a big problem, and Seleger was just the champion to solve it!

Isubane’s Echo, Chapter 4: Breckan’s Hold

Image by Gemini

“Hah! There’s nothing like two lads trying to impale each other to bring back memories of old times. Don’t you worry Beldere, I’ll get the lad a lance touched by Thera herself!” Spikey had a huge grin on his face, and a sly gleam in his eye, as he picked up a random stick from the side of the road and fed the power of Primythera, the planet spirit, directly into the long dead branch. It grew rapidly, straightening and hardening as several soldiers couldn’t help but trade bawdy jests as to the phallic nature of the druid’s creation. Spikey took it in stride, confiding to his swiftmates in a whisper that carried to everyone: “That’s Sully’s little boy over there. Who wants to see Cat thrown from a saddle? Wagers?”

“You’ll need a horse, Catwright, unless you plan on running at him,” Sergeant Lovine dismounted and handed off the reins. Cat eyed the Sergeant and the Corporals with a sour, resigned expression as they started discussing odds while breaking out snacks and using their packs for chairs. Very few believed he would win the joust, but most thought he would win a sword fight if he wasn’t too incapacitated.

“Catwright Isubane the Third,” the armored horseman bellowed across the distance, “I challenge you to a duel to the dirt; first one knocked down three times loses! Agreed?”

“Agreed!” Cat shouted back as he mounted the much smaller rouncey.

“Take a shield!” Beldere scolded. “You aren’t even wearing any armor. You are putting far too much faith in my ability to put you back together.”

One of the soldiers handed Cat a full-sized tower shield; it must have weighed over thirty pounds. Even holding it sideways, Cat had to angle it down so he could see over the top. Cat started laughing. “You’re always saying I need to have more faith, Bel.”

“Ha!” his challenger called over. “That shield is older than my grandfather!”

“Still not as old as that antique set you’re wearing!” Cat shouted right back.

“Ha ha! Weight advantage to me! We’ll see how smug you are when I put this lance through that pathetic wooden door and your unprotected ribs.” Beldere raised his head at this, then narrowed his eyes and waved a hand. The steel tip on the lance fell off and bounced off the warhorse’s barding once before unceremoniously thumping to the ground. You could practically see the distraught look through the young Sulwood’s visor. “Watcher’s hairy green balls, Bel, you always have to ruin the fun!” The lance came off his shoulder in one fluid motion, and the enormous destrier surged forward.

Cat was just taking his lance from Spikey, somewhat distracted by the graphic metaphors being tossed around, and half of the soldiers rolling on the ground in laughter, when he noticed Seleger coming for him. He spurred forward, using every bit of horsemanship he could muster just to get his frightened mount galloping in the right direction. He was basically riding blind as he maneuvered the 12-foot lance into position around the massive shield, almost dropping the weapon in the process. He flattened the shield slightly to see and had to raise it back up a half-second before impact. He felt and heard the shattering of wood. His freshly made lance flexed in his grip as it hit the lower corner of Seleger’s shield and bent instead of shattering for just a split moment. In the next fraction of a second, he was forced sideways and then backward as his lance snapped, his right shoulder popped out of its socket, and the remainder of his opponent’s lance struck him in his left pectoral. Then there was intense pain and a feeling of weightlessness as he flew backward through the air, and landed in a backward roll which brought him smoothly to his feet.

Cat dropped the remains of the tower shield and reached over to pull his shoulder back into place with an audible crunch. The pain was intense but helped him focus. He didn’t go into shock or pass out as easily now as he did a few years ago. Unfortunately, his right arm would be useless for a while, so he drew his sword left-handed and set his stance as Seleger turned the massive stallion around. Seleger was picking up speed like he intended to just run him down; Cat just set his feet and smiled. At the last moment, the other boy broke off and vaulted from the saddle.

“I could have taken the easy win, but I don’t want you to hurt my horse.”

“I wouldn’t hurt your horse.”

“Yes, you would; you just wouldn’t kill it because you believe all broken bones and stab wounds can be healed.”

“They can.”

“You’re too used to having a personal priest to fix all your problems.” Seleger was goading him, trying to get him angry enough to make a stupid mistake. Cat just smiled.

“Are you going to talk all day, or can we finish this?”

“Did you see how easily I took you out of the saddle?” Seleger boasted, raising his voice for all to hear. Cat refused to mention that Seleger had started charging before he was even seated. “I’m not even right-handed.” Seleger looked pointedly at Cat’s uselessly dangling right arm. “But you are.” Seleger was very good at getting into his opponent’s head, but that wouldn’t work on him. Cat started striding toward the other boy.

Seleger was so busy hurling taunts that he barely got his sword up in time to block Cat’s first swing. Seleger was good at swordplay, and he was fully armored, but Cat was relentless. Seleger tired quickly with all the extra weight, and before long, the armor was ringing with the rapid hits from the faster, more nimble fighter. In less than two minutes, Seleger was disarmed and face-first in the dirt. Farmers and other travelers had gathered in a circle with the whooping soldiers to watch the display. Cat noticed the soldiers already shamelessly exchanging coins while Seleger struggled to a sitting position and removed his battered helmet. The ruddy-faced boy grinned up at Catwright as the victor offered his friend, Seleger Sulwood, a hand up.

“You are still a ruthless bastard” Seleger grunted at Catwright as Beldere healed the shallow wounds and Cat’s dislocated shoulder.

“I seem to remember someone telling me a couple years ago, that I was too soft on the competition”

“Yeah, I meant for you to go harder on them, not me!” Seleger laughed. “It’s good to see you Cat, I haven’t taken a good whooping in a while.

“That armor must be five hundred years old,” Cat said matter-of-factly.

“What? No, this was my grandfather’s armor; the Sulwoods didn’t all have fancy armor like your old grandpa. Whatever happened to that wondrous artifact? I know your father isn’t using it.” The Armor of Areyas, his grandfather’s famous suit of Calmahran enchanted armor. Cat had been disappointed it wasn’t in the amulet King Mecre had given him.

“I’d guess someone high up in the king’s inner circle is using it,” Cat replied thoughtfully. He knew the armor had been pierced through by the teeth of Isulas, the lizard god of vengeance, but it could supposedly regenerate from any harm.

“Well, I’d shave my sack with a spoon for armor like that,” Seleger said wistfully.

“I’m not sure which is harder to believe,” Cat said straight-faced, “all the stories about that armor, or that you actually have hair on your sack.”

“Ha, You should assume everything is true until proven otherwise!” Seleger replied airily. Cat wasn’t sure if the boy was being serious, or just flexing his strange sense of humor. Seleger vaulted back into his saddle with the ease of someone who was definitely not wearing fifty pounds of steel and leather. “You were early, by the way; I meant to meet you further out. Those old soldiers are quicker than I thought.”

“Did Adenide tell you I was coming?”

“That’s High Wild Warden or Master Adenide, Sage of the Six Moons,” Beldere interjected reverently.

Seleger ignored the correction. “Yes. Did you know yours could talk over distances?” Seleger eyed the young priest suspiciously.

“I suspected, I suppose, but at least he hasn’t been in my head yet as far as I can tell.” Cat also glanced at Beldere.

“Speaking to another priest is much easier. You would have to let me in; I’m not strong enough to force a connection.” Cat heard the unspoken ‘yet’ quite clearly.

“Well, I formally welcome you and your small army to the delightful town of Breckan’s Hold. May it not bore you to tears before we head on to Osenvale.”

“We?” Cat inquired.

“Yes, I am coming with you, and perhaps I shall bring my own entourage. We could conquer the city and divide up the spoils and the ladies between us.” Seleger gave Cat a significant look, and Cat just rolled his eyes.

A group of riders approached from the west as the party entered the outskirts of Breckan’s Hold from the east. Cat recognized Seleger’s father, retired Lieutenant Colonel Dain Sulwood, atop a monstrous gray war bear. A half-dozen other riders in the brown and grey livery of house Sulwood accompanied the Lord of Breckan’s Hold, The few horses in Cat’s party danced and shied away from the great bear. Even the shinnocmyr and Garreth’s great boar seemed cautious, while the horses of house Sulwood’s soldiers and Seleger’s own beast, seemed unconcerned.

Dain had served with his father through the ongoing border wars as a quad commander and then second in command of Sapphire Company. Catwright had met the man a few times over the years. He was a solid military man in his early forties, with a touch of gray in his dark hair.

Dain nodded at Catwright and Beldere. “Welcome to Breckan’s Hold. We have a domestic disturbance out at the Bailer farm; Seleger, you will accompany me. Catwright, you can come if you like; it may prove instructional. The rest of you can continue to the Hold if you wish; accommodations have been prepared for all of you, and the tavern has stocked extra brew.” He looked pointedly at the soldiers.

“Aw, why’re you looking at me, Sully?” Spikey drawled with a mock-hurt expression.

“Ain’t gotta tell me twice,” Gemma was first to guide her mount around the crowd and toward the town center.

“Take my horse,” Sergeant Lovine said to Cat, handing him the reins of the recovered rouncey. “It’s unseemly for you to be jogging behind Lord Sulwood’s retinue like some poor beggar.”

With no further objections, Seleger, Catwright, and Beldere followed Dain down a southward-branching road into the more rural farmlands. The soldiers spread out with three in the front and three in the rear. Beldere must have learned the trick of calming their two horses, for suddenly they all stopped fidgeting and trotted closer behind the great bear. Dain called the bear Feingar and talked to it as if it understood him perfectly. Its shoulder was level with the eyes of Seleger’s warhorse, and it could have carried six people easily if needed. The bear ignored the trio and forged ahead with a ground-eating pace that forced the horses to canter to keep up.

“So what’s happening with the Bailer’s?” Seleger asked.

“A merchant came into town about an hour ago saying he heard a girl crying and a man yelling, so I decided to go check it out myself. This isn’t the first time I’ve heard about trouble out this way, but the soldiers I sent a few months ago didn’t find anything amiss. The kids have been sick a lot though, and missing weeks of school.

Catwright smelled the farmstead before he saw the cottage through the trees. The acrid stench of pig feces clogged the air. The bear whuffed in annoyance as they approached the house. A shaggy-haired, obese man sat on the front steps, cradling a bottle of spirits. Beldere dismounted, wide-eyed, before anyone could speak, and walked briskly toward the home. Dain noted the priest’s concern and snapped a question as he slid down Feingar’s flank: “Dernus, what happened here?”

The fat man looked up with bleary eyes, saw the priest stalking toward him, and stood abruptly. “Hey, what’re you about?” The almost three-hundred-pound man flew aside into the mud at a gesture from Beldere, who continued to advance up the short steps. Cat and Seleger vaulted from their mounts, excited to see what had Beldere so worked up.

The inside of the house was a mess, but that was not what captured the party’s attention. At the base of a broken chair, sprawled on a moldy blanket, was a filthy, pale, and sickly-looking little girl dressed in rags. Cat was almost surprised to see her draw breath. She had at least one broken arm, and her bruised face was contorted in pain, even though she appeared to be unconscious.

“Call for Master Adenide…” Dain started.

“There is no need,” Catwright stated soberly. He could feel Beldere gathering his magic. The girl might be dead long before the master got there, but Beldere could heal her. Cat had been in bad shape before, but his wounds were almost always treated immediately. This poor girl must have been suffering for days. She had the look of someone with untreated internal damage.

The girl gasped as the magic of Neador’s faith took hold. She floated several inches above the floor; her bones fused together, her flesh knitted closed, bruises faded, and scars disappeared. Beldere then cleared the blood from her body with the same magic and repaired her torn clothing, revealing a pale, brown-haired girl of nine or ten years. She sobbed softly. The whole miracle took less than a minute.

“You have come far, young priest, from when I last saw you,” Dain said slowly. “I doubt Master Adenide could have been so thorough.”

“I have had considerable practice,” Beldere glanced at Catwright.

“I grant you right of sentence for Dernus Bailer; what would Neador’s judgment be?”

Beldere sighed heavily, the weight of responsibility evident. Cat knew that Neador himself did not judge, but the wisdom of his priests was considered beyond reproach. “What can you tell me of the family?”

“They came from the north a few years ago,” Dain stated, “from the borderlands. A neighboring town had been sacked by Grulken, so they decided it was time to move somewhere better protected, even if it meant paying some taxes. Dernus was always the angry type and likes to drink and gamble.”

“The mother?” Beldere asked.

Dain just shrugged. In Mecre, it was not uncommon for women to separate from the fathers of their children if they had a druidic calling, but in the borderlands, men and women usually stayed together for extra security.

“She was killed in the borderlands,” came a slurred call from the doorway. Dernus stood there swaying. The little girl became stiff and silent, her fear evident. The boys and Dain did not move; they had seen him coming. He was not a fighting man, and they were not intimidated. “When the Grulken sacked Bolgerton, she was there with her sister, and they were all slaughtered.” He spat the words, far more angry than sad.

Dernus suddenly halted mid-sway and became silent, eyes wide. Beldere approached the large man, the priest’s voice as cold as Cat had ever heard it. “Dernus Bailer, you are a damaged man. I cannot heal the wound in your mind, but I can make sure you do not harm others. You will continue to work as a pig farmer, tithing one-tenth of all your earnings to the Sulwood estate. Your children shall become wards of the Sulwoods. If you wish to see them, they must agree to the meeting. No matter how much anger you have, you will never lay a hand upon them or anyone unless it be in self-defense or the defense of Breckan’s Hold.”

“Yes, Priest of Neador, I’ll obey,” Dernus droned in reply. Cat and Seleger looked at each other with dumbfounded expressions. The compulsion was one of the most frightening things Catwright had ever seen. Could Beldere do that to him? Had he already done it? Dernus staggered into an adjoining room, looking tired and confused.

Dain kneeled down in front of the girl, her hollow expression focused. “Bethyn, where is your brother?”

“I…I dunno,” she squeaked.

“He is in the sty,” Beldere said.

Dain wrinkled his nose. “Alive?”

“Sleeping,” the priest confirmed.

The pigsty was a short wooden building not far from the main house. As they approached, the reek was oppressive, even in the crisp autumn air. “Chatwick, are you in there?” Dain shouted into the entrance.

A scrawny boy of perhaps thirteen or fourteen years slid through the muck, scrambling to his feet and almost falling again in his haste. “S..sorry, my lords, I wasn’t sleepin’ or nothin’; I was just checkin’ that all the piglets was still there.” The accent was of the rural borderlands, thicker than his father’s or sister’s. His clothes were covered in pig feces and mud; even the stringy blonde mop on his head was matted with brown on one side. Seleger did not try to hide his wide grin. Cat smiled in spite of himself; even with all he had been through, he could not imagine finding comfort in such a hiding place.

“Your father has forfeited his right of parentage,” Dain said without preamble. “You and your sister shall become wards of the Sulwood house.”

The boy’s face sobered as he considered the words; for a moment, Cat thought he would refuse. Chatwick’s face brightened suddenly. “Ol’ da finally went too far, I reckon. That mean I don’t have to shovel shit no more? Seems like a lucky day for me. What do I do? I can cook, ya know, an’ I’m pretty fierce with a spade!”

Seleger chuckled. “Father, with your permission, I think I’d like to take Chatwick as my squire.”

Dain had a bemused expression. “Or a page, more like; young Chatwick has not been raised as a soldier. I shall grant your request, if Chatwick is willing?”

“A man could do much worse than page to a Sulwood,” Chatwick grinned and tried to stand proud, raising his chin and puffing out his chest. “It would be my honor!” It might have come across better if he weren’t ankle-deep in filth.

After a thorough cleaning, with aid from Beldere, Seleger had his new page coax Bethyn out of the house and onto a horse behind Catwright. Chatwick couldn’t resist running his hands down the flanks of the great bear as he passed. Feingar, for his part, gave a small snort and a look that suggested the boy’s hands were not clean enough for such liberties.

“We do not fondle another’s mount without their permission,” Seleger chided gently. “There are men who would cut you down for such an affront; a different war bear might even take you for a snack.”

“Someday I will ride a great bear like Feingar!” Chatwick spoke prophetically, without the least bit of apology or humility, as he climbed up behind Seleger.

The town of Breckan’s Hold was the same picturesque small gathering of well constructed wooden houses Catwright remembered from two years past. The homes were interspersed by occasional rock walls and ruined stone structures from a fortress that fell hundreds of years ago during the war of the dead. Cat did not remember the name of the fort or the battle, but was sure he had learned about it at some point.

They made their way slowly to the Sulwood manor. Many townspeople waved or called a greeting to Dain and Seleger, for they were adored by the folk. Dain stopped and conversed with many of them, exchanging pleasantries and deftly deflecting or answering inquiries with a precision that left Catwright in awe. The art of conversation and politics was something not well covered in his education thus far.

Although only a couple of hours had passed since they had diverged from the rest of the party on the road, the sun was low in the sky as they entered the sturdy wooden gates of the Sulwood estate. The small courtyard was lush with vegetation, including a variety of colorful flowers Cat was pretty sure would not normally grow this late in the year. Lady Natalia Sulwood greeted them at the entrance in a long forest green gown. An emerald necklace around her neck brought out her sparkling eyes as she beamed at them. Her curly brown hair framed striking features. She was not quite a decade younger than Dain, yet still old enough to have three children, two of whom were already adults. She herself could have easily passed for Dain’s daughter. Such was the way of those who practiced advanced druidcraft, Cat thought, they don’t seem to age the way the rest of us do.

“Greetings husband, Seleger, and oh Catwright it has been too long, you boys are so tall I have to look up at you now.” She hugged all three of them warmly, before turning to the children. “Now who are these little darlings?”

“Chatwick and Bethyn Bailer, Neador has seen fit to grant us two new wards.” he nodded toward Beldere. “I’ll explain the circumstances at dinner my dear.”

“Priest Beldere, you have grown as well, I see maturity and sorrow in your eyes far beyond your years. Pray take whatever succor you desire from this house. A Voice of the Watcher is ever welcome here. We have prepared rooms for you, but I know master Adelade has requested your presence in the Grotto of Whispers and has quarters for you there as well.”

“I thank you for your hospitality, Lady Sulwood. I beg your leave, so that I may be off to the Grotto at once.” Beldere looked uncomfortable and excited at the same time.

“Off you go then dear, best not to keep the Master waiting.”

Beldere made cursory farewells to the others and then virtually ran out the door. Natalia greeted the children warmly and sent them off with a servant for a tour of the grounds and dinner with some of the other children of the manor. Cat and Selger were asked to freshen up before an intimate meal with Lord and Lady Sulwood.

The meal was sumptuous compared to what Cat was used to, but not extravagant by Sulwood standards. They were not true wealthy nobles, but compared to his father or any normal soldiers, they were well off indeed. They spoke at length about local politics, the assumption being that Catwright would be interested since he might someday run a village or town of his own someday. In truth he found it difficult to focus, his mind drifting into imaginary future adventures. The responsibilities that Dain and Natalia embraced with such fervor held little interest for the sixteen year old boy.

Seleger seemed to embrace the conversation well enough, asking about the families he knew or what trade goods they would seek in return for their larger than normal harvest this year.

“What are your plans while in Osenvale, Catwright?” The conversation had become a background murmur until he caught Natalia’s voice speaking his name.

“Uh, I’m sorry…” He fumbled. She repeated her question, more slowly.

“If Selly’s going with you I would know your general plans, where you’ll be staying, and how long.” Her voice was sweet and cordial with a not so subtle hint of demand.

“Well,” Cat started slowly, as Seleger stifled a laugh. “We’re going for the festival, and the tournament.” He paused. “I haven’t really thought too far beyond that. As for where we’re staying, I hadn’t really thought about it. I figured Sergeant Lovine would know a place.”

“I’m sure he would indeed, a hovel with pallets for beds above a brothel no doubt.” Seleger didn’t hold back his laugh this time. The lady’s mischievously stern face swept the room. “Well you needn’t worry, I will arrange a place, for I shall be going with you.”

Isubane’s Echo, Chapter 3: Freedom

Image by Gemini

The silence stretched for long moments after Beldere’s revelation. There were some incredulous murmurs in the background but nothing distinct until the old man, face an inscrutable mask, finally asked. “Any other questions?”

Catwright the younger couldn’t imagine what his father must be thinking. After finally arriving home after two years on campaign, he gets his head bashed in by his son and then finds out a few hours later that his son is basically his father. Cat almost giggled like a little boy at the thought. He was in a good mood suddenly. With the revelation that the Everborn had a personal interest in him, and then receiving a soul-bound artifact enchanted with dimensional magic with a thousand gold pieces in it, his day had become much better. The letter and the gift were possibly more of a treat than watching his father collapse in the dirt this morning.

“There is something I have always wondered about,” Cat had a genuine smile on his face, which most in the mess hall had never seen. “Why did you have to continue the name of Catwright? Where did that come from, and how did it stick for three generations?” There was unrestrained laughter echoing through the chamber now. Even Beldere looked like his last sip of water almost came back out of his nose. Cat was grinning as well, but the truth was, he had always hated the name, and wondered if his descendants had been fixers of carts who lack a proper alphabetic education.

His father grimaced. “It was your mother’s idea. When she brought you here you were about six months old and she had already named you. You can ask her. You’ll find her, or rather she’ll find you, if only to tell you what an idiot you are for leaving the protection of the grove.”

Cat was more than a little surprised the colonel answered the question, though it was not really an answer, only raised more questions And the rebuke at the end was so typically his father that Cat had to stifle a laugh. He knew that his grandfather had been an orphan who had embraced military service before he even came of age, but no one seemed to know much more. His mother would. The thought of his mother made him chuckle. Yes, he would find her, and he would have lots of questions. He reached down casually and touched his pack and kit sitting on the floor behind him, and they disappeared into his brooch. He enjoyed the startled gasps.

“You might want to be a little more careful with that particular secret.” The colonel looked thoughtful.

“Why?” Cat challenged, “It can’t be stolen; it’s soulbound.”

“Of course it can!” The old man looked genuinely surprised and disappointed. “They can just kill you and break the binding.”

It was Cat’s turn to be surprised and a little embarrassed, but his snark had not been stifled quite yet. “I will endeavor to prevent the loss then. I would not want to shame our family with a premature death and loss of a valuable artifact.”

His father just rolled his eyes and stood up. “Eat up boy, I assume you’ll want to put some miles on the road before dark. I’ll make sure the facet is ready to depart within the hour.”

It took Cat less than an hour to eat and walk to the west gate. There had been several interruptions and distractions by well-wishers or those who were just plain curious. He received their words with more tact and civility that he could usually muster because of his lingering good mood. He couldn’t remember the last time a simmering anger had not been lurking in the corner of his mind. His step was lighter for more than one reason. He was also physically unburdened thanks to his new amulet. It was strange to have this kind of freedom. He could call anything from his storage space directly to his hand; he didn’t even have to wear a sword belt. It felt unfair in a way, like he had found a way to cheat so many minor hardships with a single acquisition. It had briefly crossed his mind that this might make him weaker, somehow dependent on indestructible, weightless storage. The smile on his face revealed the truth though. It was worth the negligible cost to his pride for such a tremendous gain any way he looked at it.

Beldere and the soldiers were already assembled at the gate. He knew all of the old warriors of course. Crusty old Sergeant Lovine was at the head of a full facet of three swifts. The swifts were veterans as well, each with 2 heavy infantry, a mage, a dedicated healer, and a senior softie. He knew these softies had all cross trained as well; each one could perform as a sapper, an archer and a scout. The grizzled Corporal Remel, who went by the nickname ‘Spikey’, was also a druid. The squat broad man had an oversized crossbow strapped to his back, a thick grey and black beard with penetrating green eyes. “There’s the boy! If we’re goin to get planted, it might as well be while fighting them lizards!”

Cat knew the man had a grudge against the Ssythe, but didn’t know the details. He thought druids were like Beldere, supposedly peaceful and would preach against harming other sentient beings. Spikey was a soldier, though, so he apparently didn’t ascribe to all the non-violent tenants of the priesthood. “I’m not planning on starting any fights, Spikey.”

“Sure you’re not.” The softie shook his head doubtfully and probably had a knowing smile under his ridiculous beard. “It’s nice to get out of garrison duty just the same.”

Only Beldere and the Sergeant had a horse, but Cat was still surprised by the escort. Most full cluster units did not have more than one or two fully complemented facets because mages and healers were relatively scarce. Most facets would have an extra infantry or bowman to replace a missing mage, and the healer would be a regular soldier with slightly more knowledge as a field medic. Knowing the skills of these men, Cat reckoned he had one of the most effective facets in all of Sapphire company. The mages were actual magi, with access to multiple veils, and the healers were specialists who could truly save lives. This was an escort that most royal houses would envy, and it was all for him. Were they ordered to do this? Did they really think this was a suicide mission?

The mercenaries arrived a few minutes later, each on their own personal steed. There were six of them, all travelling to Osenvale. Garreth rode an enormous warboar, its shoulder as tall as Cat’s head. They were apparently common in the Weltstone area, where the locals were constantly fending off hunters who braved the icy mountains for the valuable tusks. Olivia Peln and her brother Jarod, mages specializing in aquavae and frigorum, the veils of water and cold, both rode giant black foxes called Shinnocmyr. Some people confused them with dire foxes, but these were more intelligent and magical. Cat was wary of them, because he had very little understanding of their capabilities. He knew they were dangerous, but had never fought them because they had no interest in being ‘stabbed for play’ as Olivia had translated. The rest — Gemma, Markus and Denton — all rode horses. Only Gemma’s was memorable because it was a silver-haired Felton mare. Mercenaries earned a lot more coin than regular soldiers and they tended to splurge on the exotic. One might think the soldiers were envious, but they would point out that most mercenaries don’t last a decade, and a large number don’t survive the first year.

Risk and reward. Not for the first time Cat considered if he would enjoy the mercenary life. There were always adventures and excitement awaiting talented warriors for hire. Monsters, forces of nature, and creatures from beyond the veils appeared suddenly, and soldiers weren’t always around or equipped to deal with them. There were a lot of grey areas, however. Mercenaries could be hired to fill out armies on whichever side had the most gold. Any lord or merchant with enough coin could purchase their service to stomp out their competition. Cat wouldn’t feel right marching up to someone’s home and killing guards who were just doing their job. Such things did not occur often in Mecre, but there were plenty of nearby realms that were constantly at war with somebody. In these places, people with power and wealth made the rules. It was in those places that mercenaries earned their fame and fortune. It seemed that the best course, if he were to pursue such a career, would be to acquire his own mercenary company, so that he could decide where they went and who they worked for.

Before the group departed the colonel strode up with a group of officers. The soldiers came to an approximation of casual attention, respecting the unexpected appearance of their seniors, but veteran enough not to be intimidated or overly formal. Yet, it seemed the old man planned for some ceremony. The officers behind him came to stiff attention. Two flag bearers appeared with the Mecran flag and the Ironwatch flag and stood in back of the formation with standards held high. The colonel unfurled a scroll and held in front of himself, reading in a confident and projecting voice:

“All within hearing and sight, behold and bear witness! I, Catwright Isubane the second, do bring to your attention a matter of familial concern. My son, Catwright Isubane the third, from this day forth is no longer a boy to be sheltered, but a man ready to forge his own path. Therefore, by the power vested in me by the King of Mecre, and as a Colonel in the Mecran Army, Commander of Ironwatch garrison and Lord of Ironwatch Grove, I hereby declare Catwright Isubane the third emancipated from my direct authority and guardianship. He is now free to pursue his own destiny, seek his fortune, and make his mark upon the world. Let it not be said that he leaves without my blessing. He carries with him my love, my pride and the pride of those who have instructed him all these long years. May he always remember the honor and values of our house, those of the lands of Mecre, as they and he are watched over by our Grand Gardener, the Watcher in the Wood, Neador lord of the Elderwoods.” His father rolled up the scroll with the practiced ease of an administrator and handed it off to an officer.

“Catwright Isubane the third,” Catwright the second shouted. “Step forward!” Cat was entranced with the show and almost missed his cue; however, he had seen such rituals performed enough times to know his part. He stepped forward and knelt before his father.

“I bestow upon you the freedom of a man. May you wield it wisely and with courage. Go forth and make your own name, but know that you will always have a place within this keep and within my heart.” The old soldier held out a gold signet ring. Cat sometimes forgot that they were technically nobility, as decreed by King Mecre on the day his grandfather had died. The titles and lands were deferred, however, until his father resigned his commission. It was likely a large part of the reason his father kept going. It was hard enough being a Colonel; who would want to be a Baron? “Rise, Catwright, not as my son, but as your own man.” Cat stood and accepted the ring, a plain gold band with an oval bezel. His initials were engraved in reverse with three ‘I’s” underneath indicating the ‘third’ portion of his name. He didn’t know what to say. All this affection, emancipation, a ring made just for him. Cat bit his lip. He would not cry!

“Th..Thank you.” he managed.

A few more words were exchanged and there was some cheering and another round of well wishes. Cat’s mind was in a fog, he barely remembered anything after storing the signet ring and shaking his father’s hand. The old man had escaped with his entourage at some point and the flustered young man couldn’t wait to do the same.

Eventually, they made it through the gate and set a quick pace out of Ironwood village. The weather was crisp and dry, and they continued to make good time through the wide elderwood forest roads. The horses kept a steady trot while the soldiers and Catwright jogged alongside. He thought about offering to store the soldiers’ packs, but he felt like it might be insulting and they seemed to keep up well enough. Most of them had been doing this type of thing since before he was born after all.

The transition to the younger forest was not subtle. The road became a steep and more narrow descent that wound into switchbacks, and the ground vegetation abruptly thickened while relatively smaller and more varied trees grew closer together. As they curved around a particularly scenic outcropping, the deciduous greenery stretching for leagues in every direction, an explosion of birds startled the late afternoon peace. The entire party stopped and stared as thousands of small song birds, and hundreds of larger carrion eaters rose in a wide arc to the west and circled for a full minute with their flocks crossing through one another. The dark cloud of shrieks and screams sullied the sky until suddenly it stopped as the birds scattered in every direction.

“That didn’t seem natural.” a soldier remarked dryly.

“It wasn’t.” Spikey said, shaking his grizzled head.

The old soldier-druid wheezed slightly. “They’re common spies for shamans, druids, priests, and magi. Easy to control and hard to disable. I sensed at least a dozen lookers before I snuffed ‘em.”

“You broke a dozen links from thousands of feet away? That’s impressive.” Denton Blackfoot said, his fine chiseled features disturbed. “I didn’t notice the weaves on the birds or your casting.”

“Aye, Thera don’t like folks dominating her critters, and druids don’t need to part the veils to borrow her power. Besides I only stopped the weaker ones, there are plenty of casters out there who could weave a binding I can’t see.”

“I didn’t see any of them,” Beldere sounded confused.

Spikey looked at the young priest with some sympathy. “That’s why they waited outside the grove, boy; knew you’d be weaker away from the Watcher’s guardians.”

Cat recognized the look Beldere got when he looked inward. The young man had rarely in his life been outside of a grove, and Cat wondered just how weak his leash had become. Too late to run away now, I’m already free. Yet it was good to know the acolyte might not be as omniscient as he seemed back in Ironwatch.

They travelled for another hour and camped in the partial shelter of an old fortification, a small and crumbling ruin from a long forgotten war. Cat set up his tent outside the walls, not entirely comfortable in the somewhat dark and dank surroundings. While others went about making a fire and cooking food, he spared lightly with the soldiers and mercenaries. Someone remarked that he didn’t need to train so relentlessly anymore, and Cat simply shrugged. It was all he really knew. The session was a game of simple first-touch wins; no one wanted to get hurt too badly, not knowing the extent of Beldere’s limited powers. There were healers among the soldiers, but they were magi with access to animyra and other eldritch veils. None of them were priests as far as he knew. Cat doubted they could heal anything like Beldere, even in his weakened state.

The first round was played one-on-one with just swordplay. It was an advantage for him and he did not disappoint, tagging each in just a few seconds after Sergeant Lovine, the judge, saying ‘go’. The next round, he let them prepare with spells and use any tricks; like non-lethal items they had available. The game became much more even. The veterans and mercenaries were giving as good as they got. Denton tagged him two out of three times with his magically enhanced speed and reflexes. Additionally, the enchantment he put on his sword helped him block and attack with unerring precision.

On the third try, Spikey pulled out the stops and caused mist to shroud the training area. Cat didn’t mind that; he had experience fighting blind. He was taken to the ground in an instant, however, with a magic rope and then rapidly immobilized with growing vines. He felt the sword at his throat less than thirty seconds into the match. Cat had enhancements cast upon him by Beldere after that, partially to test the limits of the priest’s abilities and partially to up the challenge. He let everyone cast team spells on each other to see how their stacked abilities stood up against the stunted spells and lesser aura of Neador’s faithful servant. The magic was definitely in the favor of his opponents, but many of them were not used to moving faster or having a homing weapon. It was stifling to work against Beldere’s divine aura, but most of them had experience with the weakness and slowness it conferred. Cat was confounded by the combination of speed and Corporal Banid’s light whip enchantment on the blades of experienced warriors. The blades bent in impossible directions with the seeking spells attached, and the arc of the swings left ribbons of light in the air that still burned when touched. It was almost like turning normal swords into Elydrean mana blades.

As meal time approached, Cat’s rations were forgotten. The mercenaries had magical storage items and were happy to share. The smell of auroch steaks and fresh bread made his mouth water. Markus, the designated cook for the evening, had also prepared a spiced vegetable stir-fry, many of the ingredients for which Spikey and Beldere were able to grow fresh on the spot. The Pelns set out a large blanket and two great silver plates three feet in diameter. At first, Cat thought they were some kind of handleless shields until they placed great slabs of lightly warmed meat, the size of a man’s chest, upon them. The great magic foxes took to the feast with obvious delight.

After the evening meal, second and third swift divided up the watch duties, while first swift, having the night off, brought out a heavy metal flask and began passing it around. Swift leader Medane offered the flask to Catwright with a smile. “Drink up son; you might as well start the celebration now.”

Cat took the flask with some reservations; he had never been allowed alcohol within the garrison. For one, it was scarce, and two, his father had forbidden it, saying it could undermine his development. Cat took a swig, and it took considerable willpower not to spew it back up again. His whole mouth burned, then his nose stung, and his eyes started tearing up; it reminded him of the noxious magical clouds they used during gaseous warfare training. “You need to swallow it, Cat!” Gemma chortled from the other side of the fire. Swallowing caused the burn to continue all the way down his throat, but when it hit his stomach, warmth spread through him. Now he understood the quick sips and the grimace on the soldiers’ faces. He passed on the flask, noting with little surprise that Beldere declined. It was perhaps the most unpleasant drink he had ever tried, but he took another each time the flask came around, interested to see how the tinctures he had taken over the years would affect his tolerance compared to the others. Everyone in this group likely had at least some physical tempering, but his father had spent thousands of gold on Cat’s development, something most soldiers could not afford.

“This particular batch of Ironwatch whiskey has been enchanted with spirit mana by a master brewer,” Medane said casually, causing some of the mercenaries to look up sharply with concern. The old soldiers chuckled at the looks. “It won’t harm you none,” he waved his hand in a vague gesture. “It enhances the more enjoyable effects, like honesty and uh, relaxation, while reducing the less pleasant effects on the morrow.” Cat shrugged and took another sip; he felt his face start to heat up pleasantly. He was definitely relaxing. Muscles he hadn’t known were tight, were releasing their tension. The firelight, the friendly atmosphere, and the warm sensation in his face all seemed to lull him somehow.

“Why is it so hard to manifest mana while fighting?” Cat did not usually like addressing a group of people, but he felt more comfortable in this setting for some reason. His gaze fell on Denton as the most likely to have an answer.

“You’re looking at me, but you are one of the most gifted mana manipulators I’ve ever seen at your age.” Denton smiled wistfully, his dark eyes turned downward, almost sadly.

“Wh…what?” Cat responded, surprised.

“You naturally use lithos in your stance, which is why you’re nearly impossible to knock over. You are constantly switching among the other elements which makes you inhumanly fast and unpredictable. You even manifest animyra to see all around you and heal faster.”

“I don’t control that; it just happens.”

“Yet it is a manifestation of your will upon the veils and the elemental mana around you.”

“What about a physical manifestation like casting a spell?”

“Casting is a whole separate study, but you know that. What I do is mostly casting before a fight to prepare. I can manifest lithos and aether while fighting for strength and speed because I have cast the spells so many times; opening the veils is second nature. Like you, I don’t really need to think about it.”

Cat was still frustrated; he was at a loss to explain what he needed to know. The fog that clouded his mind was not helping. “When you speed up during a fight,” He paused to focus. “You know what is happening, you can feel the veil opening and control it.”

“Well, yes.”

“I don’t feel it happening; I don’t control the veils.”

“You do not have specialized training in that area, but you should still feel the veil opening inside you” The spellsword made a motion like opening tent flaps.

“I feel the world slow down around me when I speed up, and I gain a sort of surety at a certain point, a feeling for what’s coming next. The lithos make me feel rooted to the ground and it seems like I’ve always been able to do that, even when I was really little.” He remembered a nursemaid trying to pick him up when he was about four. He had wanted to play with some small military figurines he had discovered and resisted her. When she couldn’t lift him, she cried for help, not understanding what was happening.

Denton nodded “The precognition is rare, but not unheard of in seasoned warriors. You may be pulling mana from the environment around you; it’s inefficient, but it makes sense since you don’t have a lot of formal mage training, and it explains why you don’t feel the veils.”

“You just keep practicing and focusing on improving, and eventually, the veils will help you out.” Corporal Banid jumped in, scratching his scraggly beard after a sip from the canteen. “It’s easier if you work on one thing until you get what you want. If you’re too ambitious though, it can take years.”

“Manifestation is associated with familiarity,” A cold breeze touched the fire as Olivia twirled her fingers in front of her. Cat could see frost on her fingertips, though she did not seem to be uncomfortable. Her dark eyes became lighter with a slight glow, and her short, cropped blonde hair started lifting upward. “The body does not naturally accept a veil opening within it, but with practice, you create channels, much like blood vessels, and manipulating the weaves becomes easier. Your body becomes closer to the veils. They open more easily and stay open longer, and the power can be addicting.” By the time she finished speaking several soldiers were pulling their cloaks tighter about them and hunching down for warmth. Cat smiled in appreciation, few people could merge beautiful and creepy like Olivia Peln.

“Manifesting is simply using the power of a veil without the need of words, gestures, runes, or a catalyst to prop it open.” Jarod put it.

“What about a focus?” Asked Somera, a stocky woman of middle years who served as first swift’s healer.

Jarod seemed surprised by the question and looked around at Olivia and Denton’s smiling faces as if in fear of being tricked. “Ah, the education of a soldier is much more practical than theoretical I suppose. He nodded respectfully to the older woman, his pale, sharp features embarrassed. “The focus in common manifested spellcraft is you, or more specifically your soul.”

Somera was unperturbed. “So why do I need to use a wand or a staff to cast?” Her thick brows furrowed.

“That is a complex question.” Jarod sat back and stared for a moment at his black serpent-leather boots, likely more expensive than everything the soldier carried. There was a class difference here, not just in wealth, but in education as well. “Not everyone has the same gift with the veils. Some will never access a veil without some expensive assistance. Some just need a little extra help, he gestured to her polished oak staff. And still others just seem to have mana leaking from their pores.” He nodded pointedly at Catwright, and Cat was starting to understand his advantage. “The wooden foci you use are specifically potent for access to Salatosum, the veil of life. A spellsword, he gestured at Denton, might use steel to help access Bellicorum, the realm of conflict. The soul, however, is a conduit for all the known veils, and many we do not understand. Learning what it would take to unlock your potential would take too long to justify for Mecre’s standard two years of service. I studied and practiced for over a year before I could reliably cast my first spell.”

More questions and answers flowed around the fire, the soldiers more bold, and the mercenaries open with what they knew. Cat’s mind drifted off with the possibilities of higher training for career soldiers, or having an army of well-equipped and well-educated warriors.

His dreams were strange and vivid that night. Something stalked him through a dark forest. He was not afraid but for some reason he could not be bothered to turn around and confront whatever it was. He was a passenger in another body; the instinct to run or fight was high, but however he tried, he could not act upon it. He awoke to a camp already in motion. Soldiers were emerging from the ruins, some of them already packed and ready to march. They ate a quick breakfast from the leftovers of the night before and made an early start upon the road.

By early afternoon, they were among the farms which heralded the outskirts of Breckan’s Hold when Cat spotted an armored warrior on a giant black Mecran Destrier galloping towards them. The knight carried a long shaft of wood tipped with steel casually across his shoulder. Cat grinned and glanced at the scowling priest. “Bel, I think I’m going to need a lance.”

Isubane’s Echo, Chapter 2: Elder Soul

Image by Gemini

The first person to approach him was Sergeant Lucan Malick, the garrison quartermaster. The polished soldier clasped wrists with the victorious young warrior.

“Nice work, Cat. Now you can wander off and stop beating on us lesser folk.” The familiar greeting and jovial demeanor immediately helped the boy relax. Malick was one of the few people familiar enough with him to use a shortened version of his name. It helped distinguish him from the colonel, who would never accept such a moniker.

“Uh, thanks”

“No idea what to do now, right?” It was like the young soldier picked the thoughts from his head. “Just take it one day at a time. Come by the armory before you leave, I might have some gear for you.”

Cat just nodded dumbly as the Sergeant moved on and another soldier came up to congratulate him. They all knew he wanted to leave the garrison; he had made no secret of his anger and perceived captivity. Many probably wanted him gone so he would stop taking it out on them.

The mercenaries had mixed emotions. Garreth’s huge hand swallowed the boy’s arm. “I guess we’ll need to look for new work now.” The huge axe warrior grinned ruefully. “About time I suppose, I don’t think you learned much from us in the past year.”

Cat appreciated the camaraderie of the massive mountain man. Axe skills were not a common staple of Mecran soldiers, but the sheer intimidation factor of a six-and-a-half foot beast of a man wielding a two-handed, long-handled, double-bladed battle axe, could not be understated. Garreth was not a legend like the immortal Dross of the fabled Orenei empire, who stood against armies with his mythic axe Snarla. Yet, Garreth had taught him much of axe wielding and the various forms of lithos in a one-versus-many combat scenario.

Only about forty individuals came up to him out of nearly a thousand in the courtyard and training grounds area, but the awkwardness seemed to go on for an eternity. After nearly an hour of more speaking than the boy had done in over a year, he was finally able to fill a plate from the makeshift breakfast banquet and go to his room. The walk to the main keep was relatively short, and Cat managed to force a nod and a smile to those who still called out to him. He was so out of sorts that he almost kept walking past the keep to the armory. Stopping mid stride he pivoted left, spilling some water and almost dropping his plate. The bluff stone building was by far the tallest in Ironwatch village. At five stories, it dominated the landscape under the tree canopy. Small patches of sunlight were trickling through the dense upper foliage and the dispersing fog to highlight patches of dark green moss and lichens carpeting the stone. Ironwatch was not as growth-covered as many settlements in the kingdom of Mecre, but the blessing of the Watcher could be seen in the proliferation of the shorter, thicker plants that thrived in the moist, shaded environment.

Catwright entered the dimly lit building and nearly sprinted up the stairs to his room. With the door closed, he sat down, closed his eyes, and found his center through practiced breathing. Thus settled he was able to address his ravenous hunger. He reflected on how his thoughts scattered and his mind seemed to cloud over and slow down when faced with the attention of too many people. This was a weakness he was unsure how to address. The plate of thick sausages and scrambled eggs quickly disappeared as he struggled with the issue. He imagined he was like a fox surrounded by barking dogs, but he couldn’t attack the dogs, and they likewise wouldn’t attack him. Could he just endure? Would he build up a tolerance with more exposure? What would they think if he just walked off when it became too uncomfortable? Unable to come up with an acceptable solution, the boy resolved to stay away from crowds and try to keep his head down in the future.

With one issue addressed if not solved, the young fighter turned his thoughts to more pressing concerns. Where would he go? What would he do, now that more options were open? He wanted to connect more with the friends he had made during the summer training camps hosted at Ironwatch keep. Every year, aspiring young soldiers would come to train with the garrison in the art of campaign warfare. They learned logistics, survival, tactics and combat in all its forms. For eight weeks, they would camp in the deep woods and play war games against other teams of soldiers and children. Cat reflected that it was the only time to which he ever really looked forward. Oh, there were festivals and celebrations throughout the year, but they mostly consisted of slightly better food in greater quantities, and adults drinking and dancing late into the night. The boy appreciated the music, since it was rare, but the other activities strained his limited social skills.

He had not spent much time with the few other children in the village. They went to a single school while he had personal tutors and traveled fairly often for specialized training. He had always been larger and stronger than other kids his age, and this seemed to intimidate them. This was in addition to his elevated status as son of the garrison commander, and grandchild of a legend.

While he thought, he turned his actions toward packing. He did not have a lot to take with him other than clothing. Almost everything he cared about was martial in nature. He had a set of throwing knives from master Helachan at the Obsidian Order. The old rogue apparently gave them out to all of his top students. Garreth had given him a nice hand axe for his last name day. It was well balanced for throwing and high enough quality to take an enchantment. There was also a masterwork hand crossbow a merchant in Mecre had given him upon learning who his father was. It was better than anything in the garrison, compact and could autoload five quarrels with its enchanted cocking mechanism. While he clipped the weapon to the outside of his pack, his eyes fell upon a small notebook on the side table. It was dark, textured leather, small enough to fit in a large pocket and enchanted to have thousands of pages. It had been a gift from his mother years ago. How old had he been? Eight or nine perhaps? Maybe now he could visit… no, he wouldn’t know how to even begin to look for her. He stuffed the book into his pack and gave the room a final scan. With a shug he hoisted the pack to his back and turned away from his old room.

The quartermaster was busy but soldiers made way for the young Isubane, many looking askance at the unusual smile upon the boy’s normally grim visage. Sergeant Malick greeted him with his usual enthusiasm. “All packed and ready for your journey Cat?”

“Yes, I just need a camp kit and some rations.”

“How are you going to carry everything?”

Cat shook the pack on his back “I’ll manage.”

“Can you take a horse?”

The boy wrinkled his nose. He had never really liked horses, they just seemed like extra work. “I’m not sure. A horse would probably just slow me down” He was not being arrogant, he knew he could outpace a horse during a day’s travel, though he wasn’t sure he could keep the pace with a full kit and his belongings. Maybe he should ask for a horse.

Malick’s jaw dropped for a second as if thinking of a response, but he recovered well. “Yes, well knowing you, that’s likely true, what about a pack horse?”

Cat thought for a moment and smiled ruefully. “I’ll need to find out what ‘conditions’ the old man has for me. He’ll probably want me to take a full cluster wherever I go.” The idea of having 4 facets or a full cluster of sixty soldiers shadowing his every move almost made him laugh with the absurdity of it.

“I wouldn’t doubt it,” Malick laughed, “except for the expense, even the colonel would have a tough time explaining such excess.” The quartermaster handed Cat a large canvas sack. “Maybe you can get your dad to let you have a storage ring, eh?”

Even Cat laughed at this. The camping kit was a forty pound drawstring sack containing a small canvas tent, a bedroll, cooking utensils, and other small tools for tasks like digging and lighting a fire. A magical storage item of some kind would indeed be useful, however, his father only had two storage rings for the whole company and they were far too valuable to give to his aimlessly wandering son. “I’ll figure something out.” Cat took the sack with one hand and easily lifted it off the counter and slung it over a shoulder. He knew that it would be fairly uncomfortable to walk a long distance with all the gear, but he had done it before. He could fit all of the camping kit into his pack and strap the bedroll and tent to the outside if he needed to.

“Armor?” Malick asked.

“No, I’m not planning to head into a war zone right away, the leathers and the sword I used this morning are good enough.” Cat patted the blade belted to his hip.

“No! Let me have that blade.I have something better!” Malick said excitedly. He went to the back and returned with a sword. The scabbard was plain, if new, but the sword was obviously something special. Cat took the weapon reverently. “Some of the men and I got some coins together and hired the best blacksmith, Master Vearn! Then we pitched in and bought the materials for the enchantments, and some of the garrison mages were able to do the runes and the spells. We know how you don’t like to sharpen and maintain your blades, probably because you go through them so fast.This one should be able to take a bit more punishment”

It was a master-crafted blade. Cat examined the expertly wrapped grip and the three tiny sapphires on the hilt. He pulled the blade free and the lightly glowing rune work shone just above the guard. He recognized the runes for sharpness, durability and resistance. The sharpness rune would save him hours with a whetstone, durability should keep the sword from bending with his enhanced strength, and resistance should prevent rust and weathering damage. Cat was speechless. “This is amazing,” his voice was distant and thoughtful, “you have my sincere thanks.” he finished with conviction, nodding to himself solemnly. “I just don’t know why, or how I can repay…”

“You have helped us improve as much, or more than, we helped you. Watcher’s eyes, Cat, I’ve never seen someone master fighting as fast as you, and then you teach even when you’re not trying. In the last half year I’ve improved more than in the last decade. Others have too. You may be a bit ruthless, but all of us who trained with you will have a better chance of survival if we get into a real scrap.” Malick gave the boy a level look. “And it’s not just the blade skills. Being healed by a priest of Neador has made us stronger. Remember when Renly kicked your leg out, and you got so mad you nearly cut both his legs off? He runs faster than any of us now, and you should see him jump!” The sergeant laughed, then sobered once more. “If anything, we know the world you’re walking into better than you do, and if we can improve your odds with a little gift, it’s the least we can do. Now, is there anything else I can get for you?”

“I uh…thank you.” Cat replied simply. “Just some short bolts for my mini.” He patted the dark wooden hand crossbow clipped to his pack.

“Ah, now there’s a fine weapon, probably worth more than your new sword even without that fancy loading enchantment.” Malick’s eyebrows drew down for a moment. “I don’t even know what kind of wood that is.” He shook his head slightly as if clearing cobwebs and produced a clutch of twenty, eight-inch, tightly packed bolts. “Sorry, that’s all we have. Denton is the only other with a one-hander, so we don’t order too many at a time.”

“This should be plenty for now. Thank you again.” Cat tried to exit the armory after that but kept getting caught up in more conversations. He really wanted to ignore them and find some space, but he knew they had spent hard- earned coins on him, and most of them he would never see again. Some old soldiers like Major Klendan, clasping his wrist in obvious pride, he had known his whole life. They were like terrible uncles who enforced strict military discipline, but now suddenly had a case of nostalgia and kind words. Cat didn’t know what to make of it. Maybe they didn’t like the old colonel and enjoyed seeing him taken down a peg. All of this affection had been hiding behind gruff facades for years and now it felt like he didn’t know any of them. He had to escape and find some silence where he could think in peace.

It took nearly another hour to extricate himself. Walking quickly, he took a turn through the gardens and toward the back of the keep. He found a hollow between the roots of a large oak tree which grew tall and strong despite being in the shade of the giant elderwoods. Cat settled into a meditative position, reflecting that druids really could grow anything anywhere. Anywhere. Where was he going to go? The idea of wandering the road just to see where it took him had great appeal. He could just get lost for a couple of years, come back and do his obligatory military service, and then go out and do it again. The idea seemed like a lonely option. As much as he enjoyed his solitude, he didn’t want to be completely isolated. Another consideration was comfort. He was accustomed to sleeping outdoors and eating rations, but that didn’t mean he enjoyed that life. He definitely appreciated the value of a warm bed and good food.

The town of Breckan’s Hold crossed his mind because it was relatively close, and he knew his friend Seleger lived there. He wasn’t really sure where most of the summer students came from, but he knew some were as far away as Mecre or Jeryl. Both larger cities interested him, but Breckan’s Hold was also on the way to Osenvale, where there was apparently a tournament happening in a few weeks. It would be an exciting place to see and experience some new things. If he could enter the tournament he could also see how his skills measured against some of the best in the area, something his young pride demanded. His decision made, Cat continued meditating for another hour seeking that elusive inner peace that would carry him through the meeting with his father and hearing the dreaded ‘conditions.’

It was with wary apprehension that Cat entered the mess hall a few minutes later. He saw his father at a long table at the far end.There was space around and across from him but the company officers were close by. The colonel was known for being open with his plans and decisions, but Cat had hoped for a bit more privacy. With a sigh, he sat down across from his father. The colonel had removed his armor and changed into a fresh set of loose shirt and trousers colored dark green and brown for silent forest ambush-style engagements. They were definitely the most comfortable of the standard military uniforms. The sapphires glittered unnaturally on the drab collar. The colonel paused in the act of consuming a shredded pork dish with a side of beans.

“You gonna have some food?”

“Not yet. I don’t like to eat while I talk.” Cat was not being insolent, he really did prefer to focus on eating and enjoying his food.

“Fair enough.”

Cat let his father finish chewing. “Conditions?”

“Have you decided where you’re going yet?”

“Breckan’s Hold, then on to Osenvale.”

There was a small pause, and a strained expression came over his father’s features. “What are you going to do with your life, Son?”

The question took him aback, he blinked, paused for a moment, and then responded with the rehearsed line he had memorized years ago, including all the sardonic inflection he could muster. “I will be a great warrior and leader of men in the finest of Mecre’s armies, as you have instructed, Father.”

His father sighed. “I mean what do you want to do, boy.” The creased face could never be called soft, but the hardness relaxed just a bit, and again Cat was caught off guard.

“I don’t know of anything else.” Cat’s voice had lost its humor.

There was a long pause and the old man sighed again. “I fear that I have done a disservice to you by giving your education so narrow a focus. A good leader must have a wide range of experience and the imagination to handle unpredictable situations.” The old man ran a hand over his face, and Cat saw the exhaustion etched there.

Beldere walked up and sat beside the colonel. What was he doing here? Cat noticed that Garreth and Gemma had sat down to his left. Gemma was a petite woman in her mid twenties. She was attractive in a dangerous sort of way, but she talked like an old soldier which seemed wrong somehow. The pause in conversation had lingered more than a few seconds, which she apparently deemed enough time to jump in. “Heard you say Osenvale, Cat, some of us are heading that way now our contracts are completed. We’ll ride along with you if you like. Should be lots of new experiences for you in a city like that.” She winked at the old man as if at some private joke.

Catwright senior was not amused and answered before his son could respond. “Travel together if you like, but I had better not hear of anyone taking advantage of his naivete.” He looked pointedly at Gemma. Garreth guffawed and the swordmistress gave the axeman a withering look. “He will also be travelling with a facet of soldiers and our young priest.” He nodded at Beldere.

Cat lost his temper at this point. He didn’t care about the reference to his lack of worldliness, but why did Beldere have to go? “What? Why? How is this ‘giving me what I want’? This is an armed escort including the one person here who can keep me on a leash!” There was a hush in the mess hall and curious heads turned his way, not that half the soldiers hadn’t been listening in already. He hadn’t meant to raise his voice, but having Beldere along was intolerable. Garreth was trying to hold in a laugh until Gemma helped by punching him in the kidney. Cat felt his face start to heat up and ruthlessly suppressed it. He would be angry, not embarrassed. He sought to empty his mind of the drama around him, his rage would be on his terms, cold and in control. He tried to bore a hole into his father’s face with his stare.

His father took a long calming breath. “Do you remember why you were raised here, in a secure military fort, in an elderwood grove, with your own personal priest?” Beldere bristled slightly at this comment but he did not speak.

Cat had a ready answer for this as well from the myths and stories he had heard countless times as a child. “Because you believe there are some deranged beast gods who have a personal grudge against me because my grandfather helped kill aspects of them and I supposedly have the same soul as him.”

He had to accord some respect to his father for diligently practicing the druidic breathing exercises and maintaining his calm. “I agree that this is a difficult story to believe and I have had my share of trouble with it myself.” The colonel took a deep, almost shuddering breath. “We have caught dozens of spies within this compound over the years, all of them were focused on you.” He didn’t have to mention how they were caught; another terrifying power of the priesthood was their ability to detect ill intentions and compel honesty. “I have even had offers to purchase you on several occasions.” Cat had heard this as well, and though he had trouble believing such offers were real, it made his hackles rise in anger. The idea that a person could be for sale at any price just seemed the pinnacle of evil. “I was offered fifty thousand gold recently by a merchant who frequents the lands of the Ssythe.” There were several gasps around the table at this, and the colonel looked around at everyone as if challenging someone to take up the bounty. “That’s enough to buy this entire village several times over. You will be hunted. You have very little knowledge of how to handle yourself in a populated area, so I need to know you have people you can trust around you.” The old man paused again as if collecting his thoughts.“The priest believes he is chosen by Neador to watch over you.”

“Because of a dream he had as a child! He probably ate some bad herbs.” Cat shook his head in bewilderment. It had been an automatic response to an old argument. His head was spinning. Fifty thousand gold? The Ssythe? Beldere let the comment pass, glancing at the old man.

“I have not seen any reason to doubt his faith.” He raised his voice. “Has anyone here seen anything except dedication from this young man?” There were no comments as Catwright the elder nodded at the priest. “Even the druids and older priests have confirmed that fate has a special place for you.” Now he stared back at his son and took another breath. Weary resignation crossed his features briefly, replaced by resolve in the next moment. “I have seen men train for decades and not achieve the skills you have in the last two years. This alone lends credence to the explanations of the priesthood.”

“Elder soul.” Beldere whispered.

His father glanced over in frustration. “We know that Mecre Everborn retains memories from past lives. The idea that you may have similar abilities seemed implausible until this morning.”

“You can’t just accept that I might be talented?” Cat was frustrated as well, but somewhat more understanding of his father’s situation.

Garreth’s deep voice cut in. “I have only met two other people who mastered all the elemental dances. One was half-fey and over a hundred years old, the other was druid-born and had all of the best instructors money could buy, and it still took her over two decades.”

“Then why don’t I have any real memories? Like Mecre.” Cat was almost whining. He balled his hands into a fist and focused on not crying.

A calming aura washed over the hall and Beldere spoke softly “An elder soul does not present so powerfully at first. It is believed that the more they are reincarnated, the more they remember. You experience echoes of your grandfather—his skills, his mannerisms, perhaps more as you get older. Mecre has memories from tens of thousands of years ago; he appears to have this knowledge from the womb. He is also not limited to being born into a direct descendant. The druids believe that elder souls are a working of the planet spirit, Primythera herself, and the older they are, the more direct control she has to call them when needed. You may be an old soul by our standards, but compared to the Everborn or the life of a planet, you are still a fledgeling spirit.”

Cat had more questions, but Beldere’s aura had brought him back to his purpose. He locked gazes with his father once more. “Any other conditions?”

“Just one.” The colonel unfolded a crisp, clean piece of parchment and handed it to his son. It was obviously magical in nature, as the wrinkles had already disappeared. A flowing script seemed to leap from the page as Catwright the younger read the letter.

‘Greetings Catwright Isubane III,

If you are reading this missive then you have decided to venture out on your own prior to your eighteenth name day. Congratulations and good luck on your endeavors. I ask only that you seek to continue your martial and leadership training and return for your obligated military service. The Empire of Mecre needs your skills to combat the encroaching darkness. As a ward of Mecre you will have access to funds for food and lodging anywhere you travel within the Empire. You may also call upon soldiers or local law enforcement entities for the direct safety of yourself or any friends or family you designate as in need.

If your adventures take you outside of the empire, or you perceive that the threats to yourself and your family are overstated, you may postpone your military service indefinitely to pursue your goals. Know that you or your descendants will be welcome to return at any time and entitled to the full inheritance of the Isubane line. Please accept this badge as a symbol of my authority and a token of my regards.

Safe Travels,

Mecre Andromenus Everborn’

His father slid over a small stylized brooch a little smaller than a man’s palm. The black and silver metal was wrought into the shield and sword symbol of Mecre’s personal guard. The boy’s mind was reeling again. Why did King Mecre refer to his land as an empire? He could call upon Mecran soldiers for aid? Descendants? Mecre Everborn’s authority? Cat reached out toward the badge, and the item disappeared when he touched it. Everyone at the table started. Beldere smiled in triumph.

“Where did it go?” Cat had never seen anything disappear like that except…”

“The kingsguard medallion is soulbound. Just picture it in your mind, and it will appear.” Beldere seemed to have found a new level of peace.

Cat had seen this done but never tried it. He concentrated on his open hand and the emblem appeared in his palm. Everyone else except Beldere started again and Cat noticed something else. The brooch was a storage device! He closed his eyes and stared into what appeared to be a vault with ethereal grey borders. On what passed for a floor sat several sacks of gold coins. Hundreds of coins, perhaps a thousand. He was elated and in a slight state of shock when something else occurred to him.

“I’ve never met Mecre Everborn,” he paused, thinking, “and I think I would remember someone performing a soul binding, unless I was very young.” Silence filled the mess hall now.

“It did not have to be bound again,” Beldere’s whisper echoed off the rafters “It belonged to your grandfather.”

Isubane’s Echo, Chapter 1: Reunion

Image by Gemini

The boy traced the length of the sword’s blade with his eyes, inspecting its cruel perfection. The metal was superbly clean and sharp; he had spent an hour before sunrise honing it, something he did not normally bother with. Today was a special day. The double edged sword was one such as a knight would use, something much too heavy for a normal boy of his age, but then he was not really a normal boy. He held the sword at a lazy angle with its tip buried in the dirt; he knew it would anger his father. Catwright Isubane the third was not above using psychology to gain an advantage, in fact it was instinctual after so many years of training. Yet he knew his battle hardened father would not be visibly ruffled by such childishness. If anything the old man would just seethe behind his mask. It was better than nothing.

The short trampled grass of the practice field was unmoved by the gentle autumn wind, and the chill in the morning air was just enough to make his breath visible. He remembered that his father had always been calm and collected even when angry. There had been a time when he would do anything to please the old man, to avoid the coldness and severe look that accompanied a father’s disappointment. Now he craved to see something far beyond that empty disdain. He wished to see pain. Though the boy of sixteen years had learned much since they had last met, the lessons of 2 years past were still fresh in his mind. It had been a month short of winter, chilly but not cold. The tops of the great elderwood trees were still shrouded in fog. The sound of hundreds of footsteps marching through the mists like muffled thunder brought to mind that fateful encounter with simmering clarity.

Catwright saw red on the edge of his vision and sought a breathing exercise to control his temper. He had screamed at his father, sick of the restrictions and constant training while his friends were off on adventures to real cities attending festivals and experiencing the amusements that were not included in his childhood. His father, Colonel Catwright Isubane the second, had calmly replied that if the boy could best him in a duel, then Catwright the younger could do whatever he pleased. In a rage the boy had charged him, arrogant in his defiance. His father had disarmed and beaten him soundly. Thus a lesson in the folly of losing one’s head before a battle. Then the old man had laughed, and the soldiers around him had joined in. The humiliated boy could not even respond, the agony of a shattered jaw second to his broken pride. He did not cry out, he had been beaten down enough times that coping with mere physical pain was reflexive. The laughter hurt worse.

“Well men it appears the boy still has much to learn, ensure he continues his education.” And with a nod at the Priest of Neador, the old man went on campaign to the borderlands for two years. Catwright the younger did not know his father would be gone for so long. He was determined to flee, to escape the soldiers and make his own way. He did not realize that the young priest of Neador, a boy not much older than himself, would become his leash, a jailer more far more cruel than his instructors.

The lesson had its desired effect, however, Catwright had thrown himself into his training with a will. He had dismantled the keep’s soldiers, acquiring skills at a rate thought to be impossible for humans. The knowledge that he or anyone he cut apart would just be healed in moments drove him to new levels of violence. In a few months many of the soldiers refused to train with him. A few months later he had bested all of the mercenaries in a one on one fight. He started demanding multiple enemies, training with shorter weapons, and forgoing armor. Then he asked the mages to try and disable him with spells, and within a few more months even they couldn’t slow him down significantly. There was always someone there who could overcome anything he did, however, Beldere. The priest could slow him, hold him, put him to sleep and know where he was no matter where he went or what time it was. It was more effective than a collar around his neck chaining him to the keep. A chain was breakable, he had never broken Beldere.

A company of soldiers marched through the mists into the stone courtyard. The 30 foot walls of Ironwatch Keep were still shrouded in the fog of predawn, creating the illusion of the courtyard being indoors. Composed of mostly light infantry in studded leather, the soldiers did not bear the constant chinking sound of chainmail like the garrison soldiers or the officers. One standard bearer bore the flag of Mecre, a pair of shrouded eyes inside a thick wreath of green, representing the watcher in the wood, on a field of silver. The other held a giant multifaceted dark blue sapphire on a pearlescent white background. The soldiers were tired from weeks of marching but excited to finally be home. They were not unexpected since advanced scouts had arrived two days prior with word. Friends and family were already awake and rushing out to greet the men and women of Mecre’s Sapphire Company with cheers and home cooked food. Sergeants dismissed their charges one squad at a time with minimal formality. Cooks and helpers set up mess tables and chairs right in the courtyard as grooms came to take care of the few horses.

A boy and a young man stood in the practice area taking particular notice of the tall, lean officer wearing chain mail on a proud Akarian destrier addressing the troops. The boy was actually quite a bit larger than the young man by his side, a life of physical training had given Catwright the younger a more muscular build than the slim, slightly older acolyte.

“I’m surprised you are out here.” Beldere, the priest, said quietly “Will you go to greet him?”

“No, he will come to me.” Catwright’s voice was calm but cold.

“Ah, I see.” The priest eyed the sword. “You intend to offer another duel then? You think to win your freedom?” The priest was not mocking but melancholy, as if already seeing an unfortunate outcome others couldn’t fathom.

“I will not lose this time.” Was the terse and somewhat sullen response.

“You wear your disrespect like a cloak, anger permeates the air around you. You will only make him angry as well.”

“Good.” Catwright started moving through his warm-up kata, going through each of the elemental sword forms, loosening his arms and legs. He no longer misplaced his steps or needed to pause to retain his balance or rest his limbs. He could perform the entire 20 minute routine flawlessly without stopping. Two minutes into the routine some of the soldiers were staring. The first of the five forms, aether, was mesmerizing to watch, full of spins, flips and acrobatics most professional soldiers would never master. The exercise calmed his mind and focused his will. Ten minutes into the routine he had attracted a small audience of soldiers and their families gathered around the practice area. He had moved from the calm and controlled postures of lithos into the explosive forms of ignasol. Some of his trainers had appeared as well, they knew what was coming. The old soldiers and mercenaries showed a range of emotions from stoic to excited. Pride stood out among the expressions of those who had schooled him since he could hold a weapon. His own ego tried to intrude upon his thoughts. How many people his age could boast of over a decade of dedicated training? His discipline proved the greater of the two, however, as he concentrated on the perfection of movement, his body one with the spinning heavy steel sword.

His father had spared no expense with his son’s development. It was evident by the boy’s twelfth birthday that ordinary soldiers would not suffice, and so the best available of those who would agree to move to the remote garrison had been hired. He could see Garreth of Weltstone, Gemma Reedly, Markus Blueblade and even Denton Blackfoot the spell-sword in the crowd. They all had unique styles and could have handled him in a fight relatively easily two years past. Today, all four of them at once would have trouble besting him. As the rippling forms of aquavae entertained the crowd, his father finally took notice. The old Colonel trotted over behind the spectators, looking too tired and stiff to dismount.

The martial movement of animyra, the fifth elemental form, required a preternatural grace and control for any normal human. The world seemed to slow down for the young warrior as he let himself fall completely into the complex flows of the spirit dance. Spinning and leaping so that his feet barely seemed to touch the ground, his awareness seemed to spread out around him feeling the mood of the crowd. Everything from joy to jealousy washed over him in a wave that almost distracted him, for he had never performed this full routine for such a large audience. He felt a slight parting of the veils as one of his instructors, a magic specialist, cast some kind of analysis spell. He felt the mana of Velamdolc spread over the area, unnoticed by all but a few. He knew from experience that the spell was harmless, but still did not appreciate the intrusion into his focus. Again, his will was more than a match for unforeseen intrusions as he embraced the higher mana coursing through his limbs and channeled it into his blade. He did not yet have the ability to manifest a true spell casting but as he brought the blade down one last time and relaxed his will the air around him was pushed outward stirring up dust in a wide area. Some of the women and children at the edge of the circle actually staggered backwards in surprise.

His father dismounted with a grimace of pain and strode forward. His demeanor was stoic yet intrigued. “Young Beldere, a refresh if you please.” And like a good dog the priest responded instantly and laid a hand upon the armored warrior. Immediately his back straightened while his eyes cleared and became more alert. A fit career warrior in his fifties, the grace came back into his step with the divine magic, making him appear more like a predator. The severe look that a child had learned to fear and despise hadn’t changed. There were a few more wrinkles around the cold grey eyes, and he looked the boy over as if searching for a fault he struggled to find.

Catwright the younger had planted the tip of his sword back in the dirt after his display and his father focused upon that insult. “Still haven’t learned to properly care for your weapons boy? Where else have you slacked while I’ve been away?”

“I think you’ll find the blade sharp enough father.” the boy replied casually. The old man had just watched him perform a routine that none of his soldiers could complete, and yet could not come up with a single word of praise. Had his father ever truly complimented him on anything? Was this a tactic to put him off his guard? A variety of emotions warred for dominance on the outskirts of his thoughts, but he focused on the task before him. Whatever happened he would no longer be afraid. What little respect he had for his father’s authority had dissolved with his absence and long months of training. His father’s eyes widened slightly in surprise at the boy’s nonchalance but the judgement never left.

“Well let’s get this done with then, shall we?” The old man pulled his slim saber from the scabbard on his left hip and began a simple series of arm rotations with the weapon to loosen his muscles.

The boy did not move as his father went through the basic forms all soldiers learned in their first weeks of training. He noted the sword was slightly curved and abnormally bright. It probably had a sharpness and durability enchantment upon it. His eyes caught the blue glint of sapphires on the colonel’s collar denoting the company commander’s rank. They were also likely enchanted with communication and observation magic at the very least. The chain mail was a standard set of light and fine rings over a leather shirt. It was inexpensive, relatively easy to maintain and repair, and practical. Gloves covered his hands, hiding any rings he might be wearing, likely only a couple of spatial storage devices for company supplies. Finally the old man finished the routine and retrieved his helmet from a clip on his horse’s saddle. The helmet was also a simple and practical piece of gear, with nose and ear protection, and no visible runes or gemstones. It was probably not enchanted. The boy had to give his father some credit for spending well upon his soldiers and his son while not purchasing extravagant equipment for himself.

“Are you too good for a helmet?” the elder challenged, seeing that Catwright the third was not making a move toward additional armor.

“Yes” He had never liked wearing helmets. He knew they were useful in certain situations but he was going for mobility and with his now longer reach, it was unlikely his practical father would try for a head strike. Catwright junior wore only a simple leather shirt and breeches. He had become used to having at least a buckler and gauntlets when fighting multiple opponents, but he did not want anything slowing his arms today. His father’s speed had surprised him last time, it would not help the old man today.

If the father had been unnerved by his son’s casual confidence and short replies, he did not show it. A look of resignation crossed his face momentarily followed up by the authoritarian mask. “So be it. Begin.” Without further ceremony the two combatants bowed slightly to each other. The old soldier presented his saber forward in a defensive stance with his left leg back, while the boy strode brazenly forward, his weapon in an aggressive two-handed grip.

The duel was a disappointment. Catwright the third advanced cautiously, testing his father’s defenses, not willing to underestimate his opponent again. However after his second basic sequence, he switched to a one handed grip and increased his pace wondering if the soldier was baiting him with fake fatigue or some other ploy. The blocks were weak and slow. The old man almost dropped his sword blocking an obvious feint. In his third round of combinations the boy left several openings pass by without taking advantage as his father was improbably slow getting his saber back into position. His father went on the attack as expected and his son blocked the feeble blows without even needing to adopt a standard defense. Had he improved so much that his father was no longer a challenge? At this point it was obvious that the soldier was not pretending. Was he injured? Did he have some age related ailment? Should he have been given time to rest properly before being presented a challenge? All of these thoughts went through the son’s mind as he riposted his father’s flagging attack and sent him staggering back. ‘It doesn’t matter,’ the boy decided, ‘I need to finish what I started’.

With a flurry of motion the boy stepped in and battered his father’s saber aside and scored a deep slash to the right shoulder, slicing through the chain and flesh to the bone. As the saber dropped from nerveless fingers, the next swipe took the colonel in the side of the helmet before the weapon even touched the ground. The boy had slowed the strike and shortened his swing to reduce the power but the metal buckled inward with a crunch and the old soldier collapsed like a puppet with its strings cut. It was all over in less than a minute. For a cold moment he wondered if he had accidentally killed his father, but then Beldere was there and there was a sharp spasm from the colonel as the priest repaired the fractured bone of the skull and healed the bloody shoulder wound. Catwright wondered if anything short of decapitation could prevent the priest from saving a life if he was nearby. How many times had the young warrior been saved from a mortal wound in the last few years by the young acolyte of Neador? How much less brutal would his training have been without the healer standing by?

His father was up and about within a minute, cradling his arm. The phantom pain could sometimes linger for hours despite a healer’s best efforts. He turned to his son, eyes masking the pain of his bruised pride as much as the other injuries. “We’ll talk at the noon meal. Don’t look at me like that, you’ll get what you want, but there will be conditions!” With that the soldier stalked off leaving the boy speechless and wondering what exactly it was that he wanted.