The Penny Lich, page 9
“What happened?” Ella asked.
Aarik opened his mouth and clicked his tongue.
“I didn’t do anything. I didn’t stop him, and now he’s gone.” A moment passes. “I’m sorry that you don’t have any leads. I really am. But gaining that information isn’t worth throwing your life away. Trust me, I know. And you can count on the fact that from now on, if it’s between doing nothing and doing something, I’ll always take the shot.”
“I appreciate that, Aarik, I do. But it doesn’t change the fact that I have no direction now.”
“Why not make this your new direction?” Aarik points to the Penny Lich sign, a skeletal hooded figure holding a glass and dropping some coins. “Good people, warm food, a paying job, a bed upstairs. It could be good, at least until you get a new lead.”
“You think Elliot will have me?
“I think he’d be too afraid to say no, even if he wanted to.” He smiles and bumps her with his elbow. “Come on, let’s make some more paperwork for Elliot to fill out. First drink is on me.”
He opens the door to the tavern and lets Ella through first. As he comes in behind her, he looks up to see what she sees. paladin Moses and Sycilia at the bar looking wet, tired, and beat up. Gwen and Brohn at the bar next to the others looking cooked, exhausted and ready for another drink. Hadvar and Elliot serving drinks to them and the other patrons. The Guild looks up at the two walking in from the night. From the cuts, burns and bruises, it’s obvious that he wasn’t the only one with a story to tell.
Aarik smiles, scratching the back of his head. “Looks like everyone had as good a first day as us!”
The Penny Lich:
The morning air of the tavern is thick with the scent and grease of eggs and meat. The wood structure of the building inhales the wafting smoke of the fireplace as Gwen brings stacks of food out to the tired guild members. Her laugh travels as she moves from one table to table, her copper skin glowing with beads of sweat.
“Are you coming with us today?” Ella asks.
“Oh, Divine no,” Gwen says, putting a coffee and hard boiled egg on the table. “I had my fill of adventure last week. I’m happy to help around here while you all have fun on your little field trip.”
“It’s not a field trip,” Elliot says, looking over papers at his table. “It’s a job. We have a payload for a village festival outside of town.”
“It’s a field trip,” Sycilia says. “He’s just in a mood because the festival is for some god that disagrees with knowledge or something.”
“Aster doesn’t disagree with knowledge, and it’s not the deity I have a problem with,” he musters, butting in again. “Aster is a deity tied to the regrowth of nature in the wake of destruction. There is beauty in the fire that sweeps through the forest, and comfort in the warm springs that come from active volcanoes. Aster is a kind and comforting Divine representative that—”
“No!” Moses scolds. “No, Elliot. You’re gonna go off on some sermon, I can hear it in your voice.”
“I am not.”
“So finish your statement in ten words,” Moses says, holding up his fingers.
“Aster’s...Followers...” Elliot says thinking and watching Moses lower two fingers. “Arrrrrre.... Intellectual... hostages... annnnd Lazy... annnd theeeeey... suck.”
“Nailed it.” Aarik mumbles, then yawns.
“They just don’t care to worship their god the way they—”
“Nope. Stop! We’re taking them their Fire Heart Gem, so they can pray to it, pour their magic water on it, and then we bring it back to be secured in the treasury. That’s it. Done. No sermons.” Moses keeps a stern eye on Elliot.
“If I could just speak with they’re leader—”
“No!” Moses stops him. “No speaking to the leader. No changing their religion, or worship practices. If you want to go back on your own, then you can have a solo field trip.”
“Told you it was a field trip,” Gwen says, putting Elliots plate in front of him. “And you’re right,” she whispers in Elliot’s ear. “Aster worshipers suck.”
Sycilia turns to Ella, sitting at her table. Ella has begun cracking the egg. Sycilia comments, “I’m excited that we get some time to hang out on our way to the Aster village.”
“Why?” Ella asks without looking up.
“Uh, because we’re the only two girls in the guild.”
“AHEM.” Gwen holds up her badge from across the room.
“Right, but I mean...”
“Don’t worry about it. I get it.” Gwen pushes the comment off, going back to work.
“What does that have to do with wanting to get to know me?” Ella asks, still focused on her egg.
“I dunno. I guess I just kinda thought it would be nice to talk. I got to know Elliot and Moses, and obviously I know Aarik really well.”
“How so? You guys date or something?”
The room is quiet, Sycilia’s eyes wide. “Are you serious? Uh, we’re siblings, he’s my twin.” She says holding up her arm, clearly darker skin tone than everyone in the tavern except Aarik.
“Hmm, must have slipped past me. That’s cool,” she says looking between the two while beginning to peel the shell from the hard egg white.
“Uh, yeah,” Sycilia says, looking around at the others. “I’m just, I’m glad you’re coming along. And that you’re a part of the guild. I’m excited to work with you.”
“Yeah, I’m happy I got something, too. It’s hard to be directionless, ya know.”
“Yeah, I do,” Sycilia responds.
“Like, if I had any clues to find those monsters, I would chase them down. But I got nothing.”
“Totally.”
“So I guess I’ll just hang with you guys. Who’s driving?”
“Moses and Elliot are taking turns, so they’ll hang out up front, and Aarik will fall back asleep immediately.”
Aarik continues to try and eat, though he fights sleep and misses his mouth with the food.
Sycilia continues, “so you and I can be nice and comfy cozy back there, just chatting the day away.”
“Yeah,” Ella begins to break the egg shell more dramatically. “Or maybe when we get far enough away from town that no one will hear us anymore, I’ll go for my knife and cut your throats and use the blood to draw a summoning circle. Then I’ll bring a fiend out from hell to make a pact and I can use its power to find the Shadow Society, and I’ll carry on my merry way with a brand new cart and donkey.”
The room is absolutely silent and every eye watches the red-head as she twists the egg shell off in two precise halves and eats the egg.
In the cart, Aarik and Scyilia sit squished between Elliot and Moses at the front. Ella sits in the back of the carriage alone, a smile of satisfaction on her face as she stretches out and enjoys the field trip.
Outside Thickstem Village:
The broken rocky hills of the Aster lands have rough and yellow grasses. Rolling smoke plumes from the top of exposed, short hills, several openings to the same volcanic cauldron below. The Mountain is broken and worn from centuries of lava flow cracking the structure, creating new land, and cracking again. It leaves a region that is high above the city of Valeward in the Northwestern mountains. A diversity of elevation where glens are found between monolithic boulders, and grassy knolls.
The Guild begins unloading their carriage with the people of the village watching. Barrels of food and drink are handed off from Aarik to Sycilia, while Moses and Ella break open several crates and hand out food to the bystanders. Elliot has the leader of the village signing papers.
“I’m so glad you all could make it to the blooming festival this year,” the leader says. His robes are colorful and ornate, matching the festive decor of the village. Bright flags and banners flap in the high mountain air.
“Yeah,” Eilliot says, flipping a page for another signature, “we were so excited for this opportunity, to come look at flowers on the top of a volcano.”
“It is not just the flowers this year. This is the year that we will see the Elemental Mother give rise from the pits and bless us with a gift of love,” The colorful man says, not hearing the sarcasm in Elliot’s voice.
“Right,” Elliot replies, shaking his head and looks for an excuse to leave. He leaves the clipboard with the pious leader to finish signing, and joins Moses.
“Moses, I gotta get outta here. These people are insane.”
“How can you be so cynical?” Moses asks quietly. “This is their faith, they look forward to this all year. Here, take this barrel of dough over to those ladies. They’ll make you feel better.”
“Yeah, Elliot, Go hang with some strange women,” Ella says, smirking. “Everyone knows that Elliot feels ‘better’ when he’s hitting on random women.”
“Elliot has game now, Ella. You wouldn’t know, you’re too...” Moses stands up and wobbles a bit, then bobs his head while his eyes go nuts. He stops and watches her, she smiles, then puts down her crate.
“Maybe Elliot changed, but you’re still afraid of fey-touched, I see.”
“I’m not afraid.” Moses says. Ella walks up to him making solid eye contact. As she gets closer, a grin appears and Moses becomes visibly uncomfortable. She then quickly looks over his shoulder and responds as if speaking to someone. Moses looks uncomfortable. Ella laughs and nods her head. Then looks back at Moses.
“She’ll see you tonight, Moses.”
Moses looks behind him, then back at Ella who goes back to carrying a box. “What? What was that? Who did you see? Who’s gonna see me tonight?” He follows after her, leaving Elliot still holding a basket of food. “Who did you see, witch?” Moses continues.
Elliot looks over at Sycilia and Aarik. They continue to work on empting the carriage. Sycilia turns to see Elliot looking at her. she smiles and nods to point past Elliot. Focus shifts, Elliot turns his head and he sees a group of young ladies eyeing him. He puts the barrel on the ground, and as he tries to walk off, the barrel falls. He goes back and puts it back up, stumbling over his own feet and the fallen cargo. Elliot picks up the barrel, looking up at the girls again. He gulps and after steadying the woden drum, he quickly jogs away from the girl’s sight.
The Festival of the Bloom:
Table after table is covered in plates, saucers, trays, and baskets of dumplings. All different shapes, sizes, colors, and smells. But all of them are shaped on top to look like a blooming flower. Some are painted like orange and red and yellow pedals. Others are etched and formed with intricate designs. A busty woman brings from a warm home out to join the party. A tired man wrangles his children, and sits them down to enjoy a meal. The village has gathered to enjoy a time of celebration, their clothes now as colorful and ornate as the village leaders.
Aark and Sycilia shove buns in their faces, trying to outdo each other, while Elliot calmly uses a fork and knife to cut through before eating. Moses bites into the dumpling and soup runs down his chin, but his eyes hold directly on Ella across the table from him. The girl eats her food and talks to the people.
“What’s that one?” Aarik asks, reaching for his next prey.
“Soup dumpling,” one of the boys says. “Careful, though. The soup inside is very hot and if you eat it whole it can burn—”
“Aaaah!” Aarik mumbled around the dumpling still in his mouth. The steaming hot juice pours from his wounded maw. He waves at his mouth, “Ok, howe, vewy, howe.”
“Oh, no, let me help you,” the man sitting next to him says. He has the same elegant bone structure of Gwen and Hadvar, the creamy skin and sultry look gives Aarik goosebumps. He lifts his hands up and wipes the soup from Aarik’s mouth, holding a finger still on his lips.
“Not the sorta wound one can just kiss all better, eh?” Aarik says.
“If you want, we can certainly try our best.”
“Gross,” Sycilia says, as she gets up. “At least wait till I’m gone before you start making out with strangers, Aarik.”
“Uh, huh, yeah go ahead without me.” Aarik stares into the boy’s eyes. “I’ll catch up with you later, Elliot.”
Sycilia scoffs and takes her plate.
Elliot looks over a book and crosses out several lines of text with his ink and quill. “Drop gem off at temple, check. Enjoy the festivities, I would say that’s a check.” He crosses a line out. “Find ritual book. Hmm, maybe Moses knows.”
“Would you like a potsticker?” a woman asks Elliot, breaking him out of his thoughts.
“A potsticker?” He asks, then sees that it’s one of the women from before. She holds a basket of fried dumplings.
“When we cook them, they stick to the side of the pot, and fry up really crunchy like, you see?” She takes a bite of one and the dough crunches loudly. “Would you like one?”
“Uh, I guess,” he says.
Then quickly, very quickly, the girl closes the gap between them and begins to place one in his mouth. She is almost completely sitting in his lap, and her hands are in his hair.
“Here you go. Enjoy.” Sultry tones wrap around his brain and pull him closer to her. Regaining his wits, Elliot jumps up, throwing her off of him.
“I have to go now. I’ve lost my ritual book and it’s very important to me.” he shouts. She climbs back up, watching the cleric sprint into the dark village behind the festival.
“Hey,” Aarik says, getting the girl’s attention. She looks up to see the man hanging around Aarik’s neck, but Aarik’s attention is on the girl. “I would very much like to try one of those potstickers.”
The girl looks back to see Elliot gone, then back toward Aarik. She smiles and gives him a nubile look.
Sycilia walks through the darkness of the small village, the festival lights behind her as she eats from her plate of food. She glances at paintings in red and black on the adobe construction of the houses. She touches them and enjoys the vibe of the village, the music from the festival reverberating around every corner and alley. Then as she walks, she sees a young girl standing by a well, alone, eyes closed and back to the festival.
“Hey, girl,” Sycilia says quickly, breaking the peaceful moment. The girl turns in surprise and slips, beginning her descent into the pit.
“Whoa.” Sycilia says as she leaps forward and grabs the girl’s hand. A quick spin and a flourish of the girl’s light dress, and she is safe in the hands of Sycilia. “I was going to say careful not to fall in, but I guess I made my point.”
The young girl breaks out of the grapple and runs back to the well. Sycilia tries to stop her, but before she can, the girl throws a coin into the hole.
“Please bring him back,” the girl says. Sycilia looks down the well, while grabbing the girl’s shoulders.
“Making a wish?”
“A prayer,” the girl says. “Tomorrow, Aster will bloom from the mountain and now is the time she hears us most. That is why they sing songs to her, to keep her from flooding our village.”
“Is that what you’re wishing for, uh... girl?”
“My name is Linnz.”
“I’m Sycilia, I’m with the Penny Lich Guild.”
“I know, I saw you come with the scary girl.”
“You mean Ella?” Sycilia asks. The girl nods. “She’s not that scary.” Sycilia thinks about the conversation had over breakfast and reconsiders, “Ok...She’s terrifying. What were you praying for?”
“That Aster would bring my brother back.”
“Where is he?”
“He was chosen to protect us from The Gore.”
“Ok, two part question. Why was he chosen, what does that mean, and what is he Gore?”
“That’s three things.”
“OK, fine, three parts.”
“He was chosen because he won the right to do so. He is the best warrior in the village. He is the strongest boy, and smart, and all the girls love him.”
“Does he have a girlfriend?” Sycilia says, chuckling, then catches herself. “Sorry.” She then doubles down. “Actually, I’m kinda desperate at this point, for real, does he have a girlfriend?”
“It doesn’t matter. No one ever comes back from fighting The Gore.”
“No one? Like several went out?”
“A chosen warrior goes out every year to fight on Aster’s Eve. None have ever returned for Aster’s Bloom. He left before the feast began, and I can’t eat until I know he’s safe”
“Ok. So... what is this monster?” Sycilia asks.
The girl shrugs. “If I ever see it, it means our offering of Warrior wasn’t enough and the creature would come to town and destroy us, and finally trap Aster forever. This is the destiny of the Bloom Mother and the Gorgon.”
“Gorgon’s are bad news, dudes.” A voice says from beyond Sycilia. The terrifying shutter that flows through Sycilia’s spine tells her that it’s Ella. She turns and sees the redheaded terror lit by the moonlight and eating a dumpling. “Most look like bulls, some look different, but all of them were made for one thing... to turn the world of man to stone.”
“Do you just show up when people start talking about monsters?”
“Yeah, I’m very good at talking about them. Like Gorgons are creatures with four hooves, metal skin, and their breath is so foul that it turns the skin of a man to stone. They were created by a mad king who filled an island with bulls and fed them hemlock and poisonous berries, until their breath was poison itself. When the king left for war, a witch came to the island and cursed them for their toxic exhale, released them into the world, and told them to petrify the world to get revenge on the mad king. And now they wander looking for victims. They are epic monsters that no mere man is capable of fighting and walking away from.”
“Except maybe a truly good warrior, with a just heart,” Sycilia says, pointing at the girl from behind, stretching her face, trying to help Ella see the connection.
