The Crimson Spark, page 14
part #1 of Vagabond Legacy Series
Seiyariu blinked at him. “I thought I told you.”
“You told me it was a weapon that the vagabonds keep safe.” Leo bit his lip pensively. Seiyariu seemed as though he was trying to avoid this question at every turn. “You didn’t tell me what it was or what it did.”
“Perhaps it’s better that way.”
“Why though?” Leo pushed. “Why can’t you say what you mean, rather than dance around it?” He hadn’t meant to sound so angry, perhaps the forest, and his own anxiety, was affecting him more than he’d thought. The vagabond’s incessant vagueness was beginning to truly annoy him.
Seiyariu’s face fell. “Have I upset you?”
Leo didn’t look at him. “You expect me to trust you. Why keep secrets from me?” Quinnel’s words were ringing in his ears now, the subtle questions about the vagabond’s identity that Leo had been utterly unable to answer. Though he was grateful he hadn’t given Quinnel any useful information, the fact that he barely knew Seiyariu had been biting at him.
“You’ve only just started to walk the Green Road, Leo. There are certain things I’m not sure you’re ready to…”
“Is that because you don’t trust me?” The words left Leo’s mouth before he could stop them.
Seiyariu stared at him for a moment, looking hurt. “I thought we had an understanding, if I took you with me to Adis, you would follow my instructions. If there are things I keep to myself, it’s because I wish to keep them to myself.” Seiyariu’s voice was so stern, Leo had to look at him. His face was reserved, cold even. “You’ll forgive me if I choose to omit things I don’t expect you to understand.”
The words hit Leo hard. He turned away from Seiyariu, trying to hide his hurt face. Seiyariu walked on. Leo stood there a few moments, and then made to follow. He wanted to say something back, something sharp. Something that would hurt Seiyariu, but he couldn’t think of anything.
Leo moved to catch up but as he did Seiyariu’s form seemed to retreat. Leo sped up, yet he wasn’t getting closer. He couldn’t have been that far away a few moments ago, could he? Were Leo’s eyes playing tricks on him? Was Seiyariu pulling ahead on purpose?
“Seiyariu!” He called out. The dark was closing in and the fog was growing thicker. The last he saw of his teacher was a fleeting backwards glance, which quickly turned into a look of horror. Seiyariu spun on his heel and ran back towards Leo, as he did there was a rumbling and the whole forest gave a great lurch. Leo was thrown to the ground, as everything around him became a blur. The forest was spinning, the trees racing around and around in a mess of color and sound. They spun faster and faster, until he thought he might just be thrown off into nothing. Desperately trying to block it all out he wrapped his arm around a tree root and shut his eyes, praying that it would stop, whatever it was. Was he sick? No, this was real, he could feel it. From a long way off he heard Seiyariu’s voice cry out. Then it was gone and he was thrown off the root, flying into the spinning mess of branches and leaves as the forest finally came to a stop.
His arm gave a spasm of pain and he groaned, clutching at it in vain until it subsided. Dizzy and bruised, Leo tried to get to his feet, only to fall back to the ground, his head still spinning. Blearily, he looked around. The forest began to take shape again. Trees, brambles, and roots but not at all like how they had been when he’d fallen.
Panic rose in his chest. This wasn’t the same part of the forest. He’d moved, or the forest had moved. But that was impossible. Yet his teacher was simply gone. Leo’s heart began to speed up and his breath came in gasps.
I’m alone.
His mind began screaming at him.
Alone again, all alone. Just like before.
His panic was such that he felt as though he might vomit. A mad fight or flight response pulling him in all directions until all he could do was curl up, shaking. How would he get out of this damn wood now? He had no idea which way was north or south, which way he’d come from, which way they’d been going.
“They say it has a nasty habit of playing tricks on hapless travelers.” Seiyariu’s words rang in Leo’s mind. Was that what was happening? Had the Pinwheel Forest spun them around for a laugh? Or, had it perhaps heard them fighting? The thought made Leo’s stomach turn. They’d been harsh with each other; what if that were the last thing he’d ever get to say to Seiyariu?
That in itself was enough to get Leo to his feet. He stumbled drunkenly forward through the underbrush for a little while, aimless. Still battered, he leaned against a rock to catch his breath. The moon was looking down through the canopy here, bathing him in a soft white light. What was he to do?
Leo bit his lip. There were few things that scared him more than being truly alone. Growing up, he and Nico had been inseparable; Leo could hardly even remember a time where they had been without one another. After Nico’s death, he’d been split down the middle, left a half of a person wandering aimlessly through a world he didn’t understand, couldn’t understand, without being whole.
He gazed up in despair. Only to find himself face to face with the constellation of the lion Seiyariu had shown him on their first night together. The sight of the creature made Leo feel a little less alone. Lost in thought, Leo ran his fingers along the rock, through the lichen and across the smooth… he paused, his fingers tracing something unnatural, something carved. He crouched and scraped the lichen away and his heart leapt to see a series of Peregrine Runes etched in the side of rock. Seiyariu was gone, but he was not alone after all. He pulled the green cloak tight about his shoulders as he attempted to read the marks, feeling for the first time that he was part of something larger than himself.
He knew these marks. Leo replayed the lessons he’d had with Seiyariu over in his head. What was the vagabond who carved these trying to tell him? The first symbol was a twisting line, the road, followed by a perfect circle, the mark for safety. Beside it was a broken chain, freedom.
The Road to Safety and Freedom
Then beneath that he saw a pair of human shapes inside one another, follow, and the image of a bird larger than the other rune. Ordinarily a bird was the Peregrine Rune for flight, but that was drawn differently, this was a bird proper. What was it saying?
Follow the birds?
Leo got to his feet and looked around, sure enough, there they were, birds etched in the side of the trees, barely visible but for the light of the moon. They sometimes included arrows, pointing in the direction of the next tree, sometimes a small rune or two with phrases like, forward and west.
It was slow going, he didn’t want to accidentally take directions from a knot in the wood or a scratch from some animal. Leo followed the invisible path for what felt like hours, making sure not to double back on himself. His fear was still there, buzzing like a wasp’s nest. but as long as he was doing something, he felt he could keep it at bay. He silently thanked the vagabond, whoever he was, for leaving their marks for fellow vagabonds to follow. But what was waiting at the end of this trail? As he went further into the wood, new messages emerged beneath the markers. There was one phrase that was repeated over and over again. Leo thought it looked like the mark for rest or sleep with a cross through it.
Stop for nothing.
Taking this phrase to heart, Leo didn’t break stride. Though the forest around him was growing darker and colder all the while, the light of the moon and stars helped him feel safe. His mind was determined not to stray into unhelpful worrying, but he couldn’t help but feel there was something wrong, something he was forgetting.
The sound of the animals had faded away. Leaving him with only the pattering of his feet. The fog was thinning but the trees overhead were growing thicker. Just as he was beginning to get tired and out of breath, Leo came across the last thing he’d expected to find in this endless wood. A building, or something that used to be one; he’d stumbled upon the ruins of an old stone hut.
The roof had long since collapsed, as had two of the walls. The others were broken and jagged but still standing. Leo took a few careful steps forward, avoiding the bits of wall that now lay strewn about in the bed of needles and leaves.
Against the wall, a small human form was draped. It was not moving. As he drew closer, Leo’s heart nearly stopped when he saw that it wasn’t a person at all, just a skeleton. Leo tried not to look at the pale white bone. Thoughts of the dream, of Nico’s corpse holding his hand, filled his head. He shut this out, it wasn’t the time. He commanded himself to resist the urge to run away.
“How long have you been here?” he asked the corpse softly. The moon drifted out from behind a cloud and cast the ruins of the house into light. Leo gasped, the skeleton wore a green cloak, patched and frayed just like Seiyariu’s. He was a vagabond! Or at least, he had been one in life. Was this the same vagabond who carved the path that brought him here, or merely an unlucky soul like him, that didn’t reach the end?
Then he heard it, a low, guttural snarl. He felt his heart catch in his chest and leapt to his feet, eyes darting around madly. The takabran! Had it been hunting him this whole time?
Stop for nothing!
Leo cursed. He stared into the woods beyond, straining his eyes to see even the faintest hint of those eyes.
The terrible noise came again, louder and closer. Leo pressed his back to the wall and drew his knife, eyes darting about the ruins looking for any signs of motion. None came, the noises stopped. Leo choked on his own breath; the silence far worse. Then he felt the terrible sensation of eyes on the back of his head. Slowly, Leo turned to see something perched atop the jagged remains of the wall. Something that looked as though it had stepped out of a nightmare.
Burning red eyes shone within a long thin skull. The creature’s snout was lined with gleaming teeth. Its skin clung to it loosely, and even the dark hair that covered its body was unable to hide its skeletal frame. An array of spines protruded along the takabran’s back down to its small tail. Its thin legs were bent, ready to spring. Its unnaturally long arms hung down to its feet, claws at the ready as it leered down at him with those terrible eyes.
Leo stumbled back, half mad with terror. Then the takabran sprang at him. It was all Leo could do to throw himself out of the way. It landed on the ground, shifting its weight to attack again. It didn’t run like any animal he’d seen before. It hopped unnaturally towards him, its large legs propelling it forward.
Leo drew his knife as the creature lashed out at him with one of its claws. Leo made to dodge again but didn’t account for the length of the arms. It tore through the threads of his jerkin, brushing deathly close to his throat. Leo stabbed with his knife, but the takabran was faster than he was. He felt the claws again, this time the beast’s aim was true, its claws ripped through his shirt and into his flesh.
Pain burst through his chest like fire. Leo staggered back, clutching at the wounds, feeling the warmth of his own blood. The takabran was emboldened by this. It hopped around him, sizing up its prey.
Leo cursed inwardly, why was he so weak? Was this it then? Was he going to be another skeleton in a green cloak, lost and forgotten? Would he never see Seiyariu again?
No!
Leo tightened his grip on the knife and braced himself against the wall. He would not die here.
The creature lunged at him again, and Leo caught it with his knife. They tumbled to the ground in a whirl of hair and blood. He felt its claws dig into his shoulders as it snapped at his face. But he brought the blade up, blocking the gnashing teeth from closing on his throat. Then with all the strength he could muster, he twisted the blade. The beast let out a howl of pain and paused in its attack. Leo struck again, slashing the monster’s face and driving it back. The takabran thrashed, mad with pain and Leo stabbed with everything he had left. For a moment, Leo thought he had done it, and then a dreadfully familiar agony exploded in his right arm.
The takabran had latched onto his wounded limb with its jaws. Leo could feel its teeth moving, ripping into the damaged nerves and tendons like a thousand tiny knives. He slashed blindly, clipping the beast’s eye and forcing it to let go. The pain in his arm was unimaginable. Had the takabran ripped it clean off? Leo collapsed on the ground clutching at the wretched, useless thing. White-hot pain blurred his vision as he felt the blood pouring. The takabran was bleeding, but still on its feet. Despair filled his heart as Leo realized that this was the end.
Leo watched as the beast leapt at him. At least now he’d see Nico again, but that thought brought no comfort. He’d been so damn close. Then, from the trees, a dark shroud came diving down onto the takabran, driving a gleaming sword through its heart.
The creature screamed its dying breath. Leo stared in astonishment. Was he hallucinating? No, surely not. The corpse of the takabran lay on the forest floor, impaled by a bloody sword. Standing over it, was a figure. As Leo began to lose consciousness, it turned to face him and he could see that it was a woman, a woman in a green cloak.
21
Den of Sin
“Are we not staying in town?” asked Nea as Cain dismounted.
“No,” she replied, fussing with the saddlebags. “I think it’d be better if we made camp here. You’ll understand once we’re inside.”
Nea wasn’t sure what Cain meant by that, but she shrugged and looked around. The campsite was as good a place as any, large stones jutted from the earth, concealing them, but if Nea climbed to the top of one, she’d have a perfect view of the road and the town beyond.
Slowly she and Cain got to unpacking, the midday sun bright overhead. They didn’t say much. In fact, they hadn’t said much since leaving Foresbury. The story she’d been told, part of her had wanted Cain to tell her it was all a lie made up by the Briars, but that church, that’d been all too real. She had told Cain nothing but the Briars’ clue.
How do you even ask about something like that? Still, you’ve gotta find out sooner or later.
“Ventain’s a port, not a large one but an important one,” said Cain as they unpacked.
“I didn’t realize we were back on the coast,” said Nea staring off into the distance, but the morning was cloudy and she couldn’t make out much.
Cain nodded, “It’s a place of terrible poverty, possibly the worst in Fortuna.”
“Why’s that?”
“A great many reasons,” Cain sighed. “The wealth that comes from trade is concentrated in the port, bars, brothels and gambling dens, all under the thumb of the local criminal element. The slums beyond, they were constructed poorly, making sanitation difficult. As such, disease spreads easily, and it’s in Ventain that much of the trade with the continent is carried out, which means foreign diseases that the people can do little to prevent.”
“And people live there?”
Cain leaned against a tree, looking off into the distance at the dark shape of the town. “It’s a home for those with nowhere else to go, the crippled, the sick – you understand. Lepers and the deformed, those who are too broken even for the slaving companies all come here, like so much drainage.”
You’ll feel right at home then.
Nea followed Cain’s gaze, even from this distance the town was run down. “That’s horrible, why doesn’t your king…?”
“What Nea? What would you suggest he do?” snapped Cain, her tone suddenly defensive.
“I…” For once Nea was at a loss for words.
Cain had a terribly sad look in her eyes. “Ventain has become a haven for continental opium traders. That is what I think your contact meant by a den of sin, wrapped in fumes. He’s sending us into an opium den.”
Opium? Christ.
Nea knew all about opium, that strange drug from the continent. It had been a constant at Glatman. She remembered how it got its claws into some of the girls there, how they shriveled up and wasted away.
But can you really blame them?
“Let’s not waste time then,” said Cain.
“You coming along?”
“I am,” she replied, leading her horse down the hill. “Ventain is no place for a child.”
“I’m not a child,” said Nea darkly. “Besides I grew up poor, poor family, poor village. I won’t stand out. I should go alone.”
“You’ve proven that you can keep a cool head in a fight, even if a delicate lady such as myself gets in the way.”
She’s a fool. But is she a liar? Does she know?
*
The first thing Nea noticed was the smell. She’d picked up on it on the walk down and it had only gotten stronger. Ventain was absolutely filthy. With nowhere for it to go, waste had been left to pile up in the streets, filling the air with a noxious odor that made her want to vomit.
The wooden buildings were full of holes; doors hanging off their hinges and walls cobbled together with whatever material could be salvaged. A fair few others walked the streets with them, mercenaries, sailors and the like, no doubt on their way to the port. There were no animals on the streets, not a single one. Nea had a nasty suspicion as to why that was as they passed the lines of poor impoverished people, sick and starving down to their ribs. They lined the filthy streets, scavenging, begging. She looked away as they passed a boy spread out on a bit of cloth. His arms and legs were gone, whether from birth or some terrible accident Nea couldn’t tell, but he just sat, watching people go by. Every so often a coin would be thrown onto his blanket, only to be snatched and pocketed by the fragile looking woman beside him.
Even Glatman wasn’t like this.
Nea had half expected the beggars to swarm around, but they were either too weak or too sick to do much more than proffer their hands and cry out.
In the distance she could make out the warehouses and masts of the port. “So that’s where the drug comes in, yeah? Doesn’t seem like the people here could afford it,”
