Heart of Dorkness

Scourge Twenty-Six - Troublesome

Scourge Twenty-Six - Troublesome

I watch as Esteban and Rafael move off to the side. They talk in quick, hushed whispered for a moment before Rafael steps away and gestures to the carts. Boys, help them unload. Be quick about it, our lions here have a long road ahead of them.

Glancing up, I try to guess at the time, but its hard to tell. The forts walls are too tall to see the sun, but I know that its on its way down. Itll be nightfall in maybe three hours or so. Assuming that it takes an hour to pitch camp, thats only one or two hours of riding.

Im not entirely sure if its the best idea to head out.

Im also a little worried that Esteban might decide to kick us out here instead of at the next village. The fort doesnt look like it has an inn or any shops that we can grab camping supplies from. Also, I dont feel like walking all the way over to the capital.

There are other solutions. I can summon a few monsters that can fly us to the capital. If you have giant eagles, youd need to be pretty dumb not to use them.

Hey! Girl!

Estebans wave one arm over his head, eyes locked right onto me. I look behind me, just in case, but theres no one there. Im coming, I say before I jog over. I only pause for a moment as a couple of guards pass by, carrying a large crate between them. Whats up? I ask when I get closer.

Esteban nods to me, then turns back to Rafael, the rotund... is he a general? He certainly has enough spangles and plumes on his hat to pass off as one, but I think he might just be some sort of older officer. This girl might know a little more. Shes a cultivator, better than most of mine.

Oh, uh, thanks, I say. Compliments, from Esteban? This is weird.

She cant follow orders, shes loud-mouthed, and she and her friends have been nothing but trouble, but I wont deny someone the knowledge they might have.

Right, that makes more sense. Im not even sure if Im angry at him or not.

I just need all the details, Rafael says. As much as you can afford.

Esteban grunts. I left a report at the last outpost, I bet youll be seeing it soon, gods willing. To make a short story of it, weve been encountering priests of Altum all down the route from Vizeda.

And all that right after Vizeda was attacked by the Dark Goddess, Rafael says.

Uh, no, I say.

They both glance at me.

That wasnt an attack from the Dark Goddess. I was there, I saw it. Those monsters that attacked the city were all weak, they were following normal dogs, and the walls were sabotaged to explode. Monsters dont use explosives that way. That was a human-led attack that was trying to look like a monster attack.

Thats quite the story, Rafael says.

For what its worth, I think she might be right, Esteban says. His hand grabs onto the pommel of his sword. An idle, dangerous gesture. This entire situation is a mess.

So, you keep meeting Altums people on the roads, Rafael says. And thats why your carts look like youve been riding them through a battlefield?

We were ambushed by a necromancer, Esteban says.

One of Rafaels eyebrows perk up. Thats also a hard tale to swallow.

Esteban nods, and I think hes expecting the maybe-general not to believe him. If you want witnesses, you have my whole crew.

Dont forget Inigo, I say. They tried to assassinate him at that last outpost.

I hadnt forgotten, Esteban says. He lets out a long sigh. Were going about this story in the wrong order.

Ive parsed my share of wild reports, Rafael says. Though its been a while since Ive gotten so many that are so wild.

So many? I ask.

He looks down at me before replying. Youre not the first ones to make it here with stories of necromancers and undead. There have been strange movements with the local monsters too. I got wind that theres a squad of Heroes Templars to the south-east investigating things as well. Somethings strange and its not limited to around Vizeda.

Bianca didnt mention anything too weird going on around her home, I say.

Who?

I gesture back towards my friends. Bianca Malicieux. Her familys supposed to be important around here, I think. She came to Vizeda to meet me and my friends, and now were travelling to the capital. Anyway, point is, she travelled to Vizeda and didnt mention seeing or hearing about anything weird.

Rafael sniffs. So, youve gone from carrying salted fish to carrying salty noblewomen, Esteban? Regardless, youre right, I havent heard much until the past few days. Whatevers happening its new.

Or its just starting now, I say. It could be something thats been planned for a long time too.

That would only be more worrying, Esteban says. Either way, its out of my hands now. Youll be taking him in?

Him? I ask.

Inigo, Esteban says. We cant keep carrying around the injured.

Ill watch over him, Rafael says. Your hurt boys too. I can tell some of your animals are in a bad way too. Ill have to bother my quartermaster, but I think I can loan you a few, keep yours here in the meantime. Itll give them some time to heal up.

Well be reaching Castandas Stop by tomorrow morning, Esteban says. And should be back here by the day after. Its not a big rest.

Two days can make a difference, Rafael says. Bah, the works nearly done, you need to get ready to head out again. Ill talk to the quartermaster.

The two shake hands, with a lot of manly grunting and taut muscles and all that stuff that boys do to make themselves feel pretty.

Esteban starts back towards the caravan, a shouted order to Ran enough to get the big driver moving towards the donkeys theyll be trading out. Whyd you ask me over? I ask as I run to keep up with him.

Youre halfway clever, he says.

Aww, thanks.

That cleverness makes you a good deal dumber than you ought to be, but its still something I can put to good use.

Huh?

He shakes his head. You think Im blind? Four girls, at least two of which are obviously noble, the other two might as well be. Cultivators, all four, and not the petty sort who knows one trick they can use when theyre in the right mood. Proper emotional artists. If you four used different elements Id guess you were running from one of those mountain sects. But youre all over the place. Not used to following orders, not used to common sense. And you look like youve dipped deeper into the Dark arts than anyone Ive ever seen before.

I blink. The Dark arts? I ask.

Dont play innocent. I have eyes and youre barely disguising your skin or magics. I dont care that you use magic that some would find abhorrent. To each his, or her, own. But youre trouble, and I want you off my caravan as soon as I can manage it.

Were not that troublesome, I protest.

He actually considers it, I can see him thinking before he replies. Youre right. Ive escorted worse, and youre somewhat competent in a fight. You might even have earned your keep. But these are dangerous times, and in those times a wise man sheds anything that can cause him issues.

I cross my arms. Fine. We dont need the Big Hill Lions. Just get us to Castanedas Stop and well be done with each other, alright?

That I can very much agree with, he says. Then he starts screaming at a guard that dropped a crate onto his own foot.

I watch him go for a moment before heading over to my friends. Theyve found a quieter corner to stand in, out of everyones way.

Whats up? Felix asks.

Esteban is... a bit of a jerk, I say. And also I got a tiny bit of news, maybe?

Maybe? Esme repeats.

The Altum stuff isnt just happening around here and Vizeda. I think its happening all over, or at least everywhere that news can reach here in a couple of days time. That, and Rafael mentioned that theres a group of Heroes templars around.

Bianca shifts. Templars? Here? Theres a temple in the capital, and a few others here and there, but Heroes worship isnt as great here as its supposed to be in his own kingdom.

Yeah, that might be trouble, I say. But thatll be trouble for tomorrow. For now, were going to ride out with the lions and hopefully make it to Castanedas Stop without meeting any more zombies.

Lets hope, Esme agreed.

***