Chapter 9
A loud smacking sound jarred Sfen from his sleep. It was quickly followed by sharp pain flowing across his face. “What the hell, man?!” he asked Kleon, who stood above him.
“It’s sun-up,” Kleon answered. “Grab your pack and let’s go.”
“Okay, okay.” Sfen stood and stretched, scanning the town below through the windows. He saw Nik and Ellandio waiting outside. “Can I take a piss real quick before you guys storm off without me?” He realized that he was still on the fifth floor. Oh... I fell asleep on the job. Whoops. I hope the captain isn’t too pissed. Looks like everyone is alive, at least. No biggie.
After gathering near the town’s exit, Nik beckoned to Kleon. “Let’s have some breakfast before we leave. We’ll split some stenosbread.” Kleon obliged and grabbed a small loaf from his bag. The group shared their meal quickly in a few quick bites, eager to continue on the journey. Ellandio pulled out the maps so he and Nik could chart a course. The winds had shifted overnight and clouds grew dark to the north.
“We’ll have to go deeper into their territory, towards the Agginian border,” suggested Ellandio. “Sticking close to Pramentori would be dangerous in more ways than one.”
Nik nodded. “Hm. That is much farther West than I was hoping to go, but we might not have a choice. Circling around to the far side of the city might take longer too, but at least we’ll avoid Epaitis Canyon. After yesterday’s ‘fun’ we’d do well to avoid more bandits.”
“Come on, your Lordship, stop being so mundane,” said Sfen.
Nik did not gratify Sfen with a response, and continued with Ellandio. “What if tracked in this direction, like you said,” Nik wondered, tracing his finger across the map, “and then backtracked… here, down to the Launido Ridge. It might take longer but it does take us away from the storm.”
“Sorry, Captain. Intel says there’s settlements both at the base of Launido Ridge, and then sprinkled along the base of the cliff walls. It’s too risky… I’d rather go headfirst into the storm than face another hero from the War.” Ellandio paused and noticed a frown on Nik’s face. “Er, no offense to you, Captain. You did great-- we did great yesterdat. I just mean, uh, we almost all died. We were about 45 seconds from all being dead.” Ellandio was already worried that Nik might chastise him for going so far their original course, and now he may have just offended his leadership as well.
“Okay, Ellandio. Please make the necessary updates to our chart markers and let’s get a move on.”
“Aye. We really did get pushed far off course to get here. I’m not sure how that happened…” remarked Ellandio, smiling nervously. Did I really get away with it? I guess he’s just that inexperienced, he thought.
The four men donned their packs and left the small town of Minadee. It was a brief stop, but one that would stay with them for a long, long time. They had managed to defeat the Stonehide, after all. Nik walked slowly as the men exited, falling to the back of the group. He looked back to the main strip and stared.
Hm. The town is still, he thought. Good.
* * *
“I thought we were avoiding the storm!” Sfen yelled at Ellandio. “What the hell is this shit?!” He was referring to the barrage of dust and sand battering the men from all angles. The strong winds made walking a difficult task. Each of them held their cloaks, desperately trying to keep their faces protected from violent gusts. But, there’s only so much you can do to hide from the elements.
“Be quiet, Sfen! This is nothing,” Ellandio replied. He too was yelling, trying to be heard above the roar of the tempest. Ellandio had it the worst of all; he had to reference a map occasionally while keeping an eye out for nearby landmarks. Even more difficult was trying to ascertain the exact position of the sun through the dark purple clouds. “If you want, I can hand the charts back to you!”
Sfen snickered. They had endured similar conditions in the past, but that didn’t it any easier. People went to extreme lengths to avoid travelling through the Iosan desert. The climate had deteriorated so much that it actually acted as a military deterrent; no nation could feasibly send an army through the region.
Kleon, as usual, hung at the back of the group. It was a typical tactic to keep the healers and other VIPs from being ambushed. He noticed that Ellandio and Sfen were shouting at each other and took the opportunity to get something off his chest. He hurried to walk alongside Nik and quietly said, “Captain, can I ask you something? I hope it’s not out of line.”
“Of course,” replied Nik. He kept his voice down, noticing Kleon’s attempt at discretion. He looked ahead and also noticed that Ellandio and Sfen were distracted.
“I’ve been meaning to ask you something,” said Kleon. “Ever since Minadee.”
Nik’s heart skipped a beat. Did Kleon see that curvey escape?! He knows I left a loose end! Though he could barely hear his subordinate’s whisper, Nik knew he shouldn’t ask him to speak up. The storm was loud, and Sfen even louder, but he still didn’t want to risk gaining their attention. Nik turned to Kleon and shook his head.
“Did the Palace give you any detail about what we’re supposed to be ‘listening’ for in the Iosan capital? Any indication if it’s related to the bordertown raids, a planned uprising, espionage opportunities for us, or… anything?” Nik felt a wave of relief after hearing the questions. Kleon continued, “It’s fine if you can’t share that information with us. I’m just curious why we’d be going so far with so little information. Do you know at least?”
“Unfortunately, there isn’t anything else to know at this point. Upon arrival in Aella, I am to call back to the Palace with a status report. I have to assume we will get specific directives at that point. It’s for security reasons.”
“Hm. It seems to me it would be less secure to transmit a message to someone in foreign territory, rather than give them the critical information at the outset.”
He wasn’t wrong. “I’m sorry Kleon. I shouldn’t be discussing this with you,” said Nik, according to proper procedure. “I’ll give you more information as soon as I get it.” He picked up his pace slightly, ending the conversation. Nik was also curious about the bizarre nature of the mission, but it would be inappropriate to exhibit any dobt.
Kleon nodded his head in disappointment. I’m not sure which is worse, the captain who doesn’t know his mission or the one who’s aware he doesn’t know his mission… and doesn’t care? What is this kid thinking?
* * *
The storm did not subside by the end of the day. Despite it still being early in the evening, the sky was nearly pitch black due to the surrounding dust torrents and ever-present cloud cover. Their day was over; Nik had to call it.
“Ellandio!” he yelled. The mage didn’t hear him. Nik ran to tap him on the shoulder. “We’re stopping here,” continued Nik. “I know it’s early but we’re going to kill ourselves if we keep going.” He pointed to a large boulder peeking out of the ground.
“You can’t be serious,” said Sfen. “You want us to sleep under that? There’s not even a ledge! We might as well just plop down right here in the sand!”
“Calm down, Sfen. You can--”
“What are you trying to prove here? I get it, you really like roughing it. But can we cut it out with the tough guy routine? We’re going to be buried in sand by the time we wake up! If we’re gonna plop down here can I at least augment the damn--”
“Sfen! Yes!” Nik interrupted back. “My lord. I was trying to say: you can augment it. A little. We need a barrier.” His eyes narrowed while glaring at Sfen. “You are loud, like a child.”
Sfen was slightly stunned that his Captain agreed to the request. “Right. Now what do you want me to do? I can make us a luxury villa if you give me some time.”
“You wish you were that good an architect,” whispered Ellandio.
“Throw up a thin wall this way,” directed Nik, waving his arm to show the angle he wanted behind the rock. “Can you do shelves for our packs?”
“Hah! Of course I can do shelves. Come on, Captain, give me some credit here.”
“Okay, keep it narrow, keep it discrete.” Nik was ready to deny Sfen’s tantrum and request to use magic for their shelter. In previous nights thus far, they didn’t even consider it. Using a spell to erect a structure requires a significant amount of mana. Even in the middle of the desert, Nik didn’t want to risk getting noticed. Now, however, they were deep in the storm. The flurried sands provided visual protection. Nik just hoped there weren’t any skilled magic sensors nearby.
Sfen recited an incantation quietly before throwing his hands violently in the air. A sheet of rock shot from the ground in unison with the mage’s arms. The sudden thrust of earth was quite loud, though the winds did manage to muffle the sound somewhat.
“What did I just say about discretion?” Nik asked, knowing he wouldn’t get an answer.
Sfen added some rock layers for the team to put their items. He also added small clay platforms so they could sleep a little more comfortably and, hopefully, avoid getting buried in sand. The men got settled in and prepared for another long night among the elements.
Kleon quickly fetched some firewood, fearing the looming darkness. Though most vegetation in the Iosan desert died long ago, the skeletons of dead trees still remained, acting as gravemarkers for the once-happy villages and forests that had filled the countryside. Now, their gnarly bark and dried out branches made for perfect kindling.
Kleon threw the wood in a pile at the center of their small alcove. He crouched beside it, preparing a rudimentary fire spell. Nik grabbed his wrist, stopping him.
“Let me,” said the captain. Nik stretched his arm and opened his palm towards the woodpile. Without saying a word, he slowly turned his wrist. Small, dim flames rose from nothing, clinging to the branches quietly.
“Huh. A purple fire,” said Ellandio. “Don’t see that every day.”
“There’s that Dunamis magic I’ve heard so much about,” added Sfen. “I was beginning to wonder if all the stories about you were bullshit. I bet El you secretly didn’t know any fire techs.” Sfen paused to laugh. “But don’t you think this flame is a little puny, your Highness? You couldn’t make it any bigger?”
“It’s so warm, though!” Ellandio smiled as he stuck his feet at the base of the woodpile.
“It’s puny on purpose,” Nik snorted toward Sfen. “A regular fire is bright and draws attention. These flames are small and dim. The deep purple hue matches the clouds above, so it won’t look unnatural from afar. With this, we will go unnoticed the entire night.”
Sfen grunted, pretending to be unimpressed. “Let me guess. Discretion?” Nik did not answer.
The four men enjoyed their meager dinner and conversed quietly. As was normal for the trip, Sfen and Ellandio did most of the talking. Eventually, the topic of their mission came up.
“I can’t wait to get to the capital and start wrecking some more curveys. That battle in the alley town got me thirsty for more,” said Sfen.
Ellandio chuckled at his headstrong friend referencing the battle they nearly lost. “Right, so getting your guts smashed in by a notorious war criminal is fun now? More and more, I think you wish the War had never ended. Who says we’re going to be fighting, anyway?”
“Well we have to, right? Why else would they be sending a high ranking squad like us? The Palace is probably withholding details from us so we don’t blab and start an international incident,” said Sfen. Kleon nodded his head.
“So, they’re worried about political relations... and decided to go with you for a highly sensitive extermination mission?”
“Exactly, El. Who else would you send? They know I can eliminate any target, anywhere, any shape, any size, of any number… and do it all…” he said, turning to Nik, “discreetly.” Sfen was vastly exaggerating, though it didn’t stop him from fully buying into his own ego.
“Either way, this is a weird quest to be sent on. I’m not sure about this one…” said Ellandio, trailing off. “What do you think, Captain?”
Nik looked into the fire silently. He sighed as he stood up . “I’m unsure of it, too. We’ll see, I guess.” The dour captain turned from his team and retired for the night.