The Tale of a Garason Meister Part IV

By Bram Roding

The journey has been long, difficult and far from over. Reidara has found himself in the cold regions of northern Gorondir while chasing what little clues he has about Venus' whereabouts. The aeran stumbles upon a group of people that are not entirely unfamiliar with Garason and its meisters. But instead of getting closer to Venus, Reidara seems to further dig himself deeper into the mystery of the cubes and the powerful energy they possess. Meanwhile Mustongwing and Oberon have returned north. They gather with Araila Kateela and Armachillian Torell to discuss their plan of action when an unexpected visitor demands an audience and could potentially ruin what Mustongwing has tried to build.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Lulu.com
• Release date: Jun 22, 2017
• ISBN: 9780244615901

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The Tale of a Garason Meister

Part IV

Bonds

The Tale of a Garason Meister

Bonds

Bram Roding

Schrijver: Bram Roding

Coverontwerp: Bram Roding

© Bram Roding

This book is dedicated to those people who have given me all the inspiration.

Craig

Susan

Allecia

Amanda

Lynn

Grant

John

Sisa

Kevin

"Dear Amisa,

I am sorry. I am sorry I haven’t written in a long time. It’s not been easy to find an ample opportunity to write and send this letter without anyone asking questions or even noticing to whom it is addressed. Gorondir is different, Amisa. It’s as if I’ve entered an entirely different world from the moment I was let through the Wall. That itself took some effort. If you have a name, a status, it takes but a small exchange of words. But for simple travelers, the Wall only opens once a week. I had to seclude myself from the rest of the commoners who happily engaged in conversations with each other. But not me, it was simply too risky. I couldn’t afford anyone recognizing me from the Laedenna Championships.

Gorondir is like a land without law. There may be a king and there may be a kingsguard that upholds a law… but that seems to be in the capital of this land only. The first town I encountered was Fayré. I figured a tavern would be a good place to start asking about Venus. But people weren’t exactly… ‘willing’ to help. Often when I asked them if they had seen a shaen’il woman around, their first response was with revolt. People cursed, spit and snapped at me for even showing interest in what they repeatedly call demon harpies. A fortnight in Gorondir and I see the way people look at shaen’il here hasn’t changed much since Venus’ youth.

I don’t want to worry you, but I don’t want to keep anything from you either. I have been hurt, only physically. Fortunately I can handle that. While most simply attacked me with words, there were some that came upon me later, outside the tavern where I would’ve asked about Venus. They ganged up on me, beat me to the ground. It’s not that they were stronger, bloody hell no. I could’ve beaten them if I wanted to. But marilons aren’t exactly a common sight and I would stand out far too much should I have retaliated with maari. Come to think of it… I haven’t used maari ever since I passed Omarra… and that was only to make a fire. It’s a struggle to stay up and walking here in the north. Food is scarce and I’ve had lie and steal to gain it. I’m not proud of it but at least I’m not hurting anyone directly. More challenging is the motivation to keep going. Gorondir is huge and for every vague tip I obtain, I get twenty foul remarks in return.

A trader managed to tell me about shaen’il survivors from the massacre of Mura’shi. According to him the dwarves were often more kindly to them than the Gorondir people. He said most of them fled to the snows of Nordaeran, but where exactly, he didn’t know. He showed me a poorly drawn map and gave me directions. I wondered why I earned his kindness but all he said was that I brightened his day because he had never seen an aeran before. That is working against me as well, by the way. I may have seen one or two others, but other than those, there is not a single aeran in sight. Every town glares at me the same way, upon seeing my pointy ears. I cover them almost all the time with my cloak. I don’t expect to be recognized easily here, but I’ll reduce the chance as much as I can.

Amisa, you may have wondered why I haven’t yet told you where I am right now… though I also believe you know why I can’t write that down. I presume you have been forced to tell the others a long time ago and some may have already gone after me, or worse… I am no longer a meister of Garason. I can’t worry about the consequences of my actions right now. Ever since I passed into the dwarven lands I have the feeling I’m being followed, like there is something that wants to withhold me from finding Venus. Presence of civilization is also becoming thinner with every passing day. That’s why it is so difficult to send you this letter. Crows, falcons, hawks… none of them are in great numbers and to send a message probably costs tenfold of what it does in Garason.

I’ve had to fight, Amisa, for coin. Not to steal it from someone… no… in the pits, for sport. They’re cold and small, you’re stripped of heavy clothes and weaponry, fighting only with your bare hands. Thankfully my pointy ears got me into these matches easily. Everyone here seems to be eager to see what an aeran can do, up until the point they actually see what I can do. Gosh, that sounds a bit arrogant, doesn’t it? I never fight in the same pit twice, can’t afford the fame. I can’t say I dislike the brawl, but the aching muscles the day after aren’t welcome when traveling. Thankfully the coin is worth it, it managed to get me as far as I’ve gotten now.

All I can say about that is that it’s been a few weeks since I’ve seen plains of green grass. Everything around me is white, from the roofs of the cottages to the tops of the mountains in the distance. Often I’ve spent the night outside… trust me, Misa, you don’t know cold like I do now. I’ve lost count on how many times I’ve lost sense of my hands and feet, but I still have them. This letter should be proof of that.

Please do not let anything you’ve just read worry you. I will keep going until I’ve found her. I know this will not make much sense to you but I feel like I’m getting closer. Admitted, perhaps that is just what I want to feel… but something tells me I really am reaching her. Perhaps it’s my heart… that same heart that told me to go here in the first place. Regardless of any of that, it does not take away the fact that I miss you every single day. Like I said before, I will not lie… it’s lonely here. Cold, dark and isolated. But… in a twisted way… it feels familiar too.

Stay strong Amisa, take care and know you have my love, always. And… if you see a way to let the others know… I miss them too. I miss my family.

Eternally yours,

R."

~ Chapter One ~

The Dread of the Snow

He knows he shouldn’t but Reidara did it anyway. Carefully the aeran sat down on the snow-covered log, making himself small and began rubbing his hands together while exhaling in the sphere he formed with his fingers. At every exhale through his nose, Reidara witnessed the fumes pass his sight. It was something he couldn’t get used to and watched it happen for minutes long, sometimes even forgetting that he had to keep moving. Through the hard way, Reidara had learned that sitting still for too long did more harm than good. Each time he desired to rest and gave into that desire, he would soon no longer feel his ungloved fingers and wet feet. Reidara wished for better boots more often than he wished for food or drink. The aeran could still laugh at his own jests while he thought of the collection of blisters he obtained through his journey towards the north. But now even those blisters had become numb and Reidara wondered if soon his entire foot would just snap off from the cold. His thoughts lingered towards the days past and the reason that made him decide to enter these unforgiving lands.

Receiving a smile seemed something only possible with the females Reidara encountered. Most travelers he encountered on the road he didn’t dare look him in the eye. From the moment the aeran entered the Gorondir territories, he got nothing but foul glares and appraising eyes, all beaming the same question, ‘what is an aeran doing here?!’

The young meister was entering the northern part of the harsh lands and visits to towns became less frequent. Normally he’d give a stranger a friendly smile and a nod and perhaps even a formal greeting, but nowadays Reidara always turned a blind eye towards encounters with fellow travelers. Only the lasses in the taverns and inns would grant him a friendly glance. It gave the aeran small spurts of pleasure. Each time he caught a smile he thought of Amisa and imagined her face upon the lass who was looking at him. He felt bad for the girl, but was glad he could still remember what Amisa looked like. Never in his entire life had Reidara seen so many different people than on his journey north. Many dwarves and shimarians walked among the people, some orcs too but scarcely. His own kind seemed entirely absent from this part of the world, beyond the great mountain wall.

Reidara presumed the north to be as prosperous as Laedenna, having heard tales of glory in combat and military might. Sadly that seemed to be all there was to Gorondir. From beyond the wall he headed westbound until coming upon a marketplace in Grom. It was upon a circular courtyard in the center of the town, and all the stands were set up in a ring around the fountain built to resemble the previous King Kalos. The stone was chipped and damaged from the raids of Laedenna soldiers near the end of the Third Nation War. Melancholy had come upon Reidara knowing no one ever bothered to repair such a work of beauty, at least that’s what he thought of it.

While having searched the market for the essentials that he needed to continue his journey, his sack of coins being near empty, Reidara overheard the gossip from both men and women standing closely together in groups. The market was relatively vivid but there seemed to be a certain atmosphere present that said ‘watch what you say out loud’. All the soft voices created a secretive murmur around and gave the young meister eerie feelings when contemplating whether to stay a day longer to rest or not. It made him even more wary of whom to ask about Venus. Coming upon Grom, Reidara noticed he was presented with a difficult choice: Continue west or head north? Using the last bit of coin he had, Reidara got himself a bed and a meal inside one of the smaller inns. If there were a dozen people inside it would’ve been many. That made Reidara feel safe about asking about his lost mentor.

The lady behind the counter was timid at first, almost frightened like a mouse. Reidara couldn’t imagine what must’ve scared her, but a quick look upon the average male visitor and he didn’t need to think long on that. For the first time in many days, the aeran decided to remove the hood from his head in an attempt to seem more open and friendlier. His near golden hair was like the sun radiating the gloomy and dark common room of the inn and many glanced towards the pointy-eared aeran. Reidara felt the glares piercing his back but gave them no attention while smiling faintly towards the lass who swiftly poured him a drink, even though Reidara never asked for it.

‘My gratitude for the drink, you are very kind.’ said Reidara with a soft voice hoping to sound disarming enough for a conversation with the girl.

‘Y-You’re welcome, my lord.’ stammered the girl. Reidara chuckled softly and shook his head.

‘I’m no lord, I’m a m--.’ Reidara seized his tongue. –meister. I’m a meister. ‘-I’m just a traveler, with a few simple questions.’

‘Of course, my l---uh----anything. Ask anything.’ said the girl jittery as she frantically moved about behind the counter, cleaning it for the fifth time in a single minute. Reidara didn’t feel like she was willing to talk and simply complied out of sheer courtesy, courtesy that must’ve been taught that hard way… by the look of the scars on the palms of her hands. The aeran engaged in conversations in a way he had taught himself ever since he was beat up for the umpteenth time. He danced around the shaen’il subject like a shaman danced around a totem pole. All the while, the aeran learned of the unrest coming from the west as the zodiac clans seemed to move over each other’s lands and form alliances in response to the newly formed alliance between the Crimson Scorpions and the Libras.

The girl whispered she had seen the Scorpions and Libras come around Grom more often than before. It was cause for many violent incidents as the two hostile zodiac clans claimed the town to be theirs while supporters of King Vennar Midellan declared them fools for ranting such nonsense. Reidara learned that he had entered what the locals called the ‘grey area’ of Gorondir. From the southern point of the Forest of a Million Trees to the edge of the desert called The Banks, was a region where both Midellan’s guard and the two zodiac clans seemed the rule, despite all of it falling under the king’s protection by law. It was something that became apparent quickly, the king does not control everything as well as he says he does. The desert region called The Redstone Wastes are beyond his control entirely and lost to the criminal clans of which the Libras and Crimson Scorpions are the largest.

Despite being told an interesting tale about the politics and current affairs of Gorondir, Reidara was fortunately also told about the mysteries within the lands and stories of people travelling north for the mines. Yet, the girl also told about people reluctant to go there because of the increasing rate in which people disappeared in the vast white tundra’s. The aeran never fully listened to the words and focused on getting an answer on the one question he hadn’t asked yet. The chance arose quickly and the girl was willing to answer. The answer was north, even more north than north. Thus north the aeran went.

How long it must’ve been since the young meister spoke to anyone. He sat still upon the log, vacantly glancing forward into the vast forest obscured by a constant fog. He caught himself often asking how many days it has been since he entered the land of the dwarves and proceeded through the snow. Reidara wondered if it was an attempt at keeping himself calm and sane. The isolation of traveling in the north had already brought him to tears once or twice. It were like heavy weights pressing down upon his shoulders, pushing him onto his knees and force his hands into the snow. Then he felt the tears slowly running past his cheeks, often freezing up in a matter of seconds. Reidara then would have no control over his thoughts, constantly asking himself what the hell he was doing so far away from home. Each time that question arose, Reidara countered it with determination.

‘Once I start having second thoughts… I’m finished.’ he’d say to himself. Like a game of tug-of-war it felt, two thoughts trying to take control over Reidara’s actions. Like before, when he was still in Garason and overcome with doubts, Reidara wished he could flip a switch and turn of his mind. The animals Reidara spotted, the foxes and doe… he envied them. Animals with just a basic instinct that weren’t troubled by a conscious and the doubts that come with it. Reidara also encountered a wampth here and there, humanoid creatures with thick fur with jaws like grizzly-bears and claws as sharp as that of a tiger. As if someone took them from the stories of terrible snowmen and made them real. Or perhaps it was the other way around. Thoughts like these kept Reidara focused on the simpler things in life. But it was also the fear of these creatures. It forced him to stay alert of his surroundings as he strode through the endless pinewood forests. The wampths are a tad larger than he is, but the vicious creatures are silent and extremely hard to detect due to their white fur. It was what Reidara paid attention to at this moment as well.

While he took his moment of rest on the log, he scanned his surroundings, gazing past the countless trees into the thin mist in the distance, hoping not to see any movement. At first the aeran enjoyed the silence that the thick snow created, but now it felt eerie and could drive him near madness. Reidara craved the ambience of Garason’s streets now more than ever. The tingling started, a sign that it was time to move. It felt as if his fingers were stung by a thousand needles. While striding onward through the thick pack of snow, Reidara gazed upon them. Red and cold to the point where he felt like a corpse. He rubbed them together and then swept a hand over his face.

While the air became thin and colder, and his feet felt like they became heavier by the minute, Reidara amused himself by constantly feeling the stubbles on his chin scratching the cold fingers of his hand. Even after all this time, there was hardly a sign of facial hair with the young aeran. The majority of the world believes no aeran could ever grow facial hair, truth is that they could. But it takes a long time and special care. The aerans always felt that the rate in which humans and dwarves grew facial hair was ridiculously fast and incredibly inconvenient.

The smiles vanished as quickly as his view did. The snow came down, again. Reidara raised his head and watched how thousands of flocks gently hovered downwards and reinforced the already thick pack in which Reidara’s boots disappeared up to his ankles. The aeran wished a lot of things to be better, to have a canteen of water, to have a warm meal, to be walking on solid stone, to have a clear sight of his destination. For hours, Reidara gazed into the long lane beyond the trees that ended in a white haze through which nothing could be seen.

All the while the young aeran tried hard to think of home, to think of the mansion with its comfy rooms, dark wooden colored halls, warm fires in the lounge and dining hall, soft bed with sheets thick as sheep’s fur. If there was nothing else to make him warmer, than perhaps imagining things would help, even if it was minimal.

The thoughts of home saddened him a bit. They did, each time he remembered Garason. Though his mind and heart were set on finding Venus, there were ill feelings crawling between them when he thought of Quasar, of Athena, of Haydes. Reidara told himself all the time it wasn’t the case, but deep down the aeran couldn’t help feel like he turned his back on them.

‘Once I return they’ll see.’ he whispered to himself. ‘I did it for all of us. It is better this way.’ But was it? The longer his journey progressed, the harder it became for Reidara to keep believing that. Doubts sometime crept into his mind and give him restless nights. What if this won’t turn out the way I want? What if I can never find Venus? What if I return empty handed? Reidara lost count how many times he worried over all possible scenarios and their consequences.

His leather jerkin, covered by cloak and breeches beneath, were the garments he received from Venus. Reidara brought nothing else and wore this day and night. He smelled like something crawled out of the gutter, but the aeran didn’t notice it anymore. Perhaps he had grown used to it, or his nose was completely constipated from the cold he had. A cold that seemed to last an eternity. The last bath Reidara managed to get was in Grom, a village close to the Gorondir Wall. Reidara tried to remember how it felt like but it was over two weeks ago, if not longer.

The young meister halted in his steps and stood frozen on the path, still surrounded by the trees of a dense forest. He glanced at his surroundings when the thought occurred that he had been looking at surroundings like these for over four days now. While the aeran pondered whether it could be possible he was deliberately sent the wrong way, his focus went to his eyes, to what he was actually looking at.

Reidara squinted and felt ill feelings creeping in while he asked himself if the mist in the distance was thickening. He kept still, he kept watching and that’s when he opened his eyelids entirely. The trees were disappearing as he watched, the mist crawled closer to him. Was there another blizzard coming? Reidara glanced upwards, beyond the pines towards the grey skies which were slowly painted in an extremely faint shade of blue. It’s getting colder Reidara thought. But that was not all, there was something odd coming with it. Reidara had wandered in the north long enough to sense a storm coming, but now it felt like it carried an extra chill, one he could only feel crawling through his spine. The mist swallowed him and obscured his view until Reidara could only see a dozen trees on either side of the path. There was howling, was it the wind? There was hissing, were it the trees brushing against one another? Reidara swiftly tilted his body at the sound of cracking snow. The aeran drew his sword and stood ready while the ambience of the forest grew louder and surrounded him slowly.

‘Show yourself, whatever you are.’ whispered the aeran. A moment later the sound of cracking snow came upon Reidara’s pointy ears again upon which he coiled swiftly and raised the blade. He froze. With widened eyes, the young meister gazed upon the crossbow pointed at him, in the hands of what seemed to be a bear standing upright, but that was just the coat of fur that covered the man inside whole.

‘Calm down, lad.’ said the man with a dwarven accent even though he was clearly human, being taller than Reidara. He could hardly be distinguished as such, seeing how only his nose and eyes were the only human features on him. His thick beard covered the lower half of his face and the rest was covered in fur.

‘Are ye lost?’ he asked. Reidara didn’t like the feel of it. He glanced the man in the eyes but the chill in his spine remained so he kept his sword high.

‘Ye can lower it now.’ said the man with a nod.

‘Says the man pointing a crossbow at me.’ Reidara answered.

‘It’s not fer you, lad.’ said the man casually. Before the aeran could respond, he heard the arrow fly past his ear. An excruciating cry followed. Reidara felt the chill grow stronger while tightened his grip on his blade.

‘Bite the snow, now!’ the man commanded and for reasons Reidara could not explain, he did what the man said and pressed himself face down into the white substance. He heard the faint wail of another arrow flying by after which a high-pitched scream sounded. Reidara witnessed the creature behind him, shaded blue and white. No arms, digitigrade legs and odd stumpy toes. A face without eyes but a wide vicious mouth with teeth sharp as the yackhowl.

‘Crap!’ said the man with a rolling ‘r’ and a troubled glance. A moment after the screeches sounded all around. Cloaked by the thick mist, the creatures could not be seen but it was clear for both the man and Reidara they were surrounded. The man tugged the crossbow back onto his back and took two tomahawks from the leather straps on his fur.

‘If ye want to outlive this, boy, get up ‘n fight!’ exclaimed the man. Without a word, Reidara did what he said and grabbed his Fauro sword from the snow. Then the first of the creatures came through the mist. The same ghastly appearance as before. No arms, no eyes, just blind rage and with the bloodlust of a predator. Reidara let it come to him and struck it down with a diagonal swing of his sword, slashing the creature’s torso open. The swift action of Reidara left him time to witness how the man with tomahawks danced around the creature while continuously landing blows with his weapons. As his enemy dropped on its thick knees, the man crossed his arms and swung the tomahawks across its neck, beheading the creature in a swift strike. Momentarily the two exchanged glances after which the man immediately frowned upon the aeran.

‘Ya bloody idiot!’ he shouted. ‘Chop ‘s head off, now!’

Reidara glanced downwards and could only see how his enemy crawled back up. It gave the aeran a firm kick upon which he was thrown several meters away. The man was set to engage the monster when another came running through the mist behind him. He was clearly no stranger of combat, even in a dazed state Reidara could see that. The meister witnessed the man move around with excellent agility, fending off two of the vicious creatures. Reidara moved to aid him but then he was thrown into the snow near the aeran as well. This isn’t gonna do, Reidara thought and stuck his sword into the snow. Then he opened the palm of his hand and aimed it towards the creatures.

‘This should do the trick.’ said Reidara as he saw how the man raised himself from the ground. The lightning sparkled from the aeran’s hand and he was ready to fire the stream of maari but then the man pulled on his arm

‘No!’ he exclaimed. ‘No maari!’

Reidara misfired the jolt which exploded far in the distance as it clashed against one of the many trees.

‘What are you doing?!’ exclaimed Reidara angered. ‘I would’ve ended it!’

‘No, pointy-ears… ye’ve just doomed us both.’ said the man soft and eerily toned. ‘This way!’ shouted the man while he pulled Reidara with him, giving the aeran no opportunity to ask the dozen questions that arose in his mind. Reidara managed to grab his sword in time and while the man tucked his tomahawks back in the straps around his body he tilted his head towards his new companion. ‘Ye came from this direction, no?’ he asked while panting heavily as he ran. Reidara simply nodded and sighed softly.

‘Yea…’ No further words were exchanged, none were needed as well. Reidara heard the screams of the creatures in the surrounding forest. They had intensified in numbers which gave the aeran an idea of what he had done. Idiot he told himself. At the same time Reidara was amazed by his ability to suddenly run through the thick layer of snow. The adrenaline surging through his veins seemed to have given him the energy he yearned for the past week.

‘Hurry, hurry!’ cried the man. Meanwhile the screeches from behind became louder and with them came the snarls and growls too. Blind both of them were as the mist covered all in their sight, until they came upon a cottage. They burst inside and while Reidara stumbled upon the wooden floor, the man swiftly turned around and the shut the door tight after which he took the only wooden beam inside the house and barred the door with it. Reidara watched it happen and asked himself why he hadn’t noticed this structure before, and why that man knew exactly where it was. Seconds later the first of the monsters banged against the door, but that is all they could do. The noises were loud and unsettling but Reidara could see from the man’s demeanor that the immediate threat was over.

‘T-Thanks, it seems you’re familiar with those things.’ said Reidara wheezing while trying to get ahold of his breathing.

‘And it seems ye’re not dressed fer this weather.’ sneered the man. Reidara immediately regretted granting him the compliment. ‘Ye’re not from around ‘ere, that much is clear. What the hell ‘re ya doin’ wandering through this forest?’ The aeran meister opened his mouth but wasn’t given the chance. ‘And how come ye don’t know using maari against these things ‘s a death sentence?’ The man flailed his hands and gave signals he didn’t even care to get the answers. Reidara remained silent and accompanied by a long sigh he pushed himself up while the man moved about the house, checking all the windows.

‘What now?’ Reidara asked softly, but the man waited with answering until he was done with his inspection.

‘We wait.’ he said abrupt. ‘These bastards may be vicious but they’re not patient. They’ll leave once they figure they can’t get to us.’

The man neglected to look Reidara in the eye for moments longer which irritated the aeran with every second passing. But he somehow welcomed the awkwardness of this interaction as well. It was, after all, the first interaction with anyone since many, many days.

‘So… what do people call you?’ Reidara asked. What do people call you? Really? That’s how you ask his name? The man finally turned towards the young meister and carried a skeptical glance.

‘My name, ye mean?’ With fear of sounding stupid again, Reidara simply nodded. ‘Liam. What’s yers?’

‘Reidara,’ said the meister hesitantly, ‘…of Aeraenas’.

‘Ye don’t say...’

Liam pulled the bear skin from his head and revealed more of his face. Short brown hair with faint tints of grey and the full beard that covered his mouth. Reidara was surprised as the man turned out to look a lot older than he expected. The young meister figured he must be around his forties, if not older. Liam sat down in the middle of the cottage and pulled the crossbow from his back only to tighten a new arrow on the string. ‘So tell me,’ he suddenly began with a surprisingly more friendlier tone. ‘why’s an aeran stumbling ‘round in the snoh, thousands of miles from home?’

‘How would you know where my home is?’ Reidara mumbled as he wandered around the cottage, unwilling to look at Liam, who suddenly froze.

‘Ye just told me… from Aeraenas you said.’

‘I’m from Aeraenas… but it’s not my home.’

Liam frowned and placed the crossbow beside him while he crossed his legs and looked at Reidara wandering back and forth impatiently.

‘Ye need to work on yer communication skills, lad.’

‘Forgive me,’ said Reidara untrue ‘…I haven’t talked to anyone in over a week.’

‘Neither have I.’ Liam replied laconic. ‘Ye don’t see me stumbling over me tongue.’

It sure sounds that way Reidara thought as he tried to mimic the accent in his head. The young meister stopped pacing around when he met with Liam’s gaze.

‘Come sit down,’ he said when beckoning towards the floor. ‘Ye gonna need yer strength.’ Reidara could agree with him that much and sat down in front of him, although crossing his legs and sit in a meditative position like him was a bit too much.

‘Going to need it for what?’ Reidara asked.

‘I don’t suppose ye want to stay ‘ere all day, do ya?’ Reidara didn’t answer but his face gave the apparent answer. ‘Do ye even knoh where ye goin’?’

‘North.’

Liam chuckled at the answer although it was closer to a scoff. ‘No doubt.’ he said. A silence took over. The aeran flinched as the monsters outside banged upon the door once again. Even Liam stopped with fixing his crossbow.

‘What are they?’ Reidara asked although he wasn’t sure if he wanted to know.

‘Bluestalkers. The locals call ‘em Blues.’ Liam focused his gaze on Reidara and ensured he met it before continuing to speak. ‘They come from the direction ye were headin’, the Brickbreaker Pass. It’s hundreds of miles long and eventually ends up at the Pass of Oblivion. ‘s the place where all the disappearances happen. Though lately they’ve been comin’ closer to ‘ere.’

‘You know why?’ Reidara asked genuinely.

‘Rumors ‘ve popped up.’ Liam said. ‘Many of ‘em claim the demons ‘re comin’ from the mountains to reclaim their land or something.’

‘You don’t sound very convinced.’

Liam snorted. ‘Tavern myths, I call ‘em. Stories made up by the girls behind the counter to smother the customers.’

‘One of those girls sent me here towards the north.’ That clearly got Liam’s attention. He looked troubled but then it quickly changed to a mocking smile.

‘A tavern girl told ye to go this way?’ Reidara nodded upon which Liam’s mocking smile turned back into a trouble glance. ‘What in Eva’s name did ye ask ‘er?’

What should I say? Should I tell him the truth? ‘I---uh, I asked about the mines.’ Reidara said with a slight stammer. The young meister studied Liam’s face carefully and soon got the impression he didn’t buy what Reidara told him. But the bearded man remained as silent as the grave, creating an awkward calm within the cold cottage. ‘I-I was told I could find work there.’ Reidara added. ‘I’ve been to plenty of taverns to hear all about the wealth beneath the ground.’ Liam nodded continuously and added a single hum.

‘I see. Well, ye’re not the only one.’ he said softly and then gave way for the silence to make entry again. Damn it, I fell for it. thought Reidara. A more advanced conversation technique but one Reidara was taught early on during his sentinel training. If you want to know something from someone, talk as less as possible. The silence makes people uncomfortable and they’ll say anything just to kill it. This fellow is no simple hunter. He’s smart.

‘I’ve never seen many aerans working in the mines.’ Liam said with a suggestive tone. ‘Ye plan to employ or work independently?’

‘Independent. I have no desire to work on someone else’s clock.’ Reidara answered quickly. That sounded confident enough, is he convinced? Liam chuckled softly and shook his head while he inspected the sharpness of one of his tomahawks.

‘Ain’t that the truth. Who’d want a boss shouting down at ye while ye’re doin’ ‘s work, am I right?’ Reidara awkwardly laughed with the hunter. Liam quickly tucked the tomahawk back in its holster and jumped up on his feet. ‘Ye know, I’ll help ye get in the right direction… and with some proper clothes too.’ That surprised Reidara. Did I really convince him that quickly?

‘T-Thanks.’ stammered the young meister.

‘Don’t be too quick with those words. I haven’t brought ye anywhere yet. We wait one hour more, then it should be safe to go.’

‘Go where?’

‘Me home.’

~ Chapter Two ~

Saligia

The sound of a home felt welcome in Reidara ears. He imagined the fire in the hearth, ever radiating the much desired warmth. He imagined the comfortable chairs, covered with thick pelts the hunter would’ve collected himself. He imagined the iron pot hanging close to the fire, inside a stew spurting once or twice and sending a scent into the room that would water any mouth. Sadly for the young aeran, fate had yet a dark twist up its sleeve.

After leaving the empty cabin to be covered in the deep snows, Reidara and Liam avoided the presence of the Bluestalkers only for Reidara to discover they still had to travel for three days until he’d finally smell that stew, feel that fire and sit upon that chair. The aeran no longer cared for his limbs, he often did not feel them anyway. During the journey, the young meister swore again and again, if he would ever get out of this, he would never set foot in the north again. He even accidently said it out loud sometimes upon which Liam responded, ‘Everyone says that the first time they’re here!’ and simply laughed. Reidara could hardly be amused but at the same time he suspected Liam to be right. He was the one living here for so long already after all.

Is that even true? Reidara asked himself that a few times. He hardly knew the guy. Yet I’m trusting him to lead me through this forsaken place. The knowledge Liam had of survival in these dreadful circumstances convinced Reidara enough to keep following him. They soon entered the Jar Valley which gave the two considerable shelter from the winds of winter. I should’ve known better than to come here during the winter months.

‘You should’ve known better than to come here during the winter months.’ Liam told him. Bloody hell. Aera save me. The young meister was no man of religion but he caught himself talking to Aera more often. Seems some of that aeran teaching did slip in after all. Too bad they never told me how cold a true winter could be. The only winter Aeraenas would ever see were the branches of trees catching the wind because they had shed their leaves. Aerans have never seen a flock of snow even though Garason had, which lies further south than Aeraenas.

It’s his second winter outside Garason, Reidara realized. Second winter outside Aeraenas as well. Well, he did partake in a part of winter in Garason, but not happily. Ultimately his chain of thoughts drove him towards Venus and the aeran pictured her face of beauty with that stone cold expression upon the white of the snow. Then he asked the question he had asked a thousand times before.

‘Where are you?’ Reidara whispered.

‘Oi.’ Liam called out. ‘Time to move.’ For the third time Reidara pushed himself up from one of the few stones that wasn’t entirely engulfed with snow. With all the horror of the past weeks in mind, these last leagues were actually quite pleasant. The snow inside the valley was old and had grown solid, although one had to watch his step or he’d slip. It was considerably better than what Reidara was used to in the forest.

The only words Reidara ever heard from his travelling companion were ‘watch out’ or ‘keep up’. In the whole three days they travelled together there wasn’t a single conversation longer than three sentences. Reidara knew he should get to get to know the man and use his knowledge to get closer to his own goal. The idea made him feel queasy in his stomach, Reidara had no desire to act sanctimonious and ‘use’ anyone for personal gain only. But the meister admitted he was growing desperate. After drifting in Gorondir territories for such a long time he’d hoped to have more concrete information on his mentor’s whereabouts. I mean she’s a shaen’il for crying out loud. How many could there be?!

The young meister realized his heart was beating in his throat as he witnessed the ravine next to him. The solid valley path had raised the two into the sky and were now following a trail along the mountainside.

‘You sure this is the way?’ Reidara asked although the answer wouldn’t make much difference. Neither did the meister believe Liam would’ve ever gotten lost, despite the fact that the land which they crossed hardly had any distinctive features. Then the walls of stone came upon them at the end. Built against the mountain, on a near horizontal slope was the village which Liam pointed at when smiling towards Reidara.

‘Welcome to Jarlile.’ he said. The only road of the village was only about a kilometer long and ran from the north end of the village towards the south. Reidara guessed there were about thirty structures, which he considered was generous of himself. Despite the dreadful temperature, the dwarven villagers were happily doing their work. Reidara heard the sound of the woodworker, the clanging of the blacksmith and the high-pitched voices of the dozen children receiving class outside. Aera knows why, or probably Noros does.

The young meister was looked at many times but with more surprised eyes than appraisingly ones. Partly because, Reidara suspected, Liam greeted all he met with an enthusiastic smile and a kind wave. The dwarves knew him well and all addressed him with his name. One called him Mister Alexander. Your surname is it? Reidara wondered.

The young meister followed his hunter companion towards a small house near the north end of town and finally came upon what he desired for so long. Well, partially. There was no fire and no stew, but more or less comfortable chairs and a chance to properly sit down without freezing to death.

‘I’ll get a fire goin’.’ Liam said. ‘Could ye look in the back fer me, please?’ he added quickly after. Please? thought Reidara.

‘There should be some salted venison ready for the spit. That is, if ye eat any meat at all.’

‘Of course.’ said Reidara slightly indignant. ‘Why wouldn’t I?’ Liam shrugged carelessly and turned to his fire in the making.

‘Dunno, ‘ve heard rumors about ye aerans, said ye eat the leaves off the trees and make soup of grass.’

Reidara snorted while he walked through the small room, looking for the venison. ‘And I’ve heard rumors of a snowman with a suit made of bearskin and a crossbow.’ Dripping with sarcasm, Reidara cast his words towards Liam while he opened a large wooden chest. The smell of meat crashed against his nose like waves raging against the shore.

‘Ye want to eat or not?’ Liam asked. ‘…ye cheeky bastard.’ he added in a whisper. ‘So much fer helpin’ out the weak. I know never to do that again.’ The hunter’s monologue was interrupted as the aeran dropped the venison next to him. They briefly exchanged cynical glances towards each other after which Reidara sat back down on the chair and witnessed the fire ignite. Liam prepped the meat for the fire after which he hung it close to the flames and then faced Reidara once more.

‘How long ‘as it been since ya’ve had a good drink?’

‘Ages.’ Reidara said quickly. Liam painted a broad smile upon his face and quickly dug into one of his cabinets near what looked to be a kitchen. The entire inside of the cabin seemed somewhat primitive, not to mention creaky and old but Reidara was wise enough not to mention it. Not that he needed to. His glancing around and the appraising demeanor he carried with it already wrote his opinion all over his face.

‘tis not much, I know.’ said Liam as he sat down on a chair next to Reidara.

‘I’m sorry. I shouldn’t be gawking like that. You’ve been nothing but helpful to me.’ Reidara said with genuine dignity but Liam shook his head.

‘Don’t trouble yerself, lad. ‘tis not like I could’ve left ye there.’ he said while pouring two cups full of a near black substance from a bottle with glass carrying the color of sand. ‘I’ve little in me home because I hardly need anything at all. I’m more out there than in ‘ere.’ Liam said it while nodding towards the door, carrying a proud smile that gave Reidara the insurance he hadn’t offended him. The aeran sighed with relief while he was handed the cup. ‘Cheers.’

Careful as he was, Reidara first smelled the liquid and could distinguish the alcohol, but what the other smell was he didn’t know. On good faith, the young meister threw the cup over into his throat. Seconds later, Reidara burst into coughing which lasted near half a minute. All the while Liam gloated and couldn’t resist but utter a soft laugh. He soon dispensed with the malicious pleasure and padded Reidara on the back.

‘Keep it goin’, ye’ll be fine.’ But Reidara felt like he was throwing his lungs out. When he finally recovered and climbed back upon the chair again he glared towards his companion with a frown.

‘What the hell is this?!’

‘Bear’s Piss! ‘s nice, no?’

‘It’s disgusting.’

‘Ah! Ye just need to get used to it. It’s the perfect drink fer a kick start should ye ever need one.’ Liam stood up and walked up to the fire where he turned the spits of venison around.

Reidara’s face awed. ‘You’re saying you drink this at dawn?’

Liam shrugged harmlessly. ‘Why not?’ he asked. The young meister snorted softly while he placed the cup far away from himself.

‘That explains a few things.’ he muttered. Liam turned around, bearing skeptical brows and a glare that was like a spear thrown at Reidara.

‘Do ye want to sleep outside tonight?’

Reidara ignored the meaningless threat. He kept himself busy rubbing his hands together in an attempt to warm up a bit. Soon the heat from the fire spread throughout the house along with the scent of the roasting venison. It was a tough piece of meat. Reidara guessed that’s just the way they liked it here seeing how Liam was enjoying himself. The young meister wondered how he hadn’t died of a heart attack with the amount of salt he tasted. But it was solid food for once, something the aeran hadn’t had in days so he ate, making sour faces with every bite.

‘So, what do ye intend to mine once you reach the depths?’ Liam suddenly asked as he stuffed his mouth full, leaving bits of grease in the beard surrounding his face. Reidara had a hard time not noticing it.

‘I was told to look for obsidian. I intend to bring it south. It should sell pretty well considering there’s not much of it where I’m from.’

Liam nodded as he chewed strongly on the meat. He gave no regard for his full mouth though.

‘It is rare, but hard to obtain too. Ye’ll have to go deep, far beyond the average depth of a mine.’

‘Do you know where I can find a mine that’ll get me to the right depth?’ Reidara asked, although the answer meant nothing to him. In his mind, the aeran was already contemplating on how to turn this conversation towards the sightings of shaen’il.

‘Ye don’t know?’ Liam asked confused. Reidara turned his eyes from spot to another and then simply shrugged.

‘Obviously.’ he said. ‘You wouldn’t have found me in the snow if I did.’

‘Fair enough.’ Liam replied quickly. The hunter paused and feasted on the venison that covered his hands in grease and fluids, spurting from the cooked flesh. Reidara thought the image represented that which he had been seeing for the past month, a primitive world above The Wall. It still amazed the meister how Gorondir, with all its power, had such little control over its lands. But he was in Nordaeran now, Reidara reminded himself, the lands of the dwarves. The young meister wondered what its cities look like and what he could find that would help him. Up until today all he saw of the region was the snow, the trees and the white mountains in the far distance.

‘Do you know where I can find the closest city from here?’ Reidara asked Liam.

‘That’s easy.’ Liam said. ‘Just head north. Ye’ll first find Mammoth’s Tusk, ‘s a hunter’s town, a tad larger than this one. Beyond that, further north, ye’ll walk up to a large steep mountain, within is the city of LittleBig.’

‘The dwarven capital.’ Reidara added. Liam chuckled softly as he licked his fingers.

‘Well, at least ye know that much.’

‘How far is LittleBig from there?’ The question was with general interest. If anyplace, LittleBig was the aeran’s best chance to find clues. Liam wiped his hands with a dirty old cloth while glancing upon the ceiling and hummed.

‘With this weather… which isn’t gonna change anytime soon… five days to a week, I guess.’ The hunter met with the blonde meister’s eyes which radiated some kind of determination that he recognized. ‘I s’pose ye want to go there?’

‘That place is probably my best bet of finding a job in the mining business.’ Reidara said with a uncertain shrug. Liam gave no reply and raised himself from his chair. He slowly strode across the room and grabbed a pitcher filled with water and two empty cups that did not have traces of alcohol this time. ‘Or am I wrong?’ Reidara asked. ‘There are offices there, right?’

‘Certainly.’ Liam said impassively as he returned but did not sit down. Instead he gave a filled cup to Reidara and went standing opposite of him, leaning against the wall near the hearth. He raised his cup in a courtly manner paired with a friendly smile.

‘This’ll taste better, I’m sure.’ Liam said. Reidara took a big gulp and sighed afterwards, swiping his mouth clean of the grease from the meat.

‘Much.’ added the aeran.

‘There’s a lane with dozens of offices for all kinds of mining companies, all willing to hire able bodies for the heavy liftin’.’ Liam said, breaking the silence. ‘Though I’m sure they’ll look surprised when an aeran volunteers fer a job.’ he added a chuckle. Reidara softly laughed with him and shrugged carelessly.

‘First time for everything, right?’

‘Right.’ said Liam impassively and then pushed himself off the wall. He wandered around the room, looking at all his possession, of which there weren’t many, until he ended up in front of a small square window near the front door. He could barely see through the snow covering the windowsill but he had enough vision upon the village to see that the storm had worsened and the villagers had sought shelter inside their homes.

‘But…’ Liam began. ‘…I thought ye said ye were goin’ to work independently. Ye know, not under the supervision of a boss.’ The hunter walked back inside Reidara field of view. The meister raised his head and did his best to keep a stoic face. ‘…which I thought strange considering ye probably don’t have much experience, if ye don’t mind me saying.’

Shit, thought Reidara.

Their glances locked with each other but while the aeran meister kept his face plastered in a single expression, in his thoughts, he was mildly panicking, trying to come up with an answer that made sense. That glare he received did not help at all. Reidara knew, the longer he took the more suspicious he would seem. Has he been testing me all this time?

‘Where are ye from, Reidara?’ Liam asked suddenly.

‘South of The Wall.’ The aeran replied impassively.

‘Ye already told me that. Where exactly?’

‘Farfield.’ Reidara said quickly, almost automatically. Wait, what do I know about Farfield? What if he’s going to ask me questions about it? No, no… you can do this. He’s a northerner… no wait, is he really? Reidara’s demeanor shifted. He felt more confident. Yes, I can play this game too.

‘Alexander.’ said the aeran suddenly upon which he received Liam’s attention more than he already had. ‘That’s not a northern name, is it?’

As if time itself had frozen and with it all that happened in the world, the two men fixed glances upon each other. While Liam gave away not a single an emotion, Reidara’s mouth slowly curved and a slight mischievous smile appeared.

‘Liam Alexander… that’s more of a Laedennan name, isn’t it?’

‘It is.’ said Liam softly. ‘You’re right. I’m not originally from the north.’ Reidara smile vanished. His accent… it’s gone. ‘Like you, I’m from south of the Wall, far to the south. From a city lying against the coast, the last city before one sets sail further south towards the Mizuna islands. The same city, Reidara… where you’re from.’ Liam paused and watched the troubled expression the aeran had taken on. ‘…Mister Blue Spark.’ Liam added in a jesting manner. He smiled but Reidara couldn’t find the humor to do the same.

‘And here I was thinking I hid myself pretty well.’ the aeran mumbled.

‘Oh, you did.’ said Liam as he relaxed himself and returned to his chair and sat down in a leisurely manner. ‘Up until the point you wanted to blast away the Bluestalkers with lightning maari. I don’t suppose many aerans know how to do that, do they?’ Reidara scoffed and then glanced down into the small bit of his reflection upon the water in his cup.

‘That’s what gave me away then?’ Liam shrugged in response.

‘Not immediately. But it rose some questions, upon which I decided to test your knowledge.’ Reidara immediately thought back of the questions about his purpose and wanted to smack himself in the face upon thinking back of the moment where he told Liam he had come here to mine. Liam saw the sour glance on his face and smiled. ‘You shouldn’t try to talk of things you don’t know nothing of. For one, no aeran would ever come here to mine. Two, mining obsidian is practically impossible these days… for anyone but the Obsidian Corporation.’

‘I get it, I get it. It was a weak cover.’ sneered the aeran irritated. Liam snorted softly an emptied his cup inside his throat. He let a short silence pass by upon which he tapped the aeran on the shoulder.

‘No worries, friend. I mean you no harm. As for your journey, I’m still willing to help you. I presume you still want to go to LittleBig?’

Reidara didn’t expect that. He sooner expected to be tricked again, or worse… to be thrown out and forced to spend the night in the blizzard---which would’ve surely killed him.

‘Are you serious? You’ll still help me?’ Liam circled around Reidara until he stood in front of him again and met with his anxious yet enthusiastic glance.

‘I will, but on the condition that you’ll tell me truth. Why are you really here?’

It was a decision Reidara did not want to make. His first sense told him to just lay out the truth and be honest, that always got him somewhere. Not always where he wanted, but somewhere. This was different, Reidara didn’t care about the consequences for him, but more for Venus. If there’s one thing the aeran had learned during his time in the north, it’s that shaen’il are more loathed around here than south of the Wall. In that regard, Reidara realized that his first instinct to go north might’ve been completely wrong.

The young meister quickly steered away from the doubt, knowing in his heart that he was on the right track. But what now? Reidara had no idea on how Liam thought of shaen’il, the meister was never able to steer the conversation that way. Telling him of his true intentions might consequently turn into something troublesome.

‘I’m looking for someone.’ Reidara said. ‘Someone I care about.’

‘A woman?’ Liam asked immediately. Reidara bowed his head in silent accord.

‘Your lover?’

‘No.’

‘Family then? Your mother, perhaps?’ A silence overtook the room. Reidara vacantly glared into the distance while imagining Venus to be standing right there, giving her sign of approval. Then he met with Liam’s eyes.

‘Something like that.’

‘She an aeran too?’ Liam asked upon which Reidara snorted softly.

‘No.’ he chuckled. ‘Far from it.’ Liam looked confused and awaited for Reidara to continue. ‘She’s---she’s exceptional. Light shade of pink as skin, darker shade of pink as hair… and crimson eyes. Or scarlet, depending on the light.’ Liam unfolded his arms and slowly came loose from the wall he was leaning against.

‘Venus.’ he breathed. ‘You’re looking for Venus.’

Reidara’s head felt like it suddenly weighed a ton and with heavy heart did Reidara bow it in silent accord. Then Liam sat down again and gave the aeran a friendly smile.

‘That explains why you’re so cautious. That’s very clever of you, Reidara. Shaen’il are not popular here in the north. Though it’s worse in Gorondir.’

‘Something I learned through trial and error, I’m afraid.’ Reidara spoke softly. ‘I still frighten myself every day with the thought of having spoken to someone I shouldn’t have, through which I put her in danger.’

‘Why is she here? So far away from Garason?’ A short silence passed. Reidara was the one who stood up and paced around this time.

‘She’s on a long term mission.’ Damn it. I don’t want to lie… but he’ll never help me if he knows the truth. ‘It was supposed to take a few months, but she’s been gone far longer than that.’ Reidara walked around some more and occasionally placed an inconspicuous glance upon Liam. Is he buying it? The hunter nodded in silent accord as he stroke his beard a few times.

‘What kind of mission?’ Liam asked. Reidara stopped pacing. He pondered for only a few seconds but this one wasn’t hard to come up with.

‘If you know I’m the Blue Spark, you must know about the attack on the Laedenna Championships, right?’

‘Of course.’

‘We had a strong lead that the organization behind it was in Gorondir.’

‘That’s doesn’t say much.’ Liam replied quickly. He swept his arms across in a large arch. ‘Every criminal organization is in Gorondir.’

‘Yes, yes, so I’ve learned. Still, Venus came here to uncover their identity and to find out who exactly is responsible.’ Reidara paused and looked away with a troubled glance. ‘Except we haven’t heard from her in over four months.’ The young meister came to a standstill, thinking he had provided Liam with enough information to convince him to lend the aeran a hand. But it was as if he was frozen, sitting sideways in the chair with one hand covering half his face, glancing with vacant eyes towards the carpet made of deer skin. It made Reidara feel itchy and anxious. He desperately wanted to hear a response but felt that asking for it would seem too obnoxious. I hate these situations.

Then Liam raised himself from the chair, noticeably slow, as if his body carried ten times more weight since he sat down. He turned towards the aeran and met with him carrying a heavy glance. It worried the aeran.

‘It’s probably fair I tell you a bit more about myself.’ Reidara suddenly got an eerie foreboding and slowly returned to sit down again. ‘I already revealed I was from Garason, but I know Venus better than you think.’

Must’ve been from before my time. Reidara thought as he studied the aged face behind the thick beard.

‘I know her only because we fought together during the last nation war.’ It surprised Reidara but again it made sense as well. Can’t recall a Liam Alexander being a member of Honohana though. ‘I was twenty-two when it all began. At first I was supposed to be part of the main force to head out on the road north and meet with the Laedennan forces head-on. However, my clan ultimately became the clan of the covert missions, the ones more covert than… covert. Along with my own members, of which there were only a handful, Venus helped us as well. We were the dark squad, the fighters in the shadows, those who engaged the missions that no one else dared, that no one else wanted. We performed missions that were registered in a special record, for the head meister’s eyes only. It was necessary, for our safety but for the city’s as well. Understand, Reidara, we did the dirtiest work a war