LOCATION: THE CRUCIBLE, 50TH FLOOR
PLANET: LAPIS DIVINUS, ORION LUMINARY INSTITUTE
YEAR: 1 | DAY: ?? | TIME: ??
“It was Edric Talloway, Marris Halford, and that blasted Guard Captain.”
Kaela sighed. Somehow that list didn’t surprise her.
She couldn’t help but recall that day, nearly a year ago, when three wolves attacked her, and that bastard stood with his four men, watching her fight without rousing himself or his men to help. Holding them back from doing so, even worse. Had he learned nothing?
Aeryn continued with her tale, pulling Kaela out of her dark thoughts and back into Aeryn’s own.
“I wanted to go back. I wanted to accuse them all in front of the whole village.”
She looked back at the fire, and Kaela could see the flames reflected in the elf’s eyes.
“I wanted to kill all three of them,” she said quietly.
She poured two more glasses of the whiskey and looked back at Kaela as she downed another. The sun was fully up now, the snowstorm having dissipated. Birds were chirping outside the window.
The scene created a marked contrast to the story Aeryn was telling inside.
“I buried Hark in the center of the clearing, together with the body of the wolf he had slain.”
She sniffed again and wiped more tears away. They were beginning to stain her tunic now, but Aeryn didn’t seem to care.
“It was my own way of honoring the man I loved. As I was patting down dirt around the post I used to mark the spot, an elder woman appeared in the clearing.”
Aeryn took another drink and stared out the window for a moment before continuing.
“I had seen and heard her coming for some time, but in my grief, I cared not whether she was there to murder or take advantage of me. Nothing mattered. But what I did not expect was what she did offer me.”
The wind picked up outside, as if in response to Aeryn’s emotions.
“She said she was a witch doctor, and asked me to tell her my tale. She had watched me bury Hark and the wolf, and said she was curious, as it was an unusual thing to do. After I told her everything, the witch doctor said that there was a ritual I could perform to free Hark’s spirit and exact punishment on those who allowed this to happen to him.”
Aeryn was sitting back on the floor now, and looked up at her guest.
“You have to understand, Kaela. I was lost in grief. I think I would have agreed to anything. Anything to get my mind off what I really wanted to do, which was to run back to Greyhaven and kill the three men with my bare hands. The witch said the ritual was designed to ensure that the punishment fit the crime, so I listened.”
Her shoulders slumped.
“I collected branches and twigs, and created the wolf totem on the site of Hark’s demise. She directed me through the process, chanting some sort of mantra I couldn’t understand the entire time.”
She turned back to the fire again, reliving the moments in her mind’s eye.
“I should have known better than to trust a stranger who deals in dark magic. But I was just so angry! I couldn’t get thoughts of revenge out of my mind, and I welcomed the busywork. It took me three days and three nights to build the thing.”
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Kaela felt tears welling up in her own eyes from the sad story.
“At the end of it all, she handed me the sword Hark had used to defend himself. It still contained dried blood from the wolf on the blade, and Hark’s still covered the hilt. I reached out for it, and felt a rush of power enter my body, causing my heart to grow numb against the endless pain. The witch doctor told me to cut my hand and let the blood drip on the totem for three hours.”
Aeryn sighed.
“I did exactly as she said, and at the end of three hours, I passed out. At first I thought it was blood loss, but when I came to, I was surrounded by thirty wolves. I leapt up, prepared to defend myself, but they were just sitting neatly, as if they were docile pets raised to sit at my feet. I looked around, and the witch doctor was gone.”
Kaela reached out and gripped Aeryn’s shoulder. She felt the muscles tense under her touch, then relax.
“From that day forth, wolves have been attracted to the totem. They come in varying numbers, but always in multiples of three. They circle the totem for a bit, then trot off toward Greyhaven. I’ve been trying to get them to stop, but they just keep coming back.”
“Have you tried destroying the totem?” Kaela asked. “I realize it’s Hark’s burial site, but maybe if you—”
Aeryn laughed.
“Go try it. As soon as you touch it, you are zapped away, as if struck by lightning. That witch’s magic is powerful.”
She took one final swig of the whiskey, emptying the bottle and turned to Kaela.
“No, I am convinced the only way to stop it is to kill the witch. So I must ask you. Will you join me on this task, Kaela Sirova? I fear I may not have the strength in her presence to strike the killing blow. I need you to either steady my hand, or do it for me. Can you do this service for a stranger?”
Kaela agreed to help Aeryn, but asked for some time.
Kaela sensed that this final confrontation would lead to the end of the 50th floor, and she wanted to return to Greyhaven and tie up a few loose ends.
Promising she’d be back in four days, Kaela left Aeryn’s hut, marking the location on her personal Map, and running back to the village.
It was time to clear the air.
She entered through the northern gate and decided to go see the Guard Captain first. It was still mid-morning when she arrived, so she went straight to the training yard.
The Guard Captain was leading a group in an advanced martial arts routine. About half of the guard corps was there and the rest of the yard was filled with civilians from Greyhaven.
It made Kaela smile to see them still taking to exercise, even after the immediate threat to their lives had faded to a howling outside the gates at night.
She got the Captain’s attention and asked if she could speak to him privately. He nodded, asking one of his deputies to take over.
The Captain grabbed a towel and dried off the sweat before pulling his tunic on.
“How are you, Kaela? Have you discovered anything?”
His voice was friendly, but Kaela noticed a twitch in his left eye, betraying concern at what she might have found.
“Yes, in fact, I have. I found a large clearing in the forest miles and miles to the northeast.”
She waited a moment to see how he reacted. He tried keeping his face still, but the eye twitching was getting worse.
“I also met Aeryn Fenwick, and she told me everything.”
The Guard Captain let out a long breath he hadn’t realized he was holding. His head fell to his chest as he was unable to meet Kaela’s eyes.
“I…”
“You also did the same thing to me that night when three wolves attacked me. I realize I already accepted your apology, but I hadn’t realized this was a recurring pattern for you.”
His head was still low, and Kaela saw tears hitting the dirt between his feet.
Kaela turned to the yard again. Two of the Captain’s deputies were capably leading the training. That’s when the answer occurred to her.
“You should retire,” she said.
“What? You can’t—”
But he stopped mid-sentence. Because he knew she was right. He exhaled again and wiped his face with the towel he was still holding. He was quiet for several minutes, and Kaela let him think it through.
“You’re right. My sense of guilt has haunted me ever since that day. I have no excuse, except that I was afraid.”
Kaela leaned forward, not letting him off the hook just yet.
“I’m pretty sure that Hark Fenwick was afraid, too. Especially when he was being mauled to death by the wolves you all could have easily handled.”
She reached forward and grabbed the Captain’s shoulder. The gesture forceful, but it was also meant to encourage him.
“You have two capable deputies. Choose one and retire. Do it tonight. Because if you don’t, I will tell the villagers everything tomorrow morning. And I can’t promise they will look on you quite as favorably then.”
She rose and left.
The Captain’s head was still hung low when she glanced back one last time before heading down the street toward the mayor’s mansion.