101: Aryan (Patreon)

NOTE: Hope everyone had a great weekend. As stated on friday, we'll be moving to 6x a week, growing the $10 patron chapter backlog by 1 chapter every week from now on. (I have to edit all of these, so it's tough for me to dump them all at at once). All tiers will eventually get more chapters.

Also, thanks for your patience as we kick off this new arc/book. I know things are a bit slow right now, but worry not. The tension will build to epic heights :D

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“Where are you?” muttered a black-haired Mejai of Realms in an ornate robe. He stood hunched over a map of the region, his eyes furrowed in frustration.

The shelter they cloistered in could hardly be called a cabin; hastily constructed and later abandoned, it was one of the several hideouts Hiranya maintained for its intelligence operatives in other countries.

Today, it housed a half dozen mejai, the least of them a Greater Mejai of Ash, all of whom kept a close watch on the red-skinned four armed giant who stretched out on a nearby bench.

“As much as it pleases me to watch you struggle, I tire of this boredom,” the four-armed half-giant—Cirayus—thundered. “Come, sing for me. Tell me at least one of you can sing?”

“Watch your words, demon. You’ll have your fight soon enough. He cannot hide from us for long,” the Mejai of Realms replied.

“Oho? What makes you say that? He’s hidden from you for a week now, has he not? Such superior mejai ought to be able to find one little gray demon, don’t you think?”

The Mejai of Realms ground his teeth. As much as he wanted to deny it, the demon was right. His men had spent every waking hour combing Parul, searching for any sign or rumor of anyone matching the assassin’s description. Despite knowing their prey’s most likely path, they’d found no trace of the boy.

“You said he wears a disguise, did you not?” Cirayus asked, idly plopping an entire branch of grapes into his mouth. He neglected to spit the branches back out.

“Yes, but even so, there is a limit to what he can change. His frame and the Bandy that travels with him are not so easy to conceal.”

“Do struggle, human,” Circus said, cracking his neck. “I do not take kindly to failure.”

— —

Morning came late the next day. With the plateau facing west, and with the tall Legion Mountains towering above, light didn’t hit the camp until well into the morning. Despite Avi’s temperate climate, the chill was cooler here on the mountain. To make matters worse, a morning breeze had kicked up, sweeping through the plateau and down the mountain.

Vir was already packed and ready when Tia came bumbling out of her camp, still in her sleepwear. She nearly ran right into Bumpy before Vir caught her.

So light, he thought. Somehow, he’d expected the warrior to be heavier. She had such a confident, bold personality, it only felt right that she’d be equally weighty.

“Sowwy,” Tia said, still half-asleep.

“I see our princess is giving you trouble right from the get-go,” Vason said, grasping his leader’s shoulder and coaxing her back.

“S’too early,” Tia mumbled, tottering.

“It’s really not,” Vir heard Vason say as they sauntered to their camp.

The girl reminded Vir of Maiya in more ways than one.

The caravan soon set out, and the going immediately became tough. Yesterday, the mountain road had turned into switchbacks, zigzagging its way up the mountain to reduce the grade. But as they went higher up the mountain, the switchbacks grew tighter and narrower, forcing the caravan to stop and negotiate tight turns.

What would’ve taken Vir thirty minutes took three hours, and there had been several close calls. The path was barely wide enough to allow a single wagon by, and an errant step could send a wagon careening off the mountain.

Through some quick acting by Vir and Spear’s Edge’s, they’d avoided such a disaster, but without them… Vir didn’t want to think how many would have died. As Vir was learning, mountains were treacherous even on a good day. He dared not imagine what dangerous the mountain posed during bad weather, or in the dark.

The wind continued to mount as they approached the pass, forcing Neel to jump off Bumpy and follow alongside. Vir himself dismounted, leading the Ash’va the final steps on foot.

Saddled between tall peaks that soared for thousands of feet above on either side, the pass acted like a channel for the wind rushing up the mountain. It howled and battered the rocks, and everything not strapped was sent flying.  Fabric tore off the wagons, and Vir could barely keep himself upright.

Aryan motioned for them to continue through—his voice was lost in the din.

And just like that, it was over. The moment they crossed the pass and rounded their first bend on the other side, the wind died off completely, leaving a warm sun and lush forest for as far as Vir’s eyes could see.

The scenery may have been somewhat greener on the western side, but here? It was like they’d stepped through a gate into another world. The forest canopy spread like a green mat far below them, and birds soared high above, chirping and swooping.

And in the distance, at the eastern edge of the forest, lay a small town. Eshana—their destination.

“First time through a mountain pass?” Vason asked, drawing up alongside Bumpy once the road had widened. While the way up had been difficult for the animal’s heart, the way down was hard on his bones, so the caravan’s slow pace was a welcome respite for the injured Ash’va.

Vir nodded. “That was intense…”

“And now it feels like we’re getting paid even less than we ought to, eh?”

Vir’s face darkened. The low pay reminded him of the concerns he’d had about the group since signing on.

“Don’t you think all of this is a bit suspicious?” Vir asked. “Why so many guards for a caravan in this area?”

Vason shrugged. “Some clients are rich and would rather have the sense of security. Others have good reason to be afraid. People with enemies, or those carrying valuable cargo.”

“You think that’s what’s going on here?” Vir asked.

Vason shrugged. “No way to know, friend. If we’re attacked, we defend the caravan. Simple as that.”

It was after they’d reached the bottom of the pass and had broken for a rest that they gained some clarity on the situation.

Aryan walked up to Vir and the Spear’s Edge—who were munching on sandwiches with their Ash’va huddled around them for—to discuss a proposition.

“So, there’s the matter of your payment,” Aryan barked.

“Oy oy,” Vason said. “Don’t tell me you’re about to decrease our pay? Fifty coppers is already bottom barrel money for this kind of contract, you know?”

So they’re getting the same rate I am, Vir reflected. It truly was a paltry amount, barely even enough to cover the supply cost accrued.

“Actually, the opposite,” Aryan said with a sly grin. “I can double yer pay… If yer willing to accept alternative methods of payment.”

“Payment in goods?” Tia asked. “Can’t speak for our hooded friend here, but Spear’s Edge might be amenable. What are we talking about, and how much?”

Vir supposed payment in foodstuffs or weapons might work. Those were easy enough to sell at any local town. The hassle might be worth it if it meant more coin.

Aryan tossed a small pouch to Tia, who unraveled the drawstring and peered inside, sniffing its contents. Her face hardened the moment she did.

“I see,” Tia said, tossing the bag back to Aryan. “Mind giving us a few moments to discuss?”

“Take your time,” the man said. “You have until we arrive at Eshana, after all.”

Vason cleared his throat. “Don’t tell me it’s—”

“It’s opium,” Tia whispered. “We’ve been protecting opium smugglers.”

Vason whistled while Haymi began pacing around.

“I take it opium’s illegal in Rani?” Vir asked.

“Quite,” Tia replied. “The Pagan Order grows it as medicine, but it’s quite a powerful drug. Black markets the world over are always looking to get their hands on the stuff. Its use is strictly prohibited in Rani, and well, let’s just say none of us want to be caught anywhere near the stuff.”

“I can’t believe the Brotherhood allowed a contract such as this. They’ll make no friends if this ever comes to light.”

“I suppose this is the real reason for the no penalty,” Vir said. “This caravan’s not even bound for Eshana, is it?”

Haymi shook her head. “They must have a rendezvous point outside the town somewhere. There isn’t a chance they’ll get past the gate guards. Not unless they’re carrying a tiny amount that could be cleverly hidden.”

“So?” Vason asked. “What do we do? I say we ditch this contract at all haste. If a Ranian patrol finds us and discovers what’s going on… Well, that’ll be a bad day. Doubt even the Brotherhood could cover for us in that situation.”

“Agreed,” Tia said. “We’ll collect our payment—in copper—and leave.”

“I doubt Aryan will take kindly to that,” Haymi said quietly. “We might have a fight on our hands.”

“Why don’t we accompany the caravan until we’re in the woods?” Vir said. “Then we can accost Aryan together and demand our money without the rest of the caravan being the wiser. If he’s smart, he’ll pay us our pittance, and we’ll be on our way. If he’s not… we’ll at least be in a good position to fight or flee.”

“And besides, we’re talking fifty coppers a head here,” Vason replied. “Not like it’s life-changing money for any of us. If we can get our coin, great. If not, I don’t know if it’s worth a fight. We could just bail.”

Everyone nodded.

Tia turned to Vir. “You sound well practiced at this kind of thing. We’ll let you determine when we ought to make our move.”

“Understood. I’m guessing another hour should be ideal. Once we’re in the woods, it’ll be a lot harder for the caravan guards to surround us.”

— —

Trees soon enveloped the wagons, and unlike the Godshollow, this forest was quite dense with smaller trees and shrubs.

Vir nodded at Vason, who flagged down Haymi and Tia. Despite Aryan telling them to divide between the front and the rear of the caravan, they’d cloistered near the middle after the last rest break. Not so close that it’d raise suspicion, but close enough to communicate via gestures and nods.

Without a word, all four brought their Ash’va’s up to the head of the convoy, where Aryan sat with a guard. One guard riding on his wagon, and two more mounted on Ash’va nearby.

Vir pulled alongside the leader.

“We’ve made our decision,” Vir said. “We can’t accept the alternative payment you’d suggested. We’d instead like our payment in coppers. And we’d like half now, owing to the nature of what you’re carrying.”

“Sorry, if you can’t accept my payment, I’m afraid you’re out of luck. I got no coppers to give you.”

“That so?” Vir said, facing forward.

There was no hesitation. One moment, he idled on his Ash’va, and by the next, he’d already jumped onto Aryan’s wagon, forcing the guard beside him off with the impact of his Leap.

Tia and Vason immediately drew alongside the other two guards as Aryan’s guard went tumbling onto the road.

“So,” Vir said, his katar blade at Aryan’s throat. “Do you feel like paying us now?”

Aryan locked eyes with him for a long moment, his hands still on the reins. Then he sighed, retrieving a coin bag.

Vir fished out a silver—for Spear’s Edge—and twenty-five coppers for himself.

“I’ve taken half for services rendered thus far. You’re on your own from now on.”

Vir jumped back to Bumpy, then gave the sign to Spear's Edge. Most of the caravan guards still hadn’t realized anything was wrong, but the situation wouldn’t remain that way for long.

With a jerk of the reins, Bumpy split off into the woods, and Spear’s Edge followed. Another ten minutes of forest riding put them far ahead of the caravan, and Vir guided them back to the road, where they sped up. Aryan and his crew weren’t anywhere in sight.

“Well, that’s gotta be a first,” Tia said as they trotted. “Don’t think we’ve ever completed a contract quite like that before. Y’know, they say there’s a spirit that dwells in these forests, watching all that happens within it. Maybe the spirit’s blessing was with us today.”

Vir glanced at the freckled blonde. “There used to be a similar myth about the forest I grew up near. Rumors of a white ghost. Turned out to be a man, dressed in white. An imposing, impressive man, but a mortal nonetheless. I’d take these myths with a grain of salt.”

“And ruin my sense of wonder?” Tia said, bringing the back of her hand to her forehead. Dressed in her armor, the gesture left Vir unconvinced.

Shaking his head, he handed over Tia’s portion. “It’s such a small sum, but it didn’t feel right getting the full value out of Aryan. I only took half of what we were owed.”

Tia reached over from her mount to pat his shoulder. “Honorable. I like that. Besides, half of nothing is still nothing. We picked this contract to make something along the road to Avi. Not like we were relying on the money, anyway. But you did really well back there. I was expecting a messy fight, but you got the money and got out before anyone ever knew what happened.”

“Thanks,” Vir said. “It was lucky Aryan didn’t resist. Would’ve made things a lot harder if he had.”

“Really? With the skills you showed, I think it’d have gone just swimmingly,” Tia said, flashing a grin.

Several hours of riding put them at Eshana. Unlike practically every major town Vir had heard of, Eshana lacked a wall, with only a handful of guards along the forest road. Its idyllic feel and position next to the forest reminded Vir of Brij, but that was where all similarities ended.

Like Zorin, Eshana was a vibrant place, with wagons and Ash’va moving over its well-manicured cobblestone roads and tile roofs dyed in every hue imaginable. It wasn’t quite as bustling or crowded as Zorin, but it somehow avoided coming across as sleepy.

Once they’d flashed their Brotherhood plaques and entered the town, Tia glanced at Haymi and Vason, who all nodded back.

“Say, Param. Why don’t you accompany us to the Brotherhood building here? We can file our mission report and gain accommodations.”

Vir nodded, oblivious to Tia’s trap. Right up until they all got a table at the tavern.

“Don’t worry, it’s on me,” Tia said, gesturing to the meal and drink laid out before them. It was an impressive selection that tasted as delectable as it looked, with a myriad of fruit, vegetables, and even fried condensed soy milk. While it lacked taste on its own, when dipped into the various chutney sauces, the result was divine.

Vason and even Haymi all looked at Vir with the eyes of predators while he gorged himself.

“What’s going on?” he asked, suddenly feeling like a cornered animal.

Tia cleared her throat. “So the thing is, we want you to join our party.”