Chapter Four
At first Uta didn’t know what to think of Etoma. She seemed be made of secrets,
and mystery. Her presence seemed like a big question mark, hanging over the
companions. Of course, she had gone through the same thing with Cade, to a
lesser degree, when he’d joined their company. For all his smiles and jokes, she
could sense an underlying darkness that he didn’t care to explain. She knew how
his sister had died, but he seemed to take it so personally, like he himself had
been responsible for the tragedy. Uta didn’t know where these feelings came
from, so she was left to speculate silently.
Then Etoma arrived. Uta was intrigued by the two’s reaction to each other. She
may not have known Cade long, but she had never seen him act so harshly. A
typical person of Lilunmel may have attributed this tension to the long standing
troubles between Angili and Shien; Uta did not accept that. Again, that person
hurt feeling emanated from the Kamdaan, and Etoma seemed more interested in
Cade’s actions than those of her self-proclaimed Master.
There was something between the two, of that Uta was sure. She was sure that the
Angili held a clue, if not the answer, to Cade’s guilt. As the small band of
four neared the top of Favun Mountain, the temple maiden vowed to speak with
Etoma in Glaes, a town that lay in the valley below. She peered up into the
gorgeous red sunset and collected her thoughts. Something caught her eye,
something usual. There seemed to be an unusually dark cloud right over the peak.
Wait... her eyes widened, That’s not a cloud! She suddenly
sprinted to the top, and gasped. The others arrived at her back, and shared her
response.
In the settlement before them, fires burned, people ran from collapsing
structures, chaos reined.
Glaes was under attack.
The tiny town of Glaes was a frontier community. It sat on the edge of the
Coltew Wood, the last cushion between the lands of man and the lands of the
Great Red Wolven lord, Xama. People had moved there with the promise of land and
the hope of better life. For years they worked, slowly, painfully carving out a
niche for themselves in the rocky valley, until they found the one true benefit
of their position: travelers. Unlike many of the human outposts in the area, the
Glaens had decided to welcome creatures of all races without question.
Most of their kind feared some races for their tendency toward violence, but in
Glaes these fears were proved unbased. In spite of what was expected of them, or
perhaps because it, the different peoples in the small village were mostly
orderly and got along extraordinarily well. Individuals who would have battled
each other on the spot anywhere else restrained themselves for the benefit of
their little safe haven. Glaes was like a great successful experiment in
cooperation and acceptance, and even the sleaziest of the sleazy creatures that
passed through Glaes didn’t want to ruin that.
But now, all the good of the town was being leached away, one catastrophe at a
time. Crops were lost in devastating wildfires, herds lost to hungry beasts, the
people were terrorized. The once thriving community seemed to be doomed. And
Jawn suspected that it was due to the two Black Optis dragons that hovered over
the besieged village.
“We’ve got to help them.” He picked up his sword and swiftly started the long
descent into the valley. He sensed the hesitance in his companions behind him,
and shook his head. No doubt they were surprised at his eagerness to come to the
aid of strangers, which in any other situation would be a real rarity.
What they didn’t know was how often Jawn had visited the outpost. Glaes was a
good town. Glaes had been kind to him. And now? Glaes was burning.
From the moment his feet touched the outermost street of the village, Jawn could
fell the fear and confusion of its inhabitants. He drew his weapon, and dashed
to the center of the settlement, where he’d last seen the dragons, with his
company at his back, running with all their strength.
They passed scenes of total destruction, people searching the rubble of their
houses for loved ones, children crying for their parents. He heard Uta choke
back a sob, and he had to admit that a tear gathered in his eye as well. Such
good people... don’t deserve this...
Finally the ruined buildings opened up to the flat grassy town square. It was
empty except a small childish figure that wandered aimlessly on a stone circle
in the middle of the field. All the vendor’s stalls were gone, like they had
never been there. Jawn watched Uta move up to the child, a young girl, in a
slow, non-threatening way.
“Are you okay?” she murmured, slipping cautiously toward the young human.
“... mommy... daddy... Have you seen mommy or daddy?” the dazed girl whimpered.
“I’m sorry honey, I don’t know where your parents are...” Uta knelt down and
wrapped her cloak around the child, whose clothes were just rags over her
blacked and cut skin.
“Oh,” her small voice didn’t match her blank eyes, “Mommy said, ‘Run away,
Clara,’ so I did.”
The short Temple maiden put her good arm around the little girl and lifted her
to her hip. “You did well, sweetie,” the sound was soft and soothing.
Meanwhile, Etoma and Cade stared out around them, looking for life, either that
of friend or foe. The opening was eerily silent and still. Jawn sniffed the air
suspiciously, and moved quietly to shoulder-high pyramid of broken wall
material. He sniffed again, then pushed up piece of wooden flooring. Underneath
was a plump man, with puffy cheeks and tiny eyes. “Oh hello, Jawn how nice to
see you,” remarked the man as if he were seeing someone on the street on a
Saturday.
“Hello Governor Eruscki, how nice to see that you’ve taken such a strong stance
on dragons.”
Evening was fast descending
on Glaes. Uta, Etoma, and Cade sat on a sparse covered balcony at the Governor’s
home with his plump dark haired wife, Ryfaonte. On the kind-faced woman’s lap
sat a cleaned up Clara, whose dark eyes and hair matched Ryfaonte’s.
“I want to thank you again for your kindness to my niece, Miss Uta,” the demure
Governor’s wife absentmindedly smoothed the child’s hair. She looked haunted and
frightened.
“Aunty Ryfa, where’s Mommy and Daddy?” Clara’s wide-eyed expression cut deep
into Uta’s heart. On their way to the Governor’s house, they passed the young
girl’s home, or at least what remained of it. She couldn’t imagine that anyone
could be found alive in that pile of wreckage.
To her credit, Ryfaonte’s turned warm and reassuring, for her niece’s sake.
“Your Uncle Eruscki is out looking for them now, my dear.”
Clara nodded and nuzzled against her aunt, who petted her hair comfortingly in
response. Uta couldn’t help but think that deep down, the poor child knew that
her parents were dead.
Next to her, Etoma shifted uncomfortably. The lanky Angili was quiet and
emotionless at times, even more than Jawn at these times, but she didn’t lack
social grace the way that the half-elf did. She proved this yet again; she
leaned forward and rested her hand on Ryfaonte’s shoulder. The tired looking
woman smiled at the small comfort, and squeezed her niece affectionately.
Uta heard light footsteps followed but louder, clumsy ones. She imagined the
second ones belonged to the robust Governor, and the first were Jawn’s careful
measured ones. After they’d arrived at Eruscki’s house, he and the half-elf had
left to “discuss the matters at hand.” Uta and the others had been instructed to
wait there with Ryfaonte, to which they all reluctantly complied. The Temple
Maiden had be shocked with the familiarity between Jawn and the chubby man, she
had no idea that he was so friendly with anyone. She was glad to see this side
of her rescuer, even if it was under such distressing circumstances.
As she’d expected, in a minute Jawn strode onto the balcony, with the Governor
on his heels. The round man leaned down and gave his wife a short kiss, and
stroked his niece’s soft hair, before turning to his guests. “We have much to
talk about, brave wanderers.”
Ryfaonte took his cue, and stood up, “Please do excuse me, my friends, I think
it’s time to put young Miss Clara to bed.” She bowed slightly and then made her
exit.
Eruscki took her seat wearily. “I have offered Jawn a job to rid my people of
the dragons that now invade us, but he tells me that he is on another mission
now, one to get this fine lady here,” he indicated to Uta, “back to her Temple
as soon as possible, and he can’t help me.”
All eyes turned to the brunette human, who nodded slightly. “This is true, he
has promised to take me back, and cannot be deterred from this task,” the
Governor’s comical face fell, “However, I will not allow people to suffer, and I
myself will see to it that these unwelcome interlopers have been stopped.” She
grinned lightly, “And I will accept none of your money for this, my Lord, for
that is our way.”
Jawn glared down at her, obviously displeased with her sentiment. “Do you think
it’s wise-“
“Yes.” Her face was serious and resolute, “My kind does not abandon those in
need, under any circumstances.” She rose resolutely, and took a deep breathe.
“Sir, I will need a store of weapons and supplies, as well as all the
information you have on the threat that now plagues you.”
The frazzled Governor jumped up, and bowed, “Thank you, thank you, my Lady!
Please come this way!” He skittered into the house, and Uta gracefully glided
after him, without looking back at Jawn or the others.
The half-elf’s face was dark and annoyed, and his two “servants” sat watching
him, unsure of what to do. Suddenly he broke his silence and leered at them,
“What are you two waiting for? Follow her!”
Cade and Etoma exchanged a glance and then hurried off. Etoma smiled as she
remarked, “Well it seems that life with these two will be very interesting.”
In response, Cade couldn’t help but nod in agreement.