Amendments (2 page)

              A sudden bright light flashed to Noir’s eyes, then faded away.  In place of the elegant woman stood the massive form of white and yellow dragon.  She stood far over Noir's head, pearly scales reflecting the sunlight.  It had been months since he had seen the dragon, and the sight struck Noir with awe once again.

              Fafnir’s voice grumbled deep in her massive throat.  “I am merely playing my part, Luxin Noir.  Our paths will cross again soon, I am fairly certain.  For now, I will watch over New Talik and your friends.  Go and find your friend and your cousin.  I am sure they need you.”  Fafnir spread her massive wings, leapt into the air, and forced the massive appendages downward causing her to soar into the air.  The wind from her wings whipped chilly air around Noir causing his cloak to flap wildly.  Then she was gone.

              Noir turned and continued his way down the side of the mountain.  He walked back to New Talik as he had many times in the past months.  However, this was the first time that he had ever returned with hope and ambition.

Chapter 2

Abominations

              Noir weaved between the wooden posts that were supposed to be the framework for the wall around New Talik.  Its groundwork had been constructed two months earlier when the people of Talik still feared attacks from Chiron and Tier.  Now, they talked about renewing their efforts on the wall again because of the increasing number of straghs.

              Noir was soon passing between wood and clay houses.  Most residents of Talik had solid structures, but a few tents remained around the outskirts of the settlement.  Noir raised the hood of a simple brown cloak and wrapped the rest around him to cover his armor and white Luxin cloak.  As usual, he wished to avoid recognition by anyone so he could avoid their questions, reverence, or pitiful glances.

New Talik was still a small settlement, but it was growing rapidly.  It was initially built for around 150 occupants – a number made low by the attack on and destruction of the first Talik.  However, the town had been expanding rapidly since the Lumin changed everything.  Since one of the first things that the angelic figure declared was for the senseless fighting to stop, neither Chiron’s forces nor Tier’s had the gall to strike New Talik first.  It didn’t matter that the legitimacy of the Lumin’s authenticity was still being debated in both kingdoms.  Word became widespread of the free town not under the oppression of either kingdom.  People from Chiron wanted to evade the tax collectors, and the Tierians wanted to escape from their oppressors.

              The town boasted nearly four hundred official occupants, and new refugees were coming every day.  Grandel, Elrid, and the others were frantic trying to deal with all of the newcomers.  Also, it was difficult having small Chiron and Tierian armies camped at their doorstep.  Each army sent their ambassador every day to try to manipulate the town into being under their rule.  Grandel’s free town was now more successful than ever before.

              Noir’s had been hiding and residing in the back of Elrid and his family’s house.  The historians, bards, diplomats, and occasional religious fanatic would bother him at all times of the night unless his whereabouts remained hidden.  Elrid’s wife and two children were nice to Noir, but they didn’t speak to him much.  Or perhaps
he
didn’t talk to
them
much.  Noir wasn’t sure.  He would have to go there before setting off, but first he needed something from Grandel.

              Noir came to the side of the main hall in the central courtyard and leaned against it nonchalantly.  The main hall was barely larger than the small clay houses.  He listened closely in an attempt to discover whose voices were inside.  The two guards in leather hawk-decorated armor who guarded the door watched Noir, but did not stop or question him.  Many men who guarded random points around town had grown accustomed to his attempts to remain anonymous.  They had respect enough for him to allow him his secrecy.  They probably had a thousand questions about the Lumin, but they usually kept their questions to themselves and let him be.

              Noir heard a few voices coming from inside but couldn’t distinguish what they were saying.  Finally, he gave up his attempt at not communicating with anyone and approached one of the guards.  Noir knew him by name.

              “Terris, is Captain Grandel in right now?”

              “Yes, sir.”  Noir was glad the guard didn’t use his name.  A random passerby might recognize his name and start bothering him for information about the Lumin.  “I don’t think now is a good time, though.  A representative of the Chiron government went in about an hour ago, and they haven’t stopped talking since.”  The guard motioned to a man, a woman, and a child standing nearby staring at the ground.  “Plus he has another group of new refugees to figure out what to do with.”

              Noir grunted.  “That figures, but I have to see him.”  Noir walked past them and through the front door despite their warnings.  Now that Noir had his mind set on what he wanted to do, he didn’t feel like waiting any longer to do it.

              There was a very small front entryway that connected the three rooms of the main hall.  The largest one in the back was where the voices were coming from.  Noir stepped forward and listened.

              “Besides those added benefits,” said an unfamiliar voice that sounded forcibly patient, “The currency situation still stands.  The tax on the stolen tali and goods from Chiron property sets you in debt—”

              Noir heard Grandel’s voice interrupt.  He sounded unabashedly impatient.  “We owe you nothing.  What we took from the land was ours to take.  How can you claim to own the soil from which we grow our food and the trees and clay from which we make our houses?”

              “The kingdom boundaries are clearly defined.  The land on which old Talik—“

              Grandel interrupted again and said, “Just because you fools drew lines on a map doesn’t make it yours.  If anything, this land should be holy land.  Now, go redraw your silly lines on your silly maps.”

              “Sir, the tax collectors are coming in a short—“

              Noir heard a sharp squeak of a chair gritting against the wood floor.  Grandel's patience had obviously been exhausted.  “Send them.  I will kick them out on their butts with impunity just like I am about to do with you right now.  You need to go back to whatever tali-mongering fools you came from and tell them that Talik has been a free town for six years.  It will continue to be thus.  Good day sir.”  The door to the room opened and Noir stepped to the side.  A lavishly dressed man whose clothes fit a bit too snugly around the waist walked hurriedly out the door.  He was being ushered forward by a man in hawk armor.  As the man passed, Noir heard him say under his breath, “Ignorant fool… complete waste of my time.”  Then he was out the front door.

              Noir chuckled to himself and walked into Grandel’s quarters.  The man stood hunched over the large meeting table in the center of the room resting on his fists.  A couple other Talik leaders were there as well, all looking tired and frustrated.  One was saying something about jurisdiction but stopped when he saw Noir enter.  Grandel looked up as well at the silence.

              “Luxin Noir,” he said with a slight smile “please tell me you come to rid us of these pompous thieves.”

              Noir took down his hood and smiled.  “I am no good at diplomacy, Grandel.  You know that.”

              Grandel laughed.  “I wasn’t imagining you using diplomacy to get rid of them.”  Grandel motioned toward a chair in the corner.  “Anyway, take a seat, Noir.  We just have a couple things to finish up.”  He read Noir’s face and added, “Unless you have something too important to wait.”

              Noir shook his head.  “Not important, I’m just impatient I guess.  Do you have a map of Tier, Grandel?”

              He nodded and rose from leaning on the table.  He walked to a small wooden chest in the corner.  “I have several maps of Tier, Luxin Noir.  Why do you have need of one?”  He paused a moment, looked at Noir, and lamented with a softer voice, “Oh, I see.”  He turned to the other men sitting at the table.  “Gentlemen, if you would give us just a couple minutes.”

              The two men stood.  The one who Noir knew was Cairn said, “I don’t really think we need to discuss it any further.  Our stance is clear.  Like we have discussed before, they still have no power over us.”

              Grandel nodded, “Then meeting adjourned, gentlemen.”  The two men walked around the table to leave.

              “But you have three refugees outside,” Noir cautioned.

              Grandel replied with a dismissive wave of his hand, “I can see to them on my own later.”  The two men left and closed the door behind them.

              Grandel motioned to one of the chairs on the opposite side of the table and lifted the wooden trunk onto the table.  Most of his books had been destroyed in the fires when the first Talik was attacked.  Noir took a seat and Grandel thumbed through thick folded pieces of paper.  Some had burned edges.  “So you’ve finally decided to go find Ratt and your cousin?”

              Noir was surprised how quickly and accurately Grandel had figured out his plan.  “Yes, Captain Grandel.  I... do not know Tier, though.”

              He finally pulled out a large folded map and sat opposite Noir.  “We could spare to send a few men with you for protection on your journey, but I have a feeling you would decline the help.”

              Again, Noir was surprised at his insight.  “You’re right.  I think I should go alone.  This is a personal journey.  I must find and correct the problems that I made on my own.”

              Grandel frowned.  “You’re going to find your friends, Noir.  Do not think of them as problems.  They have as much free will as you.  Do not blame yourself for their decisions.”

              “My decisions and actions are what got them in the situations they are in.”

              Grandel grumbled and shook his head.  “Noir, if I ran on that logic, I would be insane with grief a hundred times over.”  He leaned over the table and stared directly into Noir’s eyes.  “Never blame yourself for any outcome as long as you have tried your best.  I try to live by that... and you know my past….”  He waved a hand in the air to dismiss the topic.  Then, he handed the folded map to Noir.  “This is my most up-to-date map.  It will get you where you need to go.”  He paused for a moment before adding, “Do not go in doubt, Luxin Noir, or you will go in ruin.”

              Noir had trouble meeting the man’s gaze, though he was not sure why.  He took the thick piece of paper from Grandel.  “Thank you Grandel.  I appreciate everything.”

              “And I appreciate all of your help in the past months, Luxin Noir.  There are scores of men who owe you their lives multiple times over.”

              Noir nodded and stood up.  “Thank you for the map.”

              “Make sure you say your goodbyes to Luxin Adeel before you go.  Despite her no-nonsense attitude, she is very fond of you.”

              “I will try.”  Noir then turned and left.

              Grandel called one final, “Good luck!” as Noir exited the building. 

              Noir looked at the map as he walked.  It was surprisingly detailed.  Patches of forest and small streams were labeled as well as the numerous large cities and small towns of Tier.  Neither the old nor new locations for Talik were marked, but he recognized where they were from the surrounding landscape.  The closest town to their current location in Tier was labeled with a small dot with the name “Lithe” next to it.  He figured it was the best place to start.

              Noir felt a small tingle within himself.  He couldn’t explain it, but he could always sense if someone was using lux nearby.  It felt as though it was coming down the side of the hill and around the cliffs toward the camped Chiron and Tierian soldiers.  He figured Adeel was probably down there gathering testimonies about the Lumin or spreading the facts that she herself knew.  She often used lux for menial tasks.  Noir never felt the need and also didn’t like the fact that it gave away his location to any other nearby Luxins.  Grandel had asked him to say goodbye to Adeel, but Noir didn’t want to go down to the soldiers.  Too many of the Chiron soldiers recognized him, and being around them made him uncomfortable.  They reminded him of the hundreds he saw die before Asiada stopped the battle.

              Three children giggled and ran by.  One had a leather ball and was trying to hit the others with it.  A small part of Noir was jealous of their care-free nature.  It wasn’t even a year earlier that he himself was much the same in the other world.  He often felt the aging that the past few months had put on him.  Though Noir was still in his late teens, he felt much older in many ways.

              Noir decided with regret to forgo saying goodbye to Adeel.  He wasn’t sure how long it would be until he saw her or anyone from Talik again, but he had to leave while his mind was still made up.  It was too easy for him to settle back into complacency and never leave.

              Noir walked toward Elrid’s hut.  It was around dinner time and Elrid would probably be eating with his family.  At least he would be able to say goodbye to him.

              On his way, Noir stopped by Lady Lissell’s hut.  She and her husband made and stored much of the food for Talik, and had done so since they joined the town four years earlier.  The smell of baking bread filled Noir's senses as he grew near.

              Noir asked for and received two loaves of bread and a large brick of cheese for his trip.  It wasn’t much, but he could purchase more when he reached Lithe, Inderrin, or any settlement he stopped by on the way to the Tierian capital.  They luckily used the same currency in Tier as they did in Chiron, so his tali would still be worth keeping in his belt pouch.

              Noir approached Elrid’s small house by walking along the outer, unfinished wall.  The sun was setting which made the various wooden posts cast long shadows.

              As Noir drew near, he saw Elrid standing beside the incomplete wall and staring out into the shrubs that grew on the foothills.  He was not in his Talik armor, but did have his sword drawn and held in front of him.

              Something was wrong.  Noir placed the map and bread down against the side of a house.   He quickly drew his sword and ran to Elrid's side.  Elrid did not look at Noir as he approached, but held out his left hand to stop and silence him.