Dusk Falling (Book 1) (14 page)

The Jrahda-trethen regarded her with the flat expression and lowered eyelids that had become commonplace. He was slightly winded, causing her to think perhaps he used his magics to bolster his normal endurance and strength. Moving away, he sat down on an elevated patch of land that was free of grass.

Tongue lolling, Agemeer sat ears perked. If a story was to be told, he was always interested- even should it come from an accused man.

Aya let her mare graze, knotting the reins through the holds on the left side of the saddle at a length so the bay could stretch her neck without fear of getting her legs tied up. The mage leaned back on a tree a little ways away, resting her hands flat on her thighs. Though she watched the horse rip up bits of grass in mouthfuls, her ears
were sharp to the sounds of her companions. She didn’t like what she saw in the Elfkin’s eyes when she met them- the orange amber burned, more so when they learned she had power to manipulate the Binding spell. And what vexed her most was that she cared. A Chase, caught like on all missions… they all gave their captors foul evil stares. There was just something there in those icy depths, something the others didn’t have but what it was, she couldn’t be sure yet.

Genlo drew up his knees, resting his wrists on them, gloved hands dangling in his line of vision as he hunched over. The ends of his pale hair flipped over his shoulder. As he sighed, he closed and reopened his eyes. “What I have to say is not something readily believable so it is pointless to talk about it.”

“You knew that man. How so?” Serrtin was first to ask.

The Elfkin chaffed his manacles and growled non-committedly. “I’d rather not waste my breath. Shouldn’t we be moving? Your blood money awaits as does my slow devouring death.”

A cool breeze blew, ringing through the thin trees, masking Aya’s steps as she moved forward to stand directly in front of Genlo. She squatted and looked him in the eye. He seemed slightly confused by that. “You didn’t do it, did you?” She asked. “What the warrant says of you.”

“That depends on which part… For the whole? No, I did not. Killing the men in their prison, that I did. Slaughtering their guards, yes. Thievery?” Genlo replied. “Only if someone could steal themselves.”

“I’m confused.” Serrtin stated outright, hands on hips. “When you say ‘their’ do you mean the one’s behind that illusion spell?”

Genlo nodded. “I believe they are the ones who issued the warrant though why they would do anything so obvious is beyond me.”

“The men that attacked Serrtin and Aya in the Pass, were they…?” Agemeer questioned. He garnered a surprised look from the trethen that only lasted seconds before passing.

“I don’t know who they were.”

“Then how did they know who you were?” Serrtin asked. Genlo responded with a shrug. “This only becomes more confusing.”

“You were the one who insisted on knowing.” He said, bitterly. Obviously his past brought him little joy.

Kcrienalpralopar woke minutes after sundown. Her liquid body stirred, flowed out from its container and gained its form and color. She quietly observed the area as she always did, eyes gliding over Genlo quicker than one may have expected. Unfazed by the hostile glare, her watery blue eyes fell on Aya’s necklace. She beheld it so long in fact the Bren knew the Asrai to be checking the spell mesh. Pleased with its hold up, Kcrie turned away to begin preparation of the nightly perimeter. Once finished she took a place beside the Wulf. The Asrai did not explain why she chose to stay instead of leave on her excursions as usual- perhaps she knew something pivotal may be occurring.

After their light sup of meat and stewed potatoes, bread and water- a meal in which Genlo ravenously devoured- the quiet of the evening prompted the Elfkin to speak his story. “They call themselves
Verca cas Nemun Uralsk
, in the Western dialect. It means the Invoking of Dusk Falling. They are the ones who have been after me for the last two years.”

“After you for two years?” Serrtin said. “Then I guess it wasn’t some backwoods noble with a pregnant daughter on his hands after all!”

Genlo blank, inciting her laughter and a shared grin from Aya and Agemeer. Before the Jrahda-trethen began to think he was the butt of some joke and clam up, Aya spoke up. “Why are they trying to find you?”

“I…” Genlo chewed his lip, debating how much he should reveal and how much he should not. They were not likely to believe it anyways. “I was once one of them. Aral was one of my… narrasu, my teachers, and I am glad I was the one to cause his death. For years there was nothing I wanted more.”

“Years? You mean before the two years you had been running? How long were you apart of them?”

“My whole life.”

Silence pervaded. When he spoke again his voice was dark and low. “From my birth, they took part in my training- a being possessing the skills of a Jrahda and the strengths of a Youkai with a will bent to theirs. The Verca made me their… experiment. Their puppet.”

The campfire lit his manacles in its bright light but did not chase away the shadows on his face. His amber eyes fairly gleamed. There was a sorrow behind the madness in those liquid depths- the sorrow of a lost boy who never knew laughter and play such as other children would, one whose body and soul belonged not to himself. But that show of true emotion was quickly stomped on and replaced by the feelings the Verca had taught him well- anger and hatred. Grinding his teeth, Genlo continued. “I am not sure when I had made up my mind to escape or even how long I had been under their control.”

“Did they find out you were planning an escape from them?” Agemeer asked.

“Aral figured it out. I had been practicing how to hide my thoughts but there had been some… weaknesses I had no idea existed. It wasn’t until later I learned that the weaknesses had been imposed soon after I was born so that they could attempt to control me. My narrasu were not happy to find out what I had been devising. I just…” He made a fist, squeezing hard. “I knew I couldn’t let them steal that part of me, the part that knew escape from them was possible and death was better than failure.”

The passion- raw in its form- moved Aya till she realized her vision was beginning to blur. Even Serrtin was stilled by his words.

Then, the pale-haired youth blank as if waking from a dream, not having meant to actually say what he had just said. Hunching into himself, he continued. “When I at last made for my escape, they had taken to keeping me in the dungeon, caging me like some kind of criminal because of my insubordination. They could beat me within an inch of my life, they could shred my sense of self and stability but-” He shook his head.

“But what?” Serrtin almost demanded.

Genlo regarded her carefully but decided he wouldn’t tell them. Not now. Perhaps not ever. “I wouldn’t be their puppet anymore.”

“Oh…” The Yarcka responded, somewhat disappointed. She had hoped for… for what? A better story?

As his eyes slid back to the fire he briefly met Aya’s and the girl knew that was not the whole truth. “So, I escaped the prison cell, killing all in my path. It was a mad rampage that didn’t stop until I could run no longer and my energies were completely gone. When I came to my senses, I was standing at the edge of Zarhethe, Thabinthira at my back. The farther away I got, the more in control I felt. So, I wandered. I took out all the emissaries sent after me by the Verca. Two years passed and then I suppose He… they, got impatient and hired Circuit Bounty Hunters to locate me. Very lucky ones…”

“Hm, lucky to have caught you or lucky to still be alive?” Serrtin asked, not really expecting an answer.

“Both.” He smiled then. Just a little.

“What a truly fascinating tale.” Agemeer said, sitting up from his lowered position. “Such amazing hardship yet brevity in the face of danger. These Verca cas Nemun Ulraskc- dreadful people, truly told.” He wrinkled his canine nose. “How they could mistreat and use an innocent child- tah! Unforgivable.”

Genlo snorted softly. “Very few would say innocent.”

“Invoking of Dusk Falling.” Aya mused out loud. “I wonder what that means. It’s an odd name.”

Serrtin and Agemeer looked at the Elfkin for the answer but he offered none, instead choosing to toe the end of a stick into the fire. “Do you believe what I’ve told you?”

The Hunters exchanged glances.

“Can’t say I buy all of that, El-” Serrtin cut of her insult with a half cough. “Having seen you fight first hand, I can believe someone taught you all those tricks. But as to whom? These Verca? I don’t know yet.” Genlo nodded slightly at the admission without looking up.

“I have a question but I fear the answer.” Agemeer stated with a swish of his tail. “The river town of Barda… those creatures… did you?”

The youth looked up, meeting his questioners brown Wulfen eyes with a clear confident gaze. “No.”

“Hold on. Those demons, or whatever they were, they weren’t yours?” Serrtin asked.

“I just said no. I am not a summoner.”

“But then who sent them? And why?” Aya exclaimed. “It couldn’t have been a coincidence.”

Genlo’s temper flared. “I said I didn’t do it so I didn’t do it! And I don’t know who did so don’t ask.”

In the wake of such, Kcrie stood, drawing all eyes. Having heard the tale he would tell, all else was speculation and therefore to her moot. With not a word, she left the campsite.

“It’s getting late, we best get some sleep. I want to get up by the GoldenSphere.” Serrtin told them. “I got first watch. Agemeer, you’re second. Aya you’re last.”

Genlo rubbed his wrists under the silver manacles. He wanted them off. And he wanted his freedom. His story was told, the Hunters knew the gist of it and even should they choose to trust him, he knew he shouldn’t trust them. Foolhardy, that is what it would be. With the Verca so close, he could ill-afford the risk. Though somewhere inside cried out at the decision, Genlo told himself he would use their trust to his benefit and then be rid of them.

Lying down on his side, using his bent arms as a pillow, the Jrahda-trethen stared into the flames. As his eyelids began to droop, he was too exhausted to realize that for the first time in years, he was falling asleep without the fear of the nightmares of the past.

Chapter 11

Standing at the edge of the entrance to the cave, he stared unblinkingly out into the eternal blizzard. His cape whipped haphazardly around his body. Crossing his arms, he leaned onto the wall and waited. His patience was running thin these past few days.

“Appear, astrala.” He commanded.

Behind him at a respectful distance, a dark creature assumed appearance in the blink of an astral gate. It groveled, bent almost completely in half. Its ebony non-descript face almost touching the ground as it mewled and whimpered.

“Too close, astral beast. They almost got exactly what they wanted and I can not allow that.” The creature groveled closer but he did not turn. “I want them found. They will not be interfering until I say so. Kill all of them if you have to.” He glanced over his shoulder. “Do you understand me? If they interfere with my plan before the given time, I will destroy your entire Plane of existence.” The Astral beast mewled and simpered. He turned his hard eyes back to the storm. “Go.”

In less than a breath, it was gone. Soon, his report would join him and update the mission and he could only hope things were still going in his favor. Hope. Or pray.

But then, whom would he pray to? Himself…?

He snorted his amusement at the prospect.

~ ~ ~

It was a reasonably quiet morning. All held their tongues but all were thinking much along the same line. Were they to believe Genlo’s story, would performing their job as Hunters be the wrong course of action? But as Hunters, they were not supposed to ask questions- they were to capture and return. That was all. Stories told by the Chase were to be thought of as just that- stories. Lies. For anyone in that position would resort to lying to garner sympathy and gain freedom from the headsman’s ax.

The fate of a traitor to the Circuit was also something to consider. All who joined up knew the penalties for such and there were plenty of Hunters who would jump at the chance to chase down a traitor.

As they headed out sometime after dawn, the Hunters took turns asking questions of their short-tempered captive while he was still on speaking terms with them. He answered vaguely, more and more wary with every step. North. Still, they were moving north. Towards Zara Krell, now the closest Hold, and the Hunters had yet to make their final call.

As they entered the Great Grasslands, the Jrahda-trethen again began scheming escape. Should they turn him in, he was as good as dead. He had vowed he’d never go back no matter what. He would escape any way he could, then… Then he would have to find a way to kill the Asrai to release the spell. And the young girl as well if needs be.

Genlo chewed his lip in anxious thoughts, why he cared to give pause was a puzzle. He had killed before. Many times before he had been forced to slaughter sentient beings, sometimes force hadn’t been necessary. After his flight from the Verca, any who crossed his path were subject to the same fate. The trethen had curbed his bloodlust months after leaving the Verca’s influence, killing only when challenged, avoiding contact with other lifeforms unless he was hungry.

The accursed lizard-female, irritating in her one-track mind and her watchfulness. Any physical edge he had, she would- and could- counter.

The Wulf, intelligence his first weapon, used before the might and fangs of a giant canine. His protective disposition toward his friends was ingrained not only in his body but also in the mind of the old scholar inside.

And the girl, a Bren mage who looked at him with eyes that wanted to believe what he said was the truth. He was getting used to the name the Bren had given him.

“Them,” He thought to himself, “By all rights, I should but it’s so strange. They don’t wish me harm, even after… Never met anyone- any people- quite like them… Perhaps there is still a chance. Maybe if I give them a little more time…”

No more mysterious happenings plagued their steps into the Kingdom of Indelsis- no more masked attackers or odd magics. The only things that dogged their steps were doubts. It took several full days to cross the Great Grasslands. The Hunters stood a mile outside Zara Krell in the early afternoon on the third day. Though they could barely make out the city in the distance, they knew this to be the city that boasted the Circuit Hold. Genlo had
not protested the venture. Rarely did he fight back when told to do something and when he did he would give pause and settle down. Still, he had not offered up any new vital information in his defense.