Vanya's Journals, Entry 35 You glance at the woman across from you for a moment, wondering why she's so silent. She returns your stare almost mechanically, and for a moment, you enter a sort of staring contest.
She wins.
"How did you know Vanya?" you ask. "You said you knew her, which means you're a time traveler."
"That's not something that should be discussed," the woman says in a low voice, glancing around for cameras. "I could get in trouble for that; don't mention it again, please."
"But -"
"Please, just keep reading," she prods you. And so you do. An hour passed slowly, and then another. The distant camp drew closer, the reddened, blood-soaked earth shrinking between us. Finally, the humans seemed to notice that we were there... and they seemed terrified.
"Please don't kill us!" I heard a shout. "We have no ill will towards you!"
My eyes widened. I
knew that voice.
"Reudh?" I called. "Lord Reudh?" Starting to walk faster, I peered towards them, and could easily make out Reudh's shape. It
was him.
John rushed forwards in front of me and turned his head, looking at me crazily. "Are you
serious? You
know them?"
I nodded. "He was an overseer at Spearbreakers... I have no idea why he's out here." I broke into a jog, rushing forwards towards my old acquaintance. The scythods behind me followed suit.
As we approached, I got a good look at the two humans that stood beside Reudh. One, though short, had the muscular build of a farmer, and was holding a wicked-looking knife. The other had the looks of a warrior, but held his sword a little awkwardly. For the most part, they ignored me, gripping their weapons tightly as they nervously anticipated combat with the eight-foot scythods. A skirmish was the last thing I wanted. "I'm a friend; lower your weapons!" I yelled, and to my relief, they complied.
Reudh seemed to recognize me. "Vanya? Is that really you?" he called out, beginning to jog forwards.
"It's me! I'm Vanya; we're friends! I saw you a couple times at Spearbreakers!" I shouted back.
He seemed to fly over the ground towards me, and we met in the middle, looking at each other gladly. He tried to embrace me, but I shrank away from him in awkward confusion. Unless something had happened I'd forgotten, we didn't know each other
quite that well.
"Um..." I said, looking at him curiously, "How are you?"
Awkwardly, he tried to turn the embrace into scratching his reddish-brown beard. "I am doing well, Vanya! It is so good to see you again!"
One of Reudh's companions spoke, coming up behind him. "So this is her, Lord Reudh? The girl we've been hunting down?" It was the man I'd thought looked like a warrior.
That confused me even further. "Hunting down??" I asked. I glanced over at John, who was smirking.
Reudh seemed to beam, almost unable to take his eyes off me. It felt a little creepy, but somehow cute at the same time. He turned to his companion and spoke excitedly. "Yes, Tedaz! I am only too glad to finally find her!" To me, he said, "I have searched for you for months! But oh, my dear, you look like you have been through quite a lot."
I looked down at my imitation-Ballpoint uniform, bloodstained as it was. Though I hadn't had anything to change into for the past year, the stitching had held up well. My thoughts went to my unkempt hair, and then to my ears.
He doesn't know I'm an elf, I thought. I tried to casually cover one ear with a hand, and turn the other side of my head away from Reudh, so he wouldn't see. I hated that I'd forgotten to put Jack Magnus's cap back on.
However, Reudh noticed, and took my hand gently from my ear. "There is no need, Vanya, dearest," he said softly. "I know you are an elf, but I mind it not."
It surprised me. I started to make a grateful reply... but did a double take instead. "Wait, 'dearest'?" I was completely bewildered. "What do you mean?"
Reudh's other companion, the odd little farmer, walked up by his side. "Well, Lord Reudh, this is your girl, eh? Haha, yes, I can see why you like her! Mighty fine, she is, if she got cleaned up a tad."
I went crimson. "What do you mean, 'his girl'? I only met him once!"
John had been chuckling beside me, but now he burst out laughing.
I glared at him. "This isn't funny!" I couldn't figure out if it was all a joke at my expense, or if they were actually serious.
Behind me, Klade started chirping in amusement, startling Reudh and his companions. "You were right, Spala. Coming here was well worth it."
The crimson of my face deepened with embarrassment. "Reudh!" I said sharply. "What's going on??"
K'bahth found it funny, too. "It seems you have a suitor, Spala."
Reudh eyed the scythods worriedly for a moment, and then turned back to me. He seemed to feel a little defeated by what I'd been saying, but he pressed on. "I love you, Vanya. You are the apple of my eye, the treasure of my soul. I feel for you what I have felt for no other dwarf." He was very sincere. "Ever since we met that fateful day in Spearbreakers and you kissed my cheek, you've held my love. I have faced many dangers in trying to find you, and willingly, for I knew in my heart you were still alive! And here you are, sweetest Vanya, loveliest of maidens. My quest is at an end." He paused for a moment, thinking, and looked regretful. "I am sorry you had to find out like this, but you
did ask."
I pursed my lips, and an awkward silence followed. I hated to hurt him, but he had to understand that I didn't feel the same way towards him. Honestly, had he just shown up a year earlier, after Urist had killed my sister, I might have done things with him I would've later regretted, wanting to fill that empty space he'd left behind... but now it was different. "Lord Reudh," I began carefully, watching his face, "I..."
An abrupt scream pierced the air around us.
"What was that?" I asked suddenly, changing the subject.
Reudh frowned. "It is Lurit, a friend of mine, the lasher of our party. Two Holistic Spawn came upon us at sunset, and though we defeated them, Lurit lost his foot. The Spearbreakers doctors taught me much about medicine, and I cauterized the wound, but he is still in great pain."
John's jaw dropped, his eyes widening. "You
cauterized it??"
The swordsman, Tedaz, nodded. "He did a fine job of it, too," he said respectfully.
"Let me see him," I requested. "Maybe there's something I can do."
I didn't really think I'd be able to help, but I hoped it would give me time to come up with something to say to Reudh.
My companions followed Reudh to one of the tents. They were too short for the scythods to enter, and I told them so. They waited outside as the rest of us went in.
Lurit, an overweight man with graying hair, lay on a cot in one of the tents. He looked... well, awful. His skin had a grayish pallor to it, and though unconscious, he was shivering and sweating.
"Reudh, he doesn't look very well," I said worriedly. "It looks like he'll die if we don't get him some better medical attention." At Reudh's hurt expression, I added, "But you've done a good job so far."
"Did you keep the foot?" John asked.
The farmer, Strohe, snorted. "'Did you keep the foot,'" he repeated. "What good would
that do?"
"We buried it so the wolves wouldn't come," Tedaz explained, sheathing his sword.
John sighed and facepalmed, shaking his head. "It's the dark ages all over again," he muttered under his breath. "I'd gotten used to civilization; I forgot about all this."
"Can we move him?" I asked Reudh urgently. "We need to take him with us, and from the looks of it, we'll have to do it quickly."
Reudh hesitated, but nodded. "I would be careful with moving him, but I would say it's possible, yes. Your pack animals ought to be able to carry him, I'd think. What
are they, anyway?" At these words, some very offended chattering erupted from outside the tent.
"Shh," I whispered. "They're not pack animals, they're 'scythods'. They're intelligent, and they understood everything you just said."
"'Scythods?'" Strohe said loudly. "I ain't never heard of them. Where do they hail from?"
I glanced meaningfully at John, questioning. "Might as well," he said, giving a noncommittal shrug. Reudh and his companions watched us curiously.
"What is it?" Reudh asked innocently.
I sighed. There was so much to explain, I hardly knew where to begin. "All right..." I started hesitantly, "First, you're going to need to ignore everything you think you know about science, and keep an open mind..."
Teaching Urist and Hans about Ballpoint and Parasol had been a lot more fun.
An hour later, John, K'bahth, Klade, Reudh, Strohe, Tedaz and I sat around their smoldering fire. Reudh sat across from me, and K'bahth and John sat by my side. Our party was on one side, Reudh's was on the other.
"This is a lot to take in," Reudh sighed, shaking his head. "So... our 'mercenaries' were actually... Ballpoint's soldiers? Yes?"
I nodded.
"And they're a civilization that's not from this world, here about the Holistic Spawn."
"That's right," I said. "They're fighting Parasol for control of the planet."
"They call it 'The Timewar,'" John added.
Strohe laughed. "My wife ain't ever gonna believe this. Heck, I ain't sure if
I believe it."
"Typical of a human," Klade muttered. K'bahth shushed him.
Reudh leaned forward. "Vanya, none of this needs matter. Come back home to Spearbreakers with me! We can live a peaceful life together for the rest of our days."
I swallowed uncomfortably. "Lord Reudh, I... I have... something I have to tell you..." He had to understand how I felt towards him, but all the same... I wished I didn't have to hurt him so.
He listened, giving me a curious expression. An awkward tension filled the air so thickly you could almost breathe it.
"Are we done here?" John suddenly asked, looking uncomfortable.
"I think so," Tedaz said, giving my friend a knowing glance and getting to his feet. "Let's go take down the tents and get ready to move."
Amidst mild chattering, everyone stood and walked away, leaving Reudh and me alone by the dying campfire. We, too, got to our feet, looking at each other uncomfortably for a time. He seemed to know what I was going to say, but that didn't make it any easier.
I felt a gentle breeze in my hair; cold air on a northern wind. It was soothing, yet biting at the same time. It was... bittersweet.
"I... I don't share the same feelings for you," I finally managed, frowning apologetically. "I'm sorry, really, I am, but..."
He gave me a sad smile. "I understand, Vanya. I didn't come because you love me, I came because I love you." I could tell my words were knifing through his heart.
"I'm sorry, Reudh," I said, trying to soften it. "Maybe someday, but right now, I'm still sore from... After that stuff with Urist and my sister, I just don't feel like being in a relationship. Not so soon."
"I understand," Reudh said, suddenly digging through the pack that hung by his side. "But that reminds me, now that you speak of Urist. He gave me something he wanted me to give you, if I ever found you." Moments later, he withdrew a little package, holding it towards me. "Urist sends his regards," he said quietly with that same sad smile.
I hesitated, my hand hovering over the brownish wrapping, and finally took it from the dwarf. "Thank you. I'll open it later," I said quietly, putting it into one of the pouches at my waist. "But Lord Reudh, we can't go towards Spearbreakers. It's far too dangerous; you've already seen it yourself. The Spawn... it's like their numbers keep multiplying."
He nodded silently. Behind him, a pained scream erupted from Lurit's tent. Reudh looked over his shoulder at it for a moment, and then back to me. "We must get Lurit somewhere he can be taken care of, Vanya, be it Parasol or no."
"What about Strohe and Tedaz?" I asked, glancing towards where they were packing up the tents.
"Strohe can't stay from home too long. He has a wife to take care of. Tedaz... I believe he'll follow me wherever we go, though he's not as good a fighter. As for me, Vanya," he said cautiously, moving his hand towards my face. I reached forwards to stop him, but changed my mind, and he brushed several strands of hair from my eyes with a thoughtful expression. "As for me, Vanya," he continued slowly, "I will go with you, wherever you go." As an afterthought, he added, "So long as you will permit it, of course."
"As a friend?" I asked.
He gave a single, solemn nod. "As a friend."
A grateful smile flicked at the corners of my mouth. "Thank you, Lord Reudh. And yes... you may come. I would be glad to have another friend with me."
He flashed a smile at me as he dug something else out of his pack. "Just 'Reudh' is fine. And I have something for you as well, if you would but give me a moment." He finished searching, drawing out a crescent-shaped comb and holding it up. It caught the light of the morning sun, and its silver teeth glittered radiantly, sea-blue gems sparkling like wine. It took me a moment to realize he was actually giving it to me, and when it finally registered, it blew me away.
"Oh, Reudh," I gasped, my eyes widening. "You
can't give that to me; I can't take that!"
He smiled, gazing thoughtfully at me. "I can, and I am, Vanya. For your hair... so it will always look as beautiful as the day we met."
I blushed, struggling for words. "It's not that I can't take it, it's just... I... It's too
beautiful for me."
Reudh gave a chuckle and shook his head slightly. "On the contrary, I would say that its beauty pales in comparison to yours!"
He held it out to me, but I only stared at it, agape. After a lifetime of never receiving anything I didn't work for, it was hard for me to accept a gift. "Reudh, I... It must have cost a fortune, I'd never be able to repay you for it!" The only other truly valuable thing I'd ever owned was my golden bracelet, and it'd only had a thin plating of gold.
The dwarf laughed, shook his head, and placed it in my hand, closing my fingers around it. "I will hear no excuses, my dear," he said, beaming at my reaction. "I had it crafted just for you, and traveled hundreds of miles so I could lay it in your hands! It is a gift, not a loan, and that shine in your eyes is more than payment enough. I will accept nothing in return." He paused for a moment, quietly closing his pack, and then looked back at me. "I am fond of giving gifts, you know," he said, and with a smile, he left, going over to help Strohe pack up the provisions.
My gaze traveled downwards to the palm of my hand as I uncurled my fingers, examining the silver comb. It was studded with sapphires arranged in the shape of three five-pointed stars. Questions filled my mind, and I lifted my head, opening my mouth to ask them, but found to my discomfort that Reudh was no longer in sight. Reluctantly, I looked back the little comb, the breeze gently ruffling my hair, and I wondered how he'd known my symbol.
~~~
When everything was packed, we set off for the east. The men carried Lurit, the wounded lasher, on a makeshift stretcher. It took all four of them to lift him and keep him steady. Meanwhile, the scythods and I carried the tents and provisions. I'd wanted to leave the tents, as they were easy to see from a distance, but Reudh wouldn't hear of it. I told him I would only sleep outside anyway: there was no way I'd bunk with anyone else. He countered by saying he was planning on giving up his for my sake. It was kind of him, but I still didn't like the idea.
On occasion, Lurit would let out a scream of pain and fall unconscious again. There wasn't any way to keep him quiet, and I hated that... If there were more Holistic Spawn lurking about, they'd be sure to find us. With how slow our progress was, I knew there was no chance of us escaping them. But as the day wore on, Lurit awoke less and less, as he steadily grew paler. His leg looked horrible, with purple veins stretching out ever farther from the cauterized stump of his leg.
Around noon, K'bahth approached me. "Spala, do you hear it?" he asked.
I listened. "No," I answered cautiously, "hear what?"
"Gunfire," he replied promptly, clicking his claws.
"I hear it as well," Klade offered. "Alaf, do you not hear it? It comes from the east."
"I'm sure I'll hear it soon," I sighed, wishing my hearing was as good as theirs.
As we continued, the sound gradually became clearer, until even John and the others heard it.
"Yep, it's gunfire," John said, shielding his eyes from the sun with a hand as he held a corner of Lurit's stretcher with the other. "Sounds like a railcannon to me, but I can't tell how far away, or who it belongs to."
"What's a railcannon?" Tedaz asked, worrying with his corner of the load.
John had trouble describing it. "When a dragon and a ballista get together and have a kid, that's a railcannon. ...Sort of." He offered a joking grin, as if it explained everything better.
"Seriously?" Tedaz asked, his eyebrows raised.
I shook my head, almost laughing at John’s analogy. "A railcannon fires a big piece of metal at incredibly high speeds... fast enough to set the air on fire just from the friction." It wasn't completely accurate, but it gave them a good idea of what we were hearing, or so I hoped. "It's a weapon," I added.
"An' we're going
towards it??" Strohe asked incredulously. "Are you batshit crazy, girl?"
"Amazing," Klade hissed snidely, "A human with common sense. Alaf, you could learn a lesson from him."
I clicked my teeth at him. "Quiet, Klade. You're not helping." It didn't matter to me whether or not Reudh and the others could understand him.
I could understand him, and I didn't want to listen to his sarcastic commentary all the way to the Parasol base.
Finally, as the sun dropped behind the western horizon, we reached the bed of a little clear-water creek that wound its way between the hills, and came to a halt.
"I think we're getting near," I said quietly. The intermittent sound of the railcannons echoed loudly all around us.
"From the echoes, I would say they are just beyond that next hilltop," K'bahth said, listening carefully. "However, I only hear one railcannon, and its shots seem to be missing its target."
"What?" I asked, looking at him. "Why would -"
"It's cover fire," John answered my unfinished question, motioning to the others to set Lurit on the ground. "That means they're on watch."
Reudh shook his head resignedly. "It is so strange to think that there have been people from other worlds living so close to home, and yet, we never knew!"
"It's part of interdimensional law," John explained distractedly as he scanned the horizon. "Time travel, time-space manipulation, and alerting the natives are strictly forbidden. Parasol broke the second by putting Syrupleaf in stasis, but it saved this universe. Armok would have destroyed it otherwise. Since we can't alert the natives - that means you, Reudh," he added, turning towards the dwarf, "using air vehicles is forbidden."
"Are you part of Parasol?" Tedaz guessed.
John's response was dismissive of the subject. "Nah, I used to work for Ballpoint. But really, what are we going to do? If they're on a military-level alert, we won't be able to approach without them opening fire."
"We could tunnel to them," K'bahth suggested, and then lowered his mouth to the stream to drink.
I shook my head. "That wouldn't work," I argued, frowning. "They would assume we're trying to kill them, and even if we told them otherwise, they'd kill us. And if they see John in his uniform, they'll assume we're Ballpoint."
"You're wearing a Ballpoint uniform, too," John pointed out.
"It's just gray. Mr Frog made it," I replied, puzzling over the situation. Reudh seemed surprised when I mentioned Mr Frog, though. "But you're right..." I continued, "What we need to do is send someone over there alone to let them know we're on their side... if it's just one person, they won't feel threatened, and one person by themselves would be the least noticeable." I stopped for a second, nervously pondering my decision. "I'll go," I said finally, biting my lip.
"I will not hear of it!" Reudh burst out, walking forwards. "I'll go before we send you. I volunteer myself."
"I'll go," Tedaz piped up, followed by Strohe.
"None of you have any experience with the timewar," Klade clicked dryly. "And K'bahth and I would be too conspicuous." John translated what he'd said for the others.
"I'm the only one who can go," I told them quietly. "I used to be a skulker; I know how to stay hidden."
Reudh seemed surprised. "A
skulker?"
His reaction made me laugh. "I still would be, if it hadn't been for Mr Frog," I added.
"She has a point, though," John said grimly, folding his arms. "She has to be the one to go."
Grimacing, Reudh said, "Fine. But Vanya..." He came over to me and looked into my eyes. For a moment, he seemed torn between whether or not he should give me an embrace, but finally decided against it. "Stay safe. Please?"
I nodded silently, but my thoughts were elsewhere as I set off for the base of the next hill, following the little creek.
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Topic: [34.11] Spearbreakers - It shudders and begins to move (Read 2280276 times)