Depth of the Rain by Orin Drake
A completed novel, available here.

        Chapter 11 - "So This... is Where We're Headed...'"


        Shadow sat up and breathed deeply.  Her heart pounded in her chest and it took a moment to realize that it had all been a dream.  The same dream she had been having, but this time she could remember it.  My god, she thought, I didn't know even I had that in me...  She shuddered, remembering the images.  Pins, thousands of pins... and a demon man in black and red... two blonde children, a boy and a girl... and in a cold wash of sweat, the images faded into a dim night scene.  Blurred and darkened as it was, her vision had returned.  She only hoped it would return fully.
        Roan opened a single eye and watched.  She was rubbing her eyes, blinking, and looking upward.  It was certain that he wouldn't be able to have any more fun with her blinded, but there were other ways.  He intended to do as much as he could to drive her insane.
        By the look of things, though, he wouldn't have to do much.  He could see the delicate sheen of sweat and could scent the nightmare as if he'd experienced it himself.  He didn't know what it was about, but it had been bad.  Bad enough to have gotten to that cold bitch, anyway.  That's all he needed to know for now.  Maybe she was being driven insane... and he'd certainly help when the time came.
        She took a deep breath of night air and laid down again.  Just a nightmare.  No sense in dwelling on it.  She tried to hold on, tried to remember--but it was fading far too quickly.  Only the afterthought, like a dull taste left in the mouth, remained.  Frankly, she didn't care to continue to think about it.  Whatever it was, whatever it had been, was... too close to home. 


 

        Oh thank god... Shadow thought as her eyes opened to a clear, beautiful sunrise.  Or... well, thank whatever the fuck is out there, up there, down here, whatever.  She slowly wiped off the white, crusty substance that had finally washed to the corners of her eyes, glad to see again.  She began to grin as she finished getting the disgusting stuff off of her, thinking of herself as preening or something.  She'd have grinned at anything then, just so damn glad to have all of her sight back.  She looked over at Roan, pretending to be asleep, and wondered if she could just beat the crap out of him right then.  As a thanks for saving her life and all.  In the end, she simply sighed and decided to be civil about it... at least for now...
        She stretched, sighed a deep happiness, and started humming "Kyrie Eleison".  Happily she lifted, walked over to Roan's bed, and pulled her foot back to kick him out as hard as she possibly could.  It'll be a very civil kick... she decided with an evil smile.  Unfortunately, she saw the boy's eyes open just before she was about to release the pent-up anger toward him.
        "What are you doing?" he asked quietly, very nonchalantly.
        "Practicing."  She answered, mimicking his tone.
        "What?" he responded, in the mood for a game already.
        "Just hold still."  She chimed, ready to kick him, awake or not.  "It'll make me feel better."
        "And what would make me feel better?" He grinned wickedly.
        "Possibly a lobotomy."  She responded flatly.
        He blinked.  He'd witnessed a lobotomy once at the hands of his master.  It was messy and rather disgusting, and the thought seized him for several seconds.  "I thought we were supposed to treat one another as allies."  He finally decided upon.
        "It'll be a light, friendly kick."  She promised.
        "No friendly kicking."  Evyn yawned, his speech slurred by sleep.  He'd only been awake long enough to have heard her plans.
        She looked over, hands on her hips.  "Well now that's not fair."
        Evyn stretched widely and sat up, only then fully realizing that Shadow was up and around.  "How are you?"
        For the moment, she forgot about kicking the little bastard.  He'd get his later, anyway.  "Better."  She took a moment to rub a sleepy blur from her eyes.  "And I'm hoping it will stay that way."
        Gently, Evyn reached over to shake Taerlyn awake.  It was clearly time to get up and get going.  She mumbled something that sounded rude and turned over.  So, he brought out the big guns; he ripped the blanket from her and commenced the tickling of her ribs.  That succeeded in getting several smacks to his hands and arms, but at least Ter was... relatively awake.
        Shadow looked back to Roan, pulling her leg back again.  He only glared at her, waiting, murmuring under his breath, "One good turn..."
        Sandy's ears perked up, getting her to kick herself up to a standing position.  She'd been awake the whole night, honest.  Just resting her eyes, that's all.
        "Anyone hungry?" Evyn interrupted the all-out blood war.
        "No."  Taerlyn moaned into a yawn.  Truthfully, she was a little bit.  But... only a little bit.  They didn't have any more meat, though.  And the other options didn't appeal much.  Besides, they didn't have all that much water left.  The more food they consumed, the more water they would need.  Better to conserve, for now.
        "I agree."  Shadow finally stepped away from the demon boy.  "Not yet, anyway."
        "Alright."  Evyn croaked, finding his legs were quite stiff at the first attempt at standing.  "Um... ladies first."
        "Joy."  Shadow joked.  "Over the next dune, then.  Come, minions."
        Roan cackled at that, then immediately stared at nothingness in wide-eyed shock.  Good fucking maliciousness, had he actually found that funny?  She was getting to him.  Ugh.  Bitch.
        Taerlyn followed in a stumble behind Shadow and Sandy, off to do their morning necessities... spaced out.  No trees, no bushes... they'd just have to space out.  When they came back, Shadow had brought up the rear, not looking the least bit pleased.  She approached Roan with a snarl in her features, expecting some sort of response to her unasked question.
        The bastard boy only grinned widely, knowing exactly what he'd kept from her.  It was somewhat satisfying to know the poison's reign wasn't entirely over for her.  "Like pissing pins, isn't it?"
        "Your 'master' is going to be pissing daggers when I find him, for that fucking worm."  She promised quietly.
        His expression only brightened.  "Good.  That's the direction we're headed."
        Oh fucking great.  She swallowed silently.  That's all they needed.  A psycho beyond the psycho they already had.  But, she had made a challenge, hadn't she?  She couldn't very well just take it back now.  That, and... well, they had little choice in the matter.  If that's where they were headed, then... it was very likely, by her luck, they'd wind up there.
        The boys then made their way outward in the other direction, Evyn with a glare the entire way there.  Shadow merely spent some of the pent-up rage energy by loading Sandy up with their supplies.  Better to take advantage of the adrenaline while it was there, she supposed.  Ter took care of the fire, salvaging the unused wood.
        Back into the sands of the desert they traveled.  It wasn't so bad in the morning, really.  No wind, the sun coming up to clear away the chill, and the smell just clean and wonderful.  No wildlife that they could see and no plants of any kind, it was just the blackness of the sand and the brilliant blue sky of sunrise.
        There was still a great deal of annoyance exchanged without words.  Shadow lightly bit down on the inside of her cheek, wondering how long that lovely side effect would last.  If the blindness hadn't lasted all that long, she hoped this other shit wouldn't, either.
        Roan was somewhat torn over the idea that they were headed for where he'd been before he'd stumbled upon the bitch and her wayward servants.  It was home, it was the protection and power of his master, but... being away from that had its merits.  Like, food that he didn't have to choke down, for instance.  Even the giant furry whatever-the-hell meat was so much better than the tripe he was regularly fed.  But these stupid people held nothing for him.  They couldn't reward him.  On the up side, they couldn't punish him, either.  Not really.  They were still under the impression he'd be a bargaining chip, it seemed.  It mattered little either way.  These people would not survive much longer.  And he would "help" until the bitter end.  Until he sliced the cunt's throat himself.
        Evyn was just... pissed.  The whole situation was upsetting.  Angering.  He went over the worm's attack again and again in his mind, playing back Roan's reaction and how much that, too, had pissed him off.  What, the little bastard was being of some help now?  Skinning a couple of creatures and saving Shadow's life... for what?  What was up his sleeve?
        Taerlyn was a bundle of nerves, trying desperately not to look or act like a bundle of nerves.  All of the tension and the questions were really starting to get to her.  She almost felt like she was their connection.  Like she was this tiny entity holding all of this together just by her unending patience alone... that was soon going to unravel and snap on them all.  Not a pretty picture.
        Sandy... was tired.  She'd taken the task upon herself of trying to herd them on and keep Roan from doing damage.  There was the understanding that this journey was quite important to Shadow, though the girl herself had doubts.
        Dune after dune, up and down in the sand with the same tired, crunching shifty noises, forward.  The sun rose, the day warmed, and the sand under their feet rose in temperature.  Just as they'd all begun to enter some sort of coma-like brain freeze to give in to the act of just walking, just moving alone, there was something incredibly odd just over the next pile of sand.
        Right in the middle of nowhere, looking like it had been dropped between two dunes, was a simple little shack.  So much like that weird hole in the ground, but very different in its own right.  It looked old but well kept, completely void of windows, and somehow had escaped burial by the winds that had set out to cover everything.  The wood was cracked and peeling something that resembled discolored white paint, but not by much.  Only one small, thin door lead in or out, and the rusted knob didn't seem to have been used in quite some time.
        "Should we go in?" Evyn asked breathlessly.  This was a little too eerily familiar...
        Shadow paused and stared at the building.  "Well, why not.  There might be some neat things in there."
        He stared at her for a moment.  "Neat things?"
        "Well, just look at it."  She grinned slightly.  "Bound to be something interesting in there."
        He supposed he could understand her logic.  It was a neat little place on the outside... who knew what kind of godawful horrors it may hold on the inside?  Lovely.  "Okay.  You go first."
        She let herself chuckle at that.  As they walked right up to it, she grasped the knob.  It literally crumbled in her hand, falling to dust.  That understandably made her a bit uneasy, but not discouraged.  She reached in with her fingers and pulled the door open, the entire locking mechanism falling to the ground in the same crumbled dust.  "What is this place?" she directed to a slightly gaping Roan with the assumption he'd know.
        He glanced at her, then continued to look around as if he expected someone at any moment.  "An old soldier camp.  Apparently abandoned."
        "Hm."  She responded, opening the door all the way.  The whole outer shell of the building was only to house a stairwell.  She gazed down into the darkness, noting that the stairs were something akin to a gray-purple cement.  Strange.  New.  Interesting.  "What do we do about light?"  She didn't really expect a response.
        But Roan surprised her with one.  "Reach inside to the right.  There's a switch."
        "A switch?" she was utterly fascinated.  Of course, it could be a trap.  But fuck that, this was too interesting.  She had only begun to reach over inside the wall when she did indeed come into contact with a very large switch, the kind of which you needed two hands to pull down.  "Avenge my death."  She half joked, stepping just inside.  With one breath and a little weight in it, she successfully flipped said switch.
        Almost immediately, the sound of an ancient generator began to grind.  Something very much resembling a light bulb began to flash just a little ways down the stairs, then burn dimly.  A few seconds and some mechanical clicks later, the light burned brightly.  Shadow was as much in awe as the siblings at this sight.  Computers, now light bulbs.  "Fucking amazing."
        For quite some time, Evyn was simply unable to speak.  With a dry throat he finally croaked, "Have you ever seen this before?"
        "Yeah."  She responded, still in awe.  "But... wow.  The similarity.  The computer was so different, but this... is really quite similar."
        Roan wasn't entirely sure what the hell she was talking about.  But it mattered very little.  "There could be weapons and armor down there."  He tried to be "helpful".
        "We could use some."  She commented.  She then turned to Sandy, standing stiffly with a worried expression (if that's even possible for a horse).  "Watch for us, will you?"
        The steed seemed to bite her lip for a second, thinking this a very bad idea.  She'd never been to this area before.  She'd never seen anything like this before.  And the fact that the demon boy knew so much about it...  But, she'd do it.  She didn't bubble over with joy at the agreement, but she whinnied curtly.
        "You better stay, too, Ter."  Evyn suggested in a slightly harsh tone.
        "I want to come."  Taerlyn responded immediately.
        That had somewhat surprised everyone.  But most especially her brother.  "Uh... are you sure?"
        "Yep."  She smiled almost insanely genuinely.  "Hey, I want a little adventure, too.  But just a little."
        Evyn looked at Shadow, but all she did was shrug.  No help there.  "Fine."  He agreed.  "But stay behind me."
        "No problem."  That was the easy part.
        Shadow very "gently" pushed Roan ahead of her.  "You first."
        He looked back at her with a smirk, but didn't disagree.  Frankly, if he was wrong and it turned out to be a false camp, they'd all be dead via blades or poisoned air anyway.
        Perhaps more or less luckily, he lead them down to an adequately lit landing with the option of going further down or into the door at the side.  It was a real camp.  And, by the way the door hung on its hinges, it was once well used.  By the look of the disintegrated locks, however, it hadn't even been thought of for years.
        "What's in there?" Shadow inquired, unwilling to open the door herself.
        "The generator."  Roan responded, hearing the little telltale squeaks if he listened hard enough.
        "And further down?" she prodded.
        "Storage."  He answered, already starting down the other set of stairs.
        Hopefully this meant they'd find something useful down there, at least.  Something that wouldn't fall apart with a touch, anyway.  Shadow was following closely, one hand resting at her side for the quick pull of a blade, should she need it.  Just in case.  There was no telling.  So much weird shit had gone on already, it would pay to be ready for... well, hopefully just about anything.
        Fortunately for them, Roan was a bit too awed at the condition of the place to have put much thought into something devious.  At the bottom of the steps lay short hallways to five rooms.  With the pull of the generator switch came the unlocking and opening of the doors, so they were all wide open and well lit, showing their treasures.  It looked like this place had been stocked and ready, then just left behind or forgotten.  That was certainly not like his master.
        "Well?" Shadow didn't even know what she was asking, but she felt she needed some assurance.  Even if it was from the fucking demon boy.
        "Abandoned and stocked."  He couldn't leave just the slightest hint of wonder out of his voice.  There would be weapons.  And armor.  And new clothes.  He could certainly use all of that.
        She turned to the siblings.  "I guess we take what we can find, then."  She tried to keep herself calm; inside she was a kid in a candy store.  She could see all sorts of gleaming weapons in the first room.  Forcing herself to walk slowly, that's where she headed, not much caring where Roan went to.  Sandy was still outside, guarding.  She'd probably be able to make it down stairs and crush him, should it come to that.
        Evyn followed her closely, also interested in getting himself a weapon he was a little more comfortable with.  As they stepped inside the first room, huge double-edged battle axes met them on the far wall.  Shadow had to suppress an excited squeal, meandering swiftly for something neat.
        That's when he spotted something.  Something he liked, could use, and had farming experience with.  Sure in this case it was a hell of a lot sharper and more deadly than anything he'd ever encountered, but it was perfect.  "This should be useful."  He said proudly, holding up his new weapon.  Simple in design, a thick pole with a triangle blade at the end.  It was certainly better than... a stick without a blade.  He could leave his walking stick here.  Sort of like... an unfair trade.
        "Wow, it's... a spear."  Shadow said.
        "It's a pummel."  He corrected.
        "It's a spear."  She grinned.
        "It's a pummel."  He repeated, finding himself thankfully in a lighter mood.
        "It's a spear, I say."  She countered.
        "I know what a pummel is, and it's a pummel!" he shouted triumphantly, glad to be in good humor again.
        "Well I'm going to call it a spear."  She mumbled with a satisfied grin.  "Lots of dangerous monsters you can take down with a spear..."
        He jokingly tapped her with the blunt end.  "It works."
        "That's right, try to wound me..."  She was pleased he found something to work with.  Apparently something he quite liked, too.  That was a good start.  She continued digging through various heavy weapons for herself.
        "I'm, um... going to see if I can find armor."  He stated, edging out the door.  He couldn't help himself.  This was kind of exciting.  Weapons and armor and stuff.
        "Enjoy."  She sent him off with a salute.  As she continued her search, she heard Taerlyn walk in.
        "Wow."  The girl whispered, looking at the battle axes.  "I don't think I could ever use those."
        Shadow gave her an amused look.  "Well, there are all sorts of weird things in here.  I bet you can find something nifty."
        Ter shrugged and began at the opposite end of the room, delicately moving things aside to peer underneath them.  She dug daintily until she heard an absolutely irrepressible gasp from across the room.  At first she'd thought maybe Shadow had cut herself, but as she walked over for a look, she couldn't help but gasp herself.
        In Shadow's hands were a pair of absolutely incredible bracers.  Jet black leather, they looked like they'd fit her perfectly from wrist to elbow.  Their most incredible features, however, were three pewter claws each, lining the outside of the arms and stacked about two inches apart, curves viciously upward.  She couldn't help herself any longer; she placed the right bracer on her arm, buckled the three leather straps, and sighed with great satisfaction.  It was as though something had clicked, as though those bracers had always belonged there.  And indeed, they looked as though they had always been hers.  The tight stiffness of the leather was welcome, and the smell seemed so natural.  She finished the look with the left one, then stretched her arms out for a look.
        Taerlyn stared at the new and dangerous accessories, feeling the same naturalness about seeing them there.  "Wow."  She commented breathlessly.
        "Wow is right."  Shadow returned, feeling one of the claws with the tip of her finger.  "I'm going to have to be really careful with these things..."
        "I found armor!" Evyn called from the other room.  "And... it fits me..." his voice changed tones to absolute amazement.
        "Are you descent?" Shadow joked, wanting to see.
        "Trick question!" Taerlyn called.  "Go ahead and look.  I still have to find something."
        She nodded.  "Be careful, though.  Sharp things."
        Taerlyn stuck her tongue out teasingly.  "I'm not an invalid.  Anymore."
        With a grin, Shadow emerged from the room and entered the one next to it from which Evyn's voice had come.  That particular room was a little less bright than the one she'd just been in, and larger, so it took her a moment to locate him.
        He stared at Shadow's bracers, completely awed.  "Wow."  He managed.
        "Wow yourself."  She grinned, equally as awed by his new armor.  It was beautiful, brand new looking, and gleaming.  The gorget, chest and back plates were entirely of a dark blood red metal, lined on all sides with something onyx black.  It was unmarked by symbols or affiliations, and fit him like a glove.  Well, like a slightly more muscular glove, but a glove nonetheless.  He'd even found himself a damn nice pair of black leather boots.  "Lookin' good."
        He was flattered.  But too taken with her look to really be able to say anything without going an octave higher than usual, so he cleared his throat before speaking.  "There might be something here for you, too."
        "Good."  She stated, taking a look around the walls.  "A t-shirt doesn't really provide much for protection.  Comfort, though..."  She picked up an armor ensemble that looked straight out of a low budget barbarian movie; more or less the slightly more dangerous looking equivalent of Princess Leia's metal bikini in Return of the Jedi.  "Eek."
        Evyn had to turn away and look down a bit to prevent her from seeing his blush.  Just as he did so, he noticed Roan standing in the doorway, having seen the whole thing.  And even to his own shock, he was laughing.  That didn't make the blush any cooler, certainly.
        Shadow turned to the source of that disturbing grind of a "laugh", giving him a sharp look.  But she was in too good a mood to let the bastard ruin it.  "You wish."
        The prisoner's laughter got a lot darker all of a sudden, thankfully hiding the next set of throat clearings Evyn went through to try and compose himself.  The demon boy stopped to merely grin at the bracers, then stepped into the next room without so much as another breath.
        She simply dropped the "outfit" on the floor and tried again.  Chain mail would probably be a much better option at this point in time.  Then she spotted it, off in a corner of the room that was hardly lit at all.  It wasn't exactly a match to her bracers, but damn did it look good.  It was chain mail underneath, but atop that was a loose layer-work of leather scales covering just the front.  It was perfect.  It was spiffy as hell.  She put it over her head and strapped it on over her shirt, almost wishing she didn't have to hide the GN'R emblem.  It was damn cool in battle.  Of course, she could always wear it backwards....  But nah, that just... wasn't practical.  Adjusting herself in her new ensemble, she discovered a sort of adjustable frog strap on the back, just under the shoulder line.  It was obviously designed for holding a variety of swords, quivers, axes--and with that, she again joined Taerlyn in search of something light but deadly.  Never could have too many weapons.
        In the room next to them, Roan had found himself a descent sword and a better pair of pants among the various things tossed on the floor.  They were black jeans unmistakably along the same design as Shadow's, but he took them anyway.  They were clean, about his size, and without tears.  He got a deep ash gray tunic to go with it, covering that with a simple brassy chain mail shirt.  Rummaging around in room number four, he also found a cloak similar to the one he already had (save the tatters and stains).  Besides that and a pair of almost too simple chocolate leather bracers, the fourth room was a bust.  He made the cloak exchange and walked back out to see what stupid decisions the others had made.
        Quite frankly, they surprised him.  He saw Shadow's armor truly fitting her personality, to say the least.  The bracers would unfortunately make some of his bothersome antics a little more dangerous, but he could heal.  She'd also apparently found herself a simple, light, one-sided battle ax about as long as her arm with a streamlined blade a third the width of that.  The blonde boy actually had a weapon and armor, both of which looked a little too natural on him.  He'd certainly have to watch out for that.  The girl, on the other hand, was still wrestling with a miniature crossbow.  It was of the sort most soldiers would mount on their wrists, but it was big enough for her to be used the way a normal crossbow would be.  She'd also found a very simple, tightly woven chain mail shirt which made a bit of a skirt at the bottom.  It was a little big for her, but it would help.
        "Are we ready to go?" Evyn asked, not expecting a response.
        In a way, Shadow though it seemed like a dumb idea, but... "What about Sandy?"
        Roan looked at them all blankly for a moment before realizing they were talking about that damned horse.  "There could be beast armor in here."
        "Nothing too heavy, though."  Taerlyn reminded them, strapping the quiver to her back.  "She's got enough to carry."
        "Good point."  Shadow agreed.  "Anything light, donkey boy?"
        He sneered but did not make a further comment.  Right now it'd just be fun enough to watch the sparks fly from this angle.  When that got boring, then he'd start in.  Right now he was having too much fun at Evyn's expense, and planned for it to go on as long as possible.  "Yes.  Most of it was designed light."  If the place was as old as he thought it was, there was no doubt going to be a selection of beast armor.
        As Taerlyn attempted to load the crossbow (aiming for a wall, of course), Shadow "lead behind" Roan.  Indeed to his continued amazement, there were a few whole suits of chain mail hanging in the fifth room, most designed for horses.  She took the largest one, glad to see it was solid but not overly heavy.  Hell, if her scrawny arms could lift it...
        Walking back into the room, Roan darted backward just in time to avoid an arrow to the knee.  He glared across the way, fully expecting to find that little blonde bitch practicing--and saw instead a stoic Evyn (The other blonde bitch...).  He didn't even bother bringing the crossbow down from it's aim.  The two stared at one another from the short distance, completely silent threats passed back and forth.  Like the very switch that had turned the lights on, Evyn suddenly broke the stare, handing the crossbow back to Ter.  "And that's how you do it."  He indicated in a normal, pleasant tone.
        Shadow was utterly silent for a moment, knowing full well she could just have easily been hit had he really been showing her how to use the weapon.  He'd been waiting.  He'd been aiming.  She couldn't say she was at all dissatisfied in his performance.  Hell, he was learning.
        Taerlyn, on the other hand, chastised him with a look.  But she took the crossbow back anyway.  There was time to practice later.  In an open field.  Away from her brother and Roan.
        "Let's go."  Shadow felt she had to prod them on.  She glanced at the demon boy behind her giving Evyn such a feral snarl in silence that she thought she heard him growl for a moment.  It was just the generator; but it was sputtering.  That was definitely a sign to go.
        Back at the top of the stairs, they met with the heat of the day.  The sand was now radiating, and the sun was climbing.  Not a fun situation, especially with armor.  But it was a big help to them.  Sandy looked less than thrilled with her armor, but she gladly accepted the fitting.  It was quite a nice thing to have, in fact.  It didn't weigh her down very much and was a hell of a lot more airy than fabric or leather, so she didn't really mind it.  They left the little building behind in the sands, switch up and door closed. 


 

        Onward they continued.  It wasn't exactly the most comfortable stretch, by far.  They all had to get used to their new armor regardless of how light it was.  Evyn felt worst off of all of them, having not chain mail but actual sheets of metal.  It wasn't heavy or anything, just... hot.  It was making him... cranky.  He and Roan kept making glancing eye contact, each challenging the other to make a move.
        Most unfortunately, the wind picked up again just at the hottest point in the day, sucking greatly for all of them.  Carrying armor and new weapons in the midst of a hot breeze and sand flying at you hard enough to leave a lasting sting--not fun.  It was actually a slight bit worse than the day before, in that the wind had become an almost constant occurrence.  So, in the times when they didn't have to wait for it to pass by crouching against the ground, Sandy began digging a bit into the surface of the sand to find the cooler reaches.  Annoying though it was, they'd just have to wait the sandstorm out in a little pit and move on afterward.  It could last all throughout the rest of the day for all she knew, but there was no way they were going to be able to travel in the harder and harder gusts.
        Shadow merely dug her fingers into the sand in annoyance.  They were huddled together as if trying to hide from a snow storm; even Roan.  That didn't sit well with Evyn, but the wind prevented anyone from speaking.  They'd just have to put up with it for now.  At least Sandy could get a little sleep if she buried her nose under her leg.  The others could wake her when this was over.
        And it sure as hell took a while.  At least three hours were stripped from them, but as the winds began to die down enough to clearly see the sun, Shadow ventured it to be more.  It'd be fucking sunset in just a little while.  All that time wasted, being forced to hold out and wait for wind was extremely aggravating.
        When the storm was actually over to the point where they could walk, they were all thirsty as hell.  Not to mention the coughing and sneezing from the damn sand itself.  The ground beneath was still radiating heat, but the day was just bordering on the edge of cooling.  It was annoying.  Not that they may have been able to get all that much farther if there was no storm, perhaps but... it was the principle of the thing, dammit.
        Agitated, they shared water and continued.  The day's movement would not be a total loss.  Climbing a surprisingly high dune (not without some sinking difficulties, but they managed), they found that old saying of "over the next hill" to be true for once.  The vast field of black was suddenly speckled with grains of brown.  Dirt.  Looking further outward, there was even the tiniest bits of brown twig-like things in little patches up ahead.  It was still desert, granted, but it wasn't the completely dead sands they'd just been in.  Hell, just a few miles away was another huge hill.  They may well find living vegetation over that one.
        Now that there was no sand to stop them, Roan and Evyn continued their silent glances.  They were both waiting for a good opportunity, or a good reason.  Maybe they were both waiting for Shadow to do or say something.  But of course, she didn't.  She wasn't as oblivious to this tension as she was to the first bit that felt years ago and worlds away, but she would not ignite the fire.  They didn't need this yet.
        Taerlyn wasn't sure exactly what was going on, but she certainly wasn't numbed to it.  Things were getting so tense it was scary.  She just walked alongside Sandy, putting all of her faith in the horse.  She glanced at Shadow every so often, but got only a shrugged response if any.  Yes, faith in the horse was good faith.
        Upon finally coming upon the huge hill they'd seen miles earlier, their steps seemed to get a little more rushed.  There was a chance of fresh water close, maybe better food, a nice place to rest.  Hell, maybe there was gold in them there hills, too.  Over the next hill, right?  Right?
        Cresting the peak at last, the sight that actually met their eyes made them all stop dead in their tracks.  Even that demon boy's stomach dropped to his knees.  Before them was a vast valley that looked to have been burned quite recently.  But that's not what made their insides crash.  All across the way, as far as the eye could see in any direction to the horizon, were bodies hanging from iron crosses.  Some rusted, some new, all holding a victim.
        As horrible as the valley looked, it was the smell that had really gotten to them, that really made everything too real.  To Roan it was as familiar as something baking in the oven from childhood, but to the others it was a gut wrenching experience in itself.  Burning and rotting flesh filled the air, still baking in the cooling day, wafting unsettlingly in the wind.  Sandy neighed with obvious discomfort.
        "So this... is where we're headed..." Shadow stated, a flat kind of desperation tainting her words.  Definitely what she may have pictured Roan's home to have looked like, she supposed.
        Evyn leaned on his pummel.  It was just about the only thing keeping him on his feet as he looked across the world, dead and ugly.  He shook his head and stared at the bodies sweeping across the land, bones and flesh of what had fallen off of the crosses that for some reason no animals had picked at.
        Roan stared with a sick fascination, but found himself almost no longer able to see the landscape and the death without his own stomach falling.  He glanced over at the horrified look on Taerlyn's face but found himself not smiling at it.  Perhaps he had been softened, having stayed with the group of weaklings for so long; the site just didn't thrill him as much as it should have.
        Shadow took a deep breath and began to proceed, not waiting for any more thoughts of what may be ahead to cloud her vision.  She couldn't stand thinking of what fates may await them over the next hill... if only she could see the next hill over the crosses.  Evyn didn't think his legs would be capable of following, but sure enough he found himself moving with Taerlyn at his side, her cold hand grasping his for strength.  Roan watched as the rest descended, then felt a sharp push from behind.  Sandy made certain he followed.
        The more steps they took toward the crosses, the more they felt they absolutely would not be able to continue.  Shadow's mind swam with "In God's Country", but she felt it rather insane to start singing it at that moment.  Or humming.  Or even thinking of lyrics.  "Are these... new bodies?" she whispered softly.
        No one answered.  No one knew, and not even Roan was certain.  He didn't know there were that many people in all of the realm of his master; there was no doubt now they were entering his "home".
        As they finally came within arm's distance of the first body, the stench almost completely unbearable, Shadow stared for a moment and tried to decide how old it was.  To her disgusted amazement, it seemed almost to be half alive.  One eye was sunken and old, almost a mummified look to one half of its face, but the other eye still almost wet and alive looking, though it had a dead and distant gaze.  It sent shivers up her spine, and she decided to just keep looking ahead.
        The act of simply glancing along the path became unimaginably hard when they encountered a small pile of children.  It was a horrible experience as they each carefully stepped over the tiny bodies, managing to control the urges to purge their stomachs in a miraculously numb show of control.  Taerlyn was immediately reminded of tripping over her father, and had to stop and close her eyes for a moment.  Evyn offered to carry her, but she declined silently, calmed herself, and kept walking.  Not another word was spoken along the gauntlet of the dead, most tied or bolted on crosses but some scattered elsewhere; some without limbs, but none seeming to have been touched by animals.
        The group had walked in repulsed silence for over an hour before they saw the end of the bodies ahead of them, at least another hour away.  They'd probably emerge from this place as the sun went down... not such a nice picture.  It may be better to cross at night so they wouldn't have to see everything so clearly.  So the smell wouldn't be so... "fresh".
        What else they saw ahead of them, however, puzzled them a great deal.  They could just make out the shape of a moving figure coming toward them... then stopping up ahead appearing to wait for them.  They kept walking--couldn't have stopped even if they tried with all of the dead eyes to urge them on--with concerned glances back and forth.  No words, just the walk, somehow finding the strength to get through the sour air of burning and death.
        When they came close enough to see the figure's face, it somehow found a way of making their stomachs fold even tighter.  Even Roan couldn't escape the feeling of being sickened and, worst of all, scared.  Something kept them walking toward the figure, though; a man of torn clothing looking as though they'd been made of dirty old potato bags.  When the group finally stood only feet away, they noticed that he held a little brown porcelain cup in his hand, two water sacks criss-crossed over his bony shoulders, and nothing else.  Not so much as a weapon.  He looked old, ancient, too old even to have kept the tiny bit of fuzz on his head.  Just the sight of the old man was devastating to their courage.  But Roan recognized the flash of a gold metal collar just under the man's "shirt"; this was a holy man.  Possibly the last to ever exist in this realm.  And he was leaving it.  Alive.
        The old man indicated that they should sit.  When they just looked at each other, his crackled old voice burst forth joylessly, "It's a custom."
        Shadow glanced back, saw Evyn shrug, and sat.  The old man sat beside her, and with that the others followed suit.  Obviously, Shadow felt a little out of place beside the man, but she was glad to do whatever custom dictated.  Sandy politely waited for all to sit before she laid down next to Roan, keeping alert eyes on him at all times.
        He looked like a kindly old man, though a dead one inside.  He handed Shadow the cup he'd been holding with the assumption she was the "leader", and she took it lightly in her hands.  She watched with careful fascination as he pulled another from his pocket.  Slowly, as if practiced ceremony, he shrugged a water sack off of his shoulder, pulled the cork out, and poured a horrible smelling concoction in Shadow's cup, then some in his own.  As he replaced the cork, she stared at the liquid, just trying to decide what it was.  It was blacker than coffee, a feat she was certain wasn't possible, but she said nothing about it.
        With another quick glance at her little traveling army, she decided to ask what was on everyone's minds.  "Who are you, if you don't mind me asking?"
        "I'm a cleric."  He stated with a gruff clearing of his throat.  He held his hand out to her, and she shook it lightly and without much heart, which he didn't at all seem to notice.  "The name's Kerenth."
        "So you're a priest?" she asked, taking her hand back from the rough, sandpaper flesh of his palm.
        Kerenth snorted a bit of laughter.  "Indeed, dear.  But the religion is completely forgotten.  I'm only a cleric by birth, and not by deed."
        She looked at him with sweetly piercing eyes, surprisingly enough not seeming to wish him death.  "Everything's been forgotten?"
        "The world has not been whole since... well, since far before the birth of my gran'ad."  He took a large gulp of the awful black stuff and sighed deeply.
        "Have you any idea what happened?" she asked curiously, trying to swallow the concoction herself.  She found it a lot more difficult than coffee.  It proved incredibly hard not to make a face as she swallowed only one gulp.
        Kerenth shook his head sadly, truly looking like an old man on a street corner telling tales of when he had a home.  "No one knows what happened.  Of course, no one knows if the world was ever whole in the first place."
        "I know worlds like that..." Shadow smiled softly and was exceptionally glad when the man didn't appear to question her in the least.  A slow silence followed, Evyn and Taerlyn looking at each other in shock and wonder of what to say.
        "What's your asking price on him?"  Kerenth surprised them, pointing to Roan.
        She was hardly able to suppress a hard laugh at the question.  "I'm afraid he's not for sale.  We just got him, you see.  Not sick of him yet."
        Roan glared at her with wicked eyes, and the cleric laughed heartily.  "Understood."  He said cheerily, turning his eyes from what he regarded as quite a nice little prize; a slave of the Service.  Being held is his very own land by outsiders, at that.  He nodded quickly then as if waking up from a dream, his eyes widened a little more, allowing them to see the grayed green color of them.  "Time I be on my way."
        Shadow took another gulp of the stuff (I miss coffee, god I miss coffee), then handed the cup back to him.  He seemed a little troubled by her action, and she lifted an eyebrow.
        "No, ma'um, I can't accept that back.  I gave it freely, gift of the clerics.  The old ways may be forgotten, but kindness is something to be spread.  Drink for the thirsty, gift for the poor."  As strong as his voice was, it faltered in belief in a way that may have torn the heart out of people that had never killed.
        "Then accept this cup back."  She responded gently but forcefully. Why she reacted this way, she never could have explained.  It was just... it felt right.  She did what felt right and just, for once.  "If you take it back, that's one more thirsty person you could help.  We've made it this far, and I... assume we'll make it further."  She handed the cup back again, black liquid and all.
        He grasped both of her hands too quickly for her to react and smiled; the first true smile he had experienced since early in his childhood.  "You know of the old ways."  He said, releasing her hands and taking the cup.  Before she or any of the others in the group could react, he simply got up and walked past them, heading in the direction from where they'd come, down the gauntlet of bodies.
        Evyn leaned toward Shadow and asked, "Do you think we should call him back and invite him to join us?"
        She looked at Kerenth's back a moment more, then turned to Evyn.  "No, I don't think so."
        "Why not?"  Taerlyn whispered.
        "I don't know."  She opened her mouth to say something else, but promptly closed it again.  She didn't know what else to say, and the sun was going down.  They needed to make it out of this godawful valley of death first.  Then... then she could wonder just what the hell had happened.
Content copyright Orin Drake 2011.
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