Alarik's Crusade

Chapter 31: For the Empire

Farmund returned to find Alarik staring out into the fields of fire and desolation just as he had left him. The Vanderik captain, trapped in both celebration and revulsion at the completion of his mission. He saw no trail of tears run down his cheeks, as the perpetual layer of dirt was still caked upon them. Alarik was not of the type to weep over his misfortune, but rather to accept it willingly and push on indefinitely. In many ways that was what made him the perfect captain, at least from the perspective of the empire. Admirable. Admirable and foolish, perhaps.

“Captain,” Farmund called out. “Have you had your moment to…” He wasn’t sure what to call it. Lament seemed appropriate, but what phrase his captain would prefer was lost on him. “Have you had your moment?” he parsed.

“I have. Thank you, Farmund. I am ready to leave this place,” referring to both his spot overlooking the Rukara lands and the rainforest as a whole. “I believe I’ve had enough time to…” He turned to see Farmund holding one of the cooked fish, tearing into it with his teeth with ravenous speed. They usually all ate together, and rationed the food appropriately. “Did you enjoy your time alone?” Alarik asked, placing emphasis on the last word.

It was the one thing that made him briefly pause and look up from his meal. “I did.” He seemed to realise how he must have looked at that moment. “I’m sorry. The trip was long, and I was desperately hungry. I… I promise I will catch more fish when we reach the river. Before we set off.”

Inaya came through the trees as well, returning from her sojourn into the rainforest. She carried with her a few small grubs and miscellaneous fruits. Such was the way of Khorsuli shaman - they could hunt with anything, anywhere. Again, Alarik noted a reaction from his companion that was out of place. Farmund’s eyes lingered on the meal when normally they would linger on Inaya. Different was the gaze from the navigator’s, and different still from Alarik’s - he his eyes normally found a way to her.

“Have you taken in the sights, captain?” she asked.

“Not much to take in. But yes. Yes, I’m ready to go.”

“No need to rush,” Farmund interrupted quickly. “Captain Alarik, it’s been a long, tiring journey. One doesn’t climb a mountain just to climb back down. You take in the sights, and revel in the journey. Let’s make camp here for a moment. Have the food Inaya has brought as a feast. A moment of celebration, surely you’ve earned it.”

“Grubs and berries are not what one would call a feast,” Inaya said, holding up the wriggling insect bodies. “I’m only partly sure they’re edible.”

“Fit for a king,” Farmund responded. “Captain - surely you’ve earned a meal.”

Alarik turned in a circle, looking first at the grub and berry ‘feast’, next at the Rukara lands and the disappointment he felt in them, and finally at Farmund, whose actions at the moment felt terribly out of place for the man. He lingered on the last. “Sure,” he said eventually. “A moment’s rest. We’ve earned it. But let’s head closer to the river first - the smoke from the village is getting in my eyes.” That, and when the wind turned, there was the unmistakable smell that came with it. Those villages were not empty when they burned.

---

They made camp just before the river. Soon enough, they had a small fire, and the grubs were cooked to the point of being nearly palatable. Still, Farmund ate them voraciously, tearing into the fruit next and throwing one of the fish on the fire before the rest could say they had their fill.

“Are you alright, lad?” Alarik asked hesitantly.

“Strong as an ox,” Farmund replied while picking a bone out of his teeth. It would have been impossible not to notice their looks of concern. They stared at him in the way one would an off-putting stranger; a slight lean backwards, a tilt of the head, a look out of the corner of their eyes. “We must build up our strength for the road ahead. We’re already by the river with a lot of rainforest ahead of us. Should we not fill our bellies as full as we can?”

“Valid point,” Inaya agreed. Still, her wary look did not settle. Without hesitation, Farmund threw another fish on the fire.

“Think that one’s practically still flopping,” Alarik said, looking towards the fish that Farmund was seeking to remove from the fire to eat.

“Provides a different taste and texture, captain.”

“Well, I don’t think I could eat another bite anyway. And you should consider slowing down. Your belly will fill faster after having gone with such little food for as many days as we have. Careful not to overindulge.”

Farmund nodded and stopped himself before taking another bite. “Of course. We can save this one for another time.” He rested the fish back in the fire and cooked it further. The taste was not as pleasant as he was making it out to be.

Once the fish was cooked, Inaya began to kick out the fire. The night was settling in, and they needed to rest before they travelled. That, and they needed to settle the largest meal they’ve had in days. Typically they would ration their food, but the vague call for celebration caused them to eat it all at once.

They were resting not long after, although sleep did not come easy. Farmund kept an eye on Inaya, Inaya on Farmund, and Alarik on his own empire’s deeds. Not one of them found sleep easily.

---

Farmund woke up in a cold sweat. He had dreamt of nightmarish images of his companions torn asunder, killed by the rainforest, drowned, murdered; no fate too gruesome. Of course, Edda featured in it as well, very much alive until she wasn’t. He wondered if he had woken up screaming, but the deep breathing at his sides told him that he was spared the indignity of explanation.

His heart began to settle upon realising they were safe. While the prospect of falling asleep again felt appealing, it seemed unlikely, fighting restfulness on the two fronts of hunger and a quickened pulse. While his heart slowed, his stomach was turning. Great growls of hunger were so loud as to threaten to wake his companions where his nightmares had not.

The remaining fish were not so far out of reach. Just to sate his hunger for now, he felt he could have a few pieces of the cooked and dried catch before they awoke. If they asked where it had gone, well, an animal could easily have taken it.

The thought caused him to scowl in disappointment. If that was what he had become, a lying, self-serving leech, then he was far beyond redemption indeed. It would be a more fitting end to let himself wither away. Instead, he opted to head into the rainforest, in spite of the dark of night, and forage for whatever he could. Inaya’s influence as a Khorsuli shaman kept many of the animals at bay, so he could not wander far, but surely he would find something in the close proximity. He felt the growl grow louder and more desperate. Suddenly the prospect of even making it to morning felt bleak.

Lifting himself as quietly as he could, noticing that he was already expanding from the slimmer version of himself Hashai had created. He was stronger, undoubtedly, although his stomach churned still not only from hunger but a vague illness. The fish he cooked was not on the fire for long, and he felt he may have devoured pieces of it not typically fit for consumption. The solution in his mind seemed obvious; forage more often to find better food.

And to take just the slightest taste of the liquid. He reached for his gear and dabbed another taste onto his finger and quickly popped it in his mouth. The growls grew stronger, and while the night was foreboding he could not protect them further while eating their food stores. They needed him in top physical condition. If Alarik wasn’t fit to cross the river, or Inaya’s powers over the beasts started to wane, he would be needed to step in.

He couldn’t fail this time. He would never fail them again.

The light of the moon was dim, but he could make out vague motions of strange insects and the spherical shape of some varieties of fruits or berries lining shrubs and trees. Without inspecting them further and with no interest in cooking them, he ate them without a second thought. They crunched between his teeth, berries bursting and insect shells shattering under the weight of his teeth and appetite. Some tasted rather pleasant, others veering more towards necessity rather than enjoyment, but it mattered little. His hunger needed to be addressed, and his strength would grow. The potion was working.

After an hour, he returned to camp, bloated on whatever materials the rainforest could provide, the sounds of its many threats beyond Inaya’s influence masking his footsteps. Sneaking into his makeshift sleeping quarters, he noticed it felt different from when he had left, albeit slightly. The sounds of the rainforest still rang out, but the deep breathing at his side had quieted.

I heard a noise, he thought in his head, already planning his excuses. I had to inspect it. Keep everyone safe.

The thought of lying to his captain disturbed him, and he felt pangs of guilt once more. But they were nowhere near as strong as the guilt he felt over Edda. Whatever he had to say or do to protect them was an acceptable price to pay. His strength would see them through to the other side.

His belly full, he laid down to rest, and this time sleep came much more easily.

--

Alarik looked up and over where they had left the fish to dry. “We’ll need more food, Inaya. I’m sorry to ask you to go out again, but our celebration depleted our stores. We’ll need our strength to cross the river.” He glanced back at Farmund who wouldn’t meet his gaze, but didn’t push the point beyond that.

“We’re close to the river,” Inaya said, not yet fully awake. “You two seemed to enjoy each other’s company fishing. For some reason, I have a feeling we may need to supplement our stores. Some of our bellies are growling more than normal these days…” she added cryptically.

“A good idea,” Farmund said, reaching for the fishing pole they had made. “I’ll go myself. You two can wait. Captain, if I may say so, I believe I made the better fisherman anyway.”

“That you did,” Alarik replied with a forced chuckle.

Farmund left the camp abruptly, jogging off to the river. Alarik watched him leave, and sat down beside Inaya, still lying prone as she looked up to the sun dancing between the leaves of the canopy. Alarik leaned in close, making sure to whisper in case Farmund was still in earshot. He clearly was not, but he wanted to make sure Inaya felt the words were direct and purposeful.

“Tread carefully if you’re planning on throwing the first stone,” he said gravely. She started to say something but he cut her off. “No no. Listen. Don’t push it. We’re reaching the end of this. Plain and simple. Any one of us falls, or we break apart, we’re all dead. At this point we need each other.”

“And what do you bring to the table then, captain?”

“What do you think will happen if I weren’t here to keep you two separated? Do you think Farmund, an old soldier whose heart lies with the empire, is going to remain jolly good friends with the Khorsuli whose direct, stated purpose is to undermine it? And then what? What happens when you reach home? Now return what you’ve taken - yes, I know what you’ve done - and draw back your snide comments and get in line.”