Enmity of Atlas

“Trenton, Leo, and assorted party. At Aria, the night of the 12th, a man broke into the city looking for you, Trenton. This man was none other than the right hand of the Bloody–the king of Lagasia. The target on your back, and subsequently the man looking for you, is the king himself. For a reason far beyond myself, the veil has decided to ally with the Bloody in this hunt, meaning you’ve both of their deepest ires. With this information, I provide you with two pieces of advice. Firstly, the Conqueror would be a powerful ally, his inclination garnered from an enemy nation's attack, so appealing to him would be wise. He is certain to join in this war, be certain that it is on your side. Secondly, strengthen yourself. Without proper time or training, you have no other choice. Rise or fall–live or die. Your allies will help you in your darkest hour. Have faith.”

Trenton looked up at the small gathering, his mind reeling from the simplicity with which the message was written. Walibeld stood there arms crossed, his face sour and Yuleye seemed to be spacing out a little bit, but everyone else seemed to be fully paying attention. Garrote, Millie, Leo, Kiva, and Sye were standing slack jawed, a mix of horror and fear coating their faces. The veil was one thing, talented, powerful, but they were few in number. There was less they could do without ample manpower, but an entire kingdom? One of the 5 kings? That was something else entirely.

“Geren’s intuition was right,” Walibeld said.

“Bloody…that’s certainly something,” Garrote said.

“Gods, what have I gotten myself into,” Kiva said, sitting down.

“Can we even do this? Fighting one of the kings…it’s insane, isn’t it? Impossible,” Leo rambled, slowly shaking his head.

“No, not impossible, but extraordinarily difficult. It’s rare for a king to start a manhunt like this one, but it’s happened before. In fact, this would actually mark the second one currently ongoing,” Walibeld sighed, rolling his shoulders.

“The second!? There’s another king hunting someone!?” Garrote cried out, clearly taken aback. Yuleye raised his eyebrows at Walibeld, but didn’t say a word.

“I can’t speak on it, unfortunately. It’s not my place,” Walibeld said resolutely.

“You can’t just drop that on us and then not explain!” Garrote said, stepping forward, Leo and Trenton nodding their heads. But Walibeld didn’t yield. He simply shook his head, his expression oddly somber.

“There’s…rumors,” Sye piped up, finally focusing back on the conversation. “But that’s really all it is–rumors–nothing substantial.”

“If you know something, then you may as well share. I haven't heard a word of this,” Kiva said, looking down at Sye.

“It’s the Benevolent, if you’d believe it. It’s all rather hush hush, but supposedly there’s this half elf that’s been on the run for god knows how long. I don’t have the slightest clue as to reason, though. I just know it’s been going on for a long time.”

“Isn’t he supposed to be…y’know…Benevolent? What’s he doing chasing down some random elf?” Garrote asked, looking over at Walibeld, who offered no response.

“Well, the benevolent is supposed to be like the king of the elves. Maybe one went astray and he’s being persecuted,” Trenton said, everyone else mumbling in agreement. There was no point trying to figure it out. It wasn’t like Walibeld was going to say anything. Trenton knew that all too well.

“My point was,” Walibeld said, taking over now that they were finished speculating, “it’s not unprecedented. Hrothalagus hunted Era for his eyes a Millenia ago, no sin on our front contributing to the reason, which could very much be what you face now, Trenton. For now, we move to the docks. We’ll be sailing up the Liafer by early morning,” Walibeld said.

“No, that’s not right. It’s not something he wants…it’s something he fears. When the Bloody’s right hand killed me, he said that it would…” Trenton trailed off, thinking better of continuing.

“What do you mean killed you?” Garrote asked, his eyebrows knitted together.

“Oh yeah, I guess you wouldn’t have heard about that. He crushed my heart and…killed me, I suppose. And then I woke up the next day alright.”

Everyone stood there aghast, well everyone except Leo and Walibeld.

“That’s…certainly interesting. The report didn’t cover that part,” Yuleye said, rubbing his chin. Walibeld walked over to Yuleye, who was standing next to Godfrey, the three of them engaging in conversation in a quiet whisper. Garrote, Kiva, and Millie, meanwhile, sneakily slid up to Trenton to press him for more details, Sye keeping to herself off away from the group.

“So are you immortal or something, then?” Garrote asked.

“Well, not really. There’s no guarantee-”

“What did it feel like?” Millie asked, her eyes wide.

“I don’t think you want-”

“Are you alright?” Kiva asked, her face askew with concern.

“Yes, actually. Other than everything that happened. It didn’t hurt at all. Oh, right, I suppose you wouldn’t know about that either. I haven't been feeling pain normally since the morning of the accident,” Trenton replied, the lot of them staying quiet just long enough for him to actually finish a sentence.

“Wait so does-” Garrote started.

“Enough, all of you. I know you’re curious, but there’s a time and a place. We need to finish up business here before we can sleep,” Leo interrupted, his whole demeanor that of a mature adult taking the reins. He looked tired and miserable, his eyelids sagging down. They really did need to get some good sleep that night.

They looked like they wanted to argue, but Godfreys bellowing voice cut them off, the conversation moving onward.

“Do you have a boat prepared?” Godfrey asked Walibeld, everyone now paying attention to the three of them clustered off to the side.

“I’ve a friend waiting there for us,” Walibeld said.

Yuleye shrugged, coming out of his statue-esc pose, “Good luck, I suppose. We’ll be in touch,” Yuleye jumped onto Godfrey’s back, seating himself comfortably. Godfrey stood, shaking his great body and unfurling his wings, which sent a light draft over the assembled crowd.

“Wait!” Trenton called out, Godfrey and Yuleye both looking down at him. “Do you know why they’re hunting me?”

“Me personally? No. If the Bulwark had any insight into the matter, he didn’t tell me,” Yuleye turned to face away from them, prepared to leave, before suddenly turning back around and smacking his forehead. “Oh, right! That’s what I was forgetting!” Yuleye reached into a large pouch on his waist, pulling out Trenton’s necklace and dozens of different deep pockets, which rolled down Godrey’s side and onto the ground in front of them. “I made sure to loot their storage room when I got there. I didn’t really know which ones were yours, so I just took everything. Let me know when you’ve got your stuff. I’d like to return the rest of these. Theft is not high on my bucket list.”

Trenton, Garrote, and Leo quickly sorted through the pile, taking their belongings back and stowing them in their proper spots. When Trenton slipped back on his necklace, he involuntarily heaved a sigh of relief as he felt a great weight lift off of him. For a little bit, he sat there confused as Yuleye scooped up the deep pockets, wondering what had just happened. It was the strangest feeling, like something had just been forcefully pushed away, a strange boring sensation disappearing from his flesh. When Yuleye had gathered every deep pocket from the ground, he leapt back up onto Godfrey’s back. With a big wave goodbye from Yuleye, Godfrey launched into the air, the sudden burst of wind nearly blowing Trenton off of his feet. Everyone stood there numbly for a minute, Walibeld scanning the surroundings. It seemed the severity of the news wasn’t lost on anyone. They would need some time for it to sink in, time they didn’t really have in excess.

“It’s late. We’ll make camp here for the night. The docks are only a couple miles from here, so we should keep schedule without difficulty,” Walibeld said, everyone wordlessly helping to set up camp.

With so many people, now, their campsite was much larger than it had been before Wyrm’s Perch, every person mostly focusing on their own little section they’d be staying in. Everyone had their own little tents, a nice reprieve from the elements that Trenton had been sorely missing over the last month. Walibeld even got his longsword back at some point. Since the bad news was still so fresh in everyone’s mind, there wasn’t a lot of talk as they went around their business. When everyone was set and settled, they set up guard shifts and went to sleep, Trenton taking the second shift with Kiva. They only needed 4 shifts covered, so they actually had people in excess, now.

Trenton and Kiva sat on a fallen log they’d found in the nearby woods, Trenton forming a new hammer from a hunk of stone on his lap. He was getting better at it, quicker every time, but it was still an intricate process. Trying to shape stone wasn’t simple geomancy by any means. Rock wasn’t really meant to be molded like clay, after all. Not to mention the balance of the hammer had to be just right, or he’d throw himself while fighting, something that could easily be a death sentence. Dying because he had a poorly made weapon would be unbelievably stupid, best to just take proper care.

“So, about earlier. What was it that you were going to say? Looked to me like you realized something, or rather there was something you didn’t want to say,” Kiva said, stoking the fire with a steel rod.

“What gives you that impression?” Trenton asked, stopping to look at her.

“The look on your face for one, and where you stopped for another. Forgetting where you’re going is one thing, but you were about to talk about what someone else said.”

“...you’re right, for better or worse. I don’t know if it’s worth hiding, but it’s hard to come to terms with. If it’s pertinent, or if I’m ready, I’ll let you know. Not even Leo knows. Well, not as much as he thinks, anyway.”

Kiva looked at him, her eyes warm and gentle, “I don’t want to pressure you. Do what you think is best.”

They absently chatted for the rest of their shift, making sure to both help each other pass the time and keep watch. Come morning, or really what Walibeld considered to be morning, the earliest crack of dawn, everyone rose, packing up and heading out in the direction of the docks. Trenton had been worried that the city guards would’ve caught up to them last night, but it seemed that they were a bit preoccupied with everything else going on–the hunter never showing up–just as Yuleye had predicted. In hindsight, Trenton realized those enemy soldiers must’ve been the Bloody’s men. To think that so many had infiltrated the city without anyone realizing. He must have been planning this for a while.

As they walked, still in relative silence, Trenton noticed the weather for the first time in a while. It was almost October, now, the summer having already long left them. The days were growing to be colder the longer they traveled, harder to manage. They were still in the far south, so they didn’t have to worry about it too much for now, but the further north they went, the more of a problem it would be. Trenton and Leo did buy some winter clothes, preparing somewhat for this eventuality; however, they underestimated just how cold it could be, even so close to Aria still. They were natural born southerners, after all. Well, they could always get some better clothing in Dasellium. They still had some money left, enough for a couple pairs of clothes for sure. Notably, Sye was nowhere to be found, her tent not even there when Trenton woke. Trenton asked Walibeld, but all he said was that she had left a little earlier. She had looked a little stunned after she talked to Walibeld last night. She must have gotten whatever she was looking for from him and set off. Good on her!

They managed to make it to the docks in under an hour, the flatter terrain in this area favoring travel. Even from a ways away, Trenton could see the gargantuan walls surrounding the pier, a defense against wildlife almost certainly. Having something this far outside of the protection of the city was practically unheard of, so it was no surprise that it would be well defended. At the gate, Walibeld pulled a ring with a familiar insignia engraved into it, the bull head symbol of the Conqueror.

“Halt! State your name and purpose here!” A guard shouted from way on high, his voice faint.

“Cover your ears,” Walibeld said to the group of them, turning his head up towards the sky. “Walibeld Uravil. I come to travel up the Liafer with a friend, Jarlis,” his voice boomed out in every direction, his voice emboldened by his imposing presence.

Even with Trenton’s ears covered, the sound rattled his skull, the sheer force of the words burrowing deep into his flesh, his ears ringing for a little while after he uncupped his ears. Walibeld threw up the ring to the guards, the little object disappearing overhead. Walibeld must’ve had some remarkable aim to be able to throw such a little object with such accuracy. The wall was pretty thick though, so he did have a bit of leeway. Maybe he actually missed. It’s not like any of them could tell from so far below.After a moment, Trenton heard some unintelligible shouting from overhead and the ring dropped back down, the gate beginning to shift.

“What's the ring for?” Kiva asked.

“You need special permission to travel in Verulik. This ring is the proof. They’re only given by the dukes to trusted persons, which makes them difficult to get your hands on. This ring,” he said, brandishing it for them to see, “is a little unique even among traveling rings. This was given to me specially by the Conqueror. Only a handful of them exist in the world–a very valuable commodity. All it really does is say that I am a person of incredible importance, which means we get special treatment, skipping the interrogation, free lodging, etcetera. I don’t care much for the benefits, but it’s convenient for traveling purposes, something that I’ve done a lot in my lifetime,” Walibeld replied, stowing the ring.

“Isn’t it risky to just throw it up there like that? What if one of the guards wanted to steal it?” Millie asked.

“The rings are only given to capable fighters, people who can’t be stolen from. The guards know better than to try,” Walibeld replied.

Garrote scratched his head, looking up at the sky, “Lagasia has something similar, if I remember right, but I think it’s a bracelet, not a ring,” Garrote said.

“You’re from Lagasia?” Kiva asked him.

“Sure am! Sure was, anyway,” Garrote shrugged.

When the gate was fully opened, the soldiers waved them through. Trenton had a general idea of how large the dock was based on the wall surrounding it, but once inside, he realized he had actually had no idea. The whole thing was built on one massive stone platform, two prongs on the far ends extending far into the water, a bay for the ships in the middle. Attached to the walls, there were various stone supports, buildings, and anything else the people here might’ve needed to survive without the close help of the city.

The section they were standing on was incredibly busy, people constantly bustling around them with cargo or messages, everyone walking with a sense of extreme urgency. In the harbor, there were dozens of boats the size of small mansions floating in the water. In all, this place marked a feat of incredible structural engineering. Keeping a platform as large as this in such pristine condition right on the oceans border was no small feat by any means. In fact, it was incredible. Trenton didn’t even know something like this existed, or could exist, in the world.

“Follow me,” Walibeld said, slowly making his way to the right prong.

Everyone shuffled along behind him, taking care not to get separated, chatter inspired by all the bright noise around them breaking out. Leo and Millie were still a bit downtrodden, but Garrote and Kiva seemed to be taking the hardships in stride. No wonder, they’d probably seen their fair of tribulations for who knows how long. Especially if they weren’t even from Verulik.

At the very end of the prong, Walibeld stopped, looking up at the furthest docked boat from the shore. It was beautiful, large white sails, 6 different tall masts supporting them, ropes winding everywhere the eye could see, and finally, the deck, polished and shining.

“Took ya a little bit. Me and the boys have been practically snoozing waiting for you lot,” a shorter, stockier man said–a dwarf. His accent was a lot easier to understand than Brus’s, probably because he didn’t actually live in Avar.

“Thank you for waiting, Jarlis. We ran into some-” Walibeld started, before getting cut off by Jarlis.

“Yeah, yeah, tell me once we’re moving. I’m itching to get out of here. Bad idea to be sitting in one place for too long. Board up, kiddos!”