The Soul Refiner Bk. 01 Ch. 19-21

Chapter 19

Bakun hosted us for another two days, updating me on the extent of the local troubles. I was correct that he had not expected me to survive the attack, a number of people had spontaneously died in the streets, most of whom were known to be sorcerers of some stripe. Those who were slaveowners, had their slaves disappear. These incidents had begun shortly after the slave traders had arrived, and the implied connection was obvious enough for a deaf bat to follow. And yet, the governor's soldiers had taken no action, even going so far as to warn the townsfolk not to make trouble. Those same soldiers were also not acting to curb the bandit attacks between Nesratin and Bani, which was nonsensical. Disrupted trade flowing into and out of the city could only weaken Lord Bani'kari's position.

The whole situation continued to confound me, but at least Nesratin had been spared the viridian contagion. Word was that the district of Bani was largely free of the sickness, although it had struck the southern city itself.

When I judged Myta well enough to travel, Bakun arranged for us to join a caravan headed southeast. Apparently the bandits were less likely to target larger groups. I toyed with the idea of investigating the slave traders further, but in the end I knew it was far too dangerous. No telling how quickly the sorcerous assassin had recovered. They would have to be an utter fool not to pair any subsequent attacks with a physical assault. Were it not for Kubek's ultimatum, I would never even have considered the idea. Investigation and infiltration were not where my strengths lay.

The day of departure was the first time I'd been out of the backrooms of the tavern in days, and I was grateful for the fresh, predawn air. Dallying and training with Myta was very enjoyable, but I was tired of being cooped up. There were more traders in the caravan than I was comfortable trying to meet and remember, but as we formed up, I did make a point to acquaint myself with those immediately before and behind us in the train. Ahead was a woodworker named Mutil, who specialized in shaping mana wood. With him were his two apprentices, who seemed to think of themselves as guards for the trip, carrying heavy wooden mauls as though expecting to use them at any moment. I admired their spirit, but their movements showed clearly that the two youths hadn't the first clue about fighting.

Behind us, a woman and her young daughter were transporting nuts and dried fruit. Dani and Denu. They weren't merchants per se, just driving the goods from one place to another. Normally they would be safe enough on the roads, as such simple goods weren't valuable enough to attract brigands, and Dani would 'ugly up' herself and her daughter to avoid attention. But the current crop of bandits were apparently seizing even basic foodstuffs, not fearing patrols on the road at all.

We set out when the sun crested the horizon, not that we could really see it. The jungles of southern Ramana were dense and tall, with a thick canopy. Still, we had just enough light to make our way. Ita and Ina were happy to be moving again, and I had to rein them in from chasing the special herbs I would normally pursue. Being prevented from earning their treats made the goats grumpy, but they settled by mid morning. With all the dire talk around the bandits, I half expected us to be attacked immediately after leaving town. But that day passed without incident, as did the next. Our second night out of town however, found Myta shaking me awake in the small hours of the night.

"Master, they're here." Her voice was low, close to my ear, her hand over my mouth. I gave her shoulder two quick taps once I was awake enough to understand what was happening, and she immediately released me to guard the tent's entrance. I threw on a bare minimum of clothing, grateful that we had decided to keep some packs ready with essentials. Should the worst happen, we could grab those, the goats, and flee. Leaving the tent and cart behind.

"There," said Myta as I joined her at the tent's entrance. I cast my gaze the way she was pointing, seeing nothing at first. One of the night sentries was off in that direction, next to a standing torch. A few moments later I caught the movement, skulking closer to camp through the brush, on the nearer side from our lookout. They must have eliminated the guard already, silently. I wondered for a moment, why Myta had not raised the alarm already, but her grim mood told me. She must have seen enough figures to believe that our caravan stood no chance. There was a possibility, however slim, that the two of us could slip away.

We couldn't though, I was certain. These men moved with far too much discipline, this assault was far too smooth and practiced. These weren't bandits, at least not ordinary ones. They would certainly have surrounded the camp, and I suspected that they would hunt any who fled. Our camp was too well illuminated to rouse the guards without alerting our attackers. I saw only a single option.

Cupping my mouth with my hands, I leaned from my tent and faced the center of camp. Then, with all the power of my lungs, I let out the screech of a hunting raptor. It was all I could think to do that night rouse the guards, while sowing some confusion among our enemies. Raptor attacks on humans were rare, hunting packs of the dog-sized lizards usually went after herbivores, but they did happen. And if a pack was large enough, they could be a real threat to even a few armed men. Of course, they almost never moved at night.

*Her hands shook, their strength stolen by fear. The demon towered over her, its nearly human face masked in blood.*

Myta's memory slammed into me, causing me to lose my balance and fall, half out of the tent. I scrabbled backwards, with all the grace of a startled cat on a sheet of ice, grabbing my vas by her arm.

*The taste of blood in her mouth was unable to wash away that of her fear. She was paralyzed, not by the sight of the beast in front of her, but by the monk behind her. Deriding her, with a judgmental laugh.*

I grunted and fell away from her. Myta was shaking violently, lost in her memory. Her eyes completely blind to my presence. It was the worst possible moment, but of course that was why her memory had awoken now. The stress and fear throwing her into one of the worst moments of her past. I needed to help her now, immediately, because I needed her help to survive the next few minutes. Entering the meditation took me only a breath, and my whole world was consumed by blood.

*Clutching her spear, Myta screamed as the blood splashed over her face. Monk Entreyu had told her that she must kill the beast in a single strike, but the hulking mass of the demon was far too great. Even if he held her fate in his hands, losing her weapon to some foolish, over-ambitious strike, would only see her dead.

"You're done now, touched filth." His contemptuous laugh echoed in her ears. "Can't follow directions, can't kill the demon? You're just as worthless as that rat said you were. And even the shit I scrape off my boots has value to a rat."

His mocking laughter continued, burning in her ears like acid. Unable to block it out, she screamed. Her hands were shaking with fear, but still she tightened her grip on her weapon. At least the blood masked the demon's once-human face. She couldn't stand to see it here, sneering at her again.

Like some cross between a bear and an ape, the demon stood up on his hind legs, beating his chest. The odd, metallic symbol on his gut glowing brighter. Her chest screamed in pain as she stood, though she was oddly grateful. The back handed strike had pushed her beyond the range of beast's wild thrashing, or she would already be dead. A few cracked ribs were far better than a crushed skull.

The demon charged her, dropping to all fours and running like a bear. It was shockingly fast for all its bulk, and she only had moments to react. Dropping to her knees in the final moments, she planted the butt of her spear against a rock, angling it under the beast's chin. Her gambit was partially successful. The demon's flailing head knocked the spearhead low, and the weapon's blade skipped down to its chest, catching on some bit of bone. The shaft of the spear bent, then snapped, its jagged wooden tip snapping back up along the line of her attack. Unable to stop, the former human impaled himself on splintered wood.

Myta was buried under the thrashing carcass, the demon not realizing it was dead, even as the remains of the spear twisted in its lungs. She tried to curl in a ball, protecting herself as best she could from the weight, and flashing claws. Just a moment later, the weight was flung away, Entreyu standing above her. The monk bore a snarl of his own, face twisted in rage.

"Worthless shit! Even now you fail to do what you're supposed to."*

I started to laugh, unable to prevent my mirth as the vision stuttered and froze around me. Myta blinked at me dazedly from the ground, disoriented from the disruption of her memory. A small part of me felt ashamed, this was clearly a deep-seated trauma for her. But, I would never not enjoy the sight of that miserable cur wallowing in failure.

"Master?" Myta's confusion and pain sobered me, but I couldn't keep the smile from my face.

"You did well, my flame. I'm proud of you."

"I... I failed my test. The monks cast me aside for my weakness." Her tone of defeat tore at me, but I couldn't suppress a painful smile even so.

"No. Look at that brute. He brought you here to die. Killing a rage demon? With nothing but a mundane spear? Oh the look on his face is priceless.

"I don't know what the Pure were trying to do with you my dear, but you killed their pet demon. Destroyed whatever plans they had. Entreyu is never this angry, unless his own pride is hurt. You didn't fail, Myta. You won."

"Pet demon?" she asked, seeming to hang on that bit of information. I gestured to the demon's corpse, specifically to the metallic seal on its belly, then held my palm up for comparison.

"Whatever the purpose of this seal, the Pure put it on you, and on this poor soul. Creating demons, controlling them, I never thought they would fall this far."

The last was said mostly to myself. Myta was shaking, hunched up on the ground. Still on her knees, her fingers clawed at her own arms. She radiated grief, the shattering grief of an old dream dying, but then came fury. A righteous, cleansing flame, setting her spirit alight. The vision shattered around me, as more of Myta's soul was purged of sickness. I nearly drowned in the wave of poisoned mana she released, pulling it away from her spirit, lending her my own strength.

By the time I had dealt with the poison, the battle was already over.

Chapter 20

It felt like an age before I was able to contain the poisoned mana Myta had released. The lessening of her sickness was a blessing, of course, but I couldn't help but worry over my delay. She had disappeared from her inner world, and I had a vague sense that she was fighting. But I was under too much strain to be able to tell how much time had passed.

When I finished my task I opened my eyes, finding myself still sprawled at the entrance to my tent. Myta had taken enough time to lay me on my back, and drag me slightly out of view. Then she must have charged directly into battle. I could hear the sounds of combat out among the trees, and see the occasional burst of flame. That made me smile in grim satisfaction. My warrior had recovered a portion of the strength she should have held this whole time.

I did not hear any fighting within the camp, which was a very good sign. I did, however, hear the cries of the wounded. That meant I had work to do. Mutil was standing outside his tent, flanked by his apprentices. They wavered uncertainly, as though steeling themselves to charge out into the jungle.

"Mutil, we need to clear the camp, and gather the wounded. Have your men search the area, starting from here, and working across the camp." The woodworker stared blankly at me for a moment, before understanding lit his eyes. He gave the apprentices an abrupt nod, but I stopped them before they had a chance to leave.

"Bring any wounded to the central fire, and check any enemy bodies you find. Make sure they're dead. And don't skip areas, search everywhere."

"I'll keep them on track." Dani, the fruit transporter appeared behind me, a pruning knife in her hands. It wouldn't be of much use in a fight, but was functional enough for slitting throats. "Denu, follow him. Central fire, right? She knows how to take direction."

I appreciated the woman's clear head, and businesslike attitude. A glance at her daughter showed that the girl had the same resolved expression as her mother. Nodding in satisfaction, I headed deeper into the camp, keeping an eye out for the wounded and fallen.

Our side of the camp was relatively undisturbed. Myta must have charged directly from our tent, catching our attackers before they'd had much chance to advance. The farther I moved from that point, however, the worse the state of things. Guards, in various states of armed and armored, had taken wounds all over. Though the civilians had largely been spared. I organized people where I could, giving them the same directions I had to the woodworkers.

At the central fire. I set about triaging the wounded, and binding their wounds. Myta had most of my mana, so I stabilized as many as I could through mundane means. I didn't dare lessen her strength while she was still fighting. I made do with just mundane skill, until I felt Myta ranging farther from the campsite.

*Let the rest go. I need you back at camp.* Myta followed my mental instruction without question, and was by my side in minutes. The camp guards were all awake and geared up, milling about like lost sheep now that the fighting was over. I couldn't help but notice the way they looked at her when she arrived, with something like awe in their gazes.

*Take charge of the guards. I doubt we'll be attacked again tonight, but beasts may be attracted by the blood. Get the bodies gathered and stripped outside of camp, and a new watch set.* After casting me a confused glance, Myta followed my command. I could feel her surprise as the guards rushed to obey, but she hid it well. They had no real organization, having been hired by individual caravaneers, and seemed grateful for some structure. None of their employers objected, which I had been somewhat worried about. I pulled my extra mana back from her, although she had dispersed a fair amount in dealing fiery death to our attackers. Still, there was enough remaining that I was able to stabilize the most critically injured. We lost surprisingly few lives in the assault. A dozen souls had perished, the majority of them guards.

We got the newly unclaimed wagons sorted, enough to move them at least. Whatever goods they carried, we'd need to sort out later. Financially, the attack had been a windfall. Our attackers were outfitted in expensive gear. Far too expensive. I acquired some armor for Myta, which required only minor repair. It was made with overlapping scales of spirit leather, worth a lord's ransom, but not a soul argued over it. She had also acquired a glaive during the fight, a mana wood haft adorned with a river steel blade and reinforcements. The kind of weapon only elite fighters received. All of the guards obtained such upgrades, with more to spare.

"They will come for us again. Soon." I commented to Myta. No one had found any more sleep that night, and so we set out even earlier than normal. It was dangerous, traveling in the predawn gloom, but no one felt safe remaining in any case.

"We killed most of them. I doubt they will gather up their courage quickly." She responded quickly, but I could hear the doubt in her voice.

"You, killed most of them." I let the emphasis hang for a moment. "But there were what, perhaps a score of men here? Not enough to account for all the rumors of bandits. Not enough to cover all the branches of the low road. There are more. And weapons and armor of this quality... whoever leads them will not let this go."

"I'm sorry, master." Myta spoke after a short silence. "The spear you bought for me was destroyed in the fight." I barked out a laugh, something I desperately needed.

"Burned up in you hands, did it?" She nodded. "Unsurprising, only materials enhanced by mana would survive. I had been planning to see if Mutil had anything appropriate for you. I just didn't want to appear too eager."

"Mytan! There are soldiers on the road ahead! No markings." The shout came from one of the guards we had set to scout, and I had to nudge Myta before she realized he was talking to her.

"Guards! Fall in close to the train! Weapons ready!" Once I prompted her, she took control of the situation easily. Myta was intelligent, and had a basic understanding of tactics, I had known that already. What I had not expected was for her to be so charismatic. Her confidence had surged with the reduction of her malaise. Though she still looked to me for affirmation after each decision she made. It would have stroked my ego, but I knew it came from a place of insecurity, rather than real respect. I knew many things, but having her seek my approval in matters she understood better than I could only hamper us.

Within a few minutes we spotted the group of soldiers, formed up by the side of the road. As the scout said, these warriors bore no marking, but I recognized several of them as members of the Bani guard. It was clear they had moved off the road quickly, most likely to put our minds at ease. Why they were out here without Bani colors though, concerned me. Myta and I were leading the caravan today, rather than trailing near the end of it, as we had been. Knowing that I had recognized the men, Myta left it to me to speak.

"Sargent Hati, it's good to see you out here. Are you investigating the road attacks?"

"Master Esur? It's just Hati now, I'm afraid. Me and my boys here are just, taking a walk. Trying to clear some trash off the roads." The large woman glanced at our injured. "Trash it seems you've seen. If you'd like, master Tarun is offering his hospitality to travelers, on his estate. I'd recommend visiting."

"I think that seems like a very good idea." I replied. "Can you afford the time to show us the way?" Hati nodded, mustering up her men. The trip to Tarun's estate took another few hours, during which time I fielded a number of questions from the caravan. I answered as best I could, but I was still working in the dark. Tarun was an acquaintance of mine, another one of my regular contacts. He was, or apparently had been, the captain of the Bani guard. I had known the man had an estate out here somewhere, but I'd never known him to leave the city for any length of time.

Tarun's estate was an impressive stone home, built with thick walls and wide hallways, designed to ease the forest's wet heat. Its stately gravitas was somewhat marred however, by the refugee camp that huddled around the walls. Hati warned the caravan not to wander too far past the point where the trees had been hastily cleared. Apparently the area beyond was seeded with traps. We sent the rest of the caravan off to claim a location to camp, while Myta and I followed her inside.

"Esur'ul! Your presence is most welcome. I think perhaps the divines have led you here." He gave Myta a soldier's bow a brief but pronounced, inclination of the head, fist to his chest. Eyes remaining on her the whole time. It made me smile, that the former captain had recognized her skill so readily. Though most experienced combatants could recognize a martial artist by their stance.

"It seems we've run into a poor situation, Tarun." I raised my brow waiting to see if he'd correct me with his title. Instead he grimaced.