Raiders of Uecketev part 11

Month of Quette

Perils & Foresight

Durkquire Marks

Raiders of Uecketev pt. 11

“Thanks for watch’n ‘em!” Jade waved back at Teb and Arrend as they left the power plant.

“Anytime.” Teb said and smiled.

Durkquire walked back to the inn with Jade like he’d done the day before. His arms were sore, and his fingers ached from the fine tuning he’d been doing all day on bolts and pins.

Jade remained quiet. Her stillness had a feeling of foreboding to it. Durkquire opened his mouth to talk to her several times, but found himself short on what to ask each time. They arrived back at the inn and Jade marched up the stairs like she had something serious to do.

They found Bien leaning on the inn’s rail outside their rented room when they arrived. Three packs sat at his feet stuffed to the brim. He’d gotten the supplies and by the looks of it, he’d packed them too.

“Got ourselves an overachiever ‘ere.” Jade said with a smirk. “Did you find everything?” she asked.

Bien nodded. “Everything we can carry across the channel.”

Jade opened the door to their room. Bien and Durkquire brought the packs inside and each of them got ready to sleep.

Durkquire found himself unable to sleep that night. He stared up at the ceiling, the darkness shifting as his eyes tried to collect the dim light filtering into the room.

Hours passed, and still sleep eluded him each time he felt like he would pass into it. Instead, his heart beat would jump and force him awake with built up anxieties that he couldn’t name.

The jolting sounds of Jade’s morning alarm marked the end of the night. She switched it off and sat up. Durkquire rolled over and sat up as well. Bien yawned and stretched as he woke up.

“Yeh ready to go to Faine?” She whispered.

He lifted a hand to his heart and gave it a gentle tap to calm the drumming beats.

With a nod, he replied, “yes.”

The three of them walked out into the crisp morning air. It didn’t bite at him as bad with the heavy coat he now wore. Durkquire brushed a hand over the thick leather. The inside was lined with a soft short-hair fur. Bien had chosen out each of their coats, and surprisingly, he had good taste.

The city still felt asleep and morning’s light had not yet broken across the sky. A few nauxen flew above the city with their riders patrolling the streets.

“Yeh two can go wait for me in the courtyard. I’m gon’ a check us out.” Jade lifted the bedroom key, tipping it at the inn’s office before she turned and left.

Durkquire and Bien made their way down and into the courtyard. They waited silently, until Durkquire turned to Bien.

“What if my mother’s not—”

Bien cut him off. “Don’t dwell on it. If she has passed on, you will avenge her. If she yet lives, you will save her. It does not change the fact that we will face the Dreadnaughts.”

Durkquire looked away, down at the cracked pavers beneath his feet. He felt like the cracked stone. From a distance it looked whole, but the closer one got, the more cracks were found. He had come too far to turn back now. Bien was right. Either way, Durkquire would confront the men who’d destroyed his home town.

He then looked back at Bien. “Did the Dreadnaughts wrong you too?”

Bien’s upper lip twitched. “Yes.”

“And Jade?”

“I can’t speak for her, but she seems set on confronting them.”

“I won’t push to know what they did, but I am glad that I won’t have to face them alone.”

Bien acknowledged with a grunt.

“Yeh boys ready to get out’ a here?”

With a solid nod, Durkquire followed Jade and Bien out into the streets of Ischkovan.

They reached the edge of the city within two hours. Waiting out in the frost covered clearing was a group of people. They were all bundled up similarly with loaded packs slung across their backs.

“Is everyone ‘ere already?” Jade called out to them.

A tall man with lighter toned Verran skin turned at the sound of her voice. His face was square and rough with a large scar that ran through his lips, twisting their original look. His eyes were piercing even when dark in pigment. His heavy steps towards them tossed his beaded hair from side-to-side.

“Jade.” The man’s voice boomed.

“Victor.” Jade bowed her head lightly towards him.

“Everyone else is here.” Victor said.

“Sorry we kept yeh wait’in.”

“We still have plenty of time to reach the ferry. No worries.” He looked past her at them. “These your brothers you spoke of?”

“Yeh.” Jade said.

She didn’t sound phased, which led Durkquire to believe she had chosen their identity beforehand.

“I can see your parent’s passed a variety of traits to you three, but you all carry the same eyes.” He tapped at his own. “We all know some hardship. It’s what bonds us. Jade tells me you’re on you’re way to Faine to see your mother.”

Jade nodded. “Indeed.”

Bien jumped in on the rouse without batting an eye. “It’s been too long since we all saw her together.”

“That’s what she mentioned. It’s good you are finally going to see her.” Victor clapped his large hands. “Now. Let’s get going everyone!” He turned from them and walked out in front of the group.

“Variety of traits indeed.” Bien whispered to Jade as he passed her.

Durkquire stifled a smile and followed.

“I did yeh both a favor.” Jade said indignantly with her head held high.

The wind was sharp on his cheeks and biting at his fingers. Durkquire tucked his hands up under his arms to keep them from the cold wind. He blinked rapidly to clear his watering eyes. The weather had turned on them halfway to their destination. A storm was blowing in.

“Jade, can I ask you something?”

She looked at him briefly with a nod.

“Is there no transportation for this trip?”

“Ah. Well, yeh might have noticed during yeh’r brief stay in Ischkovan, that vehicles are strictly for company use of goods. Nobody really rides in them to get places. That would clog up the streets trying to get to different destinations.”

He nodded along, although he wished that they could use one for transportation right now.

Something small, cold, and hard hit his face with the next gust of wind. Snow. It was now snowing on them.

He tucked his chin down and pulled his crossed arms in tighter against his body as he walked on with the caravan.

Durkquire couldn’t feel his knees by the time they arrived at the dock.

Several inches of snow covered the ground and the water sloshed with chunks of ice against the large ferry’s metal sides. Daylight was dim, casting the landscape in deep purple and blue hues.

A Verran man stood at the gate to the dock. He appeared to be missing one eye, stood with a tilt to one side and was chewing on something. Snow stuck to the furs that covered his shoulders and draped down half his back.

“I’ll just collect a fee from each of you as you pass onto the dock.” His voice was scratchy and worn. The man held out a bag. “Four garren’s a person.”

“Four?” Jade grumbled. “It was three.”

“If you have a problem pay’n you won’t be board’n.” The man said coldly.

Bien pulled at Jade’s shoulder. “Don’t worry. I have enough for us all.”

She eased slightly and nodded.

Bien paid the fine for the three of them and they walked through the gate together.

The planks creaked underfoot as they made their way to the bobbing ferry.

Victor boarded the boat and it tipped at his weight. Their caravan was all aboard within a few minutes. The sloshing water could be felt underneath them, and the distant clanking of the gate shutting behind them was heard. The ferry’s engine roared to life and pushed the vessel slowly forward.

After a few minutes, an air born thumping quickened and grew louder, drowning out the sounds around them.

Before Durkquire could find the source, the ferry jerked towards the front. Everyone found themselves grabbing onto one another to steady their shaken balance.

“As this ferry makes its way across the channel, I shall conduct a quick inspection of each person wishing to enter our dear Faine.” A man spoke from atop a large nauxen. The familiar voice that spoke behind the rough, rock-like texture of the beast’s skin, sent a shiver through Durkquire.

“We paid the fine.” An irritated member of the caravan spoke.

Durkquire watched as Victor clamped his hand over the person’s mouth, but the words had already been spoken.

The nauxen shifted, and down from its neck slid Herram. His boots landed on the metal roof of the conductor’s cabin.

Durkquire looked up at Herram. The last sliver of daylight crossed his cold face, shining off the golden nose ring and bald head of his. The man’s broad shoulders boasted an expensive fur, and tailored nauxen rider leathers.

Herram’s fists clenched and his leather gloves creaked. A sharp whistle left Herram’s lips and his nauxen’s tongue lashed out at the man who had spoken.

Screams sounded the moment the nauxen’s tongue wrapped around the man and yanked him back and the massive jaws snapped shut.

Durkquire stumbled back at the frightening sounds of crunching bones and flesh. The terrible images of his fight back home in Uecketev flashed before his eyes, fresh as the day it had happened. Sweat beaded all over his body and he shivered.

“Hey.” Bien gripped his shoulder. “Calm down, or you’ll draw attention to us.”

“Everyone’s scared, Bien. How is he drawing attention?” Jade stepped closer to the two of them and linked her arm through Durkquire’s. “Just stick together, right?”

“Now,” Herram shouted and all fell silent. “Now, if you happen not to pass this ‘inspection,’ well… let’s just say you want to pass.” He looked up to his nauxen as it licked the remaining gore from around its mouth.

Herram jumped down from the conductor’s cabin and reached out for the two closest people to him. Each quivered under his grip as he looked them over. He moved on and proceeded to look over each person, working his way to the back of the ferry where Durkquire, Bien, and Jade stood.

Durkquire did his best to maintain his composure when Herram reached his murderous hand out and took hold of his shoulder. He studied Durkquire’s face, pulled and turned him as though he were looking for weapons.

“You seem oddly familiar.” Herram clicked his tongue. “I can’t pin down where I’ve seen you.”

Durkquire forced a smile. “I—I just have one of those faces, I guess.”

Herram released him and nodded slowly. “Must be.”

He moved on to Jade and Bien, and then turned back to the front of the ship. Once Herram returned to the front, he leaned against the conductor’s cabin, folded his arms, and whistled three times.

Everyone froze with fear. Victor looked like a boulder in the crowd, and the only one that wasn’t showing signs of fear towards Herram or his beast.

The nauxen moved.

The ferry rocked with the beasts’ movement and the people moved quickly out from underfoot as the beast planted itself in the center of the ferry and dropped its head down just inches above the people. The naux inhaled.

Durkquire felt the pull of air rushing past him and pulling at his shaggy blond hair, and the headband covering his pointed ears. His heart jumped and his hands rushed up to hold the band in place.

Bien gasped and pulled Durkquire down. They hunched down, hidden from sight by those who stood in front of them.

“The naux. He’ll be able to tell.” Bien said, his eyes wide with worry.

Jade hunched down with them. “What’s wrong?”

“The naux will be able to smell him.” Bien answered.

Jade gasped.

Loud hissing sounded from the nauxen. Bien stood slowly, observed for a few seconds then hunched back down.

“The rider’s coming.” Bien rarely sounded flustered, but it was clear in his shaken voice.

“Here.” Jade pulled her headwrap from her pack and wrapped it around Durkquire.

Scared of the man passing between them, the caravan people parted the way ahead of him and huddled at the edges of the ferry.

Durkquire looked up between the slit in the headwrap,  covering his face, at Herram. The wicked man stood two strides from him.

“Got something to hide?” He asked.

Durkquire shook his head adamantly, unsure of what to do.

“Parden me, good sir.” Jade stood and stepped in front of Durkquire still huddled down on his knees. “My brother’s just having a panic attack is all. He just needs a few minutes with his headwrap to calm down.”

Durkquire could see Herram’s glare.

The man side stepped to look at him, and then looked back at his nauxen.

“My beast says otherwise.”

“I assure yeh. He only seeks passage like my older brother and I to see our mother.” Jade clasped her hands in a pleading fashion and bowed slightly.

Bien was kneeling beside Durkquire with a hand resting on his back in a comforting manner. It wasn’t at all in Bien’s nature to do so normally, but he played along.

Herram looked around at the other passengers. He appeared unsure of his target now.

He whistled and the beast brought its head to him. Herram brushed a hand over the nauxen’s snout. “I don’t doubt you smelled something off. Ez zaw kah to nehdar.”

Jade’s hands grabbed at the sides of her pants and rubbed nervously.

“If he’s got nothing to hide, a simple weave will change nothing.” Herram looked around at the rest of the passengers. “Atklāt patiesību.”

Durkquire knew the weave and looked down at his hands. He felt a shiver across his skin and the darkened pigment began to lighten. He tucked his hands out of sight and ducked his head to hide the slit of his eyes that were still visible.

Herram grumbled.

Durkquire wanted to look up, but he knew he couldn’t. Bien’s hand still rested upon his back. It felt tense in the way his fingers pressed down.

“Count yourselves lucky.” Herram spoke.

Durkquire listened to the receding footsteps and felt the ferry rock as the nauxen took to the sky.

Once out of sight, there was an audible sigh from everyone there. Jade turned to face him and crouched down.

“Are yeh all right?”

Durkquire nodded and slowly pulled his hands into the faint light.

Jade quickly placed hers over his.

Bien fell back, dropping his hands to the floor and let out a heavy breath. “Jade.” He looked up to her.

“I know.”

“Keep your hands hidden. Weaving here may be too risky.” Bien whispered.

“And what about my face?” Durkquire asked.

“I got a solution.” Jade said.

She lifted her shoe and dug some mud out from the grooves, and then proceeded to smear it across the exposed skin between the headwrap.

“That will work for now, but once daylight breaks it will be obvious.” Bien noted.

“For now, is all we need.” Durkquire said.

 The ferry reached the other side within the next hour and everyone silently disembarked. It felt nice to have solid ground beneath his feet again. Durkquire kept close to Jade and Bien while ducking his face from view of the other caravan members.

There were a few soft sobs over the member lost, but nothing could be done. Victor turned to Jade as the rest of his group continued.

“This is where we part ways I’m afraid. You may be headed to Faine, but I am off to the plateaus.”

“Are you a nauxen breeder?” Bien took a second look at Victor.

“I am.”

Durkquire nodded slightly as he thought. Victor’s steadiness during the ferry encounter now made more sense. He spent most of his time with the beasts.

“Thank yeh for allowing us to join in part of your journey.” Jade said and offered a hand in thanks.

He took it and leaned down. “Watch your backs. Faine is not a place to let down your guard.”

They parted ways and soon the three of them were out of earshot. Durkquire kept his voice low as he cast his disguise once more and his skin darkened.

“Yeh know, it’s starting to grow on me.” Jade patted the side of Durkquire’s face as he unwrapped it.

“I doesn’t suit him.” Bien objected and walked between them, breaking Jade’s contact with Durkquire’s face.  “Let’s get to Faine.”

Mud stuck to their boots and fell off in clumps every few steps as they approached the city. With every nauxen that flew overhead, Durkquire flinched and watched until the beasts would soar away.

There were more nauxen around and in the city of Faine than Feaerre or Ischkovan combined. Most, that he had seen, had riders.

“Once inside, be listening for anything that will lead us to Dreggar or Durkquire’s mother.” Bien said, keeping his voice low.

“What if she isn’t even here?” Durkquire spoke his inner fear.

“We will find her.” Jade comforted. “Even if it takes us all across Verra.”

Durkquire felt a swell of gratitude. “I don’t know how I will ever be able to repay you two.”

“Don’t thank us yet.” Bien said. “We have to make it out of this alive for you to do that. Now ears open.”

The beat within his chest quickened in anticipation. He stared ahead at his destination, the very place he had spent the last two months trying to reach. Faine stood in thick beams of metal, and as dull as the rust that covered it. Contrary to the steel structures, the nauxen flew about like colored honey bees bobbing from one flower to the next.

The city had layers to it. It had the odd similarity to looking at a multilayered waterfall. At the top was an old citadel. It stood out from the rest of the city as an old structure built in the medieval era before. Large red and black flags flew from each of the tower tips with the silhouette of an open-mouthed nauxen head. A large matching tapestry hung over the front gate.

They passed into the city without any trouble. People filled the streets and every which way Durkquire looked there was someone getting into a fist fight. The only way he could describe the feeling of Faine was organized chaos.

Glass shattered and a man fell at Durkquire’s feet. Startled, Durkquire jumped back and bumped into another man behind him.

“Watch it!” the man roared.

“Sorry—” Durkquire turned and looked up at a man twice his size.

“What clan are you with?” The man asked.

Durkquire shook his head. “I-I’m not.”

The man’s face scrunched with disgust. “Clanless.” He spat and shoved Durkquire. “They shouldn’t let you folk in Faine.” The man marched off.

“Yeh all right?” Jade asked and pulled him closer. “Just think of Faine as one big bar fight and yeh will be fine.”

“Right….”

Durkquire steadied himself and pulled his senses together. He had to be able to handle himself. He’d been through worse than a rough city. Taking another look around he began to listen in on the conversations around them as they walked.

They wandered the streets gathering information passively. Durkquire watched Bien and Jade walking ahead of him. They blended seamlessly into the environment.

“Another batch of boss’ exotic slaves came in late last night.”

Durkquire stopped walking. He searched for the person who’d spoke.

“If he keeps this up he’s bound to draw the attention of an imperial leader.”

He spotted the man responding and the other walking beside him. The two men were walking up towards the higher section of the city.

“Jade, Bien.” Durkquire called and followed the two men.

Jade and Bien caught up to him.

“Did you hear something?” Bien asked.

Durkquire nodded. “Sounds like my mother isn’t the only one they’ve taken.”

“That doesn’t surprise me.” Jade said.

They carefully followed up the steep road until the men passed through a secured entrance. Staying out of sight they huddled up.

“Looks like Dreggar and his men live in the ol’ citadel.” Bien noted.

“From what I heard, seems like it.” Durkquire agreed.

“We need to plan this carefully.” Jade looked over them at the citadel entrance.

“It would be best if we found a place to stay today and make our plans out of earshot.” Bien pulled at their sleeves and started back down the hill.

They found an inn nearby and paid for their stay. Walking up the concrete steps they made their way down the hall and to their room.

The room was set with the basics and two beds this time. Jade laid claim to one of the beds, sitting on the edge of it. Bien pulled up the single chair from a desk in the corner and planted it between the beds.

“All right. How do we plan on getting in?” Jade asked.

“It looked like clan members come and go throughout the day. The gate is guarded.” Bien noted.

“With all the riders air born, I doubt we can jump the fence.” Durkquire added.

“I hope we don’t run into the ferry rider again.” Jade rubbed at her arms.

“That was Herram.” Durkquire said.

Bien choked on the water he was drinking from his water jug. “Herram?” Bien reached out and pulled at Durkquire’s shoulder. “Hold up, that was him? We need to plan this out carefully.”

“We knew that Dreggar and his men were vile and merciless.” Jade said.

She folded her arms and dropped her head in deep thought.

“Security will be difficult to pass through.” Bien continued. “And we now know that it’s not just Durkquire’s looks we have to hide. The naux can sniff him out.”

“I know how to get in.” Durkquire said and thought of his lost friend Peelie. “Masiems.” The weave left his lips as he pressed his palm to his chest and vanished from sight.

“Durkquire!” Both Jade and Bien called out.

“Wait, you knew this weave all along?” Bien stood and turned in circles.

Durkquire cut the weave off and reappeared. “You have to maintain it.”

Jade tapped at the air with realization. “So, yeh can’t do noth’in else and once yeh’r well is dry that’s it.”

Durkquire nodded.

“Still, that will get us into the Dreadnaughts base.” Bien clapped his hands. “What else you got?”

“What do you know?” Durkquire replied.

Bien tapped at his chin. “I know how to create spring points like when we chased Jade back in Feaerre. Cushion a fall with air. Start a fire. Form a small barrier and a couple other basic weaves.”

“What about you Jade?” Durkquire asked.

“I’m best with distractions, but I can do what Bien can, plus a little more.” Jade smiled and stretched her arms out with her fingers laced.

Bien sat back down. “We know we can get in, but what then? We don’t have any weapons, nor can we buy any without being part of a clan.”

Durkquire thought for a moment. “Just about anything can be a weapon when you think about it.”

He lifted his hand and pictured a sharp blade of ice.

“Ledus.” He called out the weave and felt the draw from his well as the moisture in the cool air condensed and solidified into his mental image.

“That’s true, but how much weaving will we be doing? You forget that us humans can only do a few weaves before running dry.” Bien asked.

Durkquire had forgotten that his well was more robust than Jade and Bien. He dispersed the frozen water back into the air. “We’ll keep it to a minimum, but we can’t deny that we will  have to weave.”

“The nauxen are sensitive to weaving. The bigger the weave, the more likely we are to get caught.” Bien noted.

Jade slashed at her throat with her thumb. “Then we’ll be dead meat.”

“I think I’d like to avoid that.” Bien said.

“I will do the bulk of the weaving to get us in, but once we’re inside, we need to find where they keep those they take.”

Durkquire thought of his mother, he hoped she was okay. He shut his eyes and let out a slow breath.

“It may be best to split up once we get in. First to find yeh’r mom sends up a signal?” Jade said.

“What kind of signal?” Bien asked.

They sat and thought in silence for a minute.

“Smoke.” Bien spoke up.

Durkquire nodded. “That may be best. Smoke can also be used to hide ourselves in. It would impede nauxen from smelling us and be visible long enough for each of us to spot.”

“Unless a nauxen decides to blow it away with a gust from their wings.” Jade spoke.

“It’s still the best signal we’ve got. Light is too obvious as well as sound.” Durkquire nodded.

“Whoever finds your mother should get her to you as quickly as possible. Once you have her, you two should escape.” Bien said and leaned forward on his knees.

“But, what about you two? How will you get out?” Durkquire asked.

“I’ll keep their attention while yeh and Bien leave.” Jade said. “I can skip out once yeh’re all safe. That’s not too hard for me.”

Durkquire looked to them. “I can’t ask you for that. I know I’ve thought of this as a mission from the start, I got you two wrapped up in it. Maybe I should do this alone.”

Jade shook her head. “I’ve got more than enough reasons to fight the Dreadnaughts. But yeh’re the only one with someone alive to go after.”

He looked to Bien.

“She’s right.” He spoke. “The Dreadnaughts have run the clans for years. They act like they’re untouchable and live above the law. I’m betting the other clans would jump at the chance to take Dreggar out.”

“All they need is someone brave enough to get the fire started.” Jade smiled and looked at Durkquire.

“They’ve orphaned too many to count.” Bien added. “It’s high time Dreggar and his men were taken down.”

“I-I don’t know what to say.” Durkquire stammered.

“I don’t have anything better to do.” Bien sat up tall and folded his arms. His mind was made up.

“Eh, my life needed a bit of spice.” Jade chuckled. “Who knows, we may all yet make it out alive.”

Bien placed a hand on Durkquire’s shoulder. “Plus, someone’s got to get you back out alive.”

“What? You don’t think I could?”

“You got lucky in Uecketev. I still find it hard to believe you went one on one with Herram.”

“Well, I did.” Durkquire brushed off Bien’s hand from his shoulder. “How I’d love to see the look on his face when the blade is at his throat, again.” Durkquire’s gaze narrowed as the negative emotions welled up inside just thinking of Herram.

“Priority is to save yeh’r mother, but I wouldn’t stop yeh if the opportunity presented itself for one or more of their demise.” Jade nodded.

“I may be able to find a few interested in an opportunity.” Bien tapped a finger at the air, an unspoken idea formulating within his mind.

“Sounds like we know roughly what we’re doing. We get in undetected.” Jade held up a finger counting off each step. “Track down his mother and break her out. I’ll keep the raiders distracted while yeh all escape, and then I’ll follow. At some point Dreggar and his men will get what’s been coming to them.” She nodded her head. “Sounds doable.”

Half a smile tugged at his lips as he shook his head. “I hope it’s that easy.”

However, inside he felt all twisted with the unknown anxieties of pulling off such a mission.

Bien stood. “I’ll be back later tonight.” He grabbed a few things from his pack and stuffed them in his pockets. “When do we plan on this happening?”

Durkquire nodded and stared at his clasped hands. “Tomorrow night.” He looked up to Bien. “Tomorrow night, we break into the Dreadnaught’s fortress.”