The Frontier

Iris had heard that roads are typically a sign of advanced civilization. If this road’s builders still remained, they must have decided it was the most hated road in Tal-Qora and had chosen to abandon it completely. The cobbled path had been overgrown by weeds that had sprung up between the rocks. Many of the cobblestones were severely cracked, having crumbled into gravel or, on occasion, pointing a jagged edge upwards.

Walking beside the road wasn’t much better either—the plethora of roots and grasses formed tangled knots and many of the weeds were laced with barbs. She and Alicia had already spotted two poisonous-looking snakes lying in camouflaged ambush among the walkable patches of dirt by the roadside.

“Blasted road!” cursed an irritated Iskorn as he tripped over one of the rocks.

The mage was exhausted, having barely gotten a wink of sleep after the events of the prior night. Before they left the camp, he had continued to object to crossing into Zyrdia in search of a ship, demanding they instead seek mining settlements and ports within the frontier.

“Your whining is not helpful, slaver,” spat the knight sister.

Iskorn, saddled with a large pack and dripping with sweat, found himself too tired to respond with his typical venom.

Alicia kept a fast march at the front of the group. She wore her knightly armor once more, a mix of silver plate and chainmail. The deceased knight captain’s longsword was fixed to her belt while her helmet swung from the travel bag on her back. She had tied her rosy hair into a thick ponytail, revealing her neck and forehead that were slick with sweat.

Iris wondered how hot she was in her suit under the Tal-Qoran sun. “Alicia, you’re not tired?”

The half-elf shot her a sideways glance. “Hotter than I’d like, but we’re trained for long distance… Knight sisters, that is.” Her attitude towards the young draelic had warmed quite a bit. She entertained her questions, for one, and seemed particularly enthusiastic to discuss the Church’s teachings and organization.

“Paladins don’t get that training?” Aside from the clear sex segregation between the two groups, she didn’t know much about the Church’s martial orders.

“They primarily exist to protect the faithful and Church territories. There are a few exceptions.” She glanced back at the Warden, carrying the largest pack of the group along with his greatsword and Alicia’s shield. “Knight sisters tend to go on missions that require them to travel across long distances, not always by mount.”

That seemed to explain why Alicia’s armor was thinner and much lighter than the paladin’s. The Warden did not seem burdened by his heavy plate in the slightest. Although he walked at the rear, it seemed to be solely for the purpose of monitoring the group and not due to any physical struggle.

Iris studied the energetic knight sister. She seemed to be the only one who had gotten a full night’s sleep. It may have been the first time she could sleep without fear in months.

She wondered about the half-elf’s state of mind as she recalled Jacob’s final moments—something she did not witness, but definitely overheard. The man was a bastard, but his final shrieks and moans haunted the young girl.

Alicia also continued to call the Warden brother, despite its peculiar manner of speaking, tirelessness, and unnatural strength. Even if she had lost her memories from the battle due to falling unconscious, she had seen plenty since then. Was the half-elf’s mind more fractured than she let on?

The group approached a small river with a rickety wooden bridge.

“Stop,” commanded the Warden. “Drink. Refill.” He seemed to be growing more talkative.

He spoke to himself throughout the night. Simple words, as if practicing. Since Iris struggled with slumber, she eavesdropped on the sleepless warrior as he stood guard outside of Iskorn’s tent. Food, camp, magic, slave, liberate, city, ship, barrier, monster, forgive, centuries, protector, family. These were but some of the words she was able to make out as he whispered to himself during his vigil.

Setting down her pack against the bridge’s railing, Alicia pulled out a canteen. She gulped down several mouthfuls, ending with a satisfied sigh. Iris did the same with her own bottle.

After the group rewatered, Iskorn pulled a folded parchment from his coat’s pocket. The only map they found before departing the camp was difficult to decipher without a living bandit. Several points of interest were marked, but whether they were settlements, landmarks, or something else remained unknown. The mage was determined to find a ship and crew on the frontier, but had compromised by agreeing to head in the general direction of Zyrdia while conducting his search.

“Three parallel lines is a bridge and a dotted line is a river,” muttered the mage under his breath, spreading out the map in front of him. He raised his voice, “If we continue east along this road, we’ll reach another landmark: a crossed circle on the map.” Despite the plain and factual nature of his statement, his voice was full of his usual derision.

“If it’s a settlement, perhaps we can buy mounts or a cart?” suggested Iris.

He shrugged. “Possibly.”

月

The sun was starting to set when the group first spied the wooden houses and stables of a small farming settlement. There were no visible lights from the buildings despite the darkening sky.

The harsh flora had dissipated in the last few miles, turning into something resembling the tamed farmlands of Zyrdia. Iris hoped it was also free of snakes.

She ran up beside Alicia who surveyed the fields and village center. “I don’t see anyone. Are they hiding?”

The rose-haired knight furrowed her brow. “Abandoned, perhaps? Keep your eyes peeled. Could be a trap.”

“A trap?” sneered Iskorn, having caught up to the pair with the Warden. “Doubtful.”

His tone didn’t sit well with the elfkin. “It doesn’t hurt to be cautious, slaver. Or perhaps your wisdom from the study trumps actual field experience?”

“My wisdom of more than twice your age, girl, trumps your field experience.”

“Enough,” bellowed the Warden, drawing everyone’s eyes with his interruption. “I lead.” He handed Alicia her shield.

It appeared Iskorn was right as they approached the center of the settlement. A door swung loosely by a single hinge while another was split in half, as if smashed by a powerful blow. At the edge of a nearby crop field, a pair of donkeys calmly grazed at the surrounding grasses.

“What’s that?” asked Iris, pointing at an ornament in the shape of a jeweled eye hanging over a ruined hut’s entryway.

“Pagan belief,” replied Alicia. “The eye of Samrashivain.”

“A god?”

“Either that or a powerful spirit. It watches over thresholds. Putting it over the door is for protection… Doesn’t look like it helped much.”

“Do you know much of these things outside of the Church?”

“A little.” She hesitated for a moment. “Some people I knew traveled a lot. I learned through them.”

Iskorn trudged up beside them and pointed to a large homestead with an attached barn at the far side of the village. “We can make use of that shelter for the night.”

As the group moved towards the home, Iris noticed the Warden remained with the hut. It seemed like he was staring at the eye, captivated by it.

She ran back to him. “Everything okay, Warden?”

“Samra… Shivain?” He reached out with a finger and gently tapped the eye’s central jewel.

“I think so. Do you know anything about it?”

He slowly shook his head. He turned towards her and knelt, allowing the depths of his visor to meet her stare. “Iris.”

“Yes?” It was the first time he had spoken her name.

“Family?” His voice had a hint of sadness in it.

She shook her head and stared at the ground. “None that I remember.” She raised her head and smiled sweetly. “But there were others who cared for me.”

The paladin gave a single nod in acknowledgement.

“What about you? Do you have… family?”

“Yes.” He stood back up, towering over her and blotting out the moon.

“Are they…” Her voice trailed off as the Warden ushered her towards the campsite in the distance.

She bit her lip, worrying if she had upset the Warden.

“Alive,” he finally replied. “Somewhere.”

Iris and the Warden approached the camp as the mage lit a stack of firewood ablaze with his magic sword. Alicia was already eating in silence. They sat on opposite sides of the campfire from each other as the half-elf shot daggers towards the mage. He did his utmost to ignore her.

“Straw’s definitely nice,” said Iris, trying to break the silence. “Was there not a bed inside the house?”

Alicia was livid. “There is a big bed inside. But no-one will be sleeping on it.”

“What happened?” Her ruby eyes darted between the knight and the slaver.

“For blood’s sake, Alicia,” snapped Iskorn, having taken a bite of an apple. “I had nothing to do with their raids!”

The knight raised her voice. “Oh? You were the one paying the bastards!”

“To hunt and trade! How do you know Jacob’s company had anything to do with this? The Tal-Qoran frontier is treacherous for a multitude of reasons!”

“I wonder?” continued Alicia. She had crushed her cut of bread in a tight fist. “Maybe it has something to do with your map? There are plenty of circles that aren’t crossed out. Or maybe… Maybe the way that body was tied to the bed…” She threw her bread into the fire and grabbed a fistful of her own hair, shivering in revulsion. “Did you pay one spot of attention to me back at the camp? Or did you only care about the draelic?”

She stopped and looked up at Iris’s pained expression. “I… Iris, I-I didn’t…”

“I know.” The young girl forced out a sympathetic smile.

The Warden gently patted her shoulder, giving an approving nod as she looked up at him. She rummaged through her pack and pulled out her canteen along with a bundled quarter-loaf before seating herself between the quarreling pair. The paladin knelt on the opposite side of the fire where he could easily observe all three.

“For what it’s worth,” Iskorn grumbled. “I grew more disgusted with Jacob by the day. He was a different man once.”

The knight sister scoffed at his attempt at an apology. “He got what was coming. I’ll enjoy your judgement at the end of this journey too, slaver.”

“Dear girl,” snapped the mage as he clapped his hands together, his face suddenly painted with amusement. “You truly are a delusional specimen. First, your conviction that this paladin is a legitimate savior; second, you think I will be judged by the Church once you are free. Maybe you are just stupid?”

“Watch your tongue, slaver!”

“Or what? You have no leverage over me. How do you fail to see this?”

“We only need you alive, not healthy,” she growled threateningly.

Iskorn let out a long, frustrated groan. “Listen, girl, if death only awaits me at the end of this journey, then why not just end it now?” He tapped the handle of his sword. “Ignoble, but far less painful than being burned or tortured to death by the Church.”

“Careful, Dual,” rumbled the Warden.

The mage held both hands up, fingers spread. “I simply wish to make a point. I will adhere to the terms we agreed upon, so long as the knight sister does not ruin things.”

“Terms?” Alicia’s brow furrowed.

He clasped his hands together and smiled. “That we shall part ways once you and Iris are free of the crests.”

“I don’t agree to this!”

“You don’t have much of a choice. I will force you to swear a vow that you will not pursue me for judgement before we even depart Tal-Qora. And, from what I’ve seen, you take those vows very seriously.” A cruel smile crept across his face as Alicia’s revulsion grew. “And if you don’t, I’ll just maim or kill you. Iris is clearly the priority, not you. Of course, your dear brother paladin threatened all manner of crippling punishments, but that will make the journey quite a bit more difficult, won’t it?” His voice curdled into a mocking sermon. “It may prove far too difficult to defend my helpless body while navigating a continent he and Iris know nothing about, let alone cross the Golden Veil.”

Color had drained from both Iris and Alicia’s faces.

“W-Warden. Is this true?” stammered Iris.

“Best way,” he replied.