While some visions appeared to her involuntarily, Audrey knew better than to make a habit of tapping into her foresight. As the train pulled into Nelenurth, she was tempted to gain whatever inclinations for what awaited them. Perhaps it was Oziomon’s wariness taking a hold of her, but not knowing might bring more harm than naught.
A glimpse of a wetted cobblestone street, torn open by a burning fissure that engulfs its surroundings, a mountain rises within—Audrey broke from the vision. Again? Why am I still seeing the Luseheim disaster? She dismissed it under the possibility that she had a stronger bond to the city than she realized. Maybe if I… Choosing Blair as a test, Audrey sought another divination. This glimpse involved a churning, desolate ocean of stars; the brunt of the disorientation within the unfeeling cosmos shook Audrey back into clarity. What in the world was that? She debated on pulling Blair aside to confide her vision to them, but she felt she had tested enough of their patience and trust. Later, then.
Much like their venture through Luseheim, Nelenurth was also peculiarly devoid of any Bloodcloaks. Their absence then felt like fortune’s favor, this on the other hand, was a dubiously convenient coincidence. Audrey felt the others must have picked up on this as well, as the group huddled close together on the train platform as the ebb of people flowed around them. Not one crimson mantle to be seen.
“So, how long have you known this friend?” Oz asked. “You mentioned earlier that you didn’t leave Luseheim very often, so how did you stay in touch?”
With the big man more on edge than ever, Audrey spoke her truth, accepting the fact that it may not placate his distrust. “She used to live in Luseheim up until a couple years ago, but we’ve been exchanging letters since.”
“Don’t suppose you know her address by heart?” Oz challenged.
Audrey produced an open envelope—the letter still inside—and handed it to him. “More than enough proof, I would hope.” He plucked the slip from her hand and frowned at the front. As she anticipated, he discarded the contents of the envelope from its cut opening. Audrey made sure to include a page of her own handwriting to discount any suspicion of forgery. He scanned over both pages before folding them up and inserted them back into the envelope.
“I’ll take point, if you don’t mind.” Oz said curtly as he handed the letter back to Audrey. “I’ve been here a handful of times, but I recognize the street name on the address.” He glanced around the platform as the crowds began to disperse.
“Be my guest.”
Oz pressed forward, lugging his body-sized pack of provisions on his back. Audrey followed in tow along with Blair and Rusuuz, while Gus trailed closely. At first glance, Audrey would have thought that their train looped at some point and ended up back in Luseheim—Nelenurth was very similar in layout and architecture. Probably best to let Oz lead the way, I might have gotten us lost. The main drag outside of the train station appeared to be a series of bridges, likely to cover the tributaries branching off of the massive Pohegar River—which continued downstream and carved through Immaryn’s Rest on its way out to the Ithcier.
“This place kinda reminds me of Sagerholm.” Gus commented. “Wonder why they don’t make use of the waterways like they do back east.”
“Riverlands like these are prone to flooding.” Oz said from over his shoulder, the massive bag nearly collided with Audrey. “Sagerholm has canals and other safeguards against surges, but there’s so many tributaries here that it’s practically impossible to account for every path the floodwaters might take.”
“I think I might know a gal who would beg to differ.” Gus countered.
Audrey wrinkled her nose. Her overall impression of Gus was that he was the kind of person blurted whatever came to mind without much tact, but she knew full well that it was a trait shared by every man. Her divinations varied between blessing and curse, but to trivialize it for such a mundane purpose put a foul taste in her mouth—but, with that, a greater appreciation for her gift.
“She’s not some tool, Gus.” Blair muttered.
Audrey glanced at Blair. Are they defending me or are they just being confrontational for the sake of it?
Gus raised his palms, aghast. “No, no. I didn’t mean to impl—”
Neither of them stopped walking when the trace of mhyra became obvious. Someone nearby had recently cast something. Rue drew closer to Blair, both kept their gazes to the road.
“—they’re awfully bold here.” Gus concluded.
“All the more reason to get the hell out of here as soon as possible.” Oz muttered, likely to himself.
“Who would you agree is the bigger threat:” Audrey asked the former soldier. “The Bloodcloaks, or Magdalene Gerard?”
Oz stopped in his tracks, even with Blair and Rue bumping into him, he didn’t budge. He glared at Audrey for a moment before resuming his gait. “Personally, I’d rather face the headsman’s axe.”
A deserter; didn’t need to be a foreteller to figure that one out. Audrey figured that Oz must have fled, she couldn’t blame him if he served under one of the Guardians that defeated Veran. Was it a soldier’s pride that made him stay this long? “I beg your pardon, that was uncouth of me to ask.”
“We’re all bastards to each other, as you’ve plainly seen.” Oz replied. “If anything, you fit in with our outfit just fine.”
“Speak for yourself.” Gus muttered.
“I’d rather not face pyre or axe,” Blair interrupted “are we getting closer?”
Oz glanced at a street sign. “It should be another kilometer, afterwards I can’t say for sure.” He pointed at a nearby building. “The numbers increase when heading south and east. Based on the address Audrey provided, we’ll need to go west after this kilometer.”
“Why is anyone even casting here anyway?” Blair hushed.
Rue nudged them. “What if Nelenurth is Saeden-Clach?”
“Did you leave your sense on the train?”
Come to think of it, hiding in plain sight might be the key. It worked for Audrey this long, maybe Rue’s naivety was wisdom they couldn’t see. The banter between all four of them helped the time and distance pass quickly. Before Audrey could get her bearings, Oz stopped in front of a saltbox house. She frowned at the residence, then the man.
“132 Millerden Lane, right?” He asked.
She fished the envelope from her bag and confirmed the address. “Ah, yes.” She bristled at the awkwardness of the situation. I wish I could have given her a prior notice instead of showing up unannounced. The neighborhood had powerlines feeding to the houses, but that didn’t necessarily mean that telephone lines—a privilege Audrey had come to enjoy—were as prevalent. These weren’t slums by any stretch of the imagination, but she had to be mindful.
Audrey approached the door and rapped on it. A moment later, the door opened and an unfamiliar woman peered out.
“Yes, may I help you?” She asked, her eyes sharp with uncertainty.
Audrey was taken aback for a second. “Ah, yes. Is Dahnnet in?”
The woman frowned. “No one by that name lives here.”
Audrey glanced at the envelope. “Is this not 132 Millerden Lane?”
“It is.” The woman uttered with a hard stare. “But no one by the name you’re looking for lives here. Good day.” She promptly shut the door.
Audrey stood there stunned. I don’t understand.
“Excuse me?” A voice to her right called out. Audrey turned to see a man standing in front of the neighboring house. “Can I help you with something?”
Audrey stepped away from the saltbox and approached the man, from the street her four companions eyed her warily. “Good day, sir.” She began. “I’m here to meet with a friend of mine, her name is Dahnnet Ortero.”
“Heck, I’d like to meet with her too.” The man replied. “Woman up and vanished a few months back.” He pointed to the house behind her. “Left all of her belongings.”
Audrey’s face paled. “Vanished? Did something happen to her?”
“Your guess is as good as mine, but she’s not here. That much is for certain.”
“I-I see…” Questions raced through Audrey’s mind. “Thank you.”
“Sorry you came all this way for nothing.” The man shrugged. “If you do manage to find her, let her know that Gorm’s still waiting on four months’ worth of rent.” He shook his head and retreated into his residence.
Audrey slowly walked back to the road. Trying to invoke any divinations that might clue her to Dahnnet’s whereabouts or condition. The sound of a train whistle floated through the late afternoon air.
“I take it that this was a dead end?” Blair called out. Each of their faces was painted with a mixture of disappointment and suspicion.
Audrey’s mouth went dry. They don’t think that I planned this, do they? “Appar—” she cleared her throat “—apparently, she went missing a while ago. Left all of her possessions…”
“She’s been gone this whole time and you didn’t know?” Oz pressed.
“How would I?” Audrey flung the envelope into the man’s face. “You read the same thing, nothing to indicate that she was planning on leaving—I can’t even envision what might have happened to her!”
“Can we be sure that this woman even existed?” Gus asked, his tone earnestly curious rather than accusatory.
“Guspare!” Rue scolded. “How could you say such a thing?”
“Enough!” Oz growled.
“Yes, enough.” Audrey agreed. “This was already a long shot, but I promised that we were going to be in-and-out the same day.” She pointed a finger to each of them. “I may not know what happened to Dahnnet, but I’m not going to delay us any further. Let’s go.”
Oz nodded, his face hardened. “I’ll allow us to take the train, but the moment I see red…” They nodded in tandem then followed Oz down the road.
Audrey couldn’t help but ruminate on the recent revelation. From what she could recall, Dahnnet was a cautious woman but to disappear like that. Something must have happened, but what? Any efforts to manifest a vision of her friend resulted in blank voids.
As they walked back, Rue drew close to Audrey. “I’m sorry about your friend, I hope she’s okay.”
The diviner nodded. “Thank you. I hope so too.”
Dirt and gravel transitioned into cobblestone as they returned to the main drag. A crowd began to gather at the one of the bridges; Oz led them away from the grouping, but Audrey noticed some of the townsfolk peering across. From what she could tell, there were two stationary steam engines facing each other on the track—together with their joined cars formed a wall of sorts surrounding the city’s eastern side. How did they manage that? She was about to alert Oz to the obstruction, when an acrid odor struck her.
“This way.” Oz muttered, as he diverted from the main drag. The unmistakable, burning scent of smoke clung to the air, impossible to ignore. They hurried behind, following him towards an alleyway, only for a figure to emerge from the back lane. The big man came to a complete stop. Audrey peered around Oz to see what impeded them, the sight made her blood run cold.
The person standing at the mouth between buildings was lanky and frail, the mismatched Zherrai-Myr armor only made their stature more incongruous. They were facing away from them, a burn scar in the shape of the purifying pyre rounded their shorn head. A Beholden! This was a caster who surrendered themselves to the Bloodcloaks and used their gifts to help them hunt their own. From that betrayal, they earned a fearsome name: Bloodhounds. A moniker etched in fear and dishonor, a reminder of how one’s power can be twisted into a weapon of betrayal.
The Beholden turned to their group, their ghoulish appearance amplified by their lightless eyes and absence of eyebrows. Joining them from the alley was a Warden, her longbarrel resting against her shoulder. Shots rang out in the distance, followed by the cacophony of panic. Audrey stumbled as she was shoved aside. Rue rushed the Zherrai-Myr, stopping just before them as the Warden began lowering her weapon. A swift gale appeared to manifest around Rue and thrust the Bloodcloak and her Bloodhound meters back into the alleyway.
Rue was already hurrying back to lock hands with Blair when Oz commanded. “Run!”
Audrey broke into a run despite not knowing where there was safe passage. Disarray and Zherrai-Myr swept through the streets of Nelenurth. Despite the earlier cracks they heard, most of the Bloodcloaks weren’t using their longbarrels on the citizens. Around them, people were dragged from homes and businesses where a Beholden stood by to appraise them. Where did they all come from?
Air refused to fill Audrey’s lungs. The absence they enjoyed all made sense along with her vision. The Bloodcloak raid wasn’t intended for Luseheim, but Nelenurth. This was a trap and I dragged us all into it. Her head swam and her vision became spotty. Audrey was then lifted from her feet and flung into the air, something loud and heavy rattled by before colliding with something. Her breath returned to her only for the cobblestone surface to knock it back out of her; the back of her head cracked against the road.
Humanoid figures ran past her, one kicked Audrey in the ribs as they tripped over her. All she could do was cover her face and head with her arms. One shape knelt down next to her, shoving their arms underneath her.
“—et up!” The voice fought through the ringing in her ears.
Audrey blinked as she was dragged to her feet.
“—otta go! Hu—”
Gus? Audrey’s vision began to focus as she was prodded along. Gus was holding her up, stumbling to keep them moving.
“Are you with me?” He asked.
Audrey found her footing and met Gus’s pace. “What happened?”
Gus whipped back briefly but kept supporting her. “Some maniac drove a steam carriage into a building, nearly took you out.” He ushered them into a nearby building. “We got separated from the others, but I have an idea that’ll get us out of here!” They ran through a storeroom and into a house.
“What if we corner ourselves?” Audrey winced through the headache.
“Just trust me” Gus pulled her aside into a pantry. Releasing her, he straightened up and closed his eyes. “O-pons ne-mati” Audrey took a step back as Guspare’s entire shape began to waver. His clothes became armor, a crimson mantle nestled within the pauldrons, his face melded into someone who was both older and younger, silver hair added to the misperception. The glamour settled and the Bloodcloak standing before her opened his eyes and gave her a wry grin. “Okay, your turn.”
Audrey felt compelled to touch the back of her head, her hair was matted and sticky but that was minor compared to the jolt of pain she felt upon contact. She inspected her hand and found her fingers coated with blood. “Gus, I didn’t mean for any of this to happen.”
“Try not to move, it won’t take unless you’re still.”
Heavy footfalls could be heard nearby. Audrey swayed as she fought to stay standing. “I need you to know that this was all a mistake.”
The disguised Gus held his hands out. “It’s okay—but there’s no time. Opo—”
Audrey lurched forward, Gus grasped her shoulder and shook her. When she came to, a group of Zherrai-Myr agents stood outside the pantry. Audrey felt Gus pull her along into the open.
“Warden Ailgric?” one of the Bloodcloaks frowned at the glamoured Gus. His three associates shared the same confused glance.
“Indeed.” Gus answered in a different pitch. “Appears I beat you lads to the punch.”
Thank goodness. Audrey could only feel so much relief within her disorientation. He just might be able to talk our way out of here.
One of the other men chuckled. “Looks to be, glad to see the veterans can keep up just as well.”
“That being said,” Gus announced “I’ll take my quarry here and let you get back to the hunt.”
“Beholden’s gotta check her out first.” The older man challenged.
“Caught her in the act myself.” Gus replied. “Going to bring this one to my Ascendant, he’s sure to earn his cloak tonight.” The faces of the Zherrai-Myr darkened and an undeniable tension gripped the air, thick and palpable enough for Audrey to register through her daze.
Gus, why would you say that? They were already in dire straits; the last thing they needed was to raise suspicion.
One of the Bloodcloaks released his hostility and approached Gus. “Look, Iadoc. Callum’s a good kid, and I know you want him to complete his Ascension—we all do. But don’t cheapen the boy’s glory with some consolation prize.”
Gus stood still, a pensive look in his eyes as he looked away from the four men. He then released his grip on Audrey’s shoulder and stepped away. Clarity came rushing back to Audrey. What is he doing?
The Zherrai-Myr became eased by the gesture. “We’ve all been there, Warden Ailgric. But we can’t shirk customs and traditions.”
Gus clasped his hands behind his back and shook his head. “You’ll have to excuse me; I let my pride get the better of me.”
“Ascendent Vossen will no doubt earn his cloak this night.” The older man approached Audrey. “But he will earn it the same way we all have.” The three other Bloodcloaks saluted in response, but then warily eyed Gus for abstaining from the same. “Let’s get her properly assessed and processed.” The elder Zherrai-Myr directed.
Audrey shot a look at Gus, who wouldn’t meet her gaze. You’re going to do something, right Gus? Was he just going to give up and let them take her? Gus, please say something—anything! Two of the younger men stepped up to her. “Wait – wait!” she urged “I—I would like to dedicate my life to the Zherrai-Myr.” The Bloodcloaks stopped, then laughed.
“A bit late for that now.”
“Please.” Audrey begged. “I will undergo propitiation, my loyalty—”
The elder cut in. “Warden Ailgric has already attested that you attempted spell-craft against him. Your loyalty is void.” He looked at her with disdain. “You are beyond propitiation.”
Audrey’s heart shook her ribcage. Gus, please, don’t doom me like this. The Bloodcloaks reached out to her. The world around her slowed to a crawl. You’re not going to leave me here! Audrey leapt back and she lunged at Gus. Her bloodied fingers nearly grazed his face as the men pulled her back. Gus stared at Audrey, stunned while his glamour dispelled. Guspare must not have realized his disguise failed right away as the stock end of a longbarrel immediately crashed into his head. The two Bloodcloaks holding Audrey down released her to enact a brutal onslaught upon Gus.
She sat on the floor, trembling while the older man stood beside her. “To think we would have let this one slip right though our grasp.” He pondered aloud. “What drove your urge to expose him to us?”
Audrey stared at Gus’s limp form, blows still raining down upon him. “It… It was either him… or me…” She recalled the four figures from her vision, those that would deliver her from the flames to where she needed to be.
The man nodded. “Considering that the claim against you came under false pretenses, I am willing to consider your plight for propitiation.” He looked down at her. “What have you been cursed with?”
Audrey finally looked away from the carnage and faced her savior. “Divinations, visions that provide me foresight into events yet to occur.”
Bushy eyebrows raised slightly. “What a shame it would be for that to go to the pyre.” He knelt down and visually inspected her. “They’ll want to shave you and mark you—even with your injury, but I’ll request to allow you recovery time before then. Still, be prepared for it either way.”
Audrey dropped her eyes from the Bloodcloak, that was the last time she would meet their gaze as an equal. “Yes, Warden. Thank you.”