A Record of Ash & Ruin: The Grieving Lands

Book 3: Chapter 19: Sweet Sorrow

It is always hard for those who stand on the right side of the events of history. It is a heavy mantle that I have no joy in bearing.

- Gilgamesh of Uruk.

The new days sun brought soft pastel colors that would later fade to a strict uniform azure. This close to the iron gray ocean, the wind brought with it the first hints of a salty tang, notes of the sea. The Green Road, that oddly spear-straight river, finished as strangely as it had begun. Its waters disappeared into a pool ringed by high prehistoric horsetails. At the base of these plants was thick thorny briar that writhed with alien and jealous intent, forming a natural wall that prevented all from entering. The end of the Green Road marked the end of my time with the people of Ravens.

Tomorrow would be a time for farewells, but also new beginnings. A new chapter of my adventures, yet unwritten.

Our camp was set up a mere stone's throw from the city's walls, just outside the main gates. Our mounted escort had told us of new tariffs and certain new forms that needed to be filled in before they headed back into the city. Before they left, the guards offered to expedite the process for a fee, pointedly warning him that outside the walls was not safe. However, Laes, in his miserly stubbornness, did not want to enter the city with the train until he had confirmed the truth of these new changes.

To the north of us, extensive, irrigated crop fields stretched out, the breadbasket of the city. There, numerous workers, donning wide-brimmed hats to shield themselves from the sun's harsh glare, labored diligently. I assumed them to be free men, for I had yet to see or hear the slavers lash. Al-Lazar was a city, after all, that prided itself on being a free city. Surrounding the fields was a natural barricade of large rocks, hardy plants, and trees, which served to keep the encroaching desert sands at bay.

Across the beaches, was a very different sort of agriculture. Great flowering vines that looked like the green tentacles of a giant slumbering sea creature wove their way across the bleach bone sand, creating a vivid tapestry of color and life amidst the sand and sea. Among the plants, workers toiled with a manic frenzy, harvesting the flowers into large baskets. These were the famous Dust fields of the Al-Lazar, the primary source of the citys wealth. The source of the narcotic Dust.

Encircling the city itself were towering walls, constructed from thick, heavy blocks of yellow sandstone. The men patrolling atop these fortifications, clad in bronze and iron armor, moved in perfect lockstep behind the crenelated battlements. Strategically placed along the walls were machicolations, sinister structures designed to let defenders rain down a variety of deadly materials onto the attackers below. Portions of the battlements were covered, sheltering what must have been ballistae, their fearsome spear bolts leaning over the walls with deadly promise. Parts of other siege engines, like the arms of catapults or trebuchets, peaked over strategic sections of the wall. High and formidable towers, like fortified minarets, stood at the corners, overseeing and completing the city's imposing defensive structure.

Rising above even the high walls of the city, a magnificent dome was visible, its gold plating reflecting the sun's rays with a resplendent brilliance. This was the renowned Puhru Bitu, the Council Chambers, or the Dome of Becoming, and it was the seat of power for the Shareholder families, as well as the heart of governance in the city.

A short distance from the eastern wall, I witnessed a scene most unusual unfold before my very eyes. A small group of cavalry was riding hard.

In the midst of their ranks, was a figure astride a creature that could only be described as gracefully monstrous. At least a head taller than the horses, this six-limbed lizard ran with a fluid, loping gait. It propelled itself on four of its limbs, while the front pair had three sickle claws each that seemed capable of effortlessly tearing through both flesh and bone. The creature's head and long tail boasted a striking display of feathers and plumes, all shimmering in shades of purple and red, loosely reminiscent of the velociraptors of Earths ancient past.

The small contingent of mounted soldiers appeared to be herding a group of odd, pearly blue humanoids, twenty strong, toward the sea. The soldiers of the city were not all riding ordinary mounts.

No, they were harrying them, I realized, as they hurled spears at the retreating figures. They cut across the Dust fields, as the cavalry, barely sparing the panicked workers any attention, almost ran them down in their chase of the strangely colored men. Unable to navigate a path through the large vines, a horse gave out a shrill whinny as it tripped and fell, tossing its rider to the carpeted ground.

In a desperate move, one of the green creatures tossed an odd device at the horsemen, which exploded into a burst of translucent slime, impeding their pursuit. Seizing this opportunity, the pursued group, instead of continuing along the white sands of the beach, started to wade into the iron-gray sea before disappearing beneath the waves.

The cavalry, once they extricated themselves from the slime, raised their weapons and gave out ululating cries that celebrated their victory. Their mission accomplished, they picked up their fallen companion, euthanized his horse, and began their ride back to the city.

If I was not mistaken, and from the descriptions I had heard from the Ravens, the people or creatures that had retreated into the sea were the Mer, a party of them sent to scout out the surface-dwellers realm.

The people of the sea often initiated their assaults with probing missions, much like the one I had witnessed, setting the stage for a larger attack. A massive, amphibious onslaught aimed at capturing the city. Vast numbers of the sea-dwellers, along with their formidable war beasts of the deeps, would emerge from the ocean depths, launching themselves at the city walls in a frenzied, often suicidal, attack. These ferocious assaults were typically repelled through the combined efforts of the city's defenders, bolstered by the hired hands of the Adventurer's and Mercenary's Guild. Despite these defenses, the city walls had once been breached, leading to intense, bloody combat within the city itself. This harrowing incident spurred the city-state's governing body into action, prompting them to strengthen and modernize their fortifications in an immense public works project.

Were we safe, outside the city walls? True, the defenders of the city had made short work of the rather pathetic scouting party of the Mer, but still, I could not help but feel that the caravan was taking unnecessary risks. By the looks of things, we were the first of the trading groups to cross the desert and should have been more than welcome in the city. Surely, the man could have used that to his advantage? Perhaps, this was another tactic of Laes to influence the price of his goods one way or another. However, my concerns for the caravan would soon be neither here nor there.

Yesterday, I finally negotiated through a potentially rather messy situation. It revealed to me, like some Eastern cultures of my old world, that theirs was, at its core, a very transactional one. It was a little off-putting, barbaric almost, but also had a stark simplicity that did away with a lot of meaningless nonsense.

One gold was a simple, and relatively small amount of money, all things considered, for services rendered. It would mean that I would not be leaving enemies behind.

*****

Lying on a hard bed, with barely enough space for two, I stared up at the wooden ceiling of Catalinas wagon, the legacy of her late husband. Light began to filter in through the gaps of the heavy shutters, telling me that a new day was now upon me. Putting off what I knew I must do, I took a moment to review my current Status.

[STATUS] Calling: Gilgamesh lvl.13 Paladin/Reaver

Strength: 32

Dexterity: 26

Constitution: 42

Intelligence: 25

Wisdom: 22

Charisma: 14

Luck: 23

Entropic Mimic [Creature of Entropy - lvl.24]

Health: 474/474 Stamina: 60/60 Mana: 1/1 Adaptive Defense (lvl.2)

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Shield Form (lvl.2)

SKILLS & PROFICIENCIES

Pain Nullification (lvl.3)

Power Strike (lvl.4) 10

Endure (lvl.5)

Stealth (lvl.2)

Rest (lvl.4)

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Backstab (lvl.2)

Dodge (lvl.3)

Polearms (lvl.3)

Dual Wield (lvl.2)

Critical Hit Mastery (lvl.4)

Improved Unarmed Combat (lvl.1)

Hammers (lvl.4)

Flails (lvl.3)

Maces (lvl.3)

Shields (lvl.3)

Medium Armor (lvl.4)

Improved Heavy Armor (lvl.5)

Axes (lvl.2)

Daggers (lvl.4)

Throwing Weapons (lvl.2)

Double Throw (lvl.1) 5

Shield Bash (lvl.2) 10

Riding (lvl.2)

Dash (lvl.1)

Swords (lvl.3)

Crossbows (lvl.4)

Blind-Fighting (lvl.2)

Rush Strike (lvl.1)

Tracking (lvl.1)

Trap Detection (lvl.1)

Frenzied Strikes (lvl.2) 30

Monster Taming (lvl.1)

SPELLS & MAGIC

Heal (lvl.5) 5

Rust (lvl.4) 2

Identify (lvl.3) 1

Silent Casting (lvl.2)

Mana Regeneration (lvl.2)

Purify (lvl.2) 3

Greater Heal (lvl.2) 10

Holy Aura (lvl.3) 2

Decay (lvl.1) 1

Drain (lvl.5) 2

Entropic Aura (lvl.3) 2

Inferno Bolts (lvl.2) 2

GIFTS

Curse of Entropy: -20% to all starting attributes.

Mark of the Paladin: 10% resistance to Dark/Holy magic. 5% resistance to Physical.

Touch of the Void: 10% reduced resistance to Holy/Fire magic, 20% resistance to Mental Effects, 15% immunity to Mental Effects.

Mark of the Adaptive Helix: 5% resistance to Physical, Minor Regeneration

Experience to next level 167/1069

Health383/383 Stamina71/72 Mana18/18

General improvements across the board, with even my passenger improving its skills. It was time to bite the bullet. Steeling myself, I prepared for what I had to say.

Today, I am leaving, I began, whispering to the woman lying next to me.

Catalina was not beautiful, not objectively in the sense that, lets say, Cordelia was. But she had a pretty face and full figure backed up by a certain enthusiasm that added a lot of spice to our nocturnal activities. I had asked her to do certain things, acts I had only seen in the media, things that I never had the guts to ask of a girl before. She did them all willingly, with minimum coercion. The next man who enjoyed her basically owed me a favor for opening up her horizons. It had been a liberating experience for both of us. Today would be an end to all of that.

She started to cry, though whether this was sadness from the thought of our parting, or my slightly rough treatment of her last night, only the gods knew.

I can not take you with me, you know this right? I stated simply in a soft voice. She only sniffled pathetically in response, her back to me.

Where I go is dangerous, and my enemies follow me, even now. I could not endanger you. Think, too, of your son, I added, more to convince myself than to assuage her feelings.

Finally, she turned to me, her voice hollow, No, it is not because you cant, it is simply because you wont. There is always a way for those who want it. Young I may be, but I know well enough a soft-spoken lie.

I am not lying I tried to counter.

She plowed on, disregarding my excuses, At the start, I was lonely, too drunk with the grief of my loss. Too soon, the other women said, but who are they to know of the empty places of the heart? I saw you there, surrounded by such merriment, yet alone. Pausing for a moment, a squall of repressed emotion clouded her features, I thought we were perhaps alike.

Do not lay all the blame at my feet. It takes two to I started again, only to be cut off. I must have failed a Charisma check or something, as this conversation was not going as I had planned.

A testament to the unpredictability of the fairer sex.

And I am sorry that I saw something that never was. I knew, but still, I had hoped. I wanted to make you happy, in any way that I could. You must think me a foolish, easy woman, she said bitterly, recrimination present in all of her words.

She continued with her monologue, every word steeped with emotion. Truly, you are a great one. Everyone, screams of your holiness. Even Abas Yar, that bitter excuse for an old man, sings your praises. That you are a hero, that the Goddess herself watches you. You are not holy, or Avaria is a jealous bitch that can not share her chosen with this mortal woman.

I did not bother with a rebuttal as I got dressed, leaving her to wallow in her misery and ignoring the rest of her tirade. Guilt pricked at me as I left her wagon. However, this feeling was soon erased as I felt an impact at the nape of my neck as I began to close the door behind me. The woman had decided to stupidly throw the coin purse I had left behind for her. The amount I had agreed with Laes. With a shrug of my shoulders, I left it where it had fallen. She would see reason soon enough. It seemed, however, that the old adage was right, there was no pleasing everyone.

I passed by Dumuzi, not meeting his eyes, I just decided to ruffle his hair as I walked past. He had been a good lad. Soft, though. I could feel his accusatory gaze following me for a good while.

*****

Catalinas recriminations were still playing in my mind, her words, what I remembered of them anyway, on an endless loop. It was a bad habit of mine, reviewing the past in search of an optimal answer. Elwin and Kidu sorted out our things, loading the bulk of our belongings onto Patches, while Cordelia and Larynda paid their respects to Ankhset, the Water Mage of the Ravens.

It was during this strange time that I received a summons from a boy, a mere slip of a youth. His face and manner were unknown to me, but he was polite in the way of these people and came before and bowed at the hip.

Master Gilgamesh, Gelgor of the Crows would appreciate your help in matters regarding his health. He believes that you may be able to render assistance, and that you will be well compensated, he finished bowing low as he waited for my response.

After my wages from guarding the caravan, gambling, odd jobs, clearing my inventory, donations for healing, Catalinas settlement and other miscellaneous expenses, I had on my person around two gold in various denominations. While I was not destitute, my financial situation was precarious, especially considering the high cost of city life. Despite Khalam's earlier warnings to avoid Gelgor, this close to my goal, I felt emboldened to disregard his advice. The rebellious part of me actually took pleasure in this defiance.

With a mischievous smile, I conveyed my reply, Inform Master Gelgor of my interest. I will meet with him within the hour.