11 No Longer a Nightmare

Baemouth, of Wrath and Bone - I decided how I would live...laughing and building my mountain of corpses.

Whenever our eyes met, he radiated a fear few have known and a hatred that I have never seen. Palpable, tense, and seething like bloodfrenzy, his teeth ground as he glared at me. The scars on his hands and cheeks contorted into a grimace. I grinned before saying with clenched fists,

“Well, I see you’re a busy man.”

Galvin’s eyes twitched before Phil replied, “Wha, what? You both know each other? You know our boss?”

I leaned towards Galen while saying, “Rather intimately.”

Galvin froze there, his heart shaking in his chest as memories of our battle coursed through him, melting his pure, absolute anger. The look in his eyes told me all I needed to know. He didn’t want to die, but he didn’t want me alive either.

A short, sharp laugh escaped me as I said, “What did they tell you after I left? That I killed your daughters and ate all the children?”

Galen slammed his words like a brick across the temple, “Phil. Leave.”

The rat man scurried away with a carnal fear as I rolled my shoulders and said, “Instead of fighting, let’s talk to one another for a minute.”

His face turned crimson as he reached into one of his pockets. Before he started chaining, I shot my arm towards his neck. While wrapping my hand around the nape of his neck, my fingers fused, creating a collar of flesh as I said, “Listen or be assimilated.”

He went still as ice before pulling his hand from the pocket. He growled, “What do you want from me, monster?”

I grinned as I said, “What matters is what you believe happened that day. What did they tell you?”

Galen hissed, “That you killed both my daughters. That you devoured all the children...That you killed The Remnant of Gaia.”

I rolled my eyes before saying, “Let’s play a game then. We’ll call it five questions. I will ask and you will answer after a moment of thought.”

I set him down and released my grip as I said, “Why did I let you live the day we fought?”

Galen’s breathes rasped as he said, “So that you could relish in my torment later.”

I frowned as I said, “Do I look pleased? No. I let you live so that you could relay a message to the church, perhaps that I was merciful. What did you tell them?”

“I told them that a demon has devoured a remnant. They sent in the doctors.”

I nodded as I said, “Of course, Now what do doctors do, oh wise chainer?”

He frowned as he said, “They purge the cursed. They freed those who were in your clutches.”

I nodded as I said, “And who was in my clutches?”

He blinked before his hands went slack. He said slow as a falling feather, “My daughter and granddaughter...Joan and Petra.”

I nodded and said, “Who killed your daughters then?”

He fell to his knees before saying, “I...I killed them. My only children...What have I done?”

I lunged onto one knee as I said, “Our little game is over. Now listen. They turned Petra into a monster, Joan, on the other hand, was saved.” Galen’s head rose as I continued, “Can you guess by whom?”

He blinked before saying, “It was you...”

I nodded as I said, “If you work with me, I will let you see your granddaughter again. If you defy me, I will kill you before you ever see her.”

He met my eye and said, “If...If that is what must be done, then so be it. For family I have done worse. What is it that you want?”

“Something simple. The death of Gaia.”

He bit his lip before saying, “Why? Why do you want the death of her benevolence?”

I frowned as I said, “She corrupts this world. Your kind works within that corruption in ways I deem undesirable. Therefore, I will end the corruption rather than ending your kind. Be thankful.”

He grimaced as he said, “How has she corrupted us?”

I stood as I said, “I will give you a simple example. She lives under the earth. Where do the harshest, cruelest of creatures live?”

He frowned and said, “In caves, deep down.”

I nodded, “It’s a conundrum for scientists I’m sure. One set of creatures lives a certain way at the surface, beneath it, they are different. Regardless, Gaia is the cause of that.”

Galen nodded before saying, “I...I suppose. But what is it that you want me to do?”

I shrugged as I said, “Three things. Assist Sophia with her research, give me access to the Arcanum’s information network, and help spread the fame of Jericho.”

Galen breathed deep then sighed. He grimaced as he said, “How can I believe you?”

I grinned as I said, “It is a simple thing. You have no other choice. And besides-”

I cracked my neck before saying, “I’ve interrogated more than one of your assassins by now. They’ve told me things about you along with Joan’s own musings. I’ve learned enough to know this.”

Confusion ignited on his face as galen tilted his head, but I continued, “Your wife and Petra were kidnapped decades ago. Petra lived, but your wife was not so lucky. In a fit of rage and sorrow, you crushed and maimed each and every would be kidnapper, robber, or soulstealer, one after the other.”

I clenched my fist as I said, “You conquered them, like a dictator with an iron heel. You organized them, and controlled them. You guaranteed that if families paid a tax to the Arcanum, they would be safe. Gone were the days of daughters and wives being held for ransom at random.”

He bit his lip as I said, “You created a lesser evil. What I am doing is the same. A man named Alistair told me that if you cannot create light, then turn darkness to shade.”

Galen stood and said, “Alright...For Joan...But I must see her or have some sign. I will not walk forward while blind.”

“It is done. I’m quite busy as you’d imagine. Goodbye.”

Pacing past the mold ridden hallway, I reached the stairs before I paced up past the broken steps. A crack echoed from a stair beneath me, so I stabbed my arms into the wooden walls. A thunderous crash bellowed from the walls, so the guards glanced over. As I walked up the steps, they stepped backwards, giving me space.

Charlie waltzed up, dancing as she did so. She said, “Ah big guy. Did things not work out so well?”

I raised an eyebrow as I said, “Galen and I came to an agreement.”

She frowned as she said, “Who’s Galen?”

I walked towards the entry as I said, “An old Friend.”

My goal remained unchanged. Pacing through Dresdel, the sights of the city changed in a single night. The old, miserable town achieved new life with this event. A champion dragon slayer who gave his sacrifice in Dresdel. Tourism would flourish. The town’s pride would expand by leaps and bounds.

Shops prepared for these incoming customers as new signs littered several shops. Street performers from the surrounding villages swelled in the streets. The scaffolding for inns or souvenir shops littered the outskirts of town for extra rooms. With the extra taxes coming in, the council approved the introduction of a sewage system.

Our presence had evolved the town from a crime ridden ghetto into a flourishing center of trade. For the first time in both our lives, Jack and I had introduced a positive impact on a city. We built instead of destroyed. We gave instead of stole.

Even though I cared little for such petty concerns, a piece of me enjoyed it. Still, the remnants of Gaia spread their corruption like cancer spreading in a dying man’s blood. Resting had proven fruitful, but we would gain little more from it.

With this in mind, I traveled towards the chapel of the town. A newly woven banner hung from above the doorway, green and white and symboled with twelve talismans surrounding a tree. The dark marble gleamed bright in the low light of lamps. and after entering, I passed the rows of pews, finding the bishop kneeling below the tree of stone.

The new crimson crysta radiated warmth and light as the bishop of the church prayed for salvation. Since my slaying of the dragon, this church’s influence had grown by leaps and bounds, and the bishop understood the implications of this fact.

He prayed with renowned vigor to Gaia, and the sacrifices of the town kept the gem charged at the center of the place. My steps rumbled the ground as I walked towards him, but the man felt no fear. There existed one person within this town who could create such a sound with only his footsteps after all.

Knowing this, the bishop stood still as I walked up and said,

“Would you mind if I pray beside you?”

The words burned my tongue as they left my lips, but since I already gained the Arcanum’s favor, why not gain the favor of the church as well?

The bishop lifted his head before saying,

“You have done us a great service. Think of this as your home, please.”

He stood with the dim glow of a full moon illuminating the steps he leaned on. A torch lit blanketed the gray stone in orange, mixing with the red hue of the crimson gem at his side. He had taken it down earlier. The bishop turned towards me. The lights accentuated the paleness of his skin. The white of his robe, embroidered with gold and silver, gave him an aura of power and prestige.

His confidence was a quiet one. It stemmed from understanding his position and the positions of those around him. As a priest, he was untouchable.

This atmosphere left a mute impact on me. If anything, the ambience disgusted me, so after his thanks, we sat for many minutes before the priest said, his voice wobbling with his age,

“What is your name, he who hears Gaia?”

I turned towards him while saying, “Jericho.”

“Then Jericho, a priest from the village you saved verified your story. He told of how you purged the town of it’s demonic plague. You have uplifted our village as well. It is as if you carry a cloak of light wherever you go.”

The irony of his words made me grin. The Darkened One spread darkness in his wake. Now I am a bringer of light. I said, “I’ve heard my talents phrased differently.”

“Perhaps so, but my eyes can still see and my ears can still hear. I was skeptical, but you deserve a reward for your feat. By the authority as bishop of Dresdel and overseer of the state of Kendall, I grant you the title of disciple. May you continue your piety towards our lord, and may Gaia continue granting you her grace.”

I gave a malicious grin as he bowed towards me, keeping the smile unseen. By contrast, I spoke with respect, “May her grace offer us all salvation from our sins. Amen.”

“Amen.”

I removed my grin as he raised his head. I met his eye as I said, “I’m leaving to follow the will of Gaia. I am needed in Nelastra. I feel it. There will be frenzy and fury and fire. I stand ready.”

The bishop said, “Jericho, I want to help you on your journey. Call me by my name, Albus Feremore. I once tried being a Saint. It is a hard and long road. I can see your potential. It’s like my younger, more hopeful self is in you.”

He laid a hand on my shoulder as he said, “If it is fire you face, I can help, though only slightly.”

From his side, he picked up the red gem, already set in an amulet of black glass. It’s center was bloody, surrounded in an orange sheen. As it circled in his palm, the orange sheen shimmered until the gem looked like a writhing fire. After letting me observe the gem, Albus walked over and hooked the gem’s wire around my neck.

Albus placed his hands on my shoulders as he said, “This will let others know who you are, and what your title is. I will send a messenger so the Nelastra branch will know who you are before you arrive.”

I lifted the gem and stared at its center before turning up towards him and saying, “Are you sure about giving this to me?”

Albus grinned, his eyes full of understanding as his cheeks creased. He set his arms from my shoulder as he said, “You see this is crystallized dragon’s blood. It will only stay enchanted for the lsayer of that dragon. It would be wasted here.”

I nodded as I said, “Before I leave, I wanted to know. Who was Aesoth?”

Albus’s eyes grew grim as he said, “The dragon you slew was once a noble protector who guarded us many years ago.”

He glanced at the stone tree behind him as he said, “Gaia created dragons in an emulation of her ideal. They are strong, noble beasts, but just like any other creature, they may be corrupted by demonic forces.”

He glanced back towards me as he said, “A half century ago, the dragon became reclusive, and he stopped guarding our lands. Two decades ago, the surrounding villages became fearful of his presence, and within the last two years, many people started disappearing from the surrounding villages. This is the last relic of his past before he lost himself. This is the final slither of his noble soul.”

Albus opened a palm towards me as he said, “In exchange for our tributes, the dragon would drink from the alexandrite, becoming ever more powerful. He would protect us with this power. You hold a small piece of that power now. The amulet protects the wearer from fire of all kinds, so use it well, Dragonslayer.”

As fire posed little threat to me, the amulet proved useless besides the recognition it gave. Regardless, I thanked the bishop with a curt bow before saying,

“I heed the calling of her name. Goodbye, Albus. Thank you.”

“Until we meet again, Jericho.”

I left the church before the complexity of Jack’s plan struck me. He assumed all of these outcomes from destroying the dragon, and by leveraging his results, he amplified our achievements three fold. With one act, we became a hero of the town, an apostle of Gaia, and obtained entry into the Arcanum, if not an indirect ownership of it.

This gave us options for gathering information from a variety of sources all while disguising our identity with our accolades. Being known as Jericho allowed for travel by road. It gave us an efficient method for connecting with other groups who controlled this kingdom. It even resulted in saving this entire region from that plant’s infestation. Instead of remaining social outcasts, Jack injected us into society in a grand fashion. I wouldn’t have done the same.

With all our business handled there, we left our encampment at the break of dawn towards our next destination, the town of Nern. Jack enjoyed the trip far more than I.

That isn’t a hard thing to do, Deluge. You see, Deluge and I differ in how we spend our time. He enjoys long, morose walks while I prefer spending my time in the company of others. Ever since we started our journey, my desire for music evolved from a mild hunger into starvation, so with the new violin at my fingertips, I could play as we walked.

Since my repertoire of music was simple but broad, I could play different songs from sunrise till sunset. I relished the taste of rhythm. I embraced the merit of melody. I loved the healing of harmony.

Like sutures across my soul, the music restored me. Joan matched my talent of instruments with her voice, so we sang songs while enjoying one another’s company. Joan had bought us a harp as well, so by the time we reached Nern, each of us radiated joy, at least in my mind.

One of my favorite memories of the trip involved Charlie’s surprise whenever I first played. To say the very least, she was utterly stunned. I suppose, in a way, I was as well. It was the last living piece of my old life, and just like a fit of laughter, the music overtook me.