The Seekers: Soul Ties

«In the pursuit of greatness, it’s easy to forget your boundaries.

I fear it may happen to you one day, and you know why.

Will I be able to help? Will you listen? I don’t know.»

– from a letter of Star to Jaesa.

Cooperation

The sky was a rich shade of purple today, just like those big, juicy fruits hanging from the trees near the road. In fact, the fruits were so ripe that they kept and kept on dropping bright-yellow juice on the ground. The fruits looked incredibly tasty and grew low enough to grab them easily. So why did no one in the caravan, heading down the road, pay them any notice? Maybe the reason was the nasty odor, radiating from the fruits? Maybe it was the way those drops of juice were melting their way into the sea of dark-red grass below, just like pure acid?

A caravan was a common sight in these parts of the Lands. Just a simple wooden cart, creaking through the bumps of the pressed dirt, loaded with goods, and moved by a mount. Any mount. This caravan was the igni’s, and their mounts of choice were the equi.

Those beautiful black beasts were slim, just a layer of skin on their skeletons. Constantly emitting a faint turquoise glow, the equi were the living lights at night. They walked on all fours, and their legs ended with hooves. Their long tail was constantly on the move, indicating the beast’s current mood. Big, oily-black eyes sat on both sides of their skull, looking both sad and mindful. Their long and sharp teeth were ideal for grinding meat. Each time they opened their mouths to hiss or bark, one could see a bright turquoise glow inside. What exactly was glowing and why – nobody ever knew.

A pair of igni were leading the beast forward, while the third one was walking behind the cart. Their glowing eyes kept searching nearby bushes and woods. Clutching a long spear in one hand, and a big shield in the other, they were always ready to repel attacking animals from every angle. Each also had a sword, a quiver full of arrows, and a bow.

«Hey, Iskrila, what are we transporting, exactly?» asked Haileen, one of the leaders of the procession.

Iskrila widened her dark-blue eyes in surprise. «Sabiri didn’t tell you?»

Haileen shrugged. «Star sent me, not Sabiri. I expected it to be something usual, not a single big crate, so I did not ask.»

Iskrila opened her mouth to say something, showing off her long, sharp teeth, but the words got lost somewhere along the way, making her look stupid and funny.

«Whatever.» Iskrila shook her head frantically. «It kinda makes sense you went straight to us, without seeing Sabiri. Here, take a peek.» She handed Haileen a complex-looking big key.

Haileen threw a quick glance around, and only after making sure they were safe, she left Iskrila to lead the procession alone.

While Haileen is busy opening the crate, I think I should mention what kind of species those igni were. They had two legs ending with hooves, two arms, but also a tail. Unlike animals who walk on all fours, the igni, as any sapient species of the Lands, preferred to walk upright, meaning on two legs. Each igni was two meters tall, wide and muscular, making them the second strongest and biggest sapient species. You could always spot an igni by their unique hoofprints, pressed quite deep into the dirt by all that mass. But no matter how heavy they and their armor were, the igni were also one of the fastest and most agile species, as their bodies seemed to find the perfect balance between the strength, the weight, and the agility.

Since they didn’t grow any fur on their skin, the igni had to wear clothes or armor. The trio of guards was wearing metal plates to protect their chests and backs. They also wore metal greaves and bracers. Thick, leather straps and underlayers were both holding the metal together, protecting the seams and the joints between them, and keeping the warmth. And, of course, each wore a metal helmet, for the head was the most important part to protect.

As with any species, each igni was quite unique. Every one of them had different placement, shape, and size of their horns. Each had a distinct skin color, varying from the clearest white, all the way to the night-black, but most were some shade of red, purple, or orange. Their glowing eyes could also be of every hue, but usually a bright and vibrant one. And each had a slightly different tip on their tail: some a bit wider, some a bit longer, but all were harder than steel, making the tail into a weapon as much as it was a third arm, a rope, or a mood indicator.

«Amazing!» a metallic voice exclaimed.

Haileen returned, wearing a new, immaculate metal helmet that had a removable face protection attached to it – their newest achievement!

«This face-shielding plate should be so useful!» More cramped words managed to escape the metal trap, leaving visible only her glowing blue eyes, and a bit of dark-yellow face. «When did you have the time to make them?»

Iskrila smiled back. «I’ve apprentices, Haileen. We got to work as soon as Sabiri and Star approved the design.»

She tried to make the helmets look nice, but since they were generic, the openings for horns had to be quite large, otherwise not every igni would be able to wear them. And even though Iskrila loved dark green, after the color of her own skin, the helmets were black so they wouldn’t cause any infighting over style.

«The saxum use helmets like these,» Haileen said. «Did you get the idea from them?»

Iskrila raised her eyebrows. «Yeah. Last time we were at the Market, their gear got me intrigued. How did you know they had these? You hardly ever take part in the caravans, so where could you see them?»

Haileen took another glance at the forest, but all looked safe.

«It is true, I only read some books about them. But some time ago I started to wonder: how do other species live? The saxum’s culture seems to be quite interesting, just like their gear! And I am also curious what is it like to have both females and males? The authors of our books are mostly igni, so they could not really explain.»

«Huh!» Iskrila took a second to think. «Can’t say I’m that curious, but since you are – just go ask them! Take a vacation and find out!»

«Well, no…» Haileen snickered. «I cannot leave Sabiri to do everything on her own. So, where are we moving these helmets? And why? And do we have any left for our own use?»

«To Drowners. They also need to learn how to make these. They’ll take the samples farther to the other villages.»

«That is a great idea!» Haileen went to put the helmet back into the crate. «Do you think we could also start selling them soon? Each time we visit Imbrergoso, Jaesa complains we do not make enough money to expand.»

«Well, she’s their chief – of course she wants as much money for Drowners as possible. If they can secure the materials and find the buyers, then sure…»

Before Iskrila could finish the sentence, an irresistible force jerked her body down. An arrow flew by, barely missing her head.

«Group up!» Haileen’s command pierced the air.

Trying to ignore the invisible hammer smashing something deep inside her chest, Iskrila raised her shield, tried to look around… But there was no one to carry out the order. With the corner of her eye, Iskrila saw how Aip, the third guard, fell down on the ground with a few arrows sticking from her shoulder and neck. So many bushes all around her – the enemy could be anywhere! Where are they hiding?

There was no other thought in Iskrila’s mind. She had to! Was it her own thought? Or was it the artifact’s that was hanging under her clothes, inflaming her every nerve with its heartbeat and horror? What would Sabiri do? The road looked clear, if she only could… Run!

A sharp, piercing pain suddenly ripped into her leg. Trying not to fall, Iskrila glanced at Haileen, hoping she could see the attackers. That calm face looked so out of place right then. An arrow landed in the wooden cart right near Haileen’s head, but still it failed to make her flinch.

What was the plan? How could they get away? Why was Haileen dropping her spear on the ground? Why was she doing the same with her shield? Suddenly, Iskrila’s wounded leg gave up, forcing her to kneel.

Shit!

She knew it was hopeless the moment it happened, but she just had to try! Iskrila dropped her own weapon and shield, then turned around to finally see the attackers.

The igni, a whole bunch of them. Good armor and weapons. Some of them were still hiding in the bushes, but the rest were already creeping towards them. Keeping the defeated foe under a constant aim of bows, they surrounded the caravan. Now Iskrila could see the sigil on their armor.

Iskrila blinked, then looked again, squinting her eyes to better see the pattern. That can’t be right! What?

«Who the fuck are you?» escaped from her mouth.

It was so hard to speak under the artifact’s toll, that she had to spit out each word in rhythm with its magical heartbeat.

«Why the damn do you wear Drowners’ sigil?»

Those words made the attackers pause. After exchanging confused looks, they decided to not say anything. Instead, two of them aimed their bows directly at her face.

Looking death in the eye was sadly familiar. The sudden weight of horror, pinning her down to the ground. The way she remembered Sabiri and every other person dear to her, completely unable to focus on any of them, unable to say goodbye. The way her heart was pumping blood through her veins, in sync with that fucking artifact that had failed to warn her in time. The pain in her leg, echoing with every beat. The helplessness, watching another enemy coming close to her, kneeling down, putting her hand on the arrow in her wounded leg. Her face was so close to Iskrila, and on that face… Was it pain she saw on it? Guilt? Shame? Disgust? The igni pulled…

Doubt

Today was a good day, by any definition. Frolicking birds were filling the air with their songs. They made their nests on a Land crumb – a piece of a rock and dirt, slowly floating hundreds of meters into the sky. Safe from land predators, the Land crumbs were a nearly perfect place to be safe and to raise offspring.

When such rocks flew above her head, they always reminded Sabiri about the good old times when her own children were home. Now they’d all left in search of something new and exciting. Yes, that meant she was living alone with Iskrila for a few years now. The house seemed too big and too empty. But it was okay. Sabiri was proud of her children, and she did everything to enable them to go wherever they wanted.

Warm, gentle wind was stroking her skin. No one bothered her. The breakfast Iskrila made this morning was amazing. Yet, she felt no joy. No joy at all.

Sabiri was sitting on a wide bench near her house, trying to get some work done. Dark-orange skin on her palm was muddy with black ink – she was too lazy to wait for it to dry when she wrote. Her red eyes were staring at a single point without moving. To one of her big horns, twisted like a spiral staircase and narrowing at the top, was pinned a small piece of paper. It was quietly rustling in the wind, making sure she wouldn’t forget to read it. Her thick leather jacket could stop a knife, like the one she was carrying in a holster on her shorts. But the main weapon was a sword, attached to Sabiri’s belt.

A big table in front of her was used for meals about as often as for work. She wished the work was as enjoyable as a meal with good company, but it was still nicer to read and write under the bright sun than with a lamp. A pile of scrolls in front of her seemed endless and useless: maps, duty rosters, schedules, supply inventories… The smell of old paper was teasing her long nose, but today there was no joy in it. Smaller, unrolled pieces of paper were laying all around, even on the blue grass under her hooves – that was mail. A beautiful quill was sitting in a bottle of ink, waiting to be used.

The more she looked at the map, the more frustrated she got. There it was, the Great Lake. Four igni villages were dispersed evenly over its bank.

Imbralestan, named after the beautiful vapor that rises in the air when it rains upon the lava lakes. The name has transformed greatly over the years, and now people of Imbralestan were usually called just the Vapors.

Poinistan, marking their chief’s love for the scarlet color. The Scarlets, in fact, all seemed to like red.

Imbrergoso, or Drowners in casual speech.

And, finally, Coracastan – her home. Sabiri still hadn’t asked Star about the name’s origin. As she recalled, Star didn’t really like to dance, but maybe she used to? It was almost three hundred years ago, after all.

Sabiri was born much later, but just in time to take part in building the road that encircled all the villages. Later, the igni and other species all around the Lands connected their own paths to the road, ending the villages’ seclusion. Star had so many hopes of becoming a transport or a trade hub in these parts, but it never happened. All major places of trading and crafts were eventually interconnected by straighter and wider roads, leaving the villages with few visitors.

She needed a distraction, to stretch her legs. There were still a few hours before lunch so almost everyone was working, leaving the streets empty. Sabiri always liked to look around when she walked. Their village was considered rather large, with about three and a half hundred population and about a hundred buildings. But those numbers were still low enough for everyone to know each other. Every road was familiar, every building. Sometimes Sabiri found this boring, but every year kept bringing her something cool.

The wonderful smell of soup grabbed her attention, as she was making her way towards the market. Through an open window, Sabiri saw a cooking lesson in action. Two girls looked focused, listening to an adult igni who was standing in front of a big, steaming pot with a ladle in her hand. Sabiri grabbed the note from her horn, refreshed its contents in her memory, then pinned it back on. Today she wouldn’t forget to buy what she needed!

«Hey, Sabiri!» She heard a familiar voice.

Instead of using the road, Star was making her way between the houses, which was often faster. Her favorite white sweater and shorts looked great on her skin, which was such a deep purple it was almost black. White eyes were even more unusual, matching a pair of simple, smooth, white horns. Beside her golden earrings and rings, nothing else conveyed Star’s high status.

«Hello to you too.» Sabiri smiled and shook her hand. «Where are you heading?»

«To you, actually. I was hoping to talk.»

Sabiri snickered. «And what are we doing? Can we walk at the same time?»

Star led the way. Seconds passed, yet she was keeping silent. At first, Sabiri didn’t mind, but then decided that a conversation could help her out. Yet, what should she talk about?

«See how the paint’s flaking from those door frames and windows? I do like to put little details onto my own home, and some paint is an obvious way to do it. But is there really no way to make it stick better? Or to last longer? I mean, the paint hasn’t improved in ages!»

Star scratched her head. «I don’t know, really. I’ll ask around, but there were always more important things to do.»

«Speaking of important – you wanted to talk.»

«Yes. I was thinking whether we need so much military. How many years ago did we repel the last raider attack? There’ve been no slavers in the area for quite a while now. I really think we’ve finally reached the peaceful times.»

That was almost the very question that bothered Sabiri. Still, what was the answer? Walking past the home of one of their butchers, Sabiri noticed a little stone path in front of the door. She wondered whether it was just a decoration, or to better hear the hoofsteps of the visitors?

«And we won’t hear or see them coming without the scouts and lookouts,» Sabiri said. «Those we cannot disband. But we can disband the soldiers.»

Star’s mouth curved in a wide smile. «Cut the crap, please. Just tell me what’s bothering you. There’s always something – I know you well enough.»

«Yeah, you’re onto me.» Sabiri shook her head, regretting ever agreeing to this conversation.

«I always am, and you’re always dodging questions! You need to work on yourself. Every day you need to make yourself do what’s right, what’s good for you and for all of us!»

Star was right. Shit, of course she was right! But… Sabiri cursed herself for the thousandth time today. She hated it! Keeping it all in her head already felt hardly bearable, but now when Star mentioned it out loud! That foul feeling at the bottom of her stomach… That feeling of helplessness… She hated it!

Sabiri sighed heavily. «That’s so stupid! Even if we leave the numbers of scouts intact, there are quite a few roads leading to us! Who knows if and when a new trouble would arise? Who knows exactly what would happen? How can I possibly risk getting us killed if I reduce our military numbers? But how can I keep spending so much when it’s peaceful? Even you showed up to complain about our expenses.»

«Sabiri.» Star smiled. «Don’t worry. We’ll sit down and discuss this. I know you can do it. Do you really think I’d make you my war mistress without having faith in you?»

Sabiri shook her head. «Screw that «faith’! There are facts, there’s information, and there’s crap! I do know that if we let ourselves relax, if our soldiers forget how to fight – we’re screwed when the danger comes! I don’t have «faith’ in that – I know it for a fact.»

Sabiri was about to snap but managed to control herself. She felt pathetic. And then she felt remorse. Star wasn’t at fault here. She didn’t have to listen to her yelling.

«So, should the danger come?» Star was trying a different approach. «Wouldn’t we see it coming? Couldn’t we face it together with our allies?»

«Grrr!» Sabiri let the anger out and stopped.

Could we? Would we have time? Certainly not, if the enemy is good. We shouldn’t hope to face amateurs, but we also must be realistic! Everybody is demanding me to know the future!

They stopped near the house of one of the tailors. Standing near the door was a wooden statue of an igni. It was either guarding the home, or welcoming guests. While it was as tall as a real igni, the sculpture was lacking the detail and life, especially that tail made of simple rope. Flaking paint wasn’t improving the looks, but it still was a piece of great work.

Sabiri pointed at the statue. «If we set up a bunch of them on the walls, then the enemy would overestimate our numbers greatly. Should I count on that? How can I count on anything when so many lives are at stake? How can I choose anything even remotely dangerous? But how can I keep spending more than absolutely necessary?»

Star came closer and put her hand on Sabiri’s shoulder. «Sabiri, calm down. We’ll figure it out. I’m definitely helping you with this.»

Sabiri sighed heavily. «Isn’t the final call still my responsibility?»

Star, no doubt, wanted to say something else, something encouraging perhaps. But her attention was taken by a scout, rushing as fast as the wind towards them. There was a piece of paper in her hand, and it didn’t look like good news.

A solution

She could not believe it! She just couldn’t! When they started moving towards Imbrergoso, she thought it was just a coincidence. When they entered the village, she thought that some sort of misunderstanding had occurred. When they were locked in the dungeon, she was expecting them to be released in a matter of minutes. But no! She was sitting on this wooden, hard bench for hours now!

«What the fuck is going on?» Iskrila asked Haileen.

Haileen was making her thousandth round of their cell, looking strangely thin and small without her armor. The ceiling was almost low enough to be scratched by her horns, making Iskrila think they were in a big container of sorts, not in the basement of a building. Loud clacking of Haileen’s hooves on the stone floor was both annoying and reassuring. That sound was enough to remind Iskrila that she wasn’t alone.

But no matter how much she was worried about herself, about Haileen, another thought was much more terrifying. The very thought of it made her blood chill. Iskrila tried to perish the thought, but it kept appearing in her brain. Even now Sabiri was probably dead worried about her, blaming herself for not providing more security with the caravan, cursing herself for not foreseeing the future. Sabiri can’t bury yet another person she loved! No! I must get out of here! I can’t leave Sabiri all alone in this world!

Well, all the thoughts in her head wouldn’t leave her alone anyway. The longer she thought about the Drowners she knew, the ones she considered friends, the ones she knew for ages, the hotter her blood boiled. How could they? Why? For what? What was the reason, the point? Not alone.

She wanted to beat the answer out of them. She wanted to pummel her fist into their fucking faces! She wanted to mutilate them with her claws! The claws that refused to retreat back into her fingertips because she was so on edge! She needed to get out of here. Oh, Sabiri, please don’t worry too much! It’ll be okay. The moment I get out of this freaking dungeon!

The sun was barely shining through a few small windows, indicating that it was already evening. Oh, those naughty windows, baiting her so with the freedom they promised! Not only were they too small for the igni to squeeze through, but those thick metal bars made her question their size. Made her feel that it was possible to escape that way! And the glass in the window was totally cutting off their ability to hear what was going on! Many little birds loved to sing at this hour, but today she wouldn’t hear a thing.