“Noria is our priority and should be our next destination,” Ryze said looking at the assembled. They were in a meeting tent, a round table stationed in the center. Some of them were standing while others found spots to sit. The space was a bit cramp but they were making it work. The sun was starting to rise outside with streaks of orange and purple on the horizon.
Vincent shook his head, “Nothing against this plan but it’s Noria. Their army is arguably better than the Sanctum. At the very least always ready for war. What can the Ouroboros do against them to even get to the Great Leader.”
“What we’ve seen so far is tame to what they can do,” Orion said. “Noria’s army is bigger but a zombie army is unrelenting.”
“Then knowing all of that what do you intend on doing?” Morrigan asked. “Or what any of us can do to prevent that.”
Ryza touched the table in front of them and wisps of light manifested at the tips of her fingers. Whisking her hand forward the lights touched the table and turned into a miniature version of a hooded Ouroboros member. “Raising an army of that size will take time,” the shape began to move and slowly tiny zombies rose from the table. “We want to get there before then.”
“Noria isn’t close to here. At least at default it isn’t,” Alison looked toward Vincent and then pulled one of his maps out from his bag. “It’ll at maximum be a few weeks. At minimum a few days.”
Gest turned to her confusion playing across his blank mask, “So our journey goes, how can such a distance be made so close?”
“The Free City isn’t a normal city,” Alistair replied. “Sometimes it likes to help those within its walls. And hinder those outside them.”
“Does that include us?” Ryze asked.
“Honestly no idea,” Vincent shrugged. “It’s not something we take for granted.”
Ryza tapped her cheek, “To outpace them we should hopefully leave as soon as we can to stop them.”
“You assume that we can all aid you,” Morrigan commented. “Or want to.”
“We’re on the same page then,” Vincent nodded. “Being frank some of us don’t want to risk throwing our lives away for this. Rescuing the grumpy knight is one thing. But invading Noria? Count me out.”
Ryze was already waving his hand, “That’s fine. I had already made this plan with only myself.”
“You know that I’m with you,” Ryza told him scowling.
He chuckled, “Yes. I had imagined as much.”
“Even if we had an interest in helping your crusade, I know that myself and Ben could not,” Morrigan said. “Leaving today wouldn’t allow us to heal properly. We’d end up being a burden or worse, casualties.”
“You’re that hurt?” Alison asked and she offered her a smile.
“Physically perhaps not but here,” she tapped her head. “I would not want to risk it.”
“And my hands will take more time than I care to spend on the road,” Benidict added turning them slowly. Flexing a finger he winced. “But I know someone who can.”
As Benidict turned his gaze onto him, Alistair blinked shocked. “Me?”
“Of course Al. You’re more than capable. And I can imagine this bunch will need a strong sword to accompany them,” Leaning over he kissed his cheek. “I have some faith.”
“You don’t need to stay to take care of us,” Morrigan added.
He smiled, “Sometimes I wonder.” Looking at his sister he raised an eyebrow and she sighed softly.
“Do you really have to ask?”
“It’s a courtesy.”
“Well we appreciate it. Yes, we’ll go with you.” She looked toward the last pair. “What about you two?”
Orion turned their gun in their palm, “I have no love of Noria but I’d enjoy stopping and maybe killing one of the seven. So I’m going. What about you? Got a rhyme for this one.”
Gest bowed his head, “I will be staying behind. I have words to share with those of my kind.”
“Your own kind?” Orion repeated and glanced at Morrigan and Benidict who were staring at him shocked. “Oh right. The Cerisans.”
“It will be a far less enjoyable trip without your music Gest,” Ryza said and the jester bowed his head. She began counting off and said, “Then that makes five?”
“So it seems,” Ryze replied.
“Doesn’t feel like enough.”
Ryze looked at his sister scowl, “We’ll make do. How fast can you be ready to leave?”
“Only an hour at most,” Alison said and her brother nodded in confirmation.
Ryze stood picking up his cloak, “Then meet us at the west exit to the city. We can start riding immediately.”
The pair of necromancers exited the tent first, followed by Vincent and Alison. Vincent led the way as the mage followed behind him. She had her arms folded in thought. She hadn’t ever thought of going back to Noria since leaving. She wondered if her grandmothers had thought about them since they’d left. Or if they were even alive.
“You think of them so little. I didn’t expect such apprehension from you.”
“It’s not that alone,” she told them. “Noria holds bad memories for me. From when I was young.”
“And neither you nor your brother have gone back since.”
“No. It’s silly to think of it this way still.”
“It is.”
She rolled her eyes, “Thank you Penny.”
“Merely stating the obvious.”
“I know. This is dangerous, isn’t it?”
“It will be. More so than anything we’ve done before.”
“And that worries you more than normal.”
“It should worry you as well.”
“You know it does. But what I felt at Cerise. It wasn’t like our master.”
“I know. But Ryze is confident. As am I.”
She looked up as they turned a corner and worked their way through the city as it woke up. Vincent tapped her forehead and she scrunched her face in reaction to that. But he was already moving toward one of the stands. When he came back he was holding a small cup.
Pressing the warm clay to her hand she sipped it and sighed as the bitter liquid warmed her insides. “We know. Thinking too hard.”
“Just a bit. You two okay in there?”
“Yes. Part of us is nervous about going back to Noria but part of us is equally nervous about coming face to face with the Ouroboros.”
“I don’t blame you. You know you don’t have to go right. You can stay here.”
She shook her head taking another sip. “No. We said if our brother asked we would go with him. And we meant it. But.”
“But you don’t have to like it.”
“Mmhm.”
They walked together but took their time. Neither of them was eager to leave the other behind especially after the previous night. She took his free hand as they walked together. The sun lightened the sky further and as they arrived at the stables. Going through the stalls slowly they finally heard a welcoming whiney.
Blaze sauntered over to them throwing his head back. He looked at the two of them and finally forward brushing against Vincent’s head with his muzzle. Chuckling softly Vincent stroked his face and wrapped his arm around his neck tightly. “I know. I haven’t seen you in almost a day. It’s been hectic.”
Blaze snorted and calmed as Alison wrapped her arm around his large body stroking his mane. “Yes, it has been. But we’re going to need your help. Are you going to do that for me?” He turned to look at her, slowly blinking an eye and throwing his head back and stamping the ground. “You think he’s hungry or just being moody?”
“I think he’s being moody and wants to be fed,” Vincent said shaking his head. “As you know, don’t fall for it. Stubborn horse.”
Blaze stamped again impatiently and Vincent looked at the horse. “Yeah? You got a correction? Gonna lie to me?”
The horse shoved his head against his chest and sent Vincent stumbling back. Alison held a hand against her face giggling fiercely. She watched the man she had grown to love, argue with his horse and just enjoyed the sight of things being normal. After a few more minutes she stepped in as the mediator.
Turning the horse’s face to meet her she stared at him and said, “Come on Blaze. We’re going to saddle you up so we can go on a long journey. And we promise that before we go you’ll get sugar and treats. Is that good?”
The horse snorted softly and rubbed his nose against her hair, sniffing and finally stepped back behaving. They saddled him, getting the reins up, then the handlebars and pedals that were the signatures of the Rogue’s. Blaze was comfortable as he shook his head and fell into step ready to go again. They then worked together to pack the saddlebags for her journey.
He strapped a small satchel across Blaze’s side and patted them. “New maps?” Alison asked.
“Yeah. Updated as much as I could. Should be better than anything you could buy from some peddler in Noria.”
“We bet.”
Once he was fully equipped Alison stared at the horse who stamped ready to move on but didn’t make too much noise as he watched the pair of them. Vincent stared at Alison and sighed pressing both his hands on either side of her face. “Be safe alright? I’d hate to wake up and find out you’re both dead.”
She smiled at him, warmly like the sun that rose in the sky and one of her eyes morphed, changed into the black pupil. “You won’t be rid of us that easily,” they said together and leaned forward kissing him, pulling him close. They held onto him tightly and dug her fingers into his shoulder and hip. But she finally sighed and let go and sighed.
Vincent stroked her cheek slowly and sighed, “I love you.”
“We love you too,” she replied her eyes shining.
They kissed one more time and then she floated onto Blaze’s back. She shifted back and forth adjusting herself in the saddle. Grasping the handlebars, she turned him slowly, using her knees to guide him. Vincent motioned with her hand and she leaned down for another kiss as he fought a yawn.
“Go back to bed,” she mumbled. “We can handle the ride.”
“You sure?”
“Yes Vince. Go.”
“Just be careful out there. No idea what you’re walking into yet.
“We will.”
She shooed him away and he stole one more kiss before walking away stretching his arms above his head. She stared at him a while longer, watching him walk backward slowly before turning.
She sighed but felt the movement within her mind that was Penny’s consciousness. “We will miss his company.”
“Yes we will. But we’ll make it back. Come on Blaze.”
Urging the horse forward they worked toward the western gate of the city. Ryze and Ryza were already there in front of the large iron gate. They had almost matching dark horses, Ryze’s a solid dark brown and Ryza’s with some small light patching on its flanks. Orion was nearby no horse in sight but ready to go. Ryza smiled waving to her while Ryze didn’t look up.
Taking her gaze off the warming and expansive desert in front of them, Ryza looked at her brother shaking her head. “You’re a very anti-social man, brother,” She commented and glanced at Shriek at her shoulder rubbing his head slowly. “Isn’t that right?”
He looked at her blankly putting his map down and glanced over at the duo as they approached. “Not being friendly comes with the territory sister.”
“I wonder if you put enough blame on your upbringing and not enough choice yourself.” He looked up sharply and glared but she met his gaze evenly, “We need allies. And allies are best made when you’re friendly. I’m sure you’ve heard of the concept.”
He began to scowl at her and glanced away. “Fine.”
She raised her eyebrows and looked toward Shriek, “Did you hear that? He’s actually going to try. I didn’t think it would be that easy.”
“Let’s just say you’re not the first person to say these things and I only need to be told once,” he replied. He could feel Isaac smiling at him as he said that. Pushing his friend out of his mind he looked toward the two of them. “All set?”
Alison looked at him surprised but nodded, “Yes. We have a feeling it won’t be a long journey.”
“Oh? Something you know that we don’t?”
“No. Just a feeling,” she stared at Ryze and frowned. “We guess this is what Penny meant by the darkness in your path.”
He remembered that day and sighed. “Yes. I did not intend to drag you into my conflict then. But I suppose you were doomed to enter it regardless.”
“That’s one way to look at things. Another way is to say that we choose to help you.”
He smiled faintly, “That’s a pleasant way to think of things.”
“Or an optimistic one,” Orion added.
“When the world gets dark those positive moments are all we have,” she told them and Ryze snorted. “What?”
“Nothing. Just you and Isaac would have gotten along well.”
“Behave brother. There’s wisdom in her words,” Ryza smiled her way.
“When you share a mind with a being much older than you, you tend to pick up a few things.”
Looking toward the sky they watched the clouds starting to part. The sky was still grey but the sun was doing its best to press through the clouds and bring light to the day. The air smelled warm, promising rain from the east.
“Looks like I’m the last one to the party.”
Alistair arrived riding a ghostly grey horse that Alison knew very well. He stopped next to his sister and she bowed her head, “Well met Eaergo.”
The horse shuffled his head back and forth in response and seemed ready to move. Blaze chuffed at the horse in recognition and Eaergo dipped his head in response as well. “Gangs all here,” Orion said. “Let’s get this show on the road.”
“Yes,” Ryze looked at the four of them. “We’re going to ride hard today until the sun is down. It’s going to be a long day but we can cover a good chunk of distance.”
“Agreed. And look at that,” Alison pointed out of the gate and as the sun opened the path before them. They weren’t staring at the desert anymore. There were some pockets of sand but the majority of it was dry empty ground. There were pockets of grass but just staring at it, they knew they were far away from the desert.
Ryze squinted through the wind and shook his head. “Well I’ll be damned. How is that possible?”
“We told you,” Alison said taking the lead. “This city is special. But let’s not waste any more time.”
She raised her hand to the guard on duty and they brought the iron gate up with the smooth clink of chains. Once the gate was entirely up, they darted through, Ryze and Alison in the lead. Alison looked over her shoulder for a moment and she could see someone standing above the gate invisible to the guard.
A woman robed entirely in cloth and silk with only her eyes revealed. She nodded and waved a hand before fading away as if she were just some sort of a mirage. “Very special indeed.”
The Harlequin Library 