A Soldiers Life - 245 - Goliath's Creed

Chapter 245: Goliath's Creed

I started to help Maveith secure his homestead so we could depart and search for his sister in orc lands. Outside, Maveith was pulling down the stretched weasel pelts and relaying the battle of how he and Lyonis had hunted the two creatures down. “They were the young ones that had formed a mated pair and recently laired nearby. I didn’t want to worry about a litter of giant weasels in a few months, so we trapped one and killed the second one when it came to free its mate.” I could hear the anxiousness in his voice highlighted by the speed at which he was working.

I still had the two weasel pelts I had purchased from Maveith with legion ration bars. They were still my favorite sleeping accompaniment with the griffin down pillow under my head—not that I had much time for restful sleep recently. Maveith wasn’t taking the pelts, and I didn’t offer to store them. In fact, I was considering clearing out my dimensional space for Ginger. It was going to be hard enough traveling the Empire with a goliath. A healthy war horse was even more conspicuous.

“Who did you imprison in your space this time, Eryk?” The goliath’s deep voice bellowed in admonishment as he secured the giant weasel pelts in a stone chest to protect them from vermin and the elements.

Ginger neighed at me, and I chose to think she was supporting me and not Maveith, even though it sounded like she was agreeing with Maveith. “A young girl, her brother, their mother, and a First Citizen mage,” I replied casually.

“You forced women and children into your space! Eryk, I thought better of you.” Maveith chided me, and this time, I was sure Ginger was siding with Maveith as she nudged me hard in the side with her head.

I was a bit exasperated with his viewpoint. I was doing the best I could. “It was either that or kill them. I need to get them outside the Empire. I doubt anyone would come searching for them, but if I release them in the Empire, it might cause me problems. None of them can identify me, but if they are interrogated, it will most certainly lead back to me as I was tasked with killing them.” He slowly nodded, accepting my explanation.

It didn’t take us long to secure all of Maveith’s stone cabin and prepare a massive pack for himself. Maveith wedged some stone into the wooden door and nodded that he was ready, eagerness and trepidation in his eyes. I led Ginger as we started walking. Maveith asked after he seemed to calm down, “What of the goliaths who told you my sister lives?”

“I sent them here. They might not have made it. The wilds are dangerous, and many towns and cities are along the road. I told them to use Duchess Veronica’s name if they were captured.” When I finished talking, Maveith’s brow furrowed in thought.

“Then I should talk with Duchess Veronica before we leave.” Maveith nodded firmly. “We play checkers when I report to her, so I am sure she would tell me if there is word of goliaths.”

I slowed my steps, and Ginger took it to mean it was time for an apple and nudged my back to make an apple appear. “You can’t reveal I am alive, Maveith. The Hounds think I am dead, so the Empire thinks I am dead. I prefer it remains that way,” I told the goliath as I was handing the greedy Ginger an apple.

“I would not betray you, Eryk.” Maveith’s eyes brightened with a plan. “The duchess knows I am waiting for you to travel home. I will tell her the news of your death came to me.”

My left eyebrow raised in doubt. “Who told you I was dead then?”

Maveith acknowledged his mistake and continued formulating a plan. The news of his sister clearly had him rattled, as he normally thought things out. “I can see the problem. I will not tell her I am leaving, as I would not have been informed of your unfortunate death. But I must know if she is aware of the goliaths. If they need aid, we should give it to them before finding Zorana. You can wait for me with Ginger while I talk with Veronica.” I nodded as I wanted to know what the Duchess knew as well. Was she aware of the plot and that the backup Archives had been destroyed?

We traveled south toward Sobral, and Maveith asked, “How are we going to get into the Boutan Caliphate?” His hand rested on his runic hammer as he scanned the woods. He had been smart and rubbed charcoal into the head, obfuscating its brilliant polish.

I had given this a lot of thought and had devised a plan. “Unless we are going to shapeshift into orcs, we need to enter as members of the Adventurers Guild. Just like in the Telhian Empire, adventurers from outside the territory are allowed to delve into their dungeons.”

“Goliaths don’t become adventurers, Eryk,” Maveith said tersely, already putting holes in my plan.

I stopped walking and looked at the goliath, “Why not?” Maveith stopped with me and went into introspection.

“I actually don’t know. It is just frowned upon by my people. If I had to consider it, then I think it is because adventurers only care about one thing: gold. Goliaths care more about family, friendship, and only killing for a purpose.”

I didn’t know what to say, so we walked in silence for a while. Finally, Maveith spoke again after much consideration, “I don’t see why I couldn’t join the Adventurers Guild. If it is what is required of me to save my sister, I will do it. Other goliaths will not look at me favorably, though. We cannot take any assignments that I disagree with.” Maveith had to think out a path to rationalize his decision to join the Adventurers Guild.

Relieved, I didn't hesitate to say, “Agreed.” The weight of Maveith’s trust in me had me worried that we might not find his sister or, worse, find out she was dead. Still, I was leaving the Empire and felt it was a worthy cause. Risking my life for a friend was better than dying for an Empire that cared nothing for me or me for it.

“After you talk with the duchess, we will travel up the old trade road to the capital and seek passage on one of the Adventurer’s Guild ships. If we are lucky, a ship captain I am familiar with will be there. Her name was Desdemona. Although, I don’t think she likes me very much.”

Maveith grunted, “Did you store Desdemona in your space without her permission as well?”

“No. Adventurers just don’t like legionnaires,” I retorted, but Maveith was already grinning at his joke. I was glad he was slowly relaxing after learning his sister may be alive.

I just grunted at his poor humor and walked into a clearing. “I will wait here. There are some early spring plants I can harvest for my alchemy. And yes, I am sort of an alchemist now. Hurry and talk to the duchess so we can head east and make the trade road before dark.”

Maveith dropped his pack and walked toward the city, and I stored it in my dimensional space. I let Ginger wander and eat grass while I collected the valuable spring flora. Maveith returned late in the evening at a light jog. I went on alert, but he put me at ease, “I am sorry it took so long. I learned my friend Eryk was killed by the Boutan orcs and needed to show an appropriate amount of grief at the news. The duchess even hugged me and soothed me personally.”

“How much soothing did she do?” I asked teasingly, trying to needle him after he ribbed me about my relationship with Desdemona. “And did she have news of the other goliaths?”

Catching his breath, Maveith reflected on his encounter with the duchess. “She hugged me for a few minutes and rubbed my back, but her arms barely encircled my chest.”

“A few minutes?” I chided surprised.

I think Maveith flushed, but it was hard to tell with his gray skin. “Over the last month, I have counted her as a friend. She confides in me about her troubles of running the duchy while we play checkers, and I tell her about my past adventures,” Maveith said thoughtfully.

“And yes, the goliaths are being escorted to her. Two were injured in their travels but are healthy now. They were captured five days ago in Freira. She just learned of them two days ago and was waiting for my visit to tell me about them. She is now arranging for them to be ported to Parvas and then escorted here. She will care for them and help them get home.” Maveith said, relief evident in his voice.

My jaw was slack. Did the duchess have a crush on Maveith? Was he too oblivious to realize it? I wasn’t the best person at reading body language and cues of the opposite sex but it certainly sounded like the duchess was sweet on the big bald gray man. “Is she happy when she sees you?” I probed as we started moving east. Ginger was requesting another apple but I ignored her, four was her limit today.

“She said our meetings are the only time she feels happy enough to smile and laugh openly. Her brother went to the capital, but her mother remains a guest and a source of her angst. Veronica even mentioned I could stay in the Citadel if I wanted to,” Maveith said cheerfully. I shook my head but didn’t pry further, as sometimes ignorance was best. Maveith might never return to Sobral, and the duchess might not survive the war.

When we reached the white marble markers indicating the border of the duchess’s lands, we followed them to the old trade road. “Are you sure we just shouldn’t follow the river, Eryk?” Maveith voiced his reluctance at the path I had chosen.

“We can handle a few dire wolves. Or are you worried about passing the Ruins of Caelora?” I asked while slapping a spring fly on my neck.

Maveith voiced his concerns. “Both. Dire wolves will have just had their spring litter and will be looking to feed their pups. I am not ashamed to say it, but I hoped never to see Caelora again. Do you plan to raid the library when we pass?” Some fear ebbed into his tone.

“This is the fastest way. If we followed the river, it would add sixty miles to our trek.” I reassured him, “I don’t plan for us to go anywhere near the ruins, Maveith.” Maveith nodded in relief, and in response, his stomach roiled in hunger. It took me a moment to puzzle out why that didn’t make sense to me. “Where is your ring of sustenance?”

Maveith pulled a leather cord out from under his shirt, and the shiny ring dangled there. “I wore it for two months but found I preferred feeling hungry and the joy of eating.” He put on a wide smile.

I shook my head, as I had to agree with him. The ring did kill your appetite and make you feel full much quicker. Sometimes, food even tastes bland if you are already satiated. I produced a burrito and handed it to him: “Put it on Maveith. We may not be at risk of starving, but with just two of us, the less sleep the ring requires will be invaluable in our journey.”

Maveith finished the burrito in three bites, moaning in delight at the unfamiliar blending of flavors, and I handed him a second. “If I must,” he said, sighing sadly. He worked the ring onto his large finger as he ate the second burrito a little more slowly, needing four bites this time. It would still take Maveith a week for the ring to acclimate to him. But when he did, we would need only two hours of sleep and one meal a day to sustain our bodies.

With night coming soon, we started to look for somewhere to camp. Maveith asked, “Are you not going to ride Ginger?”

“I don’t have a saddle, and I wouldn’t be able to use my new spell form if I did. I learned my earth affinity spell form, it is called earth speak. I have been checking our surroundings as we traveled.” I tried to act like it was no big deal.

Maveith frowned and sounded hurt, “You didn’t learn shape stone?” That was Maveith’s spell form, and I think he wanted us to match.

“No. This spell form allows me to send out an aetheric pulse of earth-laced aether to get an instant image of my surroundings.” I informed him, expecting him to be impressed. He was not.

“I know what it does. A few goliath hunters use it to find burrows in my village. It has a limited range.” Maveith said apprehensively.

“Yeah, I know only being able to see out sixty feet is a limitation, but I still manage,” I said smugly and kept walking, as Maveith stopped, stunned.

It took a moment for Maveith to recover and catch up, “Sixty feet! What is your earth affinity?” He bellowed loud enough for everyone within half a mile to hear him.

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