Taerak's Void Read online

  "I'll be off Braxton," Master Finn said reaching a hand down for Braxton to shake. The old man's grip was firm and the exchange was one of finality, as if Master Finn knew they'd not cross paths again. "Travel safe."

  "Thank you, sir." Braxton forced a smile. "I will do my best."

  "I know you will.” Master Finn nodded, and then spurred his horse down the lane at a brisk trot.

  Chapter Four

  Prism was proud, headstrong, and determined to hurry the pace. Davvy’s father’s old horse, Hunter, was equally determined to take it slow, and though each animal's temperament was uncannily close to its riders, Braxton fought Prism to slow his pace and Davvy reluctantly urged Hunter to keep up. To Braxton’s surprise, Davvy found a way to pack all the gear in Prism’s saddle bags. Save for the bedroll, which was strapped to the saddle behind Braxton’s rump. Braxton also rigged the sword he'd found and a quiver of arrows in a way that he could reach them. He also had a strung bow across his chest and another quiver at his hip. Bandit’s and hungry creatures were rare, but not unheard of. He had to be especially wary since he would eventually be traveling alone.

  The day was perfect. To their left, the Vasting River sparkled like a flow of diamonds. The summer sun was bright but not oppressive and the wide, green space between the road and the water was dotted with purple and yellow flowers. An occasional patch of red berry bushes flourished along the bank between clusters of drooping limbed trees. On the other side of the river, and to the right side of the road, there were long stretches of tilled soil full of rows of brown and green stalks or heads of yellow vegetation. Some had row upon row of green flowery cabbages, and other fields were like golden blankets flowing with the breeze. Between these fields, in groups of three or four, were small farmhouses and barns surrounded by pastures containing varieties of livestock common to the valley. A small wagon train full of hopeful faces, laden with goods from Camberly passed, forcing the boys off the road and closer to the river. Braxton felt a little better about his coming journey after seeing people who had just made it up the road with no apparent problems.

  “It’s only three days past the outpost,” Braxton reassured himself out loud. Really, the third day would be in the outskirts of the larger city and under protection from the palace guard patrols. The two days of travel on the open road with the thickly wooded foothills to his right and the river to his left still worried him a little. It also excited him. Davvy’s father had reassured him the road was heavily traveled and safe. He'd even commented Braxton would have a hard time actually being alone.

  Braxton thought about taking the Riverside Trail that people sometimes used. It wasn’t big enough for wagon trains but it stayed within sight of the river. It wasn’t patrolled by the outpost guards that often rode messages between Uppervale and Camberly, though.

  Most merchants from the valley sent their goods to Camberly by river. But stuff coming from Camberly was usually transported by wagon train, for taking an empty boat up river wasn’t impossible, but moving a loaded one was more than the rowers could manage. Some of the wealthier farmers paid kingdom guards, caravaneers, or mercenaries to escort their wagons back from the city, but Braxton figured guards would only attract attention to a load. He’d heard a few stories of bandits raiding caravans for profit, but not recently. The last trouble on the road he’d heard about was a merchant and his two sons who just disappeared after last year's harvest. Their bodies were found days later, stripped nearly to the bone by wild animals, or more likely hungry, two legged kobls.

  Kobls weren’t likely to have attacked them on the road because they weren’t known to use weapons or have any system of trade or any need of goods. Someone had told Braxton they were just two-legged dogs, feral malformed animals that walked kind of like men and scavenged in packs. Braxton figured bandits took the three men into the woods, killed them, and then rode off with their wares. Kobls or maybe wolves had eaten what the bandits left behind.

  “What are you thinking about?” Davvy asked, snapping Braxton out of his thoughts.

  Braxton realized it was late afternoon, and he had dreamed away most of the day.

  “Bandits and kobls, I suppose,” he answered and rolled his eyes at his own foolishness.

  The smile Davvy gave was clearly forced. His best friend’s sadness started to show itself. His attempts at hiding it were growing halfhearted. When Braxton looked at him, Davvy turned his head away.

  “How much farther to the outpost do you think?” Braxton asked, trying to fake some excitement as if something great awaited there.

  They stopped and looked out over the slowly falling landscape. To the right the forest was getting closer and the farms fewer. The land rose in sharp leaps back toward the mountains. Ahead of them in the distance the land was hilly and eventually much lower. So much so that they could see the tops of the trees like a rolling carpet of green for leagues ahead. To the left, the river started to pull away from the road. It flowed much faster here than they were used to seeing.

  Braxton felt like the water. He wanted to hurry downstream with the flow, building up speed until the world rushed by. He wanted a new view, new feelings, and a new outlook, hopefully one that was always moving, and ever changing.

  Prism seemed to be feeling it, too, for the horse pranced sideways. Braxton didn’t fight him, nor did he wait for Davvy to answer his question. He let the horse resume but held the frisky animal from taking the brisk pace he wanted. Davvy caught up quickly. He looked upset that Braxton was so eager to leave. He seemed to understand the feeling, though, and he spurred Hunter into a gallop and passed Braxton and Prism, howling out like a madman. Braxton didn’t have to urge Prism. The black bundle of energy burst after the others, nearly toppling his rider backwards. Prism slowed then, just long enough for Braxton to regain his balance, and as soon as he did, the horse used tremendous strength, lunging in long ground gathering strides.

  It was just the rush Braxton needed, and he was exhilarated and awed by his horse’s speed. The wind went rushing through his hair and his heart beat wildly, then they were caught up and passing Davvy.

  Braxton looked over his shoulder before he went over a rise. The grin on his friend’s face showed the spell of sadness that loomed over them throughout the day had been broken. This would be the last night with his friend, and he vowed it would be a good one. They could shed tears in the morning. Tonight, they would own the world. Braxton looked back again and waved his friend on before he went over the hilltop and out of sight. But when he looked ahead, he saw several men in uniformed kingdom armor moving to block the road.

  The captain of the outpost stormed out the door, causing the guards to stiffen and solute. Braxton recognized the stern looking gray-haired captain as the one who had studied the lake creature's tentacle that had been wrapped around Davvy with Master Finn one afternoon.

  “He is the one I was telling you about,” the captain said boastfully. “You rode in like a whole battalion of gothicans were behind you.” He looked to one of his men. “Dendle, this is Braxton Bray, one of the boys who survived--” he looked away, seeing Davvy just topping the hill and held out an open palmed hand toward him. “These are the two boys who survived that thing up by the lake."

  A huge well-muscled man with long black hair and a beard braided into two long strands stepped away from the others. He was wearing well-worn leather and mail, not kingdom armor, and when he walked up to Braxton he extended his hand down in greeting. “Dendle,” he said sternly and nearly broke Braxton’s hand with his huge friendly grip.

  “I’m Braxton Bray, and that is my friend Davvy.”

  Davvy rained Hunter in and came to a stop with his hand extended toward the big man.

  The captain looked Davvy up and down like he was about to buy him at market. “You look a lot better than the last time I saw you, boy. I'm sure you don’t remember `cause you were nearly dead. How are you healing?”

  “I have a little limp, but not much pain,” Davvy answered
as he hopped off his horse and proceeded to pull down his britches, pull up his shirt, and show them the grisly scar that ran across his back, over his arse, and down his thigh.

  Several of the guards "oohed" and "aahed" and then started showing their own scars. Of course, Braxton and Davvy had to tell the story about their encounter with the creature at the lake. They ended up inside the outpost, and as darkness fell, they laughed and exchanged stories around the stove while passing a bottle of horrible tasting, but potent, liquor around.

  Chapter Five

  Braxton was having the time of his life. Davvy, too, was caught up in the tales of battles and beasts the guards told.

  Braxton excused himself so he could go water the trees. When he was done, he walked over to where Prism was tethered. Somebody had made sure a full feed bag was in place, and the horse happily munched away on oats.

  Braxton breathed deeply. The air wasn’t as crisp as he was used to, but it was no less refreshing. The sky was big, bigger than he’d ever seen before. In the valley, the mountains rose all around, but down here in the foothills everything was more open. The small moon, which was rarely visible from inside the valley, since it only topped the horizon for a short while late each night, was to the south. The bigger moon started its rise upward from behind him, and it illuminated the falling landscape in a magical fashion. An owl, a large one by the sound of it, hooted its nocturnal satisfaction from the trees. The crickets and other insects were scared quiet for a moment.

  “That’s quite a thing you did.” The huge presence of Dendle appeared out of nowhere. Braxton hadn’t heard him approach, and he was startled.

  “What’s that?” Braxton responded, trying not to let his voice show that his heart was hammering through his chest.

  “Surviving an octerror, and even more, getting your friends back home before they bled out.” Dendle looked down at Braxton, his expression curious. “I went to the lake and swam into that cavern after I heard. I saw all the blood and the skeletons. No doubt that is where you got that old sword?”

  “Yes.” Braxton nodded. He wondered if this giant of a man knew about the medallion, the maps, or the book he’d taken. “You called it an octerror? What?”

  “It is a gothican word. They are quite rare in fresh water. You should be proud and thankful you survived your encounter. Most men don’t.”

  “Like the skeletons?” Braxton asked.

  “No. I think they died long before the octerror came around, else their bones would have been scattered, not so close together and whole.” Dendle turned and looked to the sky. Then he asked, “What else did you find?”

  “A pack full of junk. A cloak.” Braxton wasn’t about to say anything about the other items. He intended to take them to Camberly and have someone at the Hall of Scholars look at them now that he had a letter of recommendation. “I also found a flask of old soured wine.”

  “I was just curious,” Dendle said with an expression that showed he didn’t believe him. “Because you missed this.” Dendle produced a ring with a deep blue jewel that looked like a cat’s eye mounted in it. In the moonlight, Braxton saw markings like the one on the book. “These runes are like nothing I've ever seen before. I was hoping you might have some insight.” His stare made Braxton feel like Dendle looked right through him.

  “Your friend Davvy said you are going to Camberly.” His penetrating gaze slowly morphed into a broad grin. “I wish I could go with you, but I’m not welcomed so close to Narvoza's populous.”

  Braxton narrowed his eyes in confusion. “You’re not an outpost guard?”

  Dendle laughed deeply. “You can’t see it, can you? Have you ever seen a gothican? Well, I am a half-breed. My mother was raped by a gothican in a raid, and my huge body was too much for her to bare. The captain here pays me to hunt kobls along the border, but the people in Camberly are afraid of me.”

  “You don’t look any different, just bigger than most,” Braxton said.

  “You’re pretty big yourself, tall for a human,” said Dendle. “Most people have to look up to see into your eyes, but see, you have to look up to see into mine.” He grinned. “In Antol, or Halden, or throughout Nepram, I can get by. Camberly is just too close to the northern outposts. Besides, I prefer the wilderness.”

  “How tall is a full-blooded gothican?” Braxton asked, then hoped he hadn’t offend Dendle with the question.

  “Your eyes would look into the belly of a gothican.” Dendle laughed, but his eyes said he wasn’t joking or exaggerating.

  “Hey, Brax,” Davvy called from the doorway. “There you are.” He staggered over and put his arm around his friend, then looked up drunkenly at Dendle. “Gah. He is a big one.”

  Davvy almost fell, but Braxton kept him from it.

  “I’ll leave you to yourselves.” The big kobl hunter walked a few paces away, and then turned. “If you ever want to go kobl hunting, Braxton Bray, I’d be delighted to take you. The captain can always find me.”

  Davvy pulled Braxton off balance, and by the time they recovered from the stumble, Dendle was gone.

  Morning came too slow for Braxton. Sleep hadn’t come easily. He found himself thinking about wild kobl’s, gothican warriors, and strange runes. When sleep finally took him, he dreamed of fighting a giant in an unfamiliar city, and he, too, was bigger than those around him. Streaks of white and blue lightning flashed off his sword's blade as he waged war against a man-monster three times his size. The battle faded, and he found himself crouched in the bushes by the lake where they’d encountered the octerror, then the dreams left him completely, and he woke tired and confused.

  They ate dried beef and rode in silence until they could no longer see the outpost behind them. Braxton reined Prism off the road, dismounted, and then led the horse to a group of trees. Davvy joined him, and they tied off their mounts to a limb. Braxton dug something out of his saddle bag, trying hard not to meet Davvy’s gaze just yet. First, he handed Davvy a leather scroll case similar to the one they’d found in the cavern by the lake but this one was new.

  “What is this?” Davvy asked.

  “These are copies of the maps I found. I want you to put them away. Hide them and don’t show or tell anyone about them. Not even Master Finn.” Braxton tried to convey how serious he was.

  “I promise,” Davvy answered.

  “And this, I want you to give it to my ma.” He handed Davvy a pouch full of coins with a note attached to it, “Don’t let my father, brothers, or even Kareen know about it. Just stop in on the morrow and tell my mother this is from me in private.”

  “That’s not the money we—”

  Braxton cut him off. “No. I’ve got that here.” He patted his belt pouch. “I’ve got more stashed. My father gave this to me to travel with. I took a little out, but I want my mother to have it just in case something happens to my sister or my brothers.” Braxton grabbed Davvy’s shoulder and squeezed. “You can’t let my father know, just my ma.”

  “Alright, Braxton, I’ll do it.” Davvy dropped his eyes to stare at his boots.

  Braxton, having gotten his business taken care of, found himself also looking down, studying a patch of gray and purple mushrooms that grew in the protected shade of the big leafy tree.

  “Well this is it, huh?” Davvy finally said. When he looked up, a tear spilled down his cheek.

  “You’re going to make me cry, doofus,” Braxton said quickly. “I’m going to miss you, you know.” They shared a brotherly hug.

  “Damn, Braxy, I want to go with you so bad but my sisters and my father need me.”

  “It’s alright, Dav. I will be alright.”

  He spoke the words to comfort his friend, but he wasn’t sure he would. All their lives they’d planned on leaving Uppervale together. The battles with stick swords and dirt castles they built by the river. In fact, everything they’d done in their youth, they’d done as a team. It wasn’t supposed to be like this. It was supposed to be two best friends against the world.


  Braxton was suddenly worried Davvy wouldn’t be alright. Who would he hunt with? Who would he get drunk with? Would he get married?

  All the things that would happen to each of them that the other wouldn’t know about came crashing over Braxton, and he was overwhelmed. He had to go. He had to leave and get it over with. He let go of Davvy and stepped back, then extended his hand to shake Davvy’s like a man.

  Davvy sobbed and the sound almost broke the dam of tears Braxton held back.

  “I have to go now.” Braxton let his friends hand go. “But you’ll always be here.” He pounded his heart with his fist. “Always.”

  Davvy pounded his heart with his fist, too. “My ma didn’t have any other boys.” Davvy had to fight the words out. “You’ll always be my brother, Braxton.”

  “Oh Davvy.” Braxton hugged his friend again, but this time, when he let go, he walked to Prism and climbed into the saddle.

  “Brothers forever,” he yelled as he spurred his horse down the road.

  “Brothers forever,” Davvy repeated.

  And the goodbye was done.

  Part II

  Camberly

  Chapter Six

  The city of Camberly was once the northernmost outpost on the border of the Kingdom of Narvoza. Serving as the headquarters for northern exploration then, it was now the hub of the growing kingdom.

  Once a frontier town on the edge of the untamed forest known as the Gothfol, it was a place that bred legends and heroes. At that time, Antole was the capital of Narvoza, and where the old palace still sat. As Antole’s population grew beyond its city walls, new walls were built. It wasn’t long before the space inside those walls overflowed with people. And it was then that young King Anthony, grandfather of the current king, boldly decided to expand the kingdom’s border all the way to the Dragon Teeth Mountains. When this happened, the Gothfol became part of the kingdom, and Camberly Outpost became the most centrally located town inside the new borders.