Savior of the Damned

April 22nd

Eldren boarded the ’ship to be greeted by the captain. She was tall and imposing, bald, with rich umber skin and dark eyes. She was wearing a dark blue captain’s coat over a white shirt and black pants. A bandolier holding a spell cannon and cartridges across her chest, and had a cutlass strapped to her waist.

“Right on time,” she said, reaching out to shake Eldren’s hand. Her grip was powerful, her hands well calloused. “Captain Simone.”

“Thanks for taking us.”

Simone laughed and clapped him on the shoulder. “Glad to be able to do something. Watching Sanctuary fall and knowing all I could do was fly people away was enough misery to last me a lifetime.” The same tired expression everyone had haunted the corners of her eyes. “Though I have to make a pit stop on the way to our destination. Nothing major, it’s just the life of a ’ship captain.”

Eldren fought the urge to yell. There was nothing he could do to speed things up, after all. “I understand.”

Simone clapped him on the shoulder again. “We’ll get the ’stones. Don’t you worry about it,” she said before walking away.

Eldren walked over to the railing to look for Merethyl. She had promised to meet him on the ’ship, which made him nervous. He didn’t know her at all, and learning to trust a stranger the way he trusted Phae was difficult. Though Merethyl was so easygoing, it was hard to not trust her as well.

Movement caught his attention, and he watched a woman dressed in a green vest and brown pants over a white shirt jog towards the ’dock. Her long black unbound hair trailed behind her as she seemed to be in a hurry. There was no mistaking Merethyl. She wore the same bandolier he did, with a cutlass on her hip. Gone was the rifle, and he wondered why as he watched her. That tightness in his chest eased a little as she hurried up the gangplank. He went to step away to greet her, when he saw people coming up behind her, carrying what looked like a busted radio.

“Simone has one, doesn’t she?” He asked as Merethyl boarded the ’ship and directed the men carrying it somewhere underneath.

“She does. This is for us.” Eldren side eyed her, making her laugh. “don’t be so suspicious. It needs repairs, and since you’re an engineer—”

“Uh, I’m supposed to be finding these ’stones,” he said.

“Let’s find somewhere private to talk.” Merethyl led him under the ’ship and to a quiet corner away from more of the bustle. “It’s a different radio than most are used to working on.”

Eldren squinted at her. “Oh yeah? How so?”

“It’s one of Aurelius’s radios.”

Eldren’s jaw dropped. “Where did it come from?”

“Temple scavengers recovered it from Sanctuary.”

“What does it need?”

“I’m not sure. The scavengers had no engineering experience. Orso was directing the expedition and decided to not tap in any other engineers.”

Eldren crossed his arms and looked down at the floor. “I’m assuming he wants it taken apart.”

“Actually, he was hoping you could repair it. This is a guaranteed way to listen in on what he’s telling people. Getting it up and running is more important.”

A fine tremor ran through him. Could he? Out of everyone who could have done it, it was striking it was going to be him. Fleeting hopes of contacting Phae filled him. “I’ll do what I can.”

A weight seemed to lift from Merethyl’s shoulders. “Thank you,” she said, looking down as something washed over her face. “I was afraid to ask.”

“I’m not that scary,” he said, shifting from side to side.

“No, but you never know who you can trust these days.” She looked to one side and bit her lip. “Orso was the one who told me I could trust you. And I trust him.”

“You sound like you know him.”

“I don’t, but he worked with my father and Father always had good things to say.”

Understanding filled Eldren. “I’ll start work on it right away.”

***

“Go to this address,” Simone said as she walked up to Eldren on the upper deck. She handed over a piece of paper as they finished docking. “Talk to Elena. Tell her I’m here to pick this up.”

Eldren took the piece of paper and slipped it into a pocket. “Anything else?”

“Take your time. See the sights. This place has shields to hide from Aurelius, but it won’t last. Not now that Sanctuary City fell.” Her face hardened, and she turned away for a moment. “And oh, check out the market. It’s the best I’ve ever seen.”

Merethyl caught Eldren’s eyes and moved toward the gangplank. Eldren followed suit. “What’s the address?” she asked as they walked away from the ’ship into the bustling, active city.

Eldren showed her the piece of paper. “She also gave some directions with it. Looks like it’s in the warehouse district.”

“Hmm.” Merethyl tapped her fingers on her bandolier as she hummed to herself, but her eyes were ahead, checking out the crowded streets.

“You want to check out the market? Simone told us to take our time.”

“Might as well.”

Eldren looked at the various vendors as he walked along. Food stalls, clothing, weapons, all expertly crafted from what he could see. He kept his eyes on Merethyl as they walked along, wondering about her. Orso had told him very little, and she hadn’t said any more than him. Still, if he was going to trust her, he needed to get to know her.

He stopped at the next stall, selling meat on a stick. Eldren’s mouth watered at the smell, and he bought some. Walking over to Merethyl, he tapped her on the shoulder and offered her one of the two sticks. “Let’s go sit.”

They sat around a water fountain and dug into the meat. It was more than filling; it was delicious. The food suppliers at Harbor City weren’t able to keep up with the number of bodies yet, and the quality of the food had gone downhill as a result, or so he heard.

Eldren glanced up at the sky, trying to see the invisible dome that helped shield the place from Aurelius’s eyes. Knowing it was up there didn’t help him spot it.

“How’d you wind up under Sanctuary?” He asked as he finished his stick.

Merethyl looked at him. “Oh. Orso had sent for me because the Families chose me as the person to deliver the Godstones. Things haven’t been good. There has been a lot of upheaval in the kingdom, and some Families were threatening to revolt against the others. No one could agree for the longest time on what to do.”

Eldren felt homesick for a place he’d never known. “What changed the minds of the Families?”

“I don’t know. I know some of them were worried about the elves that would die if they pulled out completely. And there is how humans have helped us over the years, too. Some were wondering whether the humans can save themselves from this.” A crease appeared between her eyebrows.

“So, they sent you?”

“Different Families guard different artifacts, with only so many people knowing the secrets. I’m the last of my Family, so I’m the last one to know where that particular Godstone is. That’s the one I have.”

“So why send you?”

She looked at him, something uncertain lurking in her eyes. “Because the elven elders felt I was the best fit for it.”

Eldren narrowed his eyes but said nothing as he went to stand.

“Wait,” Merethyl said as he stood, reaching out to grab his shirt sleeve. “Can we trust your friend?”

Eldren suddenly found it hard to breathe. “I thought so, once upon a time,” he said, turning to face her. “Why?”

Merethyl dropped her hand as she looked at the flagstones under her feet for a few moments. “Because we might be able to communicate with her. Do you know of the fairy circles, or the little pockets used for passing things back and forth?” When Eldren nodded, she continued, “We can put a lock of your hair in one of them, in this.” She pulled out a small locket, finely tooled, and handed it to him.

How did she know I told Phae about those? “What makes you think she knows about them?”

Merethyl looked up at him, an honest expression on her face. “Because, judging by how you talk about her and no one else, she was your closest friend. And friends share secrets, don’t they? Especially useful ones.”

Eldren’s face tingled, and he felt lightheaded. “Yeah. They do.”

Merethyl pulled out a pair of small scissors and stood. Eldren let her cut a lock of his hair off. “There,” she said, handing it over to him as he turned around.

“What do I do with it?” Eldren asked.

“Put it in the nearest pocket and think of her. It’ll call to her as she passes by. Maybe even without passing by, she’ll know.”

“Why does it work that way?”

“Because unbreakable bonds were forged between you two. Many bonds exist, but the ones forged by shared experiences, especially in war, are the hardest to break.”

Eldren looked at the locket in his hand and resisted the urge to open it. “And this will signal to her? No one else?”

“Not another soul will know unless she tells them.”

Eldren pocketed the locket, face numb. “Where to?”

“There are pockets all over. Let’s start by walking just outside here.”

Merethyl led him to a tree with a fork in it. Just below the fork was a hole with mushrooms growing around it. It hummed slightly, something only people attuned to them could detect. “Think of her and place it inside.”

Eldren withdrew the locket. Giving it one last look, he put it into the tree. Something closed on his hand, more like a gentle caress than anything threatening, and his breath hitched as he withdrew his hand, trying to let go of the locket. With an almost audible pop, it let go, and his hand shot out, empty. “What now?”

Merethyl looked at him, face expressionless. “We wait for her to find it and hope she returns the favor.”

“And if she doesn’t?”

“Then she’s lost, and we have to figure out something else.” She looked at him sympathetically. “Let’s go find Elena.”

They walked back into the city and navigated the streets, winding up in the warehouse district. Eldren got turned around a few times, but finally wound up at the address.

He looked at Merethyl, squared his shoulders, and knocked on the door.

A woman opened the door. She had warm brown skin, dark eyes, and her long hair was tightly plaited into many braids. The woman came up to his chin, though something lurking in her guarded eyes told Eldren she was more dangerous than she seemed. “Can I help you?”

“Simone sent us,” he said, showing her the note. “Said we had to pick you and something else up.”

Her demeanor changed to something less guarded. “Come in. I’m not ready yet, but I will be soon.” Elena laughed as the two of them came in. “Simone could have just radioed. No need to send strangers to the warehouse.”

Eldren looked around. It was a workshop, with a project in the middle covered by a giant oilcloth. Various tools and pieces were strewn across several tables, and he could smell the tang of oil and lubricant that would help gears move smoothly. “You’re an engineer,” he said.

“In my spare time. I wear many hats. This is only one of several.” She closed the door behind them. “Why don’t you wait down here while I grab my things?”

“I thought you weren’t ready.”

“I just need to make sure someone else on the team comes in and finishes this job. Nothing major. Look around if you want. Just don’t touch the cloth.”

Eldren looked at Merethyl, who shrugged. Elena walked up a flight of stairs along the back, and the two of them set to wandering around. The tools were good quality, and well used. She easily had the variety Temple kept around, some of which he knew had been hard to get ahold of. Pieces of brass and other metals were waiting around, for fabrication perhaps, and one table held a bunch of boxes with loose gears of varying sizes.

Sounds came from behind him, and he turned to see Elena dressed in a blue shirt, black pants, and wearing a bandolier and cutlass. She hefted a bag to her shoulder and gestured to the door. “Ready?” She asked.

“Yeah.”