Free Souls- chapter 14

Chapter fourteen: The blue and the mask



In their third day on the shore, a strong wind started howling and breathing from sea to land, shaking and blowing sand in swirls. They hadn’t eaten much in the previous days, but as it was better than nothing, they were starting to regain some strengths; nonetheless, that sandstorm was too fierce for the group.
They stood close to each other and walked for a few hours, then stopped behind a dune of sand to catch up their breath and make sure they were going in the right direction. The air was so filled with sand it was almost impossible to see the city, so they all agreed on waiting for the storm to be finished.
At sunset the wind stopped, and it started raining. They saw they were starting to change direction and head for North instead of West, so they just decided to spend the night there and wait, once again, for the rain to stop.

All soaked and cold, Partas started whining and envying Brughn’s pelts, warm in spite of their spoiled look; needless to say, the shaman didn’t understand a word, but growled back at his arrogant tone. Molfreid was also starting to lose his nerves, when Lilith stepped in: <<Unfortunately I don’t have anything to cover us with, do you believe we could find some covert there, in the far woods?>>
Her suggestion didn’t receive much agreement in the group. <<Those woods are at several hours of walk from here, and you are tired>> Molfreid stated, followed by an immediate “I’m tired, too!” from the pirate. But oh, it was well true. During the day they only managed to eat some fruits they got the day earlier, but nothing more; also, the sandstorm had quite dehydrated them. The rain could be easily gathered as water, but they all needed rest: the woods were too far away.
<<We’ll go in that direction tomorrow or in a couple of days maybe. I know the woods and the river is to be crossed to reach the city>> Molfreid explained. He also looked very tired due to the old injury, despite he still have had no fever. That was a good sign. <<And from there…well, we’ll see what to do>>.
The last sentence made Lilith startle. <<What do you mean, we’ll see? Weren’t you going to…>> she remembered about Molfreid wanting to bring Brughn back from his jailers, but as sudden as a flash, she remembered the bounty hunter had been saved by the mercenary. <<What will you do of him?>>
The mercenary shrugged. <<He saved me, I wouldn’t be alive now if it wasn’t for his help, and yours. I guess I owe something to you both- we were all supposed to be dead by now anyway, so I believe they won’t even look for me. All thanks to this guy’s doing>> he gritted his teeth spelling the last words, and hit Partas on a shoulder. <<He’s free to do as he will, and I shall look for other jobs>>.
<<You may come with me, search for the dragon>>.
<<Maybe. I won’t decide right now anyway, I’m still too tired, and this rain is really exhausting me>>.
Lilith couldn’t agree more: as an answer, she shivered. When Keeo noticed it, from being silent and unmoving, he sighed and started poking in his huge bag. Between muttered curses, and weird sounds, he finally found a big, woolen blanket and gave it to the half-elf, who was now staring at him surprised.
She examined the blanket, thanked and put it around her shoulders. <<Wouldn’t you have something for the other men here?>> she asked kindly; Keeo rolled his eyes and started searching in his bag again, putting his whole arms into it to avoid to get all his things soaked with rain. <<Thank you, Keeo, I really didn’t imagine you had so many things in there! What are these metallic sounds coming from there anyway?>>
<<Absolutely nothing>> he answered, his head now entirely in his bag. At last, he found another couple of blankets and even a tent.
At that point, Lilith looked at him suspicious. <<How much space do you have in that bag? How come you even have a tent, and something metallic in there?>>
<<It’s just a few pots >> he said, speaking all fast and annoyed because of the rain. <<If only I remembered having them yesterday, we could have roasted a couple of fishes or crabs. Maybe we should mount this tent, shouldn’t we?>>
Lilith bit her lip keeping all the question to herself for now. The boy was getting more and more thoughtful since the boat explosion, and his mood was also getting darker and darker. She couldn’t understand his reasons, but as he was becoming weirder, she was proportionally getting more suspicious. The half-elf ordered Partas to settle down the tent all the same, and changed topic into something more trivial: <<What about you, Partas? You’re following us, aren’t you? I’m still wondering the reason why you joined the pirates>>.
The man started talking and hardly stopped in the hour that followed. His hands slowed down by his speech, and the tale wasn’t even that interesting: apparently he had a woman, in a far village in the eastern desert, and he got her pregnant. When he found out she was expecting, he ran away from home looking for adventure, and joined the pirates. He didn’t mean to end up in such a company, but he did nonetheless.
Lilith stopped listening from there, slightly disgusted by his attitude. “He can’t take responsibilities. That sounds familiar, oddly familiar”. Once again, her mind wondered about Loa, and his weird way of involving her in the research of their adopted child. “Take care of Ilu” he wrote her, and then disappeared.
The young woman kept thinking and remembering  for such a long time, that is seemed Partas ended their tent quite quickly: settled the shifts for the night, Lilith, Molfreid and Keeo entered in the tent and left Brughn watching over Partas. They fell asleep immediately, in spite of the roar of the rain and the rumbles of the sky.

In the dream, she was chasing the blue dragon. Ilu was wrapped between her claws, screaming and calling her, “Mommy, mommy!”; but despite her efforts, the fiend was flying higher and faster. Each of her step forward seemed to get her father from her child.
Then the air got heavier and as dense as water, and she nearly drowned; in its blue she crawled and cried, until a metallic hand grabbed and took her to the surface. There a horned mask emerged from the blue velvet, and when its waves embraced her, the hug felt intoxicating and cold.
When she opened her eyes once again Lilith saw Loa’s green mantle behind the mask shadow, and tried breaking free from its arms. She ran again, trying to reach it, but a shine struck her: a thin dagger pierced the mantle, red blood running through it, and the mask giggled amused. Rage was mounting within her, harsh and mad, and at last, she screamed.

<<WHY?!>> she cried, waking from the dream and sitting, making the others in the tent startle. She was still somewhat soaked, but she couldn’t understand if it was rain, sweat, or the water from the dream came true. Or maybe tears.
She got out of the tent immediately, without even apologizing, shocked and scared. Outside the rain was thinner now, but it felt cold all the same.
“Why did I dream Fenrir killing Loa? And why was he helping me at first, to betray my faith later?” she asked herself, looking around in the darkness, breathing deeply the humid air to calm down. “Why does he want to kill Loa?”
Then she glanced at the dunes before her, and saw it: right within her darkvision range, a white mask was looking in their direction. Behind it, his blood red eyes were shining.



It continues in chapter 15