NOVEL NEXT Chapter 1.5
Dena was a village bustling with life, despite its modest size. Argor’s inn was located at the end of a small path that led away from town, from which Nene could get an overall view of the village. A small square stood in front of the stone church, from which a dirt road, wide enough to comfortably grant passage to a large cart, led straight into the middle of the forest and then rejoined the main pathway of the region. Several shops stood along the road, and the inhabitants gathered in front of them, most of them carrying baskets, axes and other work tools. On the opposite side of the square, a few tens of metres afar, the shore of the huge lake was full of small piers, sheds and racks where fish were left drying. All around, half hidden by trees, there were houses of all sorts and dimensions, and the cries of farm animals could be heard.
Nene took some time to admire that idyllic picture that loomed before her. That place felt like it had been designed by a master architect. The settlements she had stopped by along her journey looked like a bunch of rubble by comparison. Dena was tidy and well-kept. She was so exhausted and on high alert the day before that she hadn't had a chance to enjoy the view. She inhaled deeply.
«We can go sightseeing, i-if you want to»
Nila was waiting for her a few metres ahead. It was hard not to get carried away by enthusiasm, as if she were on a pleasure trip.
«Let's meet your master first. Then… well, I guess knowing the surroundings a little better could be useful»
Nila smiled. She waved at her to follow. Nene nearly ran to keep the pace. They walked down the path until they reached the edge of the village centre. The forest and buildings intertwined with one another as if they were a unique natural environment. They turned a corner along a dirt lane, edged by simple fences made with tree branches and sticks. The buildings were small and close together as if they didn't want to take away too much space from the forest. Some villagers were just leaving their homes, walking into the street. It was a scene Nene was used to, in the city, except for the number of people, barely half a dozen, and their pace: nobody ran, nobody shouted, nobody hid their faces under a hood. Those people walked placidly along the street, exchanging pleasantries, as if the very concept of danger was unknown to them.
Nene followed Nila like a puppy following its mother, being too busy looking around, almost amazed by such an interesting reality that she would never have expected to discover in that place. They kept going through the street, from the end of which came chatters and sounds, a sign that the local craftsmen were already at work. When they reached the square, she regretted having doubted the industriousness of those people.
The church towered over the settlement. It was modest in size, but the bell tower was disproportionately tall, about three times the height of the other buildings. All around, arranged in a rather scattered order, Nene saw different shops, minute buildings of wood and straw, quite essential, most of which had only three walls, allowing her to peek inside. She saw a blacksmith's shop, who, as if to defy her expectations, was sitting on a stool in front of the furnace, focused on weaving a rope; right next to it, an elderly woman had set up a stall full of fish, which gave off a different smell to the one she knew. Fresh catch from the lake had an unusual appearance, compared to the salted fish she was used to finding in the Capital, coming from the north seas. A man was leading a donkey in the middle of the small and sparse crowd, and the people gave way to him, while he reciprocated with an old-fashioned greeting, lifting a hand to his straw hat.
Nene was used to seeing people in the city ignore each other, shout at each other, or else run to the side of the road and prostrate and bowing or even on their knees, at the sight of her inquisitor's garb. The people of that village behaved like kin, like trusted friends. Such a drastic change of scenery caused her quite the discomfort, while awakening a desire for belonging, something she had never felt even at the Citadel, not even among her fellow cadets.
Nila took her hand. Nene stared at her. In her eyes, she saw no emotion, as if that gesture were the most natural thing in the world.
«Stand aside», she told her.
Her tone felt unusual. Nene looked around and saw a great cloud of dust coming from the road that led into the forest. All the passers-by imitated Nila's behaviour and moved to one side of the square. Similarly, people in the Capital gave way to expeditions of Knights of the Church, the armigerous of the Prince, the city guard, or the carriage of the Count Regent who governed the city in His Majesty's stead. However, the ones coming from that dirt country road had a much less solemn appearance, and the inhabitants did not pay much attention to them, except to greet the shepherds who were leading the herd of sheep through the village, about twenty animals.
A bulky young man, with rough features and a simple face, raised a hand towards Nila and approached.
«What's going on?», the woman asked. «You said the pastures on the mountain were ready»
«We saw wolves, and Jan swears he heard a bear», he replied.
His voice was full of tension. Nene observed the group of shepherds: there were five of them, two elderly, so it was easy to assume they didn't want to take risks facing a bear. She wondered why the village didn't organise an expedition to slaughter the beast, but it wasn't her concern.
«Oh, my…. Where will you go, now?»
The boy sighed. Those animals must have been extremely precious to him, and what they were experiencing was a real disaster.
«Grandpa says there's a clearing on the other side of the lake, but Grandma doesn't want us to go there. She says there was once a mine there, and her father was crushed by a collapse. She says that place is cursed»
«If it's cursed, the priest could exorcise it», Nene said.
The shepherd only then noticed her. She felt extremely embarrassed: she had spoken out of place, she should have attracted as little attention as possible, and yet there she was, chatting with an unknown young man. The boy pointed to their hands, resting one in another’s.
«Did you find a little girl, lost in the woods?»
«N-no, what are you talking… I mean…»
Nila, perhaps embarrassed as well, let her go. She composed herself before speaking again.
«This is Nene. She c-came to study with my master, I am accompanying her to his workshop»
The shepherd glared at her. His wasn't the simple mistrust reserved for a foreigner, but something far more personal. Nene tried to talk her way out.
«Father Cosco is my uncle. If you want I can talk to him about that accursed mine»
«No need, I can do it myself», he replied brusquely. «Truth is, only my grandma believes these stories»
Nene shivered. There was no better way to fall victim to the Evil One than to underestimate its power. The existence of curses, meaning a place or object that causes misfortune to those who come into proximity with it, had never been confirmed or refuted by Church scholars, therefore Inquisitors were advised to be open-minded about it and to check every superstition. In some rare cases, rumours of cursed places had led to the discovery and subsequent purge of witches and other servants of the Evil One.
A woman at the head of the herd, which by then had moved away almost to the shore of the lake, called for the young shepherd, with something more like a grunt than a word.
«I have to go, Nila. I'll bring you something from the farm later»
«Oh, t-thanks…»
As the dust cleared, people returned to crowd the centre of the square, completely ignoring the dirt road strewn with sheep dung. Nene looked at Nila, whose expression was too complex to understand.
«Something wrong?»
She gasped, as if torn from very deep thinking. She smiled again immediately after, in a rather forced way.
«All good. Let's go to my master»
She decided not to pry. She had undeniably a soft spot for Nila, yet she hadn't forgotten that she was there for a specific purpose, and the affairs of the village were none of her business. The heroes of the stories she was so passionate about would have acted differently, they would have faced the bear, saved the village from danger, obtained everyone's recognition and claimed the maiden's hand... but those were stories from past times. She was not a heroine but an inquisitor, and she wished for no hand...
Nila realised Nene was staring at her hands, so she grabbed hers again. She guided her towards the lake and the village marketplace was out of sight in no time. Of the two dirt paths, one led towards a farm, deep in the woods, and then continued along the shore of the lake. In the distance, in that direction, Nene could still see the herd of sheep belonging to the family of that obnoxious man they’d met a little earlier. The second path pointed straight towards the lake, where small piers and stilt houses were bustling with fishermen, back from the morning catch. Some were mending their nets, others were relaxing lying on the bare shore, drinking unspecified liqueurs from clay bottles.
The two followed neither one nor the other road, but a tiny third path, barely visible, traced by the footsteps of people in the grass of the undergrowth. The route led into the forest for a few tens of metres, in the opposite direction from the farm. The terrain was quite rough, and Nene had some trouble keeping up with Nila, who moved as if she knew by heart the position of any protruding root or slippery rock. The village sounded distant, but still audible, when they arrived in front of a singular building to say the least: a small farmhouse whose foundations were rising above the ground, and walls of beams filled with pitch, a material not so common even in the Capital. The wooden roof and the entirety of the structure were covered by a pitch coat, the windows were made of glass and the smoking chimney of bricks. Nothing about that cabin matched what she had seen so far. She hesitated to approach.
«Here we are»
Nila cheerfully announced that they had arrived. She motioned for her to follow, and headed for the wooden door painted green, which stood out against the opaqueness of the pitch. Nene obeyed, albeit reluctantly.
They crossed the threshold. The air was much warmer than outside, and it smelled of musk. Nene was very suspicious of that infamous herbalist, and kept her guard up.
She entered a small, rather unique environment. The cabin’s inside was a single room, whose walls were full with shelves and dozens of books. There must have been at least a hundred volumes, an impressive collection, especially for a countryman. In a corner to her left was a large battered table, on which various objects were scattered in a disorderly manner: open books, a mortar and pestle, a partially chewed loaf of bread, jars containing dried flowers and moulds. In the opposite corner, a large dark wood shelf held dozens of these jars, as well as small bowls and even some potted plants. Opposite the shelf, on the plank floor, was a pallet and a blanket. It seemed that Nila's teacher lived and worked there, but there was no sign of him.
«Master Ezio?»
There was no reply. Nene finally learned the name of that mysterious man: Ezio. It was a typical name of the Principality's nobility, which could have justified his level of education and his massive collection of books. But what was a nobleman doing in that remote village?
Nila walked to the bottom of the house, where a second door led to the backyard. When she opened it, Nene saw a small garden surrounded by a dry stone wall. The garden was not what one would expect of a stately home, with exotic flowers and plants, but rather that of a witch, filled with brambles, wildflowers, creepers and lichens. At the centre of that havoc, a tiny man was bent to the ground, tearing up a weird-looking plant, with little to no success.
«Master Ezio!», Nila called, raising her voice.
«I heard you the first time, you idiot! Why don't you lend me a hand?»
The woman winced, intimidated by the old man's hostile tone. His hoarse, annoyed voice would have frightened anyone. She ran to help him, or rather, she uprooted the plant for him, very easily.
«Good girl»
Ezio stood up and turned around. He looked extremely fragile. He was no taller than her, so thin that his peasant clothes almost fell off him. His face was a mass of wrinkles, and his slitted eyes were nearly colourless. He looked very old, despite his grit, and had no nobleman manners.
«Who's there? Who are you?», he shouted in her direction.
«M-master, this is Nene, Cosco's niece»
«That old sorcerer has a niece?! What do you want from me?»
«W-well, she…»
«Nila…»
The old man sighed and radically changed his posture. From a bundle of nerves that he was, he relaxed, his back straightened a little, and he smiled.
«Y-yes?», she asked, intimidated.
«My dear, I think our guest can speak on her own. Let's go back inside, I'll make some tea»
Nene stood still and was stunned by that sudden change of character. She looked at Nila for help, but she seemed to be deliberately avoiding her. Ezio approached her very slowly with a curious expression. He scratched the back of his nearly bald head, and gave her a toothless smile.
«Nene, isn’t it? What brings you to our village?»
She didn't answer immediately and still glanced at Nila, who was busy putting the horrendous plant she had just plucked into an empty jar. The old man followed her gaze and, seeing Nila, his expression became fierce.
«Stupid girl! What are you doing?!»
She gasped and nearly dropped the jar. She hunched her shoulders like a caught-out child, next to tears.
«I-I'm… putting away your…»
«That's a plain nasty weed, that's why I was trying to pull it! Don't you recognize weeds from useful herbs?!»
Nila looked at the vegetable monstrosity in her hand, and stared down in frustration. Nene was quite annoyed by the situation, still she said nothing. She needed information about that man, and as heartbreaking as it was, the abuse Nila was experiencing was not her priority to solve.
«I'm sorry, master»
«Don't worry, dear. Everyone makes mistakes»
Ezio went back to his civilised mannerism. Nene considered whether to impose the cross on that asshole or not, but giving up her cover on an unfounded suspicion would have been foolish, especially since she didn't perceive the Evil One in him. She spoke up, at least to spare Nila from further insults.
«My uncle often wrote about you in his letters. It is my interest to learn your trade, that’s the reason for my visit»
She wanted to be proud of her act, but the herbalist's dubious expression almost frightened her. Had she said something wrong? Had she betrayed herself?
«Oh, it's a pleasure to meet someone who can speak properly. Tell me, where did you study?»
Nene almost cursed. She had been warned to be wary of her speech, too sophisticated for country people, yet she had lost focus and the man had immediately noticed her above-average level of education. The best thing was to tell something close to the truth, to avoid giving herself away in the future.
«In a monastery. I learned History, letters and faith there»
Hearing the word "faith", the old man wrinkled his nose. Was he about to have another of his grouchy episodes? She kept talking to avoid further insults to Nila.
«Unfortunately at the monastery they didn't teach anything about… herbs and medicines. When I heard about you, I wanted to come and meet you»
Ezio nodded satisfied. He walked towards his laboratory, where Nila was preparing the tea he had promised, and grabbed a book, handing it to Nene.
«Oh, how delightful, young people with an open mind. Usually, those Church riff raffs are all "sacrilegious here, sacrilegious there"... We are lucky to have a moderate man like Cosco in the village»
«You were calling him “sorcerer” just a second ago», Nila scolded him.
«I don’t know what you’re talking about. Me, him and your father were always together, causing troubles, when Cosco was a kid still studying to get his vows»
The old man's innocent laugh seemed to suggest he had genuinely forgotten having insulted the priest a few minutes earlier. As odd as he was and possibly out of his mind, it was hard for Nene to believe that he was involved with the Evil One. She should have asked Nila about him later.
«This book…. why are you giving it to me?»
«Oh, these are the most basic concepts that you will have to study»
She stared at him for a moment. Had she been hired so easily? She had been told that the man was eager to share his knowledge, yet she wasn't expecting to be so easy to convince him to recruit her as his disciple.
«So, does that mean…?»
«Welcome, Nene. Now, unfortunately, I'm very old, see? I can barely stand on my own... so I hardly ever leave the house. Nila will teach you on the field. Don't worry, she's exceptional, give her a few years and she'll be the one teaching me. If I’ll still be alive»
Nila joined them, handing a clay cup each, filled with a delicately scented infusion. She took a sip and smiled bashfully at her master.
«You’re gonna e-embarrass me»
«You are a good girl. The village will be in good hands with you»
Nene browsed a few pages of the book, and immediately noticed something unusual: it was written in the language she knew, but somewhat different. She had studied various ancient books and, although she was no scholar, she was familiar with the linguistic differences between modern texts and ancient ones, such as Martyr Ifeo’s tale, yet that volume was a mystery. She wanted to ask, but feigned naivety.
«Master Ezio…»
«Yes?»
«Is this book very old? I understand what's written in it but it seems rather unusual…»
The old man nodded satisfied. He walked towards the pallet. Nila followed him and helped him lie down.
«You brought me a smart young girl, Nila. You almost guessed it. That book is quite old, in fact, at least as old as I am, but you’re missing the point»
Once she was done assisting the old man, Nila stood next to Nene, her eyes fixated on the book. There was a hint of sadness in her expression.
«The reason it's written in a bizarre language is because it's from a faraway land. It was given to me by... a dear friend of mine, like many other volumes in my collection. I don't know much about that land, except what I was told…»
The herbalist made himself comfortable in his bed, with a little effort. His breathing became laboured from the small feat, turning his speech very slow.
«All I know is that we speak almost the same language, but their technical and natural knowledge is far more advanced than anything I've ever seen. Thanks to him I was able to develop my own medicines»
The old man looked at Nila as a proud father looked at his kin. Their relationship seemed very close, even though the previous squabbles would have suggested otherwise.
«I will take care of her, master. Now you should rest», the young woman suggested.
He nodded. He rolled onto his side and began to breathe deeply.
Nila gestured for her to follow and left the building. Nene was extremely confused, and her face was giving it away. Nila sighed.
«Where do I even b-begin with?», she told her, with an embarrassed smile.
The crazy old man was not damned, yet a series of unusual circumstances had all gathered in that village. There was no way it was a coincidence. Nene needed a better understanding of what was going on, but for the moment it was better to take advantage of daylight to continue her inspection.
«What is my first lesson?»
Nila frowned, puzzled. She glanced once more at the book Nene was holding before speaking.
«Do you really wanna study with my teacher? I thought you….you know…»
«I’ll have to follow you on the job for it to be believable. In the meantime, if you don't mind, I'd like to ask you a few questions»
She smiled, but Nila didn't seem to take the bait. Or rather, she looked exasperated. She walked in the opposite direction to the village. Nene followed her into the woods.
«Where are we going?»
«There are some mosses that my master can't get to grow in his garden. I saw that he had finished his stash, we will go and collect some»
«Do you know where to find them?»
Nila swiftly pulled herself up onto a rocky outcrop. They were getting further and further away from town. The undergrowth was wild, large boulders had been submerged by the trees, creating an uneven, steep terrain. Nene was in good shape, but she wasn't used to that kind of territory, so the herbalist waited for her and held out a hand to help her get up there.
«There’s a clearing that way, which is very humid even in summer. Soon it will be covered with edible mushrooms, but for the moment we will find what we need there»
«The mountain the shepherd was talking about, the one where the bear was spotted... It's not nearby, is it?»
«No, don't worry»
Nila's bravado was unusual. In fact, after walking a few metres between sharp rocks and deformed trunks, she stopped suddenly, as if struck by a thought.
«I-I've never seen a bear, but I've heard that… They move very fast. What if we cross it?»
«Are there… no soldiers or hunters in the village?»
«Nothing like that. We… I don't think we've ever seen s-such dangerous animals get close to the lake. Bears usually live on the mountains, right?»
«Maybe they came down to look for food»
Nila's startled look let her know she'd scared her. She took advantage of her hesitation to reach her, and handed her the old book Ezio had lent.
«Can I put it in your bag? Of course, I'll carry it. Holding the volume like this gets in my way and I don't want to ruin it…»
Nila continued to stare into her eyes, with the expression of a frightened child. Nene sighed, and without waiting for an answer, took off her bag, slipped the book into it, and put it over her shoulder.
«I'm sorry, Nila, but I won't hunt the bear. It's not my priority. Also, I don't know how to…»
«B-but… if we asked the nearest town for help, it would be days for soldiers to come»
Nila came extremely close and grabbed her arm. Nene perceived in her a strength that she would not have expected, but what really hurt was her disappointed look.
«Nila, I'm just one person. On top of that, believe me, a damned is a far greater danger. When I'm done I could ride into town and…»
The woman squeezes harder. She was begging her. Nene felt miserable. She wanted to reciprocate her kindness and protect the people of that village, but her priorities were obvious. In addition, Church scholars thought that the damned could interfere with their surroundings, bring misfortune, cause disease, famine, and more. It was possible that, once the fugitive had been purged, the bear would go back to where it came from.
«We can't count on anyone else…»
«How about this: after I've discovered where the damned is hiding and I've purged it, I'll be able to reveal my identity, I'll have everyone's cooperation. I will assemble a group of volunteers to protect the village. In the meantime, I'll tell the priest to spread the word not to leave town and we'll wait for the soldiers to arrive»
She proposed what sounded like a sensible solution, but Nila didn't seem on the same page. The herbalist let go, her face no longer expressing any emotion.
«Nila?»
«Oh… y-yes I…», she sighed. «Forgive me, I-I'm just worried, that’s all»
Nene kept walking. Standing still meant prolonging that discussion, and she was already wasting too much time. Perhaps Nila would calm down if she focused on her tasks.
«I get it. And I promise I'll try to help out once my assignment is complete. I am in your debt»
Once again her smile was not reciprocated.
After walking for a few minutes, they reached a gorge, a few metres deep. Nila showed Nene a path by which they could descend. Calling it a "path" was an overstatement, as it was simply a wall of the gorge less steep than the others, from which some rocks protruded from, and could be used as natural steps, albeit extremely slippery and sometimes very distant from each other. As she pondered whether her small stature and short legs would have allowed her to make that descent, Nene sharpened her eyes, curious about that unusual shape of the land. It was a very wide gorge, at least fifty metres, and didn’t look like an ancient river bed. The walls were almost perfectly vertical, there were few trees and bushes on its banks and no obvious signs of dragging caused by water. Furthermore, at the bottom of the gorge, among the shrubs, she saw rocky formations with an orderly appearance, almost as if they were the remains of stone walls.
«That’s the spot, we just have to go down there. Do you need help?»
«I think so, thanks», she admitted. «This place is really strange»
«Oh, yes. See those piles of rocks? Master Ezio s-says they are ancient ruins. He says they were built before the Principality even got here»
«Remains of an ancient settlement?»
«Maybe. I mean… We don’t know much about these things, I guess»
The Church was an advocate for spreading knowledge among people, as long as it did not interfere with their fight against the Evil One. It was a common belief that the Evil One was all-powerful outside the Principality, therefore all outsiders were considered dangerous. This included those ancient civilizations that had preceded the Principality and the Church, therefore their memories had been erased for safety. Nene felt a little nostalgic and curious, observing those ruins from above. While they had housed God knows what fiendish servants of the Evil One, she would have liked to know more about them.
«Did Master Ezio tell you anything else about it?»
Nila seemed surprised by her curiosity and finally smiled at her again.
«Well, according to him, they used to belong to the Cloud Folk. You know, those magical creatures from children's fairy tales?»
«Yes, but… I mean… Does he actually believe that they exist?»
«Maybe», she chuckled. «There are m-many things we don't know about the world»
Nene stared at her, fascinated. It was obvious that they both were passionate about that topic. Why? Humans were capable of great things, why did they so easily let their guard down against the Evil One? She felt ashamed of her naïve curiosity, which had blinded her to danger. She, of all people, should have known better. She had dedicated her life to the fight against the Evil One. She wielded the silver cross.
«W-what are you doing?», Nila asked.
«I don't know whether to believe in the Cloud Folk or not, but the Evil One is said to grant the gift of magic to some of its followers. Witches are their most faithful servants and the most dangerous»
«Dangerous?»
«Don't worry, you've been here in the past, so I doubt it's a witch's refuge. However, I want to check for traces of ancient blasphemous rites. The damned hiding in the village might have met with the Evil One in these ruins»
«Oh… s-sure. So... I'll look for mosses, in the meantime»
«If you notice anything strange, call me. Did you bring the cross I gave you?»
Nila nodded. She began to descend along the natural staircase. Nene watched her closely as she went down. That access point was all too convenient. Was the entire gorge generated with who knows what foul sorcery? It would have been wise to call in reinforcements from the Church as soon as she had discovered the damned.
After a little effort, Nila reached the bottom of the gorge.
«Throw the bag at me!», she shouted at her from down there.
Nene dropped it into Nila's hands, who snatched it up. With a satisfied look, she beckoned her to follow. Nene cautiously lowered one foot on the first rock ledge. It was half the size of her boot, and slimy. How could Nila move so easily in such an environment? She regretted not having brought Oo with her, or at least the ropes she kept tied to his saddle. With those ropes, she could have dropped much safer. Still, Nila managed to make it look like child's play, which was why she hadn't even bothered to warn her about the rough terrain.
A swift sound spooked her. Her ankle twisted unnaturally, she lost her balance, and she no longer felt anything beneath her.
She had slipped, and was falling.